The Case For Big Bird

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The Case For Big Bird

While my blog is most definitely apolitical in nature, I can't help but contemplate the upcoming election, and the rhetoric and posturing, and how it affects my life, and the life of my children.  You might suspect from my geographical location that I am a PBS fan, and you'd be right. I also get pretty fired up about the school lunch program. While I think this whole Big Bird thing has become a talking point, and not nearly as important as issues like jobs, the economy, and education, I do think there is connection between early childhood education and those big issues, and it's worth my time to stand on my own soapbox to give a quick pitch.  

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DIY Friday: Crepe Paper Tassels

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DIY Friday: Crepe Paper Tassels

I've adopted a black and white look for Halloween this year.  I was inspired by all the black and white pumpkin painting I've been seeing around Pinterest. A few years back I had quite the Halloween party and acquired a lot of oddities like crows, spiders, and candelabras. It was before I had kids, and the look was pretty moody; more Hitchcock than Charlie Brown.  This year I added to the mix with a black tassel garland made from crepe paper, an idea that's everywhere right now. Easy to make, I think it would be beautiful in mixed metallics for the winter holidays.  You can also vary tassel sizes for more dimension. The tutorial's pictured below, enjoy your weekend!  

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Sweet For You

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Sweet For You

This will mark the 200th post on Poppy Haus. Today I want to thank you so much for reading.  It's just nuts that I've had that much to share in a little over a year.  I'm proud that I've amassed a small collection of recipes, projects, and musings, and I've had the chance to flex my creative muscle and started writing with regularity. Here's a little treat for today.  It's a ginger-molasses cookie bowl with a scoop of pumpkin ice cream.  Made from a new prepared cookie dough* from Trader Joes, they take minutes to craft and can be assembled ahead of time and frozen, making for an easy treat for a pumpkin carving party or Thanksgiving dessert.

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Antique Roadshow

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Antique Roadshow

I spent most of Friday and this weekend solo parenting, finishing up our bathroom, carting kids around to play dates and birthday parties. Fortunately one of those chores landed me in Sebastopol kid-free for 2 hours. I spent my time driving up and down the Gravenstein Hwy exploring the myriad of antique and vintage furnishing shops on the south side of town. I'd noticed them on our way to Sunday Farmer's market, lining the road, dotted in between small farms and hippie coffee shops, but antiquing is considered the most boring of all activities by my children, so this was my very first visit.

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