The Idol's Eye

A Hawk perches on the branch of a tree, silhouetted against a snowy white background, framed and partly obscured by twigs, and framed above by a lichen-covered large branch. It's facing the camera, and we can see its yellow claws gripping the branch, its white and brown mottled breast turned towards the camera, and it's head turned in 3/4 view.

A Hawk perches on the branch of a tree, silhouetted against a snowy white background, framed and partly obscured by twigs, and framed above by a lichen-covered large branch. It's turned in 3/4 view, slightly hunched forward, facing directly towards the camera, alert, as if ready to take flight.

A Hawk is swooping head-first towards the viewer with an intense look, its face framed by a halo of gold-tipped grey-brown feathers, wings and tail out-spread and slightly out of focus, silhouetted against snowy white and framed by a tangle of slender branches.

Had this surprise visitor this morning. Merlin said it's a juvenile Cooper's Hawk. Any bird experts that can confirm this?

#birdsofnewyork #birdsofqueens #hawk #birdofprey #wildlifephotography

Aerial view of a pizza, topped with white cheese that is golden brown in parts, daubs of truffle cream, scattered sliced mushrooms, and a crust with puffy uneven bubbles, in a cardboard box with white paper underneath.

Stress-eating this mushroom and truffle pizza. 🍕🍽️🍜😒

Thank you! Flatbread would have been awesome, but it was still a very enjoyable meal at a cozy little mom-and-pop place.

No idea what it means here, but in the garment industry SS is side seam. But I'm thrown by tabs and tabbed.

I'm very miserly with oil, so I think I'd struggle with that. I guess that's why I'd never tried to make papads before 😅 But the toaster idea is also intriguing!

I wouldn't either. Making them one by one still goes pretty quickly if you're only making four or five. But the plate does start to get pretty hot.

I cooked them for 40 seconds each (that's how long it took for the first one to look fully crisped), no oil needed. I've only tried one by one because I wasn't sure if stacking them one on top of the other would work. I only have the microwave for when in-laws visit 😂

Aerial view of crispy papads on a light blue ceramic plate, very lightly golden brown with a constellation of air bubbles of various sizes dotting the surface.

Closeup of a stack of crispy papads on a light blue ceramic plate, their edges wavy, their surface very lightly golden brown with a constellation of air bubbles of various sizes.

How did I not know that papads can be made in a microwave?? I'm normally staunchly anti-microwave, especially for any bread adjacent foods, but they come out perfectly crispy and bubbly every time! I'm in shock. 🍜 🍽️ ❤️

I love a good spontaneous project!

You're welcome! I'm so curious to see what it becomes!

This is beautiful!

Closeup of three diamond and white metal rings on an index finger, a ruby band nestled between two. All three are classic silhouettes with a larger center diamond flanked by a simple arrangement of smaller diamonds on the shoulders. All three are sparkling in the light.

These simple, classic vintage settings let the elemental magic of diamonds shine through.

All available at The Idol's Eye.
theidolseye.etsy.com

Fun fact: if you're buying from a creator on etsy, you can reduce their etsy selling fees from 6.5% to 2.5% by ordering via 'shopname.etsy.com' instead of 'etsy.com/shopname' or searching from the main site. It costs you the same but the creator makes more

A diamond ring is displayed in profile, the high crown of the antique diamond glinting in the sun. The scrolling engraved details on the warm gold cathedral shoulders catch the light, richly vintage against the shadowy recesses. The ring is held by blurred fingertips against a blurred background of mauve, greys, and inky blues and pale green.

Charming antique diamond ring, circa 1920s, with a beautiful old mine cut diamond of approximately .26 carats. The 14K gold mounting features a silver-topped bezel setting atop soaring shoulders beautifully engraved on the profile with sinuous scrolling motifs.
theidolseye.etsy.com/listing/4619...

Thank you! ❤️

A platinum and diamond ring in 3/4 view sits atop a red leather ring box with gold embossed border. The ring features a hexagonal setting and tapered shoulders set with tiny side diamonds, one of which gives off a brilliant flash of light.

This vintage Art Deco diamond ring is perfect from every angle. You can find it in our Etsy shop at the link below. It's listed as "vintage ring C".

theidolseye.etsy.com/listing/4756...

Cut top piece of a Christmas stocking cut from a colorful old patchwork floral quilt, with striped toe and heel applique, sitting on a white quilted background. The stocking colors are black, ivory, light blue, shades of pink and coral, green, with burgundy, pink, and ivory ticking stripe.

Six cutout stocking pieces in patchwork floral quilt fabric, sitting on a white background.

Have decided that the repurposed quilt Christmas stockings need contrast toe and heel out of the striped backing, and probably also striped bias binding at the top if I can find the patience. And some strategically placed appliqués for the holes that can't be fixed any other way.

They would!

Here I was thinking those chairs were tortoiseshell bamboo until I zoomed in! It would be fun to try to replicate the look!

I can be disciplined if I have to or I can be manic about it, but it always turns out better the manic way.

Six pieces of Christmas stockings, cut from an old quilt in a riot of multi-colored floral prints, waiting to be sew up, shown on a white quilt background.

An old quilt partially unfolded, showing a patchwork of multi-colored floral prints, mostly in black and shades of pinks and greens, and ivory, with a burgundy, pink and white striped reverse, and some holes with batting showing through.

Closeup of a worn out quilt in black, pink, and green floral print showing holes at the seam, with fingers for scale

Does anyone else craft in manic little bursts? I haven't taken up a sewing project in over six months, and now that I'm supposed to be sick in bed with a miserable cold, I have the overwhelming urge to make Christmas stockings out of the quilt that's been languishing in the closet for years. 🪡

Wow! They really went all in on the Turquerie!

Beautiful! It really is like a painting!

Ooh, those bubbles!

An antique ring sits in an antique ring box of brown leather and beige velvet interior, atop velvet fabric in shades of pink, with touches of black and white. The ring in 3/4 view, features an old European cut diamond surrounded by a halo of chunky vivid blue caliber cut sapphires in a platinum bezel, with platinum tulip-shaped shoulders set with a sapphire baguette atop a gold shank.

Circa 1910s/1920s diamond and sapphire halo ring. This one has the sweetest shoulder detail!
theidolseye.etsy.com/listing/2931...

A vintage Art Deco ring in platinum and diamonds is seen in 3/4 view on top of a box inlaid with mother of pearl. The ring features a hexagonal center setting surrounding an old European cut diamond, milligrain, and saw-pierced and engraved Deco motifs, all bathed in ethereal morning sun.

This is one of the loveliest Art Deco hexagonal settings I've come across in a while! Just finished listing it on the website.
www.theidolseye.com/shop/p/art-d...

Eighteen dainty old European cut diamonds dance around a center diamond, also an old European cut, shimmering at the ends of the most delicate platinum filaments like dewdrops. An airy antique Edwardian diamond halo ring sparkles diffusely. The ring is held in an antique clamshell ring box of fuchsia velvet with chamois. interior.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, scientific advancements made it possible for jewelers to harness platinum's strength and density to create all-platinum jewelry of exceptional delicacy, leading to the etherial airiness of the Edwardian aesthetic.
theidolseye.etsy.com/listing/5029...

A squirrel, viewed through a window pane, is perched on the corner of a barren window box, in profile, looking triumphantly at the camera with one beady eye. It appears to be gloating.

The culprit who has been breakfasting on my winter greens 🌱😒

Closeup of a jumble of cooked slices okra, chunks of tomato, whole round dried red chilis with spices

Dinner was okra with tomatos, onions, two kinds of chilis, and a bunch of Indian spices
🍜🍽️❤️

That's lovely!