How did it get to be August already? Here's a glimpse of what's been going on in my world:
On My Work (Art) Table
For me, summer means it's time to work on Christmas items, so my table is strewn with various metal components for ornaments. When finished, I'll be submitting these to a juried gallery holiday show, so please cross your fingers for me if you're so inclined!
In the Kitchen
I'm learning (or just remembering?) that I don't bake or create fantastic meals when it's 100 degrees outside. Maybe I'll have something next month! I did mark this Blueberry Crumb Cake recipe to try after reading this blogger's review of it.
What I'm Reading Now
I enjoyed Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott, although it wasn't exactly light reading with themes of death, anxiety, and a scary health diagnosis for her teenage son.
I also flipped through a coffee table book from the library titled Astronomy Photographer of the Year, Collection 5, which I enjoyed much more than I expected. (It came out in 2016; there are newer editions available.) There's a section in the back of incredible photos submitted by teenagers which are just as wonderful as those by the adults.
On My Library Hold List
Do you read celebrity memoirs? I typically read a couple per year. Right now I have We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by actor Simu Liu on my to-read list.
The other book on my to-read is the first book in 94-year-old Renee Taylor's "darkly witty" crime series out later this fall.
What I'm Watching
I'm enjoying the new episodes of the science fiction show The Orville, including the one with Dolly Parton as a guest star. I couldn't believe that I hadn't heard a thing about her appearance ahead of time. It made me realize that it's been a long time since something on TV has truly surprised me.
From the World of Crafts
The Heritage Crafts Association in the U.K. has published a list of endanged crafts, those skills that are at risk of no longer being practiced. Think piano making, brilliant cutting (I had to look that one up!), Shetland lace knitting, and many others.
A Helpful Hack
If you click on the word "Instagram" in the upper left corner of your Instagram feed, you can make sure you're actually seeing the people you're following rather than who/what the algorithm deems appropriate. I'm happy that this seems to have worked for me and terribly annoyed that it's necessary!
Made Me Laugh
It probably shouldn't have made me laugh, given the vast amount of misinformation online, but oh, this headline: Top scientist admits 'space telescope image' was really just a slice of chorizo.
New in the Shop
Shh...I'm opening a new shop on Spoonflower for print-on-demand fabric, wallpaper, and home decor. I'll make a formal announcement later this fall once I have more patterns available, but you can take a sneak peek if you like! Pictured here is a duvet cover with my bright pink butterfly design.
See you in September!