I want to LIVE in an Anthropologie store.

I've opened my mailbox twice within the last week to find an Anthropologie catalog and please tell me that I'm not the only one who wants to live in those pages or better yet the store! I only allow myself to visit my local Anthropologie a couple of times a year...major reason being a cash flow problem...the other being that they don't actually like when you show up with a Starbucks and curl up on one of their couches to read a book. I love every inch of their stores from the home decor to the clothing to all the kitchy details in between. I literally take notes in the store I am so filled with inspiration. I think I need to take a week off soon to sew just for myself and my home. I'm currently dying to paint my kitchen door red and refashioning my Roman shades with fabric from a vintage tablecloth...might have to talk Jason into this idea.

Gotcha Day

Today is Nikolai's first Gotcha Day...One year since the day we picked Nikolai up from the orphanage in Moscow. Can you see that little eye peeking out from my coat? Jason and I had flown in from Boston the night before. Our driver and translator drove us around in the early morning to take care of some more paperwork and to start getting Nikolai's Russian Passport in motion. Around 11am, we were brought to his Baby Home with our trunk full of gifts for his caretakers and orphanage staff. I had made a purse for each of his 17 caretakers as well as the doctors. I wanted to give something of meaning, but how on earth do you thank the women who cared for your son? Many of the caretakers have little to nothing...they work double shifts to provide for their families. However, you can see clearly in their eyes that this is much more than a job to them. They love the children...they hug them...they kiss them...they do their best to meet their needs with very limited resources and not enough time to comfort these children who have already had such great loss in their lives. I had a small bag packed with Nikolai's clothes and two diapers. The bag was whisked away as we waited in a small room to see him again. It had been about two weeks since our last trip and we could barely wait to hold him in our arms again. Three caretakers brought him out...dressed in his new clothes...tears in their eyes as they handed him to us. It was such a solemn moment. The caretakers ducted back into the room to care for the many other children who weren't going home with families that day and many that likely never would. The second diaper was saved for another child. We met next with the orphanage director to thank her and say our goodbyes. Nikolai saw her in her white doctors coat...he cried and clung to me. We walked outside into the crisp Russian air and climbed into the car. Our translator ran back in to get one more piece of paperwork. Jason took this photo of Nikolai and me. We held each other tight. We were both scared...the most incredible day...the most life changing...new parents in a foreign country to a child that was 20 months old and was about to experience so many new things! Happy Gotcha Day Nikolai...we are so blessed to have you as our son!

Simply Newsworthy

I'm finally posting a photograph from my recent show at Alliance for Children's Multicultural Fair. This event is run annually by Nikolai's adoption agency. I was involved in the planning both last year and this, but this was my first year attending. During last year's fair, Jason and I were in a plane on our way to Russia to bring our Nikolai home. It was so wonderful to be able to go to this year's fair with our son! The fair features all types of multicultural performances...music...dancing, etc. as well as foods, crafts and a vendor area. Fox 25 news even came to film a segment and Nikolai and I were on the 10 o'clock news!

neat Freak

Well, if you know me in the least bit, you know that this label does not fit me at all. (Stop laughing!) I try so very very hard to be organized and neat, but frankly I just think it is somehow genetically impossible for me. Now this is not to say that I have an incredibly messy house. I think it is quite clean and just accented by bits of eclectic clutter. Clutter of the moment mind you... I'm always working on something creative and frankly I like to spread out. One of my dear friends once said that creative people have more important things to focus on and should not have to be bothered with cleaning...I love her...

Well, my new favorite favorite show is called Neat. It is hosted by Hellen Buttigieg, a professional organizer (Canada) with a Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization from the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). I was not aware such an organization even existed! In her show, she travels to the home of a habitual clutter bug and helps them purge their earthly treasures for a more serene and simple existence. Her patience and lack of judgement really help in this process and are really motivational. We have been purging massive amounts of "stuff" from our home in the past weeks and it is amazing the mental clarity that comes from this!

Postal Sunshine

"Brown paper packages tied up with string...these are a few of my favorite things." There is nothing I love more than a little postal sunshine. This little package of goodies is headed out to make someone's day...could it be yours? I really think there is nothing I like more than receiving a package in the mail...the surprise...the little thoughtful details...hmmm what could be inside!?! I even get excited when something I ordered has arrived! That is why I like to package up my SimplyJune orders like a gift...we all deserve some little presents even if we buy them for ourselves!

