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Had a very busy weekend people watching in Cambridge.
The irises and blackberries the yard are beautiful & tasty.
Had a few moments here and there to make a custom bracelet & ship out some earrings :D
Today is Solstice. Enjoy the longest day of sunshine of this year.
What are your summer plans?
I've been adding a couple of extra blocks to my even walk home. Yesterday, I got on at the Haymarket T station, and got to my optimal location on the platform just as the train finished pulling in to the station. Perfect timing.
This is what I found in the subway car!
Yes! Can you imaging that? an empty subway car at 6pm on a week day?
My love & I are a world apart when it comes to gits at gift giving time. But this past christmas/birthday he really rocked it. hard. Even the title makes my day "Amateur Craftsman's Cyclopedia of Things to Make"
Awesome! (swoon)
Compiled by Popular Mechanics in 1937 this is page 9 (the first page with any Things to Make) 
the instructions for making a variety of rings continue to page 10. The descriptions are about forming, shaping, and useful materials to work with "celluloid"
Modern tooth brushes have batteries in them, and are made of composite plastics. Also they might be a bit bulky for a ring ~ one of the pictured brushes is almost 3/4 in diameter!
Where might you find "celluloid" toothbrushes or handles today? The consignment and thrift shops don't tend to keep "personal care" items...(eew sounds strange considering buying a used toothbrush!)
Maybe we'll look to page 11 for a project...
I'll post about Page 11 on Wednesday next week!
With a rainy weekend there isn't much better way to keep the chill off than by trying some new and experimental recipes. This weekend wild experiment: Bacon Parmesan Ranch Bread
You may ask: What ever possessed you to make dressing flavored bread?
I didn't know this before, but Ranch Dressing is apparently America's favorite salad dressing. I like it too, yet find the many commercially available versions...commercial tasting. So it's a simple leap to guess that I had extra herb-ed and flavored buttermilk from making homemade ranch dressing earlier in the week that I didn't want to throw away.
Recipe after the jump:
Bread experiment ballpark directions:
oven at 350 degrees. 9x13 brownie style dark coated pan.
1/2 warm water, 1T yeast, 1T sugar in a bowl to proof
mix in 1/2 c white flour & let sit about 20 minutes to make a sponge.
stir down and mix in melted 2T bacon fat, 2T sugar, 1T sea salt and 2/3 cup herb-ed buttermilk (buttermilk with garlic, onion, thyme, sage, parsley, turmeric, paprika, and cracked pepper)continue mixing on a low medium speed adding 1c flour, 2/3c more buttermilk, 1c flour, 2/3 c buttermilk, 1/2 c flour ~ it should be bouncy and a bit sticky, but not very wet.
grease 9x13 pan with more bacon fat (or use the pan after baking some bacon. leave the drippings in. yum) , squoosh the bread dough in to the pan as evenly as you can, and sprinkle top generously with Parmesan cheese & lightly with cracked pepper.
Let sit covered about an hour until bouncy.
Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes
The turmeric gives it that pretty yellow color
Why reserved Bacon! for Sunday Brunch?
The sweet salty allure of Bacon! calls to everyone, and bring people together.
Check out the Crafty Team Bacon!
Recipes, Bacon! themed crafts, comics, relationship and gift giving suggestions abound.
the summer movies are opening this weekend! Are you going to see the ATeam or Karate Kid? give it a thumbs up or down in the comments!
Here's a smaller stranger movie screening of I am Love tonight at the MFA.
It stars the lovely Tilda Swinton.
Emotional and social boundaries crossed; Meet Kismet at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Museum. Or discuss it at H+ Summit at Harvard
Or indulge just a bit more ~ How about a Food Fight!
Saturday take the Chocolate tour around the South End. Then check out the Battle of the Small Plates on Sunday
I joined Swap-Bot.
Have had a blast sending & creating postcards & ATCs. Receiving them has been such fun! I love my overflowing mail box.
I created my first public swap. Join if you can!
I swap with Swap-bot!