Home Improvement Project

I was not ready for this project but it anyway started - it was my hubby's idea to replace old staco with flagstones. And I'm not disappointed.

I made it!

Felting is not what I really admire but there are things where this technique bids all others in sense of practicality and health. This is my first felting project for real pair of slippers

You can buy a pair of nice warm slippers in my Etsy store

The Decorative Arts in Russian Architecture - Part I

Stained Glass Window Project by Artist Kupchinskaya

Digging up my digital archive I found few very interesting sketches dated 1905-1907.

I'd rather prefer to quote William Brumfield than write in my own words to describe this period and movement:

"The revival of the decorative arts in Russia during the latter half of the nineteenth century played an important role in the development of an innovative architectural movement centered in Moscow and St.Petersburg at the turn of the century.

Known as the style moderne, or simply the "new style", this protean movement corresponded in the broadest sense to its contemporary art nouveau, although in specifics it resembled more closely the Secession and occasionally incorporated elements derived from the arts and crafts revival in Great Britain and Finland.
For all of the obvious borrowings that contributed to the style moderne, the major impetus for a renewed appreciation of the design-in both architecture and the applied arts-originated in local Russian centers of the arts and crafts movement, first at Abramtsevo in the 1870s and then at Talashkino in 1890s. Both colonies continued their work into the first decade of the twentieth century, and thus provided not only an early example of the revival of the applied arts but also a contemporary source of creative ideas linking traditional craftsmanship with modern design."

Kai Yin Lo - Style Icon of 1980s - Private Collection

Knitwear for kids

HV Etsians - New Listings

Purslane - Portulaca oleracea

When hot weather hits this common weed is all over the garden. Not so many people know that this delicious edible plant is a perfect source of vitamin C and has other useful properties. May be it sounds strange but this post is about eating weeds.



In Georgian it's called danduri. Harvest this delight of your edible landscaping in the morning.



Purslane with vinegar (from Sulakvelidze).

Remove big stems and roots from the purslane and wash in a salad spinner. Bring salted water to boiling point and cook purslane for 7-10 min. Drain through a colander. Mix with chopped garlic and vinegar according to your taste.
Serve when it's cooled.