Playing Catch-up

It was a blink-and-you-missed-it summer, full of fun moments with family and friends, puppy love, laughs, and good food. I’ve been collecting stories to share with you, so stay tuned for backyard creatures, Global Supper Club: Southern Edition, and Stella’s doggy swim day in DC’s pools. You might have seen sneak peeks at some of these on my Twitter or (newly acquired) Instagram, but each photo deserves more than 140 characters of explanation! Were you able to spot this giant freaky … Continue reading

Yay or Nay on…Carmine

Several months ago, I stumbled across an article discussing the use of carmine as a coloring in cosmetics. I had never heard of carmine before, but it turns out that carmine is a substance derived from bugs. More specifically, a variety of beetle. The bugs are typically farmed, and then they are dried up, ground up, and boiled up until they produce a rich, red coloring. The coloring is used in all kinds of things- food, clothes, makeup. Blech. I … Continue reading

Another Visit to the Funny Farm

I went home recently to visit my family and check out their summer garden. Nothing was ready to pick yet, but it looks very professional. There are rows of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, and I can’t wait until things are full and ripe. It’s like a farm! I also got a chance to catch up with the kitties, including Contortionist Greasey. David looked at this picture for five minutes, cocking his head, asking me a hundred times if he was … Continue reading