Pinspiration Market aka Pinology Market in Seattle

While I love to search garage sales and flea markets for treasures, I also enjoy shopping at official shows to see how other creative people take a melange of vintage pieces and display them in their glory. These booths have a "sum is greater than its parts" feel. There is a certain je ne sais quoi about them and it is wonderful to see. 

Last Saturday, I invited my new friend Amy to spend the morning checking out the Pinspiration Market (now known as Pinology) in Seattle. I told her that I thought it would be a blend of items to create with (unusual stencils, paper clay, buttons) and objects that have already been transformed and are ready to use. She found some pillows and I bought a large metal arrow. Yep, the selection was eclectic for sure, and it was great.

I loved the entire booth by Sparrow and Bloom. She had such cute things for sale, especially these PNW camping mugs. Love!

We ordered 2 oh-so-delicious chicken pot pies from the food truck 314 Pie and we ate them tailgate-style out of the back of my car. I call this little moment, pastries in the sun. Quality shredded chicken, lovely creamy sauce, fresh vegetables, tender crust. Homemade goodness that I'd order all over again.

Thank you, Pinology for hosting a fun Saturday morning activity. I feel inspired.

Christmas Card Display: A Tree

I wanted to show you a Pinterest success! I had to change the materials and process, but the inspiration came from a blog called Thyme is Honey. She used IKEA clips that attach to wall and went on from there.

I decided that I could use removable Command strip light clips and a string of white lights. That way I could use Scotch tape to attach the cards to the white wire between the lights and I wouldn't damage the walls in our temporary digs.

It looks so cute, don't you think? I taped a folded sheet of tissue paper to the wall to create a visual trunk. As the cards come in, they go right on the wall. My "no-where-to-set-anything" apartment stays tidy and my Christmas cards can easily be read and admired.

Really Homemade Tomato Soup

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I was inspired to try this recipe for canned tomatoes when I saw an episode of Laura Calder's "French Food at Home" on the Cooking Channel last year.  So in August, I filled 4 jars with "Sweet 100" cherry tomatoes (from my pot of tomatoes on the patio) and off I went, with hopes of homemade tomato soup in the Winter.

Now fast forward...I opened my first jar yesterday!  To my relief, it gave a satisfying "whoop" when I broke the seal; my first time canning was a success.  The recipe calls for sealing small tomatoes, a piece of onion and a sprig of thyme in the jar.  When I poured the contents into the soup pot, I only had to add a bit of milk and salt, heat and then puree it into soup with an immersion blender. 

It worked like a charm and gave us 2 satisfying bowls of soup for a snowy Tuesday.