golden crust

I don't know how it happened but suddenly I woke up one morning having the deepest desire to bake. Turns out I find satisfaction from pulling a steaming dish from the oven-which could be due in part to a few fine recipes I have tried recently. The recipe that hands down won me over was my sisters pie crust made sweetly complete with any and every fruit. This crust is flaky and breaks easily just the way you want it to-so that every bite has part crust part fruit. We made this peach pie one birthday riddled day and I found rolling the dough, pinching the edges and sprinkling sugar to be therapy unlike any I have ever known.

(by the by I suggest you go here to get your pie pan-you won't regret it and you won't go back to anything else)

double trouble

Twinner brother-in-law birthdays. (happy birthday Chandler-Neville!)

A very fine peach pie made by my sister. (more to follow on this)

The beginnings of our halloween decoration overhaul. (SO much more to follow on this)

colour

Aren't these color combos just stunning? Makes me wish I still had my wedding coming up so I could incorporate this. This leaves me no choice but to throw a party-which reminds me-for my birthday I asked Matt if I could throw a party for myself. Not a birthday party mind you, just a party with streamers, cake, excellent music and if all goes right a bit of dancing too.

(images via here and here)

Sentence first - verdict afterwards.

Here were the rules.

First cake was eaten and drink was drunken.

Then it was a mad dash to the white roses before the queen came. Hawaiian punch was the perfect paint and spitting, spewing, expectorating, etc. were very effective painting techniques. There was even dubbed the "walker spray" which produced more of a fine mist and some very fine coating.

In the end we were shockingly without any red stains on our wonky outfits (huzzah) and the winners proudly showed off their stretchy body part prizes. (And by "showed off" I mean throwing said body parts at one poor knave with a poster board as a target.)

we're all mad here

When one throws an Alice party, especially when thrown for a certain lady who is a dead-ringer for Alice, one must leave ones sanity at the door.

grand display

There is nothing I love more than a good display and I would say this cute little parisian shop takes the cake. I love the use of repetition and unexpected items (topless baby doll heads anyone?).

(photos via missmoss)

gloom

Zozobra is a hideous but harmless fifty-foot bogeyman marionette. He is a toothless, empty-headed facade. He has no guts and doesn't have a leg to stand on. He is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. He never wins. He moans and groans, rolls his eyes and twists his head. His mouth gapes and chomps. His arms flail about in frustration. Every year we do him in. We string him up and burn him down in ablaze of fireworks. At last, he is gone, taking with him all our troubles for another whole year. Santa Fe celebrates another victory. Viva la Fiesta!

- A.W. Denninger

We didn't have any of our troubling papers stuffed inside this whaling giant but we shouted "burn him" just the same. We marveled at what therapy this provided and how next year we want to do a Zozobra of our own. We will start saving our broken hearts on paper, our bills, tickets and unlucky horoscopes. "Burn him!", we will shout, "burn him!", and we will watch as our troubles turn to ash and smoke. Que viva!

putting the old in bold

Here is to getting old and staying funky.

(images found here)

santa fe

"The Land of Enchantment"