Two Lights State Park

Summer is here, friends! I am trying to work ahead of the curve this year and give you my PORTLAND, MAINE Favorites list early. Hip hip! I have taken my other lists offline because this is the one that is the most up-to-date.

Please come on up/over to Maine this summer! Portland has everything you need for an amazing long weekend or, hell, pack your bags for a week and grab a camping spot or a hotel room (sadly, it will be over-priced and not amazing) and really do it up. You’ll eat well, wander well and even shop well if that’s your thing.

Three cheers for my Portland. Hope to see you up here soon!

Scratch Baking Co.

Standard Baking Co.

MAV’s PORTLAND
AREA FAVORITES
… in brief …

EAT

Don’t Miss!:
• Lunch With Tater Tots at Blue Rooster Food Co.
• Brunch, Lunch or Dinner at Blue Spoon
• Growler Nights at Bunker Brewing Co.
• The Best Mexican Food at El Camino in Brunswick
• Snacks & Desserts at Fore Street in the bar
• Tea & Scone at Homegrown Herb & Tea
• Pizza Slab at Micucci
• Noodles at Pai Men Miyake
• Bread, Sweets or Sandwiches at Scratch Baking Co. in South Portland
• Food Truck Breakfast or Lunch at Small Axe
• Pour-Over Coffee at Speckled Ax
• Croissant at Standard
• Espresso at Tandem

Other Favorites:
• Sandwiches at 158
• Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies at 555
• Quiet Lunch at Artemesia
• Steak & Fries at Bistro Jacqueline
• Milkshake & Fries at Duckfat
• Outdoor Tacos at El Rayo
• Wine & Oysters at Eventide
• Old Fashioned Donuts at Frosty’s
• Simple Family Food at Gather
• Tart Yogurt at GoBerry
• Gelato at Gorgeous Gelato
• Fish To Go at Harbor Fish Market
• Maine Potato Donuts at Holy Donut
• Corned Beef Hash at Hot Suppa
• Beer & Cocktails at In’Finiti
• Lobster Roll at J’s Oyster
• Cheese & Sandwiches at K. Horton
• Beer & Burger at LFK
• Cheese Board & Salad at Local 188
• Feel-Good Food at Local Sprouts
• Beer Outside at Novare Res
• Pizza Slice On The-Go at Otto
• Fresh Pasta at Paciarino
• Grocery-Getting & Homemade Soup at Rosemont Market
• Smoothies & Juice at Roost
• Cocktails at Sonny’s
• Brunch at Schulte & Herr
• Cheese & Meats at The Cheese Iron
• Outdoor Dinner at The Well

Tandem Coffee Roasters

Rosemont Market

SHOP

Don’t Miss!:
• Unique Home & Kids Wares at Blanche & Mimi
• Jeans at Bliss (Ask for Michelle to help you!)
• Old Books at Carlson & Turner
• Perfectly Quirky Goods at Ferdinand
• Local Bookshop Goodness at Longfellow Books
• My Shop (Come Say Hi!!!) at More & Co.
• Books On Food & More at Rabelais
• Handmade Local Goods at The Merchant Company
• Old-School Office Supplies at Wigon

Other Favorites:
• Antiques at Allen & Walker
• Totes & Rugs at Angela Adams
• Women’s Clothing & Magazines at Black Parrot
• Vintage Home at Circa
• Chocolate at Dean’s Sweets
• Second Hand Clothing at Find
• Cute Homeware at Folly 101
• Home Goods at Home Remedies
• Fun Kitchenware at Le Roux Kitchen
• Vintage & Vinyl at Moody Lords
• Outdoor Gear at Nomads
• Peace, Love & Revolution at Nomia
• Pottery at Portland Pottery Café
• Men & Women’s Clothing & Magazines at Portland Trading Co.
• Art & Clothing at Seawall
• Full Service Scandinavian at Simply Scandinavian
• Fun Kids Stuff at Treehouse Toys
• Tons Of Books at Yes Books
• Fabric at Z Fabric

Ferdinand

More & Co. Shop

VISIT/DO

Don’t Miss!:
• Taking a Very Long Walk on A Beach or A Trail
• Visiting Farmer’s Markets Everywhere
• Jazz on Tuesday Nights at Local 188
• Walking Around (literally) Mackworth Island
• A Movie at Portland Museum of Art
• Attending Whatever Is Going On at Space Gallery
• A Massage With Amanda at The Body Architect
• Lounging & Picnicing at Two Lights State Park
• Strolling the West End

Other Favorites:
• Sunset or Moonlit Run on the Casco Bay Ferry
• Walking The Eastern Prom
• Wildlife & Nature at Gilsland Farm Sanctuary
• Wandering Around the Portland Public Library
• Cliff Walking at Prouts Neck
• Art at Aucocisco
• Art at ICA, Meca
• Art at June Fitzpatrick Gallery
• Art at Portland Museum Of Art
• Art at Whatnot Gallery, Spindleworks

Crescent Beach

School is out for my kids today and that means summer is officially here, calendar (and, often, weather) be damned. I am so ready. As I was looking through my film negatives for another project this week, I kept coming across images of summers past that made my heart ache with nostalgia. The sun, the creeks, the lakes, the oceans (we will go to two oceans this summer!), the endless play, the bounty of berries, the fresh green things from our garden, the campfires, the hammocks creaking in the trees, the dusty trails, the popsicles for breakfast, the wildflower crowns, the visits with friends and family, the farm stands, the books started and finished in one day, the cold beers, the bike rides, the light and the long days. I am so ready

And a few posts from our archives to get this summer party started:

My summer essentials

Summer adventures kit

Excited to dry my laundry on the line

Pickles!

Sauvie Island is calling with strawberries and, later, blackberries

Some of my favorite ways to eat strawberries

I am going to make strawberry shortcake for my dad again this weekend

Salad rolls are the perfect hot weather dinner

Baked tortilla chips to go with fresh salsa

Popsicles!… apricot-strawberry ones are so pretty

Camping cookies keep ya going on the trail

Cold brew coffee, yes!

My son has been mixing up batches of honey lemonade

And Jack has been making G&T’s

Visit the library

I have some balloons stashed for the first heat wave

Oneonta Gorge is another hot weather treat

I love the beach

We will visit the beach in North Carolina too!

Camping, then hopefully, more camping…

Happy Summer!

Fresh Vegetable Slaw with Asian Dressing recipe from June 2013

Submitted by Jennifer

Time is flying! I have been hanging on to it for dear life (Did you know one week ago my creative team and I opened a shop here in my Portland? … I have not even had time to tell you about it!) and really need to just ground myself in this space today.

It’s time for me to just be a bit quiet and take a look back to one year ago. I need to pause and remind myself of where I was one year ago. Sometimes this memory lane really helps me calm down. Let’s go …

One year ago, this little guy above, my second nephew, was turning one. Today, he turns two! I love you, Gus. Happy Birthday sweet baby.

One year ago, I was addicted to chocolate chip olive oil cake. I have not made this in quite some time. It must go back on the list. It’s SO good. Oh and I have a new favorite Chocolate Buckwheat Cake recipe coming in Quarterly, No. 12. Sit tight!

One year ago, I was working on my first leaf collection with Miles, my first nephew. This was for a piece in Quarterly, No 8. It was as rainy then as it is today!

One year ago, I was drinking a lot of smoothies. I think I’m about ready to start that trend again. Bring on the summer fruits!

One year ago, I was at the cottage working on a simple little collection. I’m not going to the cottage until late summer this year. It will be a whole new landscape there. I can’t wait.

: : :

There. I feel calmer. I needed the quietness of one year ago for a moment. Now, time to move on to tomorrow.

We came home from California this week to truly beautiful sunny weather (June in Oregon is often quite dismal). It feels like summer is on, but we still have busy school and work schedules to slog through for another week. I can feel myself shifting to summer eating. As the farmers markets begin to hit full swing, I am craving big fresh salads and bowls of fresh berries.

I love a great big heaping of slaw. Not the limp mayonnaise-y kind, but rather a bowl of crunchy veggies with a sweet-salty-spicy vinaigrette. Fresh herbs are key, and peanuts round out the flavors I love from Southeast Asian cooking. Slaws are a great opportunity to throw in a vegetable that is not part of your usual repertoire (something mysterious in your CSA box?) or that you don’t usually eat raw—once sliced thin and tossed with salt, sugar and vinegar—it’s all good. For the batch shown here, I used red cabbage, bok choy, mint (really plentiful in my garden right now), carrots and red bell pepper. I love the rainbow mix of colors.

I like my slaws crunchy and fresh, so I always put the dressing on at the last minute, but this slaw is good the next day as well. The veggies mellow a bit as they pickle in the vinaigrette (great on a homemade Banh Mi sandwich). If you have dressing left over, dip some salad rolls in it.

Fresh Vegetable Slaw with Asian Dressing

5-6 cups mixed fresh cruciferous vegetables (pick and choose according to your taste and what’s in season):
cabbage (red, green or savoy)
bok choy
kohlrabi
broccoli stalks (julienned)
daikon
bell pepper
seeded jalapeno pepper (for a kick!)
carrots (grated or julienned)
mung bean sprouts
celery
cucumber (seeded and julienned)

1/4 cup packed chopped fresh herbs like mint, cilantro or basil (or a mixture)
1/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Dressing:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
juice of one lime
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce (soy sauce is fine too if you are vegetarian)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced or crushed
2 tablespoons oil (I use a canola/coconut mixture)
Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste.

Wash and chop/slice your vegetables so they are relatively even in size and place in a large bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Toss the vegetables with the herbs, scallions and peanuts. For the dressing, mix the vinegar, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, ginger, and garlic until the sugar dissolves. Stream in oil and mix to combine. Season with sriracha to taste. Just before serving, toss the slaw with the dressing (you may not need all the dressing depending on what vegetables you’ve used).

I have been a wee bit too busy of late (if you’re a 3191 follower on Instagram you know why) so I only have a simple photo postcard for you today.

I went to the beach this morning for a wonderful walk with my friend Brian Ferry and I think I can safely say that summer is here! Oh my gosh! Bring it on.

I have just spent some of the best days of my life celebrating my sister’s marriage with dear friends and family. Feeling full of love.

I’m honored today to have a guest post here on 3191. It’s our first guest post EVER! Of course, we had to ask someone completely amazing to take on our first guest post and that friend had to be Shari Altman. We love Shari!

Those of you who have gotten an copy of 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 11, have probably already poured over Shari’s piece in the issue (the opening spread can seen above). I love Shari’s approach to practical and simple wellness.

Shari has been a big support in my life over the years not only with her dedicated friendship but with her spot on advice. So, a special tea treat today from Shari to you! I will let her take it away now … Shari: Thank you for all of your sage advice, dear friend. xo

THE 5:30 PM BLEND

I created this herbal tea as a refreshing and nourishing blend for the late afternoon or early evening. It’s a pre-dinner tea, so to speak, to help me unwind from the stresses of the day and refresh myself for dinner preparations, while also nourishing my body.

Recipe:
1 pt Skullcap (dried)
1 pt Anise Hyssop (dried flowers and leaves, homegrown)
2 pt Peppermint (dried)
2 pt Schisandra berry (dried)
1 pt Milky oat tops (dried, homegrown and given to me by a friend)
1 pt Grapefruit peel (dried by me)
Note: a part is just a measurement. In the recipe when I refer to parts, I am using ounces.

I chose skullcap because it is a wonderful nervine plant that aids in relieving tension and helping me let go of the problems and stresses of the day.  Anise hyssop adds a wonderful flavor to the tea and is good for digestion. Peppermint is my go-to herb when I need an afternoon pick-me-up but don’t want any caffeine. Schisandra berry is an adaptogen, providing energy and focus but it is also restorative. Milky oat tops soothe the nerves and nourish the whole body. I added grapefruit peel for that important bitter flavor that our body needs in order to get the digestive juices flowing before a meal.

A few great additions or substitutions:

Lemon Balm–Now that I have lemon balm growing in my herb garden again, I might add some fresh lemon balm leaves to this tea to give it a great lemony flavor, to improve mood, and to aid in digestion.  If you don’t have any lemon balm on hand, try a squeeze of lemon juice.

Honey–Raw, unpasteurized honey is the perfect sweetener for this blend.

Mint– Experiment with different types of mint such as spearmint, apple mint, or even chocolate mint.

Berries: Dried blueberries or dried elderberries could be used in place of the schisandra berries.

Ginger: Crystallized ginger or fresh ginger slices would add a spicy kick to this blend.

I typicaly add 1-2 TB to a French press and then pour hot water in just off the boil. For a medicinal strength tea, you should let it steep for at least 10 minutes. If you want a lighter, more fragrant tea, then aim for just a few minutes of steeping.

During the growing season in Vermont,  I concentrate on making fresh tea blends. Today I made a fresh tea with dandelion flowers and leaves, violet flowers and leaves, lemon balm, and oregano (do not drink oregano tea when pregnant). I generally pack my French press full of fresh herbs and then add water just off the boil. Play around with steeping times. Take a taste at 3 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes and see which you prefer. You can also make a cold water infusion during the summer months.

Happy tea time!
—Shari

p.s. If you’ve never used these herbs before or are taking medication or pregnant, please consult your doctor before using.

I have been spending a lot of time with linen lately (thank you to everyone who shopped for tea towels and napkin sets at by3191! I will have more tea towels in the shop next month). I am always enamored with the beautiful selvedge of these fabrics and feel it is a shame when it ends up in the scrap pile.

My love of the selvedge led me to create these pillowcase instructions a few years back, and this week I revisited them when I came across a linen selvedge I really wanted to feature. I altered the instructions a bit to accommodate fabric that is only 54 inches wide, and wanted to share them with you here. With these instructions, you will be left with a large scrap—I turned mine into a set of four napkins.

If you have access to a sewing machine and can sew a straight line, you have the skills to make a pillowcase! They are lined with french seams which are quite easy to do once you get the hang of it, and you will end up with no raw edges and a nicely finished and sturdy case. Please refer to my previous post for more photos on how to create a french seam.

Materials for one standard-size pillowcase:

1 1/4 yards linen, chambray or other fabric with a selvedge you’d like to feature.
Coordinating thread

Before you cut your fabric, wash it in hot water and dry it in the dryer (just as you would your sheets). Most linens will be marked “dry clean only” because they will shrink when washed. You want any shrinkage to happen before you cut. For each pillowcase, cut a piece that is 32 inches by 43 inches with your selvedge running down one of the 43 inch sides. The best way to cut linen so it is square to the weave of the fabric is by pulling threads. (I found a little tutorial on pulling threads for you here).

Fold your piece over, so that the selvedges match up on one side and the side of the fabric you want to feature is facing out (if you’ve never sewn a french seam, this may seem wrong to you).

Sew a 1/4 inch seam along the bottom and side, leaving the selvedge sides open and the folded side untouched.

Trim at the corner. Also trim away any loose threads or uneven bits.

Press the seam over to one side. Turn inside out. Use a chopstick or a capped pen to make sure the corners poke out, and then press all the seams flat. At this point, if you are using fabric that is the same on both sides, it may look like you have a finished pillowcase, but you’re not done yet! Sew another seam—3/8th of an inch this time— around the side and bottom.

Trim away the corner again.

You now have your raw edges encased in a nice french seam! Turn inside out again, trim threads, and you’re finished!

Crisp linen cases feel great in the summer time! To avoid deep wrinkles, take the cases out of the dryer when they are still damp, or better yet, dry them on a line in the sunshine!

Our shop is stocked (our mailing list members were up early shopping so some pieces are sold out but we are still very well stocked so don’t miss it!) and our new issue of 3191 Quarterly is here! I am totally smitten with Stephanie’s photograph for the cover.

Included in our new issue … Our Morning / Noon / Night series featuring film photography pairings.

Four awesome recipes including my Whole Wheat Focaccia. So yummy!

Our deep winter gallery of film photographs. I love looking back and knowing that winter is behind me. This gallery is very quiet. I think you really get the feel for our winters.

Stephanie’s amazing watercolor beads project. It’s pretty fabulous and so perfect for the spring/summer!

A piece letting you know “what’s in my makeup bag!” Yep. I tell you my favorite tride and true makeup must haves. I have to grin a little about this piece because I am no makeup expert but maybe that is why it’s worth reading? A bit of advice, woman to women?

A very special piece from our friend Shari Altman on herbal wellness. I LOVE this piece. It’s full of great advice that you can actually execute yourself in easy and inspiring ways. Shari is amazing and so down to earth. Next week I will have a bit more in this space from Shari and me. Stay tuned!

… and of course there is much, much more in our new issue. Let us know what you think and don’t forget to send us your new 3191-related photographs to photos(at)3191milesapart(dot)com for our 3191 Album.

Thanks for being a part of our May shop update! Big cheers to all our friends out there both near and far.

It’s here! 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 11 is in the shop!

I am super excited to share this issue with all of you. MAV and I had a great time putting it together. It is full of life and love and advice and travel and good food. This week, I wanted to share a few of my outtakes from the issue (we can only fit so much in there!), and tell you about my contributions to 3191Q Issue No. 11.

As always, we have our seasonal gallery of film shots printed on glossy paper. This time we are taking a look back at the comforts and celebrations of wintertime.

Morning, Noon, Night is also shot entirely on film. This section always reminds me of our A Year of Mornings and Evenings projects as it captures the beauty of everyday moments.

I take you on a trip to our favorite coastal Oregon getaway: Astoria.

I share all our favorite places to stay, shop, eat and explore in this quirky town.

Of course, we have recipes too! If you are a grapefruit fan, you will want to try my grapefruit granita recipe. So refreshing on a hot summer day. I also share my son’s coconut macaroon recipe (it’s gluten and dairy-free!).

And, finally, I have a fun project for you to try. These watercolor beads were inspired by the beautiful Nemadji Pottery pieces that MAV and I unearthed for the Found Collections. They are so simple and fun to make. I hope you’ll give them a try and do share with us—we’d love to add your photos to our 3191 Album.

::

There are a few more tea towels and napkin sets from my collection available in the shop. I am thrilled to announce that I will be restocking some of the tea towels and adding new designs in a few weeks time. As always, the best way to know when they have been added is to sign up on our mailing list (on the top right of our page). Thanks for all your enthusiasm for this new endeavor!

Humble Yogurt Cake recipe from April 2013

Submitted by Joan

Excitedly getting ready for Friday’s shop stocking — This is the new Beauty & Use Collection (Five). There are 8 pieces in total this time around and this is my biggest collection yet. Eep! I’m so grateful to my seamstress who hand-cuts and sews each and every piece. I said, let’s go bigger this time, and she said, yes! She rocks.

Above: The new design I call Sleeveless. I’ve been dreaming about this top for some time and finally found the right two fabrics (both of which I could only get in very small quantities). This top is generous in its sizing so that the fabric and the volume become a part of the style. I swear this cut looks good on all types of bodies. Both of my sweet friends who “modeled” for me said they loved how it was breezy and light but at the same time not too exposing. Yes! That is just what I was going for.

Above: The beloved Smock. I can’t seem to keep the Smocks in stock so I just keep finding wonderful fabrics to bring them out to you again and again. I know I always say this, but I really do love these two fabrics. Both are natural cotton, both change dramatically through wash and wear, both are faded/muted colors that I love for spring/summer. I cut the sleeves and the length longer this time thinking that ladies might like to wear them as a beach cover-up or over tank tops. These are my summer essentials to be sure.

Above: The second in my Handkerchief series. Black and white polka dotted vintage silk with a hand-sewn hem! That is all I am going to say.

Above: My Tank design (thank you for loving it last time and encouraging me to bring it out again). This time around, I am bringing this to you in three fabrics that are perfect for wearing on hot days with skirts or shorts or layering as basics. Two in the white/cream family, each having their own very special textures that are easier to see here and here, and one in a pink pinstripe, also seen nicely here.

I hope you enjoy looking at the whole collection, alongside SCB’s amazing new linen line, more closely on Friday. Remember, as we say time and time again, the mailing list gets an email the moment our shop is stocked. Sign up here! And, thank you.

It is now late in the day, but I want to take a moment to wish all the moms and caregivers out there a happy Mother’s Day. I am deeply grateful to my own mom who instilled in me a creative spirit and can-do attitude that I hope I can pass on to my own kids.

My latest endeavor to share is a new collection of kitchen and dining textiles that will be added to the shop this coming Friday, May 17th along with MAV’s collection and our newest issue of 3191Q. (You can sign up on our mailing list to be notified once everything has been added.)

Kitchen towels are a mainstay of my kitchen. I avoid disposal goods whenever I can, and a linen towel is always by my side at the counter or tucked into my waistband as I work. I designed these towels to be both beautiful and useful (where have I heard that before?). They are slightly larger than a typical tea towel—their generous size covers a bowl of rising bread amply and can handle drying all the dinner dishes. Each one has a leather loop for hanging to dry.

I searched for linen fabrics with a good, absorbent hand and a heft and texture that can withstand daily use and frequent laundering. There are seven fabrics choices—from basic neutrals to brights. I saw these towels as ones that would mix nicely with the silk-screened and graphic ones you might already have in your kitchen collection.

All of the tea towels were sewn with extreme care here in Portland, Oregon by my friend Melissa. I am so grateful for her help and expertise in making textiles that are both durable and handsome.

Along with the tea towels, I will be offering 100% linen frayed napkin sets in bold ginghams. These textiles are meant for everyday use, but would fit comfortably at a more formal table as well. The napkins are a generous size—large enough to wrap up a picnic lunch to unfold on your lap. The linen is pre-washed and absorbent, but drapes nicely and is not too heavy or bulky, an elegant touch to any place setting.

I am quite excited by this new collection and hope you will be as well!

One year ago this month Stephanie and I opened our shop. It was a project we had thought about for a long time but always felt not quite sure.

We were not sure about putting more “stuff” out into the universe.

We were not sure people would even care!

We were not sure we could keep up with all of our other 3191 projects and take care of a shop that would require an honest investment of time and creativity.

We were not sure who would do all of the work!

But, despite everything we were not sure about, here we are, one year later, preparing our new Collections to release and somehow, we do feel sure! You have been a HUGE part of what has made us so sure. You have told us that you like what we are doing, not just with your purchases, but with your supportive emails and blog posts not to mention the photographs you have sent in for our 3191 Album. You have told us by mentioning on our Instagram photos that you “can’t wait” to see what we have in store for you next. You have told us by sharing our enthusiasm for what our shop is all about:

Buy well-made. Buy thoughtfully. Buy what you love.

We will have two new Collections up on May 17th, one from myself and one from Stephanie. We will also have a new issue of our 3191 Quarterly. In many ways, we are moving into a new chapter here at 3191 (in some ways we can’t quite share with you yet) and we are so excited to have you along for the ride.

So, happy shop birthday to our hard-working team here at 3191 (Stephanie, Evan, Chloe and Dee: xo!) and to those of you who have enjoyed looking at our beloved Collections over the last year. I promise, the best is yet to come!

Note: A heads up! Our mailing list is the first to know when our shop is stocked. You can sign up right here.

I had a long to-do list this weekend, but, the weather is unseasonably warm, and sometimes you have to make hay while the sun shines. So, we went out to our favorite spot on the Sandy River for some hay-making.

No regrets.

ps: I am also posting over at habit in great company all month long.

I went to a beautiful beach this week. (You will actually see much more of this beach because I have decided to photograph the next Beauty & Use Collection there in early May.) I had not been there in some time and it was just as I remembered it. Gorgeous!

It’s always inspiring for me to remember the glories of Maine especially after a long winter. To that end, I’ve been slowly coming out of the winter hibernation and have been using the 3191 Archives to find new (old) inspiration quite a bit lately.

A few posts I’ve turned to:

+ Making SCB’s yummy and fun Peanut Rice Crispy Treats
+ A reminder of My Favorite Studio Supplies as I re-up before summer
+ Putting away wool scarves for cotton and silk and remembering my Silk Scarf Tying techniques
+ Not missing Spring by looking back at 2010 & 2011 & 2012
+ Already starting to update my Portland Favorites List before summer visitors need it (I plan to have this up on the blog in late-May with all new favorite spots!)
+ Thinking back to what I was in love with at this time of year a few years back (bought graham crackers this week)
+ Reminding myself how to fight a cold because I have been doing that for a few weeks now
+ Planning to make SCB’s Sunprints & Spoon Oil

We are getting ready for a very fun month of May here at 3191. Our big shop update is May 17th! Sign up for our mailing list and we will let you know what’s going on. We think you’ll be as excited as we are.

Despite my rather aggressive negligence in regards to our garden this past year, we have rhubarb that overwintered quite well. I was delighted to see stalks thick and red enough for picking this week.

Just two stalks. But still, our own rhubarb! I thought about making a tiny crisp, but decided to play around with something savory instead. I stewed the rhubarb with honey, vinegar and shallot and mixed in olive oil to make a lumpy sweet-tart vinaigrette. Tossed with arugula, goat cheese and almonds, it became the perfect springtime salad.

And now I have renewed vigor for tackling our neglected garden…

Arugula Salad with Rhubarb Dressing

1 cup diced rhubarb (1-2 stalks), diced
1 small shallot, diced
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

arugula
goat cheese
almonds

Place the rhubarb, shallot, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer until rhubarb is soft, about 10 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool. Transfer rhubarb mixture to a jar and slowly stream in the olive oil, whisking with a fork to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss a few generous handfuls of arugula with enough of the rhubarb dressing to coat. Top with small dollops of goat cheese and toasted sliced almonds.

I struggled to stay focused and grounded this week amidst the sadness and confusion in my area of the country and the spring winds blowing into town.

I swear, these winds we seem to get every April really distract me. So, while I feel the earth all around me struggling to grow and start anew, the winds are working a spell of their own, and they are wiping me in the face! It is unnerving.

I woke up most mornings to rattling window panes and madness coming from the radio. I was anxious and I was craving something but not knowing what. My breakfasts were mostly the usual: oatmeal or eggs and avocado. I felt something was missing.

Today, I figured out what that was. A simple, bright, consoling, yogurt cake. (Because I eat this for breakfast should I call it bread? Nah. I prefer cake. And what is wrong with cake for breakfast? Nothing.)

A yogurt cake can’t take away the chaos and devastation of this week. It can’t stop the winds. But, it can comfort. Perhaps it will assist you, at some point, whenever you might need it?

Peace to you.

A Humble Yogurt Cake

2 C spelt flour (or 1 C all purpose / 1 C spelt as I did here because I ran out of spelt)
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
3/4 t cardamom
2 eggs
scant 3/4 C sugar
1/3 C canola oil
1 C unsweetened plain yogurt (I use sheep’s milk; just don’t use greek)
1 t vanilla
zest of 1 or 2 lemons

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Butter well a cake pan, loaf pan or bundt pan (the cake a little small for a bundt but I couldn’t resist because I find a bundt so cheerful). In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cardamom together well. Set aside. In a mixer beat eggs, sugar and oil well (for at last a few minutes). Add yogurt, beat well again. Add vanilla and lemon zest and beat one more time. Pour wet ingredients into dry using as few strokes as you can to combine. Mix gently! Spread batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes and then turn your cake out. I like mine plain but you can sprinkle the cake with icing sugar and serve with a plop of yogurt if you like.

It has been a stressful, very full week for me, and I’m guessing, many of you. I am itching for renewal and a fresh start. I want to feel spring fever again. I have big plans for the weekend.

First up, is tackling some overdue spring cleaning. I am also going to finally pack away my wool scarves and bring out the lightweight silk and linen (and think about new ways to wear them).

I will be drinking plenty of water and looking at MAV’s detox ideas.

I am adding artichokes and radishes and rhubarb to my shopping list. Once my kitchen is stocked, I am going to prep food for the week (forever inspired by Tamar Adler), including making our favorite treats for school lunches. I am planning on offering salad night for maybe more than one dinner this week to keep things simple and fresh.

At the end of the day, I hope Jack will make me a gin & tonic.

Take good care, everyone.

Photos this week are a few outtakes from a roll of film shot in the early days of spring.

Naturally dyed eggs project from April 2012

Submitted by Christine

Ikat Cloth from Found Collection Five

Submitted by Rebecca

Oat cake recipe from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 9

Submitted by Dana

Since a dear friend sent me this beautiful link to a Turmeric Lassi, I have not been able to stop thinking about turmeric.

I’m guessing most of you already know about the wonderful “anti” powers of turmeric (it’s an antioxidant + anti-inflammatory + anti-bacterial; plus it’s a great liver supporter not to mention an energy booster), but for me it has been more about the taste and the color. Right now, I’m really feeling the high-energy yellow!

While I can’t really have milk or nut milks, they just don’t agree with me, I still enjoy drinking my turmeric. My way, however, is in a hot or room-temperature tea. (You can even make and chill this and it’s still really wonderful.)

Spiced Turmeric Tea
tea pouch/net
1 teaspoon turmeric
2–5 cardamom pods
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 lemon wedge
2–3 thick slices fresh ginger
honey to taste

To keep things clean and tidy in the mug, I like to put my turmeric into a tea pouch. So, go ahead and put 1 teaspoon turmeric in and knot it off. Add the pouch and the rest of the ingredients to your mug, except honey. Boil some water and add it to the mug; add honey. Stir well and let sit for about 10 minutes. Put your feet up and enjoy!

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Turmeric is also a killer natural dye. Because it’s so strong you don’t even need to mordant your fabric, although you can for a stronger color. I was feeling ready for a little yellow in my wardrobe this week (honesty, it doesn’t look that great on me with my complexion but who cares, I needed the pick me up!), so I took my Beauty & Use V-Tee No. 3 and dyed it yellow.

Simple Turmeric Dye
2–5 teaspoons turmeric
fabric
pot

Add turmeric to the pot with lots of water, bring to a boil. Add your fabric and leave it there to simmer for anywhere from 1–8 hours depending on complexity of color desired. Shoot, you can even leave it overnight! But don’t leave your burner on, of course. I only left my V-Tee in for 1 hour! To get the muddled effect I left it folded up tight the entire time it was in the water. I didn’t stir. I just plopped it in and left it for an hour and that was that.

I even threw a towel in with the V-Tee when I washed it and it was gently dyed as well. Yellow: I love you right now!

One word of warning: Be sure you wash your turmeric-dyed item several times by itself. The yellow will come off for some time (just like indigo does) so you’re better off to wash it alone or with things that you want to be a faded yellow themselves.

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While I didn’t get a photograph of it, I also used turmeric for dinner in a spice mix with some veggies that were roasted this week. I added 1 teaspoon turmeric, cumin and coriander with garlic, lemon slices and olive oil, and tossed it with my veggies. They were then roasted and enjoyed with some simple poached chicken and homemade focaccia (recipe for the focaccia is coming in 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 11, out on May 17th). Delicious!

