1. Happy November! Though it’s past peak color in most places, we’re still celebrating the beauty of autumn with more art by London based artist Laivi Poder. Who says November has to be bleak?

Last time we featured her wintry scenes, and now we’re all about the golds, russets, reds, browns, magentas. Originally from Estonia, Laivi enjoys creating dreamy and peaceful atmospheres and derives most of her inspiration by visiting nearby and distant woodlands, forests, meadows, lakes, botanical gardens and parks.

She uses a lot of stamp brushes in her work, all of which are created from hand drawn images. After painting backgrounds in watercolor, she uses Procreate to add details digitally.

Wish I could step right into any of her enchanting pictures; they are all so calming.

To purchase prints, visit Laivi’s online shop. For her latest news, follow her Instagram.

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2. Cool Book Alert: Did you know a new Beni book came out this past summer? Check out Beni’s Tiny Tales: Around the Year in Jewish Holidays by Jane Breskin Zalben (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2023):

Join Beni and his family as they celebrate a year in Jewish Holidays, including all their favorite craft activities, recipes, songs, and stories for each occasion. The perfect gift book that gives all year long.

Chronicling a full year of Jewish festivities—from Rosh Hashanah through Shavuot, with every momentous occasion in between—this one-of-a-kind treasury includes homespun family stories, origin notes, craft activities, songs, and recipes for each holiday.  With ideas on how to make masks for Purim, recipes to bake fresh honey-dipped challah to mark the new year, and so much more, this interactive holiday collection begs to be revisited again and again.
 
Beautifully crafted and with the right balance of factual details interspersed with fictional stories, this Jewish treasury is a welcome introduction to each holiday in the calendar year, and it is all told through the lens of Beni’s bear family. For parents who grew up reading Beni’s Family Treasury and Beni’s Family Cookbook, the family tradition lives on in this much anticipated compendium for contemporary readers.

I was excited to hear about this one, as I love learning about Jewish culture and traditions (still hoping for a nice Bubbe to adopt me). And of course, how can I resist such a charming bear family? The Beni books have been around for several decades, so lovingly created by Jane Breskin Zalben, and it’s wonderful to see the entire family back (with some new members)!

I’ve had a quick browse through this new book and it’s jam packed with goodness. Looking forward to reading the stories and trying some of the recipes. Love Zalben’s art — those bears have a lot of personality. Don’t miss this treasure trove of year-round fun for all ages. Need I remind you that it makes the perfect holiday gift?

Thank you for making another Beni book, Jane! Congratulations!

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3. Mark the days with Susan Branch: November means that the year is winding down. Time to order your Susan Branch 2024 calendars if you haven’t already done so!

Every year I order her full size and mini wall calendars, and look forward to flipping the page each month to see her charming watercolor artwork and read what quotes and sayings she’s penned in her distinctive calligraphy. I like that she sometimes includes seasonal recipes, too.

In addition to wall calendars, there are also desk pads and pocket organizers. What better way to move through the year than with someone who truly has a “happy gene” and never fails to spread the joy? 🙂

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4. Get cozy! Now that November winds are blowing with their distinctive chill, it’s time to cozy up with a restorative cuppa and a fave book. You may have a nice lap blanket to keep you warm, but what about your faithful teapot?

I’d never heard of tea cosies before I moved to England and am endlessly fascinated by the creativity that goes into their design. There are oodles and oodles of them available, both mass produced and handmade — something to suit every taste and decor. Best part is, they really do a great job of keeping teapots just as warm as when you first poured boiling water into them. Brilliant!

These are a few of the cosies available from Bees Knees British Imports –– dogs, cats, sheep, bees, and a couple of Christmas designs. They all fit a 4-6 cup teapot and make nice gifts for your tea drinking friends. A happy teapot makes good tea!

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5. New Cookbook Alert: Just released last month is An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Willy Wonka: Mouthwatering Chocolates, Desserts, and Candy Creations, by Dahlia Clearwater (Skyhorse, 2023):

A scrumdiddlyumptious selection of treats inspired by Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory. The perfect companion cookbook to the upcoming 2023 film adaptation Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet.

Enter here and you’ll find a world of fanciful treats, delectable chocolates, and candied confections as colorful as their creator. From the moment Mr. Wonka first somersaulted onto the red carpet in 1971, the magical, maniacal chocolatier has captivated audiences across the globe. Relive every incredible invention and memorable minute from the movies that brought him to life while you whip up his most delicious creations in the comfort of your own decidedly less hazardous kitchen.

Let your imagination run wild with 75 whimsical and wonderful desserts and drinks inspired by this spectacular movie, including:      

• Lightning in a Chocolate Bar 
• Exploding Cinnamon Candy 
• Cayenne Crinkles with a Kick 
• Super Juicy Blueberry Pie 
• A Gobstopping Rainbow Cake 
• Pure Imagination Hot Chocolate   

With decadent recipes and delightful tidbits from the fantastical story fans have loved for more than 50 years, this cookbook will turn your dreams into realities and your realities into dreams!

