alanakdavis.blogspot.com

New Design

2012-01-30T06:16:00.000-08:00

Nothing fancy, but just changed the banner and layout a tiny bit. Hopefully it'll make it a little easier to navigate.

French Croissant

2012-01-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

Regular & Chocolate Croissants

I've thought about it for years, and contemplated taking classes. Finally I decided, to just try it. I've done roll in dough techniques before when making Puff Pastry, but wasn't sure if the croissants would turn out as amazing as the ones here, or here! Using a recipe from this cookbook, I gave it a go.

The texture came out great, the flaky butteriness was wonderful, my only critique is that the dough tasted a little too savory for me, next time I will consult my Martha Baking Book and add a little sweetness in the form of honey. Also, boy did my hands hurt after trying to roll out the dough into a 1/4" slab. Totally worth it though.

Pan Au Chocolat!

2012-01-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Baked some Pan Au Chocolat with ghirardelli chocolate. More how to photos tomorrow!

La Merceria

2012-01-22T05:31:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to announce our new stockist La Merceria! Run by Sandra Rojas-Chinni & Marcelo Chinni, it looks like the most beautiful espresso bar & shop. So if in Toronto . . . please stop by!

506 Adelaide Street West
Toronto, info@lamerceria.ca
416.848.0057

image one via here, image two via here, & third image via here.

Valentines Day & Poppytalk

2012-01-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

It'll be Valentines Day soon, and we have many Romantic Notes, Love Card s, & Love Bags!

ALSO . . . we are participating in Poppytalk's Online Market this month! Go see all the other great handmade stuff!

Puff Pastry Apple Tart

2012-01-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

I had a bit of extra puff pastry left over from a project, so I put together this simple Apple Tart.

Sliced apples, layered on top of puff pastry, sprinkled with brown sugar, butter, and lemon juice. Baked until golden and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Easy!

Ladurée Macaroons

2012-01-14T07:46:00.000-08:00

A bit expensive? Yes. Worth the hype? Yes!! Best I've tried SO FAR My favorite was the fleur de del caramel. Soooo good :) Went to the Ladurée on Madison Ave. on the Upper East Side.

AND the pastry boxes are soo beautiful. Going to try making some Caramel Macaroons next.

Proteas

2012-01-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

So I went away for a very quick trip, and returned to a house full of Proteas! My sweet cousin works at a flower farm on Maui and sent us a ton! It was so sweet of her to send them all the way to Upstate New York. If you ever want to order some Maui Floral sells them online along with lots of other pretty flowers!

We also woke up to a bunch of snow this morning!

Yogurt Smoothie

2012-01-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

Ice, my favorite Yogurt, a Banana, orange juice, frozen strawberries & frozen mango. Perfect mid day pick me up.

No - Knead Bread & New Issue of Kinfolk

2012-01-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

Continuing with this baking bit, I've gone ahead and finally tried the "No-Knead Bread" recipe that had a bit of fame a while ago.

It was while reading the newest issue of Kinfolk on my iPad, the Dutch Oven Bread film inspired me to make some myself!

So good, so easy!

Portugese Sweet Bread & Donuts

2012-01-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

If you've been to Hawaii, you've probably seen lots of Portuguese Sweet Bread on the menu for french toast. It's an amazingly sweet and soft bread that lends it self well to all sorts of recipes.

So . . .

I've been baking up a storm lately. And for some reason I had this great idea that I could make an amazingly sweet and soft donut using a Portuguese Sweet Bread recipe! Using the King Arthur Recipe, I made some dough. I baked some of it and made a loaf that turned out wonderfully! We used it for french toast the next morning.

The rest of the dough, I rolled out, cut into donut shapes, deep fried in shortening, and dipped in a simple donut glaze. I have to say the kneading and waiting was a bit of a long process but the results were worth it. The bread didn't come out as soft on the outside, as they do from the store, but still delish. Do try if you have some time.

ps. I had Cisco do the kneading as he was so good in Ceramics Class in college! :)

Chocolate Macaroons

2012-01-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

I tried something new. Chocolate & liquid egg whites. Instead of separating them myself, and freezing a million yolks, I just bought a carton of egg whites! This batter was a little too runny, it seems the carton egg whites are a little "loose" or more runny than separating them yourself. Will have to adjust.

Apple Scones

2012-01-03T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hello & Happy New Year! Just finished baking some apple scones and having it with a warm cappuccino. Adapted from this recipe. I substituted yogurt for the sour cream because that's what I had, but I'm not sure it's perfect yet. I'd love to find a really buttery delicious scone. Always on the hunt for the prefect recipes.

I'm hoping 2012 will be filled with lots of fun projects and a healthier happy living. Hope everyone enjoys their new year as well!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T15:33:00.001-08:00

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day today. Happy Holidays what ever you celebrate.

Love, us

Lemon Macaroons!

2011-12-19T16:16:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed and also very pleased with myself! This batch of Lemon Macaroons came out so good! They are just the right amount of rise. I used the Ladurée Recipe book recipe for the cookies and mixed lemon curd with Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the filling. The texture of the filling isn't as smooth as I'd like, but tastes super yummy.

