New on the Etsy Store

   Well, I think I blew my timeline for getting Easter items up in time....I had no idea that it was so early this year. So, instead I humbly offer you the newest items to MinkCouture....

       This scarf was detailed out in a previous post about Snow Dyeing. I came up with the color scheme from "The Hunger Games". Specifically in "Catching Fire" when Katniss is dreaming of home. I thought using the snow dyeing technique with the "Girl on Fire" theme would be a nice, quirky way of paying tribute to Katniss. 

    Another "Hunger Games" inspired look, a Mockingjay fascinator. This feathered fascinator has black and white biot feathers to add a little bit of height and a jeweled button on the center to add a little bling.  I think this would go perfect with the with the Katniss' wedding dress. Or maybe just a well placed jab at the Capitol???

    I plan on doing some fascinators for various districts and I am working on a Finnick Odair inspired fascinator, hopefully I can get it up next weekend. Even though I am registered as District 3, I think fashion sense is something to be played with in any District. 

   Snow is still on the ground in most of the U.S., but spring hopes eternal, right? What better way to celebrate spring's approach than with a tiny hand knit top hat that has birds feathers and a nest on it? This would be great for Easter, a wedding, or prom. Some vintage beige netting really ties the hat together. 

I wil be skipping some seasons and I will be starting on my vintage- inspired Halloween items for an upcoming summer craft show. 

Trip Out West-Part Two

    One of the nicer days was spent at the Griffith Observatory. Built in the 1930's by Griffith J Griffith, the observatory now has a lower level built entirely under the original. The original facade still stands and the rebuild is an engineering feat. In the lower level you can watch a movie detailing the renovation.
   The observatory has been featured in many movies: Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Bowfinger, The Rocketeer and Rebel Without a Cause. It is free to go to, unless you want to watch the main laser star show. The hiking trails are excellent-wear comfortable shoes, layers, lots of sunscreen and bring water and maybe a snack. You can bike, hike or horseback ride all the way up to the Hollywood sign.
  One of my absolute favorites is the hallway leading down to the lower level. A time line of the universe, all 31.5 billion years of it is laid out-with vintage celestial jewelry. It's the best estate sale you will ever go to!

2 billion years! Plenty more to go...

I thought these earrings were adorable-I must hunt down a pair....or make some!

It just goes on and on....

Spend the day hiking, wander around inside and then rest!! Its an uphill climb, so you'll be tired at the end of the day, I was!

A Trip out West-Part One

In between snow storms, I was able to plan a vacation-this would be why I haven't updated in a while. That and I was sending out lots of letters for "A Month of Letters". Nothing was better than coming home from vacation and finding a huge pile of letters on my bed.....well, finding my bed was pretty great too......


Here are some highlights from my trip.


If you have a chance to go to the Los Angeles County Museum-do it! They are currently displaying a retrospective of Stanley Kubrick's films. You can see props, sets, costumes, scripts and much more in the exhibit.

Set model of the War Room - Dr. Strangelove

Costume from "Barry Lyndon"

Typewriter Prop from "The Shining"

While you are at LACMA, I highly recommend going to Coffee and Milk. Its a small coffee shop that has a delicious selection of breakfast goods, I ordered a bacon and fig pop tart. Flaky crust, fresh fig filling and sugary crisp bacon pieces on top-I'm not one for bacon makes everything better, but this was one damn fine pop tart. Paired with a rich hot chocolate-it was a fine meal to start a rainy museum day.

Notice the best part-the heart!

Stopping back in the afternoon was even better. Ever since I read about their milkwhich in the Wall Street Journal, I knew I had to try one. Take two giant, chewy chocolate chip cookies (with a hint of sea salt) and in the middle put vanilla milkshake ice cream-delicious!

A meal in itself

One museum down-many more to go!

Are things really "doubleplusgood"?