Well, Nikolai is currently obsessed with the mailman and his truck. Our postal carrier parks his truck in our large neighborhood (indicated by our "Thickly Settled" street signs...who came up with this one?) and delivers on foot from this central spot. Nikolai can literally watch the truck for hours if you would let him. When the truck finally takes off for its next destination, Nikolai calls out "Bye Bye Mail Man". Oh cuteness.

One of the goodies on its way is a book entitled "The Magic of Ordinary Days" by Ann Howard Creel. This is really a delightful novel if you haven't yet read it. Hallmark Hall of Fame has also produced the movie version which absolutely does the book justice and stars my beloved Skeet Ulrich. The story is based during WWII and follows a young woman who becomes pregnant out of wedlock and is sent to marry a farmer by her minister father. Her relationships with her new husband as well as two young Japanese women in an internment camp tell the story of this time in history in a very personable and poignant way.

SWAP

If you have never done a swap before, here is a heads up on a great one that has just been posted. I participated in Sally's first vintage button swap and this one is sure to be just as great! Visit Shim+Sons for more details...hurry up the deadline is this Friday! Swaps are a fun way to meet new people, send and receive some creative goodies around the country and world. My mind is already reeling with some ideas and I can't wait to get started!

Moscow Court Anniversary

Today is a special day...the first anniversary of our court date in Moscow to adopt Kolya. It is rather unbelievable to me that it has been a year, though it feels like we have always been a family of three. One year ago today we woke up in Moscow and dressed in our best clothes...we traveled through Moscow to the court house, a statuesque building that on that day controlled our very future. Our driver dropped us and our translator off in front of the building and wished us good luck...he held his hands together and shook them in the air to wish us well and touched his heart. Our translator briskly brought us into the building where we turned over any cameras, etc. and then checked our coats. We walked further into the building and showed our passports as identification. Then we took an elevator to an upper floor. We waited in a sitting area along with our court translator (who we had just met), the director of Nikolai's orphanage, our translator and two other families who were waiting for their appointments before the judge. Time seemed to stretch on infinitely as we waited for our moment. Our appointed translator for court asked a few questions and went over our file to familiarize herself with our story and Nikolai's.

When we were finally called, we entered a large courtroom. There were four benches at the back of the court room, a podium in the center of the room and the judge sat a the large bench at the head of the room. She sat in an enormous chair with a back that must have stood 6' tall. Two shorter chairs flanked her sides. On one side of the bench sat the prosecutor and on the other side sat the court secretary. We took our seats with our translator on the benches to the left and the orphanage director and city official sat on the benches to the right. Once the proceedings began, the director and city official each gave their testimony as to why they believed we should be allowed to adopt Nikolai. After that, I was called to the stand. I walked up to the podium...my entire being was nervous, scared, numb...our translator walked up with me and stood to my forward right. There were a few moments of discussion as she tried to decide where to stand so as to be able to see me and not disrespect the director and city official by facing her back to them. I was asked to state my name, address, etc. I made the huge mistake of answering this question while looking at the translator and not the judge. I had been quite aware to do this until everything in my brain and body had numbed to the point where I was walking and talking on sheer instinct. The judge corrected me on this and I answered the next few questions making absolutely sure to look at her. I was then asked when I was married. Well, one would think this would be an easy question. I could rattle that and many other personal statistics off to you in my sleep. Now, I'm told that my pause was not even notable, but I will tell you I was having a whole debate in my head. "I know its April...I'm sure of that...and I know it was 1999...but the date...the Date...the DATE...oh my gosh!...I'm going to die right here...the 17th...I'm pretty sure...it could be the 15th...oh my gosh!...o.k., so what if I say the 15th and it really is the 17th...the judge is looking right at our file...she knows the date...she is going to think I'm a liar...she is going to think I don't care about my husband, my marriage...am I still breathing?..." Well, it was the 17th of April and I actually said that! We moved onto a series of other questions and I tried to mentally slow the beating of my heart...the judge then started sternly telling me something...what now? The translator turned to me and I stared straight at the judge..."The microphone is not working...stop leaning into it..." (I had been prepped before hand to lean into the microphone as all court hearings are recorded.) O.k., so now I am standing stick straight, staring at the judge, smiling just enough to look pleasant but not enough to look culturally insincere. I was then asked how much money we make each year...this pause I am sure was actually tangible...again my brain began to converse with itself..."o.k. so Jason just got a new job...what was his salary exactly and I just started a new business...oh gosh how much did I make this year...if I get this wrong..." I gave my best estimate, finished my questioning and returned to my seat. Jason was now called to the bench and answered a shorter series of questions. I was so thankful knowing that he is always so calm and collected and even knows our wedding date!

