Vintage Spring

Hello, chickadees!  Just stopping in to share some spring blossoms.  The crabapple is blooming in the front yard, and the lilacs and azaleas have just joined in, too.  Next up will be the viburnums and rhodies, and then the weigelas, mock oranges, and bridal veil spirea will follow not long after that.  

Life is a rush of activity this spring, but we did take one day to hit Brimfield Flea Market with our friend Kazeem, from Portland Trading Co.  I'll have some photos and finds to share soon!

My photo above was featured by DistressedFX on their Instagram feed and Facebook page this week.  If you haven't tried this app, I recommend it for photos that you want to really manipulate and push in exciting directions.  I use this app as well as Stackables to create moody effects for some of my iPhone photos.  I think I ended up using both apps on the top photo of the crabapple blossoms.  Before I used the textures, though, I upped the exposure and desaturated the photo a bit.  The background of that photo is my picnic table, which most people would think really needs a paint job, but I use it a lot for photos, so it will stay shabby chic a while longer.  ;)  

For photos I take with my big girl camera, I often use fewer textures and stick to subtler processing techniques in Lightroom.  I do some of that processing from scratch or with my own presets, but I also use presets by other folks, including this exciting new set from Kim Klassen.  Presets provide me with so much flexibility, and they give me ideas for creating several moods with one shot.  If you've never tried them before, take a peek at Kim's collection.  I think you will love it.

Vintage finds from Brimfield in the next post!  I have some exciting things to show you.  

Happy weekend, my friends! 

Blue (and White) Christmas

I hope all my friends here in the northern hemisphere are safe and warm on this winter solstice.  It is very dark, very windy, and very rainy on the coast of Maine tonight.  The wind is so strong that it's pushing the smoke right back down our chimney, but we are warm and dry inside, and I could not ask for more.  The Christmas tree is twinkling and the candles are flickering on the mantle.  I've made a huge batch of needhams, that very special Maine Christmas candy treat made with potatoes, coconut, and dark chocolate.  I promise to share the recipe later in the weekend, but for tonight I thought I'd finally share a few shots of our bedroom.

We decided to decorate it for Christmas with a lovely branch that had been blown down from one of our trees during a storm.  The branch strung with a few lights was all we needed to bring a little sparkle to this dark time of year.  I had planned to hang crystal icicles from the branches, but once the lights were on, I loved it as it was.

The bed we bought locally at The Furniture Market in South Portland, where the fabulous Mimi helped us decide on this rich navy blue color.  We ordered a model with drawers underneath, and I am so, so glad that we did!  Between those drawers and that big old chest next to the bed (bought cheap from friends who were moving), we have tons of storage.  The bolster on the bed is an old French grain sack that I found at Montsweag Flea Market this past summer.  I made the smaller pillow from a very sweet tea towel.  That wonderful ladder leaning against the chimney in the first shot was a gift from my sister, who bought it a couple of years ago at the Bath Antiques Show (formerly owned and operated by my mum, now run by her friend Paul Fuller).

The walls and ceiling of the bedroom were never really finished off, as this was once the attic of the cottage, so we simply painted over the knots in the pine with sealer and then whitewashed everything.  We wanted it to feel rustic, but also bright and clean.

On another painting note, I wanted to mention the white paint on the chimney.  The chimney was not painted when we moved in.  If you've ever considered painting brick but were unsure about how it would work, have no fear.  As long as you prime it correctly and use the proper masonry paint, you will have no problems at all!  Benjamin Moore has everything you need to to the job beautifully.

Our bedroom is really more of a sleeping loft, with our two studies just off to one side.  One end of the loft has this wonderful, beat-up old dresser that we bought from some friends, plus our now infamous boot collection, and our old suitcases full of CDs.  

The floor is hardwood, but it was in terrible shape when we moved in, so we decided to paint it a very soft grey, which we couldn't love more.  I found the blue and ivory shades for next to nothing at Christmas Tree Shop a few years ago.  We hung them in our last apartment, then brought them along with us to the house.  I'm so glad we did, as they fit this room perfectly!

Above is a detail of the old trunk beside the bed.  That mirror is a lovely vintage one I found in a junk shop in Bloomington, Indiana, about a hundred years ago.  The ironstone pitcher is one from my collection.  I love tucking eucalyptus into my ironstone pitchers this time of year and just letting it dry around the house. 