     The Chicago Tribune recently released an article of new spin words that are making the rounds. I applaud Mark Jacob on his ingenuity. Although, seeing words broken into "Oldspeak" and "Newspeak" brought shudders of Big Brother watching-I'm not the only one, right? But, I am one of those people that think the 101 freeway in Los Angeles, CA is called such because anyone that has sent extensive time on it will tell you anything to make their commute quicker (this also works on the 405).
   So just remember next time you are facing "challenges"  because your company is starting a "realignment program" you might want to thing "outside of the box" and go to your local Wendy's (I hear they are "holding a hiring event".
   Now, excuse me while I gas up my "pre-loved vehicle" so I can attend my "kinetic wellness class".

Dyeing in the Snow with Catching Fire

   With the plethora of snow that's around I thought it would be a wonderful time to experiment with Snow Dyeing. Granted, there are plenty of recipes out there for baking with snow, but I just don't trust the snow to be clean and free of wildlife bits.....
   So here goes.....

    First you need snow. You also need something to dye-I chose a silk scarf. You will need a tub of some kind and a raised rack to support your fabric. The idea being that as the snow melts, the color infuses down into your fabric.

   I used a small plastic bin and an old cookie sheet. You will want to rinse your fabric out in some water and wring it out so that it is not so dripping wet. Next  you will want to position it in some fashion on your rack. You can pleat it, tie beads it in, or simply arrange it in a ball (like if you were mottle dyeing).

It was very cold outside-the fabric froze solid in under a minute.

Next-time for the snow! Just pile a heap on the fabric until it is no longer visible.

Covering the fabric with snow. 

Now it is time for the dye. You will want to use only powdered dyes for this. Sprinkle the dye over the snow as much or as little as you want. I decided to keep with a fire theme, playing on the "Catching Fire" novel. A scarf for Katniss using the snow she dreams about in the arena of the 75th Hunger Games. 

This will make a huge mess-so try and be careful, you don't want to get dye all over
your winter coat and gloves! 

I covered the entire thing with plastic bags and put it in the garage to melt. Since the garage was so cold I ended up dragging it into the Mud Room, you'll want it to melt and sit for about 24 hours, the key thing being its melting. Again-this will be messy, so put it in a place that is away from pets, little ones and anything that you don't want dyed!

When the snow is finished melting, you're project might look a little murky. 

After the snow has melted.

You will want to rinse off the excess dye in cold running water. Wash until the water runs clear. The run hot water and rinse your scarf in that to set the dye. 

Here's how our scarf turned out. Pretty nifty, right? 

Winter Storms

   When did the National Weather Forecast begin naming winter storms??? It reminds me of Lewis Black's routine about why they don't name tornados and how they shouldn't name hurricanes and use the time they spend naming storms to better understand the weather....
   Anyway, dear friends out east, I hope you are all safe and snug with power and some hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows in it. We Midwesterners got the storm first, just to get things straight. And when we got it the weather the fools at the weather center said to expect 1-3 inches of snow. We got 19 inches of snow. You do the math.
   After a harrowing 3 hour commute home (no shutting down here) I was more than happy to enjoy the snow the way it should be enjoyed. Mainly, by not driving in it. I took my snow shoes for a spin and tried snow dyeing a scarf (post to come).
   So, I hope everyone is toasty and snug, here are some of my pictures of the storm, anyone want to share theirs?

A strange visitor indeed...

Bushes thick with snow

Here birdie, birdie....

Super Bowl Sunday

We'll be tweeting live during the Super Bowl here! Much better than waiting for a full blog post during the week, right???
   Looking forward to your comments on our comments.

A Month of Letters

  As an avid member of Postcrossing (send a postcard to someone in the world, receive one from someone else) I was excited to learn that February is this year's month for the Month of Letters challenge.
   The idea is that you write a letter every day during the month of February; take a step out of the digital world, reconnect with old friends or make some new ones. It is considered cheating if you write all your letters on one day!
   We've signed up and think that, dear readers, you should too. You could post your addy's in the comment section if you wish to exchange letters with us personally (don't worry, I screen comments before they are posted so the whole world won't see them). I'll even thrown in a prize for most unusual/unique stationary- one of Valentine Air Mail pins over on our Etsy site. Just leave a comment if you are interested to exchange and add your e-mail so we can send your our addy. Before you know it- you'll make it through the month with letters and maybe some new pen pals! 

Happy Handwriting Day!

