Pretty Neat Designs

Think about it...

2012-02-13T07:47:00.000-05:00

Source: facebook.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Happy Monday! Did you have a good weekend? I was very busy with projects, including a sewing project that was supposed to be Christmas gifts, but ended up valentine's gifts. I am not kidding when I say that I worked on it for 5 hours on Saturday! It wasn't even necessarily that complicated. But it was not something I had ever made before and it just took forever to get it right.

Source: anna-gracia.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

And what else? Oh, a low point was when I put a blanket over my desk because there was too much piled on it to clean it off and Sassy was on a rant and wouldn't stay off of it. So rather than clean it off I just covered it up with a blanket. Nice, huh? Even better is that I wouldn't remove the blanket and clean off the desk unless it was part of a barter with Dave. I agreed to take care of the desk only if he hooked up the new printer/fax so that I could print wirelessly. Yep, I sunk to a new low and acted like a 5 year old. But this morning the desk looks great and I can print from the sofa! Win win.

Source: someecards.com via Cindy on Pinterest

So, for this week's Think About It post I'm going for laughs. Nothing deep or meaningful, just some humor. Because it is good to think about funny stuff. Enjoy today!

Weekend + Shop Update

2012-02-10T07:38:00.000-05:00

vintage Schwinn photo card

Good morning! How is your week shaking out so far? So far, so good over here.

fabric bolts photo card

I have been tinkering with some new cards for the shop and I listed a few yesterday. The new batch features some of my original photography, instagram photos to be exact. What do you think?

beat up truck photo card

Also, if you visit the store you'll notice all of the notebooks are gone. There will be some new notebooks listed next week, but you can always e-mail me or convo me through etsy and I can post one for you. That's it from here for this week. I have some posts planned for next week so I won't flake out on you and disappear. But the fact that it is February 10 and I am functioning at all is a pretty good accomplishment. Seriously, me and February are like two substances that don't get along. I wasn't much of a science student so you'll have to create your own analogy. Oh, but I am a halfway decent cook, so me and February are like oil and water. That seems weak though. I think there is a scientist among us who could create a better analogy for you. If you're out there dazzle us with your science in the comments. And rock a lot of polka dots this weekend!

Cheesy Thursday - I Was Made For Dancing

2012-02-09T09:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning! It has been a week+ since I've posted, but I'm finally starting to feel like getting back into the swing of things. And by "things" I mean life in general. So, let's get back to the cheese. Leif Garret. There are several of LG's "hits" to choose from, but this one was especially good with the split screen that displayed something like "dancing" on the right hand side. And it makes me think of rollerskating. In satin jackets with Boonie Bell lip smackers and Love's Baby Soft. Good times.

cute shoes

2012-01-31T18:25:00.000-05:00

Source: anthropologie.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Aren't they?! I'm grumpy and I don't want to share grumpy so I might take a few days off. But these shoes are anything but grumpy, so check them out instead.

think about it...

2012-01-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

Source: paloma81.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Is there a "chapter" in your life that you keep revisiting? A period of time or an experience that you just can't stop over thinking and over analyzing? I've got a couple of those chapters. But this past year is the first year that I can honestly say I have not spent much time on them. It took a super long time to get here, but sometimes when I find myself thinking about those things I can just say, enough! and shift my mind to something else. It feels great. But I'm not fixed, I just moved on to a new thing to obsess over. I'm now working on that one. With mixed results. But this quote is a good one.

How was your weekend? I had a nice one. Met my friend in Providence on Saturday and saw some cool places, chatted and walked and chatted and was just so happy to hang out. And yesterday Dave and I went to the studio and I messed around with some cards I had printed with my instagram photos. I think I've come up with some neat ideas. I also started trying some new bags with zippers. I don't think I'll sell them, but they might make neat gifts. It was nice to not have to work on the bookcases. As much as I love them, they took over our lives for more than a month! Dave worked on a painting and I think it was the first time he has painted since Thanksgiving! Totally crazy. So can you believe it is almost February?! Not to be too negative but February is my least favorite month of the year. I just wish it would go from January 31 to March 1. Oh, and this year is leap year so it is even longer! The worst month of the year with an extra day. I'm not laughing! Well, I hope you have a super Monday!!

Cheesy Thursday - Cheap Trick

2012-01-26T07:42:00.000-05:00

Cheap Trick, a band from Rockford, IL. There ain't much from Rockford, but with Cheap Trick you don't need much else. Classified here as "cheese" but the good kind of cheese, the kind of cheese you reach for when you are feeling nostalgic, memories of belting out songs at tween sleepovers. And on carnival rides. Stuff like that.

inspiring interiors

2012-01-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

Source: tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

So now that the built-in bookcases are painted I am plotting the styling. Because even though they're functional doesn't mean they can't be pretty too. So I've rounded up some inspiration photos.

Source: tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: houseandhome.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: sidebysideblog.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Totally into the whole library ladder thing. Ours is looking pretty good, but probably won't be completely functional. It has wheels and all that, but in order to get it to slide we would have to install a pole of some sort and the span is so great that there is no way we'd be able to get one single pole that long into the apartment. I saw some kits online, but they are like $300.00 and it just doesn't seem worth it at all. Plus, you can just pick up the ladder and move it to where you need it. And if we are being totally honest, the likelihood of me needing anything on a shelf so high that I need a ladder is pretty slim.

Source: houseandhome.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I like the mix of books and objects. But I bet it is going to be hard to get the right ratio. At least I have some time to let the paint completely dry before I have to start to thinking about it too much.

Source: houseandhome.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Are you inspired? I sure am. Hope your Wednesday is wonderful.

music break

2012-01-24T07:25:00.000-05:00

This song has been stuck in my head for about a week, so here it is for you. Enjoy!

Think about it...

2012-01-23T07:05:00.000-05:00

Source: shoes-anne.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Good morning and happy Monday! We all want Mondays to be happy, don't we? Because if Monday isn't happy we feel the rest of the week won't be either. Am I alone here? Last night as I got into bed and pulled the covers up to my chin my very last thought was, "I wish tonight were Saturday." I wanted it to be Saturday so bad! Just one more day would have made all the difference. But that just ain't how it goes. So here we are on Monday. And it has to be good. It just has to be. I know it is not 100% in my control, but I'll do my best to make it so. And here is a good quote to think about. I should think about this quote when I am tempted by the sale section at Anthropologie. Because I want desperately be student-loan free, and that $30.00 sweater, although a good deal and very cute, isn't going to get me there. I bet it works for other things too. Just an all around good quote to think about. How was your weekend? We've got paint on those bookcases and it has made all the difference! I'll try to post some photos this week. Empty shelves though. I want to let the paint dry for 2 weeks before I put anything on them so that things won't stick. Oh, and remember that orange dresser I painted? It was finally moved from the studio to our apartment. I should have some good photos of that soon too. But I am working on lining the drawers and it involves spray adhesive and I usually have a fit over that stuff, so not sure how or when it will be photo worthy. Do your best for a happy Monday!

Cheesy Thursday - Gary Glitter

2012-01-19T06:09:00.000-05:00

C'mon, Gary Glitter! Is there a better poster man-child for glam rock than Gary Glitter?! I think not. His personal issues from a few years ago make him super creepy, but putting that aside this song is crazy cheesy and if that is his real hair, just wow. Have a great Thursday! (PS, if GG really creeps you out, this song has been covered everyone from Joan Jett to Gwnyeth Paltrow so you can listen to one of their versions.)

Wednesday Wish List

2012-01-18T07:21:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Mid-week. Only mid-week. I really need the weekend, but it won't be here for a few more days, so humming my theme song for this week and trying to make it through. Oh, it turns out that scones are not difficult to make. I made some Monday morning and they were surprisingly easy to make and quite tasty. I made apricot ginger scones, but I bet you can substitute any dried fruit. In fact, I have left over buttermilk so I am going to make some more and use Michigan dried cherries. Do you think they would freeze well or no? I wonder if you were to chill the batter and then form them and then freeze them if you could just defrost and bake them later. Anybody know? So anyway, here is a little bit of a wish list for Wednesday. Most from etsy, because why shop anywhere else?

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

polka dot blouse. looks perfect for summer, but would also look great under a suit.

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

ceramic doe lamp by littlebyrdvintage. so freaking cute. I imagine it would look sweet on the new bookcases. whenever that project manages to get done.

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

pretty print in peacock colors. love this watercolor by Amber Alexander. Just beautiful.

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

The Sound and The Fury iphone / ipod charger. Unfortunately this one sold, but there are lots of books to choose from in Rich and Brenna's shop. But I've got a major soft spot for TSTF. It is the first book I read in college I had a major love affair with. I loved reading that book. I thought about it all the time. I dreamed about it and wrote about it and talked about it. I fell for Faulkner hard and it started with that book. So it would be magical to have such a neat-o iphone charger on the desk.

