Before I Die

My dad sent me a link to this neat project. Let's put one up around Market Square.

Before I Die

Violet Vinegar

I'm trying to cook more and cook better. So far, it's slow progress. Who knew? Violet vinegar is hardly cooking, but it was satisfying to make and even more so to use (although I am currently underwhelmed by the flavor). My two kind friends, Rachel and Christy, helped pick violets in Morningside Park. Thanks ladies! You can usually find violets in moist shady spots. Some have whiter flowers. Those are fine to use too.

I found several recipes for violet vinegar online. The gist of them is to put clean picked violet blossoms in rice vinegar for a while. One recipe mentioned that leaving the jars to sit in the window would increase the spiciness of the vinegar, but I cannot speak to that (yet). So far mine tastes much like the original vinegar, but now it's a pretty color.

You should pick only healthy young flowers. Gather a lot. Let's say at least a half a brown paper bag full. Rinse and drain the flowers gently. Pick off any stems. Put the mound of flowers in a glass half pint jar and pour the vinegar over them. Let set. Ta da, vinegar made purple.

This is on the first day. As time wore on, the vinegar turned color and the flowers lost theirs.

Wisdom from my Momma

This is not original to her, but she quoted it to me on the phone yesterday and it rings true:

You can either be right all the time or you can be in relationships with people.

Blooming Earth

Stacey Adam, of Blooming Earth Flowers, is bringing all sorts of good things to Knoxville. In addition to fair trade flora, Ms. Adam will be teaching interested folks the fine art and craft of making soap. Here's the skinny.

This image comes from http://mouseinyourhouse.wordpress.com/

Luffa Soap Making Class-

Sunday, March 20th, starting at 5:30 pm, $18

This is a melt and pour class focusing on using our farm grown luffa. We will be using essential oils to create our own scents, and the soap base is SLS free. The end product will be 6 round bars with luffa in the center (They make great gifts).

Bring a bottle of wine or other beverage and snacks to share (if you would like, this is not a requirement). I will have an appropriate spring time drink available to warm up with if necessary. Glasses and napkins are provided.

We will need at least 12 people to sign up in order to have the class.So if you have friends or would like to make more than six bars of soap let me know (i.e. 12 bars would be $36).

Read what Christina blogged after our December class. It is a delightful read! Thanks Christina! http://mouseinyourhouse.wordpress.com/

Great, right? And...check out these other workshops coming up at Blooming Earth Flowers. Stay tuned for more information or email Stacey at bloomingearthflowers (at) gmail (dot) com to stay in the loop.

Saturday, April 9th
Home Brew Demo
Lots of yummy samples and food by Mockingbird Events

Sunday, May 1
Lye Soap Making Class
Get a demo on how to make lye the old school way and then actually make some soap with it.

Sunday, June 12
The Blueberry Lavender
Our First Annual Blueberry and Lavender Festival! Food will be provided by Bruce Bogartz of Rouxbarb and cocktails crafted by Laura Sohn of Mockingbird Events. Along with music and dancing and blueberries of course. It will be an evening to remember!

On a slightly unrelated note, I would like to propose renaming the May 1st workshop "Lye to Me." Oh! Punny? No. Ok. Enough.

Green Tunnel of Great Dizziness

I recognized several locations in this. And then I got dizzy and had to turn it off. It is mesmerizing and beautiful. Maker, Kevin Gallagher, describes himself as an "amateur naturalist" and teaches art at Virginia Commonwealth University.

A six month journey along the 2,200 mile long Appalachian Trail, condensed and reinterpreted into five minutes of stop-motion.

A full quality version is available for purchase on DVD. Go to www.smtgltd.bigcartel.com/​ and look for it on Stephen Vitiello: Soundtracks.



www.anothergallagher.com

Rival Collective

Here's to collaboration and ambition. Ben and Greg (together Rival Collective) are two young designers about to launch from the University of Tennessee. Their thesis project, Rival Collective, involves "exploring the the nature of change in collaboration and limitation as they relate to the transition from being a student to working in the professional world."

They wrote to me (among others) to solicit prompts, assignments, briefs, etc. In response I asked that they help me promote an upcoming series of Urban Land Scout workshops at CAC Beardsley Community Farm. Their work arrived this evening and I am buzzing. The ten posters they designed are, in my humble and unbiased opinion, near perfect. I could not be more pleased.

I was also pleased to find various iterations of the posters posted on their tumblr.

New Shoes

I made my first pair of shoes under the kind tutelage of Daniel Scott. He'll be teaching at least two more workshops (if not more) at the Knoxville Birdhouse in April. Stay tuned to their calendar to sign up.