Altered Cookbook

 My collection of recipes comes in all shapes and sizes: torn out magazine pages, printed copies, hand-scrawled recipe cards, and on a variety of scratch papers...and they all ended up in a big box that I'd pull out and dig through before cooking time.

Honestly, I enjoy the process of thumbing through the pile of odd notes. Well, I should say I did up until more cooks entered my kitchen. Then, too many hands were sorting and moving recipes around, adding to the time it'd take me to find what I wanted. It became apparent to all us cooks, that we needed a new system.

Handwriting all my recipes onto index cards wasn't an option and regular school-type binders weren't cute enough. I discovered the blog Fresh Vintage by Lisa S and got down to the business of finding my own copy of the ring-bound Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book from the 50s. 

I wasn't fortunate enough to find one at the thrift store, or patient enough to wait around. I went ahead and ordered a used version from Amazon, paying top dollar (*cough-cough*)...but I was happy with the quality and relatively clean condition...considering it's a used cookbook and all.

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Published January 1, 1953

The first step was to peruse the cookbook for pages to remove...and I can say with confidence that the recipe for the Liver-sausage Pineapple below (without any pineapple whatsoever) would never be made by moi. Goodbye to the recipe, but the photo has so much vintage-goodness that I set it aside in case it makes the cut later.

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, circa 1953

Page 61, Appetizers and Beverages

The opposite page boasts, "Served with hot coffee or chilled juice, [these snacks] put people at ease, spark good conversation." I bet!

Pardon me as I go back in time for a spell to jelly molds, green olives, and casseroles... I'll be back soon with more work-in-progress photos.

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Scrapbook paper options from Echo Park Paper Company:

Country Kitchen by Carta Bella

Farmhouse Kitchen by Echo Park Paper Co.

Farm to Table by Carta Bella

Homemade by Carta Bella

Currently: Inspired by Grandma's Bookshelf

Two years ago, I hung the hardware and had boards cut for a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf in the basement, something similar to what my grandma had in her loft. A place to hold board games, toys, and more importantly, a collection of books: travel, classics, sci-fi, young adult, etc...

When I was a kid, I would spend hours perusing my grandma's bookshelf. She was a teacher in Montana who taught multiple grades in a one-room school house. She had all kinds of books...old miniature ones bound in leather with wispy thin paper. Books about music, history, teaching. In front of her bookshelf, tucked away in the loft, always seemed like a magical place. No matter how often I was there, scanning book spines, reading and studying the pictures, playing with the old toys--relics from my dad's, my aunt, and my uncles' past--I always managed to find something new. I would ask myself, How long has this been here? Why didn't I notice it before?

For no particular reason, other than the summer weather, I finally got around to the task of making the pine shelves shiny and new with sand paper, stain, gloss, and a bit of elbow grease. I put my books in a semblance of genre order as best I could and made room for all those Legos...

Sand Job

Stained, Glossed, Stocked and Loaded

Middle Grade Shelf

When all was said and done, I stood back to admire my handiwork and was transported to a magical place once again. Those shelves not only hold my books and toys, but part of my grandma's, too, along with her memories. Her stuff is old and funny...and just weird. I think my aunt's doll says it all...

"I'm happy!"

"I mean, I'm sad."

"Wait, I'm confused."

The third face is peacefully asleep, thank goodness.

Little and Leather-Bound

Grandma's tiny address book, her mom's bible (1892), and a dictionary (1914)

"Work, Dick. Work, work."

The good ol' days when learning to read was funny, but not fun.

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 "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." ~ C.S. Lewis

PNW Painted Rocks

After years of loading the car, making ice for the cooler, and tenting it...we were ready to upgrade our camping experience. The first step, buy a truck and the next, buy a travel trailer. Done!

184 BH Jayco

Read: How to Back Up a Trailer...Like a Man!

Or in my case...like a woman! Boom! Done.