The judge then returned to her chambers to make her decision. While we waited, our translator told me that she had our wedding date, finance information, etc. before her and was trained to read from that document rather than translate what we said! Apparently, I'm not the only parent-to-be with temporary memory loss. The judge returned after a short recess and gave a long speech in Russian. She didn't smile, but rather sounded as if she was reading to us from a telephone book. Our translator quickly told us we were parents! Every emotion swept through me and we thanked the judge for our son and the director and city official as well. Their jobs are so important and they want the best for each child that they can have a hand in helping. We are so thankful for them and especially for our son!

Nikolai and I were in a celebratory mood this morning and baked a Russian apple pie...yum...the recipe is extremely simple and tasty...



















Pirog (Apple Pie)

4 small apples
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
butter to grease pan

Preheat the oven to 375.
Core, peel and cut apples into small pieces.
Mix eggs, flour and sugar in a bowl.
Grease an 8" round cake pan with butter.
Add the apples to the cake pan.
Pour egg mixture over apples.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Allow to cool and slice.

3 Little Matryoshka All in a Row

I have been working diligently in the studio to prepare for our upcoming show at the Alliance for Children Multicultural Fair. I will have many of my designs on hand, but will also feature some items from my upcoming SimplyBaby line with a multicultural theme. These little Matryoshka make me smile...sitting pretty...all in a row.

Mac n Cheese

Jason picked up a copy of Cooking Light's "best of" magazine last week and we have been cooking our way through some of the recipes this week.

As Kolya and I were in a cooking sort of mood today, we made the "Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Raisin Muffins" and the "Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese".

The muffins feature much more than their name...including wheat germ, wheat bran, chopped dates, cranberries and buttermilk (along with your more typical baking ingredients). An interesting step included adding a 1/2 cup of boiling water to the batter to cook the oats and saturate the germ and bran. They were surprisingly moist and delicious...even Kolya 2.5 scarfed one down. Although, I do attest to be raising a carb addict...

The Macaroni and Cheese was good. I substituted the cheddar cheese with a Provolone, Asiago and Fontaine mix to give it a sharper flavor. Tasty, but not exactly sure what I think about the Dijon mustard, Garlic and Worcestershire sauce blend... They added a distinct flavor, but I'm afraid my palate is a little less "gourmet" when it comes to Mac n Cheese...Mac in a box might be a little more my speed I'm afraid to admit. Still...a warm, yummy, wintry sort of meal...

Circle Applique Bag

First, a Very Very Happy 13th Birthday to dear Caroline! Her birthday present was inspired by my fabric stash, this photograph from a Japanese craft book, the colors of an upcoming Spring and by that youthful exuberance and energy that surrounds a very special 13 year old.

I started by sifting through my fabric scraps and used a 2" circle stencil to choose the placement of my circles on the fabric patterns. I marked the back side of the fabric with a dark marking pencil and then cut scraps of applique paper to iron on top of my marking. As the applique paper is opaque, I was still able to see my markings. You could certainly iron the paper on first, but I wanted to be picky about my circle placement and wanted to use as little applique paper as possible. After cutting the circles out, I touched up the edges with fray check to avoid fraying.

I then planned the layout of my circles anchoring the corners with darker colors and distributing my colors and duplicate patterns without appearing too contrived. I took a quick snapshot of this layout as I hadn't yet planned my bag design.

After designing the bag and cutting out the interior and exterior pieces, I peeled the backing off of the circles and ironed them onto the front bag piece. After that, I machine stitched each circle about 1/4" from the edges for added durability. I then assembled my bag which I designed as a cross shoulder tote. The straps tie at the top to allow for shortening and lengthening.

