Sucre & Sel

paper good

2010-02-19T10:21:00.001-08:00

Never underestimate the importance of "garbage." I don't know when I fell victim to collecting scraps. My mother has instilled in me a fine tuned ability to throw out unnecessary objects, to liquidate and tidy and unclutter when life begins to feel a bit out of control. I realized today, however, that one place my purging has been utterly forgotten is in the paper department. I have gleaned over the years enough scraps to fill an entire corner of my walk-in closet devoted to my paper collection.

Something about the sensory experience of paper makes me deliriously happy. Something about how it carries a message... is a medium of communication. Paper gets to be the third wheel in correspondence, the keeper of history, the bearer of news, it holds our words and carries them forth, it organizes and inspires and creates.

In an increasingly digital age, my papers now also offer a nostalgic presence. Here are a couple of favorites I found this morning:

found this guy on the street and picked him up. "Frypot Return Tag" / steel wire

there once was a tiny paper goods store in pioneer square. one of the best things i learned from kristen blush was about their assorted paper packages. left over paper scraps and news clippings and the most delicious random things a girl could ask for. "special order" no doubt harkened from one of these scrumptious packages.

A Fond Farewell: reflections on the importance of goodbye

2009-09-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

First it was a beloved apartment all my own, then it was friends and family while I enjoyed a month long work-action in New York, then New York itself, most recently the longer days of summer, and now I'm left with a mouth/heart full of yet another goodbye: 'Goodbye childhood home.' I pray quietly to myself that I am accurate in my belief regarding loss; it seems in the face of so much change, and not always welcome, necessary, or sought after change, one must decide that forward movement of any kind will inevitably lead to a better kind of magic. It has, however, called into question the necessity of the 'goodbye.' How do we honor the gift of progress while sating our grief over attachments in the past? Listening. Careful, quiet listening.

I've felt antsy about making use of my final days of summer, and so, as tribute, managed to kidnap a couple of dear lady friends and adventure to a new beach. We traveled just a touch south of the city to Saltwater State Park. It was revitalizing to nest in a tiny cove of beached driftwood, feel the Indian summer sun on my fading tan, drown out thoughts of worry, and untied endings, and unbegun beginnings in the soft Pacific surf.

I am learning, slowly but surely, to follow my instincts. To listen to the voice that some days tells me it is vital to find the ocean. To respond to the requests for grieving when loss is necessary in order to make room. To still myself long enough to remember who I am and who I still wish to become. Goodbye past. Goodbye summer. Goodbye home.

hello new magic.

Dear Dealer #100,

2009-09-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

"Nice Rack"...twss $125

One of my sweet men enlisted my services on the search for the perfect living room wall art, an antique bar, and some sort of magazine rack for the bathroom. Naturally, my first inclination was to deliver him to one of my favorite places on the planet: Pacific Galleries.

Incredible, and consistently surprising, how inspiring it is for me to wander through tiny room after tiny room, centuries of memories, tokens and treasures. One could spend years in that place sifting through all the tiny nooks and crannies. Among the things I felt a burning desire to take home were the aforementioned "rack," a gallery dining table constructed from salvaged Sunset Bowl alley flooring, and dear dealer #100, why do I want EVERYTHING in your booth?:

If only you could feel this chair: newly gilded Vintage Armchair $585 & set of Botanical bookplates $375

I pretty close to creamed my pants upon seeing this luscious item, oh how I yearn for thee...: Vintage Gentleman's Chest by Milo Baughman $2250

Dream of dreams color palette happening right now, double primary on black & white: Vintage crinkle glaze ginger jar lamp $475 & black studded table $475

The upholstery choice on this beauty is a bit garish for my tastes (imagine her in a nice chocolate mohair - SWOON), but good lordy I'll take what I can get when the gettin's this good: Gilded Antique British Settee $2550