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Now, mind you, I don’t think pregnant women and people with some health issues are suppose to have a lot of turmeric, so I’d look that up in your best natural foods book if you’re in those categories, but really, I encourage you to bring a little turmeric yellow energy into your life! And, please let us take a peek at your turmeric dye jobs by emailing them to our 3191 Album at photos(at)3191milesapart.com.

It has been a busy week for me as I juggle a few different responsibilities. It was busy enough that I almost missed that our backyard lilac tree had begun to bloom. Busy enough, too, that I had not been to the market. We woke up this morning with a day off from school and our cupboards were nearly bare. Waffles were requested, but we had no eggs. I remembered the recipe for doughnut muffins that I had cobbled together a few weeks back required no eggs and set to work.

These little mini-muffins, coated in cinnamon sugar, are meant to mimic doughnut holes. Crispy on the outside, cakey on the interior, they do a pretty good job. My version uses whole grain flour for wholesomeness, yogurt for a little tang, and cardamom for subtle spice. They didn’t last long!

Doughnut Muffins
Makes 24 mini-muffins (or 12 regular muffins)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
pinch salt

Topping:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 24 mini or 12 regular muffin tins. In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, yogurt, milk and sugar. Sift together with whisk in a separate bowl: the flours, baking powder, cardamom and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until combined. Fill greased muffin tins halfway with mixture. Bake until lightly browned, 15-30 minutes depending on the size and type of muffin tin you use. Muffins should be browned and crispy on the outside.

Turn out muffins and allow to cool enough to handle. Stir sugar, cinnamon and cardamom together to make the topping. Brush each muffin with melted butter and then dip in cinnamon mixture to coat.

You have to be quick around here or you’ll miss out on a muffin…

Paper stars project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 10

Submitted by Chelsey

Naturally dyed eggs project from March 2009

Submitted by Caroline

A blast from the past here today at 3191: We have decided to add back issues of 3191 Quarterly to the shop in final limited quantities! We are very excited to offer them to you once again (thanks to all who have emailed over the last year with requests; we’ve been hearing ya!).

Let me briefly walk you through the issues …

3191 Quarterly, No. 5 has to have my favorite cover image thus far. I love this photograph of Stephanie’s son, Miles.

Q5 is a wonderful issue for the spring/summer season, with a bit of autumn thrown in. One of my favorite things is Stephanie’s recipe for a simple yogurt cheese with lemon, garlic and thyme (seen above). Q5 brings to you our first seasonal photography gallery too. I just love going back and looking at the images from deep summer, 2011 and remembering those lovely days (did I really paint my toenails that purple color?). I feel ready for summer once again!

In 3191 Quarterly, No. 7 you will find two of my own favorite recipes for maple-sweetened brownies and peanut butter cookies. I have made these countless times since this issue came out. They are my go-to’s for sure. Yum!

In Q7 you’ll also find a trip to San Francisco and to Stephanie’s Portland. You’ll find Stephanie’s wonderful pita recipe and her basket weaving project (seen above). It’s actually a very simple process to make little baskets! Q7 is great for those who might want to dip into another one of Stephanie’s clever and accessible projects.

The last back issue that we have added to the shop is 3191 Quarterly, No 8. There are so many things I love about this issue … my trip to Colorado, the deep spring photographs, cozy images of our homes. I also find myself looking at these garden rose pages a lot (above). I’m so partial to roses!

And of course, the Q8 pièce de résistance, Stephanie’s branch weaving project (seen above). We have seen, through our Instagram and around the web, that you guys have really been enjoying making your weavings! We love seeing that. And we glad to give those of you who missed Q8 the first time around a chance to join in the fun.

So now, just like when we put these issues first out into the world, we say, we hope you enjoy them. Cook, bake, create, relax, ponder, travel, learn and enjoy! See all of our back issues, one final time, while supplies last, right here.

TGIF! We had a number of surprises in store for you today. The first was a Found Collection update, the second was a re-stock of some favorite back issues of 3191 Quarterly (quantities are very limited!), and the third is the launching of our 3191 Album.

The Album is a collection of photos from you all—the 3191 projects, recipes and by3191 treasures you have made your own.

As I scroll through the photos, I feel a completion of a circle.

I love to see our work through your eyes. You take our inspiration and add your own hand, creativity and style. I feel like that is what 3191 Miles Apart and 3191 Quarterly are really about.

Do take a look and click through to connect with some of the great people in our 3191 community. If you have something you’d like to share, email us a photo at photos@3191milesapart.com, we’d love to see it!

(photos this week from projects I am working on and will share with you soon!)

Art project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 2

Submitted by Mary Beth

Chocolate almond torte recipe from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 9

Submitted by Shash

Sesame energy ball recipe from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 8

Submitted by Monica

Oat cake recipe from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 9

Submitted by Shari

Smock No. 3 from the Beauty & Use Collection

Submitted by Elizabeth

Spoon oil project from January 2010

Submitted by Jenna

Apple galette recipe from October 2010

Submitted by Sally

Sure proof blueberry muffin recipe from April 2011

Submitted by Natalie

Carrot & zucchini bread recipe from August 2012

Submitted by Lauren

Paper stars project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 10

Submitted by Kamelli

Simple cotton scarf project from March 2009

Submitted by Blair

Necklace project from Interwoven

Submitted by Erin

Smock No. 4 from the Beauty & Use Collection

Submitted by Elizabeth

Whole wheat banana bread recipe from June 2009

Submitted by Clarice

Knee patch tights project from October 2011

Submitted by Abby

Spoon oil project from January 2010

Submitted by Sherrie

Hanging plants project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 6

Submitted by Brooke

Paper stars project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 10

Submitted by Shash

Necklace project from Interwoven

Submitted by Sally

Sweet potato biscuit recipe from October 2010

Submitted by Alicia

Paper stars project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 10

Submitted by Nicole

Branch weaving project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 8

Submitted by Monica

Bracelet project from Interwoven

Submitted by Jenna

Wrapping paper project from November 2012

Submitted by Emily

Branch weaving project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 8

Submitted by Jennifer

Hanging plants project from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 6

Submitted by Amy

Spoon oil project from January 2010

Submitted by Abby

Easter egg hunt …

Everyone got a basket or bucket …

The kids helped each other out …

Even the big kids got in on the action …

The little ones found some treats …

And I found just what I was looking for … spring!

I try to bring the outside in all year long.

But this time of year, especially so.

I don’t want to miss out on any of the blooms. Flowering shrubs and blossoming trees are my favorite.

(I wrote about making springtime sun prints last year).

A trip to my yard or a walk around the block is all I need to gather a little bouquet (I only took one tiny branch from my neighbors beautiful dogwood!)

Fleeting spring.

This week we got to say a big GOODBYE to winter. It’s officially spring!

Sure, here in Maine we had a big snowstorm on the first day of spring but still, I was saying it loud and proud: GOODBYE, winter. GOODBYE!

Each year, as March ends and April begins, I like to pull out a sheet of paper and make a “Springtime MAV List.”

I set some small goals for April and May. After being cooped up by winter months, I can feel a little lost and I find that I just need some goals. I think about creative goals, relationship/friendship goals and nourishment and wellness goals. I try to be realistic about what simple things might help me get rid of the winter dullness.

This year I’m thinking of a mish-mash of beach walks, yoga, happy hour drinks with friends, green veggies, oats, play-dates with my nephews, lavender & rose essential oil, early wake-up-times, nettle tea, lots of laughing, new make-up, vitamin C and most of all, cotton. I am so over wool!

So join me in saying GOODBYE to winter (at least those of you on this season cycle) and HELLO to spring. Maybe you might want to get out a piece of paper and make your own “Springtime List?” Let me know what you find on yours, I’d love to hear. (Email me at mav{at}3191milesapart.com.)

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All images are film photograph outtakes from the Deep Winter gallery from 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 11. This new issue releases on May 17, 2013. NOTE: We have just a handful of copies of Issue No. 9 left … it’s nearly gone!

Here in Oregon, spring has arrived. We are frosted pink. The weather is mercurial. Sunshine switches to torrential downpour and back to sunshine in a matter of minutes. We are rewarded with rainbows.

I am loving the longer days where daylight stretches into the dinner hour, but would rather leave time for an evening walk than spend time in the kitchen. This week, I wanted to share a quick and simple pasta recipe that can be made ahead of time, comes together quickly and takes advantage of either hardy winter or early spring greens.

I have been making this recipe for at least 10 years, and I can no longer remember where I first found the idea. In our family, we call it “green sauce”, and it is simply greens blended with ricotta which we toss with pasta. It is an excellent way to use up greens that have become a bit wilted or those you find tough or strongly-flavored. I have used everything from beet greens to chard to kale in this recipe. The ricotta and the blending really mellow out even bitter greens, making it very kid-friendly. I make the sauce in advance when I know I will have to throw together a dinner quickly, store it in the fridge, and just toss it with pasta at the last minute.

We serve ours with Parmesan, lemon wedges, and toasted sliced almonds. In the summer, it is great topped with fresh tomatoes.

Pasta with “Green Sauce”

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups washed and chopped greens of your choice (some stems are fine!)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup whole milk ricotta (good quality, full-fat ricotta makes a difference here)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta of your choice

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet large enough to hold the greens (although, they will cook down quickly). Add garlic, cook for a minute and then add greens, tossing to coat with oil. Allow greens to cook down, adding water or broth if necessary, until wilted, but still truly green. Transfer greens to a blender or food processor and add ricotta, lemon zest and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and uniform. Taste and adjust seasoning. Store until ready for use, and then toss with hot pasta and serve.

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A few past posts that might be fun to revisit this week:

Naturally dyed eggs

Shibori-style dyed eggs

Feather dyed eggs

I just got back from a great little holiday to Boulder, Colorado. You might have caught some of my phone pics on Instagram. I went on the trip to visit three of my dearest friends (the cutest one of them being just 4-1/2 years-old). It was beyond wonderful to relax with my friends and super stellar to get away from home and work. I definitely enjoyed the later nights and a whole lot of good food and wine … maybe a little too much!

When I get home from a trip, on top of the laundry and general grocery-getting that needs to be done, I usually try to “detox” (this word drives me nuts but I couldn’t think of a better one) for a few days. Here are some of the things I tend to do …

Upon waking in the morning, for the first few mornings back home, I drink a hot mug of water with lemon. I’ve actually been doing this most mornings this winter, but I definitely do it when I’m just back from traveling. A massage therapist once told me drinking warm water in the morning is like giving your insides a steam before you put anything in … I just love that!

For the first few days after I get home, I keep my meals as simple as I can. I start each morning with oatmeal just to give my stomach a clear signal that it’s home and that things are going to mellow out for a bit.

For the first few mornings or evenings after I get back, I try to take a warm bath just to let my muscles and bones relax. I don’t know about you, but after I spend time on a plane my body lets me know that it’s not all that pleased. The stiffness might last just one day, but still I try to give a bit of pampering. My favorite bath tonic for times like these is: one handful of Epsom salts, one handful of table salt and one handful of baking soda + a few drops of my favorite essential oil of the moment. Even if I only have 10 minutes, a soak with this mixture really helps my body feel happier.

Travel involves a lot of snacking. Nuts at the airport, crackers and cheese before drinks, some kind of power bar on the bus, an apple while running from one place to another. It’s all fine and good but often when I return from my travels, I crave something truly fresh. Coming back from Boulder I craved my favorite bread: the sprouted grain & seed from Scratch. Going along with the idea of keeping meals simple in these early post-travel days, I try options like eating this bread with steamed veggies for lunch and warm chicken broth for dinner. It’s not that I eat less when I get home, it’s that I eat more simply and without sauces and spices. I just give myself a few days to cleanse the palate with easy fresh foods.

Lastly, I try to get a good liver tonifying tea. This weekend I went to my favorite tea shop and got a wonderful blend. I’ll sip on this all week and give my liver a little extra love. After all, I did mention that I had a whole lot of wine on this trip, remember!

So, Monday it will be time to get back to work and let the stresses start rolling in once again, but for these few weekend days, I’ll pay a little more attention, take things a bit slower and give my body some tender love and care.

Spring has unofficially sprung in these parts. Trees are blossoming, the days are warmer and we are receiving bursts of sun in between the rainy moments. The long days, open windows and bright natural light have me thinking about spring cleaning—in an effort to get myself further motivated,  I made myself a happy, new wool duster. Wool naturally attracts and holds dust, and once it’s dirty, I just remove it from the stick, throw it in the washer, and replace it once it’s dry.

To make your own duster, you will need:

:: About 1/2 yard of wool scraps (I used odds and ends that I had been saving from other projects, but any 100% wool will do—use an old blanket, a wool sweater that was accidentally put through the dryer, or look for wool remnants at the fabric store)

:: A strip of sew-in (not adhesive) velcro one inch wide and 18 inches long (I used black, but white might work best for lighter colored wool)

:: A wooden dowel 36 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter (you can find dowels at the hardware store or some craft stores—look for a quality, hardwood one)

:: A sewing machine threaded with coordinating thread

:: Hot glue

Cut your wool in strips 8 inches long and about a 1/4 inch wide. You could use a rotary cutter and make quick work of it, or just cut them by hand. Your strips do not have to be perfectly uniform, some variation is fine. Use a mix of colors like I did or it keep it simple and solid.

Separate your velcro and set the prickly side with the teeth aside. Take the other half of the velcro, and arrange a small clump of overlapping wool scraps (8-10) at the end of the backside of your velcro piece.

Tuck your velcro and wool under the foot of your sewing machine and begin to stitch slowly, securing the wool to the velcro. Pause just before reaching the end of your scrap bundle, and tuck in a new bundle and begin stitching again.

Continue along this way until you reach the end of the velcro. Secure your stitching with a back stitch and trim threads.

Take the other half of the velcro (the sticky side with teeth) and find its mid-point. Secure the very end of the dowel to the mid-point of the backside with hot glue. Fold over each side and continue gluing in place so that both sides of the end of the dowel are covered with the sticky-side of the velcro.

Adhere your wool strips to the dowel by matching up and attaching the velcro strips to each other. You’re done! To wash, separate the velcro and throw the wool in the washer with wool wash and hang to dry. The more you wash it, the more the wool felts and improves its dust-catching!

(Don’t worry, the windows are on my spring-clean list.)

I like the long handle for reaching all our high picture rail and other mouldings (it’s also great for catching dust bunnies under sofas or beds on our hardware floors—I am going to try to engineer a dust mop next), but you could use a shorter dowel for easier storage and control.

Happy spring cleaning!

Are you on Instagram?

It took me a while to get my head around it … and to be honest, I’m still working on getting my head around it.

Being an early Flickr member, I joined in September of 2005, I have long enjoyed sharing photographs with long-distance friends. So many people who are now in my life, for real, I met through Flickr. For me, Flickr is like having a photo-album of my moments side-by-side with other people’s moments. What could be better? And being a photographer, in and of itself, was always a part of being on the site. It was about sharing the photographs (light, color, form, composition, camera, film, theme) too.

Over the last few years, so many of my Flickr friends are no longer around on the site having become too busy with their lives, I’m sure, just losing interest or because of the inception of Instagram.

I took it hard at first. I missed my community on Flickr! I missed logging in and seeing other friends Christmas Days next to mine. I missed learning about new film that I wanted to try out or a new restaurant that I wanted to go to. I missed my favorites page, a constant source of inspiration for me, growing and growing. I loved when I used to come across a photograph and sigh out loud out of its shear beauty. I would come back again and again and often times comment to the photographer as such. Flickr allowed me to have thoughtful, and thought provoking moments, away from the computer work I usually found myself doing … and I suppose to a smaller extent, it still does.

When Stephanie and I, along with our team here at 3191, decided to get on Instagram last year I was, shall we put it mildly, a little reluctant. “Taking photographs with your phone? What?! Why? It doesn’t even take good photographs!” was my attitude. And honestly, it is still a little bit like that for me. I am sort of a luddite when it comes to my phone. I am coming around … slowly.

And, I’ve found that being on Instagram with my team has been really fun! I am enjoying a new way of looking for photographs while I am out and about and I am finally understanding this new way of communicating (without caring as much about the things I care about in the photographs I take with a real camera).

Now, that said, let’s not get crazy! You won’t see me getting my own personal account any time soon. No sir. I spend enough time on my phone as it is! But, you will see me quite happily alongside SCB (Stephanie) + CMB (Chloe) + EBT (Evan) on our Instagram account: 3191milesapart. Hope to see you there!

This week I found myself revisiting 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 10 quite a few times. I hope that those of you that have received the issue are enjoying it as well.

When I came across some beautiful marbled paper at the art store, I knew I had to fold it into some paper stars.

My son taught me how to make these, and I am really happy to share the simple instructions with you. You can go really, really big with the stars or teeny tiny as I did here. Parties, kid’s rooms, gifts—there are many ways to have fun with these. Do send us photos if you make some (photos {at} 3191milesapart.com).

We also made MAV’s Lemon Spaghetti. Simple, but with a punch of flavor, it was a hit with my kids. I love how easy it is to customize it to your taste. I topped mine with a big handful of fresh arugula. Someone mentioned on Instagram adding a dollop of ricotta.

MAV offers her advice in two of the pieces in Q10—one on lotions and potions and another, Clear It Out, on organizing and paring down your wardrobe. Boy did I need to do this! I set aside a morning, put on the new Yo La Tengo album, and followed her instructions to the letter. Liberating! Now I have a list of wardrobe needs that I’ll refer to when the shopping impulse hits.

I have to admit, while I filled up two bags of clothes for donation, I did not part with any of my scarves (MAV and I also each step into our closets to share our favorite scarves in this issue).

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You can find 3191Q Issue No. 10 in our shop (and see the full table of contents…there’s so much more to see!) or visit one of our stockists. Also, if you have yet to purchase Issue No. 9, please note that we only have a handful of copies left!

See if you can follow me on this. You will have to use your imagination.

I saw a film the other day called Another Earth. Have you seen it? (It’s just awesome. Awesome. See it as soon as you can if you have not.) I couldn’t stop thinking about it and still can’t.

While I can’t tell you too much without giving away some important plot points, I can tell you that the story revolves around a discovery that there is a duplicate planet earth. The concept, further explored in the film, is that there is a replica of each human living on that other earth. So, there are two earths and each has the same set of humans. There is much more going on in the story but for the purposes of my note to you here today, this is all I will say.

The idea of another earth and a duplicate of each person living on that earth sat heavily with me. And I began to wonder …

What if there was another MAV?

Would her life be like mine? Or would she have chosen the other path all of those times I had two paths in front of me?

Would she make the same mistakes and have the same nagging neuroses?

Would the same things upset or inspire her?

And, perhaps most poignantly for me, what would she say to me if we met? Would she tell me that she understands that there are little things that worry me or hold me back? Would she tell me the things she thinks I need to change? Would she just know me better than anyone else and perhaps say nothing at all? Or would she tell me that at the very heart of it all I am a good person and I just need to keep on trying?

Another MAV. Crazy! And comforting. You really need to watch the film when you can!

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All photographs of myself are film outtakes from the new 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 10.

A little while back my friend Molly wrote about the oatcakes recipe I shared in 3191Q Issue No. 9, and I have been meaning to welcome the wonderful Orangette readers that discovered 3191 Miles Apart through her. It was a treat to read Molly’s thoughts and experience and to have so many of you enjoy the oatcakes.

As with most of my favored recipes, oatcakes are quite simple and use ingredients that I almost always have on hand—oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, yogurt. They come together and bake quickly, and the result is a versatile little cracker/cookie to have on hand for all types of snack emergencies. They are quite tasty on their own, but are also a great vehicle for a variety of toppings. It seems everyone has a favorite way to eat them.

Slathered with peanut butter and honey, they are a quick bite when you don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.

My kids prefer them with chocolate-hazelnut spread sandwiched in-between, a relatively wholesome lunchtime treat.

Spread with a young, mild goat or sheep cheese and topped with a dollop of jam (or fresh berries in season), they satisfy an afternoon sweet tooth.

I think my favorite way to eat an oatcake is with something savory—good sharp cheddar, cured meats. Here, I topped one with avocado slices, salt and pepper and a few radish sprouts, yum!

You can find the recipe for oatcakes in Issue No. 9 of 3191 Quarterly (we are very low on stock of this issue!) or see Molly’s adaptation.

It’s here! It’s all here! Our shop is fully stocked with completely new items. We love launch day!

I’ll take you through a bit of what you’ll find in the shop.

Our new Issue of 3191 Quarterly, No. 10, is a fun one. My nephew, Miles, is on the cover. This photograph was taken, on film, in late September of this past year. Miles and I were “fishing” together in the chilly early-autumn waters here in Maine. The sun was setting and we were both filthy from our afternoon adventures. I love this photograph, it has so much meaning to me. My hope is that this cover inspires you to get out there and adventure yourself!

Another favorite for me is our new “Favorites” series (pardon the pun). This time we did “Favorite Scarves.” This was tough for me because I am a scarf addict but I was able to narrow it down and choose some newer and some longer-time faves. SCB has some great ones in her section too!

SCB and I spent a week together in October at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn. We were working (we’ll tell you more about the project very soon!) and it was a great, cozy place to lay our heads. Q10 includes a photo-diary, all shot on film, from our week at the hotel.

I’m feeling really wild about trail mix these days (I have the winter snack-attacks at about 2 p.m. each day) so I was excited that SCB included her favorite recipe in Q10. I will be making this, and her Brioche (also in the issue), very soon I’m sure.

Moving on, we have had a fully stocked new Found Collection. After a week of spending time around the items that SCB brought to Maine, I have decided that this Sun Plate is my favorite piece. I have such a soft spot for it. It’s so hard to let it go!

May I introduce you to Bunny No. 3? Well he’s my dearest favorite among SCB’s new Collection. Seriously! Did you know SCB makes these all by hand and that Bunny No. 3 includes her own indigo-dyed wool as a part of his body? It’s just amazing.

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Thank you for celebrating our Launch Day with us here. And thank you for your support. Now what are you waiting for? Get out of here and go and peek at our new Collections!

This week I have traveled 3191 miles and am enjoying some time in Maine with MAV as we readied the shop with new collections and Issue No. 10 of 3191 Quarterly. It is always such a treat to get to spend time across a table from MAV. Our days are full of work, but one of the many things I love about MAV is that she keeps me well fed—breakfasts at home, dinners out and treats and hot coffee from all her favorite spots.

I also love the amazing winter light in Maine.

I came with a suitcase full of bunnies and found items, and loved being able to stock the shelves at our 3191 headquarters myself (and so much has already flown off the shelves and is shipping out today!).

Along with our personal collections and our Found Collection, we have two new tote designs in the shop, and I am really excited about them! They both are silkscreened with illustrations by Christopher David Ryan that really evoke the feel of our two Portlands.

I am happiest when I am among the trees, and our Grocery Tote No. 2 is my new favorite bag. We have carried this grocery tote size before, and I think you will love the big square bottom that stands up on its own. You can really fill this one with a lot of groceries, library books or even pack it full for a weekend away.

Our mini tote features a charming cityscape and is a great little size to carry along a craft or knitting project, your lunch, or simply use it as a purse (it’s a perfect size for a little one too—toddlers love to tote things around).

Time just flew by this week, and it is already, sadly, the day for me to head back home. I will miss you, MAV!

Tank No. 1

I started making the Beauty & Use Collection a year ago (see Collections I, II and III) because I wanted to share with other women some of the pieces that I had been dreaming up for myself. I wanted to create garments that I loved and therefore ones that others might enjoy as well. I didn’t want to change the world or make a big ripple … just wanted to do my thing and hope that people might respond.

Tank No. 2

In this, my fourth Collection (where does the time go?), I still stand proudly by that same simple intention. It still feels right to me.

Tank No. 3

For Beauty & Use IV (coming to the shop on 2/22/13), I have chosen very special silks for Tanks No. 1 and No. 2; these are silks I could only get 10 yards of! They are amazing, just amazing.  I coupled those with a more basic, and yet just as charming, cotton/hemp for Tank No. 3.

This is the kind of tank you might wear to bed, get up and throw a cardigan over, and find that you have been wearing it all day long. My tanks are meant to be “intimate” pieces but in a new sort of way. They are tanks you might wear exclusively in front of your sweetheart, or just when you want to feel a bit more sexy, or they can just as easily fit under a blazer or a hoodie or be worn alone tucked into your favorite shorts. But, mostly they are created to be comfortable and to fit naturally into your own personal style.

Smock No. 9

Smock No. 8

And then there are two new Smocks. My seamstress and I worked the pattern a bit more on these and we are very pleased with where things came out. I think these are my two favorite fabrics yet—a black/navy/tan woven from Nepal that wears in like a good pair of jeans, and a faded red plaid hemp/cotton that is so cheerful and washes to a softness akin to sheets.

Handkerchief No. 1

Last, there is a lush silk handkerchief in this Collection which I have a huge crush on. The color is intense when the fabric is layered and then when it is spread out it is light as air. This is my springtime “must have” and I plan to wear mine around my neck daily come mid-March.

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The best part of every Collection is when I get to share it with you. I have appreciated your support of my past Collections more than I can say here and am grateful for the emails you have sent and the dedication of our wonderful by3191 customers. I hope you find something you love in this new offering but more than that, I thank you for supporting 3191 over the years so Stephanie and I can go on this adventure together. We’ll see you in the shop next Friday, 2/22/13, and you can join our mailing list to get a note when the shop is stocked.

Hi there.

I have been making stuffed toys since my kids were babies. I started to make them for my own family because I couldn’t find the quality, natural, well-designed toys I desired, then I gave them as gifts, then eventually began selling them online and in galleries for a few years. I am returning a bit to my roots with this collection of one-of-a-kind soft bunnies.

Crafted of wool and cashmere and stuffed with 100% wool, the bunnies are free of synthetic materials. Their small size and simple shape make them easy for baby to hold and easy to fit in mom or dad’s bag or jacket pocket.

Each bunny features wool polka-dots needle-felted by hand. Their nubbly texture provides a nice sensory experience for baby.  The long ears (lined in Liberty lawn prints and cotton ginghams) are perfect for grasping as well.

Sewn inside each bunny is a solitary jingle bell for a subtle sound.

Each bunny is one-of-a-kind, and I have made a little warren of them from which to chose. I hope that you will find that they would make a special plaything or keepsake for a little one in your life (my big kids like these too!).

We will also be adding a new Found Collection to the shop. I have had so much fun finding things for you, only hard part is not keeping everything for myself!

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We will be updating the shop on February 22nd (sign up on our mailing list to be the first to know). Along with each of our collections, you will find 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 10 in the shop next week. I am so excited to share this issue with you—subscribers may already have it in their hands. In order to make room, we are retiring Issue No. 8 from the shop on Monday, August 18th, don’t miss out on this fun issue, it’s a personal favorite of mine.

A note I was given.

Sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most.

A waffle I made.

It’s the little things that wake you up when you feel like you’re dragging.

Cornbread I warmed up for breakfast.

It’s the little things that get you through a long week.

A paper star I sneakily left for my man. (You can find the Paper Star project by SCB in the next issue of 3191 Quarterly which arrives in our shop on February 22nd. Sign up for our mailing list to get an email reminder when the issue available!)

It’s the little things that inspire you and make you feel connected to those around you and to yourself.

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I hope you have a great week ahead celebrating the love you have in your life. Love for yourself, for your friends, for your partners, for your family, for your animals and for the planet. I want to also take a moment to thank SCB for 4 years in our 3191 Miles Apart space (and for the 2 years before that in our Mornings and Evenings space); love you, Steph! Let’s go for 6 more years!

You can find my previous love-day-related posts here, and here, here.

This week we celebrate the four year anniversary of 3191 Miles Apart. After collaborating on our A Year of Mornings and Evenings projects, we started this space in February of 2009 as a place to connect with each other every week and share a glimpse of the rhythm of our days with you all.

Like our previous projects, we didn’t plan out our posts or discuss them ahead of time. It felt equally surprising and expected that we would both post chocolate hearts that week (MAV’s first post and mine).

Much has changed in the ensuing years (I have a teenager now—gulp!), but more has stayed the same. 3191 Miles Apart remains a place of connection—with each other—and with the folks that visit here.

Thank you for gathering with us here. Here’s to many more years!! XO.

Notes on the photos:

1. Heart branch weaving. Branch weaving instructions can be found in Issue No. 8 of 3191 Quarterly. Please note: This issue will only be available for two more weeks!!

2. Some impromptu Valentine-decorating in our mud room.

3. A favorite heart-shaped wood plate.

4. Pomegranate fruit gels. I use the recipe on the Knox gelatin box and use this juice (I add no sugar).

5. Happy heart day. A good read on the history of the heart as symbol of love.

Well, I’ll be honest, my weekend didn’t go exactly as planned. I had a different post in mind for this space. But, we had to say a sad goodbye to a family dog … I didn’t get a lot of time to myself … my “weekend” list still sits unfinished and this and that, blah blah. However, I did get to make a birthday cake and that is what I’ll share with you here!

I’ve been making this Carrot Cake for the last few years and it has been requested for many-a-birthday. Today is such an occasion. It’s a very simple recipe and I don’t use nuts or raisins. I like it plain and so do the folks I’ve been baking it for. I think you could easily add those things in though.

Today we are wishing a happy birthday to our dear friend Lynsey and I am wishing you happy baking of this delicious Carrot Cake!

Carrot Cake
adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s Carrot Cake recipe

1 C spelt flour
1 C all purpose flour
2 -1/2 t baking powder
2-1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
3/4 t ginger
3/4 C canola oil
3/4 C natural cane sugar
4  eggs
1 t vanilla
3/4 C unsweetened applesauce
3 1/2 C grated carrots

Preheat to 325°F/170°C. Butter either a 9-inch round pan or two 9-inch round pans if you want to make layers. (I have also used an 8-inch round pan which makes a lovely taller cake. It just bakes a bit longer to bake.) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, whisk together well and set aside. Using a mixer beat the sugar and oil together until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add the vanilla and continue beating. Add the applesauce and beat well. The mixture should be a pale yellow color and have a silky texture. Add the flour mixture and mix in slowly. Fold in the carrots. Turn the cake batter out into your cake pan(s) and bake for 50–60 minutes (if you are using two 9-inch rounds it is half that time). Use a tester to make sure the cake is done in the center. On a few occasions I have under-baked this cake. Let cool completely in the cake pans and then turn out and frost. You can make the cake a day in advance and just store it with plastic wrap. I’ve found, actually, that making it a day ahead makes the taste even better. Enjoy!