Bouquets of Spring

The snow has been falling quietly off and on in the last week or so ... However, inside there have been daffodils, shortbread and tea. I have been treating myself to weekly bouquets of Spring and though I'm not nearly self-centered enough to think that they are hastening my part of the globe towards warmer weather...they certainly have not had the opposite effect...and they make me happy, which is good enough reason for me.

Life, germy** bugs, a little boy with enormous amounts of cooped-up winter energy, etc. have kept me quiet on the blog front, but don't despair...much is happening in the SimplyJune studio and we are happily preparing for our next show on March 24th with Online Store updates to follow soon after!

**When I was a little girl, I had a friend named Jeremy...who I inevitably in my toothless grin, little girl voice called "Germy". I frankly couldn't hear the difference and he never complained, but I can remember my mother frequently correcting this "subtlety"... anyway... I also had a friend named "Hairy"... I mean Harry...

Valentine Goodies

Nikolai and I came home from playgroup the other day to find a bag of Valentine's goodies on our front porch from my dear friend Monica. I had to frame the card right away...my Lucas's likeness riding in a limo. The dress form photo holder just makes me giddy with happiness. I have been looking for a photo/card holder forever and finally gave into making my own simple version (shown on the right with part of my vintage Cavalier postcard collection). I can't wait to use the dress form to display one of my Petticoat Note Cards at our next show.

Preparations for our next show (Alliance for Children Multicultural Fair) continue to be under way. I have some beautiful fabrics coming in and the sewing machine is buzzing away...

We also had a lovely weekend with my best friend Carey... "Auntie Carey" to my Nikolai. We talked and ate... and ate and talked... and slept a little bit. Monica had remarked earlier in the week that she was so excited for me that my Oprah/Gail was coming to visit. However, Carey and I both decided we wanted to be Oprah....what to do but be each other's Oprah/Oprah?... Still trying to figure out how to move the states around to get Boston closer to DC...any ideas?

SimplyJune - Winter 2007 Newsletter

Our Winter 2007 Newsletter went out this weekend via e-mail. We featured recent press coverage, new products, upcoming events, a special coupon, crafty ideas, etc.

We also included a free pattern designed and written in our studio. If you did not receive our newsletter, sign up on our Mailing List or send us an e-mail.



















Free Snowflake Scarf Crochet Pattern featured in our latest Newsletter


Visit again soon for shop updates and some great new tutorials!

Pattern Nostalgia

These delightful 50's & 60's vintage patterns arrived on my doorstop via eBay. I love all of the stylish designs and ohh those hairdos! Do you remember that pink hair tape they used to sell? Actually, I just Googled it and apparently a company called Beauty Mark still sells it (though I don't think they have spent any money on packaging design lately). It was this really light and mildly sticky tape that allowed you to curl your hair exactly how you wanted it and tape it to your face to dry!

One of my favorite things about vintage pattern finds are the little hand written notes regarding the homemaker's fabric choices, etc. The flowered number in front makes me want to make a pot roast and host a dinner party with Jason in an argyle cardigan serving Rob Roys...think Sissy Spacek in Blast from the Past...love that movie.

Cardigan Refashioned

I bought this cute little 3/4 sleeve cardigan for a steal, but was a little overwhelmed by its glittery beads and citrus flair. Hmm, what to do, but make it mine...

I first removed all of the beads and buttons, which I'm sure will pop up in another project down the line. I then measured the existing fabric detail and added a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides. Then I ironed over the seam allowances and pinned the fabric into place. After that, I sat down with a good movie (crucial step) and hand stitched the fabric to the sweater. (As a side note, this would be an easy addition to any sweater whether or not there was an existing fabric detail. I also covered all of the button holes as I don't tend to button my cardigans. You could easily measure and mark the existing button hole placements on your fabric strip.) After that, I cut two strips of fabric 4" wide by about 2x the length of the circumference of the sleeve. I ironed over the edges 1/4" and machine stitched. I then folded and stitched again for a finished edge. After that, I machine basted along the length just inside one finished seam and used the basting stitch to gather the ruffle. I then pinned my ruffle (slightly overlapping the short ends) on the inside of the sleeve and hand-stitched in place. This is a great project for your fabric stash and perfect for updating an old or thrifted cardigan.

Matryoshka Inspiration

I came home to a nice pile of eBay goodies this weekend including this 1957 Russian embroidery book - inspiration for the hand embroidered Matryoshki I'm working on. The Matryoshka doll pictured is the second in a set of 7 that I purchased on our last trip to Russia to bring Nikolai home. She features many of the traditional Russian fairy tales.

I am also currently addicted to inter library loan and recently requested a very comprehensive book on the history and art of Russian Matryoshka - The Art of the Russian Matryoshka by Rett Ertl and Rick Hibberd. It is a beautiful coffee table book detailing the history of the art and artists behind this beautiful craft and artistic symbol of Russia. One of the interesting details I learned was how they paint the spirals on the heads of the most popular style of Matryoshka. A small piece of ribbed fabric is rolled into a small circle, dipped in paint and hand stamped.

Nikolai 2.5

I've been wanting to do a silhouette of Nikolai for a while. I love when people have old family silhouettes hanging on their walls. A little research led me to the history of silhouettes...as far back as the early 1700's this was a popular form of art among the rich in Europe. In the 1760's, the Finance Minister of France - Etienne de Silhouette was known for his terrible tax policies...with disastrous effects on the financial well being of the average citizen. The art form of paper cutting was very popular at the time and a pass time of Silhouette himself. Many peasants of the time would dress only in black as a form of protest and would describe themselves as "Silhouettes". I love a little bit of history...

So, here is my dear Nikolai in silhouette. As it is quite difficult to get a 2.5 year old to stand still, I took a profile photograph and then traced his silhouette in Adobe Illustrator.

Dinner with Friends

We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night and had a delightful time. Food always tastes so much better with friends. I also love taking the time to prepare a big meal and set the table...focusing on all of the details. I love details. I have a quote that I painted above my kitchen cabinets which reads " To invite a person into your home is to take charge of his happiness for as long as he is under your roof." ~ A. Brillat-Savarin. I love this quote and at least attempting to accomplish this. We enjoy many delicious dinners at our home, but most of those are spent sitting around the coffee table...not so glamorous, but we think life should be comfortable.

I have a new favorite salad dish that we have been enjoying on almost a daily basis. It is simple and delicious. I chop up three colors of peppers and a few cucumbers. I have been buying a small imported variety from a local Armenian grocer because of their wonderful flavor. I then top it with feta cheese and tzatziki. Tzatziki is a Greek sauce that is easy to make and we use for dressing salads, on meats, as a dip, etc.

Tzatziki

1 small cucumber
1 clove garlic
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek yogurt is best, but you can also use Stoneyfield Whole Milk Yogurt as it is thicker like Greek yogurt)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp chopped fresh mint or dill
salt to taste

Peel and then shred cucumber (or dice). Drain excess liquid and add cucumber and pressed garlic to yogurt. Add olive oil, lemon juice and mint or dill and then season with salt.

If served alone as a salad (diced cucumber), add a few Kalamata olives as a garnish.

Enjoy!

100!

I made it to blog entry 100! Granted, it has taken me a little over a year... However, I reflect back on this year...all of the wonderful things that have happened in my life and I am so thankful. This blog is my artistic accountability, journal and place to connect with new friends. I have loved all of the things I have learned from the blogging community and I have enjoyed carving my own little niche in it. So here it is... to 100 entries and many more...to new designs...to SimplyJune...to new experiences and to many new friends!

A new bib for snack time... I have been working on some new designs for some soon-to-be new babies in my life. I have been working with my limited supply of some cute new imported German fabric. However, I like to try out new ideas and designs either with a basic muslin or some of the scraps from my fabric stash. As a bib is hardly complex, I sketched out a pattern on tissue paper and decided to make Nikolai a new bib out of designer Michael Miller's Disco Dot pattern. I had been debating about sewing the front and back together with a raw edge and then adding bias tape to finish. However, I decided to sew front sides together and turn inside out. I am actually fairly happy with the result despite a few glitches that I will fix on the next. I also wanted to try out some of the iron-on vinyl that I have in order to make a wipe-clean surface. I had the vinyl folded in storage, so I was a bit worried about how it would look. I cut a rectangle just bigger than my bib cutout and peeled off the backing. I found that it is a bit sticky so that you can temporarily adhere it to your fabric and smooth it out. It looked great. I then followed the rest of the instructions for fusing to the fabric. The only difficulty I cam across was that the vinyl became quite wrinkled as I turned the bib right-side-out. It ironed fairly flat again and I then stitched up the opening by machine sewing a finishing stitch around the edge. I used iron-on Velcro to finish it off. So, now the debate...wipe-clean surface or plain cotton...

