I just noticed, upon closer inspection (read: any inspection at all) that the soil I've been using all this year for all my plantings of things is meant to be for mixing with native soil for in-ground planting only. According to the bag, I'm not supposed to do any of the following with it: set plants directly into it, set seeds into it, use it in containers. I have, of course, done all of the above. Oddly enough, everything is doing just fine.

I'm not a very careful gardener.

I've been working on these for a friend of ours, a philosopher who runs in the same philosopher gang as my husband. He requested two pairs of earrings, one with 'philo' and 'sophia' (philo= love, and sophia= wisdom, so love of wisdom = philosophy), and the other with 'techne' and episteme' (episteme= scientific or philosophical knowledge, and techne= craft, art, practical knowledge-- the pair known more commonly as theory vs. practice. Here's an explanation, courtesy of Stanford). It proved to be a bit tricky since I have never studied Greek, let alone Greek letterforms, but I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out! I should definitely start doing more with different languages and scripts. I've been wanting to for a while (ever since I started making my jewelry, in fact), but for various reasons haven't, really. Yet. I do have a pair of amani/imani earrings ready to go, but more on that later....

techne and episteme

philo and sophia

Sometimes people wonder how I come up with all the interesting words and phrases I put on my jewelry. "How do you think of these things, Joanna?", they ask. Well, I'll tell you.

I have a journal, and late at night (and also while on walks or while sitting out on the deck sipping iced tea), I brainstorm and write things down (yes, this means that I get to count sitting out on the deck sipping iced tea as a sort of work). A few good bits result. Plus a lot of not good bits. Fortunately, I have the ability to tell the difference, for the most part.

Sometimes what I get is just funny (especially the ones I write down just as I'm falling asleep, which seemed perfectly good at the time but which, upon waking, clearly will not do. For example, in my journal I have written the following:

" 'a banana ate me,' she said, 'when I was young.' "
"fluffy-headed juggernaut"
"But who can only speak of the flowering trees and the absent toads"

So yes, editorial skills are a big part of what makes it all work.

I had quite a weekend at the Broad Ripple Art Fair. So busy! And with the winds, and a little rain on and off Saturday. Good times.

When I finally emerged from my exhausted stupor yesterday, I discovered that my poppies had bloomed! Huzzah!

Friday Cupcake Blogging

Today is my philosopher's birthday. He's in the midst of hosting a conference he helped organize; for some reason, I volunteered to make celebratory cupcakes for everyone at the conference. Now, it's not a big conference, only about 40 people. And I like baking. Still, I've been at it nonstop since 11am, and have to say I'm pretty darn tuckered at this point.

I made 3 kinds. Exhibit 1: yellow cake with chocolate frosting and chopped toffee for garnish.

Exhibit 2: chocolate espresso cupcakes with rum frosting and toasted pecans.

Exhibit 3: Lemon mini cupcakes with lemon cream cheese icing and crystallized ginger.

Then, disaster! The cooling rack slipped, the cupcakes were in peril! It's ok, this is the only one that actually hit the ground. A few others landed on the counter, a couple slid sideways into each other, but were entirely salvageable. Gave me a good excuse to try a sample, anyway.

Now I just have to go finish getting prepared for my weekend in the gallery booth at the Broad Ripple art fair.

Oh, and because it is Friday, here's a random cat picture. Ballyhoo, enjoying the sun and wishing I'd put the camera down and scratch him.

Front page! That's me, right there in the middle!

*does happy dance*

Many thanks to LeAnn at Aquablue for the heads up and the screenshot.

Wow! It sure did rain on Sunday. And was there wind, you ask? Yes. Yes, there was. Luckily I had insisted on making a second set of weights for the canopy, so with 60+ pounds on each corner, it didn't go anywhere (unfortunately not the case for every artist at the show, alas).

We (the handful of us left in Artisan's Alley) were able to move into the building where the artist demos were taking place, and happily a few brave souls ventured up the hill in the rain to come visit us. My feet were wet all day, though, and when I got home I more or less immediately fell asleep (after calling my mother to wish her a happy Mother's Day, of course). Been on the same weird sleep schedule ever since: falling asleep almost against my will around 7:30 pm, sleeping till about 1am, then waking up. Got up last night and started some nice pieces. Wouldn't mind returning to normalcy, though.

Now I'm just getting ready for Broad Ripple-- I have a spot in the gallery booth. Looking forward to schmoozing with my fellow artists and enjoying the show! (Cross your fingers for us on the weather-- I'm not sure I'm ready for anoher weekend inthe rain quite yet).

I have to leave again soon this morning for the art fest. Just wanted to report that I won first place in the jewelry category! Woot!

My award-winning booth.

Me in my award-winning booth.

It is now starting to rain, and I hear thunder, which does not bode well for the day.

Friday Cat Blogging

As promised, cat blogging. Better late than never. It is Friday here yet.

Vindaloo finds this position very comfortable for some reason. She'll just flop out on her back in the middle of the room. I still find it hilarious.

Sometimes, she will look at you. Just lay there and stare, wondering what you're giggling at.

A mysterious and deeply silly cat, our Vindaloo.

I know, I know, I've been a slack blogger again. AGAIN.

In my defense, I've been getting ready for the Nashville art festival this weekend. Plus, much to my dismay, I woke up one recent morning to find a small multitude of termites whooping it up in the front entryway; this required appointments with exterminators, and then a rush to move several of my herb plants that were living a little too close to the treatment zone. This involves extending the edge of my garden so I have somewhere to put them. A job I haven't actually finished quite yet, and the bug guys are coming this afternoon.

In the herbal shenanigans category, last week I came across a recipe for limoncello. Thought I'd do my own version: trimmed back some of my lemon balm, snipped it up and stuffed it along with maybe a teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest into a mason jar. Covered in vodka. Let it steep for a few days. Yesterday it was time for the reveal: strained it off, mixed it with equal parts of a simple syrup. Soooo good! Particularly when mixed with blueberry-pomegranate juice.

There you go, my greatest accomplishment for the week.

Friday cat blogging coming later today, stay tuned.

Friday Cat Blogging

It's thundering so hard the ground is shaking. I'm gonna make this a quickie and shut the computer down!

For your cat-viewing pleasure, I give you Ballyhoo, who was out on the deck helping me pot up some of the plants I bought last week. He's very helpful this way, as you might imagine.

Big yawn!