For those of you who have 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 6 you can use my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe from the Chocolate Stout Cake—that is what I used here. For those who don’t you should try Molly’s recipe because it is very good! I use mostly honey as a sweetener with very little sugar myself.

So, it’s February. I quite love winter. I love the change to the landscape. I love the cozy, dark evenings. I love dressing in layers. I am not terribly bothered by cold or wet weather. However, I still find myself dragging a bit and my mood getting a little dark come February. I wanted to share some of my tips for making it through to springtime. I have done this before, but I thought we could all use a reminder (especially me!).

Get out. I know that some of you have quite extreme weather conditions, but most of us merely have inconvenient ones. Bundle up. Invest in boots that keep your feet dry and that you can wear year after year. Walk—around the block or for miles and miles—any little bit will help. When the sun does come out, make time to be in it, rearrange your schedule to spend the afternoon at the park or just take fifteen minutes to have your coffee on the front steps. When the sun is not out, when it is wet and cold and blustery, go out anyway; you will not regret it—I promise. It is not just about getting exercise (going to the gym doesn’t count), it is about being out in the world.

Take care. Drink water. I can easily pass the water glass up for a hot cup of coffee in the winter months which is why I drink hot infused water this time of year. Make sure your diet is full of fresh fruit and vegetables (this means buying produce that is not local for me, but it is worth it—frozen fruits and vegetables are great too). I eat a lot of grapefruit in the winter months (I really crave it!). I have it on its own or in a salad or smoothie (you can find my grapefruit smoothie recipe in 3191Q Issue No. 8).

Brighten things up. My favorite way to brighten my home is to bring in plants and flowers, but I like to brighten up my food a bit too. Winter cooking and vegetables can start to feel a little heavy, so I add fresh herbs (I buy potted ones which do double-duty). Lemon zest is the smell of happiness for me, and I find myself adding it to everything from my granola (before I bake it) to salad dressing to soups. The roasted potatoes above were tossed with lemon zest and rosemary.

Get things done. Take advantage of dark evening spent indoors. Put on a movie, podcast, or favorite album and get busy with a small project that you can complete successfully. Pick up a handiwork project (I am working on my next collection for the shop). Organize a drawer. Sort through paperwork for tax season. Write an overdue thank you note. When spring comes, you will have something to show for the dark days of winter.

Hope this helps. Happy February!

Well, January is nearly gone (thank goodness because it has not been my favorite month, harumph!) and it’s time for me to make a quick check-in with my resolutions. I’m moving along well on the Cooking (been eating in a lot and many times by warm candlelight) and Resting (taking weekends off and getting lots of sleep!) and still working on Giving and Walking. Hey, one thing at a time, right?

I’ve been enjoying cooking/baking and trying out many new recipes (some of which we’ve already been made and remade). A few weeks ago I pulled out one of my favorite little books: Cooking With Wholegrains by Mildred Ellen & Vrest Orton. This is a lovely understated book which represents and supports everything I love about baking: simplicity, experimenting and using wholegrains. And it has a little attitude as well!

Vrest Orton writes in his Word Of Warning at the beginning of the book, “There is some confusion, in the public mind, about two other terms often advertised. One is Unbleached Flour. This is simply white flour, without chemical bleach. In no sense is unbleached flour a wholegrain because, like any other white flour, it does not contain the natural vitamins and other nutritional elements always present in stoneground wholegrains.” And he goes on to talk about water ground meal. I just like how he cuts right through it. And he continues that tone throughout the rest of the book encouraging the reader to see “cooking as an art form.” This is my kind of couple! Mildred, if I can call her that, lived until she was 99 years-old. There’s certainly something to be said about that.

It’s lucky that I love the taste of wholegrain flour and I don’t have to force myself to use it for the sheer goodness of it. But I know not everyone is like me. That said, I think a simple biscuit is a great place to start if you are just trying to get more whole grains into your world. Why is it a good place to start? Well, you can (and should) slather it with butter and that may help you ease into the enjoyment of this type of baking. I encourage you to try out this simple wholegrain biscuit with your winter soups and stews. It’s simply delicious. I use a little corn meal because I love this combination but you can use all whole wheat flour if you like. That is what Mildred does!

Baking Powder Biscuits
adapted slightly from Cooking With Wholegrains by The Ortons
makes 8–10 biscuits depending on size

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C yellow corn meal
1 t salt
4 t baking powder
5 T unsalted butter, cold
1 C milk

Pre-heat oven to 450ºF / 230ºC. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift dry ingredients together well two times (don’t skimp on the sifting). Cut in butter until the mixture resembles course meal. Add enough milk, a little at a time, to make a moist dough. You might not use the whole cup or you might need a little more. You want the dough to come together easily and be moist but not damp. Turn the dough out onto a lightly wheat-floured board and pat out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out your biscuits (I use a glass to do this) and bake for 15 minutes tops. Serve right out of the oven with butter.

A Note: I’ve found the goal with this recipe is to handle the dough as little as possible. It may take a few times of making this to find your groove in that department. Don’t worry. You’ll find it. I use my fingers, gently, to bring the dough together after I add the milk which I think really helps the biscuits have a nicer tenderness. Sometimes a wooden spoon can just create too much action for the dough. At any rate, enjoy and, as Mildred and Vrest encourage, have fun.

Fridays are “BFD” (Breakfast For Dinner) night at our house. We are all tired from the school/work week and the cupboards and fridge are often a little bare, but we can almost always put together a breakfast-style meal (and if I can pair it with a brunch cocktail like a Salty Dog, all the better). Sometimes we make french toast, pancakes or a dutch baby, but waffles are the crowd-pleaser.

My recipe for waffles is adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything (I finally got a fresh copy!!) which remains my favorite resource for the basics. I use a combo of unbleached and whole wheat flours which makes for a hearty, but not heavy, waffle (whipping the egg whites separately keeps them light as well). Just slightly sweet, balanced nicely with the tang of yogurt—these are my favorite waffles. We eat our waffles with summer’s frozen berries warmed with maple syrup and some good bacon if we’re lucky.

BFD Waffles (feel free to eat them for breakfast!)
Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything

Note: While I think whipping the egg whites separately does improve the texture of the waffles, when I am feeling lazy sometimes I skip this step and just add the eggs whole to the yogurt, and the results are still quite tasty.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 3/4 cup yogurt (if you are using a firm yogurt, you may want to thin it a bit with milk)
2 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled slightly
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat your waffle iron.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, egg yolks, butter and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Beat your egg whites with a whisk until soft peaks form (you can use a mixer for this—I always do it by hand). Fold the egg whites gently into the batter.

Oil your waffle iron and spoon the batter on to the hot griddle. The batter will be thick, but will spread when you close your iron. Cook until browned (time depends on your waffle iron). Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven. Sometimes I double a batch and freeze the leftovers between sheets of parchment and reheat them in the toaster oven.

Variations: Add a sprinkle of granola or sliced almonds (shown above) on top of the batter before you close the iron. Sometimes we also crumble bacon on the batter or add thin slices of apple or pear.

I grew up in Muskegon, Michigan just off the lake. In Muskegon we got a ton of snow in the winter! When I was little (I was a little shorty pants and I guess still am) the piles along the sidewalks were much taller than I was. They towered over me (as you might remember me mentioning before)! My love affair with snow started back then and is still very strong today.

This week we had a fairly nice-sized snow storm and I was so happy. I love a day when I don’t have to take the car out for anything and can just venture out everywhere on foot. I love a day where big snowflakes fall all day long. It’s so cheerful to me (as long as I don’t have to travel, of course)!

As an adult my very favorite part of a snow day has shifted from sunny afternoon playtime to the dark nighttime. The hours after the snow has finished and it has grown still outside. That’s when I usually head outside for an adventure.

I love the textures and sounds of fresh snow. The way it pulls on the branches. The t-t-t-t-sound of my boots driving into it as I walk. I love climbing the little mountains of it and stamping my feet in where no one else has.

And I love the quiet. (This tree spoke to me. I stood and stared for many minutes.)

The snow has already melted mostly and is certainly not on the trees anymore. I can’t wait for the next snow day so I can go out again after dark welcoming the fresh snow and tipping my cap to the winter.

Things have been busy around here as we get 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 10 ready for press (it will ship to subscribers mid-February and be available in our shop February 22nd). This week, I wanted to share some behind-the-scenes images and sneak peeks into what I think is going to be a really fun issue. As always, MAV and I will have recipes, stories from our travels and adventures, tips and advice, a creative project, and many, many photos to share. I am really excited to share it with you!

I am excited, too, to get back into a rhythm of my posts here. I have so many ideas and recipes that I haven’t been able to share here just yet, and MAV and I have many new plans to help enrich this space. I do love the immediacy and connection that blogging brings as well as the surprise of MAV’s post next to mine. We only occasionally plan or share with each other what are posts are going to be. We began our relationship based on serendipity, and it remains one of our guiding principles today.

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While Issue No. 10, won’t be in the shop until next month, we do still have copies of issues No. 8 and No. 9 while supplies last. Issue No. 8 will be disappearing soon. It is one of my personal favorites and includes the instructions for branch weaving among many other great stories and recipes.

Here are two meaningful things I’ve written down in my notebook since the start of the new year:

“What happens if this happens?”
—Miles, my nephew (speaking as he mixed one dot of paint color with another)

“We’re every one of us imperfect. We’re every one of us, in some way, wounded animals. The most important thing is to take care of each other.”
—Barry Lopez, a writer

I’ve been thinking a lot since the year turned over about how we humans effect each other. We share space with perfect strangers as we walk the planet and we can be so careless about it (honking our horns, given sneering looks, gasping heavy sighs in long lines at the grocery). Sometimes we are even careless when we share time and space with those we love. We can’t help it; we’re human.

While I can’t be perfect and present in every moment of every day, I want to spend a little time as the year starts thinking about how to be a better more engaged human.

Here is my new meditation exercise for January:
I sit for 5 minutes each day (whenever I can find the time: morning, noon or night) and say the names of those for whom I am grateful. I sit, close my eyes, breathe in deeply and just say the name in my head. I think of that person, what they mean to me and what I mean to them. I think of how we are connected and how we can be better connected. I may only get through two people in the 5 minutes but regardless I open my eyes and feel my head is much clearer. My thoughts are quieter. I feel more grounded and ready to be an engaged human again.

My oldest nephew Miles and I painted our own solar system yesterday (you can see our work here in these photographs). We painted Mars and Jupiter, the Sun and the Earth. We also painted comets and meteors.

As I looked at our small solar system when it was complete I was struck with how simple it looked, how beautiful, and I realized that I now have a place to envision when I do my next meditation. A quiet and colorful place where I can sit amongst our planets and our sun and feel grateful for my life and those who are in it. Happy New Year to you all! I am so grateful to be here in our space once again.

Happy New Year!! I am so happy to be back in this space and am very excited for all MAV and I have in store for 2013.

I have some fun news to share with you today. Quince & Co. has released our collaboration, Interwoven, as an e-book. Previously available as a limited edition printed book (I wrote about our collaboration with Quince & Co. in this post and MAV wrote about it here), Interwoven has been sold out for quite some time, so it is really great to have it back out in the world.

In the Interwoven e-book, you’ll find instructions for The Puffin and The Tern braided necklaces. All you need is two skeins of yarn (which is enough to make several necklaces). An advantage of  the e-book is that you can download the PDF and browse the instructions and colorways before you decide on which style and yarns you’d like to use.

Along with the necklace instructions, you’ll find pages and pages of photos of our inspiration, process and styling options—48 pages in all.

Interwoven is available individually as a PDF download as well as a gift set paired with a skein each of Tern and Puffin yarn available in three different colorways. After re-visiting Interwoven this week, I was inspired to make another cozy Puffin necklace for myself. I used the gorgeous heathered Puffin wool yarn in the Iceland colorway and bound it with Tern in Stonington. If you are looking ahead to spring and summer, I think the Tern necklace instructions would work beautifully with Quince & Co.’s newer 100% organic linen Sparrow yarn.

Thanks Quince & Co.!

A few snapshots of the last few holiday days here. Some of our favorite traditions … a Christmas Eve beach walk, our Christmas Day open house with friends and family … and some new traditions … my nephews over at our house for pre-Christmas Eve sugar-cookie-making, a quiet Christmas Day evening by the candles with an old movie playing. We have had very beautiful holidays so far and hope you have as well.

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Before we sign off for the year (we are off from this space next week, returning on January 11th – meantime you can follow us on Instagram) I wanted to mention, as per SCB and my tradition here, a few of my new years resolutions:

* Giving – I want to give some of my time for something more meaningful. I will find a volunteer opportunity this year … I think with the elderly since I love older folks so much. I can’t wait!

* Resting – Work hard, play hard & rest hard, relax hard. I need more balance in 2013 and resting, sitting, relaxing, lazing … these are of utmost importance since I have the work hard and play hard thing down! Balance. A key word for me moving into the new year.

* Walking – I love to walk but admittedly ran out of time most days this year. In 2013 I am making a goal of 30-minutes of walking five times a week. I won’t be keeping track per se but I will be committing myself to do it. This commitment will be like a mantra in the back of my head and that tends to help me stay on track!

* Cooking – It’s time for me to get serious. It’s all fine and good that I can make a batch of cookies but what about a roast or leg of lamb?! I promise that I will challenge myself in the kitchen this year. I will try to be more organized and more thrifty and I will share my stories with you along the way.

I wish you all a very happy new year and can’t wait to see you here again in 2013. Cheers to you all! xo

We had a wonderful holiday filled with family, friends, light and laughter (despite some super gloomy and wet weather). My baby niece is here from San Francisco, and I can’t think of a better Christmas present. I love this time of year when everything slows down, and we can devote hours to a board game or a slow meal. I hope everyone enjoyed some quiet and some jolly times too.

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I am excited to spend time with my close and extended family through the end of the year as well as play with new projects and recipes for 3191Q. We will be back in this space in 2013 with new inspiration and images to share.

I am excited for the new year and have been thinking of a few resolutions:

* Get outside. Once upon a time our family would go on a weekly hike no matter the weather. I would like to return to this tradition. My teen and pre-teen may initially protest, but we are always glad once we are out there.

* Take a class outside of my comfort zone. Painting? Dance? Woodworking? Not sure yet.

* Gratitude. I want to make sure I express my gratitude to the people in my life, and my family’s life, who enrich us, care for us, and inspire us.

* Plant a garden. In the past few years, I have only managed some herbs and tomatoes. This year, I’d like a proper vegetable garden.

Thank you for helping to make 2012 an amazing year here at 3191 Miles Apart. Happy New Year!

I love these early holiday days. As I did last year I have now traveled to the Midwest to spend some time with my parents and that is where I am writing to you from today.

As usual I arrived to find my parents house all decked out and beautifully cozy, my mom’s Santa collection out on the mantle as well as the stockings hung with care. I am comforted by the fact that I always find these things here.

Another comforting tradition in their home is a fresh green Christmas tree filled with special ornaments. Some have been around for 35+ years!

I don’t have an ornament collection myself. I have a few vintage glass balls from my Grandma A. and a few little pieces given to me by my mom over the years but it’s nothing like what I find here at my parents house.

I pulled some of my favorites off the tree to show you today. These are the ones I remember from my childhood.

Each with its own personality, its own story. Some very delicate and others not as much as they bear the marks of the years.

I am so glad to be here. To have these days with my parents … these quiet holiday days. We turn the lamps out in the evening and chit-chat (otherwise known as gossip) and sit by the tree which is full of memories. Our memories. During this busy season it is these moments that I am grateful to have the time to notice and appreciate. And I am grateful to be able to share them with you.

Feeling quiet this week after the tragedy in Connecticut and one close to home. Wishing everyone peace.

Maybe it’s the time of year or maybe it’s just getting into my late thirties but either way there’s no denying that I’ve been feeling pretty contemplative of late. As we face the end of our year here at 3191 (our shop closes until 1/11/13 on Sunday) I feel the need to share with you some of my deeper thoughts on what we do here and why we do it.

What you may not know is that Stephanie and I ponder, quite often, our connection to each other and to the people who come to this site. We do feel it’s a special group. A small community of people who connect because of one major thing: the small moments. We are a group who appreciates every second of being alive (even if we are struggling or depressed and need to take days, weeks or months to stomp around or go to dark places); in the end, we don’t take life for granted.

These small moments that our community sees and feels, Stephanie and I believe, actually make up the framework of life. As humans we look for and wait on the BIG things. We look for love, we look for opportunity, we wait for stability, we wait for happiness. But how often do big things really happen? Once a year? Maybe.

On the other hand, how often do small moments happen? Well, they happen all of the time … right in front of our eyes … every single day. The beauty and simplicity of light or darkness, the calmness and comfort of home or of time spent having a glass of wine with an old friend, the warmth and magic of being around children whom we love and adore. These small moments are the ones Stephanie and I want to share with you because we know you too are touched by them.

We pack our cameras in our bags every day, we concept, write and design each issue of 3191 Quarterly just the two of us, we take notes throughout the week for our Friday posts here at 3191 Miles Apart, we show up here week after week even when we are struggling or have nothing to say of any consequence. Sharing small moments with you drives us to continue this project, it really does.

And we don’t know all of you but we know through your emails, through your dedication to our dear 3191 Quarterly … we know through your support of the new shop that we opened earlier this year … we know through the photographs we are starting to gather for our upcoming launch of the 3191 Album (keep your 3191-related photos coming to photos(at)3191milesapart(dot)com) … we know that we here at 3191 Miles Apart are all in this together and we will calmly and modestly proceed into another year together.

“We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” is something Mother Teresa tells us and without any real planning for the last 6 years, that is just what we are doing with 3191. We are doing small things with great love. We have you to thank for that.

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Photographs here were some small moments from a year ago around this time that I did not get a chance to share with you. They are, from top to bottom:
Photos 1–4: My home, winter time
Photo 5: On my way to Stockholm, Sweden
Photo 6: Stockholm at night
Photo 7: London, Rochelle Canteen (a longtime favorite)

As a companion piece to MAV’s beautiful gift guide from last week, I wanted to share some ideas for gifts that you can make yourself.

I made these no-sew napkin sets using the fraying technique from my post on scarves. Look for quality woven cotton, linen, or cotton-linen blend fabric that has a design that is the same on both sides. I used two ikats and a homespun plaid. I was able to cut six 15-inch napkins from each 1.25 yards of fabric (if I had made them slightly smaller, I could have cut nine). I am giving out sets with six mix-and-match napkins. Larger 18-24 inch “lapkins” for picnics,  10-inch kid-lunch napkins, or 4-inch drink coasters would all make great gifts as well.

A few other simple gift ideas:

:: For a crafty friend: a forked tree branch, some yarn, and a copy of Issue No. 8* which includes the branch weaving instructions).

:: For a friend who likes to sit fireside: a basket full of firestarters wrapped in newsprint and tied with twine

:: For a smoothie-loving friend: mason jar to-go cups (you could also include Issue No. 8* which has our favorite smoothie recipes).

:: For a friend who doesn’t like to get out of bed : selvedge pillowcases in a beautiful linen.

:: For a friend who is always in the kitchen: a new wooden spoon and a jar of spoon-oil.

:: For a friend that wants to learn to cook more things from scratch: the recipe for granola and a jar layered with the dry ingredients.

In Issue No. 9*, you’ll find instructions for a hand-knotted bottle carrier. Fill it with wine or beer or one of these other ideas:

:: A candle in a jar

:: A rock collection

:: Balls of yarn for a knitter

:: A stack of grapefruits

:: Your homemade pickles

And finally, brighten someone’s winter with living greenery. If you have Issue No. 6 (now sold out), make a knotted rope plant hanger. We also reprinted the instructions in 3191Q Notebook which is included in all subscriptions and is only available to our subscribers (you’ll also find some great suggestions for your book-loving friends in there).

* Please note: 3191 Quarterly subscriptions close for good on Sunday December 9th at 11:59 pm, eastern. The rest of our shop will close for the holidays at this time as well. If you’d like a subscription, a 3191Q Issue or something from MAV’s collection, make your purchase this weekend!!

I love the season of giving. While I completely believe in and support all of the conversations going on about cutting back and being grateful (I know I have a lot to be grateful for and I am indeed cutting back this year) I also just love to give. Finding or making something special for someone whom I love dearly is just … magic.

My tactic is to make a list, check my budget and then hit the streets of Portland as well as visit some of my favorite online shops in search of gold! The moment I find that special something that I feel a connection with, and know my loved one will as well, I get excited. It’s even more of an incredible feeling when it’s something that I make myself. Pow! Giving rocks! That said, you’ll find my holiday GIVE lists below with some of my ideas for giving. You can find last years lists in our Archives under “Holidays.”

: : :

This year I fell in love with ceramics again and I’m over the moon about giving ceramic pieces as gifts. I started a collection for my sweetheart (as much for me, hee hee) and truly do use many of our pieces every single day. What I love is the tactile nature of ceramics, the usefulness. They are personal and each one-of-a-kind. Your recipient will think of you each time they use the gift and you can have fun picking out something that reminds you of them.

GIVE …
Ceramics
+ Object & Totum
+ Eric Bonnin Sylvia
+ Small Spells
+ Shino Takeda
+ Vitrified Studio
+ Akiko Graham
+ Karin Eriksson
+ Clam Lab
+ Jen E
+ Diana Fayt
+ White Forest Pottery

I am a big supporter of the idea that we are all artists. Even those sitting in a board room can have a red and blue pen and some scratch paper and doodle every once in a while, right? I love to give, especially to adults, art supplies. I think it brings out the inkling to create in all of us and everyone could use a little push!

GIVE …
Art Supplies
+ Akashiya Watercolor Pens
+ Akashiya Watercolor Box
+ Shinhan Touch Marker Set
+ Düller Marker Set
+ Washi Masking Tapes
+ Monocle Stationery Notebook

I always have the desire to give things that are useful. It’s just who I am. Trinkets and nick-nacks are never on my giving list because, to me, they are just another thing to dust! Therefore I always feel moved to give cloth dish towels and napkins. A good cloth can be used for years and year and even passed down. Useful and memorable. Such a good combo!

GIVE …
Cloth
+ from Spartan
+ Fog Linen
+ Scents & Feel
+ Lineacarta
+ from Canoe
+ Cloth & Goods

In the last few years I’ve gotten into giving my girl friends little lotions and potion that pamper just themselves. So many of my friends/family take care of their children and their sweethearts but spend little time taking care of themselves so this is my way of saying: I’ll take care of you.

GIVE …
Lotions & Potions
+ Fairy Flower Creme
+ Oakmoss Perfume Oil
+ Earth Tu Face Goods
+ Nuxe Lip Moisture Stick or Face/Hair Oil
+ Rodin Cream

We here at 3191 truly believe in giving handmade. It can be something you made that your friend can eat in a weekend and it will still mean so much. Spend a little extra time on the packaging using recycled jars with ribbon or maybe even add in one of the new kitchen towels to wrap up your warm baked good. Yum!

GIVE …
Handmade Treats
+ Aunt Polly’s Italian Cookies (wrapped in parchment with twine)
+ Chocolate Chip Hearts (stacked in a glass jar with a heart on top)
+ Sweet & Crunchy Nut Clusters (in a glass jar with a bow)
+ An Apple Galette (wrapped in parchment and a new towel)
+ Honey Caramel Corn (in a recycled tin or decorated box)
+ Granola (in a large glass jar with a bow)

And I’ll close my list with giving a little love to my own dear Portland. We have so many talented people here and I love shopping local. Here are some goodies you can get online so you can have a little of my Portland in your gift bag this holiday.

GIVE …
A Little Portland, Maine
+ Tandem Coffee
+ Seawall Soap
+ Baker’s Notes
+ Angela Adams Scarf
+ Herron Clothier
+ Ferdinand Goods
+ Seabags
+ 3191 Quarterly Subscriptions (Portland, ME & Portland, OR with this gift!)

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is wrapping gifts. I love to package gifts in a way that suits the recipient, and this week I set out to create a wrap for you. Share a 3191 Quarterly subscription with friends and family, and their gift will arrived wrapped in the paper I made.

I also want to share with you how I made the block-printed paper, so you can create your own holiday wrap. You’ll need some thick leather scraps (from the craft store or you could cut up an old belt), a block or wood scrap, acrylic craft paint, and a roll of paper (use plain gift wrap, kraft paper, or a roll of white drawing paper like I did).

Cut your leather scraps into shapes. I chose a simple triangle bunting design. More random patterns work just as well. Lay out your design on your wooden block (I used a scrap of moulding that was about half as wide as my paper). Once you have decided on the design, glue the pieces in place (I used hot glue, but any craft glue should hold the leather).

Using a foam brush, cover your design thoroughly with paint (you could also use a brayer). Do not worry if the paint spreads to the block, but wipe away any large globs with a paper towel before printing.

It may take some trial and error to get the coverage and look you desire—practice on some scrap paper before you begin. I find that a little variation to the paint adds to the charm. As you print, you may need to clean off the stamp with a damp cloth if paint accumulates.

Unroll your paper out on a table or other large workspace. Gently place your painted stamp down on the paper, applying firm pressure (be careful to not let the stamp move). Carefully lift the stamp in one motion. Admire your design! Repeat, applying more paint to the stamp each time, until your paper is covered.

Depending on the stamp you’ve created, you may want to create a guide to keep your pattern even. I placed a darker piece of paper under the white, moving it down each row to keep my rows of bunting straight. If I was doing this project with young kids, I would create a stamp that could be stamped randomly.

Allow the paint to thoroughly dry before you roll it up for storage or wrap a gift.

All gift subscriptions will come packaged in the wrap I created along with a certificate notifying the recipient that they will receive a year of issues. All 3191Q subscribers receive Issue No. 9 as well as our 3191Q Notebook.

Well, I can say with full assurance: my dear friends and family and I are really getting to be good cooks! Our Thanksgiving this year was a feast to be remembered. We had a full day (noon–after midnight!) of togetherness and food. I just love Thanksgiving!!

Let’s start with the new shortbread recipe I made for my cookie plate. Finally, I’ve found my go-to shortbread recipe. I should have known to go to the Brits first. I got this recipe from Short & Sweet by Dan Lepard (love this book!).

Butter Shortbread
adjusted slightly from Short & Sweet by Dan Lepard

250g all purpose flour
75g whole wheat pastry flour
1 T semolina flour
100g caster sugar
1/2 t salt
225g unsalted butter

Mix flours, semolina, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Cut butter into the dry mixture until it looks crumbly. Then use your hands to quickly bring the dough together. Press the dough into a fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. The next day bake at 320ºF/160ºC for about 40–45 minutes or until the edges start to brown a bit.

I also made Oat & Sour Cherry Cookies. This recipe needs a touch more work so it’ll be in Quarterly, Issue No. 10. *Don’t forget to subscribe to our Quarterly; our FREE ISSUE offer is only open for another few weeks.*

And I’ll walk you through a bit of the rest.
We had oysters …

We had a sour and a bitter cocktail (this was bourbon, grapefruit juice, bitters, yumm!)…

We had an amazing cheese board…

We had our outdoor fire and five adorable boys hanging around to make us laugh …

And we had each other. That is what we will always have. Friendship, family, time-spent celebrating and giving thanks. Giving each other hugs, time to listen and laugh, time to play games and take walks, time to share new recipes and savor them. So much changes as the year passes to the next but we still always have each other … we always have each other. Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all!

I hope everyone who celebrates had a fantastic Thanksgiving. We shared a wonderful meal at my parents’ house. The turkey was cooked on the barbecue rotisserie to perfection, and our plates were filled to overflowing with all of our favorite veggies and sides. I just barely had room for pie. Today I am making good work of the leftovers. I have turkey broth simmering, a pan of enchiladas in the works (one half squash, one half turkey), an egg was baked in a nest of stuffing for lunch, sweet potatoes will go into some Three-P soup for the freezer, and cranberry sauce will top my yogurt and granola tomorrow morning (this morning I had pie for breakfast).

I love the quiet time of Thanksgiving. I ignore the shopping and buying frenzy and instead settle in with my family and think to the season ahead. It has been a hectic fall, and, in many ways, I feel like I am just coming up for air. I am grateful for so much this year—my happy family and kind friends, the creative work I get to do every day, the 3191 and More & Co teams, my amazing, talented, and supportive work partner MAV, and you all—the 3191 community—that makes it all possible. Thank you!

::

Note: Time is running out on our 3191 Quarterly subscription offer—get one issue free! You will receive a copy of our 3191Q Notebook as well! And MAV still has a few smocks and scarves available from her collection.

I have so much to tell you about my new Collection … about SCB’s Collection (this is my favorite) … about the Found Collection (I am sad to see these go) and the new Q9 but for today I only have time to show you a few quick photographs of little old me!

I’m really proud of my fun little pieces in Beauty & Use III. They are basics that require participation from you. You have to mix in your own personal style to make them special. You’re the beauty and they are the use!

My pick for “favorite Smock” this time around is Smock No. 7 (or at least that’s how I’m feeling on this fine Friday). I’ve been layering my Smocks with tank tops or long-sleeved tops underneath. Here I went with a turtleneck and chunky necklace. I’ve been super cozy all day.

Above is how I’ve been wearing my Wovens No. 1 and No. 2. I worked alongside a wonderful artists group in Thailand to create these handwoven scarves (they did everything from grown the cotton to weave it) and am so happy with them. They are delicate but not precious. I’m really into the fact that they arrive stiff and loosen within a few wearings (the indigo takes a bit longer … like jeans); you have to break them in! And once you do … wow … they feel so good and natural. They are the kinds of pieces that will last forever and I plan to keep mine that long.

And lastly my Knits No. 1 and No. 2. I have to say I’ve been having a hard time taking these off. The cotton is amazing! One can see why organic is better in cases like these. I do double up my No. 1 but mostly wear it down around my neck long. It’s like a necklace! As for No. 2, it’s a nice size to help out as a hood so I have been tucking it into my coat as seen here.

Special thanks to RTS for help with the snaps!

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We want to take a moment as well to THANK YOU for your constant support of and interest in our work. Sharing the 3191 creative vision means a lot to us. We do that through the goods in our shop, the pages in our Quarterlies and the notes we post online here and through Twitter, Instagram, etc. Without you there would be no sharing … we hope you know how much you are appreciated. And please, do share with us how you wear your MAV Collection or how your Found Collection find fits in with your other treasures. Email your photos to – photos(at)3191milesapart(dot)com. We love it when you share!

Our collections went live early this morning, and our mailing list subscribers have been busy shopping! I have just one pine cone left in my collection. I am so happy to see them sent out all across the globe.

My collection was inspired by the natural beauty of Oregon’s forests. The color palette was inspired by this photo I shot last year on a favorite hike in the Columbia River Gorge. Thank you so much to everyone who visited the shop and shared it with others!

