Knigi is a little ghost who is learning to read. He is given a book that is completely blank. Confused and too proud to admit that he can't decipher the book, he sets off on a journey to figure out how to read the book.
In addition to the clever plot line, the simple watercolor-style illustrations are absolutely adorable. Also love how the ghost is black. Also, I'm not sure if this was intentional, but "knigi" is the plural for "books" in Russian. Available at and published by Nieves (found via grain edit).
These last few weeks have been so busy that I've barely had time to cook - mostly, it's just been throwing something on the frying pan or boiling something that will be ready in 10 minutes. This week, however, I've finally been able to relax a little and get back into cooking slow, carefully-crafted meals: boeuf bourguignon, a hearty fish stew, and macaroni and cheese (hey, the recipe I use for mac and cheese is not a quick one!). So I was really happy when the announcement for this cookbook (designed by Caroline Hwang) arrived in my inbox.
I've made a decision: I am going to live on take-out for the next two weeks until my exams are over. I've tried to cook these past few days, but each attempt has been a disaster and keep in mind that these are dishes that I have cooked successfully in the past! What's causing me to screw up? I have to chalk it up to stress over finals. The eggplant parmigiana I made tonight was...not my best attempt. The eggplant was still hard even after I'd baked it in the oven for over 30 minutes. So, no more cooking until after the 21st.
Actually, my failed dish is a nice way to segueway into my Italian round-up. So here goes:
Little Italy by Jennifer Altman - Altman spent a summer in Italy and fell in love with the country. This book is a collection of her polaroid snapshots of her country and her travel narratives. As some of you know, I spent part of last summer in Italy and though I didn't exactly fall in love with the country, it was definitely a memorable experience. While it was not my first time there, it was the first time that I was abroad for a significant length of time (meaning more than 2 weeks) and it was the first time that I was traveling abroad alone. So of course, this book is on my Christmas wishlist.
Notte Sento - I saw this short film, along with a series of short films on love, with my boyfriend a few months ago. This was the only one in the series that I really liked.
And lastly, this is my latest card for the holidays! It is based off the Italian Christmas tradition, Feast of the Seven Fishes. I haven't decided if I'm going to put it up on Etsy yet since it's so late, but it's been one of my most overworked designs - I started sketching a year ago and even made a prototype but was never really happy with what I came up with. I am happy to say now that it's done! I think.... to be continued :)
And lastly, this is my latest card for the holidays! It is based off the Italian Christmas tradition, Feast of the Seven Fishes. I haven't decided if I'm going to put it up on Etsy yet since it's so late, but it's been one of my most overworked designs - I started sketching a year ago and even made a prototype but was never really happy with what I came up with. I am happy to say now that it's done! I think.... to be continued :)
