now that i’ve confirmed a come-home-to-portland date [early next week!] i can also confirm that i’ll be at the holiday market above! if you come, you’ll be the first to see the debut of my new just-for-the-holidays goodies!

usually on fridays i try to post the book i’ve been reading all week, but i don’t remember much of the one i was reading this week thanks to everything else going on. go figure! if you’re curious, the book was the book of tibetan elders found on my mom’s book shelf between all the fern michaels’ and nora roberts’ novels.

all week i’ve been out of my element and stressed out with the lower back issues that come with it. after the initial urgency and hectic-ness were dealt with, i was determined not to let my present circumstances take me down completely. the past two days i was able to spend lots of time doing whatever it took to calm myself and rebalance. it was also a great opportunity to reflect on my work, which i’ve been avoiding because it’s at a cross-roads. lots of walks, stretching, sleeping, reading, researching, thinking, thinking positively, and eating kale.

and it all worked. my lower back issues dissipated on their own without health practitioner intervention, i realized i need to find my little dog a new home more suited to her present needs, i gained lots of insight on my work and where its heading and what i need to be doing, and i have perfected my stress-coping strategies.

now i’m ready to get home to portland and get to work!

i visited this shop a few years ago when visiting friends in nyc, and fell in love with their candy ring offerings [above].

i’d forgotten the name of the shop, but seeing it on remodelista last week, i re-remembered this place that sells and makes a modern artisanal version of the fancy hard candy my grandfather always bought for christmas gatherings.

i found an excellent pretty blog post about the shop and candy at plenty of color – a new-to-me blog worthy of further exploration.

and also a video from martha stewart’s visit that shows the entire fascinating candy-making process:

gorgeous, simple, informative… great for those times in the kitchen when you just don’t know what to make with a veggie in your csa box or from your garden!

and available as a hi-res digital download!

via information is beautiful.

hey you graphic design nerds out there – what font is this?! just curious!

Handmade Portraits: Rob Ryan from Etsy on Vimeo.

1. yes!
2. i should get studio assistants!

after the past week of just plain crazy i’ve taken the weekend to mentally and physically regroup involving lots of walks on suburban sidewalks [isn't the combo above beautiful?] and around the bay. the weather here has been cooperative and gorgeous.

surely this next week won’t be so overwhelming?!

10/25 UPDATE: charming lucy dog has recovered from her uti & has found a good temp. home this week, but we’re still looking for a permanent new home in pdx! we have some possible leads to check out when i return next week! thanks again to everyone for helping us through this crisis!

10/21 UPDATE: lucy is now out of the garage situation and at a familiar friend’s house for the weekend. still working on finding her another situation after that. thanks for everyone’s help & tips!

the national gallery in london had the following living wall [above] all summer to mimic and celebrate a van gogh piece from their collection inside [below].

in the months it was up, the temporarily-constructed wall continued to morph as the living plants within it grew. still lovely at the conclusion of it’s time:

via treehugger.

check out what every household in portland received this week! as someone who’s unsuccessfully tried various composting systems with apathetic housemates, i’m thrilled! trash day and composting just got easier.

phew! all time-capsule garlands finally untangled, photographed, and ready for online re-debut! which now will have to wait til after my mom’s major surgery that finally got scheduled for later this week, and after we’ve made it past the first few days of her recovery. prepping the studio today for a few weeks’ closure. sorry, and thanks for your patience!