If you look closely, you'll notice that the trunk has pencil and marker lines on it.  These were scribbled by our friends' daughters before they sold us the trunk.  I don't have the heart to paint over them.  Somehow they add to the trunk's charm for me.   

Ah, and then there are the lockers.  Mr. Magpie and I bought these three years ago at a great antiques shop in Hallowell.  If you like antiques and plan to visit Maine anytime soon, Hallowell is a must.  I've written about it before, because I love that little town, plus you can always grab lunch at Slates.  Yum.

I should mention that the lockers were bright orange when we bought them, but they cost almost nothing, and I just spray painted them white.  Easy peasy.

The doctor's bag I bought at a flea market--probably Montsweag--and the old French house number I found in London at Spitalfield's Market.  Is it obvious by now that I am a flea market kind of magpie?  The shot below should seal the deal.  I love sparkle, and so you can always find bits of vintage sparkle around our bedroom, as well as the rest of the house.  Here it's hanging from an old metal hook in the wall.

Hope you enjoyed this peek into the sleeping loft.  I have a few more Christmasy photos to share later in the weekend, plus that Needham recipe, which probably sounds just awful, but I promise is delightful!  

Until then, sending a sleighful of Christmas cheer to you and yours.  xo Gigi

Returning

Hello again, my friends!  We are back from London, and I am bursting with stories to tell and pictures to post in the coming days.  First, I need to unpack, do laundry, catch up on emails and phone calls, and do all the other nonsense one does after a week away.  In the meantime, I just had to share with you these spring flowers from a beautiful street stall in Greenwich.  One of the things I love most about traveling ever since I started The Magpie's Fancy is that I often take photos and collect memories with you in mind.  It sharpens my eye and broadens my perspective, which is, I do believe, a good thing.  

More specifically, one of the things I love most about traveling to London now is that since I have been there many times before, I feel less and less obliged to be a tourist, to skim the surface of the place.  These days I spend more time meeting and talking with people, eating at local haunts, and getting to know my favorite neighborhoods almost as well as the ones back home.  I do love the feeling of visiting a city for the first time, but there's something to be said for gradually getting to know a place well.  Like a good friend whom you see only every year or two, you rediscover that depth of connection every time you visit, yet the friend always holds surprises in store.  In this way, the best discoveries are made and the friendship grows stronger with the passing years.

More very soon.  Street art, food, flowers, markets, crumbling buildings . . . only the good stuff.  xo Gigi   

      

Three Years and a Leap and a Giveaway!

"With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?"  ~Oscar Wilde

The Magpie's Fancy turned three years old on February 26th, but I decided to wait until today to mention it.  What better way to celebrate than with a leap?

While anniversaries usually make me pause and reflect, this year I simply want to move forward.  Blogging helped me muddle through one of the most painful periods of my life (there I go reflecting anyway), and now I feel it guiding me during a time of renewal.  

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the amazing friends I have made here in the blogging world, and to my dear friends from the face-to-face world who have long supported The Magpie's Fancy.  You inspire me every single day.  I have no idea what the future holds for this blog, but I'm so happy that you have shared the journey with me this far.

To celebrate, I am hosting a GIVEAWAY.  Those who have won my giveaways before know that they are very much in keeping with my magpie tendencies.  I select a winner at random, and then collect various magpie treasures especially for the individual who wins.  I gather them up in a unique package, and ship them off to her or him.  

This giveaway is an extra special one, because I will be gathering the giveaway treasures during my trip to London!  That's right.  All the goodies will come from my favorite markets in and around that glorious city.

If you would like to enter to win a parcel of magpie treasures from me, simply leave a comment on this post between now and March 6th, 2012.  I will draw a winner on March 7th.  

While only one person can win the big prize, I will also be drawing five more names to receive a postcard printed with one of my flower photographs.  

Thank you, dear ones, for giving me riches beyond compare.  x Gigi

Mr. and Mrs. Magpie Take a Trip

Portobello Road

I haven't told you the giddy news yet: Mr. Magpie and I are headed back to England for a week in March!  We are beside ourselves with delicious joy.