The Dining Room

The Kitchen

The Bath

The Layout

Our maiden voyage for both rigs was to Battleground State Park for our annual camping trip over Memorial Day weekend. How fun and we had the best luck for travel and weather. Another bout of luck came when we found this painted rock on our first day:

A Good Omen

A Painted Rock by P. Gray

It was hidden at the base of a big tree and covered in sap. Written on the back of the rock was, "Post to [I think it says PNW Rocks] on FB when found. Keep or hide. P. Gray, 2018." It was legible until I used hand sanitizer to smear the pitch off, and then I guess I scrubbed to hard, which made the back difficult to read. 

First Voyage a Success!

I found two Facebook pages dedicated to painting, hiding, and finding rocks. Check out PNW Rocks and Pacific Northwest Painted Rocks (#PNWPR) We decided to keep Gray's art with our Jayco to remind us of our first successful voyage and to keep the good vibes close at hand. However, to keep the good will flowing, the kids and I will paint some of our own and start hiding. A fun Easter Egg hunt for the summer months. 

Keep your eyes peeled.

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"Everyone on Earth has a treasure that awaits him." ~ Paulo Coelho

Day #4: Fabulous Five Ornaments

Day #4 is the eve of...the last day of...the free ebook of...Dealing with Blue on Amazon. It's a Young Adult love story set in a small town. Here's what's inside:

Life used to be organized and normal until Suzy Blue moves in with her hoarding mother. Her neighbor, J.J. Radborne, has his own set of problems. His ex-girlfriend is turning up the heat in a confusing mind game, but fortunately, he knows exactly who to team up with: Suzy Blue. Yeah…perfect. Now, if she’d only cooperate.

Kindle Price $0.00

Now - Dec 25th

Now for the fabulous five...Christmas ornaments! My late Aunt Judy used to craft her own ornaments out of beads, wire, and ribbon. On our trees we see our favorite decorations with her craftsmanship, unique and sentimental, and we remember her.

Angel

Mice Friends

Snowflake

Rainbow Star

My Aunt Judy made hundreds of ornaments: icicles, wreaths, drummer boys, toy soldiers, Christmas trees, and a lot more. The clothespin reindeer above was made by my little brother for a holiday craft when he was in elementary school. Ah...the good old days. I love seeing these things on Mom and Dad's tree.

The Head of Donner

I made this one out of a pompoms back in the day...and it made me laugh when I saw my kids hanging it this year. So odd with the bug eyes set close together. Lol.

Homemade is best!

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"If all else fails, sprinkle glitter on it!"

Currently...again

This week a lot of things happened, so I decided to stick with the "currently" theme. Here goes:

1. As far as my writing goes, my second book, which is Will's story, is now in the hands of Bev "Editrix" Rosenbaum, an independent developmental editor. I can't wait to read her notes when she's done since I'm anticipating a rave review with, "It's perfect the way it is! Don't change a thing." LOL. I guess you could say, I might not be emotionally ready for reality. Oh, well. For now, the view from cloud nine is pretty good.

2. I found two very cool things in my garden--I'm a fair-weather gardener, so I get surprised a lot. The first is this cool camouflage-looking moth, which turns out to be a Comstock's Sallow:

In Stealth Mode

Lichen-like Camouflage

3. Also in my garden, the poppy bud from my previous post bloomed. Boom! Red goodness. This is a rare occurrence since we have deer, rabbits, moles, and other critters that nibble on my greens. 

The Flower of Remembrance

4. I like to read multiple books at a time to keep me on my toes. For middle grade, I picked up The Call of the Wild by Jack London. It was l-o-n-g ago when I read it, and I have to say, I'm probably loving it more the second time around. I can appreciate the action, danger, and fast pace. It has truly stood that test of time (it was published in 1903), especially in this digital age where getting into a story needs to be fast and with constant hooks to keep readers engaged. I'm reading a paperback version, which I prefer, and the line illustrations add to the experience. I highly recommend!

5. Writer's research the craziest things when they're finding inspiration for characters or their story plot. Here's a coffee mug picture that says it all:

While researching book #2,  I'd written a list of ailments on a sticky note and stuck it to my desk. It read: lacerated spleen, broken arm, concussion. My husband pointed to it and asked, "Should I be worried?" Yes...I mean no. LOL. It's all part of research, my dear. I also looked up food poisoning, the drug Rohypnol, and joined a forum where I could ask a biker anything. Fascinating.

