Do You Believe In Magic?

Earlier today, Missy and I scored some great finds at AGORA, one of the best thrift/used/vintage/antique shops here in Athens. We found these two vintage craft kits, both in their original boxes with all their parts and instruction booklets. The first one we found was KNIT MAGIC, by Mattel. It's a little plastic machine that knits in the round for you. You just thread the yarn of your choice through the machine, crank the handle and...taa daa! You've got a knitted tube, in no time flat. The instruction manual has different projects and actually, I'm a bit surprised at all the different things you can make with the Knit Magic. Missy has already taken the spinner for a test drive and it works like a charm. I can't wait to make a life-size knit boa constrictor with it!

We also found this super Seventies SWINGIN' PURSE KIT. It comes with a wooden, barn-shaped purse and little cut-outs that you can decoupage onto it. The kit came with some paint, but of course, it was all dried out. Missy actually has a Swingin' Purse already...but she had found it in a thrift store already decorated, not knowing that it was part of a "craft kit". Now that she has a blank canvas, there's no telling how she'll decorate it...



(check out that serious five-head!)



We also found a pair of wooden trays with these cool little vignettes painted on them. Featuring canine characters, the paintings depict scenes from "THE ROMANCE OF FIFI AND PEPE", two french poodles who are falling in love. According to the printing on the bottom of the trays, the illustrations are actually "Scene 2" and "Scene 3" in their courtship. Where was "Scene 1"? And was there a "Scene 4"? I wonder if we'll ever find other trays with the missing parts of their story...we'll probably have to do a bit of research on the internet. The trays were made in 1952 by the Kentley Corporation, so I guess that's our first clue to finding the missing parts of their romance...












We were bound to have a good shopping day today...previous to hitting up Agora, we scrounged through the sale bins at BORDERS and found this great cookbook for only $4.99...when we went to go pay for it, we found out that we had earned a five dollar credit on our Borders Reward Card, which we promptly used to pay for our book. Score!

Nilla Thirty-Nine

Here is my lovely kitty, Nilla. She is sitting in the kitchen while I had some breakfast. She saw we had some See's Candy sent from Raoul's family, and I really think she was eyin' it for sure!


I mean, look at how she just stares at the box of those famous old time candies!


I know this photo is a little blurry, but I love the face she is making here. How can you resist my cat that is sweet as sugar and soft as snow?

Extra Kool

I was gonna do a proper post tonight, but got caught up watching Top Chef and talking to the neighbors...anyways, I had wanted to post this KOOL & THE GANG video for their song "Open Sesame" last week (after we had seen them play live) but totally forgot, so I'm posting it now. If you know me at all, then you know that I'm a sucker for bands with a horn section (I'm a trumpet player, so it goes without saying), and nothing is more SICK than the horn riffs on this song...and those outfits are pretty dope too. Also, this song has been featured a couple of times on the closing credits of STRANGERS WITH CANDY, during their obligatory dance sequences...soooo, yeah.

ENJOY!

Marshmallow World

With all the snow that is falling at my family's house in Pennsylvania, I thought it was only appropriate to write about the marshmallows I made. Like many a blog friend, I too have made these tasty treats. My brothers ask for them when we visit at holiday time. Only this time I had to mail them for Joey's birthday.


I used Martha's recipe and it works like a charm. I do wonder if you can substitute agave nectar for the light corn syrup - has anyone tried? I think next time I might try using a vanilla bean, too. I want my 'mallows to be speckly like the vanilla bean ice cream that is so yummy.


I made a cocoa to take to work the other morning, and I think it got cold on my walk into the building - it was that cold outside! Here is a link to a very cute marshmallow video from Design Sponge. If this does not get you in the mood for marshmallow making, I don't know what will!

Weekend Wind-Down #39

We're having a bit of a lazy Sunday today. Actually, we did a lot of cleaning, a lot of washing, did some grocery shopping...and now we're watching some football. It's not normally a favorite pastime of ours, but the PITTSBURGH STEELERS are playing and they are, at the moment, half-a-game away from going to the Superbowl once again. EXCITING! We even pulled out our TERRIBLE TOWEL in order to cheer on the Steelers, nice and proper.





FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Getting my check from Craftland!
RAOUL - Losing 2 more pounds.

WORST MOMENT OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Still feeling sick.
RAOUL - Eating way too much mac & cheese the other night.

WORD OR PHRASE OF THE WEEK?
MISSY - "We'll share conjee and toast"
RAOUL - "Do Work!"

FAVORITE MEAL OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - The mock chicken salad I made...and the smiley fries.
RAOUL - Super Nachos at Willy's

THREE THINGS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST NEXT WEEK?
MISSY - Make soup, clean up some more, and frame some art work.
RAOUL - Watch the inauguration, lose two more pounds, put together shelf.

WHAT VERB BEST DESCRIBES LAST WEEK?
MISSY - Chase.
RAOUL - Sleep.

PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK FOR THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Mirah, Siouxie Sioux, If.../Siesta Records "Songs For The Jet Set" comp.
RAOUL - The Sea And Cake, Seefeel, New Order, Vampire Weekend, Beirut, Miss Murgatroid & Petra Haden, Marriage Records Mix on XLR8R Podcast, Asthmatic Kitty Mix on XLR8R Podcast.