A Simple Day

Nikolai in Papa's shoes...East Mountain South in the CD player...Reading my favorite blogs...Shooting some photos...Sewing by hand...Whistle of the steam heaters...fuzzy socks...thrifted cashmere sweater...dog curled at my toes...

Babushka Buttons

I have been embroidering more wool buttons soon to be up in the shop. They are inspired by this wool Babushka Shawl that I brought back from Russia. It currently drapes a side table in our dining room. I love the vivid colors on a black background. We have been having dreary, rainy, winter days here in Boston - perfect weather for handwork and a cup of hot tea.

I haven't had a lot of updates to the shop in a while, but am enjoying this time of creativity and design as I come up with new ideas to share. Stay tuned soon for a new Simply June e-newsletter. I'm going to have a cute scarf pattern to share as well as some updates as to what has been happening at Simply June. If you haven't signed up on our mailing list yet, pop on over to sign up now!

The Process, not the Product...

I just finished ready a book about a cross-country train ride. The book was a little fluff reading left over from the holidays, but the story reminded me that life is really about the journey and not the destination. Similarly, as a designer, my art/craft is about the process and not the product. I'm not talking about the end quality of a product because I believe things should be both beautiful and well made. But rather one should slow down and enjoy the process of creating, allowing one's personality and experiences to show through. When I purchase something from another artist or crafter, I am always intrigued by the hands that have made it. When you hold in your hands a handmade item that was passed down in your family, you feel a connection to it and to those before you. So, my challenge this year is to really enjoy that process and to allow myself to slow down and take the creative journey - less concerned about the destination than the journey itself.

The photograph is a piece I did a while back that we installed in our dining room. It seemed fitting with today's post as adopting Nikolai was really a test of enjoying the journey and not just the destination. I often hear adoption described as a journey - it is often a long slow one at that and the actually journey often begins long before you take that first step into an adoption agency. My journey began long ago, but this piece made from an old window chronicles just a part of it. The bottom photograph is of me and my son Nikolai on the day we drove away with him from his orphanage. It was such an anticlimactic day - our third trip to Russia and he was finally ours - in my arms - never to be handed back to his caretakers at the end of a short visit. I had imagined this day over and over in my mind. I lived, breathed, dreamt about this moment - it was full of smiles and laughter and celebration - theatrical crescendos in the soundtrack of my life. In contrast, the moment was small, sincere, sad, happy, quiet and still. I held Nikolai in my arms. He was so scared. This was the part of his journey that would lead to a better life, but journeys are full of change and he knew to hold on tight. I held him even tighter...

Neapolitan Knits

It feels like a W.I.P. (work-in-progress) kind of day and I have pulled out a scarf that I have been working on since sometime last winter...or was it the winter before...Hmm. Well, nonetheless it is a W.I.P. that I hope to wear sometime this season! I love this combination of colors - chocolate, strawberry and vanilla - mmm...Neapolitan Ice Cream! Do you remember those little pats of ice cream they would serve in the school cafeteria? I remember bringing in my extra change for that delicious treat sandwiched between two little pieces of cardboard. Lunch itself was 70 cents. I remember always checking for my 2 quarters and 2 dimes. Our teacher would line us up and we would march down to the cafeteria. Our day revolved around what was on the menu. Would it be the mystery meatloaf or pizza day? If you were lucky enough to be first in line on pizza day, you could ask for a corner piece! Ahh,
the school lunch line. Remember "frontsies backsies"? Gosh, I hope this was not unique to the little world of my youth... Since cutting in line was not allowed, it was somehow acceptable to let your friend in front of you and then for them to let you ahead of them. What!?! Can someone explain this logic to me?

