Behind the Curtain

Lavender Mist

The heat is rising to pretty unbearable tempratures down south. Being that I walk all over town (I don't have a car) and prefer to save money rather than give it all away to the electric company, I'm trying to beat the heat with some home-made remedies. I always keep a fan in my purse and tend to carry around a parasol on stifling hot days, but I have found that keeping a little lavender water in my purse is the most refreshing thing on a really hot day.

Make your own! Buy a travel mist bottle at any pharmacy or shop and follow the little recipe below.
1 cup distilled water
2 1/2 tablespoons vodka
10 drops lavender essential oil

Mix all the ingredients. The vodka acts as a preservative for the water. If you use a glass amber spray bottle, this mix can keep for a year. If you use a plastic mist bottle, this mix should keep for 3 months if you keep it in a dark place and refrigerate it when it isn't in your purse.

I'll post some recipes for body powders in a couple of days. Nothing like a nice smelling powder to keep you dry during summer days.

Ukulele Lady

I have recently become obsessed with learning how to play the ukulele. After seeing so many pictures of flappers playing ukes, I think my mind finally snapped. I found some great resources online for learning how to play. This website tells you everything you need to know, from what kind to buy to different ways of strumming. If you are more of a visual person, the lovely Janet Klein (and Her Parlor Boys) teaches you how to play Tonight You Belong To Me in this wonderful looking video.

If you prefer watching the uke being played rather than playing yourself, here are two videos for you:

Ukulele master, Jake Shimabukuro plays While my Guitar Gently Weeps (contemporary film)

Roy Smeck plays Tiger Rag and does some funny little tricks with his uke. (vintage film)

Rag Rug Tutorial

Make a rag rug by This Vintage Chica. Her whole blog is pretty nifty.

(Image from vintage chica)

Cooking with Bread

Oh dear do I love vintage cookbooks. This one is a little pamphlet from 1919 published by a yeast company. I've scanned in some of the more interesting recipes at printable sizes.

Click for page views of full recipes:
Crab Toast & Cheese Toast
Bread Tart & Arme Ritter
A full spread of savories and tarts including Rasberry Charlotte, Pear Dumplings, Thanksgiving Pudding, Prune & Nut Sandwich and Mock Mince Pie.

Sweet Leaf

Oh sweet sassy, I finally finished the teapot cozy I started oh so long ago. The pattern is quite easy and really, the only reason it was in my unfinished pile for this long is because I never got around to making the cute little pom poms. Now isn't that a silly reason? But, now it's done and over the summer I'm planning on making one for my larger 4-cup tea pot. I'm thinking the color combo below would go quite nicely with the color of my Brown Betty teapot and will be oh so summery.

(Teapot Cozy pattern from Rowan Classic Home, book five. ISBN 1-904485-45-6)

Poster for Charity

All proceeds from this special limited edition print will be donated to the ICMC (One of a very few organizations working on getting aid to Iraqi refugees.)

Limited edition of 100 signed and numbered, Print size 13x19 inches.

Old-timey Links

A keyboard mod creating a retro keyboard out of old typewriter parts.

Interview with Joeri Teeuwisse, a historical consultant who lives and breaths the 1930s. (Subtitled in English. Has great shots of her home.)

The International Morse Preservation Society. In talking to a historical reenactor yesterday, I realized that morse code may be a nifty thing to learn. What can I say, I love anything related to telegrams!
One site dedicated to all things morse code and another focusing on learning the art of telegraphy.

*Super Nifty*
An animated quiz of 1920s manners from McCord Museum. I had so much fun doing this and love the design and music they chose. There is also one for the Victorian Period.

What is Graffiti?

Pixelator, altering the ad LED screens located at subway entrances across New York City.
David Lynch's opinion on product placement (Not safe for work)
You don't need it. Stickers to enhance bus ads.
Light Criticism, advertising as the real graffiti.

Links & image from Anti-Advertising Agency

Return of Craft

Well, it's been a while since I've posted images from my stash of Japanese craft books & magazines. I finally had some time to look through a magazine I got from Kitty Craft a few months ago (OK, more like last year. Grad school keeps you busy...). The magazine is called Café. Here are some images from the Autumn 2005 issue (volume 3, ISBN 4910123501253). Click for larger. My next knitting project is going to be those cup cozies and I'm hoping to have time to make the blanket shown above during the summer.

Epistolary Inspiration

If you can't tell by my little shop, I like writing letters. So imagine my joy when I saw Felicia's challenge to write as many letters as you can this month. (Oh yes, pen on paper, not email.) At the end of the month she wants you to post your most inspired epistolary efforts and will award some lovely prizes to the one she fancies the best. If you participate, I too would love to see your creations. Send me a link to what you posted/upload on Flickr.

Need some inspiration? Letter Lover has some recommended reading that should nudge your letter writing along.

While we are on the topic of letters, here are two projects to please your penned heart:
Keep your read letters in a leather envelope. Bluelines gives you a step-by-step on how to make your own.

Want to pretty up your journal? Keyka Lou shows you how to make a cozy for your Moleskine.