I'm starting book #3 and began wondering about color blindness, or rather, color vision deficiency. If you have it, how does it affect your life? Last night I found a very cool website on this subject called Color Blind Awareness. Pretty interesting stuff out there!

Friday Five: Garden Pics

1. Yellow Jacket

I devoured the words in The Nest by Kenneth Oppel as well as the fabulous illustrations by Jon Klassen. It's not my usual type of read, and thankfully, I pulled it off the shelf for the cover and size alone. Not to mention, I'm a big fan of Jon Klassen's artwork in picture books (I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, Sam and Dave Dig a Hole). There was no blurb on the back or inside the jacket, so I dove right in and was surprised. It was creepy good! I couldn't put it down.

Naturally, what do I find in my garden this morning? A dead wasp and a cherry sized wasp nest under my eave. My husband knocked it down, but nobody was home. Just a few empty combs inside.

2. Wasp Nest

3. Poppy Bud

4. Hannah's Tombstone

5. Orb Spiderlings

Junk or Treasure?

I wanted to make birthday cards using a story page as background and including a corner bookmark. I thought this would be apropos since I generally give books as presents. I dug through my stash, to find a book junky enough to repurpose and found this...

Famous Fairy Tales (c) 1971

by Western Publishing Company

...an old gem from my childhood, Famous Fairy Tales. It has been duct taped, inside and out, and yet is still missing the first forty-two pages with these classics: Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Jack the Giant Killer. Why keep this thing? Why not give it a new life by recycling it into cards to share with my friends?

 

First Page, 43

So I drug it down to my basement studio and flipped through the chapters...perfect! But I can't seem to make myself tear the pages out! This book has been kicking around since I was a little kid. It's been read and loved in Montana, stored in a box in Alabama, moved back across the country to Oregon, and now is seeing the light of day in Washington.

Where else can you find a book with crusty, forty-five year-old duct tape, hot chocolate stains, and an advertisement for a free can of Folger's Coffee? When I flip through the pages, the book automatically falls open to Tom Thumb on my favorite page, sixty-four. I love that picture of Tom taking a bath in a tea cup. So tiny, so cute!

Guess I'll keep it a while longer.

Tom Thumb

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." ~ Thomas A. Edison

Project 7 of 365Illustration Friday: Faded

Bye Breezy

Bye Breezy - detail

LETTER

Great. It’s about time. It’s weird how over the past

two weeks life’s gotten much more exciting. I’m

still trying to figure out why John was kissing

my hand. Anyway it’s been raining here and I’m

getting mad because I want to sun bleach

my hair. After all, I am a Californian. So when are 

you coming back? To California of course. Well

I gotta run. Since it’s been so long you’ll have

to fill me in on your adventures. It’s been live.

Bye, Breezy

 Today, I used Project 6: Just Relaxing as my inspiration; the second part of Cloth Paper Scissors' (Jan/Feb 2012, page 80) art prompt number 23. "Create a doodle on a piece of paper and then use it to create a piece of art."

After reading about Breezy's adventures with hand kissing and hair coloring, her thoughts faded into the night.

Studio Friday: Family

"Family history, things that have been passed down from one family member to the next, family values, all influence me as an artist, whether I'm consciously aware of it or not.

I wonder how others are influenced or inspired by their families - either past or present. What family treasures might be found in others' studios?" - Ellen

My first vacation with my husband's family was last year in Bulgaria. While there, we met distant relatives, bought the pottery you see below, played on the beach, and went site seeing. We traveled through Sofia, Nessebar, Sozopol, and Sinemorets. It was an awesome vacation, soaking up great weather, history, culture, and family time.

Bulgarian pottery

Local beach in Sinemorets

The wind-up toy bear belonged to my grandpa. He loved kids and played with us often when we were young and growing up. I feel lucky that we lived close during those years. I have lots of fond memories! When he died, my mother passed the bear down to me so I could have a part of him here always. Now looking at the bear, I feel inspired to create a character...maybe tell the bear's story!

Wind-up toy bear