I love imaginative and beautifully illustrated children's books. I'm going to embark on a new adventure here on Poppy Haus, an occasional series where I dive into books. My founding-partner at Jasper Hearts Wren is expecting, and when I saw this series of board books I thought of her, because like me, she is a sucker for simple, modern children's design.
Read MoreIn my next few DIY posts you'll see a theme: wooden craft/art store basics. I am as much a sucker for balsa and plywood as I am for paper lanterns, air plants, and poppy red. These wooden things (pegs, beads, dowels, decorative objects)are usually found on special in a bin outside the store, or with all the woodworking supplies. For today's DIY I took a very inexpensive 7" tray and using some scrap fabric, I made a simple, clean-lined pin cushion for my sewing projects. One problem I run into when I'm sewing is when advancing the fabric and pulling the pins out, I tend to toss them on the table haphazardly and they fall all over the floor. With this tray cushion, a simple 3M command strip will attach it to the wall, so I can have it right at arms length in front of me, off the table, and away from the project, which sure beats the old tomato cushion.
Read MoreI like cobbler. Usually executed as a dessert, cobbler is baked fruit (stewed in it's own juices) with a biscuit topping. What's not to like about that? As my 7 year old will tell you, a tomato is a fruit and because of that, when cooked, tomato yields a lot of juice. Best made with very ripe tomatoes, this cobbler is has the most pleasing of all of all tastes, umami. And the best thing about my tomato cobbler is that it is not only juicy, savory, salty, and sweet..it's vegan. I made vegan biscuits and they rock. Here's the recipe, try it soon, because it's prime tomato time.
Read MoreHere are some more snapshots of our vacation in Guerneville. Located 2 minutes from a perfect river beach, 20 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, with a State Park redwood forest on the outskirts of town, we spent a lot of time in nature. I even bought a pair of Keens (gasp!). Going on this trip I had a little epiphany. I really like feeling as though I'm in the middle of nowhere. Every morning I would go outside and drink my coffee on the deck of our beautiful cabin and enjoy the quiet. All I could see was trees and the water, and one time a naked lady walking across her deck at the house across river.
Read MoreLast October we hosted a pumpkin carving party at our house and served a boat load of apple cider. It came in these glass gallon jugs. Instead of tossing them in the recycling bin we stripped their labels, washed them, and tucked them away for some future use. Since recently pulling them out for Jasper's birthday lemonade, I've been staring at them, thinking they could really be something. So I did what you do in this situation, and glued a bunch of rope around the glass, and sprayed the cap red. It's really so simple, but I kind of just love it. While you can't run it through the dishwasher, the rope is treated, so it can be easily wiped off and submerged in water. Now what to fill it with...
Read MoreMake + Haus is the new name and online home for the blog Poppy Haus. Established in 2011, the blog archive now contains hundreds of original design projects and whole food recipes, many featured on the likes of Apartment Therapy, Martha Stewart, Design*Sponge, Curbly, and Epicurious.
