I dig cupcakes, and I looove seeing all the cupcake shops popping  up everywhere. Two years ago I spent three weeks in Italy, where an evening stroll linked arm-in-arm with a friend or sweetie is a daily ritual, often celebrated with a few scoops of gelato. In Florence especially, it was almost impossible to find a block without a gelato shop. The decadence of enjoying the night air eases the day's stress to nothing, and is made all the sweeter with a gelato in hand. I have thoroughly missed this daily activity, so I was thrilled when the cupcake shops opened everywhere. Finally, Americans are learning that constant discipline in everything just isn't necessary. A little indulgence now and then helps you remember how awesome it is to be alive. Americans hop from puritanical to hedonistic in everything, never able to appreciate moderation. Cupcakes may be just what we need!

Why am I going on about cupcakes? A blogger for the Seattle P.I., Suzanne Ball, doesn't understand The Cupcake Craze. Actually, she seems to find it laughable and ridiculous. As do some of the commenters on her article. If you're curious about something, say... cupcakes, don't write paragraph after paragraph about how much you don't understand it and therefore don't like it. Do a little research first. Walking into a cupcake bakery, seeing the $4 price tag, and then walking out again is not research. So I sat down and thought about it, this Craze that I'm kind of on the peripheral of. Unfortunately, my response just got longer and longer, so I thought I would blog about it instead of posting a very wordy, rambling - but interesting! and informative! - comment at the PI.

According to another commenter, this whole thing started in 1996, at Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village . But Suzanne doesn't seem to understand why/how it became a huge phenomenon. I believe the HOW is tied to the "Indie" movement that has been growing over the past decade: people, mostly women, deciding to make things for themselves instead of just purchasing it from a store, in an effort to be independent, self-sufficient. "Crafting" has exploded from Indie to mainstream. Along with crafting came increased interest in the "Home-Ec" stuff that the modern woman sort of abandoned during the Women's Lib movement.

Cooking and baking is no longer just for chefs or foodies, but anyone who has an interest in creating versus purchasing. Couple the Indie movement with the electronic age where everyone has a blog, and suddenly there are countless blogs about creating, crafting, and cooking. A lot of these women decide they are good enough at what they've learned to sell their goods. Like cupcakes. So now we have something that started out Indie, has gone mainstream, and then finally gone commercial. Ironic, but not unusual. Have you stepped into a Michael's or Joann's lately? Gone to a scrapbooking party? Crafting, sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, cooking - these are all at-home, do-it-yourself activities that people used to do on a regular basis. Now, there is an entire industry, divided into subcategories, to sell you magazines about your craft, fancy materials to use in your creation, innovative and attractive ways to store your tools, new gadgets that make things easier and more efficiently. Cupcakes have become popular the exact same way scrapbooking has.

So that's the HOW. But what about the WHY? What is so damned special about cupcakes? There are a million reasons, the primary one being they taste good! But again, I think the women in the Indie movement have a lot to do with it as well. Meeting up in groups to craft is a regular occurence, to share the creative experience. These get-togethers are always self-catered with potluck foods that everyone can munch on, and cupcakes are just that much easier to share.

Then there is this need to re-capture our youth, another central part of crafting. Grown women wearing candy necklaces and barettes made for 5 year olds. TV and Cartoon shows from the 80s ending up on popular clothing. Sweets were big when we were kids, and "adult food" just isn't as fun as kid food. Cupcakes are easy to make, providing a quick relief to the monotony of "responsible" eating.

Cupcakes are small. I have yet to meet a woman who can look at a small, miniaturized version of... anything and not call it "cute". Cupcakes are cute! This can be played around with in decorating/frosting. Coming up with recipes is only half of the creative process - finding interesting, new ways of decorating cupcakes is just as fun.

Cupcakes are blissfully easy to make. You can start with a box mix, or whip something up from the basic elements most people always have on hand in their kitch - flour, sugar, eggs, etc. And then you can go crazy adding extra elements into the mix for interesting combinations - ginger, orange rind, coffee, fruit, lavender, maple syrup. The options available are endless.

I think that's enough in the "WHY?" department, so let's move on to "WTF? OMG! Sooo x$pensive!!!"

Seriously? People will pay it, and love it, period. Starbucks started an international phenomenon with the $4 espresso. And the $2 biscotti and $3 pastry and $5 quiche. We should be asking ourselves why it took so long for a similar industry to pop up using the same scheme. Especially considering how often the average person buys coffee from a stand or shop, versus how often a person will be willing to break their responsible diet routine and splurge on a little morsel of sinful bliss. There isn't really a danger that cupcakes will lead to more obesity, since the average person has the willpower to limit their trips to the cupcake shop. Whereas coffee is the new cigarette, expensive, addictive, and popular with ever-younger growing ages of children. I'd rather buy my kid a cupcake once a month, than a mocha 3 times a week.

