A lot of Flurry

Friday, July 29, 2011


{photo Amy Butler}

Matt & I are heading to Chicago today, finishing up last minutes things. I received the picture above in my "in box" today and it is a pick-me-up photo! Hydrangeas, dahlias and pretty fabric in the background.
I'm sure the flowers came from David & Amy's gardens.

Next week we will be heading to Granville, Ohio for a class......you'll find all about the class in the fall Souvenir issue.

Have a blessed & creative weekend ahead! More details next week on the "Brick Farmhouse" Event!
Kara



News {A Brick Farmhouse Event}

Tuesday, July 26, 2011



Here is our news--
More details will come later on our vendors and a printable map!
Can't wait!

 MCMASTER & STORM'S
 "BRICK FARMHOUSE" EVENT
September 23rd 10am-8pm & September 24th 10 am- 5 pm


Her day is filled with laundering textiles; she hurriedly gathers her french laundry basket to collect the linens off the line, so she can enjoy a seemingly simple afternoon in the countryside. She is in a dither over going to the charming brick farmhouse event that is "on the way to nowhere and out of the way from everywhere!"

AN EVENT ON THE FRONT LAWN OF AN 1860'S BRICK FARMHOUSE
HOMEKEEPING DEMONSTRATIONS
FOOD TO TABLE FRESH GARDEN PRODUCE
SWEETS & EATS
& POP-UP SHOPS filled to the brim with charming merchandise 
& one-of-a kind finds.

Event is also in conjunction with the Mother & Daughter team that offer "fun finds" at their historic properties in Verona, Ohio.
 The Baltimore Shop {47 years} and The Little Shop {25th anniversary}
4 miles South of our Brick Farmhouse event.

Local Attractions:
Bear's Mill
Smith Coffeehouse & Eatery in a historic building
Restored Garber Homestead Ohio Park District
{Map will be available}

No Entrance Fee--
& more details to come

 email us for directions:
mcmasterandstorm@embarqmail.com
or use our new contact form!

If any of you have questions or
need anything on the drive here
just give us a ring: 937-479-1692.

See you soon!

I Better Stick To......

Monday, July 25, 2011


doing other things than making French macaroons!
Oh, I did try to make them. I prepped, I had all the little circles drawn on the wax paper.
I cut and folded the batter just like the recipe said. I tinted the batter and the filling a pretty pink.
I planned on tucking the macaroons safely in the freezer for Vivian's party....BUT---the macaroons stuck to the wax paper! My 5 year old told me not to throw them away. He would just eat them then spit out the paper! {Didn't think of that!} After thinking about it.......it said to put them on parchment paper. I looked at the box it was wax paper. I don't have the heart to google it and have the search end up telling me, yup, use parchment paper. Better yet, I added the Silpat French baking mat to my Christmas list.

Baking really special things is precise, It's technical and cooking is not. I can add more of this, less of that. I love to cook. Baking, is more precise. {The meringue needs to look like shaving cream then it must fold back on to itself after counting to 10--very precise!}

So, should I try another batch? Maybe I should order them from Pistacia Vera in Columbus, Ohio
or just let Laudre´e's site inspire just by the pictures! Try, try again---I would love to learn!

I hope to have some new's to share with you tomorrow on another thing I better stick to!




Paper-y Things

Saturday, July 23, 2011

 Some fun things to embellish with.........we added some new things to our etsy shop.
 Shopkeeping at it's best! {I love old pricing tags....}

Wanting to learn to make crepe paper flowers.......{oh, that's right I was going to learn to make French macaroons too! I did buy the special ultra fine sugar so hope to make them soon!} What is on your list to learn to make?

I found a sink for the laundry digging in my dad's barn. He was slightly exasperated that I wanted this old sink. He tried to talk me into to buying a new one, he thinks I'm nuts. Nope, I have a vision! Plus, there was no price tag to boot!  {maybe I'll splurge on the faucet!}


Have a lovely, creative weekend.......

Piles

Friday, July 15, 2011





I moved store things out of Vivian's room. A cabinet in her room had some store things on top. Amazing how high I can pile things, then that stuff was moved into the shipment/office room........Oh, no, now I have "piles' in there.

Then I went digging in one of my favorite places this week.........more piles!


Good thing I have piles--piles mean _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ & _ _ _ _ _ 
_ _ _  _ _  _ _ _ _ ! Can't wait to share!


Have a blessed weekend.....
xo
kara

Souvenir Clippings

Monday, July 11, 2011

On Saturday we headed to Tipton, Indiana for The French Flea! I enjoyed the drive through the countryside and wee towns along the way. A postcard I pick up for a memento!

Fresh picked garden flowers tucked into aqua mason jars. Flowers locally grown mean all the more!

French bread with herb butter, how fun and yummy!