Today is Handwriting Day, so we made a treasury over on Etsy to celebrate!
   Take out those pencils, crack open a new notebook, write a letter-just no texting or tweeting please!

Sad Monsters-A book review

   If you loved David Sedaris' "Squirrel Seeking Chipmunk", then you'll feel right at home with "Sad Monsters: Growling on the Outside, Crying on the Inside" by Frank Lesser.
    Who knew that monsters had so many problems? Well, besides Bugs Bunny when he gave that manicure to the big red monster in Looney Tunes. Apparently the monster's name is Gossamer...
   "Sad Monsters" is a collection of short stories ranging from Godzilla's existential crisis, "tried to self medicate by eating a pharmaceutical factory" and "stacked all of the buildings in Los Angeles on top of each other, but before I could destroy it, I was filled with overwhelming ennui"; to the section on Unsuccessful Monsters. Our favorite- the Merewolf (half vicious wolf, half fish) and the Creature from the Mixed-Race Lagoon (he gets snubbed from the White and Black Lagoon).
   Other sections of note?
   Bigfoot's letter about illegals from Narnia and across the border (chupacabra) who are stealing valuable sightings from his kind. The witch who is trying to keep he kids on a steady diet of kale before eating them instead of stuffing them with cookies. There's more than your fair share of passive aggressive ghosts, goblins and poltergeists. And then there's the section about unicorn nuzzling, which feels like, "taking a bubble bath full of giggling puppies".
  There are some stories that don't work quite as well; "Gremlin Owner's Manual", "Some Gorgons Have All the Luck" and "Kids Say the Darnedest Things" come to mind. These don't work mainly because you can figure out the punch line just by reading the title. Overall, Lesser's book is a good read, especially for those already familiar with the horror genre.
   

Valentines Day Goodies....

Mink Couture's Valentines Shop is now open!

Puffy Heart Wall Hangers

Valentines Day Air Mail Pin

Felted Heart Pin with Vintage Button, Dresden Wings
and Shrinky Dink Valentines Day Envelope

"Key to my Heart" Ornaments

Want a custom made item? Just ask!

Python Killer...Qu'est-ce que c'est

   With the debate heating up about gun control, it was surprising to read about Python Challenge 2013. The burmese python is seen as an invasive species in the Florida Everglades and authorities think Python Challenge 2013 is just the remedy. 
   Here's the deal....you go to the Python Challenge website and pay $25 to register. Then you fly down to Florida and you kill some pythons. There is prize money for the longest python and the most pythons killed. Yup..nothing says helping the environment more than a bunch of liquored up corporate hotshots blasting some pythons to bits in the Everglades....You can even buy a Python Challenge patch to sew onto your hunting jacket. 
    Though, there are guidelines to "harvesting pythons". Mainly, don't mess with anything else in the Everglades except for the pythons. So, you should probably watch out for the panthers, bears, storks and deer that will be keeping you company as you hunt for pythons. Granted, Python Challenge happens in Feb., you will also be competing with mosquitos. 
    Now, don't think you can just heard a bunch of snakes together and dynamite the crap out of them. There are many rules and regulations that you have to follow including how to kill them. The snakes have to be killed humanly and according to the American Veterinary Standards. You can put a bolt through the snakes brain, you can shoot it through the brain or you can stun it then decapitate it and then shoot the decapitated head. Now how a person can keep a python's head still while another guy shoots it in a very specific area....thats a trust building work exercise!
   What's even more bizarre are all the rules and regulations and the 30 minute training course that you have to take. 
  Now you can read the Chicago Tribune and the Bloomberg TV articles on the subjects if you think this is sill some crazy joke; its not. This is supposed to be the way to control the python population that is raging out of control due to the exotic pet trade. 
   All I can picture is a bunch of guys cornering a python against a tree, ready to blow its head off....and behind them is a gang of pythons hissing/laughing and saying.."ready boys" as they are about to eat the hunters....