3191Q Issue No. 9 is now in the shop as well. Many of you subscribers have already received your issues. I do hope you are enjoying them!

I feel that our subscribers are a big part of our 3191 Team. We could not do it without you. We do not have any advertisers, sponsors or backers (except you!). Even as we bring on extra helpers, 3191Q is truly a labor of love for MAV and me, and we are so grateful for your interest and continued support. There are just a few weeks left to subscribe. If you think you are going to buy more than one issue this year, a subscription is really the way to go. You will receive all four issues for the price of three!

We are really excited for the year ahead. We have increased the size of the books, so that our photographs can be even larger, and we have increased the length of the books, so we can tell you more in-depth stories and take you on longer travels.

Every issue this year will have four recipes—two from each of us as, along with a few other recurring features like “our favorites”—recommendations for our tried and true places, products and inspirations.

And you will find a project in every issue. These are so much fun to do, and the best part is when we get to see what you’ve made. (Don’t forget to email a photo to photos {at} 3191milesapart.com if you’ve made something from our books or blog!).

Thank you so much for your continued support! Do visit our collections to browse or buy. We are so happy to have you.

What will you find in the new Quarterly, Issue No. 9? Well … you won’t find these images (they are outtakes) but you will find the following stories and more!

… up top …
An outtake from the Deep Summer gallery. This was taken at the very beginning of summer when there was so much promise. The sweetness of summer was still to come. I still remember this moment. I can smell the summer air.

… up top …
Taken, again, in the beginning of summer, this photograph was a contender for the Deep Summer Gallery but I went with one that is a bit different (you’ll see when you get your issues). You can see my oldest nephew, Miles, there making his own path. I remember thinking how brave he was/is. I yelled to him, “stay where I can see you” to which he replied, “you can see me here, see?” … and he was right.

… up top …
An outtake from one of my favorite recipes included in Q9. It’s Chocolate Almond Torte. Not a fancy “torte” per se but just a simple one, more like a cake really. I love this recipe because my guests seem to always love it. It’s a great one for the upcoming holidays!

… up top …
An outtake from a review of one of my favorite natural products to help make art with kids. I had so much fun working on this piece with Miles.

… up top …
An outtake from my road trip to The Berkshires. What a lovely trip that was. It was fun to be able to tell you the story of this trip and some other trips I took this summer in the issue.

So what will you find in Q9? You’ll find pieces of our every day, stories about our trips, lots and lots of photographs, our favorite recipes, inspirations and much more. Please do join us for this THIRD year of Quarterly by becoming one of our treasured subscribers. 3191 Quarterly remains ever still our sponsor-/ad-free, beautifully printed (in New England), full-of-love and simple inspiration, publication that we put our hearts and souls into. We thank you for your interest and support and thank you for welcoming us into your homes. (NOTE: Stephanie does a great job of laying out the perks of our subscription right here; don’t miss out … subscriptions end soon!)

3191 Quarterly Issue No. 9 is shipping out to subscribers today, and we are thrilled to share it with you all. This year has brought some changes to 3191Q like a bigger and longer format, but the spirit of the content has remained the same. Today I wanted to share some outtakes, a few photos I love, but didn’t make it into the issue, as well as share what you’ll find inside Issue No. 9.

A hold-over from last year is our seasonal gallery of film photos. Printed on glossy paper, this time the gallery looks back at summer in all its lush, green glory.

A new series this year is Morning, Noon and Night—film photos that capture quiet moments from throughout our days. I love how this harkens back to our original mornings and evenings projects.

Our family has a favorite camping spot we have been returning to year after year, and I write about it and share film photos in Riverside. I am really happy to share this special place with you all.

You know I love a good project, and I have a great one for the holidays in Issue No. 9. These hand-knotted and dip-dyed bottle carriers are perfect for gift-giving and holiday parties. They are quite simple to make and have so many creative uses. I will share some of the ways I have been using mine here in the coming weeks.

You will also find recipes (I share oatcakes and a wilted kale salad), a tour of some of my favorite stops in my neighborhood, and more. The issue officially releases in the shop next Friday, November 16th, but you can still subscribe now and receive all four issues from our subscription year for the price of three (this is a limited time offer, so don’t delay). We are super excited about being able to offer bigger and longer issues at a lower price this year and hope you are happy too!

Thanks so much for your continued support! Next week, along with the official release of Issue No. 9, we will be releasing our individual collections of clothing and gifts and a new Found Collection of vintage housewares. Make sure you are on our mailing list to be alerted to when our shop opens as items often sell out quickly.

Cheers!!

I’ve talked about Rabelais before many times and now that they are no longer in Portland I’m learning to add “Rabelais” to my Saturday list of “to-do’s.” I just get in the car and simply make the 20-minute drive down to Biddeford to see what Sam and Don have on the shelves. The best thing about their new space is that you can see and pick up everything! They have ample space for all of their gently-used and antique titles and you can just browse all you like.

For us this week I visited Rabelais and brought back a peak at a couple of their favorite titles of late and a few beautiful old books that I just had to share! You can always contact Rabelais if you’re looking for an old book or if you want to talk about new books recommendations. They are so good at what they do!

On their stand-out (new books) list:
Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
Whole Larder Love by Rohan Anderson
The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater

On my stand-out (old books) list:
Parties On A Shoestring by Marni Wood
The June Platt Cookbook
A Fresh Herb Platter by Dorothy Childs Hogner

And if you have the chance to visit Rabelais definitely give their dog a scratch for me. He’s on my short list of favorite dogs to be sure.

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In other news, we want to take a moment to introduce you to the full team here at 3191 Miles Apart because we’ve grown! You might see their initials on our Twitter or Instagram or you might even get an email from one of them. We know you’re used to us after all these years (we’re, of course, MAV & SCB) but these dynamos are a big part of 3191 too so get to know them and say hi if you like!

EBT ~ Evan ~ ebt(at)3191milesapart.com
Evan, a great friend of mine, started working with us one year ago. She initially joined the team to help out with this and that and has taken over so much more! We’re so grateful! Evan is the one who takes care of your by3191 order, she’s the one who sees to it that your Quarterly subscription goes out without delay, she’s the one who keeps things moving behind-the-scenes. We’ll be saying goodbye to Evan in December for a few months while she goes off to have her first baby (hip hip!) but she’ll be back in the Spring, thankfully.

CMB ~ Chloe ~ cmb(at)3191milesapart.com
You might already know Chloe from Quarterly, Issue No. 1 or from one of my posts here. She has been a dear assistant of mine, and ours (and now ours here at 3191 Miles Apart), for years. She’s a fixture. Chloe is taking on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and all things social and online-related. She’s much better at keeping things up-to-date than we are! And Chloe will be the one who takes *your* photographs and adds them into our new 3191 Album (this project is set to go online in late-November, stay tuned). Taking these tasks on as a side-job while she gets her degree in art, Chloe works with us from the great city of Chicago.

And you can always contact Stephanie (scb(at)3191milesapart.com) and myself (mav(at)3191milesapart.com) via email as well. It might take us some time to get back to you but we promise that we do read your notes and are very grateful for them. Cheers, all!

It has been a stressful week for many. My heart goes out to those in the northeast who have been through so much and continue to face huge disruptions and hardships in their lives. This week, I wanted to share a few things that have been making me smile in the hopes that they might make you smile as well.

I had the pleasure of meeting artist and blogger Jaime Rugh when I was on the east coast last month, and this week I received her beautiful Backyard Wildflowers book. What a treat on a gloomy day.

Every year I marvel at these crazy blooms from my peanut butter tree (it really smells like peanut butter!).

And, up top there, homemade graham crackers! If you subscribed to 3191 Quarterly and received your 3191Q Notebook, you know that Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain is one of my favorite cookbooks. This week, I decided to try her recipe for graham crackers.

Despite burning my first batch, I was quite happy with the wholesome, not too sweet, crisp result when I got the cooking time right. I didn’t have the teff flour she calls for on hand, so I subbed in more all-purpose which seemed to work fine. I wish I could have a graham cracker snack-time with you all.

Graham Crackers
Adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce

1 cup graham flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (or sub in 1/2 cup teff flour for 1/2 of the all purpose)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon unsulphured molasses
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the melted butter, honey, molasses and milk in a separate bowl.
3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir until combined. Press the dough into a disk, wrap and chill for a t least an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub two baking sheets with butter.
5. Dust your rolling surface with flour. Divide your chilled dough in half and roll out first half until it is 1/8 inch thick, dusting well with flour and moving frequently to make sure it is not sticking.
6. Cut the dough into 5-by-2 1/2-inch rectangles and transfer to baking sheet. Score each rectangle into quarters and then prick with fork or toothpick to create holes in dough (my crackers were a touch messy before baking as you can see, but, really, they turned out fine).
7. Stir the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle generously over crackers.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes (Boyce recommends 15-17 minutes, but my first batch burned at 15 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through. Grahams are ready when the edges darken. Remove to cool on a rack and repeat with remaining dough.

::

One more happy thing:

I hope you all will find a way to connect with us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (we are 3191milesapart at all those avenues). MAV and I have been a little slow on the social media bandwagon, but we have engaged Chloe as our helper (learn more about Chloe at the bottom of MAV’s post), and we are really excited to connect with folks in new ways. I am especially excited to get to see bits and pieces of MAV’s day through Instagram—it reminds me of how we started at A Year of Mornings. You will be seeing posts from everyone on our team—MAV, SCB (me), CMB (Chloe) and EBT (our creative assistant Evan). The community that surrounds and supports 3191 Miles Apart is so important to us, and we are all really excited to share more and connect with you all. Thank you!!

With a massive storm coming our way here on the east coast, I have been having a hard time not feeling sad for the leaves. Of course I feel worried for the people in harms way as well, that’s not us here in Maine really, but the leaves have been speaking to me directly. I see them on their branches, hanging on for dear life, and know by tomorrow evening most of them will be forced down to the ground. With winds of 45 mph or more here in Maine how could they not be?

Now, I know it’s the tree that is actually forcing the leaves off. It’s all a part of evolution and I totally get it. I understand that the trees are preparing for winter and they need all the sustenance they can muster so it’s goodbye leaves! But still … the extra wind … it’s going to be hard on my leaf friends.

So, today I took a leaf walk. I wanted to share a few quick photographs with you so we could take a moment of pause for the leaves. Those of you who have Issue No. 8 know how I feel about pressing leaves and keeping them “alive” in this way. I still remember the first leaf collection I made back in elementary school. (I wonder if my parents have it?)

I marvel … each leaf is unique and individual, colorful and ever-changing. Look at all the beautiful shapes! Even the little ones have something bold to say. And on a closer look the details are just so extraordinary.

I’ll be trying to keep calm tomorrow as I see them whipping around in the air. Leaves, I’m thinking of you. And moreover I wish everyone in the path of the storm safety and calm too. Be well, friends.

This week I brought home walnuts for our table. They always remind me of the photo from which 3191 was born.

I was gifted the most fragrant and lovely pears.

They became a delicious galette. Wonderful both warm with ice cream at night and cold with a cup of coffee at breakfast.

The pears made their way into a roasted squash soup with ginger as well.

The leaves are afire and blanket our sidewalks. (This photo reminds me of this post—sister wasn’t with us this time). We have to dash out for walks between rainstorms.

I was inspired to make my own leaves in silk and leather. They will be a part of my collection, releasing November 16th. Sign up on our email list to be the first to know.

Since I have officially closed the chapter on Summer, 2012 (meaning: I have looked through all of my film and chosen the photographs I’ll be featuring in our Quarterly No. 9 glossy gallery, Stephanie and my special place to remember each season) I thought I would take a moment in this space to remember some of my favorite bits. There are way too many to feature this week, so I might have to continue this at some point, but here’s a start. Goodbye Summer, 2012!

The top two photographs were taken just around the summer solstice. It’s such a time of promise! You have the whole summer ahead of you and so much adventure to come. I made these paintings (the large turqoise/grey piece just above is actually my sweethearts) at a time when I was feeling so joyous about it all. The world around felt about to burst! Of all of the doodles and paintings I did this summer I like these the best.

These two photographs above were taken on our family trip to Mount Desert Island. We saw the most extraordinary gardens and sunsets. The bottom image was taken from the screened-in deck of a great lobster pound. The colors that night were unmatched! Of all of my summer wanderings I think this was my favorite trip.

My family had a very special summer toast in early July out on the rocks at Two Lights State Park. You’re not supposed to drink there so don’t tell! It was a beautiful evening and best of all was that we were all together (something that happens more rarely these days).

My oldest nephew, Miles, made his first visit to our little rental cottage mid-summer and we had such a great day. We painted rocks (the ones in the photographs were actually ones that my sweetie and I painted last year; it was awesome to see they were still at the cottage after a whole year) and went for a row in the little boat. We stayed close to shore even though Miles wanted to go out further. He slept all the way home.

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To be straight, it was a very busy summer, and I felt tired and overwhelmed quite often, but ultimately, what I will remember the most, are the people. My parents and dear friends visiting and staying in our flat … sharing the day to day with us at the most beautiful time of the year. It really was a nice summer in so many ways. I hope it was for you as well.

I am a little bit late to the game, but I am trying my best to get into the rhythm of autumn this week. This past month was so busy with work and travel that I was lucky if I thought ahead to dinner that evening, let alone stocking my pantry for fall cooking. Fortunately, I had some time to clear out my fridge and pantry this week (if I can’t remember when I bought it, into the compost it goes. I try to start each season fresh). A little planning and a trip to the market later, we are better prepared to eat well with minimum effort (instead of reaching for the take-out menus).

Some tips:

:: In the cooler months, I roast a chicken on Sunday, make a bone broth for soup on Monday, and use extra meat for a dish later in the week. This week we will have chicken soup with barley, lemon and kale and chicken hand pies later in the week.

:: Onions, carrots and celery will become mirepoix for the freezer, so I will be ready to make simple soups and stews quickly in a pinch.

:: My favorite fresh herbs from the summer are being replaced with warming dried spices—smoked paprika, cumin and curry blends are some of my favorite additions.

:: I don’t buy a lot of canned food, but I do like to have tomatoes, coconut milk (for a cauliflower curry), and chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (for lentil chili) in my pantry.

:: Squash and root veggies are really calling to me right now. We will have sweet potato biscuits with our soup.

:: Tender salad greens are being replaced by hardier kale and bitter greens like mustard. I eat these fresh or shredded as a topping for a brothy soup.

:: Dried lentils (I stock brown and the more tender red lentils in my pantry) are great to have around because they cook up so quickly.

:: Ditto for whole grains. My kids love pearled barley, quinoa, and wheat berries. Put them in soups, cook them in broth to serve on the side, or use them as you would rice.

Happy autumn eating!

ps: The bag holding the onions above is a sneak peek at an alternative use for a project that will be featured in the new Quarterly…coming soon, subscribe today!

It’s my bro’s birthday today … happy birthday, RCV!

As long as I can remember my brother has always loved yellow cake. When we were young it was yellow cake out of a box with no frosting. That was his favorite birthday cake year after year. As an adult he not only loves plain yellow cake on his birthday but also as just an every day cake to have around the house on any given week day. Through his unwavering dedication to yellow cake over the years this little sis has learned to respect it herself.

Thank goodness last year we all found the Scratch Baking Co. recipe for yellow cake in the issue second of Baker’s Notes. (If you are interested in some good sweets recipes you should buy Issue 2 for sure. The chocolate cake is just as amazing)

It has been really nice to let go of the boxed yellow cake in favor of Scratch’s rich, versatile, simple “everyday yellow cake” recipe. I have to say, if my very picky bro can make the switch after years of boxed cake that must mean it’s good!

Scratch Baking Co. Everyday Yellow Cake
makes two generous 9-inch round layers

14 ounces cake flour
14 ounces sugar
4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 lb unsalted butter softened
1 C whole milk
8 egg yolks
6 T whole milk
2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Butter two 9-inch round layer pans. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment mix for 30 seconds. Add softened butter and mix again until batter looks like wet sand. Add 1 cup of whole milk and mix well again stopping to scrape the sides. In a small bowl mix egg yolks, 6 tablespoons whole milk and vanilla together well and then add to the batter. Mix everything one last time until the batter is silky with no lumps. Pour into cake pans and bake for 40–45 minutes or until cakes have pulled away from the sides and a tester comes out clean.

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Now you might be wondering why you’re seeing in the photographs that the two layers were not made into one cake. I’ll tell you why. Although my bro has diversified and come around to eating a better yellow cake he’s still not sure about whether he prefers frosting or not. So, this year when I asked him, “do you want the chocolate ganache on the cake or on the side?” he answered, “half and half.” We’re making some progress toward change … slowly.

Autumn has sort of taken me by surprise this year. We had a long and beautiful Indian summer here in Oregon. The shortening of the days was almost masked by all the warmth and sunshine. But after a week working on the east coast, I returned yesterday to fall in full swing—cooler temps, rain, fallen leaves, and darkness at dinner.

Today we went in search of apples to pick (already a bit late for our favorite varieties, we discovered) and as we filled our basket, I thought back to a day in late August when we picked blackberries on Sauvie Island (I talk about our favorite spot in both 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 5 and 3191Q Notebook).

Our freezer is still well-stocked with those blackberries, so we threw in a cup as our applesauce finished simmering. The result was tart and flavorful and a vibrant red color. Summer meets autumn.

Summer Meets Autumn Blackberry Applesauce
Stir this sauce into your oatmeal or yogurt or just spoon it on its own, warm or cold.

3 pounds apples
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
Maple syrup to taste

Chop and core apples (no need to peel them!) and place in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add about one inch apple juice, cider, or water to pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low, and simmer until apples are soft and falling apart, adding liquid as needed to keep from sticking. Once apples are soft, add blackberries and stir to incorporate. Continue cooking and stirring until blackberries fall apart. Pass mixture through a food mill or fine sieve, discarding peels and seeds. Taste your sauce. If it is too tart, sweeten with a few tablespoons of maple syrup. Store in a glass jar in the fridge or freeze.

Big day here at 3191 Miles Apart HQ. Opening day for our Quarterly subscriptions. Hip hip!

On top of thinking about the 2012/2013 issues of Q and making plans for the year, we have been working behind-the-scenes putting together something special just for the subscribers. I want to give you a run-down of that special publication today. Subscribers (new and renewing) will be the only ones to receive this publication. We hope you love it as much as we do!

Our 3191Q Notebook came about as a collaboration with Culture Convenience Club in Tokyo, Japan. I met the good folks from CCC a few years back at the NY Art Book Fair and really loved their energy. They love books as much as we do and in talking with them I learned that they were very big fans of A Year Of Mornings telling us that “all women in Tokyo loved our book.” Of course we were honored to hear it!

They started carrying our 2011/2012 issues of Quarterly at their Daikanyama Tsutaya Shoten bookshop (a few beautiful photos of the shop can be seen here) in Tokyo and we were over the moon! Shipping boxes of our issues over to Japan really made us feel extra proud.

In talking with CCC we realized there was a great chance for a collaboration. Something special, printed in single limited edition, that would go only to their shop and our new or renewing subscribers. The ideas started to flow from there.

We knew we wanted to make a publication that was bigger in size and our 3191Q Notebook is just that measuring in at a whopping 16-1/2 x 12 inches folded (think of the newspapers you grab from stands around your city). And we knew we wanted it to include outtakes from the last year of Q. We just have too many images that we love and not everything makes it into the issues. This new piece was a great way to include those extras.

As we worked on the layout and design, 24-pages worth, we realized it was also a chance to add in some completely new content as well so the Notebook includes an unpublished recipe, notes about how to cut-up your t-shirts, our favorite books lists and more.

Lastly, we were thrilled to be able to have another opportunity to include instructions for Stephanie’s popular Hanging Plants project from Q6 (that issue is completely sold out and no longer available). We love the idea that Q supporters are still the only ones to receive this project and the Notebook the last chance for us to share it again.

So to break it down … this is one special publication and it is ONLY going to subscribers or re-subscribers (while supplies last). Once you place a subscription order your Notebook will ship to you within 1–2 weeks and then your first issue, No. 9, will arrive in mid-November. So what’s awesome is that you not only get one issue of our 3191 Quarterly FREE when you subscribe but you also get this special 3191Q Notebook. We love that this year we can give you more 3191 for less money! It’s our way of saying THANK YOU, thank you, thank you. Order your 2012/2013 Quarterly Subscription and get your FREE Notebook right here. xo

We are so excited to announce that subscriptions are now open for the 2012/2013 year of 3191 Quarterly! We are proud to be able to bring you a bigger and better issue this year at a lower price! We continue to be committed to printing our issue ad-free on recycled paper in the USA. Subscribers get one book free, are mailed their books in advance of their release online, and will receive a gift of the 3191Q Notebook. It is a tremendous opportunity and only available for a limited time. It’s going to be a great year!

We began 3191 Quarterly rather modestly two years ago. We were looking for a way to further explore our connection, our photography and our outlook on life. We wanted to tell stories that could be experienced beyond the blogging format. After our amazing experience of sharing A Year of Mornings and Evenings in book form, we wanted to put something in your hands again. We produced our first year of 3191Q simply bound in limited quantities

That first year, we developed our story-telling style and brought you along on “field trips” close to and far from our homes.

We presented our first projects with a focus natural materials, usefulness, and great design.

In our second year, we took a deep breath and made significant changes to the heft and quality of 3191Q. We changed to a perfect-binding with more pages, improved printing quality, and added a glossy seasonal insert in every issue. While we knew we wanted to keep things fresh and exciting for our readers, we also knew there was so much we didn’t want to change. We wanted to stay true to the 3191 spirit. We continued to produce all the content and photography ourselves with a focus on our everyday lives, our homes, our travels, and our communities.

Our recipes are our own tried and true favorites. Simple, flavorful, and wholesome.

Last year’s design changes allowed us  to focus on giving you a volume full of visual inspiration, and we wanted to take that even further for this coming year. The 2012/2013 subscription year will feature issues that are both larger and longer, but, once again, we are keeping our unique 3191 perspective. We are excited to bring you another year of storytelling, exciting projects, delicious recipes, inspiration and advice. There is no other publication quite like 3191 Quarterly, and we are so grateful to those of you that want to share in the unique experience as subscribers.

Thank you everyone for your amazing support!

SPECS:
3191 Quarterly 2012 / 2013
Issues No. 9–12
7-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches, color offset
72 pages + cover, perfect bound
printed in small edition in the USA

SUBSCRIBE:
3191 Quarterly Issues No. 9–12
Four Book Subscription Limited Offer!
Get one book free when you subscribe.
And while supplies last get free a copy of 3191Q Notebook too!
$89 including US Shipping
$99 including CANADA Shipping
$129 including INTERNATIONAL Shipping

NOTES
• Subscription includes Issue No. 9–12.
• Books deliver in mid-November, 2012 + mid-February, 2013 + mid-May, 2013 + mid-August, 2013.
• Subscription prices include shipping (per issue shipping cost: $6 US / $8 CAN / $14 INT).

Some photographs from my second week away from home. We’ll be back with regular posts next week and with our 2012/2013 subscription offer for 3191 Quarterly. See you then!

Another week in photos. Busy, busy working on some fun things, but what I am really excited about is our 3191 Quarterly subscription offer that releases next week. We have some great changes in store—we’re talking bigger, better and more economical. So thrilled to start the 2012/2013 year of 3191Q!

Some photographs from my week away from home. Love how the colors go together. A total surprise to me!

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Things may be a bit quiet here this week and next as we prepare to open our subscriptions to next year’s issues of 3191 Quarterly on October 5th. We have some fun 3191Q surprises for you alongside the subscriptions offer (can anyone say more pages?!) so we’ll tell you about that in 2 weeks. Cheers, all!

Some snapshots from my week. It’s been a busy one.

Things are falling :: Noticing patterns :: The cutest mini-pears :: Time to light the glow bowls :: Hot infused water :: Cool enough for my Turtleneck No. 2 (You are going to want one of these for the fall/winter. They’re almost gone! The most beautiful organic merino wool. Of note, I am 6 feet tall and am wearing a size 2).

A handful of days ago Miles, my oldest nephew, and I were making a fort.

We gathered our blankets and a few pillows. We used one heavy rock to extend our fort from the couch to a chair. The build out was quite impressive if I do say so myself. Miles really had a plan so I have to give all the credit to him.

The one thing we were not sure about was … how do we get in?

We walked the perimeter …

… and tried out a few options.

Until we found it!

And inside the fort we found Scotch the cat! He had already found his way in and was busy taking a nap.

We played in our fort until it was time to move onto the next adventure. It was a good day.

This week, in my home, we find ourselves stumbling around a bit, trying to adjust to our autumn routine while still feeling the pull of summer. Early mornings, homework, lunches to pack, full days of work for me—we are not quite in step with the next season yet, but we are trying.

The end of summer is a stunning time in the Northwest. Chilly mornings and hot afternoons. A bounty of fresh produce. Crazy-beautiful golden light. The days are still long enough for an after-dinner walk, and it was on our way home from an evening trip to the library that we came across an offering of free zucchini from a neighbor’s garden. We took just one because it was the size of a small infant and our arms were already full of books.

I find that these overgrown squash are best in baked goods. I shredded ours in the processor (I compost the inner core of seeds) and had enough to freeze for future baked goods. Lacking the ingredients for MAV’s yummy bread, I made my own fall-back recipe. Mine is more of a treat, full of butter and sugar (though still using some whole grain flour). I have always added lemon zest, but this time I threw in some candied ginger as well, and we loved the result.

Lemon Ginger Zucchini Bread

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger (we buy ours at Trader Joe’s—crystallized ginger would work here too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a large loaf pan (9″ x 5″).

Place grated zucchini in a towel and wring out as much moisture as you can. Cream butter and brown sugar in a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, mix to combine, then add zucchini.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda and powder, salt and cinnamon. Toss in candied ginger and lemon zest, making sure the pieces of ginger are coated with flour and don’t stick together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just to combine. Fill your prepared pan with the batter. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out cleanly and loaf is nicely browned. I store our bread at room temperature or slice and freeze for lunch-ready treats.

This past weekend I had a friendly, lively discussion with some loved ones about books. The agreement to disagree revolved around the question of whether books and libraries will some day become extinct in light of new digital technology. Just writing those words makes my stomach sick so you can see what side I came down on during the discussion. We talked about electronic readers and whether we dig them or not; we talked about what we love about books; we talked about how we feel about our neighborhood libraries.

Talking about books always takes my thoughts to my mom and my dad. As you may already know, I grew up with a librarian (my dad) and an educator (my mom). As young children, if we were not at the library after school, we were hanging around my mom’s office in the high school wandering the halls or finding a desk somewhere to do homework. My brother and I grew up in a home with two dedicated working parents who not only deeply respected books and words but surrounded themselves with people who talked about books, not to mention book-inspired topics such as politics, film, religion or theatre. We grew up knowing that inspiration and information, and therefore wisdom, was found in books. We were encouraged to cultivate a special relationship with our books and to take great care of them. (I still remember how my brother couldn’t stand when the spine of his books were broken by his little sis; he would have a fit!) I can’t remember a holiday when my dad has not given books as gifts (with his standard all-caps inscription in the front) or a summer where my mom has not sat in her chair in the backyard reading. We are bonded to books and cannot see a world where they do not exist in the printed form. I thank my parents for this great gift and wanted to take a moment to honor them today, and always, for my love of books.

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In keeping with this theme, I thought I would mention a few of my favorite books of the summer. They are not new books, per se, but rather ones that have moved from my shelves to my bedside table where they spent the summer keeping me company. Thanks for taking a look and as ever, I would love to hear your favorites (email: mav{at}3191milesapart.com).

Evening by Susan Minot — I read this novel every summer.

Miffy At The Gallery by Dick Bruna– My nephews and I love the Miffy series.

The Morran Book Project curated by Camilla Engman — I really miss Morran; she is a very special dog.

Paper Foods by Yuko Yamamoto — Yuko has been a huge inspiration to me for some time. I was tickled to meet her in 2009.

Drawings From The Film Beginners by Mike Mills — This is one of my favorite films of all time so the book was a must.

Printing By Hand by Lena Corwin — I have been pouring over this book in the last months. Can’t tell you entirely why yet (you know how I love secrets) but can say that as always I am inspired by Lena’s creative energy!

I truly love to create projects for this space and for 3191 Quarterly. A great deal of thought and planning goes into creating and refining projects to the point that I feel they are both appealing and attainable by even a novice crafter. After all the testing and creating and writing and photographing, it is a real thrill to have people respond well and make the projects. I always feel that things have finally come full circle when I start to see the projects made by others, so I was super excited to see our east coast team’s weavings a couple weeks ago. The best part for me was to see the ways in which everyone put their own little spin on the instructions (full instructions can be found in 3191Q Issue No. 8). I felt newly inspired to head to my yard and bring in some trimmings from the lilac and laurel bushes.

I loved how Evan worked her branch into an oval shape, and I decided to give it a try. As an experiment, I left some of the foliage on the branch and will watch and see how this one changes as it hangs on my studio wall.

The chevron pattern that Chloe created was just fabulous. I had been wanting to make a mini-weaving with embroidery floss, and this pattern suited it perfectly. This one went to my daughter as it features her favorite (of the moment) bright coral color.

A Special Invitation:

MAV and I love the community that has grown around our 3191 projects over the years. It is incredibly heartwarming to have the support of the folks that have been following us since A Year of Mornings while at the same time to be making friends with so many new folks who are just discovering us. We couldn’t do this without you all, and we have been trying to think of ways that we can include you at 3191 Miles Apart. We decided to create a space on this site where we can share your 3191-inspired work. We would love to share photos of the projects and recipes you’ve made from 3191 Miles Apart or 3191Q. Perhaps you’ve been inspired by our collaboration in some other way? Please share. We can link back to your own site or blog, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, that’s okay too. Send your photos (or links) to photos {at} 3191milesapart.com, and we will assemble them into an album for everyone to share. Please don’t be shy! We can’t wait to hear from you.

3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 8 is our final issue in the 2011/2012 season/subscription. When I look at its pages I can really see where we’ve been and where we’re going. I hope you can see it too! We are excited for our next year of issues (limited subscriptions open on October 5, 2012) but I am enjoying sitting with Q8 for these coming weeks. You already know how I feel about Steph’s Branch Weaving project so today I wanted to show you a few outtakes from some of my Q8 pieces.

Up top: Film photograph outtake from Deep Spring. There is SCB, my oldest nephew, Miles, and myself sitting outside on a chilly May evening. It seems like ages since you were here, SCB. When will you come again?