Now ask yourself why the cupcake bakery sells their cupcakes so expensively. It's called quality. Yep, Mom's Betty Crocker brand cupcakes are awesome, but plenty of coffee drinkers dig Folgers from the grocery and still splurge on a latte now and then. Cupcake shops buy higher-end ingredients than the typical mom. Swiss chocolate, unprocessed sugar and flour, fresh and local lavender, whole vanilla beans from Madagascar - all purchased in bulk, this stuff is hugely more expensive than a box of cake mix. Then there is rent, utilities, industrial ovens and refridgerators - all of which is paid for by $4 cupcakes. Not to mention salaries. Baking professionally has always been, and will always be, a true labor of love - crazy hours and a ton of physical, repetitive work.

If you haven't yet, start up a conversation with an Indie crafter about why they do what they do. You will learn it's about passion, self-expression, laughter, accomplishment. You will discover that what started out as crafting is now truly personalized artwork, miniaturized and accessible to the general public - art was never meant to be only enjoyed in museums and owned by the rich. It is meant to be enjoyed on a personal level, creating a small but real bond between artisan and buyer. And finally, you'll hear about how important it is to them to support their fellow artists and shop locally instead of from a Big Box Store. Because your new Indie friend invests so much time and attention and love and personal funds into what she creates, she realizes how much goes into the creations of other artists. Being an individual is a huge deal in the Indie Craft movement, but so is community - supporting each other, respecting other artists, and making friends with like-minded people is just as important.

I used to call jewelry making my hobby, something I did on the side when the mood struck me. Now I call myself a jewelry designer, I invest most of my time and money into creating, and every item I make is a piece of art that is special to me. When someone buys something from me, the dollars make me happy. But knowing someone has appreciated my work enough to buy my $40 gemstone necklace instead of a $20 knock-off made of plastic and glass at WalMart means the world to me. I know that the item was special to me when I made it, and now it is going to someone who finds it special enough to part with a little extra cash. It is an addictive feeling, being appreciated and knowing that my jewelry is an investment that will be loved, instead of an impulse buy at Target that may or may not be worn once. It fuels my creativity, inspires me to create more, create better. Also, it's extra incentive to drive across town to my favorite cupcake shop, and extra money in my pocket to buy a $4 cupcake. Or two.

ps: the more you buy Indie, the better you get to know the people, the more you get into their social circles. And then you get invitations to events with lots of potluck food, including free $4 cupcakes.

Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, The Way We Were

I have been mesmerized by figure skating for as long as I can remember.  What little girl can watch those spins, jumps, and lifts without feeling complete envy? I suppose some of us grow out of it, but I never have. There's just no point in watching the Olympics if I can't watch the figure skating competitions.

Today, everyone is talking about Yu-Na Kim's record breaking score in the Ladies Short Program. The day before, it was about the competition between Canada and the US for Ice Dancing gold. The Russian Ice Dancers had, not one, but two controversial outfits. China took gold and silver in Pairs. But for me, the most memorable part of these Olympic Games so far has been the Free Skate by Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison for Canada.

Dube and Davison finished in 6th place, their skates having less "oomph" and difficulty than the top pairs. But it's not always about power and footwork for me - I like to watch the emotions. Jessica Dube blew me away with a touch of her hand to her partner's face. (No one on the internet seems to have captured this on film...)

You see, they were dancing to the title music from the movie "The Way We Were." Hearing the music brought back so many memories. The mood of the film was captured perfectly by the expressions and movements of the skaters. About half way through their performance, an unexpected duplication of detail: she touched the side of his face in yearning, as if to brush back his hair.

In the film, Barbara Streisand's character has a habit of reaching out to brush the hair out of Robert Redford's eyes. In the final scene, a chance meeting years after their breakup, she once again reaches out. And stops short. The love and regret is palpable in that moment. It is truly an unforgettable moment in film.

So cheers to Jessica and Bryce, for recreating such an exquisite scene of old lovers wishing they could recapture their past, if only for a moment.

Blog Carnival 01.29.10 - Favorite Winter Activities

Fall is my favorite time of year, but here in the Seattle area Winter is much like Fall, so my favorite activities are much the same for both seasons.

One of my favorite activities for this time of the year is, if the news reports there is snow nearby, to hop in the car to meet it. The I-5 corridor (North/South through Seattle) has a clear delineation of snow vs. no-snow if the possibility is predicted - because of the various elevations. Lynnwood is less than 10 miles from my house, and it often snows there without snowing in our neighborhood. Driving up at night in particular is my favorite time, so I can park in a deserted parking lot somewhere to watch the snow fall in the street lamps.

