hustle and blow

I heart these Lite Bite candle forks from Fred Flare. Anything that reduces the time between flame extinguishing to cake consumption is worth my dollars.

the heart of it all

I still think it was a mistake to change the state slogan from "Ohio, The Heart of It All" to "Ohio, So Much to Discover." This necklace makes it seem like that never happened. It's also the perfect accessory for the girl who loves her home state but, you know, doesn't necessarily want to live there anymore.
The pendants from Etsy seller Truche (thanks for the tip, Nana Banana!), a native Michigander, are only available in Ohio and Michigan styles. Truche acknowledges the Ohio-Michigan sports rivalry, though in my opinion, it extends beyond sports to highway driving. One small request, Truche: Can you please make the delightful Ohio pendant in black acrylic? The silver is lovely, but the acrylic is a little easier on a sister's wallet. Please? I'll make you a batch of buckeyes.

knives (and forks) out

I like the idea of decorating with culinary utensils, like this old timey hand mixer I saw at a bakery. It's also quite functional for those with tiny kitchens. You know, like people who live in Manhattan and actual dolls living in actual dollhouses.
Oooh -- you could also dry your silverware AND be fancy with a cutlery chandelier! Maybe kitchen utensils are even more multipurpose than I thought! Perhaps not.

sunshine makes me happy

And now we interrupt your regulary scheduled programming: I'm taking a little break-y from this blog to go to a place where it's socially acceptable to wear flip flops to fancy restaurants. No subways. No black tights. Drinks with flair. Fruit on trays. Shots you didn't want. Maybe jumping off boats. Kind of scary lizards. Lots of SPF. Definitely jumping off boats.

what leprechauns would eat

Soak up the green beer with some Irish Soda Bread. Also, may the road rise up to meet you and all of that.

frosting porn

There is only one way to apply frosting: heavily. Photographer Amy Stevens gets it. I discovered her beautiful disasters when a particularly heinous string of flight cancellations left me in the Philly airport overnight. Stevens' work was part of an exhibit of local artists, and a welcome distraction from my 13 hours of intermittent crying and cursing of the Wright brothers. Even more than her quirky compositions, I love Amy's story: when she turned 30, she bought a cake decorating kit in hopes of creating gorgeous, flawless confections. She soon realized that perfection wasn't going to happen, but instead of quitting, she decided to make cakes that are "visual experiences." I'd still like to eat them, though.

main squeeze

I heart citrus fruits, especially when I can add butter and sugar to them and make them into a treat, like these Lemon-Cornmeal Cookies.