Be your Lady Marmalade

Quick post this week as I'm off to Poland...AGAIN! This time it's solo (going with a theater company to work on/workshop our new production of Antigone) and spending the whole time in Wroclaw. Or just outside the city, in a converted barn in the woods. Wish me luck!

Maybe my freestylin' cooking skills will help, since we all have to pitch in and cook for each other during our stay. A few weeks ago I picked plums with help from some friends. I made some jam, which I totally overcooked and later had to add water to this caramelized plum tar--but in the end I saved it and it tastes great. One jar is already gone!

My friends also traded me some plums for some of their homegrown oranges. So I made marmalade with this easy recipe (and totally cheated, too--I didn't let it rest overnight. I just waited until nightfall to cook it down.)

Getting crafty...and eating the rewards!

Back once again comes the Renegade Master...

My partner and I love going to the Renegade Craft Fair every year at Fort Mason. We've found a lot of fun artwork, quirky gifts, and many additions to our home's cast of characters. We nearly missed it this year--we didn't know it was happening until a friend told us (thanks again, Jen!)

Check out what was around this year:

 

Life-affirming cat tattoo art!

      

More cat t-shirts and art (you know I got that cat-driving-a-truck t-shirt, right? But I got it in gray instead of yellow.)

And I also got these great decoupage trays from Chicago vendor Why Girls Go Astray.

I look forward to it every year. Watch out, LA, Portland, and London--you're next on the Renegade Craft Fair schedule!

Who's zooming who?

Okay, I was bad and let last week slip away from me. I was on a roll, too, posting every week for a while there. I guess it's hard when you've got other things to do and the inspiration sometimes runs a little low. (What, am I supposed to keep traveling all the time to get inspired? Sure, once I win the lottery!)

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from CB2 announcing their new Fall collection. I was surprised to see the number of knockoffs reproductions pieces inspired by other designers.

The classic Serge Mouille sconce vs. CB2's Mantis sconce:

      

Or my favorite Ball Lights from Michael Anastassiades vs. CB2's Candlestick pendants:

 

I dunno, the scales can sometime be different, and the quality of these knockoffs pieces can vary, but you can find some cool, inexpensive things out there. It's still nice to know where the inspiration came from, of course ;-)