So that's my wish list for today. What's on yours? Be super today.

Tuesday.

2012-01-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

Good morning! How was your long weekend? My apartment is back to looking like a construction site and it is driving me totally bananas. And I am trying to work around things because there is no sense in trying to reassemble it when it have to be disassembled again in a matter of days. I'd rather move into a hotel for two weeks and hire someone to finish this project and clean my apartment. But none of that is going to happen. So, head down and power through. Maybe this song will be my anthem for this week. Enjoy!

progress report

2012-01-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

Hello out there wherever you are. Weekend! So very glad it is the weekend. And a long one too! I am going to be brief today because it is a jam-packed Friday. Here is a progress shot of the bookcase project. There are doors! And they open and close! And there are now shelves on both sides of the fireplace.

And there is a finally a hidden place for the yoga mat and weights. And see the salvaged brass radiator grates?! Those were my favorite Brimfield find this year. I was so excited about them. And then I nearly lost them because when I finally talked to Dave and he measured and we figured out they would work the guy had sold them. I am sad to admit that I was actually devastated. It was hard to keep walking around and not just curl up in a ball and cry. Luckily Gina was with me so I had to put on a good face. Otherwise I would have just gone home. But lo and behold, something happened (not sure what, but I imagine I paid more than the person who bought them that morning) and I was able to buy them. I had a vision and it is starting to look real good. Lots of progress. We are getting closer to painting and that is when the project will really come alive.

Source: flor.com via Cindy on Pinterest

And I wanted to share these FLOR tiles with you because I think they are the bees knees. All the beauty of the overdyed rugs without the price (or the total mess of a DIY) and rubber backed for super easy clean up. I have FLOR carpet tiles in a couple rooms in my place and I swear by them. So easy to clean and no rug pad needed. They seem to hold up really well too. The ones I have are mostly solid and not all that exciting. But these. Now these are really something! (the photograph with the purple rug was the most interesting, but I really like the chartreuse color best, well for my place, I also dig the pink.)

How about you? What would be in your progress report? (Notice how I totally ignored reporting progress on anything other than this bookcase project? Yeah, that is because that is the ONLY area of life that has seen any progress lately.)

Cheesy Thursday - The Romantics

2012-01-12T08:33:00.000-05:00

Ok, so here's the thing, you can't watch this video without giggling. Seriously. The hair, the leather suits, the "atmosphere," the whole lot. Giggles.

Pretty Neat Find

2012-01-10T06:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday! Here are a couple of photos of my Craigslist find - a vintage school chair. I found this little one on Sunday morning and I just had to have it. I've been thinking that we could probably use a little more seating in the living room, but don't want anything that is too bulky or takes up much room. And I love that this little chair is a mix of wood and metal. It is sort of modern country industrial and I love it. I treated the wood with Briwax, which is a fix-all when it comes to wood. It cleans, stains, and protects. Seriously, if something looks a little dull, but like too dull to be the right patina, put Briwax on it and it will be perfect. It comes in different tones, and this one is dark brown. It is like magic. When I get around to showing you the before and after pictures of the library ladder, you'll see what I mean. So $30.00 for the chair, and ten minutes with some Briwax and I've got pretty neat new seating! Hope your day is awesome.

2012-01-09T07:52:00.002-05:00

Source: thefashionwhat.tumblr.com via April May on Pinterest

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We are making progress on the bookcase project. But it is pretty slow going. Most of the trouble has to do with the uneven floors in our apartment. See, it turns out, doors need to be level in order to work properly. Hmmm. This presents a bit of a pickle in our place. So it has been trial error. Much of both, but mostly error. We are on our third set of hinges. However, we are still giddy with hope of what it will look like eventually. And I scored a super neat find on Craigslist. I am very excited about that too. I'll post some photos tomorrow. Right now I have to run off and be productive. You know, 'cos it's a Monday and all that. (PS, I blame Winnie the Pooh for getting me in trouble in second grade because I always spelled "cause" c-o-s like in the WTP books. I was told it was not a word and I was docked points! The nerve of that teacher lady. I wanted to bring the book in to show her that yes it most certainly was a word, right from the mouth of Pooh, but somehow was advised against it. Killjoys.)

Oh, yeah, the point of the post. I knew there was one! Think about that quote. I think it is easier said than done. But especially when it comes to myself. I am very judgmental of myself. Quite. In fact, if any of you judged me by the same standards I judge myself, I'd crawl under a rock and never come out! Yeah, that might have something to do with the 6 day headache. But don't judge! It says not to, right up there! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER MARY!! Party hats and cake and all that.

Shop news (and discount code)

2012-01-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

Good morning! How has your week been? My headache is finally starting to lose strength. Not quite gone, but on the way out. I did go to the doctor and they determined it was muscular. Due to stress and tension. Really? A headache like this from the stress and tension in my life? What kind of headaches do you think Obama gets?! Or homeless people? Or people living in third world countries? I'm pretty sure my stress level should be much lower than it is, so whats with the headache? Am I a cry-baby? No idea. Probably a lot of science and pseudo-science could come up with an answer, but we'll just leave it at that I need to try to relax. Relax? Easy peasy. This babbling could just go on and on and on. So I'll get to the point of the post. Shop news. I'm thinking of changing things up in the shop. Still in research and development phase, but I know that I need to change my pricing and I want to offer more original work. Like with my own fabric designs rather than just using the typical designer fabrics. So, to help motivate me to get going on new stuff, I'm offering a sale to clean it all out so I can start fresh. And the notebooks are definitely going to go up in price so get 'em now while they're cheap. Even cheaper. I reduced the price of everything in the shop by at least 20 percent. No coupon code needed! Oh, I'm not saying that I'll surely take you up on it, but is there something you'd like to see in the shop? I'm curious about what you might be looking for. Have a great weekend!

Cheesy Thursday - Kansas

2012-01-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday! Kansas makes for some really great cheese. (and don't let the awesome hair and super bellbottoms be lost on you) Carry on...

Wanted: comfort

2012-01-04T07:19:00.000-05:00

Source: pvedesign.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

If I were writing a want ad today it would be for one thing: comfort. I am either getting the mother of all head colds or having a brain aneurysm. I've had this headache for going on 4 days and it is a stinker. But I also have a dull sore throat and just feel like beef jerky, so maybe it is the beginning of a cold. Who knows. Anyway, if there was ever a day I wished I owned a sweatshirt, today is that day. Maybe a cashmere sweatshirt, yeah, that would be awesome. But the next best thing might be this body sweater. Maybe in a nice pale grey. So I don't know what things will be like if this thing hits. But probably not good if it is the aneurysm instead of the cold. It was nice knowing you anyway. (and no, I was not a drama major in college.) Hope you are comforted today.

Sole Mates - clog-heel boots

2012-01-03T07:34:00.002-05:00

Sole Mates - clog heel boots by prettyneatdesigns featuring a cashmere cardigan

I'm kind of obsessed with the idea of clog-heeled boots. Are they easier to walk in than regular clogs? I am a little bit afraid of clogs because I tend to fall off my shoe a lot (I have no idea why, I guess I just move my body faster than my feet when I'm charging along down the sidewalk.) and I imagine a fall from a clog is a bit like a fall from a first floor window - not fatal, but it's gonna hurt. But either way, I think I could live in this outfit. Jeans, tank, sweater, scarf. This is sort of my uniform. I'm boring and predictable. Oh well. Hope you are off to a great day!

Think about the new year

2012-01-02T08:09:00.000-05:00

Source: sharibonbonvie.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Good morning! Happy 2012. 2012!! How crazy. I know it was inevitable. I know that January always follows December and that it always brings with it a new year. But still. Didn't it creep up? Didn't you sort of forget it for a while and then all of a sudden BAM! it was right there slapping you in the face. It did to me. I intended to make a couple of year end donations to some organizations that mean a lot to me, but I forgot. I intended to get birthday cards out on time, but I forgot. I intended to do a lot of things on time, but I forgot. I described myself the other day (to Dave, who was a bit too fast to agree if you want my opinion) as responsibleish. Sad but true. So I am working on a new system for getting more personal things done on time. I think it is do-able, and I'll let you know in the next progress report. But that brings me to the first Think about it... post of 2012. I think there is a lot of truth in this quote. I know there is for me at least. Sometimes I get bogged down with thinking about things in terms of all or nothing, perfect or imperfect. What a waste of time. Instead of feeling like a complete failure for not always getting birthday cards out on time, I could instead recognize that I managed to get a bunch of them out on time in 2011. That is better than none! But instead of recognizing the good, I tend to focus on how it is supposed to be. Every single thing done on time and with a smile! A clean house all the time! A natural ability to do anything I try - like a new sewing project that has me feeling like I am taking a stab in the dark. In my crazy mind I'm supposed to know how to do anything I try. I'm supposed to have dishes with no chips and a refrigerator that never gets dirty or has uneaten leftovers in it! A flat stomach! Cartoon birds on my shoulders when I dance around my laundry room! Yeah, crazytown. This is not how it is supposed to be. I need new pictures in my head. Starting now. I hope you had a great weekend and are ringing in the new year with hope and gratitude and no messed up ideas of how this year is supposed to be.

