Pickles are Spooky

Halloween window at the pickle store.

Jack-o-lanterns are notoriously fearful of spiders.  The other pumpkins and pickles have no sympathy for the little fella though.  So rude.

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Putting the "Grill" in Grillo's

Well, the end of August is here and Sam the Pickle Man knows what that means...it's time to grill!!

Labor Day is the second most popular BBQ day in the United States coming in only slightly after the 4th of July in popularity.  (I made all that up.)  And it's right around the corner!

It's time for one last hurrah with your friends before the days get shorter and the nights turn chilly.  

Head over to Grillo's Pickles in Inman Square in Somerville to get some pickles for your Labor Day BBQ and make sure to tell them Mandee sent you!

(Not because you'll get a discount but because I want them to think I'm sooooooo cool.)

Happy Grilling!!

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Hand Painted Strawberry Clogs

These custom clogs are for a globe-trotting young sassafras who originally hails from Ireland.  She needed something worldly, bright and most importantly adorable.  I settled on a Matryoshka inspired strawberry theme and threw in some of my own flair.  They are painted by hand using weather-proof paint made exclusively for painting leather and will wear just like a leather shoe and sealed with an acrylic sealant to protect the image. 

Let me know if you have some clogs that could use a makeover.  It's $60 for most  designs. 

Thanks for looking!  -m

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July is National Pickle Month!

Good Morning and happy first day of National Pickle Month!  To kick off this month-long pickle party I went over to Grillo's Pickles, my local pickle store, painted their window, ate way too many pickles and talked about world pickle domination.

Travis Grillo, Chief Pickle Officer, started making and selling pickles in 2008 using his family's 100 year old recipe.  He was slingin' them out of a pickle cart at the Park Street T stop 2 for $1 and now has made his way into Whole Foods all over New England, Fenway Park and at his very own pickle store.

The store is located in Inman Square, Somerville (on the Cambridge/Somerville line which I hear is referred to as "Camberville" but I'm not buying it) at 1075 Cambridge Street and they are definitely worth a trip.

Go over, check out the window, have some pickles (try the hot ones they're AMAZING!) and tell them Mandee sent you!  Happy Pickle Month!!

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$5 DIY Googley-eyed Fall Wreath Tutorial

I'm not sure what's happening to me but I felt an overwhelming urge to make an Autumn wreath this year.  I've always been into decorating, and over-decorating, for the holidays but I usually keep it to giant fake spiders, severed hands and glittery skeletons.  Your standard October stuff.  So when I found myself shopping for a wreath making supplies, nobody was more surprised than me.  It was as if I blacked out and woke up at the register with a wreath form and fake foliage in my hands. 

So, I've accepted it, I like wreaths.  There, I said it.  

But that doesn't mean I have to make a button covered, gingham scarecrow country crafts with a giant bow type of wreath.   I can like wreaths and still make them look like me.  It doesn't mean I have to buy high waisted Mom jeans or run out and lease a mini-van.  Not yet anyway.  

So here is my tutorial on how to make a quick $5 Googley-Eyed Fall Wreath:

SUPPLIES (I got the $1 supplies from the dollar store)

$1 wreath form

$1 fall foliage x3

$1 5pk mini squashes

ball of twine (had on hand)

googley eyes (had on hand) 

wire cutters (had 'em)

glue gun/glue sticks (had 'em)

To begin, start by tying the end of your twine to your wreath form and wrap the twine around the wreath for a space about 3" long.  This is purely decorative. 

Next, arrange your 3 bouquets of fall foliage and begin snipping them off of the main branch with your wire cutters.  Arrange the new seperate pieces so that you have 2 equal bouquets (if you plan on making 2 wreaths...which I did because I have a double front door.)

Now begin adding the plastic foliage to your wreath just under the 3" band of twine.  I used hot glue to keep the plants in place and then wrapped more twine around the base of each one- mostly because it looks cute but also to secure it in place.  

When you reach the end add another 3" section of wrapped twine to finish it off.  You can stop here and have a perfectly lovely Autumnal Wreath to hang on your front door but I feel like it's just too regular.  It needs something. 

In my case, that "something" almost always ends up being googley-eyes.  Or "guurely eyes" as my niece calls them.  

From the 5 pack of mini squashes I scooped at the dollar store, I grabbed a couple of 'em and gave them life.  I am not unlike the good Dr. Frankenstein in this way.  

Take your freshly googelied squashes and arrange them at the base of your fallin' foliage until you are satisfied and hot glue them into place.  

