National Popcorn Day

Today is a very special day.

Today, January 19, 2012, is National Popcorn Day.

On this day, I present to you one of my favorite recipes I have learned recently... Smores Popcorn. Enjoy...

Smores Popcorn by Emily of A Cambridge Story

Daily Lovely - A Year Long Photo Project

There is so much beauty in every day, even in the dreariest, coldest months. So I am challenging myself to take a photo a day of lovely things in 2012. Big or small. Grand or mundane.

This might not sound like such a difficult resolution to keep for a photographer, but sometimes I get wrapped up in planning what I want to photograph that I am not paying enough attention to what is photo-worthy right in front of me. And there is plenty of that to be had every day.

You can follow on facebook, twitter, instagram (@allisonfraske, #dailylovely) or at www.dailylovely.com!

One week down, 51 to go. Wish me luck!

Oh hi 2012.

2011 was an eventful year. It had its ups and downs and its bittersweet moments, but I would say it was generally a positive, fulfilling, and eventful year.

I met some great new people, but also had to wish bon voyage to some very special friends as they moved out of town.

I celebrated the marriages of some great friends, and welcomed some new bundles of joy into the world.

I expanded my crafty abilities and learned such things as how to sew, how to make homemade pickles, and how to etch glass.

I took a lot of pictures, but mostly for myself instead of for sale.

I bought in iPhone and discovered instagram.

I read two great books: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and Bossypants by Tina Fey. (I recommend both of them)

At the beginning of 2011, I resolved to do two things: schedule more time for myself, and make sure I start planning for the holidays early so I can enjoy the season instead of having to bustle around trying to get everything in order. I think I did a good job of keeping both of those resolutions. For 2012, I do have one creative resolution that I'm pretty excited about, but I'm going to hold off on sharing it for a bit until I am sure I can commit to it!

Happy New Year to everyone!

Craft Fairs this Weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out one of these holiday craft fairs if you are in the Boston area:

 December 3: Jamaica Plain Holiday Fair
First Church Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot St, Jamaica Plain from 11am - 5pm.
Boston Handmade members exhibiting together at this event:
Kerry Hawkins Photography 
Kerrie Beck, Cody's Creations
Karen Mahoney, City By The Sea Ceramics
Leah Ammerman, cricicis design
Beth Brennick, Elizabeth Brennick Designs
Sharon Fischer, Stray Notions
Diane Ivey, Lady Dye Fiber Arts & Design
Lucie Wicker Photography

 December 4: Bazaar Bizarre Boston 
Center for the Arts/Cyclorama, 539 Tremont Street, Boston from 12 - 6pm.
Boston Handmade members exhibiting together at this event:
Karen Mahoney, City By The Sea Ceramics
Leah Ammerman, cricicis design
Nancy McCallum, nancy rosetta
Evan Webster Ink
Sharon Fischer, Stray Notions
Diane Ivey, Lady Dye Fiber Arts & Design
Cristina Hurley Designs
and exhibiting in a separate booth:
Anne-Claire Regan, Hibou Designs

 A great weekend to get some things checked off your shopping list - for others, or for yourself!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Sugar Frosting

Happy Thanksgiving! Today I am responsible for bringing a dessert to Thanksgiving Dinner. I decided to make Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Sugar Frosting. The cupcake recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen, and the frosting is a twist on a basic buttercream recipe (Smitten Kitchen's frosting recipe is probably great, too, but I didn't have all the ingredients!)

When I made the cupcakes, I accidentally forgot to add the vanilla extract. That is the second time I have done that while baking this week! I need to get myself together. Regardless, they still came out great! Here's how to make them:

Pumpkin Cupcakes:
(yielded 24 for me, adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with liners.
2. Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
4. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full.
5. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

Maple Sugar Frosting:
(basic buttercream frosting with maple syrup)

3 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
several tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 cup maple syrup (or, to taste)

Directions:
Mix together sugar and butter on low speed until well blended, and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla, maple, and 2 tablespoons of cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream, if desired, for spreading consistency.

Plaid Is the New Black

Everyone knows about Black Friday, but do you know about Plaid Friday? The name Plaid Friday celebrates the diversity and creativity of independent businesses. Plaid Friday is the fun and enjoyable alternative to the big box store Black Friday, and is designed to promote both local and independently owned businesses during the holidays.

Plaid Friday brings back the neighborly nostalgic times when shopping for friends and family was a pleasurable leisurely activity. Celebrate Plaid Friday by wearing plaid while shopping at independent businesses on Friday, November 25th!

Life in a Day: Now on YouTube

On July 24, 2010, people all over the world put their day, or portion of their day, on film to submit to the Life in a Day Project on YouTube. The long awaited feature film premiered in movie theaters on July 29, 2011. Now it is available on YouTube here:



On July 24, 2010, I was at a wedding watching the bride hula hoop. Do you know what you were doing that day?