Progress Report

2011-12-28T11:18:00.000-05:00

Remember back in school how you'd get progress reports? Do they still do that? Little check-ins to see how you are measuring up. It sounds so intimidating, doesn't it? Well, I think they can be positive too. Like if you only report the good stuff. If you only report the good stuff, it might not be honest, but at least it won't make you cry. And you can get gold stars. We all secretly live for the gold star, don't we? Even if they are imaginary. So I'm going to do progress reports in 2012. The first one is the last one of 2011. Those photos up there show the progress made on the bookcase project of Christmas 2011. We are so incredibly lucky that Dave's dad is a skilled carpenter who is also retired and who was willing to come out to Boston and help build bookcases. Nearly his entire trip to Boston was spent in the "dungeon," aka the most awesome basement in North America (apparently its awesomeness depends on what you are doing down there - using it as a private flea market = awesome, doing construction with an uneven floor and poor lighting = not so awesome), and our living room. Not a sight was seen. And Dave's mom had to run errands with me that included sitting in the waiting room of the dentist office. Doesn't that sound like a lousy vacation?! We are so very lucky. There is no way Dave could have managed this project on his own and we are just overwhelmed with gratitude. Family rocks. We'll be spending the next couple of weekends trying to get the project done (like building the actual shelves, making the doors, and painting), but the amount of progress that was made in 5 days is amazing. I'm going to shut up this blah blah blog until the New Year, but I hope you ring it in with lots of good cheer!!

Sole Mates - orange heels

2011-12-27T08:14:00.000-05:00

Sole Mates dotty dress and orange heels by prettyneatdesigns featuring a polka dot dress

Good morning! How are you these days? I'm still on vacation mode and I have to switch that quick. But here is a nifty little outfit I put together showcasing these amazing orange heels. Be still my heart. They are far too expensive to take up in my closet, but in the imaginary world of the interweb they are on my feet. And I am so happy about it I can hardly stand still. Like Dave's niece when she saw the play grocery store her dad made for her for Christmas. Her excitement was real, mine is imaginary. But I'd rather be happy in my imagination than not at all. Hope you have an awesome Tuesday. BTW, can you BELIEVE the year is almost over?! Holy smokes!

Recycled Christmas Greetings

2011-12-26T10:21:00.000-05:00

Are you off today? Settling down from the crazy holiday weekend? We had such a great visit with family and made incredible progress on the bookshelf project, but there will be more on those two things later. For now I'd like to share some recycled holiday greetings courtesy of two pretty well known televangelists. Dave's grandparents received these cards years and years ago and I kind of got a kick out of them for reasons I won't bore you with. But feel free to offer up your own comments.

Is it just me, or does it look like Jeannie's got a gun? (have fun getting that song out of your head.)

There's a story here...

2011-12-22T09:36:00.000-05:00

Remember Leone from yesterday? She's got a man. His name is Ole.

Look what Ole got for Christmas. (check out that groovy aluminum tree!)

What Ole liked most about his red plaid shirt was not having to figure out what to wear the next day.

And the first photo gave Ole an idea of what to get Leone for Christmas 1967 - picture taking lessons. Starting with lesson #1, take off your oven mitt before taking photos.

Leone gets into the holiday spirit

2011-12-21T08:25:00.000-05:00

Remember Leone? Here are some holiday photos of her, circa 1966 (film developed in 1967). To inspire you to get all into it this holiday season. Because you never know when or where some photos might turn up years down the road. I'm pretty sure Leone never saw this coming. But she was prepared!

Here she is in her finery. Check out those shoes in her hands - spiked heels! Look out, Leone!

A little less fancy as she slaves over the sink. (back of the photo reads, "CHRISTMAS DINNER PREPARATION 1966." Yes, it was written in all caps. In magic marker.)

And even less fancy in front of the tree. But she did accessorize with a pink and blue lei and a maraca? Is that a maraca in her hand? She also seems to be wearing a festive hat with her house coat. Oozing style for the holidays.

Q & A with me, over at Lolalina

2011-12-20T08:57:00.000-05:00

Hey, I'm featured over here today. Hop over to Lolalina and have a look. Let me know what you think. Oh, and if you have a question, feel free to ask in the comments and I will answer it. Maybe with some truthiness.

Monday

2011-12-19T12:05:00.000-05:00

Source: poppytalk.blogspot.com via Poppytalk on Pinterest

Good morning! Did you have a good weekend? Mine was pretty good. I had too much fun on Saturday (cooking class / lunch at Tavolo & some other fun stuff) and then didn't get everything done that I should have on Sunday so I am feeling very behind. We have family coming to stay with us through Christmas and they arrive today! All good except for the cleaning part. I didn't get done what I intended to. A cat allergy has me very concerned with trying to get things super super clean before they arrive. But sadly I think I'll be offering benadryl and hoping for the best. I just ran out of time. Have you put up a tree and decorated? We decided not to put up the aluminum tree this year and instead I picked up a little potted pine, but haven't decided whether to "decorate" it or not. What have you got going on this week? We are moving into to the final phase of the living room re-do. See some photos of the last round here. Hopefully next week (but who knows how long it will really take) I'll have some new built-in bookcases to photograph and share. I really want to post a little last minute gift guide and I hope to get to that tomorrow. I've also got some old Christmas cards and photos to share this week. Hope your Monday is marvelous.

Girlie Weekend

2011-12-16T07:40:00.000-05:00

Hidy-ho! Last weekend I had a "girlie" weekend in NYC with my friend Diane. Our tastes are "simpatico" and I instantly knew the weekend was going to rock when she suggested going to Mood.

Oh hot damn! I've been itching to go there since the very first season of Project Runway. But there are some things I just don't ask Dave to do, and since we usually go to the city together, I've just never gone to the temple of fabric before.

It was amazing. Really amazing. and BIG! Like 3 floors. 3 floors packed floor to ceiling. I honestly don't know how the designers could shop in only 30 minutes! No wonder they were always showing them running around like rats.

I was so inspired by the beautiful fabric and bought a couple yards of printed silk. I want to make really simple tops to wear under suits. But I am not sure I have the required skill to sew silk. I might end up taking the fabric to the tailor and asking her to make something. We'll see. Does anyone know about sewing silk? I can't fathom the tiny seems that would be required. I'm actually freaking out just thinking of trying to pull this off. But the fabric is so beautiful! Oh! And most of the upholstery fabric had swatches already cut and they were free. So I picked up some pretty ones to use in notebooks. I love free samples, and especially when I can use them to make something neat. We spent a lot of time in that store and every minute of it was an ooh and an ahh.

We also went to some cute shops in the East Village, including Duo, which I read about on Dear Golden Vintage. The shop was beautiful and we really lucked out because Saturday was their anniversary celebration so they were open late and everything in the store was discounted. We wandered around some other shops in the area, stopped in Babycakes, and eventually had a late dinner at Joe Doe. We sat at the bar and it was very cozy. The food was excellent and the music was quite entertaining. At one point I thought about pulling out my notebook because I could have written down Cheesy Thursday songs for the next couple of months! Apparently their house ipod is quite stocked with cheese. I liked the mission of the restaurant, and the decor was perfect. It is a tiny little place, but it didn't feel cramped, it felt like being at someone's home. With a bartender. Hey, there is probably someone out there that has a bartender. I haven't met them yet, but they must be out there.

After dinner we took the subway to 5th Avenue and looked at the windows. The windows at Bergdorf Goodman were stunning. So much artistry went into each one! I was so glad we went at night so we could see them all lit up. I was just gushing at their beauty! Each one was more gasp-worthy than the one before.

I was less impressed with the windows at Barneys, which seemed to be more about the retail aspect of the store (I know, duh.) but this one Lady Gaga one was kind of interesting. It is hard to tell from the photo, but everything is made from hair. (well, hopefully not actual hair, but something that looks like hair.) And then a late night hot chocolate with mini marsh mellows because c'mon, how could you not top that night off with some mini marsh mellows?! It would have been insane not to.

