Moving on up

Over the next couple of days there will be radio silence here as I am working on moving boring old stuff-ing.blogspot.com to exciting and new stuff-ing.com. You are welcome to check out the new space, but it is definitely a work in progress. Any input from all you creative people out there is very welcome...if you have any ideas for what you would like to see on stuff-ing in the future now is the time to speak up! Thank you so much for reading my blog, and I hope to have a lot of new features to check out very soon!
See you at our new home...

Cheese and beer are good

Good lord, what a terrible photo to go with such a lovely evening! Did I learn nothing about pairing when I attended my Artisanal cheese and beer pairing class??? Actually, yes I did learn something...I love cheese and beer in any combination!
Let me tell you a few things that I did learn from my evening of higher gastric education...
First and foremost, the beers from Blue Point Brewing are really delicious. Apparently the brewery is accessible from Manhattan via train (it's in Patchogue, Long Island after all) and get this, they have all you can drink sampling at the brewery and an outdoor patio for seating! Hello new summer weekend adventure!
We enjoyed their Toasted Lager, Fresh Hops Pale Ale, No Apologies Imperial IPA, Oatmeal Stout, and Sour Cherry Imperial Stout. My favorite had to be their Oatmeal Stout, but I am a big dark beer drinker. Their Sour Cherry Imperial Stout and No Apologies Imperial IPA (10% ABV) were also winners for me.
Ok, so we also had cheese...I mean we had some of the most awesome, stinky, blue, melty and delicious cheeses I have ever eaten! I have to tell you that I do believe after eating all these beauties that the Hoja Santa from the Mozzarella Company in Dallas Texas is perhaps the best cheese to pair with beer ever created. This cheese is a young goat's milk cheese that is wrapped in leaves from the Hoja Santa plant. This gives the cheese a peculiar (but yummy) flavor that Jon Lundbom (the cheese expert teaching our class) said tasted like sassafras. Not having eaten much sassafras in my time, the closest I could describe it was similar to the flavor of epazote. Now this may not sound like a match made in heaven to pair with beer, but let me tell you it is so dreamy and creamy and just plain great...try it yourself!
Other cheeses we sampled were Comte Saint Antoine (superb), Gorwydd Caerphilly, Montgomery's Cheddar (cheddary and yummy), Epoisses (stanky but delicious), Brillat Savarin (maybe even creamier than butter...to die for), Bayley Hazen Blue (I hate blue and liked this) and Valdeon (I don't like blue cheese).
Most of these cheeses are available from the Artisanal website, and they have a bunch of other great classes to attend so please check out their class list.
If you are interested in the class I took, there are three more sessions scheduled:
Thursday, April 12th - with Ithaca $75.00
Thursday, May 3rd - with Kelso $75.00
Thursday, June 21st - The Spices of Summer $75.00
I hope you will take my advice and check out one of their many classes, but if you are unable I hope you will look for the Hoja Santa cheese and amaze your friends and family with your terrific beer and cheese pairing abilities. I won't tell where you got this insider info...wink!

I want to be grossed out by this

I present the Dram Sandal from Reef. Apparently hidden deep within the recesses of this innocent looking flip flop lies a canteen designed to conceal your booze. Let me just say now that I wish you the best of luck in getting through airport security with these babies on...and please at least keep your toenails trimmed if you're going to wear these. Blech!

Seriously hungry

You must go read Serious Eats today. They've got a story on wine in juice boxes made by Bandit Winery, an impending worldwide chocolate shortage (gasp!), and notes on Willie Nelson's new ice cream flavor for Ben & Jerry's (and no, it's not that flavor).

Flor for the people

Wha??? When did Target start carrying flor carpet tiles? That is downright exciting! Now my parents have absolutely NO reason to avoid these most convenient carpet tiles because they can acquire them right there at their neighborhood Tar-jay.
Via notcot.org

Handy bag

Thank you Etsy, I am always able to find something unique and fun there. Check out this tree painted handbag and tell me it is something I do not need...it's so Orla Kiely-esque. Love it.

Most genious idea ever

So sleepy...can't talk. Lucky I've got my pillow bluetooth!

Anchors away!

Ahhh, I need all three of these necklaces from Giles & Brother. They make some really trendy and fun jewelry and can be purchased at BlueBee.com. I like it I love it I want more of it.

Enamel love

Alright, slap me...I've been away too long! Terribly sorry.
I am going to do my best to post a whole bunch of groovy stuff like these lovely enamel jewelry boxes in order to make it up to you. Stay tuned!

Comfortable chic

Riley just sent over these images of the new line of Crocs for Spring 2007. I can't wait to get some of those thongs, as I am not supposed to wear regular flip flops this summer and have been feeling very sad about it. I can't see why my middle aged feet wouldn't be able to handle these cushy babies though...now those crazy wedges I'm not so sure about...

Mice vice

I totally need a diversion while working (as if blogging wasn't enough...), and a fun mousepad like this would work wonders. Ooh, and their selection of coaster sets are good stuff too.
From mirrorgirl on Etsy

Glass blowing 101

Friday night Riley and I trudged through the deep deep snow to go out and learn how to blow glass at One Sixty Glass studio in Williamsburg. Let me tell you, glassblowing is the strangest, most exciting art project I have ever done, and it is nearly impossible to describe. I guess the best thing to compare it to is wheel throwing in pottery...you spin the glass and get it all centered, then open the hole in the center to create your shape. Ok, that is sort of a simplification of the process, but you get the gist right? Oh did I mention that it totally burns your hands and arms? Yeah, that's some hot molten stuff you are working with...
So how do you like our pint glasses that we made??? Pretty attractive eh? The beer sure tastes good out of them though...