Crystal Globe Pendants at the V&A

Chihuly at the V&A

As some of you know, when Mr. Magpie is not busy fulfilling his duties as my better half on this blog, he is known as Dr. Todd Avery, Scholar of British Modernist Literature and Professor of English.  I need to finish sewing his superhero costume, which has a large, sparkly, Edwardian "B" on the front.  B for British and for Bloomsbury, as in the folks he writes about from the Bloomsbury Group. His brilliant books can be found here and here and here (pdf order form from Cecil Woolf Publishers) and here (beautiful exhibition catalog Todd wrote from a Bloomsbury Exhibition he curated at the Lilly Library in 1999 when he was still a graduate student.  The book is now a collectible and a must for Bloomsbury lovers.  Yes, I'm bragging.)  I don't use "brilliant" lightly.  My guy is a smarty pants, and because he is one, he spends a great deal of time doing the sorts of things that smarty pants do, like rummaging through archives and leafing through forgotten papers and books and recordings and even very old films.  Fortunately for me, this means he must travel as often as possible to libraries far and wide, which in turn means I often get to travel beside him.  Occasionally I even share in writing duties;  you can find an article Mr. Magpie and I co-wrote here.   He, being a singular bird, does not much like flying, so having a trusty traveling companion makes the whole business much less taxing.  Perhaps that sounds odd for a superhero, but not all superheroes love to fly.  Batman prefers his Batmobile.  Mr. Magpie prefers his desk chair and his mighty fountain pen.  They take him all the way around the world, thank you very much.

Needs no caption!  :)

Detail of horse from the Elgin Marbles at the British Museum--I visit them every trip!

On this trip, he must visit some film archives in London and a library or two in Cambridge.  Hooray for him!  Hooray for me!  London just happens to be my favorite city.  This time we will be staying outside of the city in Greenwich, one of the prettiest places I know, in a lovely B&B that I have heard is a gem.  We've stayed all over London, but we've never stayed overnight in Greenwich, and I LOVE the markets there, the museums and parks, and the food, so I will have much to report upon our return.

Arriving at Greenwich by riverboat on the Thames

After Greenwich, it will be off to Cambridge.  I've only ever spent a day and a night there, so I am thrilled!  We haven't found the perfect place to stay in Cambridge yet.  If any of you know a fabulous place that is not crazy expensive (we are traveling on an academic budget, which, despite what many conservative US politicians will tell you about lazy and greedy academics, is decidedly not a luxury budget!), please let me know.  We've asked around to some friends and colleagues, but have yet to hit upon the place that fits both our budget and our simple needs (clean, quiet, convenient for walking, ensuite bath, good breakfasts).  For me, when we're on this type of trip, a pretty room is a bonus.  Of course I'd like it, but, honestly, I'd rather spend the money on some good food and wonderful experiences than on a super luxury room.  Am I crazy?  I prefer to think I'm just a girl with a camera who sees her hotel room as a place to sleep between adventures like the one pictured below.

Portobello Road--delicious!

I know some of you live in or near London, so you know just why I am so excited to return.  For those of you who don't live there, I wish I could take you in my pocket, especially to my favorite markets, where we would have a ball together.  I promise to return with photos and new discoveries to share.

We won't be leaving for a few weeks yet, so if you see this any time before March and know of an inn/B&B in Cambridge, please feel free to drop me an email!

Roses at Saint Paul's Cathedral.  I've only climbed to the top once!  What a view!

Happy weekend, my friends, and welcome to new subscribers and followers!  I'm looking forward to making my blog rounds this weekend!  Can't wait to see what you're all up to.  x Gigi

P.S. All the photos above are from our last UK trip two years ago.  I've been missing it so!

Summertime Suppertimes II

Menu

Fresh Pea & Watercress Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Whole Wheat Pasta Tossed with Lemon, Olive Oil, and Parmesan

Cod Cheeks Fried in Olive Oil

Fresh Pita 

Strawberry Shortcake

What do I love best about summer?  Maybe it's fresh local vegetables and fruit.  No, not maybe.  Definitely.  I took some of these photos as soon as I came home from the Portland Farmers' Market yesterday.  The peas are in--and they are gorgeous.  Dinner had to feature them, along with local radishes, watercress, scallions . . . and so much more.  

And so a salad was in order.  First, the vinaigrette.  When I know we'll be eating the whole salad in one sitting, I usually make my dressing right in the bowl.  I always use the same cracked, well-loved, wooden bowl.  This recipe is for a large salad for two or side salads for three or four.  

First, I smash a garlic clove and rub it all over the inside of the bowl.  I set the clove aside and save it to chop up for another dish.