Love Your Body Day!

Love Your Body Day is October 19. It is a day that we are reminded to fight back against media stereotypes seen in fashion, cosmetic, and diet industries. Each year, the National Organization for Women runs a poster contest to advertise this campaign. I learned about Love Your Body Day as a senior in college and submitted this design:

While I did not win the competition, the contest and the campaign in general has definitely gained momentum over the years. Here are some other posters that have been included in the poster contest:

Learn more about the poster contest

A Typeface for Dyslexics

Typographer Christan Boehr of StudioStudio has created a typeface that makes it easier for dyslexic people to read properly. The font, "Dyslexie," uses specially shaped letters to exaggerate some of the differences between letters that dyslexics find hard to distinguish from one another.

This video, which I originally saw on Boston.com, explains the development process:



i think this is such a great concept, and I hope it begins to help the millions of people who struggle with dyslexia!

Breathe New Life into Old Photos with Photo Restoration ad Retouching

I have always enjoyed photo editing. It might not sound so glamorous, but I can spend hours adjusting imperfections in photos, balancing color, removing scratches and brightening smiles. I am now bringing my photo retouching skills to Etsy as a service! It's tough to package the service up but I am starting with a basic listing that should cover most retouching needs. Here are some before and after examples of what I have done with pictures both old and new:

If you are in the market for photo restoration, shoot me an email at allison [at] fraskedesigns dot com!

There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don't.

(My ex-wife loves him)

Today, I bring you my current favorite Etsy items that tribute Bill Murray.

We will start with this lovable onesie with one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite movie: What About Bob?

What About Bob? onesie by Little Patriot

What About Bob? is the first movie I ever remember seeing Bill Murray in, and it changed my life - and influenced my sense of humor - forever! Of course, looking back, I am sure I saw Ghostbusters and Caddyshack before I saw What About Bob?, but I was unable to appreciate those movies in the 80s. It wasn't until the 90s when I reached double digits in age that I could really begin to appreciate these films. One thing I DO appreciate, however, is this adorable set of Ghostbusters Wood Peg Dolls by CreativeButterflyXOX:

As I creeped through my teenage years and hit high school, my taste in movies got a little more refined. Conveniently, that's when Wes Anderson movies came into fashion. To this day, I can watch most of them over and over. I think they get better with each viewing. Rushmore was the first one I saw, and have seen all of them since then (including Bottle Rocket which came out before Rushmore but who's keeping track of chronology here?). Here is a nice silhouette referencing Murray's character in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou: 

Life Aquatic shirt by Mr. Cloud

Of course, perhaps the most heart warming item on Etsy that references Bill Murray is this cute, sweet card quoting Groundhog Day:

I Got You Babe card by Canton Box Co.

It's the most awesome little card!!!!

That concludes my Hot Bill Murray list for 2011, which by the way, is in honor of his 61st birthday, today, September 21, 2011. Bill Murray, here's to many more happy and hilarious years!

Parsley & Garlic Butter

I have been wanting to make a custom herb butter at home for a while. I am a big fan of herbs, spices, AND butter, so why not combine them?

It turns out that making herb butter blends is super easy. I did a quick search online for suggestions, and recipes and ingredients varied greatly. I settled on Parsley and Garlic Butter, influenced by this video.

You can vary your ingredients to taste, but I used:
4 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature (actually important in this recipe)
a handful of parsley
a teaspoon or so of minced garlic (next time I'll use fresh chopped garlic but I didn't have it available for this instance)
salt to taste (optional)


Gather your ingredients. Next, finely chop your parsley leaves. I did not include the stems, but I don't see that being an epic problem if you opted to roll them into the recipe. Just make sure you chop them finely, and after you are done chopping, gently but firmly pat as dry as possible with a paper towel. It's a good idea to get as much water out of these as you can, to make basically parsley flakes. It makes for better mixing.

Next, throw all of your ingredients in a bowl and START STIRRING! That's where the "room temperature" phrase comes in handy. Stirring room temperature butter is a lot easier than chilled butter. I hand mixed, so no electric mixer. I don't think an electric mixer would yield great results. Just be patient in your mixing and soon you will have perfect Parsley and Garlic Butter! I added a pinch of salt at the end, but that's really up to personal preference. The parsley and garlic balance each other well without salt, too.

Lastly, roll your butter into "logs" of aluminum foil or parchment paper and chill. I popped mine in the freezer but the fridge will do. I would reccomend making small rolls of butter and freezing them, taking one out of the freezer at a time, per your usage.

I look forward to trying different combinations of herbs and spices!