Stuff We Like

Found Treasures

claudiaMarch 7, 2011Stuff We Like

Great Dane with Roses

by S. Berger

So awhile back we came across this painting stuffed in a closet. It was purchased at an arts festival and we just never found the right place to hang it in the house. But I remember hoping when we bought it that one day we’d own a big, handsome Harlequin Great Dane. Well, fast forward a couple of years and the hilarious and wonderful Linus lands in our lives. And today, after a short stint in my office, “his” painting is now on permanent display in Arielle’s room at the farm – where it looks perfect!

Summer Angel is ‘WildSweet’

Mod Birds

Into the Light

Are you a two-sided southerner?

Carhartt is Cool

claudiaMarch 6, 2011Miscellaneous, Stuff We Like

When we started renovating the farm, we noticed a lot of local folks wore a special brand of clothing – overalls, jackets, jeans, hats and the like – with this logo stitched on them:

I’d never heard of this brand, but it seemed all the “cool” farmers were sporting it. So when it came time for some Christmas shopping I hoofed it on down to the local Tractor Supply to buy my man his very first Carhartt jacket. Made with solid duck fabric, heavy, tough and durable, this jacket is true workwear and, well, kinda sexy and macho, too. Mike wears it every time the temperatures drop, and now we have Carhartt gloves, hats, even socks. Pretty soon we might even pick up some jeans and overalls.

Dan Neil shares his personal history for Carhartt in today’s Wall Street Journal (My Carhartt Jacket, a Love Story), while at the same time lamenting the company’s recent changes and, Neil says, a decision to go “prêt-à-porter.” Still, despite the brand’s modernization, it remains a symbol of rugged craftsmanship and quality. But most importantly, out in the country, Carhartt is and always has been cool.

Saw ‘Em, Snagged ‘Em

Essex Farm, NY

Farmers market season begins

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Saw ‘Em, Snagged ‘Em

claudiaFebruary 23, 2011Stuff We Like

From Star Provisions in Atlanta

Summer Angel is ‘WildSweet’

Mod Birds

Into the Light

Are you a two-sided southerner?

Things That Bring Me Joy

claudiaFebruary 2, 2011Inspiration, Stuff We Like

If I were making a list of The Top 100 Things That Bring Me Joy, the art of Maurice Sendak would definitely be on it. I used to read In the Night Kitchen to Arielle over and over when she was small, and we never stopped marveling at the illustrations. Now, a mural, the only one ever created by Mr. Sendak, done just two years before he published Where the Wild Things Are, has been donated to The Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia, the major repository for Sendak’s illustrations and manuscripts. There in Philly, this sweet painting of a children’s parade is being lovingly restored, and we’re sure going to find a way to get there to see it. To read about the Chertoff Mural or to learn how to support this important restoration project, visit the Rosenbach’s website or listen to today’s story from “All Things Considered.”

Milk In The Batter!

We Bake Cake!

And Nothing’s The Matter!

Into the Light

Are you a two-sided southerner?

At Heart, A Rural Poet

New Discoveries

The Staff of Life

claudiaJanuary 24, 2011Inspiration, Stuff We Like

In the NPR series “This I Believe,” Mary Anne Mrugalski, a freelance reporter in Chicago, tells Bob Edwards that baking bread has helped get her through a lot of life’s tough moments. And it brings her family closer together, through this experience she calls “healthy and honest and pure.” After hearing Mary Anne’s essay yesterday, I’m seriously considering tossing out our bread machine. 🙂

To listen…