The Bread That Went Awry

I made some bread this weekend. Or it was intended to be bread, but something happened. It shall now be known as The Bread That Went Awry.

I've made it before with no problem. But something with the temperature, flour that had in my freezer and not thoroughly warm, the tendency not to try not to add too much flour...it was a bad mixture.

The dough was surprisingly supple, so it was even more shocking when I found myself the new creator of flour dumbells.

No words can really describe it. So I have drawn you some examples of how these loaves failed on so many levels. However, I have to admit that it was throughly enjoyable dropping the loaf on the table so that my mom could hear just how crappy the bread baking had went over the phone. And scaring my friends who stopped by for a beer, by dropping it on the floor, twice.

THUMP! CRASH!



Next time, I'll be more patient in my baking. Lesson learned!

Drawing Maps and Gettin' Hitched

Mike and I broke out the Gocco before the holidays, to work on Save the Date cards for our wedding guests. Since many people will be traveling, we wanted to get the word out as soon as possible. Making that list was damn hard. Especially when you have 70 people who count as family members...on the bride's side!



We're getting married this July, in Ft. Lauderdale. I know. Holy Rusty Hotness, Batman. But there are good reasons. Mike doesn't teach in the summer, we want to have it in my hometown, and many of our friends and family are in school or also teach. Air conditioning is aplenty, so nobody will melt.

We both love maps, and had been tinkering with the idea of making a map for our cards. Many of our friends will be flying or driving down, from as far as the Philippines, Sweden, France, New Jersey and Indiana! We're feeling very lucky.

The cards were a total collaboration and we had a good time doing this. He drew the front, I did the banner, the details, and an illustration in the back. Bickering was minor, but unavoidable.

I am mighty proud of that banner, people. Having us walk off a plank was vetoed though.



I love that everything does not line up exactly. Obviously, some were better than others, but I enjoy seeing that overlap. And here is my cute little anchor below.



The best part was that I was able to use all of my existing gocco and paper supplies for this project! I knew I'd been hoarding them for a reason. Mike learned to gocco, and we did not throw anything at each other.



It was a labor of love, but it's worth it, just to see that pile of cards stamped and addressed, ready to travel all over the world.



P.S. Please tell me I'm not the only person who gets immense satisfaction from a stack of letters ready for post? And did you like buying school supplies as a kid too?

P.P.S. We're having fun planning, but are definitely not going overboard. Ha ha ha! Pun totally intended!

Creme Brulee French Toast

Ah, the sinfully decadent, Creme Brulee French Toast as promised! This recipe is from Gourmet Magazine's July 1998 Issue. I stumbled upon it via Epicurious when hosting a bridesmaid shower way back, and have been recommending it ever since. I've shown the ingredients below and some quick notes, but please click on the actual link for the exact recipe.

This would be perfect to make for a Sunday brunch. Not for tomorrow morning, because it tastes best if you let the egg mixture soak at least eight hours...overnight is better.



I've made it twice, and both times used brioche or challah bread (my favorite). Just like with regular french toast or bread puddings, it's better if the bread is not fresh, so it can really soak up the mixture.



I did not have Grand Marnier, so I substituted it with Chambord (left over from the $76 Punch), a good amount of orange zest and some orange juice. I don't think you can go wrong with anything, even if you left the alcohol out. I would recommend a touch of orange zest though, to balance out the ultra-sweetness. Believe me, I have a major sweet tooth, so that should give you a hint about this recipe.



You make the "creme brulee" portion by making a caramel mixture of brown sugar, corn syrup and butter, which coats the bottom of the pan. I liked cutting the challah bread into fluffly little clouds, and tucking them in as seen below, before covering with the egg mixture.



It is best if served fresh, so keep this in mind since you'll need about 35-40 minutes of baking in the oven. If you're bringing it to a party, you could even bake it there. It will make the house smell great!



This particular batch was walked to Robin's house in about 12 inches of snow on a lovely Saturday morning, unbaked. That part is completely optional, and not really recommended.