Well, hopefully some knitting will be accomplished on this cold blustery day. This print by the lovely Emily Martin from The Black Apple will inspire.

Trial and Error

I have had an idea for a while for a soft toy matryoshka doll (Russian Nesting Doll) with an embroidered face and flowers. I'm excited about the embroidery and am waiting on the post for a beatiful book I recently purchased on Ebay from Russia. It is full of beautiful Russian embroidery and I hope will be an inspiration. When we were adopting Nikolai from Russia, I splurged on a beautiful matryoshka that features various Russian fairy tales. I love this artistic symbol of Russia and wanted to create my own version of it.

So, here is the final pattern version of my matriyoshka. I had never sewn or designed a three dimensional toy before. I took some doll making books out of the library to learn a little bit about construction and then sketched out my pattern. This little girl is version number 3 after a little trial and error. I haven't finished off the bottom yet, but am fairly confident on how to do that. I also want to add some rice to her base to help her sit upright.

This sample is made with an inexpensive (.99/yard) muslin. I love having muslin on hand for trying out new ideas and patterns so that I don't have to cut into my special fabrics. However for the finished dolls, I got my hands on some beautiful Russian themed fabric with a black background that I plan to use to make the basic doll. I then plan to applique wool felt that I have hand embroidered.

Nolé Style & Beauty Indulgence - You work hard. Look Fabulous. Indulge Yourself in Style and Beauty.

Check out this wonderful new website called Nolé Style & Beauty Indulgence. Their website features indie designers from all over the world that design and create handcrafted goods. Designers join by invitation only and SimplyJune is now proud to be a member! Check out our designer page at Nolé .

Nolé also offers Holiday Gift Guides, Articles written by designers, Product Reviews, an Events Calendar, Contests and a Blog. Coming soon will be Nolé Mi, an online magazine as well as an Online Shop featuring items from Nolé designers.

Happy Birthday Jason!

Today is my husband Jason's birthday and we are celebrating with a little carrot cake that I made this afternoon. Happy, Happy Birthday to my best best friend!

Onion Goggles

Check these slick babies out. You can get them through Amazon from Chef Tools for under $20. I'm thinking of writing to request a cat eye retro design - maybe with some rhinestones. Ahh, but I'm seriously thinking of buying these. The lovely Lisa suggested a nifty tip "Use the freshest onions you can, cut them in half between the stem and root, and grate from the cut side toward the stem/root side. STOP before you get within an inch of the ends as that is where the bulk of the eye-torturing gasses lurk." I had never heard this before! No onions on the menu tonight, but I'm going to try this out next week!

Self Portrait of a Cook

The Stuffed Grape Leaves met rave reviews. Alright, so it was just me and Jason as the self-titled food critics. But, nonetheless a scrumptious meal. The egg lemon sauce came out really well after a temporary disaster with clumping corn starch. I highly recommend having some cheese cloth on hand for emergency straining. I actually used to have a wonderful fine mesh strainer that I picked up in Chinatown, but that alas was thrown over the edge of our deck by Nikolai and has not been retrieved from the forsythia bush. Nikolai, age 2.5, loves to throw items off of our deck. No punishment seems to dampen the apparent exhilarating joy in watching various household objects launch overboard. Maybe he imagines himself the captain of a ship on the high seas lightening his load amidst stormy waters...

Tonight's meal will feature Greek style meatballs of my own concoction - ground beef, eggs, English muffin toasting bread processed into bread crumbs, grated onion, freshly chopped parsley, freshly chopped mint, salt, pepper, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and feta. (Side note on the grated onion... please share your input on how to avoid dramatic tears during this common cooking task. I have tried refrigerating the onions, burning a candle near my chopping board and today I tried grating an onion with my eyes closed. Let's just say...not a good idea. Does anyone recall the episode of Martha with guest Donny Osmond? They provided him with some funky cooking goggles. Not exactly my style...do they make cooking contacts?)

I promise you that you are not going to have to come over for dinner to enjoy Simply June. I'm still designing and creating and hope to have some new products up on the website in the next few weeks. I'm also enjoying creating a few things for myself and my home.