Two up top: Film photographs from my piece about traveling to Colorado. The Clyfford Still Museum in Denver. Oh my gosh, I am still thinking about this museum. It’s incredible. I would go back in a heartbeat. I’m trying to figure out a way I can get back to Colorado asap!

Two up top: Film photographs from At Home. Miles in the morning after a sleepover (with his favorite cat: Scotch) and me holding the bottom of a lettuce. It was so pretty that I couldn’t get over it. Look at that pale pink!

Two up top: Photographs from a piece I did on our Leaf Collection. Miles and I had such a great time leaf collecting. We are going to have to do another collection this autumn. I’ll keep you posted.

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3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 8 will be on sale for a few months or until the issues sell out. A special thank you to those who subscribed to this past year of issues. YOU make our beloved Quarterly possible and we are very grateful. If you want to tell us what you thought of your subscription to Q5–Q8 please do email us at hello(at)3191milesapart.com. Look for new limited subscriptions to open on October 5, 2012 with lots of new surprises added into the fun!

I can’t quite believe that we have reached the end of August. Summer is not over, but, in our household, the ease and liberty of summer ends this week as we get back to school and work schedules.

September is not such a bad place to be—caught somewhere between nostalgia for summer and longing for autumn. It has been a great summer, not without its challenges and hardships, but exciting and beautiful and memorable, nonetheless.

We have fit in most of our favorite things. We have picked pretty much every type of berry. We have camped and hiked and swam in rivers and rocked in our hammocks. We spent hours on the road listening to Radiolab. We saw extended family and made babies giggle. We walked and biked our neighborhood. We slept in. We put fresh herbs in everything. We visited museums and saw amazing sights. We went to a movie in the park. We made smoothies and popsicles and called them a meal. We grilled dinner enough that we depleted our propane tank. Some of us grew a few inches. I shot rolls and rolls of film (a few shots of which I am sharing today).

While I am not ready for summer to end, I am ready for what is next. MAV and I have so much more to share with you. You may have noticed that A Year of Sundays came quietly to an end earlier this month. We have a new project up our sleeves which we will be starting soon. It is called A Year of Moments and will feel, I think, both startling new and totally familiar to those of you that have been following our projects all these years, stay tuned.

This is my Beauty & Use Collection II.

I’m sort of speechless after the last few months of preparation for this second Collection. I am enjoying this project beyond words. These tops are all dream tops to me … cozy yet sexy, roomy yet refined, simple yet not boring (at least I hope they are not boring!). I guess I just really love these tops and I hope you do too.

Beyond that our shop is stocked with a new issue of Quarterly, new prints (Mornings, Evenings and Sundays) and a whole new Found Collection. Thank you for supporting 3191 Miles Apart. We do indeed love what we do and we hope it shows.

p.s. See some film photographs of my new collection here and here on the More & Co. blog. Special thanks to RTS for those!! I love them so much and there are more to come. Keep your eye on More & Co. Notes.

It’s here! 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 8 is in the shop now!

I am going to let you in on a little behind-the-scenes secret. MAV and I really debated about the Issue No. 8 cover. Sometimes, an image speaks to us immediately, sometimes we have to do a little searching. You may have noticed that all our covers include a human element. I hope this reflects that this is not a publication solely about food or interiors or travel or crafts or pretty things, but instead a publication about personal stories and experiences—our own personal stories and experiences. I hope this sets us apart, and I hope it is meaningful to those of you who buy 3191Q.

I feel that the cover photo we chose is absolutely perfect (it is one of MAV’s) as we ready ourselves to take the step from summer to autumn and into our next year of 3191 Quarterly (subscriptions for the new year will be made available in the coming months, sign up on our mailing list to be the first to know).

Issue No. 8 continues with our At Home series—a peek into our surrounding along with thoughts on our lives at home.

Another recurring feature is our seasonal gallery. This time, Deep Spring. (That’s a photo of my treasured Beauty & Use smock. MAV has new smocks in the shop today!)

I love the effortless and simple way that MAV approaches entertaining (it is such a pleasure to sit at her table), and her story on a simple and fresh dinner party is inspiring.

I offer a trio of recipes using seeds—tasty nutritional powerhouses.

Perhaps my favorite story I worked on for Issue No. 8 is the branch weaving piece (MAV shared about it last week). You can get a peek on the back cover, but there’s full instructions inside. I hope folks have fun making these!

::

Summer is a really intensive family time for me, so I was not able to offer a handmade collection this time (I will be back with a new collection in the fall), but I am so excited about the Found Collection II. MAV and I have been looking and high and low, and we have even more amazing finds this time around. Many of them were hard for us to part with—better grab them quick before we change our minds!

Thank you so much for all your tremendous support and interest!

ps: Thank you to MAV for the photos of Issue No. 8 on my favorite blue table as I was having technical difficulties!

I have been so excited to try the Stephanie’s Branch Weaving project from the new issue of 3191 Quarterly (note: 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 8 releases in our shop in one week; subscribers should have theirs already or in the coming week or so) and finally got the chance this week. It was so fun and I love the results! Above you can see the very first one I made. I’m going to make a new one this weekend and will show you that soon.

I love working on things like this in a group. So Evan, our beloved creative assistant here at 3191, and Chloe, our beloved creative assistant at More & Co., and I sat down with our branches (from the beach) and some yarn and got to work!

Evan’s is still “in work” as she had to dash. I can’t wait to see what she’ll add in next and I love this rounded branch style.

I decided to keep mine lose with an organic look/feel. It was my first one so there were some little inconsistencies (as always when you’re learning) so the lose nature helps to hide those as well. I think this one will be going to my oldest nephew, Miles, for his 4th birthday which is coming up very soon. He can use it as a “flag” or as a “wand” … I can just see him marching around with it as the band leader!

And Chloe wove hers tight with a beautiful pattern. It’s so special!

I don’t think I say it here enough but I wanted to take a moment to thank Stephanie for her hard work, creativity and her inspiration. She gives us all so much! I can’t wait for you to get your hands on your issues of Q8 so you too can play with her Branch Weaving project. As ever we’d love to see what you make. Email us your creations at hello(at)3191milesapart(dot)com.

We spent all of last week away from home. First, a road trip to pick up my daughter who has been staying with her aunts in San Francisco, then five days of camping in Northern California and Central Oregon. It was fantastic. We came home happy and relaxed (if a bit dirty and sunburnt).

Tired of camping food, (I am a lazy and unimaginative camp cook), I was excited to get back in the kitchen, but we are having a rare heat wave here. It’s HOT in a way our Northwest home and kitchen is not set up to handle. I didn’t even want to stand over the grill in the yard.

Salad rolls were the answer. We made them in the morning, so that in the end of the day heat, all we had to do was pull them out of the fridge and mix a cocktail. If you have not worked with the paper-thin rice wrappers before, they can be a little frustrating. Take your time and you will get the hang of it.

Our Salad Rolls

Rice spring roll wrappers

Rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in boiling water until soft (3-5 minutes), then drained and rinsed with cool water

Filling options (pick and choose to suit your own tastes):

Baked tofu, cut in strips

Prawns, halved

Shredded lettuce or cabbage

Carrot (in strips or grated)

Cucumber strips

Green onion, sliced lengthwise

Steamed and cooled asparagus

Bean sprouts

Micro-greens or pea shoots

Ground peanuts

Fresh herbs (mint, basil, cilantro)

Instructions:

Prep and gather all your ingredients. Wet a clean dish towel and lay it out on your work surface. Fill a shallow container that is large enough to fit a sheet of the rice wrapper with hot water (a cake pan works great).

Dip the rice wrapper in the water and swirl just to soften a bit. Gently lay it flat on the wet towel. Place a few tablespoons of the noodles on the bottom third of the wrapper then add the rest of your fillings. As you are learning to work with the rice wrapper, less filling is easier to work with than an overfilled roll. Fold in the bottom portion of the wrapper around the filling followed by the sides, as you would a burrito. Gently roll up, tucking the fillings inside as you go. This may take some practice. The rice wrapper may tear—take a deep breath and start again. We like to tuck a basil or mint leaf in the last portion of the wrapper before we roll it up.. Eat immediately or chill in the fridge covered with a damp towel. Serve with peanut sauce or hoisin sauce thinned with a bit of water.

Above: Charlie this morning

By now you all know Charlie, right? Well, somewhere in these weeks of late August/early September he is turning 10 years old. Charlie and I have lived together since he was just about 10 weeks old. I thought I would take a minute to dedicate a dispatch to this cat and all that he means to our friends and family.

Charlie was born on the streets of Chicago. Ever since the first day I met him, he has been an anxious cat. He is never quite comfortable or settled, always rigid in his body and very tense. He does not relax. Someone said it best to me when they said, “Charlie’s dream life is a completely quiet house, with no one coming or going ever, and just the two of you living together in peace.” And it’s true. Charlie wouldn’t know what to do without me.

His schedule is fixed. Up at 6 a.m. Eat. Clean. Sleep. Up at Noon to look around for me. Find me. Annoy me for 30 minutes. Then back to sleep until 4 p.m. when he starts looking for dinner. Annoy us. (His meow is unmatched. So loud. Like a baby’s cry, really.) Eat dinner. Clean. Sleep. Up at 8 p.m. looking for his nightly treat. Treat. Clean. Bed. He rotates where he sleeps between either our bed or off somewhere by himself. Wherever it is he’s wrapped up in a tight ball. Charlie never lounges or sleeps in a laid back fashion. He would never be caught in a haphazard stance whether sitting, laying down or walking. He’s precise.

Charlie is the cleanest cat we have ever known. Never a hair out of place! He gives himself several baths each day and after being picked up, even cleans the spot where you might have touched him. He’s very fit and does just enough daily exercise to keep it that way. He’s very strong. Most people can’t believe he is 10 years old. Sometimes I can’t either … except I have started to see him slow down just a bit this year. Our Charlie is getting older.

Charlie can be downright nasty. He’s a punk. He goes out of his way to swipe his paw at the kids when they come over to play (they, on the whole, don’t like Charlie at all) and he jumps on us rudely while we are trying to sleep. He punches people in the face if they pick him up and he’s not feeling it. I always say that he understands English. He knows when we are going to leave town, he knows when we are going to leave the house, he understands everything. I’ve had many a time where I might be crying and he’ll come to me to check on me. He will not cuddle (he rarely does) but will sit just near me letting me know he’s there by crying out loud too. He’s a very sensitive cat.

Charlie and Scotch have a true brotherly relationship, laying together one minute and fighting the next. They clean each other, well really it’s Charlie allowing Scotch to clean him, and run the length of the house together like wild cats. I can’t even let my mind wander to the idea that I might outlive Charlie. I love him so, so much. I always say, “he’ll live forever and drive us crazy every day.” Gosh I hope that’s true. Happy Birthday, Charlie!

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Don’t miss the last week to get a few items in our shop. My last two tops, our prints (new ones go up August 24, 2012) and we even found a few issues of Q6 on the shelves. Next Friday we’re clearing the shop of these items … need to make room for new stuff! The new issues of Quarterly go out to subscribers on Monday/Tuesday!

It’s hard to believe it’s August, and it’s hard to believe it is nearly time to share 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 8 with you! It has been an amazing year of growth and change for MAV and me, and we are proud to be finishing out our subscription cycle. Subscribers will start to receive Issue No. 8 next week, and the official release in our shop will be on August 24th (along with new MAV and Found Collections. I will be back with a new personal collection in the fall.)

This week I am sharing some outtakes from just a few of the stories to which I contributed in Issue No 8. I feel as though this issue is full of life and adventure. I had a great time working on it.

I learned to weave on forked tree branches as a child and have been wanting to share this project with you for some time. A willing tree and some yarn are all you really need to make your own.

Seeds—not just for the birds! I share a few of my favorite recipes using seeds including the Chili Lime Pepitas seen above.

Join me on a day trip out east where the landscape changes dramatically, and you can visit Stonehenge!

Our recurring feature, At Home, shares quiet moments and thoughts from around our houses.

We started the year with Deep Summer and now we have made our way to Deep Spring—our glossy gallery insert reflecting on the past season in film, always a favorite part of 3191Q for me.

::

As we get ready to launch the new collections, this week (August 10-17) will be your last chance to grab the few items left from our first collections—this includes the prints and the few tops MAV has left. My daughter already has Crop No. 2. or I’d be getting it for myself to wear layered over a long tee in the fall. So excited to share new things with you in a few weeks!

Make this bread now.

You will LOVE it.

That’s all I am going to say.

Except this: let me know what you think — mav(at)3191milesapart.com.

Carrot & Zucchini Bread
makes one loaf (and is easily doubled)

1 C spelt flour
1 C all purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1-1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 C natural sugar
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C pure maple syrup
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
3 C grated carrots & zucchini

Preheat to 325°F/170°C. Butter a loaf pan or square cake pan and set it aside. Prepare zucchini by grating it (in your food processor if you have one) and piling it all onto a towel to roll and wring out some of the excess water. Once the zucchini is dryer (might need two good wrings) put it into a bowl with your grated carrots. Set that aside. Combine well all dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg) in a bowl and set aside. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment beat sugar, oil and maple syrup until well combined (about 2 minutes). Add applesauce and beat for another minute. Add eggs and beat until well combined (about 2 minutes). Add dry ingredients into wet and mix very slowly until just combined. Fold in the carrots and zucchini gently. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50–60 minutes or until the sides of the bread have completely pulled away from the pan. Note – Be mindful with your baking time. This is a very moist cake and you don’t want to under-bake it accidentally. A knife should come out clean of crumbs and the sides of the cake should be pulling away all the way around the pan. Let your bread cool for at least a half-hour before slicing. Try not to eat the whole loaf in one sitting!

Recently, someone brought up the list of after school snacks in 3191Q Issue No. 7 and asked about the homemade tortilla chips I mentioned, so I thought I’d share how we make them here. They are really quite simple to make and both much healthier and more economical than the deep-fried varieties. Plus, with tomatoes and peppers ripening, it’s salsa time!

You can make just a few chips or enough for a fiesta. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Gather as many corn tortillas as you’d like. Brush each tortilla with oil  (I use olive oil) on both sides to cover then stack and cut them in wedges as you would a pie.

Spread the wedges out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. It is important that they are not crowded or overlapping. Squeeze a generous amount of lime over the top and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crisp. I find these chips don’t store particularly well, so we make them in small batches.

On a hot summer night, chips and salsa counts as dinner, right?

When I think of last summer I can’t help but think about food. I made a lot of good food last summer! This summer has seemed somehow busier and I have not been in the kitchen as much … but of course there are still weeks to go, thankfully. Maybe I can make up for it.

Since we are taking a few days to remember Quarterly, Issue No. 5 (please don’t forget that the last single issues are in the shop for $20 through Monday morning) I thought it would be nice to remember and share some of last summer’s favorite recipes.

Tomatoes last summer were particularly tasty. Sometimes for lunch I would take tomato wedges, some pieces of basil ripped up and big chucks of goat’s milk feta (all from our farmer’s market) and mix it all together in a bowl. I would add good olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I might also add toasted sunflower seeds sprinkled on top at the end or chunk of cucumber if I had them. I’m not sure if you know but feta is a good source of protein. When I knew I was going to have a big dinner this was always a nice, fresh lunch option for me. Those green tomatoes up there were always my favorite! Looking for more this weekend at the market.

Early last summer I had a small love affair with strawberries (same this happened this year). I got really into making fresh strawberry scones. I started with Molly’s recipe, which I love, and adjusted it a bit to fit my preferences. Here is what I did:

Fresh Strawberry Scones
makes about 8–12 depending on size

1 cup spelt flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 T natural sugar
3/4 tsp salt
5 T unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1/2 C whole milk
1 egg
1-1/2 to 2 C strawberries, cut into small chunks or slices

Preheat oven to 425ºF/220ºC. Prepare one or two baking sheets with a layer of parchment paper. Mix together all dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, salt, sugar) in large bowl. Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients using two knives or your fingers; mixture should resemble course meal. In a small bowl mix milk and egg, beat well. Pour wet into dry and bring together with as few strokes as possible. Turn dough out onto counter and knead a couple times (if you need a little more milk you can add it here but dough should be on the dry side). Pat dough into a 1-inch thick round. Cut into 8 or 12 triangular wedges. Cut each of those wedges in half down the middle horizontally layering a small finger-full of strawberries in between the two pieces of dough and then putting them back together like a sandwich. Use your fingers to pinch the ends together. You’ll see strawberries and their juices busting out the sides but that is okay. They are meant to feel/look like little pockets, almost like pita, in the end. Another way to handle them is to slice each of your 8–12 wedges like a pita and place the strawberries inside. I have found both work well. Just take your time. Place them on the baking sheets a few inches apart from each other (they will spread out). Bake for 12–15 minutes or until golden. Let them cool before eating alone or with good yogurt on the side.

One of the easiest things to make in the summer is crostini. Friends coming over last minute: crostini. Heading to a BBQ: crostini. Too hot to make dinner: crostini. For me it’s stale or fresh baguette sliced up, brushed with butter or olive oil and salted, toasted and then decorated in some way. These had fresh ricotta (again, another good source of protein) and herbs. We also drizzled olive oil on them again once they were put together. Other favorite crostini include: pesto with fresh tomato, goat cheese with honey, salami with sharp cheddar or something sweeter like smashed raspberries with a drop of maple syrup. I’m glad there is still time for me to get my crostini on this summer!

And while on the topic of easy, I made a lot of pizzas last summer. I bought pre-made doughs and threw on mixtures of whatever I had. One of my favorites was started here: olive oil, radicchio, fresh tomato, garlic, mozzarella, parmesan and herbs. I bought little pizza stones last summer so that helps things. Dust those with a little cornmeal (and the bottom of your pizza) and slide it into the oven. I bake at 425ºF/220ºC until done. I’d like to say that I’ll be trying to make my own pizza dough this summer but to be perfectly honest, I don’t think I’ll have the time. Instead I’ll just keep a few prepared doughs (made here in Portland) on hand as usual. If there’s one thing I know about summer in Maine it’s that it’s damn busy! I’m trying my best to just keep up. Hopefully this dispatch about food will get my juices flowing again. I’ll keep you posted!

Well, I did it. I canned my own pickles.

Last summer, I joined my friend Melissa as she made her famous spicy pickles, and documented the experience in 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 5. This summer, I decided to try it all on my own. Melissa was over to my house the morning before I made the pickles, and I had to keep myself from begging her to stay and hold my hand through the process, but I soldiered on.  Armed with her recipe in Issue No. 5, I rolled up my sleeves, pulled out my jars, stocked my supplies, and set to work.

I followed the recipe as written, save for the fact that I used dried whole chilies instead of the crushed red pepper.

A few things I learned in my first solo pickling and canning experience:

• You will need time and a clean space in which to work. Allow for 3-4 hours. Take your time to clear space, wash and prep the ingredients, etc. Sterilizing all the jars alone is quite time consuming.

• Borrow or buy all the equipment you need. As is my tendency, I tried to make do with things on hand. I could have really used a proper canning pot. One for sterilizing and one for processing would have been ideal. It wasn’t until I went to lift my first jar out that I realized I didn’t have a jar lifter. I made it work with kitchen tongs, but there was a lot of swearing and scalding water splashing involved.

• Have plenty of ice on hand for chilling the cukes (what I had in my freezer was not enough). A big bag from the grocery is best.

• Work in small batches and develop a system for getting each jar processed safely. It helped me to have a succinct list of what happens to each jar to follow as it is easy to forget to add the dill to the top or to wipe the rim.

The jars are now tucked away in our pantry (every one sealed properly!), and I am so excited to try them in a few weeks!

There are just a few days left of the sale on 3191Q Issue No. 5 and a limited number of copies, so if you don’t have this issue, now is the time! Happy summer.

PLEASE NOTE: I have updated my Portland Favorites list. Find the 2013 list here.

Above: Bistro Jacqueline

Above: Rabelais

Above: Crescent Beach

Above: Two Lights State Park

This has been the week of the popsicle at our house, and, as we do not seem to be slowing down our production, it might just become the summer of the popsicle.

Last weekend, my daughter and I came across an image (I have already lost track of where!) of a deep freeze filled with all kinds of popsicles. We were inspired.

We set out to fill our freezer. The thing is, the popsicles kept disappearing—taken by all the small hands that are in and out of our house. So, while we were not able to create the popsicle arsenal we imagined, we did get to sample an impressive array. Because we’ve also been doing a lot of berry-picking, we’ve been able to make everything with ingredients we had on hand. We’ve made:

Grapefruit Strawberry Ginger

Lemonade Marionberry

Raspberry Yogurt (similar method to these)

Watermelon Mint Lime

Lime Mint (with whole mint leaves)

Yogurt Fudgesicles (the recipe is in Issue No. 1 of 3191Q)

Lemonade Blueberry

That’s a lot of popsicle sticks!

Our last batch was Marionberry Yogurt which we based off this recipe (we use less sugar).

Yogurt and berries—a perfectly acceptable breakfast.

Next on the agenda? Creamsicles and something made with coffee. We are so not done yet.

Our popsicle mold is this one. Nothing fancy, in fact, it can be kind of aggravating to get the popsicles out.

None of my mugs match and, well, I guess I like it that way. I notice that I choose certain mugs for coffee in the morning based on my mood (or my desired mood) and I love having that variety built into my life.

Since we are celebrating our little Mug Collection today (check it out right here) I thought I’d share my favorite thrifted mix ‘n match mugs these days …

A heart mug for the guy who has my heart.

Two little birds. This one makes me smile every time!

This is the tiniest little transferware mug. Perfect for strong coffee!

So sad about this one breaking but I still use it. Can’t even remember where I found it but it’s an absolute fave.

I tend to use this on rainy days. These drops are so cheerful.

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Build or enhance your own mug collection by taking home one of our favorite finds. Check out our summer Mug Collection right here. And while you’re in our shop don’t miss the last single copies of 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 5. We have just priced them at $20 for a limited time. Thank you for looking and for supporting 3191 Miles Apart!

I know I’ve shown you my mug shelf before—like MAV’s mugs, all are different and all were found or gifted to me.

When I look for mugs for my own home, I am attracted to neutral, earthy colors with shots of blue. I always flip them over to see how their underside adds to their story. Some markings add value, some just add mystery.

There are those in my family who have a favored mug that they reach for every time.

I like to spread the love, making sure all the mugs see a little use.

Not to mention, I am a serial mug-abandoner—leaving them behind high on shelves, sills, and back steps, temporarily lost and necessitating a fresh mug. Luckily, there are plenty from which to choose.

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Today, we’d like to invite you to replenish your own mug shelf with our Mug Collection in our shop. We had a great time finding these gems. I had a really hard time parting with quite a few of them!!

We are also offering 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 5 for just $20! It’s a great summertime issue with features on pickles, blackberries, picnics, the beach and so much more. While supplies last.

Cheers!

Hi everyone! While it was nice to be “away” I missed our little space here at 3191 Miles Apart. Glad to be back home!

I thought I’d give you a little tour of what my summer has looked like so far. For me the summer truly starts on the solstice (this year it was June 20th), and this year has been no exception, so I really feel like things are just beginning. It’s a nice feeling.

I have (seen up top here with my oldest nephew, Miles, and my sweetie) spent a good deal of time barefoot. This is a necessity for me in the summer.

I’ve worked through some creative ideas. I spent a week making drawing after drawing of lines in various colors and in various lengths. Then the concept morphed into painting and things became a bit more free. You can see a few of my painting playings here. Still feeling very much into lines. Not sure what that’s about?!

I ate a ton of strawberries (even got a little rash on my tummy as per usual but didn’t bother me in the least) and now the Maine strawberry season is already over. Sob!

I’ve seen a couple of rainbows but this one was by far the most amazing. It was wide and round and we could see the entire color spectrum. There is something about a rainbow that really turns me into a kid again. I am still in awe of them.

I’ve enjoyed a few cocktails but am feeling more into chilled red wine this summer. I am trying hard not to overdo it on rosé because lately I get headaches the morning after (ugh). This here is a homemade negroni and I only had a sip but it was delicious.

And most of all I have done a lot of wandering. I’ve walked and walked on paths of grass, sat on docks, swam in the ocean, put my feet in the sand. I’ve stopped at barn sales by the side of the road and sat on a picnic table watching the moon. My schedule has not slowed down as much as I’d like it to (still working pretty much 7 days a week) but I have tried to make a bit of time every day for summer. There is so much more to be had! I am happy to be back here so I can share it all with you.

In the coming weeks you can look for a surprise in our shop on July 13th, a much needed update to my Portland Guide for those of you who might be making a trip to Maine this summer, sneak previews of our 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 8 and plenty more summer fun. Thanks for being here.

Hello again!

I hope you have been enjoying summertime. Here in the Northwest, we are just hitting our stride with summer, and it feels so good. I have been busy with work and family, but I am getting into my summer groove and finding new routines. I am loving the long days (especially the sunlit mornings!)

We took the plants outside for their own little summer vacation.

And brought what is blooming outside indoors to enjoy.

We have also been making quite a bit of lemonade. I actually make this lemonade all year long. It is one of the staples of my fridge (we drink it warmed in the wintertime). It can actually look quite identical to another of my fridge mainstays, homemade chicken broth, resulting in some culinary mishaps (I store both in large Mason jars). You do not want to mix up the two.

I have been making honey lemonade since I was a kid and found a recipe for it in my Winnie-the-Pooh cookbook. Fresh lemons are best, but I have used a good quality bottled juice as well with great results.

Honey Lemonade

1/2 cup good quality local honey

1 cup water

3/4 – 1 cup lemon juice

3 cups water

Heat the honey and 1 cup water in a saucepan until honey dissolves. Mix the dissolved honey and lemon juice in a pitcher or storage jar. Add additional 3 cups water and chill, or, if serving immediately, add 2 cups water and fill with ice.

Uses for honey lemonade:

Add frozen berries or fresh herbs

Mix with strong black iced tea

Add to smoothies

Freeze into popsicles (a few berries floating around is great)

Mix with beer for a shandy

Make a cocktail with bourbon and mint sprigs

Heat with a chunk of ginger to soothe a sore throat or cough (optional, add whiskey to make a hot toddy)

Do not attempt to make chicken soup with your honey lemonade

Check back next week. We’ll have a surprise for you over at by3191!

Well, summer is here. To say that I am thrilled would be an understatement. Summer, I’ve been waiting for you for a while now. Welcome!

The items in my summer essentials bag are pretty much the same as last year and I have added in these items as well (and gotten a larger bag!):

+ chapstick
+ light scarf
+ lamy fountain pen
+ small empty zipper pouch for treasures my nephew and I find
+ Crop No. 2 (the perfect summer layering item if I do say so myself)
+ set of Tombow markers + set of Stabilo pencils (I make a lot of art in the summer)

I’m planning to make my favorite cobbler, my summer pancakes and my fresh strawberry scones (I’m still perfecting this recipe but will share it when I get back!). And then there’s my new favorite: fruit smoothies. We’ll be sharing some of our recipes in the next issue of 3191 Quarterly. Stay tuned! I’ll be drinking Steph’s cold brew and my On-And-On cocktail making big batches of my pesto to serve with pasta and fish.

Oh and let’s not forget about salads! Everything here was from the farmers market (with the exception of avocados). I go to our market twice a week and eat, almost exclusively, the foods I can buy there. Summer’s bounty, yes yes yes!

I’ll be making at least one summer trip to New York (love the pace of the city in the heat) for cocktails and wanderings and I’ll be heading to the cottage in Cushing (see my photographs in Q5) for a few weeks.

I plan to swim, head out to the islands, drive up Chase’s as much as possible and wear a handkerchief on chillier evenings.

And I’ll be doing a lot of porch-sitting. S i g h … so good.

My Must-Have Must-Do  Must Feel LIST is very much the same. Summer is something special; it’s a feeling and a lifestyle that is unmatched. We are off to enjoy it. All of these photographs were from last summer (all represented on my summer blog with our More & Co. assistant Chloe) and when I get back I’ll share some photographs from this summer thus far.

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Please note: We are on holiday until July 6, 2012. Our shop is open during these weeks but we will be taking some time off from this space. See you back here in a few weeks with some fun surprises!

We have just returned from our first (short) summer adventure at the coast, and it’s on. Summer is on.

Technically, the solstice isn’t until Thursday. I’ll be having my celebratory gin and tonic that night for sure.

All signs are pointing to summer. Strawberries are ripe for the picking. I’ll be making my dad his favorite strawberry shortcake for Father’s Day. Then, we’ll be awaiting the arrival of all the other berries and summer fruits. Crisps, popsicles and smoothies in mason jars will be made daily.

At home, I’ll be switching to cold brew, hanging my laundry on the line, serving salad for dinner, and maybe engaging in the occasional water balloon fight.

A batch of fire starters needs to be made. We have plans to head back to the beach, the mountains, and the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Time to hang the hammock.

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Please note: We are on holiday until July 6, 2012. Our shop is open during these weeks but we will be taking some time off from this space. See you back here in a few weeks with some fun surprises!

Stephanie has mentioned the book Good To The Grain in this space before. I am a huge fan as well. My copy has flour dusted onto most pages and eggs smeared so that some stick together. It’s well-worn and I do love it so. I don’t stock most of Kim’s recommended flours on your regular old day but I do always have spelt flour. I love the taste and in most recipes I swap in at least 1/2 cup spelt  for some of the all-purpose.

This Olive Oil Cake, on page 172 in the book, has become a staple in my kitchen. I swear to you that both kids and adults love it equally (there have been fights!) and that makes it a real winner. I’ve served it with fresh strawberries/raspberries and/or vanilla ice cream. Last 4th of July I served it with whipped cream. Lately I just put it out plain and watch it get devoured in a matter of moments. We rarely have a piece left and I love that part too (leftovers tend to become my breakfast the next day and starting with sugar/chocolate is not the best for this gal).

I make a few small adjustments to the original recipe—I don’t include the rosemary, I use more spelt than all-purpose, I use a touch less sugar and I increase the chocolate. It’s a fun recipe to play with. It also calls for very few ingredients so you’ll likely have most of what you need in your kitchen already. Oh and Kim calls for bittersweet chocolate chopped. While I love this idea, and have done it before, I find dark chocolate chips are easier. Either way I’d say go with a minimum of 60% cacao mass. The darker the chocolate the better because is mixes so well with the spelt and olive oil. Yumm!

Chocolate Chip Olive Oil Cake
adapted slightly from Good To The Grain by Kim Boyce

1-1/4 C spelt flour
1 C all-purpose flour
2/3 C natural sugar
1-1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
3 eggs
3/4 C whole milk
1 C olive oil
7 ounces dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Rub a 9-inch fluted tart pan or round cake pan with olive oil. Sift dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. In separate bowl whisk eggs together thoroughly. Add in milk and olive oil and whisk again. Add wet ingredients to dry and gently mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and turn the entire batter out into the baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm if you can!