The post holiday Holiday

     Yesterday (Jan 5) was Twelfth Night. Time to take down the decorations and eat cake. Any holiday that has cake at the center of it is for us. Though we save our cake eating for Mardi Gras. Since we don't have a big crowd over in the post holiday days, a nice hard cider from the local apple farm will do in place of traditional wassail.
    A new year always brings the dreaded resolution list and if you wait a month, you get to make your list of things to give up for Lent. Here's the thing, resolutions are supposed to be things you will try and do, or things you will try and do better. Resolutions aren't supposed to be about dieting, or cutting things out of your life. You are resolving to be a better you. Instead of dieting, resolve to eat more vegetables (chocolate beet cake does count as a serving of vegetables), or take the stairs instead of the elevator.
   We resolve to:

Write more letters!

Write more in this blog (who knew that mince pies would be what everyone wants?)

Try and get to the next level in our French lessons.

Travel more.

Any ones to add or ones that you, dear readers, are going to do?

Mince pies for the New Year

    I know, I know...mince pies are supposed to made and eaten during the Christmas season. Well, between having a Christmas birthday and baking for parties, I thought that mincemeat works just as well for New Years. 

   I've always wanted to make mince meat pies or tarts, ever since I saw "State Fair". They make mincemeat look so delicious. I cheated and bought my mince meat from Dean and Deluca, sadly it was only sold for the Christmas season. It is made in small batches in Ireland and has sharp notes of orange and Guinness. I made a simple Pate Brisee and plunked the mince meat in the tart shells, popped them in the oven for about 20 minutes and had some tasty tarts!

   Use any Pate Brisee recipe that you want, I used Joy of Baking. There is also some debate to what kind of dough to use. Some people prefer a puff pastry, the pate brisee is much easier to make in my opinion. 

A food processor makes fast work of the dough.

A vintage flour duster and some sil pat help prevent the dough from
sticking. Also, those yellow bands-they make sure your dough is consistent
in thickness. 

A cradle shaped tart pan-how mince pies were traditionally made to celebrate the
birth of Christ. 

Add plenty of filling-no one likes a stingy mince pie!

Top with a dough shaped star

Tarts ready for baking

Finished tarts-They taste best straight from the oven

    This weekend the Wall Street Journal ran an article about hand cream, "Balms for Palms", and gave us the good excuse to finally write about our favorite hand potions.
    Some people may think that one moisturizer can rule them all, but seriously folks....then you might as well wash your hair with soap. Hands are hardworking! Especially if you are in a field where you use them heavily (and I'm not talking about typing all day!). If you're in a field where you are getting down and dirty (sculpture, the arts, construction, cleaning), or you're in one where you wash your hands several times a day (food service, medical) or you just live in a extreme climate; your hands suffer.
    So here are some of our favorites for keeping your hands nice and moisturized and chap free.

2 oz. for $12

   First Aid Beauty (FAB) is great for people with sensitive skin, psoriasis, eczema or just plain dry skin. This lotion is great to wear just before bed, it's extra thick and is pretty intense. All FAB products are free of paragons, harsh chemicals and colorants. They even have a board certified dermatologist and their ingredients are FDA approved.
   This hand cream really has no scent and since FAB is all about having a good product, you're not going to get any flowery packaging. Which also makes it great for men.

$12.60 gets you 4.9 oz

  Cake Beauty is definitely one of my favorites on smell alone.
All of their products transport you to a bakery and their Milk Made sugar scrub is no exception. Some people may tell you a salt scrub is the way to go for silky smooth hands. Unfortunately, if you have a paper cut or other wound, a salt scrub will let you know it. Sugar is much easier on your skin and this scrub leaves your hands feeling baby soft.
    Milk Made smells like unbaked cake batter and contains milk proteins, avocado and coconut milk. All Cake Beauty products are paraben free. Some of their products are vegan and gluten free.
    The only downside to Cake is that Sephora has stopped carrying them on their online store. Now you have to either travel to Canada or order through their website.
    Their Milk Made hand cream is a great also; with warm hints of vanilla and raspberries.

$15 for 2 oz. 

   Professional Make up artist Laura Mercier's collection branches out to bath and body. Her hand cream comes in a range of scents (vanilla, fig, creme brûlée), but our favorite is Creme de pistache. The body scrub is especially luxurious.
    You get a lot for your money with this hand cream, since just a dollop goes a long way. Soy proteins help keep your hands feeling soft  and the grape and olive oil help lock in moisture.
      The lotion has hints of hazelnut and whipped cream under a strong pistachio tone (and color-the lotion is a light mint green).
     The packaging is also simple and attractive and this fits nicely in your purse.