**Note: my squashes are made of styrofoam which means they basically melt when the come in contact with hot glue.  Turn your glue gun to the lowest setting if you have that option or put the glue on the wreath first and allow it to cool for about 3-4 seconds before placing your squash so that it doesn't turn into a puddle.**

And finally, add a twine hanger to the top of your wreath and hang with pride from your front door(s).  

Together these wreaths cost me less than $10 and they can be left up through Halloween and all the way through to Thanksgiving.  I hope you like them as much as I do. 

happy fall!

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The Apple Pickin'-est Guys Around

Apple picking is a sure sign of better things to come.  Things like sweaters and leggings and tights and boots and scarves!  I love dressing for fall ALMOST as much as I love punkin flavored beverages and punkin flavored foods.  Almost.

 I wish I could give Fall a big squeeze to show it how much I missed it.  Like this guy with his apple.

Happy Thursday and Happy Fall!!!

(nothing personal Summer but I'm so over you)

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Stephanie's Cake Fascinator

My beeeeautiful friend, and bride-to-be, Stephanie requested that I make her a piece-of-cake fascinator for her upcoming birthday/bachelorette party.








I started with a cardboard form, iced it with white paint, threw on some pearls and then basically submerged the whole thing in glitter.

The only thing more fabulous than this fascinator is the little lady it was made for- Stephanie I'm so incredibly happy for you and I can't wait to see you in your weddin' dress!!  Tim is a lucky man...but I bet you tell him that all the time.    **MUAH!!** Pin It

A little more bacon-y, please.

 I feel like I've come to a good place in life when people know to come to me if they need something to look "more bacon-y".  That was the request for this inexpensive bacon costume bought online by Karen- it just didn't look bacon-y enough so she asked me to fix it.

And it's a good thing because Maya and her pet sheep would have looked ridiculous in that store-bought bacon costume in the annual 4-H costume parade at the Marshfield Fair.  That was a close one!

p.s. please note Maya's custom bacon bow...I think there's a Lady Gaga costume in her future. Pin It

Day 6: Meatless Monday

According to MeatlessMonday.com:

 

"Ghent, Belgium became the first city to go meatless in May, 2009 and Paul McCartney introduced Meat-Free Mondays to the UK soon after. Since then, Meatless Monday has rapidly expanded into an international movement! The campaign’s simple message allows each nation to bring its unique culture, customs and cuisine to the table. Join the movement. It's good for your nation's health, good for the planet!"

And here are 6 reasons why you should join in and go 

Meatless on Mondays:

• LIMIT CANCER RISK
• REDUCE HEART DISEASE
• FIGHT DIABETES
• CURB OBESITY
• IMPROVE YOUR DIET
• REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Not to mention that there are a millieu of delicious vegetarian dishes out there to try, like this one that Liz made for me last week that was so so so delicious I can't even stand it:

Country Fried Seitan 

For more recipes, information and to pledge to go Meatless on Mondays, go to MeatlessMonday.com now!

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Delicious Vegetarian Chicken Recipe

This is by far the best vegetarian chicken I've ever tasted.  

I made this small chicken army for Easter but these
would also be lovely for a farm themed birthday, a
Spring celebration or just cause they're adorable.

Recipe from Martha Stewart.

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Make Me: St. Patrick's Day Rainbow Cupcakes

It is said that every Leprechaun has a pot of gold, hidden deep in the Irish countryside.  The most popular hiding place for this pot of gold is, of course, at the end of a rainbow.

These delicious little rainbows do not have pots of gold at the end of them but they do have icing on top of them and they are, thankfully, far less ellusive than real rainbows.   They'd be a perfect addition to any St. Patrick's day celebration.

Here's how to make them. 

First, collect your supplies, you'll need:

-yellow cake batter
-food coloring
-paper baking cups
-icing

Begin by preparing your cake batter according to your recipe. 

Next, seperate the cake batter evenly into 6 containers.

Then dye each cup of batter a different color of the rainbow.  I like to use Wilton gel food coloring, it makes beautiful, rich colors.  I would highly recommend using them instead of the liquid food coloring from the grocery store. 

Now begin layering batter into your prepared muffin tin purple first. 

Then do the same with the blue...

And the green...

Slap on some yellow...

Add a dollop of orange...

And finally top it off with a spoonful of red.

Bake cupcakes according to recipe.

Remove from oven and let cool. 

Once cooled, the outside of the cupcake will look like this.  Meh, nothin' special.

But crack 'er open and you have a vibrant and delicious rainbow surprise!

My 4 year old nephew actually told me that his cupcake was "too beautiful to eat." 

And then I died of acute cute overload.

You can also play around with the layering to make other cool creations-

Happy baking!

                                                      dry erase board by yours truly

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