Let me know how it goes!

Headresses + Hats with Horns

At my work, we all doodle toward the end of our meetings while we're chatting. As Mike stated when I showed him this, "That's one hell of a work doodle." It's like knitting while talking, I was definitely paying attention, just moving my hand around. Can you tell that subconciously I must want a headress and Viking type helmut with horns. The funny thing is that I've drawn headresses before, and didn't realize that I went home and braided my hair to match the drawing (minus the horns) until Mike pointed it out.

My Swedish "brother" is coming to visit next summer for our wedding. I may get my hands on one of these helmets after all!



We've finally gotten some colors picked as inspiration for our nuptuals next year. It's a jumping off point, we'll see how it pans out. I hate matchy matchy, but love a broad spectrum of colors. My limited selection is half a rainbow. I know this says something about myself...

'

I'll have to get some type of sweet treat tonight. After all, it is my birthday! However I have my first committee meeting tonight for something I'm looking forward to, and didn't want to miss it. Believe it or not, volunteer work in my field has been hard to find! Cake with three types of sprinkles to follow on Saturday.

Cacti and Patience

Patience. Required for growing succulents and cacti and for learning to become better at drawing and painting from life.

I love using my watercolors for filling in and painting, but usually with pen and ink. It's entirely different when trying to actually draw, site measure and make it look like the object. Luckily, I have a university level drawing instructor and fine artist as a significant other. My ellipses are improving than from when we started dating seven years ago. (However, my other ellipses and propensity for tangent run on sentences will probably never improve!)

This drawing shows the beginnings of my still life.



I took a second pass this weekend, while watching the end of Dirty Dancing on television and crying at the end. Is it just me, or do you all do that as well?



This is the second pass. I may go over it a final time to get the spikes and improve some of the details. It's all about a path, not the end result. Alas, the patience part.



I hope at least one of you is humming Patience by Guns N' Roses at this point... I'm sure I'll probably do the Axl dance here in a few.

Gouache and Karma

Jess reminded me that I need to play with my goauche set, after I saw she had been using the extra set I sent her. I hate throwing things out and am so glad when you can pass something along that someone else can use and enjoy. It's also money in the karma bank, in my opinion!



I reminded myself to just play and not worry about the end result.



I've obviously had these colors on my mind. Perhaps it's the beautiful dahlias and flowers I saw in San Jose?



Or the gorgeous vintage scarf that Shona (one of my most favorite crafty friends that I haven't met yet) sent to me as a little surprise. Good grief! I guess that karma stuff really works! (wink wink)

Bliss List

Jessica Gonacha Swift started a sweet creative mission (I'm not sure what to call it...) over at Treasuring today, and I felt compelled to participate. So I made a quick "bliss list. I'm thinking of good and positive things that I have to look forward to today. Okay, I read it wrong, it's from the past week, so I can add extras. I think I'll cap it off at 8 for today.

1. I'm attending a lecture tonight entitled "Trends in Sustainable Design and Construction". The people over at Onion Flats are speaking, and I'm really looking forward to it.

2. The slowly building rat's nest atop my head got a much needed haircut this Saturday. It was only a trim, but I feel like a new gal.



3. I bought a new lipstick, mascara and painted my nails. I feel like Operation Dress Like an Adult in the Workplace is working for me. Don't google it, I made this one up.

4. Gorgeous weather and getting out of the office at lunch. Where I scored a Phillies Phanatic foam hand at the rally at City Hall. I'm not even that into baseball, but am proud of Philly!

5. The show 30 Rock. Wow. I'm actually glad I waited so long to get hooked, since I just finished watching all episodes this past weekend and have a total girl crush on Tina Fey. She's phenomenal!

