June 30, 2010
The Treacle Trail Leads Back To Alice
If you have been following my blog since the early days, or if you are a bibliophile who is particularly fond of Lewis Carroll, then you know that the name, “Treacle and Ink,” comes from a line that is sung at Queen Alice’s banquet in Carroll’s Through the Looking-glass. I just wanted to share a couple unique Alice finds I made while exploring Walt Disney World.
I love the style of this little Alice doll! She is so simple, almost primitive, and is cute as a button.
This container of "Tweedle Tea and Tweedle Yum" comes with 15 tea bags which contain the "Mad Tea Party Blend," as well as shortbread cookies. It's like a mini tea party in a can!
April 5, 2010
50th Post Celebration!
Today’s post marks my 50th post here at the Treacle And Ink blog! When I started this blog, I wasn’t able to see very far past the first week of posts, much less envision making it to the big five-o. Yet, here we are!
I would like to mark this milestone with a little two part celebration.
First of all, as a big “THANK YOU” to all of my dear readers, I would like to offer you a 25% discount off of anything you order from my shop for this entire week! Just type “Post50” in the notes to seller to receive your discount. This sale, exclusively for my blog readers, will end at 11:59 on 4/11, so that gives you plenty of time to place your orders. 🙂
Secondly, I have created an “Alice in Wonderland” themed treasury just for the occasion. You can check it out by clicking here. And, as always, here is a sneak peek at my alternates, just for you:
5 Large gift tags Alice in Wonderland distressed hang tags assorted designs with deepwater blue ribbon - by flirtdeux
Alice Drink Me Handkerchief - by DreamscapeTwilight
Fabric Covered Buttons or Flatbacks-ALICE in WONDERLAND - by TheKraftRoom
Drink Me Teacups, set of 2 - by WonderlandShop
I would be talking to empty space without you, so thank you again for reading! I’m looking forward to bringing you more musings, featured shops, and how-tos in the next fifty. Post 100 will be here before you know it!
Have a wonderful week. 😉
April 1, 2010
The Walrus Visits Queen Alice’s Banquet
In one of my early posts, “The Walrus Talks of Etsy,” I attempted to utilize a stanza from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” (Lewis Carroll, 1871) to support my conclusion that you can find just about anything you could possibly imagine on Etsy. I would like to revisit that theory with a stanza from Queen Alice’s banquet song – the stanza from which Treacle and Ink got it’s name!
“Then fill up the glasses with treacle
Lyles black treacle tin - by fleamarkettrixie
and ink,
vintage box set drawing inks artist collectible - by AustinModern
Or anything else that is pleasant to drink.
Mix sand
Emery Sand - half cup - by LoveLaurie
with the cider,
Cider to go - by ideachic
and wool
Picked Romney Wool Clouds, 4.5 ounces total - by wearmoa
with the wine–
WHITE ZINFANDEL Wine Jelly - by wineauxs
And welcome Queen Alice with ninety-times-nine!”
(from “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, 1871)
March 5, 2010
Featured Fridays – Bambu Earth
Happy Friday to you all! I hope you are as excited about the weekend as I am. I’ll be performing in an improv show tonight AND tomorrow night, and my hubby and I are headed out to see the new Alice In Wonderland in 3D tomorrow. And to top it all off, this will be our first Sunday as official members at our new church. Yay!
Many thanks to those of you who have participated in my poll from Tuesday’s post. It you haven’t already, I’d really appreciate your input. It’s one question, and it’s super easy. 🙂
But enough about me, it’s time for another Featured Friday!
Store Name: BambuEarth
First Name: Amber
Tag Line: Natural Body Beauty Products
Physical Location: Foothill Ranch, CA
Inventory: “natural handmade bath, body and beauty products”
Links: shop, blog, twitter, BambuStudio, BambuCloset
A few weeks ago, I curated a treasury called “A Day By The Sea” (here’s the post about it), in my dreams of warmer weather. All of the items included in this treasury were varying shades of blue, green, and turquoise. It really was a lovely treasury, and one item in particular kept coming back to mind, the Juicey Lime Coconut Body Polish. I LOVE the lime/coconut smell combination, and as I said, I was wishing for warmer weather. I had also recently run out of my supply of sugar scrub, and the backs of my hands were beginning to feel like sandpaper. What’s a girl to do?
Buy the Body Polish.
I was so glad to receive my Body Polish (and lip balm) in the mail! The lime/coconut scent is nice and light, and the sugar is very fine, which I really like. It’s not as harsh on my hands as some other sugar scrubs that I have tried in the past, but it still works very well. And her packaging is so nice, too.
Here are some of the awesome products she has in her store. Check it out and let me know what you think!
All Natural Pure Castille Citrus Laundry Detergent Large 80 PLUS loads for Sensitive Skin // Perfect for Cloth Diapers //
Locks O' Luxe Irish Green Beer Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Gift Set ( Rosemary Mint )
Shea Dark Double Chocolate Truffle Bar with Vanilla Swirls Cold Process Soap
Juicy Lime Coconut Body Polish Shea Butter Whipped Sugar Scrub (4 oz)
February 9, 2010
The Walrus Talks of Etsy
I have come to the conclusion that you can find just about anything you are looking for on Etsy, no matter how strange or far-fetched you may think an idea is. To put that conclusion to the test, here is an excerpt from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” (Lewis Carroll, 1871).
“‘The time has come,’ the Walrus said,
‘to talk of many things:
Of shoes–
wonderful satin shoes
and ships–
Sailing Clipper Ship Handcut DecorativeWood Silhouette
and sealing-wax–
Natural Sealing Wax
Of cabbages–
Green Cabbage Note Cards
and kings–
Elvis Presley Cross-Stitch Pattern
And why the sea is boiling hot–
HOT Blues
And whether pigs have wings.'”
Big Pig - Flying Pig Plush
February 4, 2010
Treacle = Molasses
Treacle and Ink, for those of you who don’t know, is a reference to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. To be a bit more specific, it actually comes from Through the Looking-Glass.
One of my favorite movies when I was a child was the 1985 two-part made for TV version, of both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, that my parents managed to capture on VHS . If you’ve never seen this version, try to find it. The cast is a who’s who of great performers of the time, many of whom have since passed away, like Sammy Davis Jr., Donald O’Connor, Sid Caesar and Red Buttons. This movie was also my introduction to Carol Channing, whom I had the great fortune to see perform live about three years ago. I had such a vivid imagination, the I almost really thought that if I wished hard enough, I might spot the white rabbit and be able to go on such an incredible adventure.
The first time I read Alice in Wonderland was one summer, a few years later, at Girl Scout camp. There was a one-room cabin near our campground that contained a small collection of books, among other things. I spent our afternoon rest times each day sitting in the window of the cabin flying through the pages of that magical book.
Fast forward a few years to college. By now, I have become a fan of all things tea. The first pieces of china I wanted to collect were the tea pot, sugar bowl, and creamer, and I loved pulling them out, along with my tiered tray, and having tea parties. Yes, actual grown-up tea parties. It was also during this time that my good friend Jane and I went on a wonderful adventure to the magical land of New York City, where we, too, met all manner of zany and quirky creatures, and where we also stumbled upon Alice’s Tea Cup. This quickly became my favorite spot, and we have both since made return trips. I highly recommend Alice’s if you ever find yourself in New York City. The tea is wonderful, and the scones are the best I’ve ever had… even better than mine.
When I was trying to come up with a name for my Etsy shop, I went through a number of ideas before finally deciding on Treacle and Ink. But, after considering what I was selling – items for the table – and recalling that one of my favorite times to sit at a beautiful table is for tea, my mind landed on this song. Of course, it’s from my favorite 1985 version, when Alice has just become Queen Alice, and is hosting her first banquet for all of her friends:
*note: This clip goes a good bit past the song, so for those of you who are faint of heart, stop watching before Alice opens the present, or BEWARE THE JABBORWOCKY! 😉
“To the Looking-Glass world it was Alice that said,
‘I’ve a sceptre in hand, I’ve a crown on my head;
Let the Looking-Glass creatures, whatever they be,
Come dine with the Red Queen, the White Queen and me!’
Then fill up the glasses as quick as you can,
And sprinkle the table with buttons and bran:
Put cats in the coffee and mice in the tea –
And welcome Queen Alice with thirty-times-three!
‘O Looking-Glass creatures,’ quoth Alice, ‘draw near!
‘Tis an honor to see me, a favor to hear:
‘Tis a privilege high to have dinner and tea
Along with the Red Queen, the White Queen and me!’
Then fill up the glasses with treacle and ink,
Or anything else that is pleasant to drink;
Mix sand with the cider, and wool with the wine –
And welcome Queen Alice with ninety-times-nine!”
~ Lewis Carroll, 1871
Treacle And Ink 