Peeps & Company

A road trip to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania!

How timely that, only a week before Easter, we'd come upon a store 

made famous by none other than the Easter Bunny himself!

Peeps! Those sugar-coated marshmallow treats,
without which, no Easter basket would be complete!

Here's a quick history of Peeps, and Just Born, Inc., the company that makes them:
Sam Born came to the U.S. from Russia in 1910.
He invented chocolate sprinkles (aka jimmies),
plus a machine to insert the sticks into lollipops,
 for which he was given the key to the city of San Francisco!
The Just Born, Inc. manufacturing company began in 1923.
In 1953, Sam acquired a company that made marshmallow chicks by hand.
A year later, his son Bob started mass-producing them much faster by machine
and officially trademarked them as Peeps.
In the early 1980's the Peeps marshmallow bunnies were added.

Sharing my photos of this bright, colorful, super-sweet shop!

Rainbow gift-packs of Peeps ~ "It's not a party without the chicks!"

A Peep mug-shot.

Lots of Peep novelties: magnets, stickers, socks, key chains, and more.

Plenty of plush!

Lots of novelty tee-shirts!

Our favorite~ Imagine World Peeps!

The shop's centerpiece is this display, topped with a giant, lighted...

...color-changing Peep!

Peep-mobile sighting!

As of this March 2018 update,
The Peeps & Company store is no longer in Bethlehem, PA! :(

There are 2 locations:

The Promenade Shops, Center Valley, PA

and

National Harbor, MD.

Here's the Peeps & Company website!

The Art of Bianca Green

Bianca Green's art is a patchwork of bright prints and patterns.

A clamor of colors that meet in a style that is relaxed, lighthearted and, above all, fun!

In addition to art prints, Bianca's work can be found as fabric, cell phone cases, 

shower curtains, pillows, clocks, note cards, t-shirts, mugs and more!

Superstar New York is above, with lots more to follow.

I Don't Know What to Write You

Picture This

Bella the Happy Butterphant

The Way I See It

I Can See in the Dark

Follow Your Own Path

Her Point of View

Pineapple Party

Seeing Sound

 

Here's where to find more Bianca Green Art:

website

society6

Facebook

DENY Designs

Images used with direct permission from Bianca Green.

Jesus is Loving Barabbas

Sacrifice by DoulosArt

"For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Corinthians 5:21


As we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Christ,
listen to Judah Smith's contemporary, spot-on explanation
of what it all means, and just why He did what He did.
Powerful.

Judah Smith is a pastor at The City Church in Seattle, Washington.
Here's his Facebook page.

Found Objects Art Mosaics by Jane Perkins

The Mona Lisa. Highly recognizable. 

But you may not have seen her interpreted quite like this! 

A conglomeration of little what-nots arranged in a mosaic.

On closer inspection, you'll see the likes of, to "B" specific:

 buttons, bananas, Bristle Blocks, beads, bubble wands and Barbie arms!

Jane Perkins creates phenomenal art by selecting each doodad from her collection,
finding just the right item in just the right shade, then placing it in just the right spot.

Jane finds most of her tiny treasures at flea markets and yard sales.

How about this example of reusing, recycling, and re-purposing?

A quote she used on her website, so very apropos, is this one from David Mach, sculptor:

"Every artist needs to find the right material through which he can express himself."

I do believe that Jane has found hers!

Sunflowers, after Van Gogh

Girl with a Pearl Earring, after Vermeer

Orange Marilyn 2, after Warhol

Einstein 2

Afghan Girl

Here's Jane's website!

Want more "Mona Lisa" and "Girl with a Pearl Earring?"

Visit my recent post, Faber Castell Spiral Art by Chan Hwee Chong!

With my thanks, Bev! :)

Images used with direct permission from Jane Perkins.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bars

My daughter and I are Cookie Dough Fiends.

Naturally, it's our favorite ice cream flavor.

We have a cookie dough pact.

When either of us bakes cookies, we have to save a chunk of the dough for each other.

She even named one of her kittens Cookie Dough. Seriously.

Now you understand why this recipe was a "must try."

Not to mention, it's in combination of another one of my faves, peanut butter.

It's a no-bake bar that's less cookie and more fudge.

Cookie Dough Lovers - unabashedly unite!

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bars

Cookie Dough Layer~

1/2 C unsalted butter, softened

3/4 C light brown sugar, packed

1 t vanilla extract

1/4 C creamy peanut butter

2 C flour

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Frosting Layer~

3/4 C creamy peanut butter

3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter with brown sugar until combined.

Add vanilla and peanut butter, beat until fluffy.

Add flour and sweetened condensed milk, beat until well-blended.

Fold in mini chocolate chips.

Press into an 8x8 baking dish.

Now for the frosting-

In a microwave safe bowl, add peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Melt for one minute. Stir and spread over the cookie dough.

Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

Cut into bite sized pieces. 

Thanks, Aimee, of Shugary Sweets! 

Ukrainian Pysanky Easter Eggs

Pysanky. That primitive Ukrainian folk art involving great skill, lots of time,
and no doubt, a steady hand to create those over-the-top fabulous Easter eggs!
I've long been in awe of them, and so a blog feature was inevitable!
Pysanky is plural for pysanka, a Ukrainian word from pysaty, meaning "to write".
The most common way to dye pysanky is with the wax resist method known as batik.

When I came across Katya Trischuk and her Etsy shop, Ukrainian Easter Eggs, 
I just knew you'd be as delighted as I was to see her colorful creations!

The stunning contrast of black and white.

How about this huge ostrich egg pysanka?

Now check out this post
where I share photos from my experience
attending a Pysanky Workshop!

Here's where you can visit the Ukrainian Easter Egg shop on Etsy!



Images used with direct permission from Katya Trischuck.

The Art of … Knitting

lady desidia

Oh, the popularity of knitting!

It embraces the past and holds onto the integrity of handmade.

I grew up cozy and warm under beautiful afghans hand-knit by my mom, granny or aunts!

Many knitters learned from loved ones as the skill was handed down through the generations.

Enjoy these images of men, women and children (along with a few critters!) who love to knit!

"For You created my inmost being;

You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Psalm 139:13,14

Alberto Montt

Paul Albicocco

Ernest Bieler

Phoebe Wahl

Dee Nickerson

Dilka Bear

Ben Chen

Albert Anker

Micki Wilde

Jean Metzinger

Dabin Choi

Karl Albert Buehr

Reminiscing about my fun visit with Knitter-Extraordinaire, Susan Nadelson.
It was terrific spending time with her - she's one talented lady!
Take a look at the post:
Hand-dyed, Hand-spun Yarns by Susan Nadelson

Martin Wiscombe