Design Time: Sea & Sky Bathroom

2009-09-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

bathroom decor complete: salvaged bead board & antique elements

The bathroom is finally entirely unpacked and placed in some sort of reasonable order. In fact, it may be the most peaceful room in the entire apartment. I've been blessed with an inordinate amount of square footage here. It has been suggested to me that a chaise may be in order for proper lounging. Instead, I made use of my salvaged bead boards and a myriad of antique goodies treasure troved from Pacific Galleries.

ocean reminiscence: antique corral on bead board shelf

Sink-side tray: antique magnifying mirror & French bath goodies.

old French medic's tray holds my modern day torture devices

I could say I'm making some incredibly conceptual design choice here with the dichotomy between sea and sky, but really I just think they're pretty: quail eggs perched on top of antique medic's trays

Family Dinner (Sans Family); A Reflection Regarding Homemade Condiments

2009-09-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

family dinner for one: cuisinart caesar, baked beans,
bbq chicken lollipops & soda biscuits with mom's vanilla bean fig jam

After a long, hard day of selling high end leather goods to colorful Canadian tourists, the item at the forefront of this tired shop girl's mind was... barbecue sauce. A package of organic chicken drumettes had waited long enough to meet their inevitable maker. I had spent the day in a hazy daydream of overflowing soup pots cradling the delicious blend of caramelized onions, molasses and aromatic spices that would soon be smothering those tender legs.

The gathered research on barbecue sauces led me to the creation of the following concoction: onions and garlic caramelized in balsamic & brown sugar, tomato paste browned with a mix of spices (I chose cumin, coriander, chili powder, mustard powder, red chili flakes, black pepper, sea salt, and the piece de resistance... cocoa powder!), and a final addition of Worcestershire, molasses, cider vinegar & tomato sauce. You can imagine my excitement as I added ingredient after ingredient to the pot and it actually started to smell like barbecue sauce. Sweet, sweet, sultry bbq.

It dawned on me what a powerful, delightful, and incredibly intimate gesture the act of creating one's own condiments can be. Earlier this week my beautiful mother had sent me home with a bell jar of her homemade, picked-from-the-garden vanilla bean fig jam. If heaven were to have a taste, this, I'm quite positive, would be it. The more I eat the more it becomes apparent that what makes eating an action, an activity... an event, rather than the fulfillment of a survival instinct, are those times when you're given the opportunity to connect with your food on an emotional level. I relish that tender moment of exchange between some piece of hand made sustenance and the delighted hand that accepts it. Such joy comes from such simplicity.

trend watch & learn: bib necklace!

2009-09-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's true... the only way to look good right now is to wear a bib necklace. A pile of odds and ends that may have some day become the most amazing necklace of your life, have been waiting patiently, crammed into a pink plastic bag, for what feels like months. With all of my boxes finally unpacked, and the mess put away, I took it upon myself to make a new mess. Just like the ugly duckling before it, out of the hot mess emerged a thing of beauty.

initial sketch

in progress: feather & stud placement

silk bib with leather accents & feather details.
studding & bead work by hand with tea-dyed muslin backing

ta da!

Photo Boothing...

2009-08-28T20:35:00.001-07:00

–noun Also called sol⋅ace⋅ment.

1.	comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort.

I will admit with no shame, hesitation nor regret that I am an absolute photo booth addict. I seek them out. I find solace in them. I take great comfort in being able to carry away a memory from my few brief moments shoved into a tiny, curtained box, contorted into a logical sequence of (often drunken) poses with people I hold dearly. I love the climax. I love the anticipation. I love the clicks and whirs inside the magic little box while we wait, and the soft, sticky, sulfuric developer smell left on your hands after the initial viewing.

The day has finally come for me to find a use for the 50+ strips I have collected over the years of my youth (thank you chacha, broadway market, union pool, B&I, fun forrest, pretty parlor, neumo's, pdx ace hotel, and puyallup fair). A slow switch to a more monochromatic bedroom palette encouraged me to swap out the vintage rose post cards formerly inhabiting this gold frame, in favor of a new home for these photo booth treasures. My photo booths have seen birthdays, bon voyages, engagements, heart aches, and love affairs.

