A slice of time: Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby has some mighty fine products as a part of its 80-percent-off home accessories sale right now.

Wonder what the big man in the sky thinks about fish?

A slice of time: Puppy paws

Stuff I love: The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

 

Growing up my mom collected cookbooks. She'd read them, then store them somewhere in the kitchen. She didn't, however, particularly like to cook.

I love to bake. I don't mind cooking. And I love to read, cookbooks included. My newest find is The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, recommended by Heidi Swanson over at 101 Cookbooks — my favorite recipe site of all time.

And boy, did she hit on a good one. Big Sur is one of the most stunning cookbooks I've ever seen, and it weaves a tale of perseverance with natural cooking.

If you like to cook, you'll love recipes such as:

Brown Butter Rhubarb Bars

Hazlenut Flan with Roasted Cherries

Pearl Barley with Kale and Butternut Squash

If you just like to look, you'll be awed by the wide expansive landscapes of the Big Sur, California region and the close-ups of free-range pigs from TLC Ranch. It makes you want to visit the region. Maybe stay for awhile.

And if you're just looking for a good read, you'll find it here too. Each person that plays a role in the success of the Big Sur Bakery is featured with photos, quips and quotes.

Two thumbs up. Five stars. And a big grin.

A slice of time: Lilac bud out back

Bao Bao

 

Last week I attended the Boa Boa Festival at Colorado College. It was an evening of African music, dance and storytelling. And color! (My pictures don't even begin to do justice to the beautiful greens and purples and yellows on that stage that evening.)

As they told us, the Boa Boa tree is known as the "umbrella of community," which to me, was what Packard Hall felt like with these amazing sounds and movements happening inside it. 

I'm so grateful to have CC nearby, a place where I can engage with and learn about cultures I know little about. Events like these remind me how much I love — and need — to travel.

 

Pearl

 

Meet Pearl. 

Pets like Pearl do make it hard for me to volunteer at the Humane Society and not bring more furry friends into my home.

Four-year-old Pearl came into the shelter as a stray ... and missing her eyes. They fixed her up and now she's looking for her forever family. I spent way more time with Pearl than I should have giving her some snuggles ... and spent much more time than made sense trying to figure out how to convince my husband to adopt her. (Not going to happen. We have four companion animals already.) (Are you absolutely sure, hon?)

But she is such a sweetie. In many ways, you wouldn't know she's blind. She purrs for a petting. And nuzzles your hand for more.

No one knows how she lost her eyes. But it really doesn't matter. She's got a heart full of love for someone who will just love her back.

The red sweater grows

Remember that sweater I blogged about last fall? Well, I didn't make much progress on it at all — until February and Ravelry.com's Ravelympics competition. Basically the concept is for yarn artists to pick a challenging project and commit to finish it during the three weeks between the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics. I signed on with my sweater.

 

I finished the sweater's collar, and sleeve No. 1 (above). I also learned very early on that I do not knit fast enough to complete a sweater in three weeks, and still go to work, sleep, eat, etc... 

No worries though. I'm plugging away on sleeve No. 2 and still have my eye on the prize. My very first homemade sweater.

Knit on.

Dear Starbucks

You were right. You said I wanted a Dark Chocolate Cherry Mocha. And you were exactly right.

It was yummy.

Even if I do smell like coffee now.

A slice of time: Yawn

Dear Oprah

I love you, Oprah. I really do.

But your idea of affordable, and my idea of affordable, are two very different things.

Seriously?