Next, I squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.  To that I add 2-3 tablespoons of really fruity extra virgin olive oil.  I love Aria for salads.  It's a Greek oil that's fruity and just a little grassy.  It goes well with lemons.  Then I spoon in a teaspoon or so of dijon mustard and a half teaspoon of raw honey.  

Season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, then whisk.   

The result is a creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet dressing.  If you always use the same wooden bowl for your salads, and you rub it with garlic each time you make dressing (rather than adding minced garlic), you will get incredible depth of flavor in all your dressings.  I make many kinds of dressing, but this lemony one is my favorite in summer.  To it, you can add any herbs you like as well.  I tend to leave my fresh herbs in large pieces and I toss them right in with the salad.

So, on top of the dressing I added lots of watercress, a few handfuls of quickly blanched peas (I blanch them for about a minute then shock them with ice water to stop the cooking), thinly sliced radishes, roughly chopped mint and basil, a chopped scallion, and some shaved parmigiano reggiano.

Finally, I toss the whole thing to coat.  Confession: when it's just Mr. Magpie and me, we share it straight out of the bowl.  Who needs plates?

And last night we dipped in our dressing the most amazing pita bread I've ever eaten.  Just look at those pillows of floury goodness!  They are made by a local Portland baker, Ariel's Hummus, so if you live in Maine and want some incredible pita and hummus, stop by their table at the Wednesday market in Monument Square.  

Along with the salad and pita, I floured some cod cheeks and fried them in olive oil (not extra virgin, just ordinary cooking olive oil).  I kept them simple, just seasoning them with salt and pepper and squeezing a little lemon over them at the end.  I know it sounds weird to eat cod cheeks, but I promise you that they are delicious, tender, and flaky.  About the size of scallops, they have a very mild flavor that won't smell or taste "fishy," even to people who are a little afraid of seafood.  You can get them at any good fish market.  I buy mine at Harbor Fish Market. 

Last, but definitely not least, we had the quintessential summer dessert: strawberry shortcake.  For me, this means the strawberries go on top of biscuits--not cake, not sweet biscuits.  Just buttermilk biscuits.  And I have to whip my own cream with a little sugar and vanilla.  No cream from a spray can.  I'm a control freak purist.  

  

These strawberries came from Jordan's Farm in Cape Elizabeth.  That place is a little piece of heaven.

Speaking of heaven, we've got more strawberries in the kitchen, so I'm off to eat some straight from the bowl. Wishing my American friends a Happy Fourth of July weekend!  We have a houseful of nieces and nephews coming.  There will be baseball, two sets of fireworks, the beach, and, I'm sure, many, many practical jokes.  Should be a blast--literally and figuratively.  Hope you have a happy, safe holiday.  

xo Gigi 

Saturday Supper with People You Love

Is there anything better than spending a Saturday morning at the farmers' market?  The only thing I can think of that equals it in joy is cooking supper later that day with people you love.  Mr. Magpie's sister and her husband stayed with us over the weekend, and we did just that.  There was much shopping for ingredients at the farmers' market, the fish market, and the Italian market, then later on after a full day of adventuring, much cooking in a sunlit kitchen.     

We made several dishes: gnocchi with aglio olio and fresh herbs, steamed fiddleheads, chicken thighs cooked in olive oil with rosemary, shrimp grilled with garlic and chiles, salad with homemade balsamic dressing, and more.  But one of my favorite things we made is one of the simplest.  For an appetizer, and to smear on fresh-baked luna bread from Micucci's, we made radish butter.  All you need to make it is good, unsalted butter and some fresh, organic radishes.  Finely mince the radishes and then mix them into the softened butter.  Serve it in a cute dish (I used an espresso cup) along with great bread and crackers or raw veggies.  I sprinkle it with sea salt and fresh-cracked pepper (and a few snips of chives).  It's sweet and peppery and creamy . . . all with a radish-y bite that I love!

  

The gnocchi were soft and slightly chewy, with lots of parmigiano reggiano and fresh basil.  Heaven.

For desert, we macerated raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries in local honey and served it over meringue cups with a drizzle of dark chocolate and a small scoop of coffee ice cream.  Summer in a bowl!

It was a memorable meal, but the best part was cooking it with people we love, and knowing there will be many more meals like this one to share.

The Common Ground Fair

Last week we trudged through the forest in Unity, Maine, accompanied by the sound of the train whistle blowing through the trees, to the massive field where The Common Ground Fair is held.  