Anyway, I'm hoping to try pistachio & chocolate soon too!

More Nutella Macaroons

2011-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Nutella French Almond Macaroons

I, along with Cisco & Koali all seem to be fighting some sort of sickness that just won't go away. So we've been doing lots of resting. Then all of a sudden at 11 o'clock last night, I HAD to make some macaroons! Weird.

Again I used this recipe: Almost Foolproof Macarons which I really like the steps of, but my issues with how the cookies came out are these:

1. they are too flat - should be a little higher.

2. the domes are hollow, when they should have a soft chewy center.

I also think I've made them a little big. I will work on these in hopes of making the perfect macaroon.

New Items in the Shop!

2011-12-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

We debuted a few new cards this weekend and they are now available online.

Hurray Un Bebe!

Congratulations

Joyeux Noel

W wonderful Weekend!

2011-12-12T10:17:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a wonderful weekend in Brooklyn selling our stuffs! We were so happy with the show and did so well. It was packed all day and it was also great seeing some friendly faces. Ate well and now glad to be home.

Holiday Handmade

2011-12-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

Guess where we'll be this Saturday? Come see us selling our wares at this year's 3rd Ward Holiday Craft Fair! A perfect Saturday, will be this one . . . hanging out in Brooklyn and stocking up on gifts for the season!

Handmade Holiday Craft Fair

ps. The first 300 people who walk in the door get Tote Bags full of cool holiday swag!

Brownies

2011-11-29T13:46:00.000-08:00

My two secrets to perfect brownies 1. a double shot of espresso. 2. take it out of the oven just undercooked.

Plus this a no brainer, but always use GOOD quality dark chocolate.

Chicken Curry Puffs

2011-11-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

I always order Chicken Curry Puffs when I go to Thai Restaurants. So I thought I'd try making it myself. Boy did it take a lot longer than I anticipated. The flavors weren't exactly as I'd hoped, but still yummy! Found the Puff Recipe here. Also the dipping sauce recipe here.

PS. I slightly adjusted the recipe, by using store bought Puff Pastry and Baking instead of deep frying.

PPS. Hope everyone had a lovely holiday :)

Homemade Hash Browns

2011-11-22T14:27:00.000-08:00

All of a sudden I decided I needed hash browns. I thought about looking up a recipe, but then decided against it. Used a mandolin to slice/shred a potato. Pan fried in canola oil, drained and sprinkled with pepper and fleur de sel. DELISH! My only problem was the middle became a bit mushy. After reading a bit online, I learned you should try to drain as much moisture as possible before frying, to attain a really crisp hash brown. Will try again soon.

Keeping Warm

2011-11-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been filled with lots of cleaning and organizing, because we are having a ton of people coming over for thanksgiving. And besides that, our life has been in need of some organization.

Ramen & Fried Rice.

Happy 1st Birthday Koali!

2011-11-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

Koali turned one today and we had a little play date with her good friend Ginger. I baked some chicken, carrot, and peanut butter cupcakes, with yogurt and peanut butter icing. I think she had a nice day. (yes, there is more than 1 candle, but I thought it would be fun to light a few)

Holiday Giveaway

2011-11-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

Ellie of the beautiful Mint Design Blog is hosting an amazing Humunuku Holiday Giveaway! One lucky person will win a 2012 calendar screen printed on natural cotton, a bunny notebook, a set of silver snowflake gift tags, and a set of holiday cards. So please get over there and read the rules on how to win!

even if you don't win, all of these items are available in the shop!

11-11-11 Wedding

2011-11-12T17:02:00.000-08:00

We got lots of requests this year for weddings on 11.11.11! We are so happy we got to shoot a very pretty fall themed one in town. Everything was elegant and beautiful and the vegan and vegetarian fare was delicious! Can't wait to share the rest.

Cream Squares

2011-11-08T13:17:00.000-08:00

In Hawaii, this is a popular dish people like to take to parties. I love the Strawberry version, but I wanted to try something natural. So I made everything with homemade lemon gelatin. I'm thinking I should have added a little more lemon juice, but still very refreshing. Recipe found here.

STRAWBERRY CREAM SQUARES
CRUST
1 cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup cold butter, (1 stick)
½ cup walnuts, chopped small

Place flour and sugar in a med. mixing bowl and stir to mix. Cut the cold butter into small squares and toss into the flour. With a pastry cutter or your hands blend the butter into the flour until you get a loose cornmealy consistency. Stir in the nuts. Pour the loose mixture into a 9 X 13 dish and spread mixture out evenly. Press mixture into the pan with the bottom of a glass or with your hands. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool crust before adding the filling.

FILLING
1 small box lemon flavored gelatin
1 cup hot water
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temp.
¾ cup sugar
2 cup heavy whipping cream, (1 pint)

Dissolve lemon gelatin in the 1 cup of hot water and set aside to cool. Whip heavy cream until thick and fluffy, place in the fridge until ready to use. Cream the cream cheese with the sugar. Add the cooled lemon gelatin and mix well. Fold in the whipped cream and pour over cooled crust. Refrigerate until firm to the touch. About an hour.

