Simply a Hot Color

I was featured in a terrific treasury today on Etsy. It is so bright and bold, it makes you feel happy looking at it.  Jana, who made the treasury has three great shops on Esty.  One where she sells her unique jewelry made of fiber beads and two bead and supply shops.

'....simply a hot color....' by jimenastreasur

Custom Pinwheel Set by Rule4... rule42 $40	SALE...5 Fuchsia Pink Silk R... blueorchidcrea... $150	300gr of organic Linen yarn,... YarnStories $24	Romantic hot pink and golde... ZsBcreations $24
Pink Hand Painted Pouch MoniKdesigns $25	Necklace with Ribbon in Pink... vadjutka $39	Bougainvillea - Flower Photo... MermaidSightin... $7	Cranberries Chiffon Roses Ha... BizimSupplies $15
Toddler hairband fuchsia and... RedPepperHats $18	Fuchsia color yarn Fingerles... cookieletta $34	24 Fuchsia Crinckle Milliner... caramelos $2.99	Hand Dyed Yarn - Superwash M... SunriseFiberCo $21
Vintage 80s Hot Pink Silk Lo... vauxvintage $40	Vintage 80s CARESSA Fuchsia ... StarletsVintag... $48.95	Hot Pink Pillow Cover Fuchs... MyPillowStudio $20	Crochet Flower Brooch - Pink... Smalkumi $14

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Time Out

I am a tea drinker, and I love all different kinds.  I try to find a few minutes every afternoon to savor a good cup of tea.  I drink about 4 different kinds a day, but my afternoon cup of tea is the one I enjoy the most.  It is not type but the moment that makes it the best.

In the photo is my favorite cup ( it is from last years Anthropology collection).  The teas are 2 of my latest favorites.  The chai is not too strong and Yogi Tea is a brand I like a lot.  I definitely drink more black teas, but because of all the health benefits, I am trying to drink more green tea.  This one is fabulous, plus you get a double dose of antioxidants, because it is made with goji berries and rasberries.  I got this tea on my last visit to the states, hopefully I can find it here in France too.  What kinds of teas are you drinking, I would love to hear!

Marking the End of Summer with a Nectarine and Mixed Berry Crumble

I just absolutely looove crumbles!  They are so versatile, you can make them anytime of year with whatever fruit you have on hand.  Last weekend I made these nectarine and mixed berry crumbles.
Using some of the last summer fruits in the farmer's market.  Soon it will be time for fig, date, pumpkin, apple, and pear desserts.

I made several extra of these little crumbles but they didn't even last 24 hours.
Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Nectarine and Mixed Berry Crumble

Fruit mixture:                                                                                           Makes 7-8 individual servings                     

6  nectarines (not necessary to peel)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
½ cup sugar 
¼ cup all-purpose flour 
1 cup fresh or frozen mixed berries


Crumble mixture:

1 cup all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup sugar ¼ cup  lightly packed dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced 
½ teaspoon salt 

Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C

Slice nectarines into thick wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Add lemon juice,  sugar, and flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the mixed berries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into ramekins.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and butter.  Mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Work mixture with your fingertips until forms big crumbles, then sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan lined with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Our Wonderful Day in Florence

We spent 2 weeks in Milano Marittma this summer, a small vacation town in northern Italy.  It was a relaxing vacation with just the beach, exercise, evening walks and restaurants.  We had a wonderful time, but there is nothing for me to post about that would interest you.  However we did go to Florence for the day and a bit of sightseeing.  It was about an hour and a half drive from where we were.  We rented a mini van with a chauffeur and left with half the group we were on vacation with.  Here are a few photos of our fabulous day and a few of the most popular sights.

Beautiful view of the roof tops of Florence with the the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore and The Duomo.  It is the 4th largest Cathedral in the world.

Ponte Vecchio the oldest bridge in Florence.

Our wonderful friends who we spent the day in Florence with.  That's me, the third from the right.

Close up shoot of the Duomo and the Cathedral.

The intricate work and sculptures on the outside of the cathedral.

A candy store and bakery with candied flower petals.  I don't know how they tasted, I just thought they were so pretty.

Black or White

A few days ago I was featured in a wonderful treasury by L'Officina on Etsy.  My punctuation pillows inspired her for the title.  I was so excited!!  There are some very lovely pieces included in the collection, I especially like the 2 bracelets.

Sonia from L'Officina who is based in Italy makes beautiful jewelry,  home decor, and toys out of ceramic.  Her white porcelain roses are amazing!  Be sure to click on the link above to see her work.

Modern Black and White Pillo... MoniKdesigns $58.00	JERSEY FABRIC NECKLACE - st... Nokike $15.00	Hand Drawn Shrink Plastic Po... LeIdeeDellaVal... $6.50	Chalkboard Necklace - Blackb... FioreJewellery $25.00
papercut silhouette "FA... reevpapercuts $129.00	Black and white leather bang... LunaBluandCo $13.00	white polymer clay brooch sp... madamaRobe $10.00	KNOT ROPE NECKLACE, black an... Nokike $17.00
White Sheep Necklace - Pende... LeIdeeDellaVal... $13.00	Sea Black and White Little S... GretaAndVirgi $4.50	teapot purse in white and bl... peutfeutre $18.00	Shabby Chic, Vintage Gret Wh... ShabbyStudios $22.00
White Trim kirevi88 $1.60	Anna - White Pealrs dance on... Cynamonn $35.00	Black And White Polka Dot S... AdgLaMode $16.00	Bridal Cape Capelet Wedding ... softadditions $31.00

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Wrapping things Up

It has been a few busy and stressful weeks, but things are slowing down.  I have finished up some totally different pillows for my shop.  I thought the fabric was fun.  No hand painting on these.  I have got some good feedback on them.

I am leaving for a long weekend to Barcelona on Wednesday.  I am looking forward to some sunshine, tapas, and family time.  I know the city well,  my husband has 3 brothers that live there and we go a couple times a year.  It is a city I love.  I will share some photos with you next week.

Is Summer Really Here?

You wouldn't know that tomorrow is the first day of summer.  We have had an awful spring here in Paris.  It has been cold and rainy for the last three months.  We haven't even been able to really wear our summer clothes yet.  The only up side of the bad weather is that we have not been distracted or lured away from our work to play.  My children are definitely not on summer vacation yet, they are passing their baccalaureate exams this week.  I will be happy when Friday has arrive.  I have been busy working on my website.  I am pretty happy with how it is coming together, but it has not been an easy project.  It is now online, but still under construction.  Go and take a look and tell me what you think, it is at Moni K Designs

I have also been busy creating, something totally new for me, iPad sleeves!  I have added several different models to my shop recently.  I had a lot of fun making them.  If I get some good feedback I will be creating some different styles too.