photography When Pittsburgh-based pet photographer Nicole Begley sent me a submission featuring photos of a beautiful dog named Charm, along with a little bit of her story, I was incredibly moved. Nicole told me how Charm, a small pit bull, had been used as a bait dog in a fighting ring, and ended up in a local shelter, scared and starved. Thankfully, she was rescued by loving parents who nursed her back to health through their love and care. Now Charm is 7 years old and facing another battle: liver cancer. Despite her struggles, Nicole told me, Charm is an amazingly sweet dog who has become a treasured companion. As many of you know, I am a huge dog lover, and my Bubby, like Charm, was a very special rescue dog who beat the odds over and over. We had just lost our Yellow Lab, Buster, who was almost 16 years old. Three weeks after Buster's death, we volunteered at a shelter called Animal Friends, where we've now been volunteering about twice a month for 15 years. This was 6-1/2 yeas ago.
Fifteenth Century LOST AND FOUND DRAWINGS In the early fifteenth century every workshop in Europe must have made drawings, but few of them were preserved. With some exceptions, artists did not yet consider them of value. As a consequence, accidents of preservation limit our knowledge of drawing in the fifteenth century, and the losses make it difficult to recount its history. Some early drawings, once covered with paint, have reappeared only in modern times. The lines that Parri Spinelli (1387-1453) drew in sinopia under his fresco Crucifixion (figure 2-1) have a remarkable freedom and energy. 2-1 Parri Spinelli, Crucifixion 1440s. Sinopia on plaster, 121 x 90 cm. Palazzo Communale, Arezzo. did not make small-scale preliminary studies of mural compositions but sketched the composition directly on the wall. In both the north and south of Europe, easel painters usually made underdrawings on panels before covering them with layers of paint. 2-2 Carlo Crivelli, Dead Christ Supported by Angels, ca. 1470-75. 73 x 55 cm.
journals I recently created a custom journal for a customer who is planning her wedding. She wanted a large book to put in wedding planning mementos, notes, letters from her mama and future mama-in-law, and other bits of memories of her engagement time. She wanted a 50 page, 6"x8" journal, and for it to have a vintage-ey feel, and with her colors - mustard yellow, rose pink, olive green and pastel colors. I knew this would be a fun book to create :) I combined vintage papers (cookbooks, dictionaries, books, ledger, etc) with new papers and Bazzill cardstock, some vellum confetti-filled pages, envelopes and overlays. I added embellishments like bunting, ribbon weaving and other die cuts to the pages, along with sewing a bunch of the pages.
community With her pin-curled hair and penchant for beautiful vintage frocks, Marianne's blog Esme and the Laneway has been an inspiration ever since I had the pleasure of falling down the rabbit hole and welcomed into her world of pastel hair shades, bright lipsticks, and lovely vintage pieces! I was recently lucky enough to ask Marianne some questions about blogging, photography, her favorite dresses, and her cat! ♡ When and why did you start blogging? About 4.5 years ago. What are 5 things that are making you happy right now? As a fellow cat owner and lover, I'm itching to know more about Babycat! We registered Eggy at the vet and had her chipped and spayed, had the kittens checked, and our amazing friend and neighbour found homes for three kittens, kept one, and we found a home for Babycat – with someone who then, thankfully, changed their mind, so we kept her! You've had black, red, pink, lavender, and blonde hair - and you look stunning in each! Thank you again Marianne! ♡, Kailey
moisturizing orange face mask. moisturizing orange face mask. Hey, pretty face! If you’re anything like me, you are a fan of having clear skin. Clear skin = happy skin = happy me. You’re probably wondering why I’m talking about skin and your face. After all, this is a food blog, right? I know some stuff, dudes. I’m really into making things from scratch. Since your skin is your body’s largest organ (sorry, boys), what you put on it is as important as what you put into it, right? I’ve been making my own homemade masks, exfoliants, face scrubs, hair masks, body polishes and the like since then, and I’ve decided to launch a new section on the site devoted to homemade natural beauty products. Anyhow, this orange face mask is amaaaazing for adding moisture and radiance to your face. Freshly squeezed orange juice is packed full of zinc and antioxidants, which your face loves a whole lot. Plus, if some of this mask accidentally drips into your mouth, you can totally just eat it. moisturizing orange face mask Ingredients: