Vintage Halloween Illustrations
art, etsy shop, vintage, vintage books, vintage illustrationPrinted in Colorado Springs in 1980 by Current – Code 3778 Halloween Cards.
Bartender’s Guide, 1948
Craft DIY, food, recipes, vintage, vintage books
Bartenders Guide By Trader Vic
Cemented in the tiki hall of fame with his signature drinks and successful restaurant chain, Trader Vic (Victor Bergeron) allegedly invented Tiki Classic Cocktail, Mai Tai .
With over 1500 Classic cocktail recipes this Bartenders Guide includes advice on how to be a great host and appropriate tiki centric glassware.

This copy came with a bonus hand written recipe!
SOLD.
The Birds, 1967
art, Photo Journal, vintage, vintage books“The association of men with birds has been long and close. Birds and men alike are active mostly during the day, so they share a familiar world of color and sound. In ancient times, priests of pagan cults believed that in some way bird flight foretold the future.”
One of my favorite things to collect are vintage nature and science books. The ones I enjoy most are targeted towards young readers and reliably have the most WONDERFUL, original illustrations and early photography. Check out these beautiful drawings and diagrams from this 1967 print of The Birds.
This book is available for purchase. $12, Shipped in the US.

Vintage Book / The Birds / 1967
Vintage Science Book for young readers.
$12.00
Disney Tokyo
Photo Journal, Tokyo, travelDuring a 2015 trip to Japan, I enjoyed both Disneyland and Disney Sea in the Chiba prefecture. While my husband was at a conference I found my way to the park neighboring our hotel. Here are a few pics I snapped while exploring the parks solo.
Vintage Cannabis Grow Book
Garden, vintage, vintage booksCheck out this cool vintage find I brought home from a recent visit to Vancouver BC.
One of Bill Drake’s seminal works on growing marijuana The Cultivator’s Handbook of Marijuana was self published in paperback / zine format in 1970 (this is a first edition). Definitely has an aura of authenticity and “can do” spirit that marked this early era in cannabis culture.

There are a few pictures from previous generations grow operations.
Cool black and white illustrations, political commentary and detailed instructions on the cultivation of marijuana.

This book is available for purchase on my etsy site. Click SHOP in the Menu .
Mexico City
art, food, mexico, Photo Journal, travelSome photographs from our most recent trip to Mexico City.
A Piñata for Every Ocassion
Craft DIY, vintage, vintage booksI am obsessed with Mexico, it’s true!
We are taking our second trip to Mexico City at the end of this month and so in that spirit I thought I’d share some pics I snapped from this vintage Piñata book that I sold in my Etsy shop a few months back.
“A piñata is a container often made of papier-mâché, pottery, or cloth; it is decorated, and filled with small toys or candy, or both, and then broken as part of a ceremony or celebration. Piñatas are commonly associated with Mexico.”

First, I love this gorgeous font and all of the details!
The book was published in 1966 and was very well researched. Discussed in detail the history of Piñatas, both Spanish and Mexican traditions. It also included detailed instructions on how to make piñatas with charming illustrations.
My favorite two Piñata figures were the Witch and Santa (below) simply because of the smiles the illustrator stuck on their faces.
The copy I had of this has sold, but a quick google search will reveal available copies in the universe usually at reasonable prices. My hope is to find another copy in the wild that is in better condition. I wanted to capture some of the images inside for inspiration down the road when I’m looking for a DIY project.
If you’re interested in Vintage Books like this, give my Etsy Shops a quick visit!
See photos from my last Mexico City trip HERE.
Bitterballen
food, recipes, travelFor the last two years, good friends of ours were living in the Netherlands and recently moved back to the states. We were lucky enough to visit them in Rotterdam last year and it was easy to understand why they loved living in the South Holland Port City. Cool modern architecture, bikes and a vibrant food scene.
One of the food traditions we were introduced to was bitterballen. Round croquettes typically filled with a meat gravy (beef). Served with alcohol, this is one of the most popular snacks in Holland. On my very last night in Rotterdam, with a gin and tonic I was able to enjoy expertly made bitterballen in a bar on a boat.
We are happy to have them home in Portland now AND that their enthusiasm for Dutch culture and bitterballen led them to purchase a deep fryer! Last night we made a mushroom version of the bittergarnituur.
Here are a few links to recipes I found. Easy to follow and improvise from. Have some fun and try different fillings. Onion and Madame Jeanette Pepper filling was a HIT with our group.
EVERYTHING NOW
journal, Photo JournalHow did this happen? It’s already the end of February and I’ve neglected the blog, AGAIN! Once I went ten months without posting, I am embarrassed at the amount of content on here after having the site for over TWO whole years. 2018 I’m going to ramp up my posts with awesome photos and content. Hopefully I’ll work out better placement and flow for the menus so you can navigate easily between categories and posts.

Atom turned 1 this year!
I will be updating our Backyard Habitat Certification progress and discuss our indoor plant family and take you with me on my new small business journey!
But first can we talk about Vegan restaurant Farm Spirit, here in PDX.

Beet Tartare

Celery Stew
In SE Portland, this place had chefs counter seating only and rapid fire small bites with excellent pairings. Super creative and delicious guilt free dinner that totally inspired a farmers market splurge the next day.

When you are so excited to buy farm fresh goods that you forget to brush your hair.