Eat Eat

The holiday of  Purim  begins tonight at sundown. I dug out this old photograph of my friend Myra (on the right) and myself at the age of four both dressed as Queen Esther. What doesn't show in the photograph is how beautiful the costume was. Mum made it entirely by hand, sewing sequin bows along the hem of the skirt, and using silver ric-rack to trim the poncho. I loved it so much I continued wearing the skirt as a poncho for years and then dressing a large teddy bear in it when it would no longer go over my head. I don't know what eventually became of it, but I've had a soft spot for blue satin and sequins ever since. And tiaras?? I baked Hamantaschen  this year using a new recipe. The filling is an orange/honey/poppy seed mixture, but the dough has both butter and sour cream. The pastry is yeast-risen, yet it maintains the texture of a rich cake.  Recipe Here . I used a different filling, and substituted orange peel for lemon. As the recipe made 36 pieces(!) Mr. ETB took

 I can finally breathe through my nose again-hooray. To celebrate, here are some fragrances I'm currently making my way through. Galanos. People think it smells like a cross between Opium and Youth Dew. It doesn't. Galanos is heavy on carnation, oakmoss, and geranium. It is very much an 80's fragrance (it launched in '79) but without throwing everything  in like later 80's scents. Galanos is refined, and probably still acceptable in most public places provided you don't over-apply (which you shouldn't do anyway). There is a pungent clove note in Galanos, which can be a deal breaker for some people though in the absence of cinnamon avoids smelling too much like mulling spices. 7/10 because I love oakmoss.  Ivoire. I learned to like  it. Won't ever be love. Unlike Galanos, Ivoire throws EVERYTHING in the bottle in true 80's style. Narcissus kills it for me. Aldehydes, oakmoss, marigold...I should adore it. *shrug* perfume can be funny that way. I still

Yes, I know that was all kinds of wrong, but I couldn't resist. The photo is over 10 years old as Danny has long since moved on from playing with Mr. Potato Head. He loved those Potato Heads. We'd sit on the floor of his bedroom giving them silly faces and sinister voices. "Hey kid, tell yer ma she's really hot." He'd fall apart laughing every time. I hadn't thought about them in ages until we made a quick run to the supermarket and saw this... It brought all sorts of questions to mind (some on the disturbing side). Why is the potato in bed? Does he have the flu? Should he be concerned by all the tins of chili surrounding his bed? Why is he reading a cooking magazine? So many unanswerable questions. "Pssst, hey kid... yer ma is really hot." Anyway, I'm still a bit sick so maybe I'm missing something? In good weather, we have a favourite evening walk that runs about a mile and a half. Past the college, beyond the hotel, and through the par

Happy Valentine's Day. I planned to bake something using my springerle  mould, but life (and still more flu-you wouldn't think it possible to get both  strains in one season, but yeah) got in the way. I made Danny a Valentine card and bought him the biggest, silliest, frou-frou heart-shaped box of chocolates from Russell Stover instead. He seemed impressed. Anyway, I hope your day was pleasant. Xerox got a big sprig of millet for Valentine's. Poor guy has been molting, and he's crankier than usual.  Being poorly doesn't make for the best photos, but hey, we're just keeping it real??. The beautiful hand-knit cotton jumper wasn't the best colour to wear with such a sickly lack of colour to my face, but it was a delight to wear. It is cropped, but being short, it comes right to my waist.   I think it is 80's, due to the longer sleeves and cropped waist, but the pattern is timeless. There was a woven label which also makes me think it was 80's (they tend

Haven't done one of these posts for a while, so I think we're due. This Fishpool Hoard  brooch from Nomads With Baggage is a wonderful museum replica piece. Alexis is a terrific seller, and I have been so happy with the many items I have purchased from her. This Flapper Comb  from Deb at Cheap Frills on Etsy is another phenomenal deal. I've bought two combs from Deb (and other items) and I can assure you, she's a great seller with a particularly good eye for combs. She's also the fastest shipper, ever! This Circle Skirt Dress  from 1860-1960 has a fab print. I have bought so many pieces from 1860-1960 and they're all treasures! If I ever win the lottery, I know where I'm shopping first. This Copper Bracelet  from Ms. Vintage Treasures is not only beautiful, but a fantastic bargain as well. I have been pleased with the brooches I purchased from this shop and it is taking a good deal of willpower to keep from buying this bracelet. Gosh, I love copper.  This Ci