Embroidered, Decorative, Graphic and Fine Art work by Richard Saja of Historically Inaccurate -- what a great idea. Found via Absolutely Beautiful Things.

The March 2009 edition of Food & Wine magazine has some enticing foodie items pointed out in their "news & notes" section. One in particular that caught my eye is the spiked sugars from Allstar Organics, who sells compelling sugar (& salt!) sets like the following:

While their flavors sound compelling  -- Rose Petal, Lavender and Spearmint sugar -- I think the price of $36 for a set of three 6.5 ounce jars is a bit steep.

If you're feeling flush with cash -- congratulations! and go sugar shopping...if not, though, consider making your own. I found some good recipes from Lynne Smythe on Suite 101 that will get you started.

A good source for food-grade flower petals and herbs is Layla's Shop on Etsy; note, too, that she sells a quarter-pound of lavender sugar for $5.00. We work at the same company so I can vouch for the quality of her goods. Excellent stuff.

Herbs By Diane on Etsy also offers culinary rose petals, lavender, spearmint and more for good prices.

If you're more of a savory person, you'll find some interesting flavored salt recipes from the Steamy Kitchen -- Curry, Matcha Green Tea, Citrus and more (thanks, Kim Vallee, for the link).

Have you ever made infused sugar or salt? Do you have some recipes or suggestions to share? I'd love to see photos of packaging ideas. I'm considering making wedding favors of sugar or salt...

As a Seattleite, I don't use umbrellas very often (for some reason, its always been anti-cultural here). That said, we seem to be having monsoons lately and not just a light, steady drizzle, so I'm reconsidering my adherence to this wacky "get-wet like a real Seattleite" rule.

My absolute favorite umbrella when I was a kid was a clear vinyl, dome-style one with, I think (?), a mickey mouse design.

I am delighted to share with you an adult version of a clear, domed umbrella (from Umbrellas.net), which I would like to have in my rain gear arsenal. I would like the yellow roses, please, should santa be reading.

Loving this lamp shade design. Am putting this on my "to buy someday" list...

From the website Rose & Radish, where I found these: "Shady conceals a virtual forest underneath its plain drum shade exterior. Nothing from the outside would even hint that there’s anything out of the ordinary, but when night falls and the lights are flicked on, this shade reveals the forest image that hides underneath." How fun!

Evidently, designer Nicolette Brunklaus' signature is adding layers of meaning to her work; I love the whimsy and "secret garden" effect she provides with these lights. 

I love Norwegian designer Catherine Holm's vintage enamelware collection, like this dutch oven being sold on ebay. Adore the orange, too!

I'm at a loss for words, so I'll let our new President speak for me (thank you, Life Beyond the Well, for providing this as your 'quote of the moment'):

"I will never forget that the only reason that I'm standing here today is because somebody, somewhere stood up for me when it was risky. Stood up when it was hard. Stood up when it wasn't popular. And because that somebody stood up, a few more stood up. And then a few thousand stood up. And then a few million stood up. And standing up, with courage and clear purpose, they somehow managed to change the world." -Senator Barack Obama

I'm so inspired. Yes we can! 

CB2 continues to offer some compelling stuff at pretty good prices, like this piazza sofa.

Obamakin, from 2000 Dollar Budget Wedding.
 

These wax luminaries are chic, simple, and easy to make yourself. Oh, and cheap too. Glorious combination of attributes, no?

Peak Candle Supplies tells you how. Oddly, it involves water balloons. Found via Elizabeth Anne Designs.
 

My long-running favorite turkey bacon has been from Applegate Farms, and while I still love it, there's a new kid in town (to me, anyway) that I equally adore. Garret Country Farms produces a delectable, extremely low-fat, nitrate-free turkey bacon that also tastes like , well, bacon!

Truly, both of these products rock, and can make real bacon lovers (my hand is raised) happy. None of that nasty faux-bacon that no human or animal should ever consume...<shudders>

I'm cooking some Garret Country bacon up now for brunch. I'm going to serve it with Salish Falls Lodge buttermilk pancakes, which I doctored up by adding a really ripe banana and a handful of chopped pecans. With an organic egg on the side and some real maple syrup, we're in business.

Ciao.

Okay "my friends" <wink>...here's a call to action:

PBS has an online poll posted asking if Sarah Palin is qualified. Why bother asking, you might wonder? Yes, I know, but I am, unfortunately, serious. Read on.

Rumor has it that the Republicans knew about this PBS poll in advance <gee, is this possible?> and are flooding the voting with YES votes.

And, um, while I might normally be dis-inclined to believe such a "flooding" accusation as just being so much hype and hyperbole...I just put in my response and currently 49% are saying YES to Palin being qualified. For the role of Vice-President. Of the United States of America.

Clearly, then, I must conclude that some flooding is probably actually occuring. There's just no other logical explanation other than, perhaps, hacking.

I beg of you -- flood back!!

The poll will be reported on PBS and then, of course, picked up by mainstream media. The worry is that it could influence undecided voters in swing states. <can the undecided really be this unclear about who to vote for at this stage of the game? its hard to believe...but then again...they are still...undecided! or are they? i'm starting entertain conspiracy theories. are they holding out for gifts? a check? a forgiven mortgage? what's really going on here? but i digress...>

If you, like myself, don't in fact believe Palin to be qualified to act as the Vice-President of the United States of America <gheesh, just saying that in my head gives me the shivers), please do two things.

The time commitment here is less than 20 seconds. Truly.

Please:

1) Click on the link and vote yourself! Here you go: http://www.pbs.org/now/polls/poll-435.html.

2) Send this to every single Obama-Biden voter you know, and urge them to vote and pass it on.

Go! Go! Go!