Sunday morning we went to Fika, which had the most amazing cardamom rolls I've ever tasted (Palmquists, yes, I am a convert to the wonder of cardamom rolls, and sorry, but this one was better than Kent's, and no, I didn't think it was possible either, but turns out it is.), and very good coffee. We walked around some and went into a few shops and then took the subway down to the Warby Parker pop-up shop, which was inside a yurt. It was great to try on glasses and I narrowed it down to a pair. I'm going to wait until after January so I can use my flex spending account on them. $95.00 for prescription glasses (lenses included and free shipping) is not bad. They were also featuring some local artisans and I really liked the selection by Fort Standard. The balancing blocks were neat, and they also had some snowflake ornaments made from reclaimed wood. The grain was gorgeous. A couple of those came home with me and now I am having a hard time thinking about giving them away. And the bus ride home was SO MUCH BETTER than the bus ride there. It was just such a great weekend.

Cheesy Thursday - Rosanna

2011-12-15T07:39:00.000-05:00

Oh, Toto. How cheesy are thee. The lyrics to this song are ridiculous. Yet catchy. Have fun singing this for the next several days. And trying to get the insane skirt twirling out of your nightmares. The choreographed fight/dance is mind blowing. Actually the fact that anyone in this video was able to keep a straight face sort of blows my mind. Have a great Thursday!

Wednesday.

2011-12-14T07:58:00.000-05:00

Hey there. I am very unmotivated to blog this week. If you could see my living room and my desk you'd have a pretty good idea why. My living room looks like a fabric bomb went off and my desk looks like a paper bomb hit it. I'm trying to finish up two little gifts and I am having a hard time with them. I am not a good conceptualizer when it comes to construction. I'll have an idea in my mind for a finished product, but trying to figure out how to get raw materials to the finished product is kind of like wandering through a really tough corn maze. It is strange because I consider myself a pretty visual person, but I am not really a visual processor. I have a decent vocabulary and can usually spell pretty well, but I absolutely stink at word games like scrabble and boggle. I just can't process that way. So anyway, it is really messy around here and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it. I would like to get the two little gifts done so that I clean up the mess I've made and move on, but I can't quite figure out the last couple of steps. And I will post photos of the trip to NYC, but I still have to load them onto the computer. And then there is the writing part of the post. It just feels too much with the current state of things. So stay tuned. I'm hoping to be in a better mood soon.

Monday Morning

2011-12-12T08:35:00.002-05:00

Source: google.co.uk via Lazy on Pinterest

Good morning! Did you have a good weekend? I had a very great girlie weekend in NYC with my friend Diane. It was so much fun! I'll post photos and tell you all about it tomorrow. But for today, enjoy this photo. Have a happy day!

Weekend

2011-12-09T08:36:00.000-05:00

Source: wherethelovelythingsare.com via Robynn L. on Pinterest

Woot woot the weekend is here! Well, technically not until 5:00 today, but now is close enough to celebrate. I'm headed out of town tomorrow on a solo adventure. Well, solo until I meet up with my fellow adventurer. I'm just giddy with excitement over the list of places we plan to go. I'll try to be good about taking some photos and posting them on instagram and then over here next week. How was your week? I had a crazy one but I am pretty pleased that I didn't allow myself to completely crumble under the pressure of it all. Winston Churchill (or so the internet tells me) said, "The test of a people is what they can do when they're tired." Well, it turns out a whole lot. A whole lot indeed. The problem is that sometimes "a whole lot" doesn't feel like enough. But it just has to be sometimes. How is your holiday shopping going? I'm pretty much done except for one. There is a GIANT question mark next to their name. I just keep drawing a blank. Hopefully I'll get inspired by something and know that is it because I don't really like to ask people what they want, I want to be inspired to give them something. Does that sound selfish? I don't mean it to be. I just want their gift experience to be more than, "here's what you asked for." Sometimes. Not always. Because other times what they want is what they need and they'll probably not buy it for themselves. Anyways. One more gift to go and then I've got to get stuff off in the mail. I remember when I was in Ireland in 1999 (there doing one the dumbest things I've ever done - travelled to run. to run! I won't even leave my house to run now.) and it was the end of October and the post office had a sign about when the cut off was for a package reaching the United States by Christmas and I don't remember the exact date, but it was really crazy, like a month in advance. It is a 5 hour flight to the U.S. How were they sending these packages? By carrier pigeon? By a one-winged carrier pigeon? Luckily I don't need that much time. But I've babbled on long enough. Have a great weekend!!

Cheesy Thursday - Sexy Back

2011-12-08T06:12:00.000-05:00

He's bringing sexy back... This song is cheesy. But I'm not saying it is bad cheese, it is awesome cheese. And great for a dance break. Just don't listen to the lyrics much. Those up the cheesy factor tremendously. Have a great Thursday!

Holiday Cards

2011-12-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I had big plans to do a great post about holiday cards and get all design-nerd and stuff and make it look really top notch and pretty. But that just isn't going to happen anytime soon, so you'll have to accept the busy lady's version which was made possible thanks to the geniuses over at Pinterest.

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Does this cat look familiar? I think it is the spitting image of Sassy! (which is an appropriate description because one of her worst qualities is that she does spit. At children. I'm so ashamed of her bad behavior and I don't know where she could have learned this because honestly, I do not spit at children. Their parents maybe, but not the children. I put the kid photos up on my refrigerator. Hey, maybe that's it! There are no photos of Sassy on the fridge, so she probably spits out of jealousy. Problem solved, no head doctor necessary.) Anyway, to make this even longer, I think this card is awesome! A watercolor illustration of a fang-baring grumpy Sassy cat! Perfect. Card by Deidre Wicks

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

So we started with something a little more on the funny side, so let's shift right over to the beautiful side. In my personal opinion, I don't think there is anything (in the stationery world) more elegant and beautiful than letterpress. It just grabs your heart, you know? I think letterpress is the bees knees. And these two cards are so pretty! Santa and his sleigh card by Claire Short. Snow angel card by Maggie Campbell / Brooklyn Bookbinder.

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Block and screen printed cards are also some of my favorites. I am always in awe of what people can create. I mean seriously, look at these cards! Zoetropa hand carves her blocks. That is just crazy cool. And the concept of screen printing, as well as the finished product, blows my mind. It is sort of like how I feel about speaking foreign languages. Which goes like this, wow, that would be fantastic, but how do they DO that?! Clearly I've given away the fact that despite many (many x 6) years of trying to be otherwise, I am monolingual. These three hand printed cards are really awesome. And all three are printed in New England. Snowman notes by Zoetropa. Happy Holidays by Hey Hoover, the brain child of James Weinberg (who also does all sorts of amazing design work and right this very minute is creating an identity for my law practice. And it is looking pretty super.) Warm wishes mitten card by Anna Cote.

So handmade holiday cards. They're pretty neat. Happy Tuesday!

Monday

2011-12-05T07:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Our trip to Portsmouth was great. Fun to explore the Button Factory, and good to see Matt. And his new paintings were really good. REALLY GOOD. And lucky for us, he likes the idea of trade so he and Dave are going to trade paintings. We picked out the one we want and it so so so so cool I cannot wait to hang it. And I'm excited to see which painting of Dave's he will pick. Dave once said, I agree, that it is really cool when someone you think is talented likes something you made. It is a validation in the best way. And what else? Oh, there was a parade downtown that involved quite a lot of firetrucks and lights. And we ate a place called Street, that has all different types of street food. I highly recommend the curry fries. So good! And then at Midnight we went to see E.T. at the Coolidge. I remember seeing it at the theatre when it came out. I was 7. I don't think I've seen it since then and it was much more sad than I remember it being. But still great. I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open, but I rallied and enjoyed the whole movie. Sunday was a work day. boo-hoo. But so it goes. Hope your Monday is marvelous!

weekend

2011-12-02T07:43:00.000-05:00

Source: theswellsideofthepillow.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Hello! Happy Friday! I'm so excited the weekend is almost here that I woke up this morning and made that face. I plan to make it again tomorrow. But sadly I will not be skating. I need to find an indoor roller rink. It would be awesome if they played super cheesy music and had a disco ball. I might try to find a pink satin jacket on ebay. Oh yeah, that would be too cool for school.

This week has been crazy for me. But I just have to get through today (which is going to be INSANE!) and then it is the weekend. I can't wait. Our friend Matt has Open Studios at his studio in Portsmouth, NH. He is super talented and I can't wait to see what he's been up to. Also, I've never been in the Button Factory and I look forward to exploring a new spot. And Portsmouth is super in general. So it should be a great weekend. Very excited about it. Then next week I have a crazy amount of work again, so I'm going to try to milk this weekend for all I can. What about you? What have you got going on? I'm hoping to post a holiday card roundup next week. And a gift guide or two. See you next week!

