Blowing Eggs & Making Pretty

Easter 09 is here and seriously i haven't done a thing for this holiday since i was a wee youngin. Times are a changin' and I had a serious urge to do something festive, specifically, dye some eggs. I LOVE color and have ever since a third grade "science" class when we mixed primary colored icing together to make the secondary colors and then we ate our newly formed jewel-toned sweetness on graham crackers! (one of my few elementary memories and possibly an unexplored impetus towards my art school yearnings.)

My friend Melody and I planned a mere day in advance, when all the last minute shoppers hurl themselves with gorcery carts full of easter brunch ingredients at the checkout line. (Have i mentioned I abhor grocery shopping, which is such a shame given how much i LOVE food.) We purchased some regular ole white ones (M) and some organic free-range brown eggs (XL) to add some range to our colors but were, alas, still unsatisfied...

...Hence, the small and perfect, bespeckled and azure-insided quail egg, purchased with enthusiasm from our favorite asian mar-ket, Tan-A. I read up that they were extremely fragile so imagine my surprise when the check-out lady literally threw them at the man packing the bag. In a split-second freeze frame, one would have seen Melody reach forth trying to save the little darlings form inevitable splatterdom and my inflamed facial expression almost provoking a violent attack on the gregarious and absent-minded checkout mistress. We bought 4 dozen to be on the safe side and despite the propensity of such an instant to leave a streak of messy yolks in the bottom of the shopping bag, we made it safely home with only one casualty.

We spent the marjority of easter morning blowing the yolks from the eggs while my delectable Meditteranean quiche baked nearby. The latter part of the day was spent dying the tips of our fingers an incalcuable array of colors...simultaneously the eggs as well. As is to be expected, I kept mine in the blue and green family to match my decor. I am soon, but not yet, going to wonder if purhaps there is a chance that one day far far away I may begin to not like these colors anymore.....hmmm....impossible.

Volunteering at the Greenhouse: Tricycle Gardens

Today I started my first official volunteer day with Tricycle Gardens, a local non-profit whose vision is to create self-sustaining, organic gardens throughout Richmond. Founded in the winter of 2001 by a group of community and eco-conscious neighbors, Tricycle Gardens began as an abandoned-lot-turned-organic-garden and has since grown to 5 large and sustaining community gardens filtered throughout history city.


They offer weekly workshops and seminars (you just missed the cold frame workshop, where each participant learned to build their own frame from only $7 of pre-used and new materials) and they are launching a new service called "kitchen gardens" where volunteers (me included) will come to your backyard....We plan, prepare and plant you a garden and help maintain it until you get the hang of it. We are all working to create a greener more sustainable city, one garden at a time.




I'm beginning my tricycle garden education where sun meets seed + soil and where seedlings are born: The Greenhouse. The Greenhouse for Tricycle Gardens is located in Richmond' s Historic 262 acre Bryan Park located just north of the city. We have a varied assortment of cold weather crops almost ready to be sold (some, in the case of the lettuce, ready to be eaten): arugula, lettuce, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach.



My job was to mix some potting soil and plant two flats of lemon-lime and green bouquet basil. Easy-Peasy and done. Then i was able to snap some pics and watch Allison Mesnard feed the little darlings a fish emulsion cocktail and some root stimulator.



I was thus inspired to transplant my baby sugar snaps into 4 inch cow pots and I have stealthyly switched out my CFL in my desk lamp for a grow bulb. Unfortunately it is a rather jerry rigged endeavor and my pics do not do the process nor the plants justice. I will not taint the beautiul images of natures abundance in the Greenhouse with my paltry seedlings.

Soothing Images: Photographer Lauren Dukoff

Ugh...I am sick today for the first time in three years. I'm all soothing warm baths, comfy pjs, gentle curtain breezes today trying to recoop. Of course its freezing outside today after a nice half-week warm weather teaser when temperatures were in the low 80s. I'm nostalgic for yesterday and sun rays and the smell of spring. Here are some warm tea and sunshine happy pics from photographer Lauren Dukoff.