Renewed for 2007 / Gourmet Resolutions

I'm back. Sorry for the long break from the blog, but it was well needed and full of craftiness, new design ideas, time with friends, family, etc. I'm excited about all that the New Year will bring with SimplyJune! It is so incredible to me how much SimplyJune has grown in the last year even with three trips to Russia to bring Nikolai home and adapting to our new family of three! It is because of all of you who read the blog, shop on our online shop, come to our events and cheer us on! We are really thankful for you.

I, like many of you, have my list of New Year's Resolutions. I really try not to make them each year as I tend to attempt too many all at once and end up somewhere in mid-February holed up in a corner of my studio eating chocolates by the pound and lamenting over what could have been. Do I get a do-over?

Well, despite all of that, I have made one of my goals this year to return to my love of cooking. Both Jason and I enjoy cooking and are always pouring through the cookbook aisle in search of new cuisine. This hectic past year derailed us into a life of frozen food aisle concoctions with the occasional gourmet blip on the radar. 2006 is now behind us and I have spent the last few days cooking with gusto, trying out new recipes and savoring the old favorites. One of our favorite types of cooking is Mediterranean. Between my Greek heritage and our trips all over the beautiful mainland and islands of Greece, we have fallen in love with all of the savory and healthful delights of the Mediterranean. This morning I prepared Stuffed Grape Leaves for our evening meal. From blanching the grape leaves to stuffing each one by hand, there is time to think and enjoy the rhythm of cooking and creating a meal. Tonight they will be served over a bed of rice with egg lemon sauce. Dinner at 8?

Wool Embroidered Buttons

I just finished this set of black wool embroidered buttons for a custom order. I love their whimsical nature. I am really enjoying freestyle embroidery - choosing different color combinations - each one its own little piece of art. I'm working on getting some more buttons finished for the website before the holidays as well as some that I am making into ponytail holders - very cute. If you are going to be joining us at our Connecticut show this Friday, I will have some there.

If you are looking for a great comprehensive embroidery book, I would highly recommend The Embroidery Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden. It is available at Amazon and I would assume most book and craft shops. The book features over 200 stitches that are photographed and illustrated with step-by-step charts. It is just a nice reference guide of the basic stitches and you can let your creativity take you from there. Another nice feature of the book is that it is spiral bound so that it lays flat while you are working.

Gudrun Sjödén

I love a little window shopping and web window shopping even more. Gudrun Sjödén is a unique home and clothing company out of Stockholm, Sweden. Their designs feature colorful printed and embroidered textiles typical of Sweden and Swedish folklore. Their website and especially their catalog is full of beautiful photography. They photograph their products in unique settings with natural lighting giving the consumer a sense of quality of life along with their quality products. I love these red and white embroidered table runners and pillows. I bought all of my Christmas wrapping this year at IKEA (another Swedish company) from their ISIG line - with a very similar red on white and white on red design. I also bought some some beautiful red ornaments to dectorate the packages with. Now I just have to do some shopping and sewing...

Look What I Found Under the Christmas Tree



















Jason and I decided to share our Christmas present this year and bought it for ourselves a little early. Our new Cannon digital SLR camera arrived yesterday and is quite photogenic. :) We took some shots with it last night and it is incredible. I am so excited to take the next round of product photographs with it for SimplyJune. Having so much more control over focus and lighting adds so much more depth to the photographs. I actually studied photography in college as an Art Minor, but have just fallen into the rut of using my point and shoot digital and doing my best to improve lighting and color in Adobe Photoshop. I have been pleased for the most part with my results and certainly would only use a digital camera for my website photos because of cost and ease. However, there is really a limit to what I could do with my previous camera. I will have to say that the best advice I can give when taking product photos is to get yourself a nice lightweight tripod and turn off your flash. I also use the timer on my camera for taking photographs so that I can step away from all lighting (so as to not cause shadow) and not move the camera while actually taking the photo.

I really enjoy taking product photographs and styling the photos - also a great exuse to to go to auctions and antique malls. I'm not sure if I have mentioned it before, but if you are in the Boston area you must check out The Massachusetts Antique Cooperative in Waltham. They are a really nice antique mall with over 125 dealers tucked away in an old factory building. This is the perfect destination for a rainy afternoon - though I would definitely go without little ones. You could literally browse for days in this place before you had explored every nook and crannie and discovered your favorite treasures.