On occasion our neighborhood does get snow, about twice each winter. Those are the days where I curl up with a book near a window, so I can read and easily take breaks to watch the snowfall between chapters. Important accessories for such an activity: 1-2 cats, a tall mug of cocoa, a plate of chocolate chip cookies (a package of Chips Ahoy is completely acceptable).

Blog Carnival 12.04.09 - December Traditions

Growing up, December was always my favorite month of the year - after all, what American childhood would be complete without Christmas? It wasn't until I went off to college that I was exposed to some of the many other religious and non-religious traditions celebrated in December. I barely knew what Hanukkah was. When did Kwanzaa start happening? When did Solstice stop being a astronomical phrase on a calendar and started being celebrated by neo-Pagans? I'm still not sure what Eid is. Then there's the fact that Christmas itself isn't celebrated around the world in the same way. With so many different traditions out there, I didn't think I could find anything interesting to say about my own. Until I thought a little harder.

Currently, my family is defined by 3 separate groups - my Mother's family, my Father's family, and my Husband's family - who all celebrate Christmas a little differently. All three celebrate a Christian Christmas, with a lot of things in common: on Christmas Eve, believers go to church, then come home to open a single present each right before going to bed; in the morning, the kids wake up at an ungodly hour to demand presents be opened, there isn't much in the way of breakfast because everyone's eating candy from their stockings, and no one gets out of their PJs until after the last present has been opened. Only later in the day do traditions start to diverge.

My Mother's family has always centered around Christmas dinner with my grandparents, their kids, and my cousins. My grandparents were the glue that kept us all together. But for some reason we always had Christmas dinner at my Aunt Mamie's house. And every year, Christmas is exactly like Thanksgiving: my mother makes an enormous 25 pound turkey with stuffing, my grandmother makes the pies. There are candied yams, mashed potatoes with gravy, and Grandma's famous Vinegar Green Beans. Sometimes there was a small ham, cookies, deviled eggs, fudge, or even Fruit Cake. Why does everyone hate fruit cake? My mom makes amazing fruit cake! Growing up, there was always a kids' table that we got forced to sit at, where we watched our parents laugh and talk and have so much fun while completely ignoring us no matter how much we whined or fought for attention. After dinner there was football on TV, my mom and her sisters yakking, and us kids begging to go home to play with our toys. The families usually start heading home around 5pm, where everyone settles in to digest dinner, play with toys, enjoy the quiet after the morning's storm of energy, and maybe sneak a late-night slice of pumpkin pie. There is always only one meal for us that day, but we end up eating enough calories to last us a week!

My husband's family is quite the same, except usually his Mom makes some cinnamon rolls. The only tradition about dinner is that it's served early in the afternoon, and it's a little fancy. I thought it was heresy when I discovered they didn't have turkey for Christmas dinner! There are no homemade pies or fruit cake, no items made from handed-down recipes at all. And there's no kids' table! I guess that's to be expected, since there are no grandparents, no aunts or uncles, and no cousins in attendance - I suspect there might be some extra traditions in the celebrations of Eric's parent's hometown, but I have no idea what they might be. After dinner, some football, lots of fiddling with toys, my niece yaks on the phone and texts, and eventually we all settle down later that evening for card games and a round of Trivial Pursuit.

Then there is my father's family: kids up too early in the morning, present opening as soon as the parents come out of their room, no real breakfast to speak of. Football on TV, kids running around squealing while their toys make a cacophany of their own, parents trying to pick up the disaster that has been made of the living room. And then, there's dinner...

Every December the family rents a hall behind our neighborhood's tiny Catholic church. The Christmas Party Dinner is usually held the weekend before Christmas, or Christmas Eve. Most of the small community shows up, either because they're family or tied to our family somehow. There's usually a small, sparsely decorated Christmas tree in a corner, and someone dresses up like Santa to hand out treats to the kids. An ensemble of musicians gathers on the tiny stage to play music that adds some white noise to cover the shouts of the kids running around - the hall has amazing echoes! Always the same benches are laid out, the same butcher paper on the tables, the same special rectangular paper plates with a enough little compartments to have a sample of everything, the same food every year, laid out in the same place as last.

This is Hawaii - there is no turkey. No mashed potatoes, green beans, or pumpkin pie. There is the Kahlua Pig that my uncles put in the ground at around 5am that morning. Lomi lomi salmon, Lau Lau, something called chicken long rice that is actually some sort of noodle concoction, sashimi, sticky rice, roasted bananas and yams, haupia. And, of course, poi. My plate is always the same: mound of Kahlua pig, slightly smaller mound of white rice, square of haupia, bit of lau lau, and maybe a yam to see if someone put sugar on it this year (they never do). Scarf down the food, glaring if anyone sitting next to you gets their poi close enough to smell. Eat as fast as you can, throw out your plate, and run out into the night to play with your cousins. Running in bare feet on the cool grass, hiding in the shadows and hedges of the church, laying down spent to stare at the stars. Hear the slack key from the hall, where the men's voices become louder as they consume more alcohol. Become quickly bored, but then protest loudly when your parents want to go home. The day was so full, you are exhausted and drop into bed when you get home. You didn't even get a free moment to miss the turkey.

Halloween is coming!

My favorite season is Fall, and my favorite holiday is Halloween. I love Fall because of the rainy weather, windstorms, the smell in the air, and the rich colors. And Halloween? Well, it's not the candy. It's not handing out candy to the local kids, or even the opportunity to dress up (although I do wish I had an excuse to dress up more often). Nope, it's the decorations - I am a sucker for Halloween decorations!

My husband has (affectionately) called me a shill, an advertiser's dream, because of my propensity to look at something small and call it "cute". I think this is a normal phenomenon in American women actually. It's not hurting anyone, right? Well, I guess we're fueling the advertising industry into pitching more and more ridiculous things to us. Eh, oh well. But I have to ask everyone: when was the last time you looked at something and called it "cute", even though it didn't have a face?

Anyway, I was talking about Halloween decorations. I am in love with vintage holiday decorations, especially those with a Victorian theme. I went to Edmond's Waterfront Antique Malla few days ago to see if I could score any Halloween stuff before October officially arrived and reminded everyone to start looking. It would have been a disappointment if I hadn't found a stash of wall decorations semi-hidden in a corner behind a record collection. I couldn't believe it! I have no idea what year they are from, but they look very much like the type that I remember decorating my elementary school classrooms. What do you think?



So while I was taking that picture, I decided it was time to introduce our kittie Nikka to my existing collection of collectibles. Previous attempts with Kyra and Fiona did not go well, mostly because I tried manhandling them into a ceramic jack-o-lantern. So this time I just brought some stuff to put around Nikka when she was already relaxing on the couch. She was surprisingly calm! And adorable!!



But the fun doesn't stop there! Yesterday I hit a bunch of shops looking for some Halloween crafting items to turn into jewelry:





While I was at Target, I discovered a secret display at the end of the seasonal section: Boo Berry, Franken Berry, and Count Chocula cereals!!! I had never heard of these cereals until my husband got a box of Boo Berry for Christmas one year. For some reason General Mills thinks that we here in the Pacific Northwest aren't interested in these cereals, except maybe every other Halloween, which is about how often you'll find a display at Target. Weird, huh? I grabbed a bunch to share with Eric, and after one day, one box of Frank Berry has already bit the dust:



Finally, back to jewelry... I decided it would be fun to try to make some Halloween jewelry to put into my shop, if only to grab Etsians searching for Halloween items and lure them into my shop! My hope is to make some inexpensive necklaces that use a mix of gemstones and glass, and offer removable Halloween charms to go with them. I have to tell you if you haven't heard this before: Seattle's Display and Costume store is the BEST place to find holiday items, but they really shine for Halloween. I found a bunch of charms that were perfect! Here's a sneak-peak of what I'm working on:

"Picasso" Czech Glass

Let me introduce you to "Picasso" Czech Glass:



To be honest, I'm not a big fan of glass beads. I prefer the more natural, "earthy" appearance and textures of gemstones. This may have something to do with local limited availability however - all my favorite bead shops have plenty of "fire-polished" and/or "pressed" Czech glass, then a smaller selection of other types of glass beads. A few years ago I was at a bead show and stumbled upon a booth that only sold Czech glass - and most of it was unlike anything I had ever seen before: the glass appeared to be one color, with one or two other "washes" of color that didn't quite mix together, like different weights of oil. It would be my luck that I would fall in love with this stuff, with all my budget for the day blown, and only five minutes to decide what would be worth going over my budget for.

I finally decided on a few different shapes with similar colors of seagreen, robin's egg blue, and hints of amber. When I paired them with a handblown pendant I'd picked up from an artist in Portland, I was blown away with the results:



When I was headed out to this year's bead show, I was excited to look for more of these beads, since I hadn't seen their like anywhere since. I was so overwhelmed at the show, it wasn't until weeks later that I realized I never ran across any. I've spent the past few days trying to find an online source. Just imagine how fun typing in "czech glass" to Google's image finder and paging through all the hits before you find anything promising! Finally, I stumbled across a good image with an interesting label: "picasso". And I was off!

Apparently this kind of "wash" has it's own label, which made things so much easier! Once I used the label to confirm none of my regular sources had any available, I poked around some other online shops with mixed results. So I crossed my fingers and did an Etsy search: BINGO! Another amazing reason to love Etsy! Now I just have to decide which ones to buy first!

So are you in love yet? If not, head over to these amazing shops to get a better look!