In just a few days, school is out and our schedules and commitments relax, the weather warms (we hope), and we will start heading out on all kinds of day-trips around Oregon. I am so excited for summer. This week I packed up our summer adventuring kit for the car. It all fits fairly well into a basket I just leave in the car, so when we head out we don’t have to fuss too much about what we bring along. I have been doing this since the kids were small (and the kit was twice the size, filled with diapers, toys and pajamas), and have found that having these essentials available means we can be more spontaneous and don’t find ourselves heading home early because someone is too wet, cold, or hungry. Here’s what I packed:

1. A good sized towel or cotton blanket. Ours is a vintage cotton heavy-weight tablecloth. It works equally well as a towel, picnic blanket or a throw to cover your legs on a chilly night.

2. A Baggu holds lightweight rain jackets (for sudden rain showers or cool evenings), spare bathing suits (for swimming hole discoveries or last-minute invitations to the pool), and a pair of cheap flip-flops for everyone.

3. More Baggus! For trips to the market, but also to hold wet or dirty clothes or to use as impromptu backpacks.

4. A kit with basic essentials like sunscreen, lip balm, hand sanitizer, band-aids, ibuprofen, hair ties, and a packet of tissues (aka emergency toilet paper).

5. An empty jar to fill with berries we find growing roadside, wildflowers or other treasures.

6. Emergency snacks. The key here is to have snacks that won’t spoil in the car or melt and also aren’t too tempting that my kids will eat them up on the next ten-minute ride across town. We’ve got almonds and dried fruit in there.

7. Filled water bottles.

8. Another pouch holds a folding knife (for slicing fruit or whittling), a bandana to use as a napkin or a tourniquet (just kidding—I hope), and a small amount of cash for parking meters, roadside fruit stands, garage sales, and ice cream (or in my case, iced coffee) emergencies.

Happy summer adventures, everyone.

Sometimes in a quiet moment I like to open my digital photo archives and look back to exactly one year. It’s just a nice way for me to remind myself of how much time has passed and try to sit with it … try to not take it for granted. All the changes, decisions, loves, stresses, shifts (etc etc etc) that happen in one year are so so great, aren’t they? Time passes quickly and we tend not to pause. I thought I’d pause today on one year ago this week. Here goes …

One year ago this week I got a new nephew. Best week ever. Gussie, happy birthday! I love you so little muffin!

One year ago I painted my toes bright orange/red for the first time ever. I’ve been getting pedicures for the last several years and I always go pale light pink no matter what. I’ve done bright pink one other time before this orange/red, one year ago, and then I have been back on pale pink since. Should I go back to orange/red again? Why did I even go with this bright color? Hmm.

One year ago I bought my first peonies of the season at the farmers market. Peonies are my absolute favorite. I am wondering if I’ll be doing the exact same this coming week … I’ll let you know.

One year ago I made my very first rhubarb compote. I didn’t use a recipe, which was a mistake actually, so it turned out just okay. I have not cooked/baked with rhubarb since. What’s that all about?

One year ago I was sporting a very short haircut. Now I’m “growing it out” and it can fit into a ponytail. Who cares about haircuts one year later, really, but I do remember feeling very freed by lopping off my long locks in the early Spring. I wonder what sort of haircut I’ll have next year at this time? I wonder what is to come in the next 365 days?

As I was straightening up at home this week, I realized how much of the work involved sorting items into various baskets. I have a basket for everything! There’s a basket of bike helmets on my porch, a basket of cleaning supplies under my sink, and little baskets of things when you open my drawers. I thought I’d share just a few of the ways I use baskets around my home.

(These are just the tip of the basket-iceberg in my house, really).

Wool throws at the ready.

Bedside reading.

Several in the kitchen.

Another in the living room for our Kapla blocks. Young and old like to play with these when they visit.

And a wee one holding chalk on the bulletin board. You can learn how to weave this little basket in Issue No. 7 of 3191Q! All my other baskets were found at estate and yard sales or at the secondhand shop.

You all know how we feel about outtakes here at 3191 Miles Apart. We love them!

Today we thought we’d share some of our 3191Q7 outtakes. It’s hard to believe that our issues have some 130+ photographs in them and we still have dozens and dozens of leftovers.

Above: A photograph I took in Portland, OR while getting coffee. I love concrete floors! Sidenote: I take a lot of photographs of feet and I get a lot of emails about these boots. They are nearly 4 years old now and in pretty bad shape. I’ve had them resoled two times and now I think I need to have the whole bottom heel rebuilt. They are Rachel Comey flat boots (which to my knowledge she’s not making anymore; all her boots have heels). I can’t bare with losing them. The grey leather is just getting good! If all goes well and I can find someone to help me with the bottoms you’ll be seeing them in photographs for some time to come.

Above: This photograph for the Deep Winter gallery was taken in our sunroom on a rare snow day. Yes. You read me correctly. We had very little snow this winter here in Maine. It was kind of strange. But when we did have snow things went as they usually do … big storm … big digout … big sun. I love Maine.

Above: I had set this photograph aside for our At Home feature but it didn’t make the final cut. When we were reworking a few things in our flat before we moved in, our amazing contractor and dear friend pointed us in the direction of a glass designer here in town. I had never picked out glass before in my life! It was one of the only things I stressed out about in our place. I had to pick out glass for this little bathroom window (seen here) and one in our big bathroom window. I wanted to stay true to the feel of our 1891 flat so I went for it and picked out old-school raised glass designs. So many people tell me they love this window. I always say, “I do too!”

Above: I brought two jars of these Maple Peanut Butter Cookies (recipe is in the issue) to some friends house for dinner recently. They told me they were the best they’d had. Score! I can’t get enough of them and they are so easy to whip up. My problem is eating too many … yikes.

Above: Oh Charlie. Another outtake from At Home. I just love how he covers his eyes. So sweet.

: : :

Below: Lastly, this is not necessarily an outtake, but rather something special for you guys. My creative team (special thanks to RTS & LSW) put together this fun little video on the day we photographed From His Closet (see outtakes from that Q7 piece here). The orange t-shirt and pink sweatshirt here belong to my sweetheart. I love to borrow them! And that is what From His Closet is all about … thrifting on the mens side of the thrift shop or borrowing from your sweetie’s closet. I love to add these pieces into my daily rotation especially when I need to spruce things up but don’t have the budget for anything new. And you know that feeling when you put on a nicely worked in t-shirt or sweatshirt. Sigh. So good. So without further adieu … From His Closet … our little video … enjoy!

Film: More & Co. (Ryan Thomas Shimala)
Model: LSW (Lynsey Waite)
Necklaces: Eva Duenas + Allyson Fox
Jeans: Mother from Bliss, Portland ME
Music: Harvest Moon (originally by Neil Young), Poolside

With all the hoopla of my travel to Maine and releasing our Collections last week, I’m not sure I quite got to celebrate getting 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 7 out into the world. So, it’s fun to spend a little time looking at outtakes this week. I love this issue. It holds some great memories and experiences, and I am very happy to share it with you.

I have come to really love the recurring features At Home and our Deep look back at the past season. I shoot the photos for these sections on film when the mood strikes, and they feel really personal and spontaneous. I love the serendipity of how they pair with MAV’s photos as well.

When MAV visited earlier this spring, I was often cooking and making while she took the photos, but I did manage to snap this photo on film after we polished off brunch. You’ll find my recipe for the aebleskivers (Danish pancake balls) that once filled that plate in the issue.

I *heart* sandwiches. I share a few of my favorites in Issue No. 7. I call the one shown here “The Hippie”.

My daughter fell in love with San Francisco earlier this year. I share a little scrapbook of our visit in Q7. Here she is in my talented sister, Lisa Congdon‘s, amazing studio (many more photos of that inspiring space in the issue). Lucky girl, she is headed back for two weeks this summer to attend art camp and live the artist’s life with my sister and her partner.

Finally, I am pretty passionate about making stuff, and it is always fun to share simple projects with you. In 3191Q7, you’ll find instructions for making baskets from vines you can find in your own yard or neighborhood. I have these little baskets to hold found treasures all over my home.

I hope you enjoy the issue!

So yeah, it’s the big launch day here at 3191 Miles Apart headquarters in Maine. Stephanie is here, Evan (our lovely creative assistant) is here and all week we have been preparing our shop for you!

Above you see our new 3191 Quarterly. We are on Issue No. 7 and still loving making books for you. This issue feels full of energy to me. The colors are so bright! I particularly like how you see Spring sitting next to Winter in the pages. It’s such a nice combination.

Over the years we have gotten requests for our diptych prints so we decided now was the time to pick a few of our favorites and offer them up in our 3191 Collection. We have one print from our Year of Mornings project + one from our Year of Evenings project + one from our newest Year of Sundays project. The prints themselves are very rich in color. We are super pleased with these guys.

And then there are our new Collections … so near and dear to our hearts. There’s Found + MAV + SCB.

Above you can see one of the indigo necklaces from SCB’s Collection. She asked me which one I wanted and I knew right away (even though I am really also very into her pinecones). I love this piece and plan to wear it more as a bracelet myself because it’s incredible to really be able to see all of those braided strands right there around your wrist. And I love the chunky section with those leather pieces sewn on. The leather feels so soft and the dyed yarn is gorgeous! I think I’ll keep my lipsticks in the bag the necklace came in as well.

Thanks for celebrating our big launch with us. We are humbled by your interest and support and we are fiercely proud to bring you our simple creations. Oh and don’t forget: this weekend our Q7 is just $24 if you use the code CHEERS upon check out. Sale runs through midnight EST on Monday, May 21, 2012.

Phew! Busy week here at 3191 HQ. I am so glad I was able to travel the 3191 miles and be a part of it (I always have to go say hello to MAV’s famous blue table).

We are so excited to release 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 7  today. In our latest offering, you can follow us on our travels, visit our homes, make baskets, and snack on our favorite sandwiches and maple-sweetened goodies.

Along with the release of 3191Q, we have added some vivid prints of our diptychs to the 3191 collection. You’ll find one from each of our “year of” projects—Mornings, Evenings, and Sundays.

Mailing list subscribers got the tip when our collections went live, and our Found Collection is moving quickly. MAV and I had so much fun with our amazing assistant Evan finding, researching and photographing these items. Hardest part was letting things go!

I’ve got my V. No. 2 on today, and I already consider it a wardrobe staple. I am wearing the size 2 tucked in with sleeves rolled a bit for Maine’s spring sunshine. Love it.

My Smock No. 1 is all queued up for tomorrow (I didn’t really need to pack much for this trip!). Every item in MAV’s collection is so incredibly thoughtful and such an accurate representation of her commitment to beautiful and well-made goods. It has been a real treat to see everything in person.

We have big smiles on our faces here and are so grateful to everyone, browsers and buyers alike, for visiting by3191. As an extra treat, Q7 is just $24 until Monday at midnight EST (use the discount code CHEERS at checkout).

I thought I would follow Stephanie’s lead this week and give you a little peek into my Collection for our new by3191 shop. It’s a new direction for me, in some ways, but in some ways I’ve been thinking about it, and sketching it out, for ages.

For my Collection, called Beauty & Use, I decided I would work with my seamstress here in Maine to create a small offering of single edition women’s tops. Now I’m no fashion designer, mind you, but I am a woman who is constantly searching for good tops! I like natural fabrics that feel good (I’m not going to put acrylic or polyester on this real estate, no thank you!), I like generous fits but not so much that they are slopping all over the place, I like pieces that will take me through all seasons not just one, I like pieces I can layer up and strip down, I like comfort. Well, you see, I’m picky!

What you’ll find in my Collection are single edition pieces (meaning I only made a few in each fabric in each size but may offer the pieces again in future Collections in different fabrics) made of handwoven cotton, organic cotton and hemp. You’ll find raw edges and simple seams.

You’ll find smocks you can wear to lounge, outside to garden or out to dinner with friends. You’ll find that pop of color crop top you can layer over your chambray shirt, a printed tank or just wear on its own to show off your neck and your tummy. You’ll find that perfect medium-weight v-neck alongside a soft cropped natural cap-sleeve that looks like you might have just cut off the sleeves yourself.

And I guess that’s it. All of my pieces you could make yourself; there’s no rocket science here. I like that they look handmade because, well, they are. Each piece made with care here in Maine. Each piece referencing my personal mantra regarding clothing, which you’ve heard me say time and time again, quality over quantity and taking good care over being careless. It just feels right to me for my little Collection. It also feels right that there are only just a few of each because, as Stephanie and I have said many times, we don’t want to put more “stuff” out into the world. We want to share our loves and our visions, and in the case of our Collections, our creations, but we want the impact to be gentle … handmade and small … simple … beautiful & useful.

We are really gearing up here in the studio for next Friday (remember to sign up for our mailing list so you will be the first to know when everything goes live). This is a thrilling time for us here at 3191 … new adventures abound!

Most of the items in my home are found. Garage sales, thrift stores and estate sales have furnished and outfitted most of our home.

I want to bring things into my home that are useful, beautiful and well-made. I want to feel as if they have been, and will be, around for a while.

In an era of the disposable and mass-produced, I am attempting to make a different choice when I can.

Not everything I bring into my home is useful. Somethings are just beautiful ( I love blue).

I know from spending time at MAV’s home that she also outfits her home with great care and thought. It was with this shared commitment to keeping things simple, beautiful and sustainable (along with, let’s face it, the thrill of the hunt) that MAV and I decided it would be fun to offer some of our finds to you.

Along with our personal collections at by3191 (which launches a week from today on May 18th!), we will be offering a collection of items that we found in each of our Portlands. Our Found Collection will feature useful and beautiful vintage objects for the home. MAV and I selected items that we would want in our own kitchens, dining and living rooms to share with you. We are very excited by this new addition to the shop and hope you will be as well!

Of note, these photos are of some of the things that I’ve “found” over the years, but they are all staying with me! Sign up on our mailing list to be the first to see what we “found” for the shop.

One year ago this weekend we packed up our little apartment, closed down our storage unit and moved ourselves, our cats and our stuff into our home.

The year has gone by quickly. Too quickly, actually. But I want to take a moment to remember this first year.

Our home has been a place where I have cooked, peacefully, for myself, my friends and family. A place where I’ve made messes. A place where I have welcomed a new nephew while teaching his older brother how to make his first batch of waffles and chocolate chip cookies (with pink sprinkles!).

Our home has seen all sides of me … the good, the bad and the ugly. Our home has seen me dance, laugh and cry. Our home has seen me truly at rest.

Our home has kept us warm and chilled us to the bone. Our home has seen us come up with some of our best and worst ideas yet. Our home has watched us create, for ourselves and for others, morning, noon and night. Our home has helped us pause to see how lucky we are.

I hope I continue to remember as I move into the second year here in our special home.

All photographs were taken during the first few days in our home.

May is a busy and exciting month at 3191 Miles Apart. 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 7 has already shipped to subscribers (here’s a peek at the cover) and will be available in our shop on May 18th. On the same date, we’ll be launching our expanded shop with individual collections designed by MAV and me, along with a collection of found items (we’ll fill you in on that collection later). To celebrate all this, I’ll be heading to Maine for a little 0 miles apart time with MAV. Can’t wait.

This week, I thought I would share a few of the inspirations behind the collection of goods, all handmade by me, that I’ll be offering in the shop.

I was rather taken with the blues, peaches and corals of the summer sky that MAV captured in this photo from 3191Q Issue No. 5. I couldn’t get that palette out of my head.

The woven and knotted ropes found dockside were inspiring as well as I worked with hand-dyed linen yarn.

Natural leather and brass fittings found their way into my work as well as I strove to work without creating waste, using all the little scraps and bits and pieces usually left behind.

I had fun exploring old forms in new materials.

I am excited to share everything with you in just a few weeks!

Join our mailing list to be the first to know when our Collections go live!

Those of you who have been longtime Quarterly readers should know this fact about me: I love to create art with kids. It’s all fine and good to get together with adults and paint or build (let’s be honest, when do we really make time to do that though?) but it is when I get on the floor with kids and truly play that I feel at my most open and creative. I feel free!

When I visited Portland, OR several weeks back I got really into the set of Kapla blocks that were in a basket at SCB’s house. When I was leaving she told me those had not been touched in months but since I had been in the house everyone was playing with them once again. I just loved hearing that!

The possibilities with these blocks are endless. They are lightweight and very simply made. When they come crashing down (in fact, Miles, Mia and I took to filming ourselves making big towers and then crashing them down; it was awesome) you don’t feel sad or frustrated because the crash is so light and gentle. You know within moments you can have the same structure built again.

I love how there are no presets with these blocks. In the Lego set we have at our house for the kids there are pieces with specific characteristics so you feel almost hemmed in by the inherent desire to use them for those purposes. For example, pieces with eyes stickered onto them … how can they not be eyes? It takes a big imagination to bust out of those presets. With these blocks there’s really nothing implied. For me it brought an openness I had not found in other toys and I thrived under that freedom. I think Miles and Mia did as well.

I recently purchased this set but went back and forth about getting so many colors. SCB’s set was just all one color and that felt just perfect! But then I thought about the kids and adults that would be fighting, ahem, I mean playing with these in my house and felt moved to get the color. I am already anticipating one little boy playing with them and along comes another little (or big!) boy who wants to play too. Now I can say, “why don’t you take the red ones and you take the blue ones?” Harmony, freedom and fun! A good combo for all of us to have in our lives.

This week I preserved a bit of spring with Sunprints. The cyanotype paper is crazy-easy to use and creates all kinds of happy accidents.

Collect armfuls of blooms. More than you need. Allow yourself some floral excess.

Arrange the blossoms between the reactive paper and glass.

Expose to the sun for a few minutes. Cross your fingers that the sun won’t suddenly hide behind a cloud. Just give me four consecutive minutes of sun, Oregon.

Rinse in running water, allow to dry, hang up at your bedside, write a love letter on the back, wrap up a present. Admire the pretty mess you made.

Make sure to use all the leftover unsmooshed bits to their best advantage. Happy spring!

I have been feeling badly about dissing oatmeal a few weeks ago. The truth is I really do love oatmeal! I eat it in all seasons and in all kinds of ways. It’s the kind of breakfast that really sticks with me into the afternoon. Love that! I thought maybe I’d make it all up to my dear friend oatmeal by writing about my favorite way of having my bowl of late. I’d love to hear your favorite ways! Email me at hello(at)3191milesapart.com.

So I make up 1 cup of dry rolled oats (look for local rolled oats if you are so inclined, I always make sure mine are from Maine) to 2 cups of water. I also add a teaspoon of saigon cassia cinnamon and a nice generous pinch of salt. Once boiling I turn it down and let the oats simmer for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. When ready (I like mine still creamy and not too dry) I give my sweetheart two big scoops and myself just one.

These days my favorite toppings (added on top of the hot oatmeal) are almond milk, unsweetened coconut (did you know unsweetened coconut is a nice source of fiber, minerals and omega fatties?), walnut pieces, fresh fruit (didn’t have any on this morning, however), siggi’s yogurt and a nice dollop of honey. So very delicious.

And always popular in our house! Three cheers for oatmeal (I won’t diss you again, I swear).

I have a busy week ahead, and while I hate to be inside at all on this beautiful spring day, I decided to get our kitchen stocked and prepped for the week ahead. First up was my weekly batch of granola.

Some yogurt to go with the granola (I’ll be posting about making yogurt soon. It really is so simple.) I also made a vanilla bean simple syrup to sweeten the yogurt.

A big pot of beans—one of the healthy foods my son will reliably eat.

Whole wheat chocolate chip cookies to pack in lunches (another great recipe from Good to the Grain).

Washed and prepped greens means I’ll eat a salad for lunch everyday instead of those cookies.

The last thing coming out of my kitchen today will be a rhubarb crisp just because I couldn’t resist the rhubarb at the market (although maybe it will become rhubarb syrup for cocktails?).

Feeling ready to tackle the week. Have a good one.

I have not posted about makeup in a long, long time. With spring arriving I am now back in the mood (just over three years later). I realize it’s completely superficial and indulgent but what can I say? It’s fun and sometimes a little tube of lipstick or lip balm can really cheer you up! So, Grandma A., this one’s for you! I love you and miss you so so much!

Here are my favorite colors/products right now for lips:

Above: Yves Saint Laurent Crème De Blush ~ Velvety Peach
Technically this is for cheeks, and I do use it that way and think it’s fabulously natural-looking and soft, but I also think it makes a great light lip color. I find that it lasts forever as well and therefore is well worth the high price which was a bit hard for me to swallow at first!

Above: Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Sheer Candy ~ Dewy Papaya
While on the topic of YSL, I’ve really gotten into their “glossy balm.” This lipstick has just the right hint of color and some nice shine. It also has some kind of mix of antioxidants and vitamins which make the lips feel hydrated. I love the way this one feels going on. Again, my tube is very long-lasting which makes me very happy! Our girl Evan (who works hard to get all of those copies of 3191 Quarterly out to you each season) uses the Tangy Mandarine; it’s so gorgeous on brunettes.

Above: Make Up For Ever Rogue Artist Natural ~ N34
This is a really nice nourishing lipstick at a happy price. They have so many wonderful colors and this N34 is my dream color. It’s very close to the color of my lips but just with that little extra pop. Perfection!

Above: Rodin Olio Lusso Lip Balm
What a treat this is! I got this as a birthday gift  in December (thanks, Hils) and have been savoring it. The smell is lovely, the little shimmer is perfect and you know you’re doing something good for your lips. If you only have the budget for one lip balm or lipstick all year (I budget in one each season) I would say get this one. It’s amazing and makes you feel so good.

Above: Nuxe Lip Moisturizing Stick
I picked this up while I was in Portland, OR a few weeks back and it’s nearly gone! This brand is new to me and I absolutely love it. With ingredients like honey, shea butter and macadamia nut oil how can you go wrong?

I made this little hanging planter for my workroom this week.

The method was the same as I describe in 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 6 except I reduced the size a bit and used jute twine in place of rope. The container is one my husband made in ceramics class long before we met.

I have enjoyed seeing and hearing about planters folks have made following my instructions since the issue came out. Amy was inspired to make her own version, Brooke filled hers with a hanging succulent, take a peek at Fanja’s, and you can see Martha’s in her scarf-shop.

Heads up! If you would still like to get your hands on a copy of Issue No. 6, do hurry. We are very close to selling out of single copies! Sold out of single copies. Thank you.

Signs of Spring from my sketchbook and from my yard. Happy Spring!

I do love to dye eggs. It is an Easter tradition for which I always make time. I have been making natural dyes for years (and occasionally I have picked up a kit from the market as well). This spring, I came across the egg dying app from Martha Stewart. Wow. That is one crazy-great app you never thought you needed (I have absolutely no affiliation with the app—I just love eggs).

Browsing through, I wanted to give these delicate leaf designs a try. I had made a blue dye from cabbage, and I thought it might create a cyanotype effect. Somehow, feathers made their way into my thinking. Feathered eggs just seemed right. I used soft and pliable guinea feathers from the craft store. The spines of each feather were painted with egg white per the MSL instructions and then gently adhered to the egg.

I hated to go buy the nylons suggested for holding your design in place (such a waste of packaging), but I found a pair of (clean) snagged tights in my drawer and cut those up instead. Each feather was secured tightly in the fabric bundle and tied in the back with a rubber band.

I left them in the dye for a few hours (the natural dyes take some time) and then unwrapped them, preparing myself for disappointment. There were some globs where I might have been a little heavy-handed with the egg white, but I was thrilled to see the imprint of the delicate spine and fringe of the feathers on each one.

I think the tie-dye design on the underside is pretty great as well.

A good egg.

This week a birthday gift for SCB:
some inspiration.

Steph, I know how much you love things that are beautiful and useful. These reminded me of you. Don’t forget to read your horoscope! xo MAV

I received a most lovely special delivery from MAV today.

Flowers via the talented Hilary Horvath. They couldn’t have been more perfect and well-suited to me. They brightened my day oh-so much. Thank you, MAV. You are so good to me in so many ways.

I just felt like I wanted to share them with you all.

I call this post: Letter To A Best Friend.

Hilary,

I love the way you keep everything in your home in its place.

I love the way you cherish things.

I love that on every dresser top there is a small art show.

I love that you have a pink perfume sprayer.

I love how you arrange things.

I love that you have so many little treasures.

I love that you have plants hanging in your bathroom.

I love that you make every day seem so special.

I love that spending time with you lingers on and on.

I love you.

Maria

: : :

When I travel to Portland, Oregon I am lucky enough to see two dear friends: Stephanie and my friend, Hilary. Hilary and I have known each other almost 20 years. I thought her home might inspire you as much as it did me.

p.s.
Hilary,
I hope you don’t mind that while you were out at work I crept around your flat and took these photographs.
x, M

It was truly fantastic to have MAV here last week. It meant so much to me to have her sitting at my table, to see her playing with my kids, and to walk together to my neighborhood coffee shop. My big regret was that the weather just did not give us a break. It was wet, cold and dismal the entire time. The picnics and hikes and vistas that I had planned to share with her will have to be saved for the next visit.

Portland did manage to show off some color. Trees and bulbs are resiliently blooming despite the rain and cold and sleet and snow (!) we’ve had these past few weeks. I think maybe the blooms are all the more brilliant against the grey sky. I am feeling a little less resilient than the blossoms, however, and am ready for the sunshine that is in the forecast (for one day, but we’ll take it).

I know that much of the country is actually experiencing unseasonably warm weather. Many of you are breaking out your favorite sandals and tanks, uncovering your grills, and planning your gardens. I am happy for you; you give me hope. In the meantime, I am revisiting my winter essentials and survival techniques (the photo above is from 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 2 last year—unfortunately out of print).

I am gathering up all those spring blooms and bringing them inside. I am baking cookies to have with my nightly whiskey. I am lighting candles in the middle of the day and loading up my cart with citrus (along with the few early spring vegetables I have been seeing). Final piece of my own advice I plan to follow? Get outside no matter the weather. Have a great week, everyone.

Guess what?

I’ve traveled 3,191 miles since the last time I wrote to you. I have been eating delicious meals, building very tall towers, drinking good strong coffee, seeing inspiring art, baking in Steph’s kitchen and working happily on the next issue of 3191 Quarterly. It’s so nice to be here in the other Portland!

I am so excited that MAV is here from 3191 miles away. Love being 0 miles apart. Chester the cat is her biggest fan. We’ve been eating, hanging out, exploring (despite the completely dismal weather Oregon is offering), working on Issue 7 of 3191Q, making plans—I don’t want it to end!

That last photo is MAV spotting 3191Q at Anthropologie (you can find it at all their shops, I believe, though this one just had one copy left).

Let me start by telling you this fact:
last night I had a little too much red wine.

Now that that’s admitted I can tell you this little story … I am curious if this sort of thing has ever happened to you.

For various reasons we have been in serious “fridge clear-out” mode in our home all week. Thusly, without eggs, milk, yogurt (gasp!), cereal or any of the other standard breakfast items stocked in our house, we have been eating oatmeal for the last several mornings. When I woke up this morning, with the before-mentioned slow-to-process-wine-head, I just couldn’t bear another bowl of oatmeal!

But what else is in the house???

I stood, groggy, with a slight headache, looking around the kitchen. Ugh! The cupboards were fairly bare except for grains, crackers, nuts and that damn oatmeal. Forget it! Until in the corner of the counter I see a 4-day-old half-loaf of bread which I had been too lazy to dispose of yesterday. YES! Toast! My savior!

I use a knife to saw through the stale bread, put a little water on it (this will soften it when warmed) and pop it in the oven to toast right up. But what fixings??? We don’t even have butter!

Hey, wait a minute … there were leftovers from yesterday’s work/studio lunch. Thank goodness we had a big meeting that we had to cater. Yes, yes, there they are in the fridge! And to think I nearly threw them out! Very small bits of turkey, cheese, greens, one tiny tomato, half of an avocado. Oh and how about the old small spoonful of peanut butter which is in the very back behind the maple syrup? And thank goodness for honey!

Yes! Now we’re talking! I ate like a King.

Thank you, strong coffee and happy toasts. Leftovers save the day! And my aching head!

When we remodeled our kitchen, I didn’t ask for a pot rack. I was happy with our large drawer storage. But this past Christmas Jack gifted me an 18-inch cast iron skillet, and it quickly became the workhorse of my kitchen. Just the other day, I made a giant dutch baby in it for breakfast, followed by roasted potatoes and corn for lunch burritos, a big batch of granola for the week in the afternoon and a roast chicken and vegetables (MAV and I share our roast chicken recipe in 3191Q Issue No. 5) for dinner. I’m not sure how I lived without it until now, but that thing is a beast to lift in and out of a cabinet or drawer. A place was found for a hanging pot rack, and Jack built one from plumbing materials. I love having all my cast iron at easy reach.

Most of my cast iron came from thrift stores or estate or yard sales. I look for quality pieces, made in the United States. Usually, I prefer pans with a nice seasoning already intact, but last week I came across a rusted little aebleskiver pan for just a few dollars, and I couldn’t pass it up.

Information on seasoning and re-seasoning cast iron pans abounds all over the internet. Techniques and proper oils are hotly debated. As with most things, I like to keep it simple and accessible. I am not an expert, just simply an enthusiast.

To refurbish my pan, I gave it a good scrub with Kosher salt to remove all the debris. Then the rust came off with steel wool. I rubbed the pan with flax oil (animal fat or most vegetable oils work fine), removed all the excess with a paper towel and placed it upside down in a 450 degree oven. I left it there for two hours. The rest of the week, every time I was heating the oven I would repeat the oiling process and the throw the pan in with whatever I was baking. Soon, the pan had a dark black, glossy surface. Last Sunday, I gave my pan its trial run with great results (I am still in search of the perfect aebleskiver recipe, but the pan performed beautifully).

Now that I’ve had my cast iron re-seasoning success, I am ready to bring some more pots in need of TLC. Think I still have room?

recycled clipboard (and pink is on my wish list) + recycled colored paper

In the studio, with chaos all around, my attention divided in too many directions and lists and lists of “to-do’s” sometimes it’s the little things (things you usually find in the back of your supply closet or bottom of the box marked “office” that’s been sitting in the basement) that keep me going …

lamy + delfonics pens

organic hemp twine

florescent spike tapes

watercolors

… and going and going …

What did you do with your extra day this year?

Jack and I decided to celebrate Leap Day with a mid-week excursion up to Mt. Hood. We love the mountain, but never feel we have enough time to get away. How could we deny the extra day we were given this year? We made it a snow day.