They are sweet, and simple, and timeless. They are my loves. xo.

sausage & waffles

2009-08-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

As far back as I can remember there have only been a handful of foods that I have a great distaste for. It took me until high school to learn that french fries are a delicacy. Donuts have always in sighted a gag reflex. And pancakes (and therefore, waffles by default considering it's often the same batter...) have never been invited to my breakfast parties. However, today must be a magical kind of day. A dear friend inspired a waffle-loving within me, and when I opened marthastewart.com for a recipe, low and behold waffles were on the front page. Waffles were meant to be.

Oat flour waffles with fresh whipped cream and warm strawberry-peach compote.

Stella warming her pouf while we gorged.

love your lover

2008-12-17T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's been proven to me on more than one occasion that all true love really means is good timing. As I get older (and a little wiser), it becomes apparent that sometimes, if it's "meant to be," the universe will make good timing happen. I'm patiently waiting. Watch fob in hand. For good timing to find me.

In the mean time, I take some time to make Valentine's for my many lovers in honor of their unbelievably, positively necessary, presence in my life. A pretty little "mix tape" housed in a hand made envelope. Each one was unique just like the treasures they were made for.

Song List:
1. Will you please be there for me - Reindeer Section
2. Baby now that I've found you - Alison Kraus
3. Crazy Love - Van Morrison
4. Let's get it on - Jack Black
5. I'll follow you into the dark - Death Cab for cutie
6. Heartbeats - Jose Gonzales
7. Eyes - Rogue Wave
8. Love & some verses - Iron & Wine
9. Question - Old 97's
10. My heart would know - Hank Williams
11. All my loving - The Beatles
12. I wanna be your boyfriend - The Ramones
13. I Believe - Stevie Wonder
14. Last Request - Paolo Nutini
15. Sing me to sleep - Night Canopy
16. Let myself fall - Rosie Thomas

Summer? - Homemade Potato Salad

2008-04-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

Well... almost. We are in the Northwest here folks. A mere two weeks after a late March snow storm, today reached an unprecedented 78 degrees. The seasons are teasing me. Do I unpack all of my dusty summer clothing and brush up on my coleslaw skills? This fleeting vision into what will undoubtedly be a warm summer was accompanied by no less than three (3!) invitations to BBQ's, one of my all-time favorite pass times. I've learned never to turn up to a party empty handed, so the biggest question (other than which of the parties to attend...) was what to bring. As a seasoned BBQ expert, I've learned that there's one thing no BBQ can go without,

Homemade Potato Salad:

Now that's delicious. This recipe calls for small bits of potato boiled on high heat so you can whip it up in a jiffy.

Here's the recipe:

4-5 Red Potatos cut into bite-sized pieces
3 Eggs
2-3 large cloves of garlic
1 large red carrot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 dill pickle, finely chopped (a dill relish works too, substitute 1-2 Tbs based on your taste, but I had some homemade pickles that I just couldn't resist popping in)
3 large, green cocktail olives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 Tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp Mama Bear's Worcestershire Sauce (a great all-natural, locally made product available at www.boozerubs.com)
1/2 tsp tamarind
1/2 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Make it: Fill a pot with water (enough to cover your potatoes and eggs) and boil it up. Throw in the potatoes and eggs with the garlic cloves and let them boil until the potatoes start to soften (just before the skins start to peel off, about 15 minutes).

While the potatoes are going, chop up the rest of your ingredients and throw them together in a large bowl. When the potatoes are done, rinse them with cold water and put them in the freezer to cool while you peel your eggs. Once the eggs are peeled, give em a fine chop and add them to the bowl along with your chilled potatoes. Toss it all together. Give it a taste and add more spices as necessary.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can pretty much add anything delicious you have at the ready. The trick is finding the right combination of fresh, crisp vegetables, and soft creamy bits to blend it all together. I love putting capers in when I'm out of pickles, or experimenting with different spices (try coriander and cumin for a nice pungent combo or fresh green onions for a bit of a kick). I dare you to find a grocery store Potato Salad that even comes close...

Bon Apetit!