$18 for 3.5 oz

   If you prefer the really natural beauty routine, you can't get any better than Lush. Fresh and handmade daily, their products even come with a (very short) expiration date. Helping hands may look like nothing special, but hiding inside is a wonderfully moisturizing, non greasy lotion. With hints of chamomile and honey, this is  great lotion for any time of the day.
   The lotion has a slight scent, but nothing too girly or overpowering. Their Lemony Flutter and Margarita Salt are also wonderful to help your hands through the toughest winter.
   They now have store in most major upscale mall, so you don't have to worry about shipping from Canada.

$21 for 4.2oz

   Aveda's Hand Relief is another great hand cream. Thick and rich with a wonderful scent (all Aveda products have a great scent) this cream is great at night.
  One of the main ingredients is licorice, which is an anti irritant. You only need a small amount of this lotion, so don't  think that this is expensive, you can make this last.
   Aveda also has travel sized of all of their products, so you can try that out first to make up your mind and then keep it in your bag when you find out how wonderful this lotion is.

$18 for .6 fl oz

       You want to keep your cuticles nice and moisturized too!
The best product to help in in the fight against raggedy cuticles?
Butter's Holiday Handbag is a miracle cocktail of olive and almond oils. It even comes with a little brush so you can slather it on right before bed, top with some hand creme and by the time you wake up; soft, even cuticles.
   This is the one product on this list that is a must have. Raggedy cuticles are a bane and can lead to infection and just plain gross looking nails.
   Ulta cosmetics now carries Butter, so you can bypass ordering straight from London; though you can only get some products through their website (like the brilliant new shade of Emerald they have to celebrate the Pantone color of the year).


The important thing to remember is, as in all things, the $75 item may do nothing spectacular and the $5 drugstore find may be your best bet. If you can, try and get a free sample before committing to a whole bottle. Most store will do this for you.
   Here's wishing you happy hands for the new year!

Merry Christmas, One and All

Happy Holidays from all of us at The Country Mink and the City Mink! 

Old Postcards and Creepy Santa's

      I love collecting old postcards, especially holiday ones. Vintage Christmas postcards have wonderful motifs and an overall cool quality to them. Except when it comes to the creepy Santa. Now, this isn't Krampus-those are super creepy and hard to find. Krampus was the anti-St. Nick. If you were a naughty child, Krampus would stuff you in his sack and carry you off to his lair.
    What I'm talking about are the postcards with Santa looking into your window and the Santa's with the toothy grin (this ends up looking evil, not cute).  Here are some examples.....(All images by Dover)

Here is the toothy grin-not quite warm and fuzzy, right?

Another creepy grin-is he writing down the naughty names?

Okay, this is not a Santa, but disturbing all the same. What
are we not going to let hang around?

Santa looking in the window-okay, so he sees you when you're sleeping and
all that...but we don't want it in the literal sense...

A very literal one- Santa is watching you through spy glasses!
Ah! Santa should just know if you are naughty or nice
without all the spying.

A late birthday!

Happy birthday to us, its been  (over) a year..
  Thank you readers!

A Look Back at Small Business Saturday

   Now that the first push of the Holiday crazies is over, it's time for a new round. Every year I tell myself that I'll make my own gifts, design and print my own cards, etc, etc...and every year December comes and I'm always way behind schedule.
    Luckily, I found some great vintage inspired cards to give out this year from Paper Source.

The set comes with cards, stamps, stickers and envelopes all in
a nice tin.

Just some of the cool flat cards you can send out.

  I also went down state and went to some local boutique/ antique stores. here's just some of the cool things I found.

I thought this guy was exceptionally cute.  I saw him
Main Street Estate Sales. 

A cute idea for any stray buttons you have hanging around.

This little guy and the stocking above were at
Rural American Crafts and Antiques.

If you every happen to find your way to Morris, I highly recommend stopping by Ruby Begonia's and checking out all the Three French Hens have to offer.