My plaster Q was a little pricey at eleven bucks, but it makes me happy. Ah, small pleasures.

This antlered fellow looked completely at home in the neighborhood.

Russia has been in the news a lot recently. In that spirit, here are a few items I picked up in a stationery store years ago while on a nutty trip to the Russian Far East. The plaster shapes are educational tools used to teach perspective drawing to young students. The fans feature diphthongs. A sort of Russian fun-with-phonics. And the lesson book – well – as one can see, it’s unlike what any 4th grader in NYC has on their desk.

The flatware pictured here is marketed as “disposable” but I choose to ignore that moniker. Over the years I have accumulated a few too many forks, knives and spoons, always telling myself that I should keep them in the interest of work. Here is a small sampling of my trove.

Who knows why I am so fixated by white rubber footwear, but I am. Some months before they shut their doors, I read a story in Gourmet magazine about a cheesemaker in Italy. He was clad totally in white. And on his feet….white rubber boots. I’ve been trolling Italian Google ever since. I’ve found some close approximations, but no perfect match. I added in the white clogs as a natural segue for our hotter summer months. For anyone in the market for a new pair of shoes, these are thankfully available here.

I love a barn. I always have. Maybe it’s because they represent function above style. I am smitten with these watercolors by Mara Skujeniece. Check out her spool ceramics while you’re there. Equally compelling.

Corn and safety over the 4th!