Cheesy Thursday - Christmas music

2011-12-01T08:51:00.000-05:00

So in general I'm not much of a fan of Christmas music. Well, I do have a cd from Black Nativity, and I really like that one. Also The Ventures, which is surf music. That is about all I would choose to listen to. But then I came across this Jackson 5 version and it is cheesy in a super way. The way that all their music is cheesy cool and really snazzy. I sing along whenever it comes on. Usually in Walgreens for some reason. I'd like to do a study about the music that gets played in pharmacies. It is always a good source for cheesy music that you just can't help but sing along to. Have a cheesy Thursday!

Sole Mates - sorta fancy holiday party

2011-11-30T08:59:00.000-05:00

sole mates sorta fancy holiday party by prettyneatdesigns featuring hammered jewelry

Good morning! Here is a quick outfit I put together on polyvore. It is for a sorta fancy holiday party. The shoes and bag are crazy expensive. But you could find something similar at Target. Or just take a pair of black flats and spray paint the toes gold. The dress seems to be a pretty good price, but I have no idea about the quality of Zara's clothes. I kinda love this dress though. You could also add tights and boots and totally change the look. With a shrunken leather jacket. Oh yeah. Hope you have a great day!

Lego Animation

2011-11-29T06:32:00.000-05:00

Have you seen any of the lego animation videos on youtube? They're pretty neat. I picked this one because I have a history with Grease. I think I wore through the VHS tape when I was a kid. And you're right to be scratching your head, it was probably not the best movie for kids. But whatever. Grease and Annie at the same time, that was my style. Have a great Tuesday! (PS, I don't know why Danny Zuko is in a pilot costume)

Cyber Monday Sale

2011-11-28T07:20:00.000-05:00

In anticipation of "Cyber Monday," notebooks were sewn, photographed, and listed in the etsy shop over the weekend. And to kick off the kinder gentler version of Black Friday (PS, you can do this one from work!!) I am offering 20% off everything in the shop through Wednesday. Just use the code "20PERCENT" and I am pretty sure you need to use all caps and note there is no space. Hope your weekend was wild and your Monday is wilder. (BTW, our weekend was wild. In the worst way. The washing machine broke down with many a loud noise and a bunch of chewed up plastic all over the clothes. I will NEVER buy a front loading washing machine again. Seems that computers and water are not a good mix and they just don't make appliances like they used to. How old am I? Not that old, but old enough to remember that my grandmother had the same machines for 20+ years with no problems and to know that nowadays no one seems to have them beyond 12 because they are made to be disposable. Oh, and I thought that stainless steel was not supposed to rust? So when someone shows me a washing machine with a stainless steel tub and says that the rust spots are from testing the machine, what do you think the tub is actually made out of?! I'm thinking probably not stainless steel. But I could be wrong. Maybe stainless steel does rust and I've just been believing some misinformation. I did not go with the machine that either doesn't drain properly so that it would rust after being "tested" or is made out of some metal other than stainless steel. So that was my rant for the morning. And really I am grateful that I was able to get a new machine. I know, boy do I know, that not having to go to the laundromat is a luxury. Big time.) And one more thing, today is my little sister's birthday. Everyone wish Kathleen a Happy 28th Birthday!! I can still remember her wrinkly little self on the other side of the glass observation window at the hospital. Good times.

Weekend

2011-11-25T09:44:00.001-05:00

Source: myonlinebestfriendsblog.blogspot.com via Pester and Scrappy on Pinterest

Hello. Happy black Friday? I dunno. I don't think I've ever gone shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I kind of avoid all retail outlets this day. Fear of being trampled. OK, I am half kidding. I don't really like crowds, and a bunch of people fighting over a sweater kind of makes me want to barricade myself in my apartment and pet my cat all day. Also kidding. Sassy is all up in my grill today and it is driving me nuts. I think she is still mad about yesterday. She was all like, what do you mean I can't have any of that giant bird?! It is sitting right there and it is obvious even to me that you have way too much of it. She found a way to be within jumping distance of the table and she was looking quite intent about giving it a go. Luckily we spotted that look of determination just in time and removed her from her perch. She was screaming as we carried her off. And I don't know if it is related to those shananigans, but this morning she will not leave me alone. At all.

Source: bluntcard.com via Alanna on Pinterest

But back to this black Friday thing, what about you? Do you shop today? Do you get up at the crack of dawn and battle the crowds? Wait in line? Rush in with coupons? Tell me about it. I want to feel your excitement. Today is just another work day for me. And a laundry day. And I threw away three cupcakes because I knew that I would eat them if I didn't and then I would feel really bad, so I just got rid of them. Don't like to waste food? Me either. But you know what, if it comes down to throwing away food that will ultimately make me feel bad about myself, I'm just gonna toss it. It is the one free pass on wasting food. For my health it is OK to throw it away. We had 3 people over for Thanksgiving dinner. That made a total of 5 people. My lovely friend admittedly went a little nuts in the bakery. She arrived with 12 cupcakes, 6 turkey shaped cakes with cream centers and hardened shells, corn bread, and a loaf of pumpkin raisin bread. Totally sweet and totally f-ing crazy. I tried to get them to take home as much as possible. But I was still left with more. So I had one of those turkey cake things and tossed the rest. End of story. Well, it was until I just told you all about it. Babble much? Apparently. I didn't take any photos of the table because I was rushing rushing right up until the very minute we ate. But it wasn't really worth photographing. I think I need to come up with a larger table. Right now I use a long folding table (think those typical tables from church basements and craft shows - but plastic) and it is too narrow to have plates on both sides and a centerpiece. Especially if you use place mats. Fugetaboutit. Maybe a two-part solution would work best. Like a large wooden top that could be placed over this folding table. And both parts could be stored in the basement. Hmmm.... wheels are turning. Did anyone watch Up All Night this week? We did. I said, "Wow, she is totally crazy!" And Dave said, "You do realize you're just like that, don't you?" I was all, say wha?! She seemed more successful at it than I am. Want some evidence to back that up? My bathroom is half painted. Maybe not even half. There are four walls. One and a half are in the new color and two and a half are in the old color. I think she would have painted the entire thing. Anyway, if you're still reading then here is a carrot. Monday I'll be having a 20% off sale in the shop. New items added this weekend. Hope you have a great weekend!!

Cheesy Thursday - Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-24T19:38:00.000-05:00

Here it is the longest cheesiest song ever. (Seriously, 10 minutes?!!) And fowl-themed for Thanksgiving. The video is live from 1975. Swwweeeeeeeet. Go slide guitar. Happy Thanksgiving!

What Up Wednesday

2011-11-23T07:42:00.000-05:00

Source: designbykelli.com via Kelli on Pinterest

So did you take your dance break yesterday? Did you feel better? More energized? More fun? I felt like a dork myself, but I still did it. What about Thanksgiving? You making stuff? Eating stuff other people make? I ordered a turkey from the farm that we get our CSA from. Somehow I got the wrong size bird. As in, 21 pounds of fowl! I had to lug that sucker home on the subway yesterday and it was quite a scene. And of course the train was packed. It was crazy. And today I am going to brine that bird in a cooler left out on the deck. I really hope that is safe. I mean from animals. Maybe I should put huge weights on the top of it to keep the lid closed. Aw man, now this to worry about. Great. Last night I had a minor melt down when I couldn't find the brown & white transferware plates I used last Thanksgiving. I searched high and low, in and out of the apartment, sent panicked text messages, and luckily I found them. In a box marked "Thanksgiving Dishes." I am naturally so unorganized that in fits of organization I lose everything. Nice, huh?! But its all good now. And I am trying to get some more notebooks stitched up to list in the shop over the weekend. And maybe trying to paint my bathroom today too. You know, just so I don't have too much down time. So anywho, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving eve or Wednesday if you're not a Thanksgiving celebrator.

brand new beat up boots

2011-11-22T08:01:00.000-05:00

Source: anthropologie.com via Cindy on Pinterest

These are fantastic! Brand new beat up boots. Perfect. Oh, and take a dance break. You'll have more energy to get through the dull stuff today. Go on, hit play and dance like Ellen. She's got the moves.

Think about it...

2011-11-21T07:54:00.000-05:00

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Good morning and happy Monday! How was your weekend? Good, good over here. I found the quote above over in Katie Daisy's etsy shop, The Wheatfield. The shop is full of fun prints and cards, many featuring nice quotes. But this one spoke to me. It can (and should) serve as a constant reminder. When I start to complain, I can ask myself, "does this serve me?" And when I start to argue with someone about something stupid, "does this serve me?" Because I guarantee you 9 out of 10 times the answer will be no. I'm not promising that I will remember to pause and ask myself this brilliant question, but at least thinking about trying is a step in the right direction. Hope your Monday is magnificent!