Of course it's more fun to head out with a group and chat about this & that! 
Left to right Barb, Gina & Jill. Jill made these darling linen bags for each of us, isn't that nice as pie!?


Bits & pieces of what I found. Some of them purchased in the most unlikely of places! See the little
candy cups on the left hand side? They were from this old- as- the- hills hardware store. Some of his merchandise had been there since 1980 or something like that. The dust was thick, thank goodness for the plastic packaging they were in! {& for a handy supply of wipes in the vehicle!} Oh, & the spool has pink paint on the ends, yay!

This hardware store had been in Tipton since the 1890's and it was the real deal. Old display pieces that were amazing, old ladders, bins galore and some serious antique stuff. They used an old looong table for working on. We were delighted to be poking around. Although some of the stuff we really wanted wasn't for sale, including a sink at Horton's. 

Little side note: Barb picked up an antique measuring cylinder at the hardware store. Nope,  it wasn't for sale, the man, who smoked while we were shopping, said, "I use that for measuring the seeds"! I mean seriously couldn't he use one of the pyrex measure and sell that one? Come on! 



Vintage wooden spools with bakery twine. They are so pretty, imagine back-in-the-day you would receive them like this, amazing!


This lab cart was purchased at a school action for 12 bucks. I painted it creamy white and nailed the no. 8 on the lower shelf. The cart is high & I'm tall so it's perfect for packing shipments. 

My industrial grocery trug, I purchased this over 10 years ago and had it in my first shop in California--I love it! The trug looks peachy on the cart too......


See the hand crank gadget to the left? It's a very old pinking machine. I have looked on ebay for one of these for years and one evening I was browsing and there it was! The auction ended 2 hours later, talk about meant to be! Not only does the cut have a pinking edge,  but the edge rises up and down to form a peak shape. It makes for fun paper cutting on projects! It also mounts perfectly on the cart!


I don't know if you call this the "Pièce de résistance" of the day..... but, when I spotted this oval porcelain drinking fountain and the price was friendly enough---- I did a happy dance! My husband was delighted it had all the plumbing parts, but of course I knew to check! {Ha} 

This petite drinking fountain cleaned up sublime. I scoured and scoured and it was just surface rust. I used my favorite, Bon Ami. {Did you know the have good smelling spray cleaners + eco-friendly?} Their site is pretty cute too--their packaging got a facelift!

I read this today by Catherine Marshall: I thought it was fitting as I was blessed by the contact I had with old & new friends + my family the last couple of days.........

People are Priceless

This is My commandment
that you love one anther as I have loved you.
John 15:12

My dad's life taught me the one thing that really matters-human relationships. The bonds that unite 
families and friends are not forged for a little while, they are for eternity. They stretch across every 
boundary of space and time. They twine and intertwine from one generation to another, weave and 
interweave, priceless beyond measure. They are something to be cherished, to be fought for, to be kept 
intact at all cost. People-with their fears and their foibles and their dreams. People-with their struggles 
toward faith, with the pain and the exaltation of their pilgrimage. People-with personalities that live on 
and on, growing, learning, loving, lending helping hands to others. People- that is what life is all about.

I sure enjoyed my past Friday to Sunday being with people I love......thank you! 

xo
kara









Thursday Eve Musings

Thursday, July 7, 2011


-I actually went to a baby shower & fixed up a gift. I ate my first cake pop there!

-I was invited to go on a shopping trip and I'm going.....my husband took the day off so I can go! 
{love that man!}


-I'm making progress in cleaning up our shipment area and inventory more organized and easier to find.

-I'm working on accomplishing some goals for this fall--checking off my list.


-Spending time with friends and taking my children on play dates. They sure take good naps afterwards.

-Getting housework done first thing in the morning. A place for everything and everything in it's place.


-Brainstorming for the Fall issue of SouvenirHave you signed up yet?


-I will be attempting to make macaroons to see if I really can follow precise baking instructions. I'm doing this well in advance and if I do ok, I'll make some for Vivian's 1st birthday. Say a little prayer for me!


-I actually sewed some this past week, GASP. Have you ever read Bend- the -Rules Sewing? Well, that's what I did, I bent the rules and a mistake can become an a-ha moment.


Have a wonderful Friday--I'll be heading through cornfields with nary a suburbia in sight.......
{at least my little town has drive through coffee, I'll be drinking my latte whilst enjoying good conversation with friends!} Ciao!
xo
kara





Festive Weekend

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A boxed picnic lunch makes it fun for kids

Treat bags for the kiddos

One of my favorite things about summer, the fresh fruit in season!

Viewing Mary Poppins at dusk, under the apple trees! I think we need
to watch some more classics alfresco! So fun to watch and see fireflies at
the same time. Next time I think caramel popcorn is in order.

What a blessed weekend with family & friends....
celebrating our freedom!

xo