Martha, along with her army of minions, can make anything happen.  So when I read the July 2009 issue, one of the good things segments was about a handy s’mores to-go basket you could assemble.  It included the famous Martha homemade marshmallows (because clearly jet-puffed brand is too plebian), graham crackers and probably the finest milk chocolate money can buy.

How great would that be for our beach bonfire?

It was my fault, however, when looking for the marshmallow recipe…I searched for graham crackers as well.  Oh, you can make your own?  With wheat flower and wheat germ?  Heck that’s easy.

And it actually was.  The verdict?  The family next to us on the beach said “These are best s’mores ever.  Ever.”

so fluffy. here’s martha’s recipe. i skipped the tinting part.

these aren’t perfect squares (i was in a hurry) but in any shape, they’re delectable.  again, a martha recipe.

when paired with high-quality milk chocolate (i used cadburys) you have a gourmet fireside dessert. dibs on yum.

start out with big, very ripe strawberries.

hull berries and dice into small pieces.  add sugar and lemon.

follow recipe to make batter, and carefully fold in the sugared berries.

this recipe sounds very sweet, but remember these have a shortcake base.
so adding some white sanding sugar to the top is important.

the final product is light, fluffy, and tastes just like the dessert.
perfect to bring to a summer picnic.
(of course, there’s no chocolate involved, so I need to give it a B+.
Rob and our friends gave it an A!)

This is no ordinary flea market, however…some of the coolest handmade vendors and design companies have booths at the Brooklyn Flea.  It’s held in Ft. Greene every Sunday and in Dumbo on June 14.  For directions, click here.

I could spend forever on the vendor list, but I’ve selected a few that are particularly interesting to me.  For example, a jewelry vendor named Citibitz — all sorts of accessories accented with photographs of New York.  Sounds simple, but so intriguing.  A whole mirror devoted to Veneiros?  So cool. Makes me want a cannoli, stat.  I need to peruse the necklaces immediately as well.

Aren’t these delicious earrings from Bonbon Oiseau? The colors are awesome, and I need to use this color palette for something. 

Cute llama tee from SheepsheadNYC.

Are you not in love with the clean and modern ceramics from Perch?  The hanging planter is going to be a “must” above my desk and can’t you see this initial pendant lamp hanging in a baby’s nursery?

And finally, I heart this pillow from a Brooklyn company, Coral and Tusk.

Recycling is exactly what Celeste Christie specializes in for her etsy store and website, CC Accessories.  By deconstructing old mens’ neckties, she can re-introduce them to a new generation - in the form of cuffs, coin purses and buttons.

She has many styles and colors, so zoom over to her store.  No need to tie one on, just snap it.

I’m creating a centerpiece for an upcoming event that is made of latch hook, and it had gotten me thinking.  Why is there no decent software out there to create your own rug/wall hanging designs?  Perhaps I haven’t found it yet, but it should be easy to pixelate an existing photograph and turn it into a diagram for latch hooking. And maybe that’s the future of the craft. So for now let’s take a look back.

There are so many great examples of latch hook out there….please allow me to refresh your memory.

check out this retro pillow!

this groovy ’shroom rug is available on ebay now.

a print ad from AG jeans from 2 years ago.  check out that stellar wall hanging…i’d kill for that kit. (not to mention the bedspread!)

this is actually a new kit available on amazon.  has such a warm ’70s vibe. it seems like every latch hook from that decade was a sunset scene or had a silhouette of a sailboat in it.  and it was always brown and orange. am i right?

these two works of art are from an artist named Ron Conger.  tim russert (RIP) on the left is so well done…and look the detail in the matterhorn.  this is very gourmet latch hook.

and finally for the dog lovers, find your favorite breed’s kit at rugmaster.

couple pic at top via taffyunderhill.

My favorite spot, of course was the Bazaar Bizarre. This is the pavilion dedicated to crafts and homemade goods. I found a lot of good dibs in this area, and my entry is about Tiny Sparks Design based in San Francisco.

Tiny Sparks started only back in January, when owner Bradley decided he was growing tired of building furniture. Even with no past art instruction, he has developed some beautiful pieces. And such a nice guy….you want him to succeed!

He offered pieces of wooden art, silkscreened with natural, modern graphics. Check him out.

If you’re not familiar with the Maker Faire, it’s produced by O’Reilly’s Make Magazine and Craft Magazine.  Pictures to come!

Scott Beale/Laughing Squid

Kids call dibs on lots of things. The last popsicle. The front seat. All the cool stuff. As I search for the “end of the internet” and meander through shops, I find lots of cool stuff.  So as an adult, can I not call dibs?  Heck yes.  I’ll call dibs AND write about them.

This is truly my first dive into the blogger pool. My own blog. About the stuff I want to write about. I may not make post everyday in the beginning, but I hope to find lots of neato things in the future.  And I hope you can join me.