Weekend

2011-11-18T22:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Weekend! I missed a couple of days over here, including Thursday, which means it was a cheese-free week. I've been having some computer issues. And browser issues. Has anyone had problems with firefox not playing video? And the reason I switched from safari to firefox was because the new yahoo wouldn't attach files in safari. It is just one thing after another. And so is my complaining. One thing after another. People have pointed out that I can't take a compliment and I just turn everything into a negative. I don't mean to. Really. It just comes naturally. I should work on that. Tomorrow I have one of those cooking classes I've mentioned before. I love them. Such a nice treat. And then on Sunday we are going to Brickbottom and Joy Street Open Studios. Both are in Somerville, and it is going to be fun to walk around and see what people are creating and how they do up their studio spaces. I like to get ideas. And what else? Shopping for the Thanksgiving meal. We're having a friend and her family over and I can't wait to decorate the table. Last weekend we moved furniture around because next month we are putting in some built-in bookcases on either side of the fireplace. This ladder (found in my basement!) is going to be part of the project. But for the time being I put it on this blank wall and then decorated it with some mini white pumpkins. Things are fun and hectic and cluttered and chilly around here. How about you? How are things in your neck of the woods?

Autumn Story - stop motion annimation

2011-11-15T07:47:00.000-05:00

This is rad. So rad. Enjoy!

Think about it...

2011-11-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

Source: tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Good morning! How was your weekend? Do anything interesting? I rearranged furniture and took a bunch of stuff to Good Will. And I decided to get rid of some stuff that we aren't using. For example, a retro-looking metal bread box. It took up a lot of room on top of our refrigerator and we rarely have bread around so it was mostly empty. So it is going out. Anybody want it? If you are interested, e-mail me.

Source: Uploaded by user via Cindy on Pinterest

So anyway, here are two quotes to think about. They are about putting your "problems" in perspective. And as funny as that first one is, it is totally true for me. There isn't much worse than my "singing" voice, and yes, I really must put that in quotes because the word is a loose description for what you'd call the sounds I make when trying. I'm always working on this. The perspective, not the singing, although I did once dream that I bought myself voice lessons for Christmas. Hope your Monday knocks your socks off.

Weekend & Shop Update

2011-11-11T13:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday. 11.11.11 I love days like this. Like 10.10.10 I know, total nerd. Whatev.

I listed some new notebooks in the shop this week. I also listed some holiday cards. I have more of the cards if you want more than one, just let me know. I haven't added many bags because I still need to photograph those, but hopefully this weekend or early next week.

What do you think of the P-N-D print block letters? I picked them at Brimfield in September.

So what are you doing this weekend?

Cheesy Thursday

2011-11-10T09:31:00.000-05:00

I always seem to hear this song in public places. And I always end up both seething and humming it for days. All together now, "Looks like we made it..."

Open Studios recap

2011-11-09T09:22:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Here are some photos from last weekend's Open Studios. We had a good time catching up with friends, meeting some of the other artists in the building, and seeing what people have been creating.

I found this old box at the antique co-op for $14.00! The day I went out to Brimfield in September and it was rained out, my friend and I stopped at the co-op and one of the treasures I picked up was this nifty box. And the inside was already painted grey! win-win. I think it worked out pretty well with the cards and notebooks.

I could have sold this dresser a few times over the weekend. It is a looker, but I have put so much work (I'll post a before and after about it at some point) into it that I can't imagine doing it again. I have plans for this dresser so I wouldn't even listen to an offer. Well that's all from over here for today. Time to put my shoulder to the wheel...

Sole Mates - polka dots

2011-11-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

Sole Mates - polka dot top by prettyneatdesigns featuring knit scarves

Good morning! Before 8 AM I had already walked 2 miles and had a cup of coffee. I think this day is going to be very productive. Fingers crossed, anyway. I've been thinking about green shoes for a while now. Ever since I had to toss my green patent ballet flats. It was a sad sad day when those saw the trash. I haven't found a replacement yet, but I like to look for them. Here is an outfit that came together based on polka dot tops and green shoes. Hope your day is A+!

Think about it...

2011-11-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

Source: leloveimage.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Good morning and happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had Open Studios and it was good in lots of ways. I'll try to work up some photos to post later this week. And I am hoping to update the etsy shop this week too. But this work thing frequently disrupts the best laid plans, so I am trying to focus on that quote up there. That is the hardest thing, isn't it? Learning to let go and try not to control so much? I struggle with it daily. But I guess if we could control everything we'd never learn anything. Hope you have a great day! PS, I just finished reading Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott and it was wonderful. I didn't like it quite as much as I liked Rosie, but I loved reading every word. She makes writing seem so easy, and I kind of hate her for that. Intense jealousy over her skill to write so wonderfully and make it seem like, duh! any idiot can do this! In truth, we can't. It is very hard to write. Almost as hard as writing well is finding or making time to write. That too is killer. So enjoy your Monday!

Cheesy Thursday - Never Gonna...

2011-11-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday! Hope your week is going well. Mine is pretty busy so I'm trying to stay focused and git er done.

knit much?

2011-11-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

Source: lionbrand.com via Carrie on Pinterest

I don't know how to knit. But if I did, I would make this afghan. We had a chevron afghan from the late 60's or early 70's and it was in shades of blue with teal. It was super soft and really awesome. And then it was a total disaster from being pulled so much during fights. (we did that as kids. my sister ((the plural sister didn't come until much after our fighting days finally ended)) and brothers and I. we fought. and pretty much annoyed the stuffing out of people because we constantly pulled at that afghan to claim it as "MINE" once and for all. Guess who ended up with it? The garbage man. Because it was pulled apart to basically a pile of yarn and the only person in the house who could knit was too busy with fighting kids to repair it.) I have a thing for replacing things I had as a kid that have positive memories attached. It is kind of a sickness. Do you suffer from this at all? But also, this pattern is very "in" right now and these colors are the bomb. But the knitting bug never bit me. Alas. Hope your Tuesday is feeling radical.

music for monday

2011-10-31T16:45:00.000-04:00

I could listen to American Analog for days on end. Here are two of my favorites. Hope your weekend was positive.

You know what, make it three.

Hello, Friday

2011-10-28T07:55:00.001-04:00

Wow. Friday. Like, finally!! But it would be even better if we could skip the Friday part and go right to the Saturday and Sunday part. I woke up so grumpy this morning because I could not get out of bed. I am seriously so sleep deprived this week that I am a little frightened.

Something about the schedule we've been keeping the last couple of weeks has to change. Is this what getting older feels like? Like if I don't get a nap or at least 6 hours of sleep that I walk around like a zombie? Oh, heck. So anyway, I am going to power through this day and sleep for a very long time. But that won't work either.

OK, here comes the complaining. It is a vicious cycle. Sleep in so that you catch up on your sleep and you end up staying up later that night which means that you will sleep in again the next day and stay up late that night but then SLAM it is Monday morning and you can't sleep late. It just doesn't work. It has to be early to bed early to rise everyday. I can't seem to convince anyone of this, other than Sassy, who doesn't have a boss, so that is why Halloween has come early to our apartment. Two out of three of us are zombies. Minus the makeup and tattered clothes. I hope you have a great weekend planned. Halloween party? Costumes? Note: photos taken last weekend at the Cloisters.

Help Tell Herb & Dorothy's Story

2011-10-26T07:50:00.000-04:00

Have you heard of KICKSTARTER? I'm sure many of you have and many of you haven't. Kickstarter is like a micro loan, or a direct investment in the arts. Creative people post information about their projects and ask people to back their project by making a donation. It is a really simple idea, and totally brilliant. This is a great way to support and encourage creativity. And to help great ideas come to fruition. Remember that post with a link to a video about Vivian Maier I did a while back? The documentary about her was funded through Kickstarter. A lot of people making small (or large) donations to help push the project. Isn't that awesome? Well here is another story that really needs your help. It is about Herb and Dorothy Vogel. Do you know about them? If you don't then you've got to fix that quick! Their story of collecting art is amazing and inspirational. He worked at the Post Office and she was a librarian. And with their modest salaries they amassed one of the most important collections of minimalist art. The documentary Herb & Dorothy (it is available to watch instantly on Netflix) does a much better job of telling their story. And their story is fascinating. Go watch it!! Their collection was so large that the National Gallery couldn't keep all of it. So a plan was developed where 50 pieces of the collection would be given to one museum in each state. I'm not great at math, but even I can figure out that is 2,500 pieces of the collection sprinkled across the U.S. Wow. What does that look like? What museums did it end up in? How did the Vogel collection have an impact on the existing collections of these museums? I have so many questions. And Megumi Sasaki, the documentary filmmaker that created Herb & Dorothy, wants to answer them. But she needs backers. (have you noticed this is my typical way of telling a story, wind & wind with all sorts of detail and then deliver the point right at the end?) So please hop over to her page on Kickstarter and support the project. You can donate as little as $1.00 - that is less than a cup of coffee at almost anywhere that will give you your coffee with one of those cardboard sleeves on the cup. Don't you think this is worth it? She needs to raise more money in 10 days to create the follow up documentary, Herb & Dorothy 50 x 50. Show your support. Oh, and if you can swing a $20.00 donation, you'll get a personal e-mail from Dorothy with some tips on art collecting for beginners. But most importantly, you'll have a hand in helping someone see their creative passion come to life. Don't you want those bragging rights? Click here to go get 'em.