Glass class

Just in time for my first glass blowing lesson tonight I found these very cool glass earrings from Rare Device. If I fail at making the beer mug I am supposed to make tonight at the One Sixty glass blowing studio, perhaps I will fling some molten glass through my ear holes and make some earrings.
Yeah, alright I'll probably just buy these instead...

Darn these modern contraptions

Well, last night we went to our cheese class at Artisanal. For some reason my photos are not cooperating with me today, so I am going to wait to post fully about this until tomorrow. Believe me, it will be worth it. I think we tasted the best beer cheese ever created, so be sure to check back for all the cheesy details...how's that for a teaser!

More fun with etsy

Fun cards from laladexpress for your viewing pleasure...

This one's for my peeps

Last year was my first year of trying to make homemade marshmallow peeps from the recipe on Martha Stewart online. I have to say that it was terribly fun, although most of them turned out to be marshmallow worms due to my lack of piping skills. I thoroughly recommend trying out this recipe though, it's a great Easter project!

Clean living

Isn't this cute? It's a birdhouse...it's a washing machine...it's a washing machine birdhouse. Via Swissmiss.

Today is the day!

Oh hooray for today...it is finally the day of my class at Artisanal Cheese which will have me pairing artisanal cheeses and beers like a pro. I look forward to bringing you some hot beer and cheese related content tomorrow. Yippee!!!

Shelf lining paper

Yesterday in my bumblings on the internet I uncovered this awesome Mexican Papel Picado resource (bottom photo) and an example of how to use the paper (top photo) here. I hope I don't go crazy and paper every shelf in my apartment, it's tempting!!!

Plasticize me

By now you must know that I have a soft place in my heart for plastic jewelry. Why? Probably some deep seeded psychological trauma from way back...anywhoo...here's another link for you plastic lovers out there from the lovely blog Modish.

Real sugar high

So here's something I never knew before today...apparently during Passover Coca Cola makes a version of Coke that is sweetened with sugar, not high fructose corn syrup so that observant Jews can drink it. This exciting news comes to me via Serious Eats, and they even link to an article giving you the lowdown on where to purchase the good stuff. Mmmm...sugar.

And away I go

This passport case from Tiny Meat is just too cute. Alright, gotta run! Please browse around in the links I've got along the right hand side in my absence.

More roundup

Next up: Parrot pouches, and Love Bee Mirrors from Little Odd Forest. File under great little gifts.

Etsy roundup

Today is a WILD day here at work, so I will posting some groovy goods I found over at Etsy it lieu of a real post. Click on through and enjoy the etsyness.
We begin with Rainy Day Prints which has all sorts of goodies...from artwork worthy of framing, to magnets, to bookmarks. Cool stuff.

Charting design

Cool chart from Ebay

Chinese face reading chart


German charts from Decor8

Aaron and I have been on a quest for instructional charts to be used as art lately. I guess it must be in the water or something because over at decor8 today they have a great blog entry about German instructional charts and resources for acquiring them. Also I found an interesting resource for the Chinese face reading chart above (which would be truly fascinating bathroom reading), and a cool anatomical chart being auctioned on Ebay.

Let the sun shine in!

I know all the design blogs are all hot under the collar about yellow this season, so I will throw a little yellow in today to feed their fire. I present this sunburst pillow from Hybrid Home that could brighten up even the greyest and rainiest of days. Available at designpublic.com

Happy Friday

Eskimo kisses to you all!

Gummy de-light

The only issue I can see with hanging this beautiful gummy bear chandelier in my apartment is the temptation to eat the darned thing...especially when it gets warm from the light bulb and emits that delicious fruity aroma. Mmmmm.

What a headache!

I love the idea of these origami pillows with space to hide your special treasures...although I'm not too sure you want to store your books or other items with hard edges inside your pillow. Ouch! They sure are cute though.

Cool bookplates

There is nothing worse than borrowing a book and keeping it so long that you completely forget who it belongs to (yes, I am a bad borrower...so sue me). With these gocco printed bookplates I will be armed with the tools to be sure I will never be a bad friend again.

Wow-paper part 2

Last week I was lucky enough to meet rug and wallpaper designer John Mahoney, and I am delighted to share his designs with you. I especially love the sort of industrial looking paper shown above. The pattern is Mota Shang and is available in several colors...the "pistol" color is to DIE for! Be sure to check out his rugs too, there are some beautiful pieces there as well.

Weddings on the web

Aaron just sent over this fun wedding website called Something Old Something New which looks to be a great resource for brides that want something original on their special day. Although my own wedding is now just a memory, it's still too much fun to look at ideas for flowers, cakes, and dresses. Fun stuff!

I am a lamp nerd

I have to admit, I like lamps...like a lot. This new collaboration between the delightful folks over at Agnes & Hoss and lampmaker Stonegate has me wanting to drop my next paycheck on one of these beauts.