We went on a long snowshoe hike through a Narnia-like forest. It was not intended to be quite so long, but we took a wrong turn and ended up on a trying slog through deep snow. Boy, was I glad when we found the blue diamond trail markers again.

After our hike, we drove the winding road to Timberline Lodge (it’s exterior made famous in The Shining). A WPA project, the lodge is full of hand-hewn furniture, loomed textiles, murals, ironwork, sculpture and other handcrafted amazement and has, for the most part, stayed rooted in another time. We had the place mostly to ourselves except for the cowboy-themed wedding (men in spurs and ten-gallon hats and women straight off the set of Deadwood) going on in the lobby. We played shuffleboard, drank whiskey and marveled at all the details all evening.

The next morning, we headed down the mountain—slightly sore, well-rested and grateful for the extra day.

Just about 2 weeks ago my creative accomplices and I stumbled upon a new-to-us-but-old-in-life camera. Now, we are all pretty settled with our preferred cameras and certainly don’t need another but this was one we just couldn’t pass up. We knew it would be well-loved and well-used and just a few weeks later it already is! Let’s be honest, we’re fighting over it.

Just a day after we made this purchase, I loaded the camera with a roll of 36-exposures and took photographs all day. A “test roll.” It was a Sunday. It was the Sunday you see here. I stayed home the entire day not leaving once. I love a good Sunday, don’t you?

Starting at the top with my early rising and coffee/sketching alone. I love a peaceful start to my Sunday and sometimes it’s so nice to be alone. I also needed some time alone on this Sunday to ponder a few last minute decisions (the sketches had to do with my Collection; I can’t wait for May 18th)!

And moving to the image just above: breakfast. On this particular Sunday we opted for skipping the usual pancakes or waffles and had just eggs, kale and toast. When you already have bread from your favorite bakery who needs pancakes or waffles? (Don’t tell the waffles I said that though, please?)

Then a bit of cooking/baking, phone calls and a bit of Sunday housework. Around 2 p.m. the cats always find their way into our dining room for some suntanning. Good thinking if you ask me! … especially for a Sunday.

And of course as the sun started to set I had to get in a few self-portraits. I love the details that age has given this old mirror. It’s always fun to see yourself on film … reminding you that you’re alive, that you’re real!

And the very last part of my ‘Sunday at home with camera’ included settling into the evening with two of our nearest and dearest for dinner and Downton Abby. (I just love Mary, Edith and Sybil, don’t you? Not to mention The Dowager Countess and the whole of the downstairs jumble. Amazing.)

I do love Sundays. It’s such a nice day of the week. I’m sure you’ll see more from this camera … if I can get my turn!

Last month I brought home a copy of Tamar Adler’s An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace. I opened it up that evening and read it cover to cover, finishing it in the wee hours of the morning, finding myself both ravenously hungry and immensely satisfied. It is not a cookbook per se, nor a memoir, but instead a sort of celebration of food, of eating and of cooking (the best route to eating). The writing manages to be both entertaining and incredibly straightforward. I found the book simultaneously reassuring and inspiring.

I am someone who cooks because I love to eat, not necessarily because I love to cook. I am not preoccupied by searches for the perfect tool or the most exotic ingredients. I have only a cursory interest in the physics or mechanics of cooking. I like real, whole, unprocessed  food, but am otherwise not particularly concerned about the healthiness of ingredients. I want to eat well and within our budget, but don’t look forward to fixing dinner most nights. Still, I found comfort in Adler’s guidance and quite a bit of reassurance in her approach to cooking and eating. Just some of her advice that has lasted with me these past few weeks:

• Shop weekly for vegetables, then devote a few hours to immediately prepping and cooking them—all of them.
• Don’t underestimate a good egg.
• Toast (properly topped) can be dinner.
• Taste your food as it cooks.
• A pot of beans is a powerful thing.
• Keep lemon, brined and pickled things and fresh herbs on hand to brighten up simple foods (or mistakes, see below).
• Perceived kitchen failures can often be saved.

Happy eating (and cooking)!

It’s a special day here … 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 6 is now officially released! … and we are celebrating the opening day of our new shop! We can’t tell you too much about the shop right now but we do hope you’ll stand by for more news soon. If you want to be the first to know you can sign up for our mailing list. Our first collections will go up on May 18, 2012. We can’t wait to share them with you. Meantime today, I wanted to show you a few of my favorite photographs of SCB’s from this special issue of Quarterly.

I just love these two images of Stephanie’s house. She’s as whimsical as she is practical. It’s a very rare combination and it’s so much a part of why I love her dearly.

I could live in this image. Enough said.

I can’t believe a place like this exists. It’s so gorgeous!! I don’t forge but I really want to after seeing this piece.

These photographs and this project are going to change my life! I can’t have plants because my cats get into them (rascals!) but I feel motivated to make some hangers and get green back into my life. I just love how Steph has styled the hangers too. And oh! I get to see them in her house myself very soon when I’m out in her neck of the woods. Can’t wait!

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Thank you to all who helped make this issue of Quarterly possible including Lynsey, RTS, Robert & Jennifer at our printer and of course the lovely Evan who ships every single copy. Cheers to all and cheers to you for supporting us in our endeavors. To celebrate our release Issue No. 6 is just $26 for opening weekend. The sale ends Sunday at midnight, EST. To receive the little discount use the code NEWQ6 upon check out after you have entered billing information into Paypal.

I am so excited to share 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 6 with you. You can find the issue in our brand new shop. Not to be a tease, but we can’t tell you about all the plans for the shop just yet. I’ll just say we have some great things planned! We will have more details in May (sign up for our mailing list for the latest news).

Today is all about the official release of Issue No. 6. Below, you’ll find just a few of my favorite photos of MAV’s from this issue.

Once again, we are featuring everyday photos in our At Home section. Now that I have had a chance to spend some time chez MAV, these photos are all the more special to me. Her home is a total visual treat.

This is one of my favorite spreads in Issue No. 6. MAV goes on to document her journey to London and Stockholm. This piece really kicked my wanderlust into high gear.

We have already had a subscriber write us to tell us that she tried MAV’s Chocolate Stout Cake recipe. Look at that layer of cream cheese frosting! I am so excited to make it for my husband’s birthday next month (using his homebrew!).

I adore these colorful pages and the sweet faces found within (that crown!). I am going to become an Aunt this year, and hope I can a learn a thing or two from Aunt MAV.

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I am so grateful to everyone involved in the production of Quarterly—our entire team, my family, our subscribers, and all of you who visit here and share and support what we do. Thank you!!

To celebrate our release Issue No. 6 is just $26 for opening weekend. The sale ends Sunday at midnight, EST. To receive the little discount use the code NEWQ6 upon check out after you have entered billing information into Paypal.

Never underestimate the power of a chocolate chip cookie. It’s just about the only sweet that most people can agree on next to ice cream. I count myself as included in the many legions of chocolate chip cookie lovers in the world. When in a bakery it’s most definitely the cookie I go for unless of course there is a peanut butter chocolate chip and then I might get both!

Now, this coming week marks our 3rd year anniversary here at 3191 Miles Apart (see our first post here, speaking of hearts) and it also marks Valentine’s Day. Although I don’t go wild for V-Day itself I do love me some hearts. I like to draw hearts on notes I write to people I love—I like to doodle hearts in meetings or on my calendar. I just think hearts put people in a jolly mood.

So, seeing as I believe in chocolate chip cookies and I believe in hearts you can see how this whole post has come to life. In celebration of our anniversary and love day I wanted to give you my favorite two chocolate chipper recipes (as of right now) and also give you some hearts! So here it goes …

Chocolate Chip Cookies Two Ways

The key to chocolate chippers, for me, comes down to two things: I want the batch itself to be small (there are only two of us in this household after all) and I want the cookies to keep their texture and flavor for a few days (I like to keep a cookie jar for a few days after). Both of these recipes are a bit on the cakey or doughy side; the doughs themselves are stiff. They are not what you’d refer to as chewy and they don’t spread out to be huge, flat chocolate chippers like you might see in a bakery. They are just small yummy cookies with, for me, just the right flavor, crunch and just the right amount of sweet.

Traditional Chippers
makes about two dozen

1-1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C natural sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1-1/2 C dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Prepare your cookie sheet (either with parchment paper or just grease it up well). Sift flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat butter and sugars in a bowl until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat well scraping down the sides as needed. Slowly stir in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Place spoonfuls on your cookie sheet (tamp them down with a fork if you like) and bake for 12–15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then remove cookies and let them completely cool on rack.

Whole Grain Chippers
makes just over one dozen

3/4 C rolled oats
1 C whole wheat flour (or spelt)
1/3 C unsweetened coconut
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/2 C canola oil
scant 1/3 C natural sugar
scant 1/3 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
3/4 C dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Prepare your cookie sheet (either with parchment paper or just grease it up well). Whisk together oats, flour, coconut, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl beat together oil and sugars well. Add egg, mix well. Add vanilla, mix well. Dump dry ingredients into wet and mix with as few strokes of the wooden spoon as you can. Fold in chocolate. Place spoonfuls on your cookie sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheet.

Note: To make the hearts I tripled the recipe and spread it out flat in a jelly roll pan. I baked it for about 15–20 minutes and let it cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Then I lifted out the parchment paper carefully (there were two of us) and cut out my hearts. Make sure to cut the hearts while the dough is warm.

Some of you lucky subscribers may have already received your copy of 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 6. The issue will be available in our shop just a week from today, on February 17th. I enjoyed getting a peek at MAV’s outtakes from Issue No. 6 last week, and I thought I’d share a few of my own.

Up above: Earlier this winter, my family and I enjoyed a snowy walk (with a bit of sledding and snowball hurling thrown in for good measure). MAV and I both have winter walks to share in this issue.

I created this hanging planter project as a way to bring  spot of color and more greenery into my home. They are incredibly simple to make and require only a handful of supplies. I am excited to see some more of these made!

Our seasonal gallery of film images is back. Deep Autumn, 2011 celebrates my favorite season. This glossy insert is becoming my favorite part of Quarterly!

I came up with this recipe for a hearty soup of beef, kale, mushrooms and barley after visiting MAV last fall and trying one that was similar. I just had have it again, and I’m happy to be able to share it with you.

MAV and I paired up to share some of our favorite warm essentials (like wool blankets). For the most part, these are year-round favorites, trustworthy things and simple habits that have been part of our homes for years. My hope is that, for some of you, the Quarterly has become a trustworthy favorite as well. We are really thrilled to be able to put together this very personal publication and appreciate your support and interest so much. Thank you!

As you read this we are preparing our studio for the delivery of 3191 Quarterly, Issue No. 6. Yes! It’s nearly here! We have cartons of issues coming on Monday and on Tuesday they ship out to you subscribers. (It will be available online on February 17th.)

We are so pleased and honored to bring you another issue. I thought I’d start us off with a few outtakes as usual.

Up top: I think in another life I was an elementary school art teacher. I am fascinated by kid-art. These friends of mine here in Portland have a beautiful little girl and she loves to draw with a pencil. She’s only 2 years-old and she holds the little pencil in her hand and draws her lines. It’s so interesting and inspiring to me! For Q6 I show you some of the artwork I’ve been doing with my nephews. I call it our first group art show and I’m quite proud of us!

I never could have guessed how much I would love the seasonal photograph sections of this years season of Quarterly. The image here is an outtake from Deep Autumn, 2011. One of our worries with Quarterly has always been how to give our readers something they can enjoy in the current season but not discount the season Stephanie and I are in while working on the issue. We are not like other big magazines who work months in advance and we like it that way. Our seasonal photo galleries give us a chance to celebrate each and every season no matter when the issue ends up in peoples hands. We love that!

I love this cake. And everyone I know loves this cake. I made one earlier this week for a friend’s birthday and she said it was the best yet! And now this recipe is going to be in your hands. This is my Chocolate Stout Cake. And oh yeah, that’s cream cheese frosting. Yes, yes, yes! I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe. Please be sure to let me know!

This is Stockholm. In Q6 I include a little photo diary of my travels to Stockholm and to London. It’s one of my favorite sections because I loved the trip so very much. And later in February I’ll include a few more photographs and notes that I couldn’t fit into Quarterly right here on 3191 Miles Apart. Stay tuned!

I guess I’m still showing love to Scotch … last week wasn’t enough! This photograph is an outtake from our At Home section of Q6. This is one of our only recurring sections in the publication and we have plans to change it up for every issue. We feel truly touched that you want to join us here every week and so it only seems to make good sense to show you bits of our homes as well. As ever it’s our way of saying Thank You for coming on this journey with us each week, each quarter, each year. We are grateful for you. We do hope you enjoy this new issue of 3191 Quarterly. Look for it in our shop on February 17th.

This winter I noticed a really bad habit of mine re-emerging: not drinking enough water. I would find myself drinking coffee all day long, with only a sip or two of water here and there. I drink my coffee black, so this was not about craving sweet or creamy; it was about craving something hot (the caffeine is part of it too, but I don’t have this problem in the warmer months).

Of course, these winter days spent indoors in artificial heat fighting the various viruses my kids are bringing home, I need to stay hydrated. Enter infused hot water, it has really saved me! I have been adding citrus and herbs to boiling water and drinking several glasses a day. I cook with lemon juice often, so I just save the rind in a jar to add to my water later (this really appeals to my frugal, waste not/want not side). Because I am a huge grapefruit fan, a thin slice of ruby red is one of favorite additions to infusions. Fresh herbs are fantastic as well—I typically use rosemary, mint or thyme as those are the ones I have on hand for cooking.

When I sit down to work, I try to prep a big pitcher of hot infused water to keep by my side. (if I finish that off, I allow myself a cup of coffee, ha!) What I don’t finish can be put in the fridge and consumed cold later on.

Here’s to hydration and staying warm.

Cheers!

Scotch Cat just over one year ago.

I didn’t mean for this to be my dispatch this week. I had an entirely different plan in mind. In fact, I can’t believe I am about to dedicate an entire piece to a cat! But when I went to download photographs from the week off my camera, finding several photographs of my cat, I knew I had to be true to what must be on my mind … our Scotch Cat.

Scotch finds the sun on Tuesday.

Scotch has been living with me for 5 years now (you can see a photograph of him just after he came to my house right here). I think at this point he’s about 6 years old. Growing up I was never a “cat person.” In fact I very much disliked cats; they scared me! I always felt that a dog was a much better pet and then, back in 2002, I got my first kitten named Charlie (who, as many of you know, is still with me and will be turning 10 this year).

Scotch looks for birds on Wednesday.

Scotch came to live with me in 2007 on accident. While volunteering at a cat shelter, I found him in one of the crates in the intake room. He just sort of seemed like an old friend right off the bat. He, and a bunch of other cats, had been rescued from one of those bad shelters that say they are a shelter, take money from the state, and then neglect the animals using the money for their own greedy lives. Jerks.

Scotch searches out a soft spot just so he can be near while we work on Thursday.

My sweetheart has a joke about Scotch. He thinks that at night, while we are fast asleep, Scotch puts on his glasses and works on a novel he has been working on for some time. He thinks this because I always joke that … well … I joke that Scotch is dim. And he is! He’s just not the sharpest tack in the box. But my sweetie thinks that he’s fooling us. He thinks that once we’re out of sight Scotch puts on his specs and turns into the smartest cat on the block. Personally, I can’t wait to read this novel! I hope I’m a character!

Scotch sleeps on our pillows today.

A few months ago Scotch hurt himself very badly. He was sick for several weeks and barely moved from one spot. It was so sad for everyone. It was hard not to have him under foot. You see, he follows me around every morning from the moment I get out of bed until he settles down for his first nap around 9:30 a.m. I talk out loud softly to him about my day. I imagine he talks back. Picture the dog, Arthur, and the guy, Oliver, from Beginners. By the way, if you have not seen this movie you should run, not walk, to rent it now. It’s one of the very best films I’ve ever seen! It’s a perfect film. Anyway, while Scotch was sick he was not there with his usual goofy pitter-patter following me from room to room and even into the shower! I missed him desperately. Now that he has recovered I don’t take his dear company for granted. I take the time to see how much he makes me smile.

I am so grateful that I found Scotch 5 years ago this month. He is indeed a very special member of our family. And I’ll keep you posted on that novel!

MAV’s post last week on winter colors had me looking around at my own surroundings and my own palette. However, I found myself not being able to move past the soft grays.

Like the fog resting on the rooftops or the frost coating the leaves, it seems to settle over much of my life this time of year.

I dream in gray, I wrap myself in gray, gray tones weave their way into my work. It has a bleak reputation, but gray is synonymous with comfort to me. It is quiet, soft, gentle. Gray is not a show-off. I like that.

This week I inadvertently found my Winter 2012 color palette. Walk with me around my flat for a little moment, will you?

First … navy (above). A staple color in my life. Navy makes me feel strong, confident and grounded. It’s a color that finds its way into every season in my life. I treated myself to this mug while in Stockholm late last year. And of course you know my favorite Primoeza sweater!

Next, the clean and calming tones of grey, granite and stone. These colors make me feel comforted. They help me feel as if there is nothing else in the world I’d rather be doing; as if there is no where to go. Life Near Windows, the book seen here, includes a lot of beautiful grey tones. I find it nourishing and very inspiring in this Winter season.

Then, of course, black and shades of brown. These colors appeal to the nature girl in me. I love that although they are colors, they are somewhat colorless. There is nothing complicated about these tones. They feel powerful. The little zip pouch is a gift from my dearest friend (made by the insurmountable Fog Linen); she couldn’t have picked more beautiful colors for me this Winter.

And although I think my sweetheart, my mom and perhaps a few friends would prefer it differently (they all implore me to wear more color), reds and oranges are the only true bright tones in my palette this Winter. These tones cheer me right up; they give me a jolt I sometimes need. Whether while eating citrus or wearing my favorite red wool scarf I am very drawn to involoving these tones in my every day. Looking at the other colors I have laid out here I’m sure you can see why.

And lastly, white and cream. Clean and simple. Always a favorite in my home and any time I need to just feel just plain striped down, simplified and light. When I wake up I head straight for my kettle (a gift from my mom from last Christmas, lucky me) and start my coffee-making routine. The white just wakes me up; makes me smile. It reminds me that the day can be anything I want it to be. I need that reminder in the Winter and always.

Not quite a year ago, at a dinner in Savannah, Georgia with some of my favorite people, we were served a salad with dried oranges infused with cinnamon. They were tart and crisp with just an after note of spice, a welcome surprise on the salad. Sadly I can’t remember the name of the restaurant or even what else was in the salad. I do remember that I vowed then and there that I would be getting a food dehydrator, so that I could make those oranges.

A few months later, a friend gifted me a secondhand dehydrator, but, still, I did not make the oranges.

This week, however, they popped back into my head, and I had some super sweet cara cara oranges on hand. I sliced them thin (about an eighth of an inch), and sprinkled them lightly with cinnamon. I spread them out on the dehydrator trays and let them dry for about a day. The time needed depends on your dehydrator, but they should be completely brittle (mine could have used a few more hours, actually, but I was anxious). I snapped off the peel and bitter pith (you could also peel before drying) before tasting them—they didn’t quite meet my Savannah memory, but that tart-sweet crunch was there. I used the oranges in my own salad, adding them to avocado and arugula. If you don’t have a food dehydrator, I think fresh oranges would be good in the salad as well.

Arugula Salad with Dried Oranges, Avocado and Pine Nuts

Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet until lightly browned. Plate the arugula (as many servings as needed). Top each serving with a few slices of avocado, a few pieces of dried orange, and a handful of pine nuts. Dress lightly with a splash of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper.

Let’s start the year off right, shall we?

One of my most favorite things in the world is a nice crispy, yet soft, waffle. Waffles sort of give me the same feeling as kittens or puppies. They are just so darn cute!! Aw, waffle. Look at you. With your ditches for syrup and adorable floppy architecture. Hi, waffle! Hi there.

A-hem. Sorry. Got off track with my waffle talk. Back to the serious nature of this serious post about waffles.

On my birthday a few weeks back I found the perfect waffle recipe. Or at least it’s the perfect one for me. I tweaked a few little things right off the bat and loved the results so much.

First, a few waffle tips …
~ Make sure you put enough batter on the waffle-maker. Better to have it spilling off the sides. There’s nothing worse than a skimpy little waffle. Poor soul.
~ Don’t take them off too early. Let those babies get crispy!
~ Dapple on cold butter and warm real maple syrup once the waffle is plated. This combo helps you enjoy the crispness of the waffle (cold butter doesn’t make the waffle go soggy) while savoring the warmth and goodness coming right off the iron.
~ Use cute plates. What is better than looking at a sweet little waffle on an adorable plate? Come on now.
~ My favorite “side” for a waffle is greek yogurt with a bit of good cinnamon sprinkled on top. Why not get a little protein alongside your little waffle? I also like the way the cold yogurt tastes next to the warm waffle.

How many times can I say waffle in this post??!?

Now, the recipe …

Blueberry Bran Waffles
adapted slightly from New Natural Foods Cookbook, Jean Hewitt, 1982

2/3 C unbleached flour
2/3 C whole wheat pastry flour (or spelt)
3/4 C unprocessed coarse wheat bran
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 eggs, separated
2 T brown sugar
1-1/2 C milk
1/3 C canola oil
1/2 C blueberries

Whisk together dry ingredients, set aside. Beat egg yolks with brown sugar in a large bowl. Add milk and oil and mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just moist. Do not over-mix; you should see some clumps. Fold in egg whites very gently. Again, do not over-mix; you should see some egg white streaks. Stir in blueberries. Drop 2/3–3/4 C of batter (use however much will work for your waffle iron, actually) onto a preheated and well-oiled waffle iron. Bake until browned and serve as I have suggested above or however you like!

Happy 2012 to you out there! And to you too you cute little waffle you.

I’ll admit, I have not been doing so well with my new year’s resolutions (including cleaning out my drawers). But it’s not too late to renew my commitments, so when I had a free hour this week, I headed straight for a drawer that I use daily and has been driving me nuts—the spice drawer.

Here is the embarrassing before photo. I buy most of my spices in small amounts in bulk (I re-use the little plastic baggies when possible). After a busy holiday season of cooking, the drawer was full of aromatic baggies (many spilling their contents) along with all the random kitchen tools (apple slicer, pastry cutter, citrus reamer) that didn’t have an obvious home elsewhere in the kitchen.

First thing I did was to remove all the excess stuff, the odds and ends that needed a new home. This little bottle of Tabasco (from room service on my travels last year) will go in our camping spice kit.

All the bulk spices found their way into a labeled jar. I use small canning jars with plastic lids. They are easy to see and their wide mouths allow me to grab a pinch easily or to dip in a measuring spoon with less mess.  A china marker is great for labels that can be rubbed off when I replace it with a new spice.

A quick vacuum and wipe out and much better! On to the next drawer.

A few of my New Year’s resolutions:

* More friends/family time. 2011 seemed to be a c r a z y-busy year for everyone I know. It seems, however, as the year ends that everyone wants to slow their roll. And they/we mean it! I want to do my part by organizing simple kid-friendly gatherings at our place: Sunday Suppers (some of you may remember I used to have a shared meal with my friends/family every few Sundays), Dance Parties (two hours, at some point on an early weekend evening, to do nothing but listen to records and dance) and Wine Time (a 4–6 p.m. glass of wine with a little snack on any given weeknight).

* Waste less; use less. It’s becoming more and more clear to me how much I waste and how little adjustments can make a big difference. I want to be more mindful about letting food go bad before I use it, creating excess trash and purchasing things I don’t need or won’t absolutely use in regular rotation.

* Up with cookbook cooking. I am lucky enough to have a wonderful cookbook collection but I find more and more I am too lazy to really use it! This coming year I would like to cook at least one recipe from every single cookbook I own and share those recipes here with you. I am also happy that this resolution will help me eat more meals at home and that sounds lovely to me as well.

* Visit Portland, Oregon. SCB: See you in March! This resolution I promise to do and I simply can’t wait.

* Be more compassionate with myself. In 2011 I said out loud for the first time, “I guess I actually am human.” A simple thing to say but for me a very hard thing to accept. I’ve always thought of myself as the kind of person who can do anything, everything and even a little bit more all at the same time. It’s just not possible nor should it be. In 2012 I want to be kind to myself accepting that I am not perfect, I never will be perfect and that this enlightened and inspired reality is actually what life is all about.

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This photograph is from the summer in Brooklyn. Oh beautiful summer dappled light … see you again in several months!

Happy, happy new year to each and every one of you! We will be back here on January 13, 2012.

A few New Year’s resolutions:

* Shake up my morning routine. Instead of heading straight for the coffee press, I am going to try to do some yoga first thing. Just ten or fifteen minutes to start, and we’ll see where that takes me.

* Master making a proper poached egg. Love poached eggs. Have never tried to make one. Better yet, make a poached egg for MAV when she comes to visit this year.

* Organize all the drawers in my house. I have drawers that I just don’t open anymore! That’s silly. Time for a big clean-out. Who knows what I’ll find?

* Wear lipstick. I don’t really wear make-up and am not one to be particularly concerned about my looks, but I thought I might try to find the right lipstick this year.

* More crazy dance parties with my kids. Before they become self-conscious teenagers.

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The photo above is one from this summer. Missing that intense light!

Happiest New Year to you all! See you in 2012.

Wherever you are, whatever you are celebrating I hope you are cozy and warm. I can hardly believe it is just about the end of 2011. Not too quick though! We’ll be here next week with our resolutions as usual. Happy days to all!

Wishing everyone a very, very merry holiday. It’s a gift to have this space with MAV and to share it with all of you. Thank you for being a part of 3191 Miles Apart.

Cheers!

I’m writing this dispatch from the inside of my parents cozy home. It’s nice to be back in the Midwest for these early holiday days. It has been my new tradition in these last few years to come to see my family here for the days *before* Christmas. That way I get the best of both worlds … I really love this new way of doing things.

One thing I’ve been noticing is that our worlds/homes are not all that different. My new traditions are extensions of the ones I learned from my family over the years. I love my Mom’s small snow globe collection some of which play music and some do not. The one above is like a blizzard. It’s amazing! I have a few snow globes of my own as well and have been thinking it might be a nice collection to grow a little as these years go on.

Recognize this Santa above? My parents have one on their tree! Mine is from my Grandma A’s ornament collection. I am remembering, I think, that I gave one to Grandma A. and one to my parents years and years ago. I love knowing that we both have this jolly fellow in our homes for the holidays.

My mom has quite a Santa collection. Just before I left to come here my sister-in-law said to me that she would fancy starting her own Santa collection. Shhhh … don’t tell … I’m going to help her get that tradition going this coming Christmas Eve.

I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and baking while I’ve been visiting (above I’m working on Boeuf Bourguignon; it was delicious). Food is huge tradition in my family. We used to come back from our Christmas Eve celebration, get out all of the leftovers and sit around Grandma & Grandpa A.’s kitchen table talking the night to death. Who said what. Who wore what. What were our favorite dishes. What didn’t we like at all. We laughed and laughed. All the while eating, eating, eating. At Grandma & Grandpa V.’s on Christmas Day we always started with a shrimp cocktail alongside a very simple display of cheese (the soft orange cheese ball with nuts on the outside) and crackers and by the end of the evening the men gathered in the kitchen sitting around eating Lupini and drinking bits of this or that. I remember from a young age not liking that I wasn’t invited into the kitchen so when I got older I just busted right in there. Some traditions are made to be broken!

There were always a lot of different varieties of cookies on Grandma A.’s sweet table. Some were homemade and others bought from Italian bakeries around Detroit. I’ve been working on finding my own favorites. Of course there are the regulars which will never go away — My Mom’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies + Aunt Polly’s Italian Chocolate Cookies + Grandma V.’s Pizelles. These are recipes I will make every single year and in fact they will grace my own sweet table this coming Christmas Day. But I want a few recipes of my own … ones I can pass on to family and friends as “MAV’s Blah Blah Cookie”.

I tested these two cookies at Thanksgiving this year and they were big hits! I am still working on the recipes and the techniques but I’m fairly sure at this point that I am going to bring these into my holiday rotation. Let me know what you think!

Soft Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 2-1/2 dozen

1-1/2 C flour
1-1/2 t ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/4 t nutmeg
1-1/2 T unsweetened cocoa
1/4 lb butter, room temp
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1/2 C unsulfured molasses
1 t baking soda
1-1/2 t boiling water
9 ounces good chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
(or you can use chocolate chips)

Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa; set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses and beat until combined. In a small bowl dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat baking soda mixture in and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix in chocolate with wooden spoon. Tun dough out onto plastic wrap and wrap up tight. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours but overnight is best. When ready preheat oven to 325ºF/170ºC and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take dough out of plastic wrap and pull chunks off making round 1-inch balls with your hands. Place them on the baking sheet 3 in a row (so you’ll get about 12 on one baking sheet). Put baking sheets back in fridge for at least 20 minutes. Remove one sheet and use your palm or the bottom of a glass (with water on it) to flatten out the dough balls so they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake for 12–15 minutes rotating the sheet half-way through. Remove, let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat baking with second baking sheet. Store cookies in airtight container.

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Jam Boats
adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 2 dozen

1/4 lb butter, room temp
1/2 C natural sugar
1 egg yolk
2 t pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 C flour
1/4 t salt
3/4 C whole raw almonds coursely chopped
1 egg white, lightly beaten
your favorite jam

Preheat oven to 325º/170ºC. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla, beat well. Whisk together flour and salt and add to butter mixture, beating on low until well-combined. Use your hands to bring dough together if need be; it should be soft and moist but come together in a nice big ball. Pull pieces of the dough off to form tight 1-inch balls in your hands. Roll those balls in the egg white and then the almonds (gently press almonds into dough if need be) placing them on the baking sheet spacing them about 12 to one sheet. Using your thumb, make a small indention into the center of the ball. You might use your other hand/fingers to sort of hold the dough ball together around the edges. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and press down the centers with your thumb again (be careful because they are hot!). Rotate sheets and bake for another 10–12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool on wire rack slightly, and then add jam into the centers. Repeat the same with your other baking sheet. Store cookies in an airtight container.

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I’m off now to enjoy these last days with my family here before heading home. I am not letting it pass me by how lucky I am to be here celebrating the season with the people I love. I truly am a lucky girl. And I am wishing you a lot of holiday love and cheer in your own traditions in the coming weeks. Isn’t this such a magical season? Let’s enjoy it.

