Dog Day Afternoon

It is hot today: so hot in fact that I have been huddled indoors, tooling without my halogen lamp because even THAT makes it more scorching.

All the shades are drawn and I am personally very excited for evening: the cool that descends is both physically and spiritually renewing.

My garden cannot be enjoying this.

My garden, by the way, is a mess of weeds and herbs and some of the plants Francis (our backyard neighbor) planted last year have begun coming up again: tomatoes in the chard (which has been resurrected!!), herbs in the onions, etc. 

Oy! 

This is where I realize that perhaps I put too much on my plate this summer - hee hee?

I made a few custom dog collars today that were a great deal of fun, and a few barrettes in various shades and using two different kind of vintage leather tooling patterns from the dawn of tooling time.

They are so fun to follow and work with and when I tool them I can feel the ghosts of old Sonoma County cowboys over my shoulders encouraging me to honor the history of this rare art.

And so I do.

A classic poppy in yellow and red with a black canvas and a really neat-o flower blossom that I colored pink, yellow and red with a black canvas.

Oh, and Jordan? The cake (cooling on the open windowsill, like in the olden days)

was really really yummy (I would recommend a touch more sugar in the recipe as the raspberries were tart - or you could use a completely different berry!)

and I feel compelled to share the recipe with all of you: HERE it is!

The website, SmittenKitchen, is just filled to the brim with good recipes and gorgeous pictures.

I am indeed besotted by it all.

A happy, happy Monday to you all and hugs for the parts that hurt :)