around the interweb...

Merci to the following sites/friends who have linked to my paper goods recently:

Nishta, my school pal over at Blue Jean Gourmet [here]:

[photo by Sonya Cuellar]

[the above was a collaborative effort, with help from Marth and Jesse.]

Next was Katie L/"coltempo" who linked to these guys:


[taking photos of stationery is hardddddddddddd]

Then, Martha's dear (and now mine too) sweet friend Linnae ordered some custom stationery for the ministry she works for, Going Beyond Ministries (to go along with their new website--congrats!). She blogged about it here.

Thank you, friends, for your support and shout-outs!

Paul the Pilgrim Celebrates Thanksgiving

This is Paul the Pilgrim.


He appears on the Jerkins' kitchen countertop every year after Halloween is over. He joins the almost-empty pumpkin jar of candy corn and helps us set our minds on Thanksgiving.

I love Thanksgiving.

and I believe that, as time goes by, Thanksgiving is getting dissed.

Who doesn't love Thanksgiving? It's a day to EAT. It's a day to be AMERICAN. It's a day that involves no religious or heavy cultural implications. You can't disgree with anyone for celebrating Thanksgiving, unless you hate America. [And if you dislike America that much, then you should maybe think of relocating?]

Notwithstanding that growing up, my school mascot for 14 years was a turkey--and I have a soft spot for turkeys--Thanksgiving deserves its brief time in the sun.

Beyond fixing an extravagant meal, the expectations are few. The traditions do not carry all of this if-we-don't-do-such-and-such-we-do-every-year-I-will-just-be-crushed mish-mash.

The absence of such emotional baggage is more precious to me the further into adulthood I travel.

All of this aside, the Jerkins do NOT decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. My husband is even stringent about avoiding hearing Christmas music until the Friday after Thanksgiving. Now, I understand that the retail industry in America now commences Christmas celebrations on November 1st...but the Jerkins do not.

We continue to enjoy our pumpkins and harvest-y additions to the house. And we enjoy Paul the Pilgrim.


Some other delightful Thanksgiving items:

Acorn candle-filler stuff, here:


Nut wreath, I LOVE YOU! [here]


Delightful turkey plate [here]


Please don't misunderstand: I love Christmastime. I love yuletide glee. But I love celebrating at its appropriate time. In the appropriate season.

'Tis the season to celebrate giving thanks!

...for we have a lot for which to be thankful.

Recently Read/Reading

I have been on a pretty fantastic streak lately with books. After In Cold Blood (which was unexpectedly awesome), my friend Leanne recommended and lent me The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.


This wasn't a super-fast read, but some parts of it were so poignant and tightly written, I could barely stand it. Sweet story, and mad props to the translator (written in French originally). I don't know this for sure, not having read the French version, but it seems that the translator captured the tone of this book perfectly. Magnifique!

Next was Tunneling to the Center of the Earth, by Kevin Wilson.


This is a collection of short stories, written by a guy who teaches at the University of the South in Sewanee, TN, and is a pretty fun read. There wasn't a story in this book I did not enjoy.

Finished that one just in time to pick up The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, by Carson McCullers, for our trip to Boston.


This book has intrigued me since reading "Ballad of the Sad Cafe" in college--one of McCullers' short stories. I just love her tone. McCullers wrote this when she was twenty-one years old! What in the world! I loved this one... in one of those I-get-completely-absorbed-into-depressing-books-that-make-you-question-your-existence type ways.

[The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is still making headlines--just a few weeks ago, New York Times had an article about the stage adaptation of this story. One of the main characters is a deaf person, but the screenwriter is using a hearing actor to play him so there can be a spoken monologue. Controversy.]

Currently reading Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson.


This Pulitzer Prize-winner focuses on the father-and-son relationship through a series of written letters. Interesting so far.

And, not that we need another form of online social networking in our lives, but if you're in need of an easy way to keep up with the books you've read/are reading/want to read, cruise over to www.goodreads.com.

You can indeed make "friends" with other members to see what they're reading, but if you just want a place to keep track of a list of books you want to read, or the ones you've already read, this is your site. Check 'er out--and look me up, if you do.

Any of you read any good books lately?

Hallowonderful ! and baking

I generally enjoy Halloween, but I don't get overly dramatic about it one way or the other. This year, we got to dress up twice: once at our church's trunk-or-treat, and also for a Halloween party.

The Halloween party hosted by David Bowie from Labyrinth:

(I won't show a photo of the host in his costume because some of you might be frightened at its likeness to the photo above.)

The Ghost + Peter Pan at Trunk-or-Treat (jonny=ghost):


Peter Pan + Tinkerbell (me and my buddy Waishauna)


For Saturday... what do you get when you add white tights


...a golden egg


...and a golden ticket?


Veruca Salt, of course!

Veruca Salt + Mike TV (from Willie Wonka):



This weekend, my KitchenAid and I got to work. We bonded.

First, for the party, I decided to try a recipe from October's Real Simple issue that looked so pretty and tasty:

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting [full recipe here]


not so far off from their photo?

um, yeah...

Cupcakes in the tin (with water in the empty cups to keep the tin from getting too hot, trick my mama taught me):


Cooling on my wonderful cooling racks [who knew a human being could be such an evangelist for cooling racks, but seriously if you don't have one of these, I highly recommend looking into them, from Williams-Sonoma. you will not be sorry. Write a letter to Santa.]


Lovely cream cheese frosting:


GUESS WHAT!

I gathered my pennies and went to Macy's to get the absolutely wonderful Martha Stewart Cupcake Carrier [first mentioned here]. Boy oh boy!




Sunday, I had two baking projects.

1. Iced Lemon Cookies for my friend Leanne's birthday. [If you want the recipe for this one, cozy up to the wonderful Mrs Debbie Edwards. Fantastic.]


Leanne doesn't like a ton of glaze, so I went for the drizzle:



2. Joy the Baker's Pumpkin Cookies with butterscotch chips:


Half of the batch I frosted with leftover cream cheese frosting from the cupcakes (phone pictures, sorry):




Luckily, all of these baked goods had destinations...otherwise Jonny and I would be rolling around our house. Good thing we're in the midst of half-marathon training.

Me like baking.

Umbrella ella ella

[photo by aaron snow photography]

Since it seems that Mother Nature wanted to force me into bonding with my umbrella, that is exactly what has occurred over the past few weeks/months/years (seems like years, anyway).

Now, I generally like inclement weather. I like cloudy skies, snow, sleet, rain, wind, etc. Not only is it exciting, but bright sun hurts my eyeballs. And (most of us know by now), I do not like to be hot.

I suppose I'm a vampire of sorts.

Thus, I do not mind rain or dreary skies--but must say, all of this is definitely more enjoyable when one can be home with one's cat, a good book, and cup of tea.

I have a theory that good umbrellas are like good sunglasses: if you spend more than $2 on an umbrella (same w/sunglasses), you are probably more likely to take better care of it and not lose it. Sometimes this holds true, agreed?

So, if you've been enduring consistent rainy days as we have in Memphis, here are some umbrella options for ya:

["vanilla skies" from modcloth]


[Jonathan Adler from Barnes & Noble]


[can never go wrong with a solid green umbrella, Target]


[Merimekko cuties, here and here]




[there are also (usually) colorful and fun options at Gap or Old Navy, but couldn't really find any super-cute ones on their respective websites.]

Old Reliable [from Target]: