Shore Debris Website is Live!

Yipee!! My new website is up and running: www.shoredebris.com

Off to go make new business cards :)

Holiday Baking - 1 - Pumpkin Bread

My holiday baking has begun... and the Thanksgiving ritual since I left my parent's house - start with the pumpkin bread. (Yes, that is my diet pepsi in the background... only #2 for the day.)In my new gigantic mixing bowl - Thanks, Susan! - I mixed up the double batch for 6 loaves of bread. (1 for Thanksgiving, 1 for my parents, 1 for the in-laws and 3 for those impromptu hostess gifts I seem to always need).

Here's my family recipe:

3 eggs

1 c. oil

3 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. pumpkin (can or fresh)

5 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3 tsp soda

2 c. walnuts

1 c. raisins

Blend eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin. Sift in flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and soda. Add chopped nuts and raisins. Bake at 350 for 1 1/4 hours for loaves or 45 min for muffins.

Ahhhh... and I've sniffed the nutmeg, so now I'm in the spririt!

Durham Art Walk Holiday Market

This past weekend was the Durham Artwalk Holiday Market. I was in the Durham Armory where we had live entertainment both days. My favorite group was the Durham Divas - they were great - all between 50 and 85 and cheering everyone into the holiday spirit.Here was my booth - an 8' x 8' space. I've finally spray painted all of my display items black... last year I still had some unfinished wood in the display.And here's a closer view of my new favorite necklace:
center - paua shell and cultured freshwater pearl double strand necklace. I finished it last week just in time for the show. Now only one more show to finish out my year!

Holiday Shopping...

I love it when the stores get ready for the holiday season... The things that appear like peppermint mochas (really, now why can't these be made year round?), fresh peppermint bark, apple cider,

This week my grocery store had a "Naughty and Nice" bottle from my favorite winery - the Duplin Winery. I thought it was cute and needed it for my kitchen counter. What seasonal favorites are you rediscovering?

Getting ready for tomorrow!

Shopping in Fayetteville

This summer, I discovered the "Arts Alive at 4th Friday's" events in Fayetteville and decided they are lots of fun. I did lots of shopping down there and have just gotten out a pile of stuff that is making me drool all over again :)

This first piece is an agate I got from the Cape Fear Mineral and Gem Society Showing in August. I have dreams of wrapping him in gold and making him my centerpiece at the Durham Artwalk.These beads I got from my new favorite store downtown... The Twisted Jeweler. If I had no job and if they also had a coffee bar in the shop... I'd probably live there!

I love scouring the antique shops for pretty pins, too. They make such an addition to a beaded necklace!

And finally, the other bead store - Strung Out on Beads. Who could believe that 13 months ago there wasn't a single bead store in Fayetteville, and now there are two!