Cupcakes

Well, I put down my fork long enough to take this photo of my Nutella cupcake. There are no others left. (Tall Husband has taken a survey of Nutella lovers and has decided it's a "female phenomenon.")

My friend Linda has been telling me that cupcake shops are sweeping the country. She e-mailed, telling of one Houston shop and their Nutella cupcake:

Linda wrote:

Annie - Cute Husband and I went out for dessert the other night and we wound up at Crave Cupcakes in that upscale shopping plaza on Post Oak and 610! [Uptown Park] They had about 10 different kinds of cupcakes - and sitting there like a jewel in the case was a row of cupcakes that had a small sign indicating what type they were - Nutella! Needless to say, I plunked down my $3.25 and sank my teeth into a delicious morsel! Not knowing who else in the world would care about my consumption of sugar - I immediately thought of you! We must share this experience together sometime in the near future.

Dotella,
Linda:

Linda and I have not made it to Crave Cupcakes yet; the Nutella cupcake above is one of a dozen I made for our "National Night Out" neighborhood block party last night. The recipe, "Self Frosting Nutella Cupcakes" is from Baking Bites. They are wonderful!

Later, I'll let you know how Crave Cupcakes' Nutella fix compares.

A Gift of Words

Remember this little Dutch desk from Installations Antiques?

Well, Becki van der Oord, owner of Installations Antiques and stylist extraordinaire, thought the desk could do with a bit of styling.

When Tall Husband and I were out for a morning walk, this past weekend, we stopped by Installations to visit with the owners, Becki and Jur. Becki handed me a stack of vintage flash cards and invited me to choose a handful for the little desk. What a charming treat. Thank you, Becki!

Gallery Hopping in the Heights

Kelly Moran is a Houston based artist specializing in polymer photogravure, etching and linoleum handmade printmaking. Above are some of her polymer photogravure pieces currently on exhibit at Texas Collaborative. Kelly collects vintage items such as wallpaper and fabrics and places out-of-context figures within that milieu, creating interesting tension.


Redbud Gallery

Yousef Balat's "What Do You Dream About?" is on display at Redbud Gallery, Houston Heights through October 26, 2008.


G Gallery

Artist: Dixie Friend Gay

Artist: Sharon Kopriva

Artist: Linda Hickerson-Hofheinz

At G Gallery, Houston Heights, it was " Ladies Night Out" with artists: Kelly Alison, Carter Ernst, Dixie Friend Gay, Linda Hofheinz, Sharon Kopriva, Whitney Riley, Wendy Wagner and Lillian Warren. The show runs through October 26, 2008.

Nau-Haus

Rick Bartow's "Classic Fall" is at Naü-haus Art Space, Houston Heights, through October 26, 2008. Powerful is an adjective that is often applied to Bartow's work; however, there is also the presence of a poignant vulnerability. This is a must see exhibit.

Poetic License

Warning: if you are a divorced male, cover your eyes.

Yesterday I was at jury duty, waiting around to not be selected. However, we had a bailiff who kept us amused. He invited us to have a look at a silver Corvette parked in front of a courthouse. I only had my cell phone with me as I did not think it cool to attempt bringing my camera equipment into a courtroom.

So, here is a cell phone shot: the license plate speaks for itself!

An Adorable Book

Bunny Bungalow by Cynthia Rylant with illustrations by Nancy Hayashi

No bungalow dweller should be without this wonderful book. Whether you live in a bungalow or wish you did; whether your kids are young or old, you should have this book. It is written in a pleasant rhyme and the entire bunny family is sweet. The author and illustrator have imbued the pages with the ambiance you wish every home could have.

After we bought "Toad Hall" and renamed it "The Bunny Bungalow," I Googled our new name for the bungalow and found this book. Now it is always at the ready, just in case someone needs a cup of chamomile tea and a good story.

As most parents know, you can raise and educate children with the three B's: bubbles, balls and books. And this book is so engaging it should be one of your B's. Don't be home with out it.

For Saara

Saara, Happy Birthday!

You have expanded my world with your intellectual pursuits and given me so much happiness. Thank you for being in my life and making it so interesting. May this birthday bring you happy surprises.

Note: Saara is a great friend; gourmet cook, organizer extraordinaire; has the business head of a mogul; is a lover of literature and cinema; a wise and caring teacher to small children; speaks several languages; is a talented stylist for photo shoots; is attentive to family, near and extended; is a fantastic gardener; is an excellent wife and mother of twin daughters; and finds time to be a great daughter-in-law to me.

Hatching at The Bunny Bungalow

Faux eggs are from Installations Antiques, Houston Heights, Houston, Texas.

As you may have noticed, if you have perused this blog, I love eggs of any sort. Though I do not like to eat them and usually manage to convince Tall Husband to eat most of my eggs when we are eating breakfast out. It's just that eggs should be an ingredient, not a dish unto themselves.

When I found these at Installations Antiques, I asked Jur van der Oord, the owner, what bird laid the wonderful, brown spotted eggs. He said they were display eggs from Holland.

Eying the tiny little drain hole in each egg, I said, "No, Jur, they are real."

Whereupon he took one and bounced it on the glass counter top. It bounced three times, giving off the sharp tap, tap, tap of a ping-pong ball. Those Dutch! Must they do everything to perfection?

So here they are in a vintage French jar at The Bunny Bungalow.