Ernst & Thistle: Fraktur Bird Silhouette Pillow

I decided to adjust my previous design; the five color design was a little hard to control (and a lot of paint to mix). I've decided to make a two-three color one that is more of a silhouette and I was able to make it with one stencil and some simple tape-offs.




This is my first color palette (my favorite colors). I am taking suggestions on other home decor colors for this application; any ideas?




I am thinking that the piping needs to be one of these colors to tie it all together. Either a small pattern or a solid. Still in progress. (i love this part!)

Southern Snow

A few pictures from our 8 inches of snow here in Richmond, VA. The trail i hit the day after already had mountain bike tracks on it! Its was a glorious and peaceful hour-long meander through crunching slush and flocked tree branches, scampering sparrows and kissing couples!

March Madness Giveaway at Southern Flair Blog!

Ernst & Thistle will be giving away a set of our coveted leather luggage tags on Southern Flair's March Madness Giveaway. Mark your calendars: our giveaway date is March 23rd. In order to qualify to win the item, just answer my posted question.


Thanks Allison for this wonderful opportunity for your readers to win free etsy seller items for the whole month of MARCH; an item a day! And thanks for "hearting" E+T and asking us to participate...We are flattered beyond words.

To get hooked into this awesome craziness and win handmade goodies, visit Southern Flair.

SNEAK PEEK: E&T New Stencil Pillow

I am working on some new pillow stencil designs inspired by vintage American quilts, Pennsylvanian Dutch motifs, and Fraktur...Hopefully available in Limited Edition on Etsy soon!

INSPIRATION: The Library of Congress as Historical Resource and Jaw-Dropper

I am a total histo-bibliophile and wish that I, like JAY WALKER, had a personal museum of human imagination with an outrageous collection of books, reproductions, artifacts and eccentric objet d'art to keep me constantly entertained and inspired. Instead, I have to be content with the world at my fingertips but never enough time to explore all that lay before them... One of my secret (but not so secret anymore) resources for E&T historical research is the fantastic Library of Congress... I especially take note of font usage and letter spacing.






All images borrowed from our nation's great LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Before reproducing or using any of the images displayed in this post, refer to The Library of Congress's form on copyright and other restrictions.

Honoring The Home: Commemorating Space in Oil

Before the advent of cameras, those who could afford it hired artists to render their loved ones forever in 2-Dimensions, creating cherished likenesses often hung on walls or kept in lockets. Virginia-born artist, Sarah Dougherty, brings this time-honored tradition to her personal places of interest, taking time to commemorate the interior (and exterior) spaces that have captured her attention and been her numerous homes...







In August at Found Gallery, she did a spacial reconstruction of her Mexican Cottage (where she spent a year being an artist... so jealous! ) and currently has a show at The Green Bean in Greensboro...

She has a book for sale (here)
and for more info, visit her website

I am just wondering whether she will do custom room portraits; I would have loved one of my long-forgotten childhood home.

Cheers to the NEW YEAR : perpetual calendars.

As the new year (quickly) approaches, I'm thinking of new year's resolutions to stay organized. I can get so wrapped up into product development and design in my studio that sometimes (embarassingly frequently) I forget what day it is...

solution = THE PERPETUAL CALENDAR (the ultimate GREEN date keeper, as long as you can find something you love and won't get tired of... and remember to "wind" each day.)

The following are some of my favorites:

Timor Desk Calendar
by Enzo Mari
$ 149.00 at nova68

Sukie Perpetual Calendar
By Darrell Gibbs and Julia Harding
$ 9.95 from chronicle books

Perpetual Calendar (1959)
by Enzo Mari
$ 160.00 available at hive modern



antique mahogany and brass desktop perpetual calendar
$ 225 at rubylane antiques



Antique Sterling Silver Perpetual Calendar
$ 575.00 at Tudor Rose Antiques