winter's coming quick

letters today.

i'm not quite ready for fall to be over, but the weather feels like winter's coming quick.

reminds me that i haven't started on my christmas card yet, i really should figure out what its going to be so i can start producing - it always takes me a bit longer then i think it will and i have a longer list this year too.

wall decals

i'm having a thing for sticky vinyl lately . . . i want to do some in my house - but i'm sure if i start I'll go crazy an put it everywhere - so i really need to be deliberate and plan what I'm putting where. i've been looking around for a few months now - these are just a couple of the ones I adore, i plan on doing a mock of what i want to do in photoshop so check back for that.

if i ever have a home office I really want to have these on the floor - particularly the mint/teal one.


I'm definitely ordering these as soon as i have a laundry room.

farm festivities

i'm off to a mennonite farm for the weekend to celebrate with family and to enjoy all things fall.

enjoy the weekend!

great {design} expextations

i've been anticipating the arrival of this month's issue of Print, mostly because i've been excited to see the regional design annual winners, but two other things struck me before i could even get to the award section.

1. this quote:

"people today don't just appreciate good design - they expect it."

- David Butler, the vice president of design for Coca-Cola

as a person who strives to create work - and generally live life - in a way that more then simply, meets expectations, i find this quote surmises what i've discovered in my limited experience and it also challenges me. how inspiring!

and 2. tur-da! this amazing ad from Neenah Paper announcing the addition of a pearlized linen paper to their line: way to combine my two favortie things. side note: the typography and pattern looks straight out of Martha Stewart Living.

it's beautiful. and just examine the texture . . . the little swatch of "linen is embossed" to feel extra linen-y, how delightful. I can't wait to use this paper for a future project.

also i really love this color right now.

cc

iPhone vs. Letters

i've been enjoying my iPhone 3G so much that i've barely sent any snailmail in the past couple of weeks, mostly just bills, my fingers have spent more time adapting to the touch screen keyboard then they have scrawling notes and thank you's. eeek.

pear cupcakes with caramel frosting

Pear Cupcakes
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups coarsely shredded Pears (about 1.5 lbs.)
Caramel Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low; mix in pears. Add flour mixture; mix, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until just combined.

Fill lined cups halfway with batter; bake until tops are springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from tins; let cool on a wire rack. When completely cool, frost cupcakes; and decorate as you please.

(the pic might have been after a few glasses of wine. oops.)

Caramel Frosting
3 cups (light) brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons half and half
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix sugar and half and half in a heavy saucepan and cook, stirring over low heat until syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. If lacking a thermometer, check doneness by dropping a tiny bit of syrup into a cup of cold water. When the syrup can be gathered up in fingers and will almost hold its shape, it has reached the soft-ball stage.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in butter, then let syrup cool. Add vanilla and beat until frosting reaches spreading consistency. A little cream (or half-and-half) may be added is mixture is too thick.

happ landing

does anyone else take issue with the phrase happy fall? it seems a little odd when you stop to consider it. i've been delinquent in posting through september because, well, september has been kind of a bummer month, mostly uneventful.

in any event, i am excited that fall is on its way! fall means apple picking, baking and candy-making with said picked appples, wine tasting, maize maze wandering, crisp evenings, dinner with friends and perhaps a bonfire which would be spledid.