baking in mind

top left: The baking continues.
top right: Fresh from the oven left: i miss michigan

Easter baking with a twist; Banana maple pecan buns by Dan Lepard.

hello sunshine

London today. Bright light; fuelling new ideas, strong shadows, mellow sunsets and sweet air. Happy to see the gardens blooming.
















Amazing image of London high above the fog from yesterdays Metro.

luscious lettering

Love pillows by Lush Designs.










123456789 diptych by danske.

dolce

The gorgeous photography of Marcus Nilsson.

These eggs remind me of Italian Baci sweets, the colours of the chocolates in their wrappers. I found this recipe, Baci di dama.

mid point

Kamalaya lotus ponds from Pookilicious' plant & flower set on Flickr. This image is so serene and peaceful.

Resting today and now time to think about my blog. I have been keeping this blog for six months and here it is the middle of 2007, already past the summer solstice. Usually I like to pause to consider such days but the week sped past.

Less posting has helped me get other things done but I feel a bit less connected to all that I had discovered. I have made some great contacts through this experience. Enthusiasm on a subject is a great thing to share. I have appreciated every comment made.

The librarian in me has reorganised my labels, if anything to help keep my blog more focused on what I enjoy. All the recipes I add, the things I find seemed to make a messy list of subjects.

A little while ago I added chaffinch :: online to the side bar. Inspired by Abigail and her online links organisation. I haven't yet worked out what to use the blog space for, perhaps my antique postcard collection could feature.

So looking back and looking ahead, a bit of consideration to make a better blog, a bit more often! A funny little pastime, which to friends shy of the web still don't understand the point when I try to explain. Put simply I suppose it is a creative connection to the world. port2port press answers make an insightful read and shows the value of shared creativity.

My love of good food keeps me searching for a recipe from around the web. Raspberry and elderflower fool, a summer treat for when the sunshine returns.

Good luck Grainne Morton for the Jerwood Applied Arts Prize 2007, winner to be announced on Monday.

bounty

A bountiful parcel with body + soul magazine from Jen, many thanks.

Traded for June's Elle Decoration, cover featuring a piece by Karin Eriksson.






















Lovely, dark & deep opens at doe today, wish I could get to San Francisco. Yesterdays's 3191 post is wonderful, the travelling deer and mav's bread and jam reminds me of simply breakfast's new header.

Mav's new photo & print project features this beauty. Pure indulgence; dark, decadent and delicious!













More beauty in the work of Gentl & Hyers, photographers for the cover of body + soul this month. Their on-line portfolio is superb. Spot another piece by Karin Eriksson!






Steamed Artichokes in honour of Spring. Enjoy the weekend.

simply delicious

Brand new simply breakfast, from simply photo. Looking forward to seeing this collection develop, so inspiring for the most important meal I never leave enough time for. There's a wonderful sense of peace, indulgence in time and occasion in these images.

Jen's most-delicious-oatmeal recipe.

expectation

Soon by notraces, holds such texture and beauty in the suggestion of spring.

Winter Flowers from You Grow Girl is about bringing spring inside.

A Book Cover project from Moonstitches, which I would like to make to transport my paperback read. Cherry blossom branches are beautifully captured by Moonstitches.

And a warming dish from simply photo yesterday, acorn love squash recipe, lovely images.

roasted acorn squash from the kitchen diaries via simply photo

set oven to 350 degrees.
cut acorn squash in half and scoop out pulp and seeds.
lay squash cut side up on baking sheet {i put it on top of aluminum foil too}. put a small slice of butter in the center of each squash, together with a little olive oil, a couple of thyme leaves, salt, and plenty of ground pepper. roast for an hour. check occasionally, you want them to be tender when you pierce it with a knife. if you like them sweet, you can add a little maple syrup and cinnamon.

sleep

Wonderful, Yawn by Catalina Pimentel, perfectly sums up how I feel today. Post pancakes I am still determined to keep up this blogging business, but too tired today to add a lengthy post. This is how I hope to be soon! Beautiful photographs.

A Pancake recipe for the analytical, needed this earlier and a whisk.

midnight ocean

The beautiful start and close of the new season mini-catalogue at Habitat. Wonderful photography, colours and inspired room and outdoor settings. More than anything it makes me wish I was on holiday at the seaside.

Power Waffles with Yogurt, Bananas & Almonds, if only I had a waffle iron! What a long week, good night.

cuppa

Set by *n*o*o*r*, a beautiful timeless image.












Hot Cocoa mug by White Forest Pottery.


















Some Like It Hot by Chronicle Books.

Affogato recipe by Williams-Sonoma. Inspiration for the next cosy weekend at home.

january

This week chiff :: chaff :: chaffinch will be a month old. January has been a good time to keep up the posting, stay in (aside from work), rest, think about what inspires me and consider the year ahead.

It is exciting to see what is out there, on the web, creatively. So much inspiration shared, I most enjoyed reading Abigail's 'Fragments of me' post last year, such an evocative read and perfect to jog a brainstorm of everything you personally love. I still haven't written my list but it's a luxury to stop for a moment and daydream about everything enjoyed in life, a tonic.

Another memorable post last year is this, from little birds, the first image of the floral arrangement is magical and the sentiment of 'a little pretty corner' is perfect. I'm pleased to read little birds will soon be back, and I continue to enjoy the images captured for 3191.

This blog is a great visual scrapbook for me. If you are reading please share what you think. I've had a couple of lovely comments. I am interested in where this documentation will take me. I am a book designer and daily visual inspiration is so important to keep work moving on positively, from all media. There is also nothing better than a good art exhibition to feel plucked out of the daily routine and amazed, I am looking forward to COLLECT at the V&A.

seeds

I am excited about Spring, the sun shone down and threw dramatic shadows across the city buildings today. Now I am looking forward to all the growth of plants and flowers in the coming months. While waiting I am thinking about the beauty and potential of seed pods. Weeds by Howard Bjornson is a beautiful look at plant forms, evoking the work of Karl Blossfeldt, which I greatly admire.













Angie Lewin, printmaker creates beautiful work inspired by seed pods and coastal colours. I especially like this piece.














Pomegranate Crush recipe, from these juicy seeds. I was perked up by a little pot of pomegranate seeds from Eat this afternoon. Seeds of inspiration!