6. The amazing entertainment at the Laundromat yesterday. Instead of dreading laundry, I took advantage of the crisp / sunny weather to sit on the stoop and read a book. (#5 of the Sookie Stackhouse series...I'm hooked). Two teenage boys came in (approximately 12 and 14). They were ribbing on each other over a girl one of them liked, and making fun of each other's mamas...but all in good fun. The one boy was so silly, that he was cracking himself up. At one point, he pretended that he was receiving text messages and phone calls from the practically obsolete pay phone. When he said the words, "Hey! I just got a text from this pay phone! Your mama wants to go on a date with me!" I was the one who lost it. I was trying to be normal while folding clothes, but started laughing so hard I could not stop. I walked over to the dryer to get a hold of myself, but to no avail. This lasted for 3 straight minutes. It made me miss my brother (in a good way), since he would have thought this was just as silly as me.

7. I just saw the photo (that everyone on the internet has probably already seen), of graffiti that someone wrote on an electric hand dryer. Someone changed the directions to read: 1. Push button. 2. Receive bacon.

8. Knowing I have a great guy in my life makes the list. He's pretty special, and I really appreciate him.

How about you guys? What's good with you?

Home Sweet Home!

Not for me, mind you! I'm stuck in the apartment with no washer and dryer or dishwasher until the end of time...but enough about me!

A friend of mine recently purchased her first home, and commissioned an illustration for a moving announcement. I think it will be pretty cute! Home portraits are really fun to do.

Pencil first.



Inked.



And a bit of color.



(Photos were taken at night, so they're looking a bit peak-ed, but you get the gist...)

Illustration for Knit-Knac

My friend Andrea at Knit-Knac wanted an illustration for her knitting blog, to reflect her love of sewing and knitting. She's also a very talented budding designer, in my biased opinion! The one we came up with is influenced by another bust I did awhile back.

We have her works in progress on her lovely headless model.



We wanted to showcase a chaotic medley of sewing and knitting supplies, as this is a multi-talented lady.



And lastly, the final result.



I really enjoyed creating this for my friend. She's a wonderful lady who makes me laugh so hard my sides hurt sometimes. I can't wait to see what she does with my drawing.

Alright, I'm expected in Brooklyn and better get going! Have a great weekend everyone.

What's in Your Knitting Bag?

Knitters and crocheters love to talk about what is in their knitting bags. Notions, random tools that they use, favorite stitch markers, you name it. I have always loved looking at the contents of others' bags, be it in photos on Flickr, or at my friends' bags in person. I think it's a combination of seeing what fun tools they have mixed with looking at the inside of someone's purse.



I asked my friend Regina (fellow Degenerate Knitter) to be my guinea pig. Happily, she didn't mind. She spilled the contents of her bag, sent me some photos, and I made her this drawing. Isn't it cute? She always has this great tin filled with rainbow colored stitch markers, nifty little odds and ends and buttons with witty phrases. This is the girl who gets stopped each year at Maryland Sheep and Wool because people love her t-shirts reading "Likes to Knit While Slightly Lit".

If you or anyone you know needs a custom illustration to document a special crafty project, or the contents of their knitting or crocheting bag, feel free to email me for pricing and a time frame. During my annual summer knitting hiatus, I still love to draw the related items (wink ).

Email: marissandrew (at) gmail (dot) com

xoxo, Mariss

07.08.09.

Today is a special day to me, because it's the day my mom and her twin sister were born! She is an amazing person, and I'm so lucky that the stars aligned so that her and my dad could meet at a picnic in Ohio and my brother and I could be born. She's the greatest.



Happy Birthday Mom! I really wish I could be there to celebrate with you.



But alas, your card will have to suffice!

Manos del Uruguay Illustrations

I had the opportunity to do illustrations for Fairmount Fibers last fall. They included some of the drawings in their new Manos del Uruguay pattern book. The new book includes patterns for seven blankets that highlight their Cotton Stria yarn. You can pick up a copy at Rosie's Yarn Cellar.

There is a lovely blanket that features Concentric Squares. It would be an adorable baby blanket.



My favorite one to draw would have to be this colorful Log Cabin type blanket. It must be the rainbow colors!



There is a cozy double blanket in a sophisticated color palette of dark brown and a subtle blue.



If people want to challenge themselves with new patterns, there are three color variations of a blanket that features twelve different stitch patterns.