TOPPING
1 large box strawberry flavored gelatin
1 ½ cups hot water
1 ½ cups cold water, tap is ok

Dissolve strawberry gelatin in the 1 ½ cups hot water then add 1 ½ cups cold water; stir to mix. When the cream cheese filling is set, slowly pour cooled strawberry gelatin on top and refrigerate until completely set. About another hour.

Soba & Birthdays

2011-11-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

I had a nice long chat with my mother yesterday on her birthday. It's hard living so far from family sometimes, but we appreciate the time we do have together. Not only was it her birthday, but November in general is kind of special around here. Three years ago, is when I started this little blog. It's been fun journaling, sharing recipes, ideas, and inspiration. I very much appreciate all of the comments and emails from everyone, thank you for your generosity it time.

Also in a few days will be Koali's birthday! One whole year old. I can't even believe it. We will have to do something special!

I think I've mentioned that I've been craving Japanese food lately, so I decided to make some Soba Noodles for lunch yesterday! Using this post I planned to make the dipping sauce, but just ended up buying a pre made one from the market. Good, regardless.

ps. no reason for the second photo, the grapes just looked so pretty on the counter I had to steal a shot.

Happy Holiday Cards

2011-11-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

In addition to all of the new items we are adding to the shop, we printed a really pretty set of Happy Holiday Cards. Beneath the words, the design is of cut out snowflake patterns, screen printed in silvery blue ink. I particularly love this one :) Excited to send out holiday cards this year!

p.s. I've been printing on 100% recycled French Paper Co. Kraft Paper, in 140lb and I LOVE how sturdy and beautiful it really is.

New Paper Goods

2011-11-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

We have been busy around here. Lot's of redesign, printing and organizing! Slowly trying to find which designs we really love and will keep as staples in our line. So . . . just in time for the holidays, some new goodies, in the shop!

Bunny Notebooks

Holiday Gift Tags

Red Birthday Balloon Card

Love Card

Gold Happy Birthday Card

Feliz Navidad Card

2012 Humunuku Calendar!

2011-10-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

presenting the 2012 Humunuku Calendar

Hand screen printed in grey ink and sewn on 100% cotton fabric.

So happy to introduce the beginning of our new line. Now available in the shop.

Dry Mein

2011-10-31T10:13:00.000-07:00

For the last week now I've been craving dry mein! I've never seen it on the mainland and Hawaii often makes their own cuisine, which isn't necessarily Hawaiian food, but usually a mixture of many eastern cultures.

If you ever find yourself on Maui with the same craving, Sam Sato's has the BEST noodles and other local foods. They are always so busy, you probably won't find any tourist there, mainly just the local Wailuku lunch crowd.

Now if you're not going to be on Maui anytime soon, like me. You can try making it at home on the cheap using a package of Ramen Noodles! I've found this recipe online that's yummy. I'm just trying to tweak it to my taste. Once I find a good match I'll post it. (to this batch I added carrots, baby bok choy, and ham)

Patterns

2011-10-29T07:31:00.001-07:00

Just spotted that the lovely EZ of Creature Comforts featured our Humunuku Vain & Vapid colabo print! It was so much fun to work with Julie and make something special. We are actually in the works of something new . . .

Fruit & Veggie Juice Breakfast

2011-10-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

I used to have yogurt and granola for breakfast everyday, but I found dairy starting to not like me.

So . . .

For the last few weeks, every morning for breakfast I have about two big glasses of my own fruit & veggie juices. I buy 4 lb bags of carrots, 5 lb bags of apples, and all sorts of other yummy goodness.

Although it varies a bit, my main morning drink usually consists of:

1 large handful Kale

1 large handful Spinach

1 Large Cucumber Peeled

1/2 Zucchini

1 Apple

A few Large Carrots

It's the first thing that enters my body and I feel a lot better! I love juicing.

Business Cards

2011-10-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Printed these business Cards for my Mom's jewelry business. She sells Hawaiian Seed Jewelry on Kauai.

And trying to print some stock of new and old products for the shop!

baby it's cold outside

2011-10-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

We recently custom ordered this pretty pink sweater for Koali from the etsy shop Mailo! Just sent in her measurements and a few weeks later we received this beautiful knit pullover. It's perfect and Koali loves it on! I wanted to make sure she had something warm before winter starts making our lives miserable.

Wedding Books

2011-10-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm wrapping up a few wedding books for some recent weddings we've shot. I really like using this 100% black cotton fabric to make the coffee table book cases. Remember these? Still trying to find the perfect design for them. But I quite like the way these turned out.

Best Shortbread

2011-10-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

It's starting to get cold out. Perfect baking weather. These are my favorite go to cookies! So simple it only needs 4 ingredients! But SO yummy. Sometimes I even dip them in melted dark chocolate. MMM.