Fans of Willy Wonka? I guess they’re talking about me. 🙂 Am excited to see the new film “Wonka,” which premieres in the U.S. December 15, 2023. I’ve seen Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp in the lead role, and now look forward to seeing how Timothée Chalamet does. It’s supposed to be a musical, and since I’ve never heard him sing, it will indeed be very interesting. Also, the movie was directed by Paul King, who did the Paddington movies.

Companion cookbooks are fun, so I’ve added this one to my Wish List. Sounds like a LOT of sugar, though . . .

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6. Arlo Forever: Every year when Thanksgiving rolls around, I find myself thinking about Officer Obie, the Group W Bench, and “twenty-seven 8×10 color glossy photos with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each one was to be used as evidence against us.”

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without listening to “Alice’s Restaurant,” or maybe even watching the movie. Timeless classic. Epic. Still makes me smile every time.

Did get to see Arlo perform a couple of times with his family. These days, I enjoy his FB updates. An early riser, he often shares his sunrise photos. Love when he tells stories about the old days. I’ll always remember something he said once — that when he was growing up, his family always went around the dinner table and each person was supposed to mention something they did that day to make the world a better place. Don’t you think everyone should do that? Woody was so wise.

Enjoy Arlo singing “Alice’s Restaurant” live at Farm Aid in 2005:

*See my flashback post for backstory about Alice, her restaurant, cookbook, the picture book she illustrated featuring Arlo’s poem, “Mooses Come Walking,” + recipes for chili and corn pudding.

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7. Ceramics Fix: Talk about novelty ceramics! Check out these wild and wacky pieces by Appletree Design.

These pieces are hand-painted, are fully functional and food-safe, but should be hand washed. They all come gift boxed.

The cake stand is mini-sized (6-1/2″ diameter) — more for a cupcake or two rather than a standard cake. The tea for one set can be stacked.

Need a gift for someone who has everything? Chances are good she won’t have one of these. 😀 More pieces and info here.

Bottoms Up!

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8. Heads Up, Snail Mail Fans: If you’ve had it with email and would much rather send your charming notes out into the world with style and pizzazz the old fashioned way, look no further than LouPaper!

Louise Neumann is the illustrator/professional doodler behind this delightful Etsy shop, where you can find fun and delightful notecards, postcards, prints, notebooks and calendars in a variety of themes: nature, four seasons, food & drink, 50 states, school, and gardening.

A UK native, Louise now lives and works in Idaho, where she makes everything in her shop herself from start to finish. She’s fueled by coffee and her own imagination, and enjoys her current home, “where the landscape is wild and the beer is the craftiest.”

In addition to selling her work via Etsy, she’s worked for Spindrift, Four Sigmatic, Califia Farms, Bon Appetit, the San Francisco Chronicle, Taste of Home magazine, Maker’s Mark and more. 

See all of Louise’s wonderful listings here. Goodbye, ho-hum Hallmark cards.

*inhales deeply* I love the smell of stationery in the morning. 🙂

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9. Gobble Gobble Goodness: Having lotsa folks over for Thanksgiving and plan to dole out leftovers after dinner? Why not have your guests take home their share of turkey and all the fixins’ in style?

These Thanksgiving leftovers containers are purty cute! The tinfoil containers with themed lids come in sets of 36 or 48. There are 6 or 8 different designs, depending upon the quantity you choose. The food can be reheated right in their containers after removing the lids. Sure beats wrapping up bunches of food in foil by hand, doesn’t it? And the Thanksgiving lids are fun and festive.

Now, to keep the munchkins sitting at the kids’ table happy and occupied while waiting for their meal or while the grown-ups are busy talk talk talking, let them go to town with these Thanksgiving coloring placemats.

These paper mats measure 11″ by 17″ and come in packs of 12 (2 designs, 6 each). In addition to coloring, they can play tic tac toe, word find, maze, etc.

Nice distraction! Pass the gravy, please.

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This month’s Swoon Tune is an old favorite that drifted back into my consciousness when I heard the cover duet Van Morrison did with his daughter Shana several years ago.

But it’s Ronnie Dunn’s rendition of “You Don’t Know Me” that is my current favorite. Beautiful, powerful, so deeply felt. Though I’ve enjoyed Brooks and Dunn’s music over the years, I hadn’t fully appreciated Dunn’s vocal chops until I heard this cover.

The song was co-written by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker in 1955. Though Arnold recorded it the following year, the best-selling version is by Ray Charles (1962). It has since been covered by hundreds of artists, including Elvis, Roy Orbison, Kenny Rogers, Bette Midler, Michael McDonald and Willie Nelson.

Dunn’s cover is included on his second solo studio album, Peace, Love and Country Music (2014). Enjoy a short video of Cindy Walker discussing how she wrote the song, followed by Dunn’s live performance. Have you ever harbored a deep unrequited love for someone, but were unable to tell him/her how you felt?

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HAPPY TUESDAY

HAPPY WEEK

THANK A VETERAN

DO THE TURKEY TROT

EAT PUMPKIN PIE

WATCH THE MACY’S PARADE

ENJOY LEFTOVERS

SING A GOOD SONG

THINK BLUE and VOTE!

BE TRUE

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**Copyright © 2023 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.