Save the Date - November Open Studios

2011-10-25T11:10:00.000-04:00

What are your plans on November 5 and 6? I hope you are planning to stop by 6 and 20 Vernon Street in Somerville, MA for our fall Open Studios!! From noon to 6 pm you can meet artists and see where they create, and you can start your holiday shopping. There is also a raffle! If your ticket gets pulled you get money to spend on art! How awesome is that?!

Dave has some new paintings and photographs, and a really great bargain table. It is the biggest bargain table he's ever had. I'll be selling stitched holiday cards, quilted Moleskine notebooks, travel bags, and lots of other goodies.

Oh, and this year is extra special because we'll be hosting a guest artist. All the way from Connecticut, Hettle will be setting up a table with her amazing one of a kind, hand dyed pillows, and some infinity scarves. I might be her best customer because they are hard enough to resist over the internet, spending the day with them right in front of me might just prove too difficult. So if you are anywhere near, do stop in and say hello. We'll all be glad you did!

Holy Grail?

2011-10-25T07:51:00.000-04:00

Source: us.asos.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I think I may have just stumbled upon the holy grail of fall footwear. Little.black.boots. pull-on style, low heel that is great for walking, gentle pointy toe so you don't look stubby and your toes don't feel like fried hamburger from all the walking. And under $100 with free shipping and free returns? I'm a beliver!

Monday

2011-10-24T13:01:00.002-04:00

Good afternoon! How was your weekend? We had a great time in NYC. We stayed with family that we hadn't seen in a few years and it was really nice to reconnect with her and hear about what she's been doing. And we stayed in a new area of the city, and I always think it is fun to experience some new terrain. Lots of galleries were visited on Saturday, and we walked the high line. Chances are if you know anybody that was in New York over the weekend, they too walked the high line. It was a neat way to explore that area of the city, but man was it crowded! Sunday we went up to Fort Tryon Park and took a nice walk and visited the Cloisters Museum. I've been trying to get to the Cloisters for years and it just never worked out. The very first time we went to NYC Dave was too nervous to take the subway. The second time I convinced him we could take the bus because the last stop is at the Cloisters. The bus only took change back then and I think it was like $2.50, so we had $5.00 in change, got on the bus, rode for a while and there was some really strong bad odor from a fellow traveler and then all of a sudden Dave jumps up and says, "We're here! Get off the bus!" and started diving through the doors. I could hardly catch him and didn't get a chance to correct him until we were both off the bus. I had been keeping track and I knew we had a LONG way to go. But I think he had reached his boiling point for bus travel that day. And we were out of quarters to try again. We tried a cab and I told him where we wanted to go and he claimed to not know the location or how to get there. We ended up back in the city. But I never gave up and we finally made it there yesterday. It was great. The photo above was taken right outside the museum. And then the work week started again today. It is tough getting out of vacation mode and back into work mode, but it has been done! How was your weekend?

weekend

2011-10-21T07:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! How has your week been? Any big weekend plans? Today is our 16th anniversary (how the heck did that happen?!) and we'll be headed to New York. But first we have to spend some time in the studio. I have to finish up a big (30!) custom order of notebooks and put what feels like the 20th coat of paint on another one of my projects. In reality it is probably more like the 5th coat, but still, that is a lot! The color is a red-orange and it sure takes a lot of paint to get good solid coverage. It is looking pretty good though, so I am excited about it. Once it is all done I'll post some photos.

I'm excited to get to New York, it has been way too long since we were there last. And we are meeting up with one of Dave's cousins, and one of our friends who used to live in DC and now lives in NYC. Very exciting. And...Billy's Bakery! It just seems like a cupcake is in order. Dontcha think? Thanks for agreeing. Have a great weekend!!

Cheesy Thursday

2011-10-20T08:45:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday! The words to this song are certainly cheesy, and slightly (or more than slightly) creepy. (Was anyone else disturbed by the fact that Sweet Caroline was written about Caroline Kennedy, who was only a girl when it was written?) Hope you are having a great week!

Sole Mates - fall weekend

2011-10-19T08:17:00.000-04:00

Sole Mates - fall weekend by prettyneatdesigns featuring straight jeans

Good morning and happy Wednesday! I haven't done a Sole Mates post in a long time! Well here is the remedy to that situation. It is fall, but not quite the typical October weather I've been expecting. In an effort to satisfy my desire to cozy up in jeans and boots, at least digitally anyway, I put together this combo. I kind of wish I had this stuff to wear during Open Studios next month. It looks so comfortable! And I have a bit of a thing for plaid these days. Hope your week is super fantastic. See you tomorrow with some cheese. I still really don't know what can possibly top that 38 Special from last week though. I mean, did you watch the video and listen to the song? It is a pretty awesome song. Cheesy as hell, but definitely something that will get stuck in your head so that before you know it you are rocking out to it in line at the post office. Or maybe that's just me.

Another DIY - zinc topped bookcase

2011-10-18T07:49:00.000-04:00

So remember way back when how I said I had some plans for the two-sided bookcase in the bedroom? And that it involved metal? Well, here it is.

I had the idea of adding zinc to the top of it to give it a more industrial feel. At first I got all kinds of nos from Dave. But then when I pointed out that the counter at the bakery was what I was talking about he changed his tune. Yay! I ordered the zinc sheets and oxidizing solution from rotometals.com. We picked up some adhesive from Home Depot. And then the real fun began. I should clarify that it was fun for me, but Dave did all the work and it wasn't so fun for him.

He was frustrated beyond belief at the soldering step. If I had done the work, there would not have been any soldering. My idea was to overlap the pieces and nail them down since the nails were a big part of the overall look I was trying to achieve. But he was the worker bee, so he got to decide how to do it. I think he made it more difficult than it needed to be, but it sure looks good! I haven't finished styling it yet, but here it is so far.

What do you think? I like the way it turned out and I think we're going to do the same thing to the dresser. Without the soldering. I am still thinking of roughing up the woodwork on the dresser and then using the liming wax. In my mind it is going to look really good. But that is a project for some other time. Seriously, my list of projects is starting to scare even me!

Think about it...

2011-10-17T07:45:00.001-04:00

Today's thought is brought to you by Ira Glass.

Source: mintdesignblog.com via Cindy on Pinterest

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through." — Ira Glass

Well said. How was your weekend? What was fun? BTW, I just pretend that there are people out there, readers, who are carrying on this conversation with me. Oh, well, on Saturday I ... and then on Sunday it was all about... Really? That sounds way fun! I too had a great weekend. Things got done, cookies were baked, plans were made. I hope your week is off to a great start!

Cheesy Thursday - 38 Special

2011-10-13T07:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday! How is your week so far? I've got some super cheese here for you today. This song is awesome. And the video is crazy cheesy. There are two drummers. One is shirtless. The bar scene in this video is the best/worst of cheesy videos. Musicians with frizzy long hair. Arm wrestling. A mechanical bull. It just keeps getting better. You will love it! I actually just voted this cheese of the year. In my opinion there is none cheesier. Supreme cheese.

Wednesday Wish List

2011-10-12T07:30:00.000-04:00

Good morning. How was your yesterday? Today looking just as good? I put together a little wish list of sorts for today. A couple of things that took hold of my heart.

Vintage books. Available at Daydreamers Unite's etsy shop. Did I ever tell you how much I love Southern Literature? Lots. Right now I am reading "Selected Short Stories" by Faulkner. I found it at the library last week and it is keeping me company on the T. I just really like his words. I've read both of these books (and loved them), but these two volumes are so attractive. Don't you just love a book that looks as good as it is? Me too. Me too.

Miniature moveable paper doll by Hollandsworth. Did you play with paper dolls? I can remember cutting out all the clothes with the little tabs and dressing them up. But I also remember being frustrated that they didn't stand on their own and the clothes always fell off. These little paper dolls by Jordan Grace Owens are so cute! I think they would make a cute desk toy, or something fun to pin to a mood board.