Slightly adjusted from this recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
Pinch salt
Tiny splash of Vanilla (if you're feeling like it)

Directions

Cream butter, salt and sugar (and vanilla). Add flour with pastry blender until flour is just incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 hours (or freeze for up to a month).

Pre head oven to 325 degrees F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, 1/4" thick. Use cookie cutters to make shapes. placed onto un-greased cookie sheet. Let cut out cookies chill in refrigerator again for 10 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly brown.

Screen Printed Totes

2011-10-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

We recently finished printing 100 Tote Bags for The Art Directors Club, Young Guns. We mixed a pretty metallic grey and printed them on the black Baggu duck bags. So happy with how they turned out! So if you have a design you'd like screen printed email us for a quote. Humunuku Shoppe.

Back

2011-10-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

After frantically trying to finish a bunch of work and send out orders, we took a little road trip. Cisco, Koali , and I drove all the way to Chicago to visit my dad's family. It took us around 13 - 14 hours each way, and was by far the longest we have ever driven. It was wonderful to see everyone. Family is so important. And the older I get, the more I try to cherish the moments I can have with them. So we are back in business and ready to get to work. I can't send orders out today though because of the holiday, so I think I'm going to start the day off with a nice chocolatey hot chocolate.

First photo is in Evanston Il, where we stopped for starbucks :)

Featured: Styled

2011-10-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Last month we got a sweet email telling us we were featured in the second issue of the online magazine Styled! It's a pretty magazine and very nice of them to showcase one of our designs. Take a look here. Issue #2

humunukushoppe.com

2011-10-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

www.humunukushoppe.com

Although it took me long enough, we're so happy that the new humunuku website is finally live! Please go check it out :)

Humunuku Tea Towels

2011-09-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Took me a while to list these, but here they finally are! Humunuku Tea Towels. All hand sewn with 100% cotton. Pretty for lots of things . . . :)

Smells Like Fall

2011-09-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

It's starting to smell and feel like fall! This season always makes me nostalgic, probably because moved to New York for the first time in the fall. And all of my first memories here (on the mainland) were made with fall festivals, colorful leaves, crisp air, and lots of apple related activities. I'm not a huge fan of it getting colder but I do love the fresh air and excuse to cuddle up with cocoa more. Also been having awful allergies. Seems to be pretty bad this year.

Koali has had an amazing amount of energy the last few days. She even jumped up onto our bed, which is really high, all by herself!

Tomatoes

2011-09-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

These are from my garden! Ever since I saw Brian post a photo of some roasted tomatoes I've been wanting to try some. Too bad I already ate these.

Next year I'm making a larger planter box for lots of veggies!

More Organic Soaps

2011-09-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

Completely Organic Soaps, wrapped in hand screen printed papers. In the shop now. They are made locally (about 20 mins away from me in PA) by a really sweet couple. It's the only soap Cisco will use now, smells wonderful and is completely natural. My favorites are Tea Tree & the Lilac & Chamomile.

Paper Supplies

2011-09-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

I often get emails from people asking where I get my paper supplies and if I can sell a small amount to them. Well I finally decided to put together an etsy shop to sell the blank paper goods that I usually print on. So . . . I will be adding new supplies periodically.

PAPERS PAPERS

New things

2011-09-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

My new print studio is now in our basement. Being the wonderful husband that he is, Cisco made this amazing screen printing jig that I've been dying for! He designed it so that it's easy to use different sized platens for different things! If you make things, you understand how essential good tools are. It just makes life so much easier. Yay!

Packages Sent . . .

2011-09-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

A special custom order for a new boutique in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, one of my favorite neighborhoods. The One Well should be opening soon, and will be featuring all sorts of pretty eco friendly goodies.

Lina

2011-09-14T06:20:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Lina gave birth to her first beautiful baby boy during hurricane Irene. It's a good thing we did this photo shoot just a week before. She looked so beautiful and healthy and it was wonderful to capture the moments before her life changed forever.

I really enjoy doing simple intimate photo shoot like this one. View the entire album here.

Bossypants

2011-09-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

This book made me LOL on a number of occasions! I highly recommend it. Tina Fey is so funny and I think such a great role model for young ladies.

It took me forever to finish, because I get distracted, but so worth finishing.

Rain

2011-09-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's been miserable here! With one problem after the next. We were up all night pumping and sweeping water out of the basement. I hope everyone around us is safe and that nothing worse happens here.

Upstate Wedding

2011-09-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine got married a few days ago. And as was expected it was absolutely gorgeous! She looked stunning and everything was so beautiful. I spoke with a lot of old friends from when we all met in college together, upstate. And made a few new ones. We danced a ton and it was a good time.

We stayed at a really sweet bed and breakfast near town that was very quaint. Everything about Hudson and the weekend was great, expect when we ran into all sorts of hurricane damage in and around the Hudson River that made a trip that usually takes 2.5 hour, 6 hours to get home! Not fun.

But it was great to celebrate Erin & Brett's wedding because they really are the sweetest couple!

A funny thing is that Erin and Brett began dating around the same time Cisco and I did more or less, at art school, where we all met!

new ALANA DAVIS PHOTO website!

2011-09-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this for EVER now. Finally redesigned for clean, simple navigation and both the fine art and weddings are combined for easier access to everything.

If you have a moment please take a look at the new site! We are so happy it's finally done and up.

www.alanakdavis.com

Upstairs Renovations

2011-09-02T06:34:00.000-07:00

It seems like we are always renovating something . . .

It's finally come. We've just began real renovations upstairs! I'm so excited to turn this space into the master suite with a walk-in closet and bathroom. (** PLUS I'm trying to get a washer and dryer in the bathroom or closet) The photo is of what will probably be the walk in closet. The reason we bought this house in the first place was because of the space upstairs. But, it's going to be a lot of work.

The next few two weeks should be electrical work and insulation. Then the fun stuff. The space is quite large, but very awkward. The ceilings are slopped which make some space unusable. So I'm hoping to gather inspiration and ideas for how to efficiently use it.

I'd love if you had any comments or ideas that may help us make the space beautiful. You can email or comment if you'd like. I apprecaite any and all help. It's much needed.

Hurricane Irene

2011-09-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

What a crazy few days I've had. We woke up early this morning, drove from Philly and are finally home. Luis (Cisco's cousin from Spain) was supposed to fly home on Sunday but Hurricane Irene had different plans for him. It was crazy MTA (the public metro in NY) shut down they told everyone to evacuate. So we headed to my mother-in-law's for a few days. We ate tons of food, watched ridiculous shows like the Kardashians and American Ninja Warriors for hours. Finally on Monday after lots of wind and rain everything was beautiful again and Luis flew home yesterday. (we were supposed to be back home by Monday) So we slept at a few friends apartments in Manhattan, Brooklyn, & Queens! I'm exhausted and need to get back into work mode. I shot this photo from the car using my iPhone.

Janelle & Kevin

2011-08-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more images from Kevin & Janelle's wedding . . . don't they look beautiful? :)

Oatmeal & Work

2011-08-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

I bought this oatmeal thinking I could whip some up real quick for breakfast. But when I read the instructions, it says you have to prepare it the night before to eat it in the morning. Well that hasn't happened yet. But I'm excited to try it with molasses.

Finished screen printing a few sew in tags for Julie. Then we are off to New York for a few days, to show Cisco's cousin Luis around the city. It seems like we've been visiting the city quite a bit lately, and that makes me happy.

Enjoy the last few days of summer, they seem to be going quickly.

Alison & Patrick's Wedding

2011-08-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

These are a few images from a wedding we shot a few weeks avon in town. A really lovely couple that were a pleasure to work with. They will be on the new website soon, really :)

SALE!!

2011-08-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

If you haven't picked one up yet, this is a great time.

The remainder of the 'Ahu Tops are on sale in the shop right now!

Vain & Vapid or Humunuku Shoppe

Farmers Market & Brownies

2011-08-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Remember this chocolate? Well I used one bar and mixed it with a few different bitter and dark chocolates I had in the house and made some brownies! Between the three of us, (Luis, Cisco & I) they are gone!

Stopped by this farmers market the other day and picked up a few veggies. It's a pretty small one, not too many options, but sometimes that's nice.

Today is gorgeous! Cisco cut the grass yesterday. I love how it looks and smells. So Koali and I are working outside in the yard today. She's chewing on some sticks and I'm editing photos.

AND my Spanish lesson went well today.

Spanish & Working

2011-08-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I've seen quite a few movies lately.

The Tree of Life, this movie was absolutely GORGEOUS, truly inspiring imagery, that being said, very disappointed in the story line or lack thereof.

The House of Yes, I am a huge Parker Posey fan, so I pretty much love whatever she does. My fav. probably being Broken English. This movie is really strange and a little disturbing, but if you like dark humor it's pretty funny.

Pretty Persuasion, another strange dark humored movie, sort of Welcome to the Dollhouse - esq, but not quite.

Anyway, I've been relocating (painting, cleaning, etc.) to my new office down the street and taking Spanish lessons twice a week. & I'm almost done editing this wedding above :)

Watermelon Juice

2011-08-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

I've been juicing away lately. I stick the entire melon in the juicer. Rind and all! It's so yummy and good for you. I picked this beautiful watermelon at the farmers market that is open every day of the week here.

Bittersweet

2011-08-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

I just made lunch. Everything bagel, vegetable cream cheese, smoked salmon, heirloom tomatoes, red onions, arugula, and capers. Yum!

The flowers are for Mark & Cindy, tonight. One of Cisco's neighborhood friends growing up has an amazing set of parents. Both, who always come down and hang out with us on First Fridays. Cindy sells beautiful pottery in the shop (and hopefully will open an etsy shop soon) and Mark plays the guitar. It really wouldn't have been the same with out them.

Sadly it will be our very last first friday event at our gallery 221 STATE STREET. It was a hard decision to make, but after lots of thought we decided that we no longer want to run the shop downtown. It was a blast while it was open. We met so many amazing people, lots of talented artists and made some new friends. It was great to see the local support we have around here. At the moment I just feel I don't have enough time or energy that a business like this needs. So we wanted to do one last summer show and then close our doors. Of course Alana Davis Photography & Humunuku Shoppe are still going to be around. (Actually the office is just moving a few doors down the street to 442 State Street) but we will no longer have an open to the public gallery and shop space. Cisco and I want to focus on some personal and new business goals and are very excited about new adventures in our lives.

So thank you again to all of the people who have been so generous with your comments and support. We hope to see you around soon!

Chocolate

2011-08-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

We stopped into Mast Brothers and bought a bunch of chocolate before we left Brooklyn. So good!

Beautiful Illustrations

2011-08-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

While at the book store trying to find a Baby Shower gift, I found this beautiful book of illustrations for myself! :) haha I love it!

Chinese Hot Pot

2011-08-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last night we went out with some new friends for authentic Chinese Hot Pot. It was SO good and so unexpected in Binghamton. It's like a little hidden jewel. A new fav. At the end this is what my fortune read: "You will stumble into the Happiness of your Life"

I'm not superstitious or anything but I do like to find good signs in my life that let me know the decisions I'm making are good ones. And I'm going to take this as one :) I'm at a very happy time in my life and I love my family (Cisco & Koali).

Chocolate for his Birthday

2011-08-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

It was Cisco's birthday a few days ago and I always try to make him something special. He LOVES chocolate so I made a (two) magnolia chocolate cake with a chocolate Swiss Meringue icing. After seeing this photo on Martha Stewart's website I was dying to decorate a cake this way, so I improvised instead of a color gradient, I used cocoa powder.

While we were out . . .

2011-07-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

These are a few photos from our trip to Philly & New York and the last was of Cisco's birthday last night! We had a small dinner with lots of chocolate cake, his favorite. We went to some of my favorite places, in the photos above!

A long Vacation

2011-07-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Wow were we gone for a long time! What a fun week in Philly & New York. We played tour guide to a our friend visiting from Reinosa. It was wonderful eating lots of delish. food and showing him a little less touristy NY. I also got to join in a surprise bachelorette party for a good friend.

P.S. the black bordered Pola's are this film :)

In New York

2011-07-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken on a walk the other day. At the park.

We are off to Philly & New York city for a few days to show our friend (he's visiting from Spain) around. It's sooooo HOT. Hope we don't melt. Also hoping to catch this exhibit before we return. Keep cool.

Seth & Kathryn

2011-07-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Seth & Kathryn Photos are up on website. See more photos here.

Kinfolk Mention

2011-07-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

KINFOLK, a new online magazine just launched today! It's unbelievably gorgeous. There are so many talented people involved how could it not? Including the sweet and and very lovely Tanya of Snap & Tumble. How excited I was, when she mentioned Humunuku's Rooster & Butterfly Carte Postales in it!!! We are so happy to be mentioned :) Go read Tanya's clever ideas for invites, menu's and thank you's on page 139.

top image via Snap & Tumble

Benches

2011-07-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Our house was built in 1941. When we moved in, it looked like it, but not in a charming good way. In the bad way. So we've been restoring, fixing up, and rebuilding everything. It's taking some time, but slowly becoming our own. And now that it's nice out, we've been focusing on the outside a little more.

I've been begging Cisco to build me some benches so I can sit and have a cup of coffee in the morning or just have somewhere to relax. So he finally did! I'll have to get better photos of them soon. Here is one, with Koali standing on top, eating some leaves. I thought she'd get bigger, but I don't think she'll grow much more.

Families

2011-07-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

Remember that pretty park I said we did a photo shoot in a while ago? Well here are a few of the photos we took of this adorable family. We had a blast!

Alana Davis Photography

More 'Ahu Tops

2011-07-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

I love my 'Ahu Raglan Top! The linen is so light, but still feels substantial and nice. Perfect for hot summer days like today. We've restocked another batch and they are now available in both the Vain & Vapid shop & Humunuku.

Koali and I love hanging out outside this summer. Relaxing in the sunroom and under the trees. I'm wearing my birthday present in these pics :)

Weddings & Friends

2011-07-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

We shot our friends wedding yesterday. Although I was nervous about the pressure involving a friend, it turned out perfect. Relaxed and even fun! It was also nice to catch up with some old buddies.

Shoyu Teriyaki

2011-07-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

My grandma sends me gallons of Aloha Shoyu ever year, my favorite soy sauce. Not sure what I'd do without it. And this is my fav. teriyaki recipe. I've probably already posted about this, but we had it today and it was so yummy I had to share again.

I also don't measure just go by taste.

In a large bowl or plastic bag mix:

Aloha Shoyu (or other brand soy sauce)

fresh ginger root smashed

fresh garlic cloves smashed

raw sugar (or regular sugar)

Mix until dissolved. Taste until flavor is just right. It should be a little sweet.

