Penny Richards' photos

...make cookies! Cookies made with shredded beets. Even my picky 9-year-old said they're "really good." (I didn't tell her why they were pink.) Also contain cornmeal, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon chips, and the usual cookie ingredients (flour, butter, baking soda, vanilla).

...make cookies! Cookies made with shredded beets. This is the very vivid batter before baking. Also contain cornmeal, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon chips, and the usual cookie ingredients (flour, butter, baking soda, vanilla).

We got apples, pears, potatoes, carrots, beets, cherry tomatoes, mixed greens, green beans, and a whole lotta lettuce this week. Happy chopping!

Donated makeup case, upcycled with gesso, acrylic paint, paper collage, sharpies, modpodge, and krylon. Image is from the Flickr Commons uploads of the State Library and Archives of Florida (see below). Caption is "If this is the 21st century, where are the flying cars?" SOLD 3/10.

Donated makeup case, upcycled with gesso, acrylic paint, paper collage, sharpies, modpodge, and krylon. Image is from the Flickr Commons uploads of the State Library and Archives of Florida (see below). Caption is "If this is the 21st century, where are the flying cars?" SOLD 3/10.

Back of the Tennis Trio purse. (Custom order, client wanted a simple painted back.)

Lunch the other day: panini sandwich, spinach salad, hot tea.

My daughter the snail and her classmates wait their turn at the Halloween Parade at school this morning. Note duct-tape "slime" on the front of her snail costume.

The teachers at our school do matching costumes by grade--so the first grade teachers might all dress as pencils, for example. The 4th grade teachers were Cat-in-the-Hat, Thing One, and Thing Two, this year.

The principal also dresses up, to emcee the Halloween parade.

Crocheted by me, freeform (as if that's not abundantly clear). Except that the main section of the back is knitted by a friend, many years ago--she gave me a box of old wool and unfinished knitting, and I used this piece in my costume. Thanks Kathie!

I wasn't really planning matching costumes, but I guess they coordinate by theme. Crocheted by me, freeform (as if that's not abundantly clear). Except that the main section of the back is knitted by a friend, many years ago--she gave me a box of old wool and unfinished knitting, and I used this piece in my costume. Thanks Kathie!

Crocheted by me, freeform (as if that's not abundantly clear).

Crocheted by me, freeform (as if that's not abundantly clear). Except that the main section of the back is knitted by a friend, many years ago--she gave me a box of old wool and unfinished knitting, and I used this piece in my costume. Thanks Kathie!

Recycling the accessories from my Halloween costume last year, for "historical figures" day at school today. Turned out, her teacher also dressed as a suffragette! We spent our walk to school talking about the suffrage movement, and how there are still places where women can't vote yet. Teachable moments. Sign and sash are homemade. Sash is three lengths of ribbon assembled with lots of masking tape as backing, and iron-on letters.

A thrifted brown purse, upcycled with gesso, acrylic paint, sharpies, walnut ink, paper collage, modpodge, and krylon. Image is from Australia, 1932, and is in the Powerhouse Museum's uploads to Flickr Commons (see below).

A thrifted brown purse, upcycled with gesso, acrylic paint, sharpies, walnut ink, paper collage, modpodge, and krylon. Image is from Australia, 1932, and is in the Powerhouse Museum's uploads to Flickr Commons (see below).

A brown purse provided by customer, upcycled with gesso, acrylic paint, sharpies, walnut ink, gel-transfer collage, modpodge, and krylon. Image is from Australia, and is in the Powerhouse Museum's uploads to Flickr Commons (see below).