There is a lovely Hexagon blanet, that I've heard are completely addicting to knit.



The last two blankets include one that features a Quilted Lattice stitch with a unique edging, and a sweet blanket with a hood that will swaddle a wee one. Pom poms or tassels may be added, and you know that I sure hope they are!



This was such a wonderful commission, and I loved drawing and painting one of my favorite hobbies. Thank you for the opportunity, ladies!

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Each summer, I find myself standing in front of my refrigerator (not with the door open for too long though!) at a loss of what to cook. Not to mention, that I just spent all this money at the grocery store, and feel like I don't have actual meals to make. We don't have an outdoor space, so grilling isn't really an option. (Insert dramatic and pathetic sigh).

Last week, we planned out some meals to make, and shopped for the ingredients. I've decided to find interesting summery recipes so that I don't have to think of anything. After all, I just follow the directions, I'm no expert! It also goes along with my Make, Bake or Buy project. I cannot stop drawing my food. It is way too much fun.



So for Week one, we made Martha Stewart's Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad. It was so refreshing, that I'm getting a bit more excited to cook this summer. What meals do you guys make when you're uninspired in the kitchen?

Illustration Friday: Unfolded

The Northeast has been under a blanket of clouds and rains for much of the past week, and next week as well. I'm not complaining, I'm sure we need the rain... However, it has made me notice other people's colorful umbrellas. The shots of yellow, leopard prints and plaid are making me smile. Whatever happened to those umbrellas with ruffly edges? I think I need to find myself one of those!



I must enjoy the fleeting sunshine now. So I'm off to bike home, scrounge up dessert for dinner with friends, a rudimentary button sewing lesson and holding an adorable little girl!

Here's hoping you get lots of sunshine this weekend.

Note to self: create new header for summer. That one is tired.

Louis Sofa

My dream sofa, the one I think of a few times a day, is the Louis Sofa from Elite Leather. Our next big purchase one day will be a sofa. For now, we're working on the emergency fund. This sofa wouldn't be in the running anyway, for one, Mike is vehemently against leather, and it's quite pricey for us. In this little picture though, it is mine.



A girl can dream, can't she? That's what my Make, Bake or Buy project was about, after all. A collection of all the silly things that I would like to have, but realize I don't need.



What ridiculous materialistic items are you guys dreaming about these days?

National Donut Day

This illustration serves three purposes. Illustration Friday's topic this week is "craving". Something I often crave are the fried sweet treats below. Donuts!



Apparently, the first Friday of June is National Doughnut Day. I did not get a free donut, but I treated myself to one Mike purchased for me.

Lastly, this image has been sitting in my head waiting to come out. It's so festive and calorie free! Sounds good to me.

In honor of this day, these are my favorites:
Entennmann's Chocolate Crumb Donuts
Entennmann's Rich Chocolate Frosted Donuts
Glazed Donuts (especially hot from the oven)
Sugar Twisty Donuts from Publix
Chocolate with Glazed
Chocolate Frosted
Anything with sprinkles.

Have I forgotten anything? What are your favorites?

Box of Sunbeams + Rainbows

Remember how I entered Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing Design Challenge last month? Well my entry won! It really made my week. It was a fun challenge, and there were so many wonderful entries. The prize she had offered was a box of fabric and a copy of her new book, Weekend Sewing.



As my family knows from getting presents returned to them, my street and packages requiring signatures are opposing countries in a hundred year war. The mail that does make it, such as certificates stating my achievement as a LEED AP, arrive folded in half on the floor. So you can imagine my surprise when the stars aligned and I was home on the final attempt that the package was delivered. It was a Saturday. I don't even want to think of how embarrassing it would have been to have it sent back.

It was a simple Fed-Ex box. Matte brown, undamaged, unremarkable. I stared for a moment in anticipation before opening it, then ripped that box wide open. The contents were amazing. And it kept pouring out of the box in neatly folded piles in big ziploc bags. I can't even explain it in words. Instead, I have sketched something quickly that conveys the point better.