Marinate chicken, veggies, beef, or tofu overnight or a couple of days then cook on the grill for a nice charred sweet taste.

I chopped up some green onions to top over this thinly sliced beef.

Seth & Kathryn

2011-07-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

I'm in the home stretch of editing this sweet Pennsylvania wedding. They decided to have their wedding at Seth's family's tree farm. The land was so green and beautiful.

Trees!

2011-07-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

While I've been editing wedding photos for hours, Cisco and Jorge have been picking up, loading and unloading our new Arborvitae Trees. We installed a short fence so Koali can't escape that way. Then, the trees are going to be for privacy along our back yard property line. I've been wanting a fence or trees since the day we moved in, so I am elated that we are actually planting some. This means I don't have to worry about going out in my PJ's without the neighbors seeing me. Growing up I never understood why my grandma would always be "fixing" something up around the house. Then as an adult I always lived in an apartment in the city where I didn't have to do much maintenance. But owning our own home has been so much work. And we love it.

New Studio

2011-07-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Koali and I were testing out the new studio today. LOVE all the natural light it gets in there! She was less impressed as it's pretty hot today . . .

Renegade Set Up

2011-07-03T13:03:00.000-07:00

This was us getting set up the first day of Renegade.

Smoothies

2011-07-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Because of some health issues I'm now wheat (gluten) and dairy free. Although I do LOVELOVELOVE bread and cheese, I don't eat much dairy or gluten anyway so it shouldn't be too much of a change. I think it's healthier for me to eat this way anyway and Cisco has decided he will too.

Almost every morning I've been making the most yummy fruit smoothies! I use ice, coconut yogurt, banana, frozen fruit that I buy in bags already cut up (mango, strawberry), some orange juice and once in a while I will put some mango sorbet in there. So good!

And we've finally cleared out our sun room and I set up a little portrait studio. Found this wonderful metal chair at an antique store not far from here. Can't wait to start some photo projects.

Gardening

2011-07-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Although I've always said I was really bad at gardening, we've had a breakthrough this summer! Plants that are actually not just growing but doing well! We even have herbs and veggies! I use egg shells and used coffee grounds for natural fertilizer.

Oh! And Koali had a breakthrough. She can finally jump on the couch on her own. This may sounds silly, but she's constantly sitting at our feet crying for us to pick her up and put her on the couch. So now, she can do it herself! Yay for everyone.

If you are in the area . . . First Friday is tonight!

Tablespoons

2011-06-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

So a tablespoon straight? Nope. I tried this recipe.

EARTH CLINIC'S ICED MOLASSES RECIPE:

1 TBLS Blackstrap Molasses

Hot Water

3/4 Soymilk

Ice

Add molasses to a glass and add just enough hot water to cover the molasses. Stir until dissolved. Add ice and then top off with either Milk or Soymilk. Avoiding milk? Try vanilla or chocolate soymilk. Even yummier is to blend the whole concoction.

Very yummy! I even think maybe adding it to my morning iced coffee instead of sugar might add a little depth of flavor.

Blackstrap Molasses

2011-06-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

First of all, who ever invented Ciao Bella Blood Orange Sorbet is amazing! So good, really.

My mother raised me with a pretty natural and holistic view of health and eating. And sometimes :) I listen to her advice. For ages now, she's been telling me that I should take a tablespoon of molasses every morning because it's a great natural source of iron, which I don't think I get enough of. So I plan to try it.

Happy Friday

2011-06-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken right before we had a quick photo shoot with a sweet new family, one year old baby too. The park is HUGE and gorgeous and empty, perfect backdrop and perfect light that day. We are gearing up for a long and beautiful wedding tomorrow. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

Vain & Vapid Summer 2011

2011-06-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

VAIN & VAPID SUMMER 2011
PHOTOGRAPHY ALANA DAVIS
ASSISTANT CISCO MATESANZ
STYLING TALIA SHULZE
MAKE UP NICOLE RIVERA
MODEL ARIANNA / EMMANUEL NY MODELS
COORDINATOR LESLIE BERNSTEIN
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MICHAEL ISAACS
LOCATION WIX LOUNGE, NYC

I am so pleased to share with you some my favorite images from the Vain & Vapid Summer 2011 look book. You can see the entire look book here and here. As Julie mentioned on her blog, this shoot went so well and everyone was a pleasure to work with. Her clothes, as always looked so beautiful and her attention to detail is really amazing, the colors and fabrics and workmanship . . . I'm so happy I got the opportunity to photograph them. Please take a look at her shop as many of the dresses, as well as the 'Ahu Raglan top are on sale now.

You can see a couple more photos here also.

Relaxed

2011-06-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing birthday a few days ago. Although I was dreading it, it turned out to be beautiful and so much fun. We explored the most beautiful Botanical gardens and Arboretum. Ate at some yummy places and bought a couple of pretty dresses. It was so nice to spend the day with my sweet husband and baby dog :)

I never thought I'd be the type of girl who cared about getting older, but I guess that was because I was young! And, although I don't love it, this year I find myself really learning how to relax a bit. I'm not sure if it's all the nature or fresh air, but I've been feeling really calm lately, even with lots of work to do, I'm learning to enjoy everything about life more.

