erin

cookies

So y’all know I have a thing for Etsy vintage. Remind me to post pictures of the boy’s new fedora.

Months ago, I stumbled upon vintage cookie cutters & couldn’t think of any good reason not to get them, so I did.

But I had no rolling pin, so I couldn’t really do anything with them.

They’re fun. There are five of them, in playing card suits (heart, diamond, spade, club) and there’s an extra bonus star.

I ended up getting a rolling pin about a week ago, you can see it in the background of the photo. It’s black! A nice gothic touch to baking time.

So today I finally baked sugar cookies.

I need to work on my rolling skills because they ended up rather uneven, but they taste good and they don’t look half bad, so I’m calling that a win. Especially considering it was my very first sugar cookie attempt.

Will eventually make a batch with black & red icing. Not feeling daring enough for that just yet.

By erin, ago

flax-golden tales: backyard uprising

backyard uprising

I help the guy next door with his garden sometimes. He gives me a few dollars a week to keep the flowers watered and stuff like that. I offered to trim the hedge but he says he likes to keep it like that to camouflage his workshop.

He builds these, I don’t know, robot-looking things like the Tin Man from OZ in there. Some of them turn their heads or wave their arms, and when they move they make this really horrible squeaking sound.

The first time I saw the inside of the workshop I was surprised I hadn’t heard the noise before, but he plays really loud classical music and that mostly drowns it out.

The music stopped this morning.

And then the robot things started walking.

Luckily, they’re kind of slow.

I locked the door, but the squeaking is getting closer.

About flax-golden tales. Photo by Carey Farrell. Text by Erin Morgenstern.

By erin, ago

fountain pen number two

Remember back in March when I got my very first vintage fountain pen?

I’ve been trolling Etsy vintage for pens since then (well, pens & train cases & bowler hats,) but nothing’s really caught my eye & budget at the same time until this past week.

So now I have a second vintage fountain pen.  Except this one is a part of a set.

It’s a Sheaffer Snorkel Clipper Pen & Pencil set, complete with box & instructions. It has a really nifty filling mechanism that you can sort of see the instructions for in the photo & I kind of flailed around like a dork when I filled it this afternoon and the kittens thought I was weird. But that’s nothing new.

This set is from somewhere around 1955-59 or so, and both pen & pencil appear to have never been used.

I think this officially means I’m starting a collection.

By erin, ago

flax-golden tales: unexpected delivery service

unexpected delivery service

They always show up at the right time, even though they are most often unexpected.

They always know precisely the right thing to bring. Chocolates or caramels or skeins of technicolor yarn. Glass bottles of cherry-flavored soda. Long stems of bright blooming flowers.

They do not tell you who your gift is from. There is never a card.

They refuse any offer of payment.

They simply hand the flowers or sweets or tokens to you, request politely that you add your name to the list of signatures they carry on a well-worn clipboard, and wish you well.

Then they ride off on their bicycles to brighten someone else’s day.

About flax-golden tales. Photo by Carey Farrell. Text by Erin Morgenstern.

By erin, ago

linkage

My brain is too fried from revisionland & futzing with the blog layout for a proper post, so here is a miscellany of links to click on full of fun things I’ve encountered in the wilds of the internet recently. You know, when I haven’t been revising or futzing with the blog layout.

Also, I got a gargantuan box of yarn and bunnies and teapuppies in the mail today. I live in a world of whimsical wonderment. Seriously.

By erin, ago

flax-golden tales: advice to follow

advice to follow

advice to follow

I find advice in all sorts of places.

In fortune cookies. On street corners. Sometimes even on the internet, but mostly out in the world.

The universe has creative ways to get its points across, in filtered bits of text.

Fleeting pieces of information to decipher.

Some of it, I’m sure, was not even meant for me to find, but if it crosses my path I try to pay attention to it anyway.

I follow it whenever possible.

So far it hasn’t let me down.

You find what you need to hear sometimes, if you keep your eyes open as well as your ears.

About flax-golden tales. Photo by Carey Farrell. Text by Erin Morgenstern.

By erin, ago