I do love to wrap a package. I can’t always give handmade gifts, but I try to put a little thought and creativity into my gift wrapping (conversely, when I give handmade, I often offer it up in a pile of crumpled tissue because I finished it just minutes before I’m due to hand it over). Some holiday years, I have one color palette and style of wrapping for all my gifts, but this year I have been tailoring the packaging to the recipients.

Some of the ideas with which I have been playing:

I covered some sunprint paper with cuttings from our Christmas tree and exposed it to a few minutes of winter sun. Paper snowflakes and doilies make beautiful holiday sunprints as well. This blue paper would be great for Hanukkah gifts!

A simple brown paper bag with a twig and yarn wreath. I first made little wreathes like this when I was working on Interwoven. To make one, take a pliable twig and strip it of leaves except for the very end. Gently twist into a circle and secure and cover the overlap by winding yarn tightly.

This stack is for someone who likes neon pink. The cord is mason’s twine (find it at your hardware store). The paper is kraft that I painted with simple dots and lines with a metallic gold paint and some gold tissue.

Pom-poms! Another great use for leftover Quince & Co. yarn. You can buy a pom-pom maker at a craft or fabric store. A great topper.

Happy holiday wrapping!

Fa La La La La … La La La La.

We decked our halls this week and I am very pleased to say that I’m really in the holiday spirit! My intention for these next weeks is going to be focused around … heartfelt enjoyment of family and friends, slowly savoring the last days of 2011, cooking and baking and drinking and eating as much as I possibly can, gift-giving and last but not least dolling out more hugs and kisses than my Grandma A. used to give. Boy was she a kisser! I really enjoy how the holidays beseech us to give love. I’m taking full advantage! So hey … meet me under the mistletoe, eh? Heehee.

For gift-giving I put together a few lists below of my favorite things … I hope you’ll enjoy it!

GIVE
a little something they will savor …

+ A Maison Bouche Chocolate Bar (My favorite is here.)
+ Fran’s Salted Caramels
+ A Bag Of Four Barrel Coffee
+ A Jug Of Maine Maple Syrup
+ The Spice House Baker’s Gift Box

GIVE
a little something they will truly use …

+ A Fog Linen Dish Towel
+ Weleda Lip Balm
+ A Baggu Bag
+ A Stripe & Field Card Set
+ Avena Heal-All Salve
+ A White Forest Pottery Mug
+ Boscia Hand Cream

GIVE
a little 3191 …

+ A Subscription To 3191 Quarterly
+ The 3191 Grocery Tote Bag
+ The Quince & Co. Interwoven Gift Pack
+ 3191 Quarterly: Issue No. 5

GIVE
a little something made by you …

+ My Mom’s Sugar Cookies (In a large glass jar with ribbon around, perhaps?)
+ A Scarf (Maybe choose your friend’s favorite colors for the fabric?)
+ A Kitchen Scrubbie (With a tea towel, perhaps?)
+ Stephanie’s Granola (You might thrift around for a special bowl to give alongside?)
+ A Small Beach (In a jar with a note of where you found the treasures, perhaps?)
+ Scratch Bakery’s Apple Cake (Maybe side-by-side with the Baker’s Notes set?)
+ Grandma V.’s Italian Pizzelles (Packaged in parchment paper and twine, perhaps?)
+ An Inspiration Sketchbook (Use your tear-sheets to fill up the first 10 pages for your friend?)
+ Sweet & Crunchy Nut Clusters (Maybe with a subscription to Whole Living?)

Happy hall-decking, pals. Visit us here all month for more good cheer!

This week as I snapped a photo of my table top, I remembered a photo I took exactly five years before and posted to Flickr (we still always have walnuts on our December table). It was that photo, along with one she had taken of her own table on the same day, that gave MAV the idea to propose that we collaborate on a project documenting our mornings, and A Year of Mornings was born. We have been collaborating in one form or another non-stop ever since. I am so proud of all that we have been able to share, and I love that the simple and earnest spirit of that very first idea is still alive today.

Happy Collabiversary, MAV! I am so excited for what lies ahead.

Things I’d love to give and receive this holiday season:

A Holiday Shimmer scarf.

I use my Baggus for everything. My current fave is the one I received from the Wiksten shop.

A white ash basket from Schoolhouse Electric’s new home collection.

A bottle of The Abyss for a cold winter’s night.

All about animals (with stunning illustrations by my sister!)

One of my favorite books of the last year.

For a little baker.

Beautifully simple napkins.

A handsome wallet.

Fun socks.

What I truly love to do at the holiday time is make—decorations, goodies and gifts. I finally had some time to play around this week and have had some successes and some failures. I worked out a simple hanging plant holder with several variations (you’ll find full directions in the next issue of 3191 Quarterly), but my grapefruit gummy candies did not make the gift-giving cut, oh well.

Gifts to make:

A wooden spoon and homemade spoon oil.

Simple cloth napkins using the fringe technique.

Fire starters for the fireplace (wrap each starter in newspaper and tie with twine).

A big tin of honey caramel corn.

Mason jar to-go cups and a set of fun paper straws.

Cheers!

Up with totes!

Nah. This is not a new movement but regardless it has been on my mind a lot lately. I want to write to you today about how much I love totes and how important they are in this world of waste that we’re living in.

Sit for a moment. Think about how many bags you get each day (especially during this busy holiday season).

Take any given day — you run to the store and there’s 2 bags right there. You run to get a bottle of wine and there’s 1 bag right there. And maybe you need a gift for a friend and there’s 1 bag right there. That’s 4 bags all in one day!

Tuck 2 totes in your purse/carryall and 2 totes in your car (or your bike basket) and that number turns to 0.

Up with totes!

Here are some of my favorite totes right now … On top: my old Bean tote. I have had this bag for 7 years. It’s only getting better. I use it for long weekends away, farmers market trips and my cat Scotch likes to sit inside when it’s lingering on the floor after it has been unloaded. Love this tote!

This Nigel Peake is new in my rotation. I’ve been folding this one up in my purse. It’s on the small size but is very sturdy so it makes a perfect day-to-day tote for little but hefty jobs. Lately I’ve been bringing my digital camera along swaddled up in this baby. I got it on a recent trip to London at the very best bookshop — Magma Books. I love this tote!

This is the newest of all of my totes and it’s one I made myself (get yours here)! Well, I didn’t sew it but I did do the dying and drawing. I love how the process has made it feel really wonderfully worked in. This is going to be the kind of tote I use when I want to walk out and about in town but don’t want to bring a big purse. It’s perfect to fit a newspaper, a wallet, sunglasses, a phone and maybe a notebook and still leave room for anything else small you might want to pick up. There are only 40 of these babies in existence … another reason why I love this tote!

I got this tote in London as well at a shop called Goodhood. Best little shop with the nicest people working there! And I thought it totally rocked that when you made a purchase you got a cloth tote instead of a paper or plastic bag. That just makes good sense! This is one of those very light totes that folds up super small and tucks into the pocket of your carryall. You won’t even know it’s there until you need it. Love this tote!

And yeah, I’m totally partial but I love our new 3191 tote. This is the perfect grocery tote! It doesn’t go over your shoulder and that’s what I like about it. It’s the kind of tote you carry down at your side and there is something really nice about that. I have two of these (lucky me) and I am using one for exercise bits and bobs (fits a yoga mat nicely with it sort of popping out the side/top) and one for grocery trips.

I’ll say it again — up with totes! Let’s grow our tote collections and cut down on waste, shall we? Up with totes!

We have been enjoying our new 3191 totes around these parts. I gave my daughter one in the blue and pink colorway and kept an all blue for myself. The illustration by Christopher David Ryan makes me smile every time, thanks CDR. It’s a great, sturdy canvas tote that stands on its own when filled, and we’ve found lots of uses for ours.

To the market. (It’s that time of year when I crave grapefruit. I am cooking up something special with these beauties for Issue No. 6 of 3191Q).

The library. Strong enough to hold even my family’s library haul.

Basketball practice.

Around town. It fits perfectly in my bike baskets.

Our tote is available in our holiday shop along with 3191 Quarterly gift subscriptions and single issues. Grab yours before our shop closes for the season on December 11!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Many things have changed since the last time we hosted Thanksgiving in 2009 (my musings from the year are here: part one / part two) and many things have stayed the same.

Let’s start with some differences: we’re in a new flat (this one is truly ours) + we had 20 adults and 5 kids (the largest Thanksgiving to date for all of us) + I rented tables, chairs and wine glasses (I was insistent that everyone sit “together” and that the table be set and ready when the day began so renting left me with the least amount of bother) + we had a “kids table” (loved sitting at the kids table when I was little and I hope the little ones enjoyed having their own space this year) + there were no sweet potatoes to be found (I missed the pie for sure) + I got out for a long walk before it got dark (this must be a new tradition; it felt so good to get some fresh air).

Let’s move on to some traditions that stayed the same: I thrifted for plates and gave one, full of leftovers, to each guest (it was a little more competitive this year so I put out pen/paper so people could mark their chosen plate) + there were songs, readings and dances (we are a performing sort of group) + I got a whole slew of new white candles for the table (which I will use right on through the new year) + there was an outdoor fire (I was too busy doing dishes to make it outside but I heard it was nice) + the last guest left close to 1 a.m. (we were in bed by 2:30 a.m. after the final clean up) + we went through a lot of whiskey (um, no comment).

And most importantly, something that will never ever change, we spent the day, and well into the night, enjoying the company of dear family and friends. Does it get any better than Thanksgiving?

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Today marks the opening of our holiday shop; it will remain open only through December 11, 2011 (which is also the very last day to subscribe to our Quarterly). In the shop you will find our new 3191 Miles Apart Grocery Tote along with options to purchase either a single issue of 3191 Quarterly or a Four-Book Subscription as a gift. If you do order a gift we will wrap it up and include a hand-written note for you. Our lovely creative assistant, Evan, is available for any special requests you might have. Just email her (orders{at}3191milesapart.com) once you’ve placed your order and she will get right back to you. You could even send her your gift list and she’ll make sure everyone gets their subscriptions or Issue 5′s in good order!

Thanks for taking a look at our offerings and cheers to this wonderful holiday season!

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

I traveled to coastal northern California to meet up with the rest of my family to celebrate the holiday, and it’s so beautiful here. (Photo of me by my daughter).

We have been feasting (many cooks in one small kitchen).

Soaking up the late autumn sunshine.

Foraging and exploring with my brother (some of our adventures will be included in the next issue of 3191 Quarterly).

And just feeling grateful for family, friends and the amazing view.

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We’re kicking off the season with our holiday shop. You’ll find special gift wrapping on subscriptions and single issues of 3191Q along with something new in which to tote it all around. Do check it out. Our subscriptions will only be offered until December 11th. If you think you’ll be wanting more than one issue (we have some great things planned for the year!), take advantage of the subscription before it’s gone.

Thank you so very much to everyone who visits here and shares in the 3191 Miles Apart experience. Cheers!

It’s here!

Our new year of 3191 Quarterly has officially began. It’s a pretty great feeling knowing how far we’ve come (our 3191 Miles Apart partnership will be 5 years old on January 1, 2012!) and not to mention holding this new issue in my hands. I’ve been smitten for the last few weeks.

Let me show you a few of my favorite spreads …

This is from my piece entitled, “I Dream Of Roses”. I’m so in love with roses. Are you?

My favorite new addition to Q is the commemorative seasonal photo gallery that will be tucked into the middle of every issue. With Issue No. 5 we’re remembering “Deep Summer, 2011″ and it couldn’t feel better to look back at these photographs and feel once again the warmth and freedom of summertime. In the spread shown just up top here Stephanie really captures a fleeting light and a sense of the relaxed moment so well. I love these two images of her kids next to each other. In the bottom spread you can see a photograph I took this summer up in Southwest Harbor, Maine. The sun was setting and you can just catch a glimmer of that light on the water in the upper left-hand corner of the frame. It was a beautiful night.

Admittedly I’m a little jealous that Stephanie gets to go blackberry picking every year. Why have I not started such a tradition? Her blackberry-picking spot looks amazing too and it’s right on the water. In fact it was so amazing that we chose one of her blackberry-picking images for the cover. Gorgeous! Meantime I have not made her blackberry crisp yet but it’s on my list!

Lastly some of my own favorite photographs from Issue No. 5. These foggy images are from a piece about Cushing, Maine. We have fog in every season here in Maine but there is something about the summer fogs. They just have a certain smell and a gentle quietness. I love that I can turn to this spread and feel that once again.

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Cheers to everyone who has already ordered their copy of Issue No. 5 or subscribed to the four-issue offering for 2011/2012. You may find us harping on about this a bit over the next few weeks but we want to be sure you know: subscriptions are closing on December 11, 2011 for good. They will not be available again. If you are interested in getting all four issues (Issues No. 5–8) now is really the time to commit. You get one free! We’re so happy to be able to extend this limited offer to you.

I want to heartily thank you for sharing in 3191 Miles Apart and 3191 Quarterly with us. We really do love what we do.

It’s official!

3191 Quarterly issue No. 5 releases today (that’s the back cover shown above). We’re very proud of this issue and very excited for the 3191Q year ahead. This week I wanted to sit down with my cup of coffee (go grab yourself something hot too) and share a few peeks at the issue.

I really love this spread that features sparkles from me (left) and MAV (right). Despite the distance and the differences in our day-to-day lives, there is always a touch of that synchronicity. MAV’s photo is also the entry into our new commemorative photo gallery section. Printed on a glossy paper insert, “Deep Summer 2011″ features favorite photos from our summer at a scale and quality that we’ve not really been able to share before now. We’ll be sharing seasonal retrospectives in all of this year’s future issues as well.

I could stare at this photo of MAV’s all day. It’s a little respite from our current dark and dreary days.

Something special I created for this issue was a collection of textile sculptures made from natural indigo-dyed fabrics and leather. I photographed these imposters on the real forest floor.

I had great fun learning about making pickles with my friend Melissa, and you can too.

Perhaps my favorite section chronicles our adventures when we were 0 Miles Apart. Maine, I miss you!! It was fantastic to be able to work side-by-side, not just to put the issue together, but to create much of the content that you’ll find in this issue. I hope you will see another 0 Miles section in a future issue of 3191Q. It’s time for MAV to travel the 3191 miles, so I can show her around my Portland.

I want to offer a tremendous thank you to all our subscribers. We are so grateful for your support and interest (especially you re-subscribers!). I hope you are enjoying your Issue No. 5. Subscriptions are a great deal (you receive one issue free along with discounted shipping), and they are only going to be available for a few more weeks (ending December 11). We have some exciting things planned for this year of 3191 Quarterly, so I want to encourage folks to take advantage of this deal as it won’t be offered again (all future issues will be sold individually only).

Cheers!

It’s here! The new issue of Baker’s Notes came out yesterday and I’m pretty excited about it. My creative outfit directs and designs this publication in collaboration with and for the good folks at Scratch Baking Co.

It’s a dream project for us, let me tell you. You may remember that from Issue No. 1 I made my own bagels. That was one of my biggest triumphs of 2011. I still think about those bagels. Might be time to make them again! And of course who can forget the Peanut Butter Cookie recipe that Scratch was so kind to give us? Have you made these cookies yet? You should. Make sure to put the redskin peanuts and chocolate chunks in them. They’re dreamy!

The new issue of Baker’s Notes is called SWEET. It’s full of sweet bakery goodness. I mean, there is a whole section on cakes! Check out the opening spread …

… and the story goes on for 10 more pages after that including the recipe for the cover cake which is Deep South Coconut Cream Cake. Come on now!

My relationship with “sweet” has always been a rocky one. I can’t have too much sugar or I go insane. Bring on crazy MAV! Moody, grumpy, impatient, on edge. Um … it’s just not good. So I have my sugar in small doses and I usually doctor recipes that have a lot of sugar to include less. I love that it has become special to me to have sugar. It feels right for me. And it’s actually why I love this issue of Baker’s Notes so much. These are recipes that I will use when I do have that special occasion calling. Hot Fudge and Butterscotch Sauce anyone? Those recipes are in this issue as well (along with the piece on Sundaes which was photographed at my flat); so fun! Bring on the sweet parties. I’m ready.

When I asked Sonja, one of the owners/bakers at Scratch (and the very talented photographer behind Baker’s Notes), to share a recipe on 3191 we talked right away about the Honey Cake. I had had a few pieces some weeks ago and have been thinking about them ever since. This is such a nice cake. Perfect with coffee and a little lightly whipped cream. I love the toasted almonds that end up being on top of the cake. Sonja was kind enough to cut the sugar in half for me for the recipe you see here. The cake is not quite as moist but it’s still just as wonderful. Just be sure not to over-bake it. If you want the full sugar version leave out the 3/4 C. natural cane sugar and the 1 T molasses and add instead 1 C white sugar and 1/2 C brown sugar instead. Go for it!

Sonja’s Honey Cake For MAV
makes one bundt cake

3-1/2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
4 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1 C warm coffee
3/4 C orange juice
1 C oil
1 C honey
3/4 C natural cane sugar
1 T molasses
3 eggs
2 C sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Sift dry ingredients together; set aside. In a separate bowl mix wet ingredients (including sugar) together. Add dry to wet and combine until smooth. Sprinkle sliced almonds in the bottom of your greased bundt pan. Add the cake batter on top of the almonds and bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like or you can leave it plain. It’s gorgeous either way.

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If you’re in the Portland, Maine area you can visit Scratch Bakery at 416 Preble Street just over the bridge in South Portland. My advice … head into Scratch early (things sell out like mad), grab a bag full of goodies and head over to Willard Beach on foot for a nice stroll. You won’t regret it, I’m telling you.

I have a real weakness for the salty/sweet/crunchy combo, and if you look through our archives, you’ll find all manner of sweet and savory nuts, seeds, granola and bars that I’ve shared. Let me add caramel corn to the list, because it makes a pretty awesome autumn treat.

I have been making different versions of caramel corn since college with all manner of sweeteners, including maple and rice syrups. The recipe I am sharing here is not free of refined sugar, but it is my favorite. Honey and brown sugar create a really rich caramel flavor without being too sweet. Do make sure you use real honey.

I pop my corn in an air-popper, because it is so easy, but oil-popped popcorn is probably even better. The addition of peanuts makes for a real Crackerjack-like experience, but the corn is great with all kinds of nuts. Happy snacking.

Honey Caramel Corn

10-12 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels)
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts (or nuts of your choice)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use vanilla paste, extract is fine)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
sea salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter, sugar and honey over medium heat in a saucepan large enough to avoid boil-over (a mistake I made with this batch). When mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer for three minutes. Take off heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda (the mixture will foam up a bit with the addition of the baking soda, so be prepared). In a large bowl, toss popcorn, nuts and caramel mixture to thoroughly coat. Spread popcorn on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, stirring at halfway point. Allow to cool, break apart and store in an air-tight container.

In the dead heat of the summer I visited the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens with three of my girlfriends from Maine. We flew down to NY for 2 nights, thanks to the lovely and generous Lena for letting us crash at her home, and had an awesome time. It was hot! I mean damn hot! It’s very nice to think of that kind of heat now (Is this why I’m writing about a summer trip in near-winter? Maybe.) as I huddle near the heat coming off this computer in in my wool sweater. I thought it would be nice for you too to remember summer and its heat.

Among my very favorite things were the sculptural installations by Patrick Dougherty. I absolutely loved them. At first, without rational thought, I sort of don’t know if they are man/woman-made or if nature created them. Then, as I approached, I walked inside and felt as if it doesn’t matter. They belong there. It was extraordinary.

This tree made me smile. Remember The Giving Tree? I sure do. My parents used to read that to me and my brother all the time. Look at those carvings and imagine how old this tree must be? Imagine all the people it has seen come and gaze upon it. What a wonderful tree.

While we were there the workers were cleaning the Japanese Pond. What an enchanting area and certainly fun to see a man with full body waders trimming and caring for the little plants.

We wandered and wandered for a few hours. Did I mention it was hot?? I loved how the paths led you around and around. I drank two coconut waters with ice while wandering near and far and then had to run back to the main entrance to pee. This is something I do all the time. Why don’t I learn? When we were done we were smiling but ready to get out of the heat.

So it was time for lunch in the freezing cold AC at Prime Meats. We had burgers and salads and wine. What a lovely adventure. Thanks for helping me remember. Hopefully I can hang onto the inspiration … and the heat … for some time to come.

Note: On this trip I also visited the Noguchi Museum (see a few pics here). It’s not to be missed.

Above: An outtake from my piece on Orcas Island in 3191 Quarterly Issue No. 5.

Like MAV did last week, I thought I would share some of the photos that did not make it into the latest issue of 3191Q. Both of us shot most of the images with film, and there was quite a bit of serendipity involved—the serendipity of which shots turned out and those that did not, the serendipity of how our work relates to each other’s, as well as the serendipity of how it all fit together into the issue. While Issue No. 5 is much more photo-heavy than any of last year’s issues, there were still many favorites that did not quite find a place. I am happy to share them with you here.

Blackberry Picking.

Making pickles with my friend Melissa. Wish I could go back and tell myself to make twice as many jars our family is making quick work of our pickle supply. (This one is actually in the issue, but in cropped form).

Perhaps my favorite part of this issue is the 0 Miles Apart section which chronicles our time together in Maine. This is from an autumn evening picnic in Maine.

Studio lunch expertly prepared by MAV (what I wouldn’t give to sit down at her table today).

And a stunning, blustery walk together on the beach.

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You can still subscribe to 3191 Quarterly, but only for a limited time. Issue No. 5 is already shipping to subscribers! We will officially launch the issue on November 18th.

Above: Stephanie on the beach in Maine. Outtake from a piece called “Beach Walk”.

It can be difficult to decide which photographs make it into a publication. I can sit for hours trying this one or that one and in the end I always have a whole folder full of photographs that now fall under the title of “outtakes”. I feel sad for the outtakes. Discarded bits and bobs that didn’t make the cut for one reason or another. They most likely can’t help but feel a distant second to the images that made it into the piece. I think it must be tough to be an outtake.

3191 Quarterly No. 5 was no exception with regard to the outtakes. Stephanie and I each had a folder full of images that didn’t make the book. Usually this would fall under the category of sad, as previously discussed, however, we have a website! What that means is that we can show you the outtakes here and they have a new life of their own. And because of the smaller scope at 3191 Miles Apart, with just one dispatch each week, these outtakes may feel even more in the spotlight then the 130+ photographs included in Q5.

Let’s give them their due, shall we?

Above: A foggy afternoon. Outtake from a piece called “Cushing, Maine”.

Above: Our bed and our coffee. Outtakes from a piece called “At Home”.

Above: My nephew at an autumn picnic. Outtake from a piece called “A Gathering In Maine”.

Above: Stephanie in my kitchen. Outtake from a piece called “Studio Lunch”. SCB: I don’t even think I’ve shown this one to you yet. Been too busy being bummed that you’re back in your Portland. You are missed in this kitchen, girl!

Thank you for spending some time with my outtakes and making them feel special. You guys are the best.

I have been taken with the Japanese art of wrapping in cloth called furoshiki ever since I saw this post over at {frolic!}. I have had fun trying out all the techniques with scarves, napkins, linen towels and pieces of scrap fabric. This week I wanted to share how to make the simple shoulder bag because it is so easy to remember and is handy when you’ve forgotten a bag, but do have a scarf on hand (depending on the weight of your scarf, it should be sturdy enough to bring home a small parcel of groceries).

Spread out your scarf and place the items in the center (this was my snack of bread, cheese, apple and tea).

Tie two corners together in a square knot, leaving one long tail and one short tail.

Do the same with the opposite corners.

Tie the long handles together to form a handle.

Ta-da! One minute shoulder bag! A silk scarf would make a lovely evening bag.

Four sweaters.

I unpacked my fall/winter bin last weekend (the one I hauled up from the basement) and found only four sweaters. I sure found lots of wool hats, gloves and boots but just four sweaters. For a moment it made me think perhaps there was a second bin somewhere but then I remembered … yep … I’m a minimalist. I have four wool sweaters for a reason.

Each fall/winter I invest in just one or two sweaters with plans to keep them for several years. In fact it’s not just sweaters that I have these kinds of ideas about. I usually only purchase a few new pieces each season. I invest in my clothing and abide by the mantra: less is more. Instead of taking my “welcome the season” clothing budget and spreading it out to buy a quantity of new inexpensive often poorly made items, I like to put all of my money for new things into just a few items. It works for me. I like knowing that I am investing in what is on my body and it helps me take better care of my garments. Now, I know this kind of thinking is not for everyone, I feel lucky to even have a “welcome the season” clothing budget set aside, but regardless I thought I’d take a minute to tell you what my favorite investments for the season are. At the very least I think it’s a really good thing to have less and take better care of what you have. Perhaps that’s what these thoughts are really all about anyway. Quality over quantity and care over careless. Just my thoughts anyway …

1. A Black Top (seen up top)
This season I fell in love with the Linear Top from Filly Designs. The reason why I think a black top is important is pretty obvious. No rocket science here. You can dress a black top up, you can dress it down. I’ve been wearing my Linear top with jeans, skirts, over dresses and have even thrown it on a few mornings after just getting up. I love the fit, the feel of the fabric and the fact that I know it’s well-made. It’s so nice to have a standard, yet interesting, black top in my closet. I plan to take very good care of this one!

2. Leggings
All of these leggings here are designed by Caitlin Mociun. Caitlin is a friend and I think she’s an incredible artist. I try to invest in one pair of leggings from each of her collections (this season is actually her last one designing clothing; sob!). The blue stripes must be four or five years old by now. They are still in great shape! The triangles are from last season and the triangles + dots are from this season at Anaise. It’s all fine and good to have a standard pair of black leggings, and I do have that pair from three seasons ago, but I love to inject a bit of fun into my wardrobe. Leggings with prints just cheer me up! That’s always a good thing and that makes them a good investment in my eyes.

3. A Wool Sweater
This year’s choice is from the Australian knitwear company, Primoeza. In the spirit of full disclosure this is a client (and friend) of mine; my creative team, along with chelliswilson, worked on Elizabeth’s Collection No. 2 campaign. But you know what … all that did was make me realize even more strongly that this was a gorgeous piece and a very good investment. The Primoeza sweaters/scarves are made one at a time; it takes Elizabeth one day to make a garment! That is amazing and I respect her craft so very much. The four sweaters I unpacked from my bin all spanned the course of the last five years. They were all investments and I have treated them as such. When I take a trip in the winter I pack just one wool sweater so that’s always an indicator of how important this piece is in my closet. So, now I have five wool sweaters. Feels almost like too many! I may have to look around for holes in the oldest one after this season is up.

4. Comfortable Jeans
My brand is J Brand. I buy no more than one pair of blue jeans each year and sometimes a pair of black as well if I need them or if my weight has changed. Right now I have four pair of jeans in my closet: two blue and two black. I need nothing more and in fact the two black is almost excessive to me but one pair is now three years old and just getting to its amazing stage where it’s starting to fade out to blue. Ooooh. So nice. My one little piece of advice on jeans as an investment is this: make sure they are comfortable! Try on as many pairs as you can and take your time. Once you find the pair you love wash them as little as you can and wear them until they have holes … then get the holes fixed and wear them until those holes rip through again. A good pair of jeans is like coming home. I love coming home.

5. A Blazer
This Boy wool blazer was purchased in 2009 at a 50% off sale at the Barney’s in San Francisco. I freaked out after I bought it (it’s the most pricey thing I own). I am still freaking out a little bit actually. However, it certainly is the piece I wear the most out of anything in my closet. This blazer has made me realize the importance of having a blazer. I wear it in every single situation imaginable … I love it. I love how it envelops me and makes me feel like I’m covered … like I’m going to be okay (if that makes any sense). Now, mind you, I won’t buy another blazer for years and years I’d imagine; this baby is only going to get better! But it’s still high on my list as a good investment and I definitely recommend looking at these higher priced pieces in February at the end of the season.

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If you want to read other MAV-thoughts on clothing (goodness knows why you would want to read my babbles but still) you can see my closet clear out post here, a post on my favorite dress here, thoughts on button downs here and SCB wrote a great post about giving secondhand clothing new life here. Have fun!

This week’s project is inspired by last autumn’s 3191 Quarterly that included an elbow patch project from me and a feature on tights from MAV. I have combined the two to create knee patch tights! I made the pair seen here for my daughter in her favorite color of the moment—cobalt blue, but I have plans to make some for myself as well in a more subtle tone-on-tone combo.

This project uses wax-coated freezer paper to make a stencil and is truly easy. Do make sure you use quality tights and fabric paint. For younger kids, I think it would be fun to do other shapes like stars or hearts too.

Supplies:

Cotton small-rib tights (I wouldn’t recommend trying this with a synthetic tight)

Fabric marker or tape

Freezer paper (find it at your grocery near the tin foil)

Scissors

Fabric paint (I recommend Jacquard textile paint)

Foam brush

Scrap cardboard

Iron

Try on your tights and mark the center of your kneecap with a fabric marker or a piece of tape. It is essential that you get the placement correct or you will end up with shin patches instead of knee patches. Prepare your knee patch stencil by cutting out two rectangles of freezer paper. You can trace the shape you want from a patch or pattern you already have and cut it out (the oval I used was slightly smaller than the small size of elbow patch pattern provided in 3191Q). Alternately, you can fold the rectangle in fourths then cut out a J-shape as seen above to create your oval. Make sure you are happy with the size and shape of your oval by holding it up to your knees before you proceed.

Insert a piece of cardboard behind the spot you have marked on your tights. The cardboard should be at least as wide as your patch. If your tights are going to stretch a lot on your legs, put in a wider piece of cardboard to simulate the stretch. Center your stencil with the shiny side down over the kneecap mark you made earlier. With a hot iron, secure the stencil to your tights.

With a foam brush, dab on fabric paint until the area in the stencil is fully saturated. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly and then gently pull away the freezer paper. Heat set the patch with a hot iron (once heat set, the tights should be fine to wash as you normally would).

Now, put on your tights and show off your cute knees!

The second pair we made are navy blue with glittery gold patches!

I hope some of you have fun making knee patches. I would love to see your tights if you do!

I’m really good at making messes.

This week I was reminded that life is not always clean and tidy.

It’s not always just the way we think we want it … or the way we think it might be.

Life’s messy! I’m messy!

But most of the time, at the end of the day, we can still find inspiration and encouragement in the messes. There are lessons in the messes. And thank goodness at the end of the mess of this week I still ate a damn cake!

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For this birthday cake (Happy Birthday, Bro!) I used the Baker’s Notes Yellow Cake recipe which will be featured in the upcoming issue (due out on November 11, 2011). For the chocolate ganache I went with 4 cups heavy cream brought to a simmer and then added 1-1/2 pounds of bittersweet chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let that all melt together and then let it sit to cool stirring it from time to time.