Gimme Coffee is a local roaster and pretty amazing & nutty. We've also been doing a lot of gardening lately. Herbs, veggies, and flowers. And our latest project yet is turning our sunroom into a little outdoor guesthouse for friends to stay. I'm sitting at that table in the photo now. I'm hoping to get it done soon, so people can enjoy it this summer!

'AHU RAGLAN SLEEVE TOP

2011-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

'AHU RAGLAN SLEEVE TOP

The 'Ahu Raglan Top

This top has an original print designed and and beautifully printed onto a cream colored linen by Alana of Humunuku Shoppe. The design features assorted geometric shapes inspired by traditional Hawaiian tribal prints and tattoos. Each blouse is hand sewn. They have a straight boxy, loose silhouette. Simply pulls over.

Due to the loose nature of this design, if you are between sizes it would be best to go for the smaller size.

NOW IN the VAIN & VAPID SHOP!

This top came out absolutely beautiful! Such a long process and labor of love. It's really light and perfect for summer.

Birthday Day

2011-06-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

I'm 26 (oops not 27!) today. Gulp. Cisco snuck off during Renegade and bought me these two necklaces. Not sure who the artists were, but I love them both! He also got me a steamer, which I'm super excited about. No more ironing. We are taking a small day trip to eat some yummy foods. And maybe stop at a Lake.

I'm happy for no work today. But the Vain & Vapid look book should be appearing soon. Stay tuned.

Renegade

2011-06-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

We are back from the city! What a fun trip. It was really nice hanging out with old friends, meeting new ones and looking at all the neat stuff they had at Renegade. The first day was terribly wet and rainy and a big drag! But the second didn't rain and stayed moderately nice for the entire fair. It was a good go for our first New York City craft fair.

I ate some of the best food ever this weekend. And we stopped at two of my favs. Sant Ambroeus and Marlow and Sons. Koali also made so many new friends.

Presenting the Ahu Raglan Top

2011-06-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's finally here. Making it's debut at the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend in McCarren Park, Brooklyn. Both we and Julie have been working hard at putting together this beautiful top. It has really been a labor of love. It's hand screen printed in Ochre & Navy Inks, then beautifully sewn by Julie. A variation of Vain & Vapid's Raglan Top, the 'Ahu Raglan is inspired by traditional Hawaiian tribal prints and tattoos.

If you are in Brooklyn this weekend, we'd love to say hello. The tops will be available later online.

Newsletter

No sleep till Brooklyn . . .

2011-06-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

(organic soaps & ceramic hearts)

Renegade Craft Fair Brooklyn this weekend . . .

we'll be there!

booth #89

Lookbook Shoot

2011-06-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

A small behind the scenes bit of a fashion shoot we did yesterday in Manhattan. It went wonderfully. Can't wait to share the photos. More to come . . .

Hustle

2011-06-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

We shot a beautiful wedding in PA this past Saturday at a tree farm. It rained a bit, but cleared up for some beautiful photos. I will try to have those up soon :)

We had a wonderful opening at the shop this past First Friday. Black & White Film Photography.

Also getting super excited for the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn this weekend. We are trying super duper hard to print, cut, sew, and assemble all sorts of beautiful goods for the show. If you are in New York this weekend, please stop by and say hello! We will be at booth #89.

Special Projects . . .

2011-05-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

If you follow the facebook page, you'll see that I added a couple of photos of things we've been working on. I screen printed some drawings of mine on a pretty linen. I can't wait to show you the finished project / collaboration. Soon and will be available at Renegade.

Screen Printing

2011-05-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Out of nowhere I woke up with an awful fever and cold! But I've been struggling through with lots of vitamins and some cold meds. So much work to do . . .

We decided to start stretching our own screens for screen printing. It's SOOO much more economical than buying pre made ones. And we use scrap woods for the frames. These photos are of a collaboration project we are working on . . . involving Linen.

Spam Musubi

2011-05-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

I'm almost embarrassed to share this, because when I first moved to the mainland, everyone laughed and made fun of me for eating this. But Spam Musubi is really really yummy. I know Spam is weird.

All it is is white rice, spam (I like to marinate it in soy sauce & sugar before I fry it), and seaweed. Perfect lunch. Luckily for me, Cisco loves it too! So we had it for lunch today. Sometimes I put Furikake in it too.

I really miss being able to pick one up at the 7-11 on my way to the beach . . .

Go ahead, Try it!

New Love Pouches

2011-05-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

Love Pouches

Something I've been trying to push with new designs is hand lettered words. The first image is of me practicing the letter L. It's such a beautiful letter that I wanted to do it right. My process involves, hand sketching, scanning into the computer, editing and then screen printing. I'm happy with how simple these came out. They are in the shop now :)