1. Happy November and Happy Election Day! We’re going full-tilt 💙BLUE💙 for maximum good luck in today’s critical race. First, behold several blue beauties from Vermont artist-author-illustrator Ashley Wolff’s A Year of Birds Challenge.

Each day in 2022, Ashley painted a different bird, an awesome opportunity for her to study one of the most varied and fascinating groups of animals on earth. Love seeing so many new-to-me species rendered in luscious, vibrant gouache.

Each 5″ x 7″ signed painting is a OOAK original, and Ashley is donating 20% of the proceeds to wildlife conservation. Why not treat yourself or a special someone to one of these gorgeous pieces? 🙂

To see many more birds (of various plumage colors), visit Ashley Wolff’s Etsy Shop. For info about her children’s books, workshops, and other projects, visit her Official Website, Facebook Page, and Instagram.

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2. New Picture Book Alert: Today is official release day for Don’t Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah by Karen Rostoker-Gruber and Carles Arbat (Apples & Honey Press, 2024):

A rollicking Hanukkah romp about including friends, accommodating differences, and having FUN!

Don’t invite a bear inside for Hanukkah! While he might try to be helpful with decorating and putting candles in the menorah, he will start to cause a mess soon enough, especially when latkes, gelt and other holiday food is served. 

But maybe if you think creatively, you can still celebrate the holiday together.

In this energetic, lighthearted story readers will learn about the preparations and traditions of Hanukkah. It’s a Hanukkah tale about meeting new friends where they are, accommodating differences, being flexible and learning to celebrate even if things don’t go exactly as planned. Leave your creature comforts behind and go outside into nature for a rollicking good time. 

I’m really looking forward to reading this one, not only because I like learning about Jewish traditions, but because there’s a BEAR in the story (whoops and friendly growls from the resident furry ones)!

I myself have welcomed many bears into my home, and I know well some of the fun (and challenging) things that can happen (especially when there’s a lot of food around). This story sounds fun, heartwarming, and a great way for young readers to learn about Hanukkah. Now I’m hungry for latkes.

Happy Book Birthday, Karen and Carles!

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3. Hang It Up!: Get into the holiday spirit with these high quality, artisan-made ornaments from Craftspring. All are made from sustainably harvested, locally sourced merino wool and feature hand-stitched and embroidered details.

Ornaments cover a wide range of themes (animals, travel, food, people, outdoors, magic & whimsy), as well as many that are New York related (they are based in Brooklyn). The ornaments are ready to hang with a string attached, and come with a cotton pouch for gifting.

Quality and magic that can’t be found in a factory. We design and craft beautiful gifts that support women’s entrepreneurship and preserve artisanal traditions, while cultivating ethical and environmental business practices that support everyone in our supply chain. We are detail and design focused. Obsessed with beauty. Committed to spreading joy.

In addition to ornaments, they also sell stockings, tree skirts, and other types of holiday decorations.

See the full range at their Etsy Shop.

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4. New Poetry Book Alert: Earlier this year, Seattle poet Susan Rich published her sixth collection, Blue Atlas (Red Hen Press, 2024):

Blue Atlas is a lyrical abortion narrative unlike any other. This one-of-a-kind collection follows a Jewish woman and her ghosts as they travel from West Africa to Europe and, finally, to the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco. The speaker searches repeatedly for a new outcome, seeking answers in a myriad of mediums such as an online questionnaire, a freshman composition essay, and a curriculum vitae. The raw, often far from idyllic experience of a global love affair that results in an unplanned pregnancy is examined and meditated upon through a surreal prism. The Blue Atlas, a genus of the common cedar tree first found in the High Atlas of Morocco and known for its beauty and resilience, becomes a metaphor for the hardship and power of a fully engaged life.

It’s always wonderful to hear of a new Susan Rich book, and this particular collection, with its focus on an unwanted pregnancy and hasty abortion, is especially timely since women’s reproductive rights are a central issue in this year’s election. Ten years in the making, Blue Atlas explores one woman’s choices, its consequences, and how she has internalized and processed an impactful loss.

I’ve been a fan of Susan’s poetry since 2010, when she participated in my April Poetry Potluck. Back then, she shared “Chanterelle” from her book Alchemist’s Kitchen, along with her recipe for Chanterelle and Goat Cheese Pastry Puffs. A delicious memory!

I’m looking forward to a careful reading of this one. For more about the book, including links to recent reviews, visit Susan’s Official Website.

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5. Linocut Loveliness: I’ve always been in awe of linocut artists, so was happy to stumble upon the work of self-taught Danish printer Mariann Johansen-Ellis recently.

My work is all about the small things in life, the things that bring us pleasure, a walk in nature, shared moments of joy with our families, a good book, and I quite intentionally try to bring a sense of humour to my work, inviting you to share a smile with me.

Mariann lives and works on the stunningly beautiful island of Møn in the South of Denmark, where she has a studio in a converted barn next to her house. Along with nature, she derives inspiration from years of traveling and living all over the world.

See more of her work at her Official Website, Instagram, and Etsy Shop (Linocut Heaven), where you can purchase signed prints of her etchings as well as digital downloads.

Enjoy this short video of Mariann working in her studio. Check out her YouTube Channel for videos showing how she cuts her plates.

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6. Cool Blue Picture Book: to channel even more blueness, check out My Indigo World: A True Story of the Color Blue by Rosa Chang (mineedition, 2023):

This gorgeous celebration of the color blue and the indigo plant, by a Korean American debut artist and storyteller, powerfully connects art and the natural world.

