Mushroom picking

I was in my back woods trying to pick up sticks and rake up some leaves from the Irene aftermath when I saw them, everywhere! These are pictures of some of them.

Around this time of year when I was little I used to go mushroom picking with my grandmother. It was so much fun! Some she would slice up and dry and others she would pickle whole. I would never eat them at that age, I was always kind of grossed out by eating mushrooms from the woods. I'm sure I had unknowingly eaten dried chopped mushrooms in sauces and soups but the pickled ones looked slimy and I always made sure to stay clear of those


There are lots of identification books out there and If you really want to get into this many areas offer mushroom foraging walks. I remember wanting to go on one in the boston area but the class was full, so start looking now.

Wire Basket

To me this collapsible wire basket from CB2 is more like an awesome sculpture than a storage basket. Me likey! $39.95

My trip to South America Part 1

the view
the side of the house

electric fence

I just took an amazing trip to Venezuela! My husband was born and raised there and he finally took me! We stayed in Caracas, which is a crazy town, people drive with no rules! Motorcycles fly in between cars and even follow ambulances to get out of traffic.

My first impression leaving the airport was that it looked like a post-apocalyptic Miami, but there are some really beautiful areas and lots of metal sculptures everywhere. Venezuelans really appreciate art - everyone I visited had paintings and sculptures in their homes.

We stayed in a concrete home, which was built in the late 70's. It has an amazing view. All homes here are surrounded by tall walls, gates and almost all have electric fences, or razor wire or both, to keep robbers and kidnappers out. Crime is very high here...

Art.com

You can find my new sea creatures over at Art.com

Latest looks from Room and Board

Just got an email today from Room and Board, wow! Loving these new chairs!. That Chloe chair is amazing!

Painting

Yesterday my husband and I went to our local home improvement store and we got tempered hardboard and plywood. Our mission? To make lots and lots of canvases for me to paint on. I started cutting out some shapes last night, it's gonna be tough going back to painting, I'm so used to having a undo button.

New products

I did this pattern (which can be seen on my twitter page) for kitchen paper products like recipe cards, meal planners, etc. The line can be found through this online wholesale catalog http://studiooh.com



Next, I got a few samples from a children's foam book series I did for Innovative Kids. These are pop-out pieces that float in the bath and stick to the sides of the tub. I just love the way they came out. The ocean book is my favorite!



No you can't find this stuff in my shop, sorry.

Sale ends today

Today is the last day of my 15% sale! This is open to both domestic and international buyers. Head over to my shop and take a look.