This isn't just any fair.  Now in its 34th year, The Common Ground Fair is a celebration of sustainable living, from forestry to farming to traditional crafts and cooking.  This year 59,600 people attended over the course of 3 days.

There are maple-syrup and cider donuts,

baskets of flowers, fresh and dried, and bunches of Sweet Annie to take home to make into wreaths.

There's hand-dyed yarn from organically-raised sheep,

hobbit holes in which to peek,

and pumpkins for the picking.

Pixies and elves parade through the fairgrounds, 

casting spells and scattering sunflowers in their wake.

We spent a sweet day there with the horses, goats, and mules,

a fine mist coating our hair, and our bellies full of warm cider, switchel, and Indian pudding.

By the end of the day, my bones chilled by the damp and cold, I longed to climb into the hay and nap with the pigs.  There are few creatures, I think, who know how to sleep as happily and well as they do.  

I should add that I myself don't eat meat and that I am well aware of the ultimate fate of these pigs, but I believe that if people are going to eat meat, the animals who provide that meat should be well cared for and the meat should be free of chemicals and hormones.  The farmer who raises these pigs was sitting in the hay with them as I took these photos.  She talked with great affection and respect about her pigs.  Respect and care for the animal is an important end in itself, but it also means that the meat we feed children will be much healthier and more nutritious, as will our land and water.  The more we support local farms the more we can trust that our meats and produce are being raised responsibly and sustainably.  We can also help to preserve farmland and save it from development and sprawl.  Nothing makes me sadder--or angrier, actually--than to see a housing development named "Cider Hill Farm" after the orchard that used to exist on the land where 100 cloned condos or 25 Mac Mansions now scar the hillside.

I am a girl who loves a country fair.  This one is the best.  You know, as you drive into Maine there's that sign that says "Welcome to Maine: The Way Life Should Be."  A lot of folks go to the outlets at Kittery or Freeport and think they have been to Maine.  No.  The Common Ground Fair reminds us of the way life truly should be: sustainable, healthy, and in harmony with the earth.

Squash Blossom Special

It was a full day.  Parts of it, like an early morning visit to the farmers' market and a phone conference with a good friend and collaborator, were inspiring and energizing.  Other parts were tough.  I hate when someone amazing is repeatedly not recognized for just how profoundly amazing they are.  I especially hate it when that someone is my husband.  Do you ever just want to stand in the face of the powers that be and shake your tiny fist?  We have had such a crummy year--a truly crummy year--yet we are still going strong, and I am thankful every day that I married such a resilient and funny and good guy.  And I am thankful more than words can say that we have moved to a city that fills us with joy.

So, in the midst of a busy day of work, I had it in my head that I needed to make some stuffed and fried squash blossoms tonight.  I'd bought four of them at the market, and they were calling to me all afternoon.  Finally, I set work aside and made four little bundles of bliss.

Do you ever make fried squash blossoms?  If not, you really must!  They're easy and delicious.  I make a little bit of batter with some flour, corn starch, salt and pepper, and sparkling water (or tap water or beer).  I whisk it up and pop it in the fridge for half an hour.

While the batter is chilling, I make my stuffing.  Tonight I just mixed together half a cup of ricotta with some fresh chopped basil, salt and pepper, a little grated parmesan, and some minced garlic.  The filling can be as complex or as simple as you want it to be.  I spoon a little filling inside each blossom, twist 'em shut, and chill for about 15 minutes.  

I heat an inch or two of canola oil with a touch of olive oil in a cast iron skillet--or whatever pot you like to use for frying.  Then I dip the blossoms into the batter and pop them into the hot oil.  I use medium high flame, and turn it down just a bit if I get any spattering.  

Turn them occasionally until they are golden brown and crispy.  It only takes five or six minutes.  Transfer them from the oil to paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt.  

Try to get anyone who's hovering around you at this point to keep their hands off until you're ready to serve them.  I served mine tonight alongside a simple pasta dish: penne tossed with sauteed garlic, onions, and baby arugula and topped with parmesan, salt, and pepper.  

I always feel like a simple, delicious meal shared with someone you love (or alone with a few candles) is a great way to erase some of the worries of the day.  Everything seems a little less crummy after a bowl of really good pasta and the crunchy, creamy goodness that is a fried squash blossom.