With lavish mixed-media art including watercolor painting and hand-dyed textiles, debut author-illustrator Rosa Chang pays tribute to the science and art of growing the indigo plant and making indigo dye. Woven throughout is a poetic tribute to the color blue, Chang’s favorite since her girlhood in Korea, and an appreciation of the indigo plant as a valued source of blue dye in cultures around the world. Informative back matter tells more about the science behind indigo dye production, with an “indigo map” of the shades of blue produced by indigo around the world, and simple instructions for growing your own indigo plants and making homemade blue dye.

This fascinating read has earned many well deserved accolades: 2024 NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, 2023 New York Public Library Best Book, and 2024 Bank Street Best Book, among others.

Booklist, which gave it a **starred review**, said, “Other hues will turn green with envy at the visually stunning and factually thorough attention given indigo blue in this vibrant and informative picture-book debut . . . Intimate and meditative . . . and should find quick use in both scientific and artistic circles.”

A great companion book to Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky, by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and Daniel Minter (2022), which I recently reviewed here.

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7. Ceramics Fix: Italian small batch ceramicist Sara Joy Di Legami makes unique, fun and functional pieces that’ll definitely bring a smile to your face. Her simple and appealing designs showcase her love of animals and nature. Love her style!

She lives in the Umbrian countryside with her husband and one dog, 2 cats, a horse and about 20 hens and roosters — and they all make appearances on her plates, cups, saucers, wall hangings, trinket holders, coasters, brooches and egg cups.

Sara makes every piece by hand from start to finish with Italian white earthenware clay. Though not microwave safe, they can be put in the dishwasher, though hand washing is probably best.

See more of Sara’s work at her Etsy Shop (SarasFarmCeramics), her Instagram, and Facebook Page.

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8. Hungry? Why am I not surprised? Look at what was just released October 22: Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III, by Tom Parker Bowles (Ten Speed Press, 2024):

An intimate cookbook exploring 200 years of British royal food, studded with anecdotes, delectable tidbits, and nuggets of history, featuring 100 accessible recipes from award-winning food writer Tom Parker Bowles.
 
In Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III, Tom Parker Bowles, award-winning food writer, restaurant critic, and son of Queen Camilla, blends history, monarchy, and gastronomy to provide a fascinating window into the world of royal tastes and traditions as far back as Victorian times.

Cooking and the Crown showcases an abundance of beloved royal recipes for all seasons, everyday occasions, and celebrations of all kinds, from breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners to coronations and state banquets, including:
 
• Breakfast: Queen Camilla’s Porridge, Herrings Fried in Oatmeal and Kedgeree
• Lunch: George V’s Curry, Buckingham Palace Mutton Pies
• Tea: Queen Mary’s Birthday Cake, Sandwiches a la Regance, and Welsh Teabread
• Dinner: The King’s Wet Martini, Sardine Diable Savouries
• Dessert: Bombe Glacée Princess Elizabeth

Punctuating the delectable recipes are essays offering behind-the-scenes peeks into the histories of kitchen suppers, garden parties, Coronations, and State banquets, as well as tales of the chefs, customs, and predilections of royal kitchens.

With material from the royal archives woven together with contemporary accounts and Parker Bowles’ own personal insights, Cooking and the Crown is a glorious recipe collection that offers a glimpse into the tastes and pleasures of the royal table from Queen Victoria to present day.

Well, this one seems to have my name written all over it. While I may not be tempted to actually try any of the 100 recipes included in this cookbook, I’m certainly interested in reading all the other bits — 200 years of British royal food? Yes, I do want to know what all those kings, queens, princes and princesses were eating all along.

For some reason, I was not aware of Tom Parker Bowles until I saw this book. This makes me like Queen Camilla even more (I already love her staunch advocacy for literacy).

Sometimes cookbooks make for the best leisure reading — and they’re totally calorie free. Do you sometimes read cookbooks like you would novels? And how do you like that striking royal blue cover?

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9. More Lauren Pretorius: Last month we featured some of Lauren’s luminous still life paintings, and since we like her work so much, thought we’d include some of her 💙BLUE💙 pieces in this roundup. 🙂

You may recall that she’s based in South Dakota and works primarily in oils. She’s all about illuminating the beauty and charm of everyday objects. There’s always that little extra something that sets her still lifes apart from the traditional/predictable.

Her beautiful paintings arouse curiosity, making it fun to take a second look.

Visit Lauren’s Official Website and Etsy Shop, where she sells originals as well as signed, open edition prints in four sizes. Latest updates via her Facebook and Instagram.

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This month’s swoon tune is a repeat: we last shared Rod Stewart’s rendition of “Blue Moon” in October 2020, right before the last presidential election.

Since it brought us good luck with Joe Biden, we’re hoping it’ll work its magic for Kamala Harris today.

“Blue Moon” was composed by Rodgers and Hart in 1934 (both Billy Eckstine and Mel Tormé had hit recordings in 1949), and it’s been covered by oodles of artists ever since, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, and Billie Holiday. The Marcels released a doo-wop version in 1961 that became an international hit (lead singer’s name is Cornelius). 🙂

Enjoy Rod crooning this swoon tune live at the Royal Albert Hall, bathed in beautiful blue light.

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HAPPY ELECTION TUESDAY

HAPPY WEEK

EAT EXTRA PIE

BEWARE OF RUNAWAY TURKEYS

GATHER CRANBERRIES

WEAR A BLUE DRESS OR SHIRT

CROSS YOUR FINGERS, TOES, AND EYES

THINK BLUE

DREAM BLUE

VOTE BLUE VOTE BLUE VOTE BLUE

BE TRUE

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**This post is brought to you by blue in all its luscious shades, including cerulean, royal, aqua, periwinkle, sky, powder, cobalt, cornflower, navy, azure, sapphire, robin’s egg, seafoam, teal, turquoise, aquamarine, and indigo.

***Copyright © 2024 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.