I think you know what this is. It's my version of the archetypal suitcase or box that is glowing gold, without the evil. My version is a box full of sunbeams, gold coins minus the leprechauns (they're scary), rainbows, angels singing, glitter, sequins, shooting stars, balloons, a house, hearts, fabric scraps and girlish dreams.

Do you know what the coolest thing was though? I've always loved her fabric with little fishes, since they have names and one of them is named Andrew. When I opened up the note she sent, this was the front of the stationary. The exact fish with the exact one that shares the name of my sweet brother. Just a nice coincidence, you know?



There is a ton of yardage nicely folded under her pretty fabrics. She included another lovely book and five skeins of gorgeous yellow yarn with a note reading, "I think I remember you knit".



Heather included a plastic bag bursting at the seams with scraps of fabric, including this swoon worthy Japanese beauty.



Mike heard me gasping (or possibly cursing), and issued his own curses under his breath when he saw the contents. In utter awe! Which was quickly followed up by, "I think we need to make another quilt."

I tried to lift an eyebrow, gave him a quizzical look and replied, "You can make your own quilt. I'm making garments."

Anyhow, what a generous lady. Thank you so much, Heather!

Hierarchy of Precipitation

Oh, Illustration Friday, how I have abandoned you. Well, you're getting some attention this week. I won't make any empty promises to you, but enjoyed making a quick sketch for the week's topic in my new notebook.

The topic was hierarcy. I'm blaming it on the state of Alaska sized rainstorm drifting over the Northeast. Being the melodramatic person that I am, I'm acting like I've forgotten what the feel of sunshine on my face is like. (wink)

This is what we get for saying that it was too hot last weekend!

Weekend Sewing - Imaginary Wardrobe

Hello again! I needed a short break, but have been keeping tabs on what you've all been up to. I didn't feel like knitting or drawing or even eating much ice cream. I just felt like reading and being hermit-like. I think I read ten books and had a massive crush on a teenage vampire for about 36 hours...but that's over now.

I've spoken before about how much I love the work of fabric designer extraordinaire, Heather Ross. When she announced a design competition for her new book, Weekend Sewing, I knew I had to enter.

Armed with toasted slices of my first loaf of needed kneading bread, fried eggs and coffee, I got to work. I reached back to my roots, of conceptual drawing in design school, when the future was wide open and projects could have anything in them. (Not like now where I barely get to use color or imagination at all! Alas, that is what free time is for, right?)

I just had fun with this exercise, and thought up little vignettes where I would wear the clothes from Heather's book.

A Day at the Beach. Key components are sunglasses, a cover up that is easily thrown on, a big blanket, lots of sunblock, a fun hat, and a fudge banana ice cream treat from the guy named "John" if we're on the Jersey Shore. If it's Ft. Lauderdale, Coke Slurpees from the 7-11 near A1A and Las Olas are in order.

Morning at the Farmer's Market. I'd love to wear the big drapey, twirly wrap skirt from Weekend Sewing, apparently with a cropped jean vest too. I'd purchase fresh raspberries, heirloom tomatoes that may be eaten like candy, and knit a new market bag to go with my cute new imaginary shoes.

Summer Dinner Date, with my beau, Mike. It would be fun to dress up and have dinner al fresco. Bring on the Summer! I don't know if Mike would care either way if I wore cut-off jeans or a cute dress, he's one of those guys. However, it may be a nice change of pace for me! (Egads, what would Stacy and Clinton say at these statements? Perhaps they'd finally let me on their show...) I think he'd be more inclined to notice that I picked an ice cream flavor that he may not like, based on the pretty color.

Brunch with the Girls. I'm just missing my knitting! I'd probably forget to wear the necklace, sorry Mom!

Summer Barbeque and Pool Party. This is completely imaginary. I don't know anyone who owns a pool. But if I meet them and they want me to host a party, I could definitely whip up this tunic and eat the heck out of some corn on the cob.


I missed you guys, and am glad to be back. xoxo.