Monterey necklace by Le voyage creatif. This simple wooden necklace is modern and elegant and so much fun. I love it. I can think of at least a dozen outfits it would complete. I haven't worn such chunky jewelry in a while, but I think this might be the sort of necklace I'd put on over and over again.

So that's my little wish list for today. What about you? What are you wishing for?

Hello, Tuesday!

2011-10-11T07:04:00.000-04:00

Hello, Tuesday! I am greeting the morning full of hope and good cheer. I had plans for yesterday. Plans that involved setting timers to keep me focused on tackling tasks. Oh, the plans I had! But it all fell apart. The only timer that got set was to keep track of dinner. The big plans for organizing my paperwork did not result in actual work done. Sometimes working from home is too big of a distraction for me because I try to multitask and that just is not all that productive. It is not that I don't get anything done, but just not always the stuff I want / should get done. For example, despite my paperwork plans for yesterday, I did laundry. But that was really to distract me from something else. Sometimes I feel like a victim of some sort of insane time warp - days just seem to disappear. I tear out articles on time management and how to overcome procrastination. I tear out the articles, but I don't make the time to actually read them. Isn't that just pathetic?! So today I am starting out full of hope instead of full of angst from yesterdays lack of success. So it was a no-go yesterday. There is always today.

How was your weekend? Mine was splendid. It was so warm and sunny and in addition to the great weather, my friend was visiting and we took a cooking class at Tavolo in Dorchester. If you are in the Boston area and you haven't eaten at Tavolo then you need to fix that, quick! The atmosphere is nice, the food is even better, and the price is very reasonable. Every Wednesday they do a Pasta Tour at 7 PM that includes 3 courses for $20! Yep, you read that right. Each week the tour focuses on a different region and the courses are influenced by the location. And they do cooking classes! I've gone to several with a couple friends and so I decided to arrange a private one just for this past weekend. It was so awesome! There were 5 of us total and I got to tailor the class to what we were interested in, and it was hands-on, in the kitchen, in an apron. So much fun! But the eating was even better. There is a class on Squash and Pumpkin on October 22, and then in November there is a Turkey/Turketta class. I can't wait. I know this paragraph sounds like someone must be paying me to say all this nice stuff, but they aren't. I gladly pay them for the chance to eat there and take their classes. I have learned so much and seeing just a little bit of what it takes to run a restaurant makes me appreciate a meal out even more.

What about you? What have you been up to? I have a question. Are you having any trouble leaving comments? One person sent me an e-mail saying that they were unable to comment on the blog, and I tried looking into it a bit. It may be an issue with browser upgrades. I switched the format of the commenting because Blogger said it might help with the problem. But if you are trying to leave comments and are having a hard time with it, can you let me know what browser you are using by sending an e-mail to prettyneatdesigns (at) gmail (dot) com? Thanks. I hope your Tuesday makes you feel like a super star!

Cheesy Thursday - Straight Up

2011-10-06T07:52:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday! There are only two days standing between me and a long weekend and I can't wait. But for now let's get cheesy Paula Abdul style. I don't know where this song was playing, but someone it managed to embed itself in both Dave and my brain and we've been quoting little bits of it for days. Be glad you don't live here. We've been annoying each other for like a week. So straight up now tell me...

Wedding Story

2011-10-05T07:26:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Yesterday my friend's wedding was on the super popular wedding blog, Style Me Pretty! Click here to see the post over on their site.

Photo by Dave Robbins via Style Me Pretty

Here is a pretty neat photo of Dave taking a polaroid of the bride and groom. We were planning to give them the polaroid as a first anniversary gift, but when I saw this photo I checked with Megan, and she agrees that the two photos next to each other will look great. I have to dig up the polaroid or else I would have scanned it in and posted it here. I know it is here somewhere, but I can't remember where I put it so I wouldn't lose it. That sometimes happens. I should just keep a notebook where I write all this type of stuff down. Then I probably wouldn't be able to find the notebook.

Megan & Ciaran super 8 wedding highlights from Hello Super 8 on Vimeo.

And the video was shot by Hello Super 8. It was really fun to watch the video being shot. I think this is the perfect type of wedding video. (if you watch the video you can see me and Dave at 3:30)

Photo by Dave Robbins via Style Me Pretty

photo by Dave Robbins via Style Me Pretty

Megan and Ciaran's was such a pretty wedding with so much attention to detail. It reinforced my desire to have a do-over. Now that we are older and sort of have a handle on life, it would be great to have another wedding. To each other, of course. I just think I could put my stamp on it a bit more. In a couple of weeks it will be 16 years. We got the marriage part right, just not the wedding part. Megan and Ciaran, they got both.

white pumpkins

2011-10-04T08:12:00.000-04:00

Source: sandrakleist.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Hello everybody. Today is brought to you by the white pumpkin. I just love them.

Source: habituallychic.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I love them like them a warm pair of socks on a cold night.

Source: bustleevents.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I love them like fresh picked wild raspberries on vanilla ice cream at the cabin.

Source: iheartshabbychic.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I love them like jeans and a sweater with boots and a scarf.

Source: lebutiksofie.blogspot.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I love them like the first bite of a Chocolove dark chocolate with cherries and almonds bar.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I love them like bright orange leaves against a bright blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds.

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I love them like warm cider donuts.

Source: sugarpiefarmhouse.com via Cindy on Pinterest

That's an awful lot of love, huh? Mm hmm.

Think about it...

2011-10-03T07:19:00.000-04:00

"act of kindness" quote print by Breeding Fancy

Good morning! Welcome to Monday. Doesn't it seem like today arrived awfully fast? It was like I blinked and the weekend was over. Poof. Just like that. I already need another weekend. But time management issues aside, this quote is a pretty good one. It is one of the quotes I categorize as "perspective." As in, it is a quote about perspective, as in, put it in perspective and quitcherbitchin. I wish that there was some sort of a "perspective hammer" that would come out of nowhere and hit you over the head. But if there is one, it never seems to hit hard enough to give you perspective automatically, you always have to go back and get hit again. Oh, I am using "you" in place of me. It makes me feel like I might not be alone in this dance. How was your weekend?!

Weekend

2011-09-30T10:31:00.000-04:00

Good morning! I am so excited to have a weekend with nothing going on. It means I can get back to one of my (many) projects and hopefully get it done. Last weekend I had a great time in Chicago and it was really nice to be part of little Jake's baptism. I even have a certificate making my godmotherhood official. The night before we flew home we had dinner with my mom and all of my brothers and sisters and my niece and nephew - that was great! It is hard to get time off around the holidays, so I never get to see them for Thanksgiving or Christmas and it was nice to be together. And no one was fighting, which was also a rare treat!

Do you read the blog Melissa Loves? She has weekly posts where she writes about little things and little moments that made her day. I think it is a nice idea. Here are three little things that made my week. 1. I received a very nice note from a client with a magnet that includes a quote about "women who change the world" and it was such a morale booster. I didn't know I needed one, but it turns out I did. 2. I went to do something and it went exactly as I hoped it would and that almost never happens, so it was awesome. 3. And lastly, I was walking down the street yesterday and I noticed that some of the leaves are starting to turn and I was suddenly full of anticipation for fall. It is nearly 80 today, so sweater weather has not quite arrived, but it is on the way! Hope you have a great weekend!! And Happy Birthday to Bonnie, best M-I-L in the whole world!

Cheesy Thursday - Honey Honey

2011-09-29T07:33:00.000-04:00

Oh, Frida and Agnetha, those outfits are one thing, those shoes another. And the hair. Yes, it looks like it could use a little honey honey. Hope your Thursday is Cheesy!

Chicago is... fill in the blank

2011-09-28T09:24:00.000-04:00

Chicago is...

Let's play a game, shall we? You just fill in your answer after the ellipses. You can write a word, a phrase, a poem, a short story, a novel, whatever you want. I'll go first. Chicago is... complicated. That is the best I can come up with right now because I've got a bunch of bunches of stuff to do. But I'll try to write more later.

Think about it...

2011-09-26T10:19:00.000-04:00

"never say never" scrabble photograph by Poodle Poodles Photography

Good morning and Happy Monday! I am blogging from Chicago. My old home town. Even though I've been a Bostonian for 15 years, I still feel a little like I'm coming home whenever I visit. Because this is where it all happened. That whole life I lived before moving to Boston. Where my family lives, where so many good friends live, where the pre-Boston history is. I can remember thinking that I would never leave Chicago. That I couldn't imagine leaving Chicago. That I didn't want to leave Chicago. Never. But I did.

Saturday night we met up with some friends after they played a pig roast (I know, I know, but the fact that the person organized the event, in their back yard and a neighbor's back yard, with live bands, and an auction for charity was really cool), and we met one of their friends and once he learned that we USED to be from Chicago he posed the question, "If money weren't a factor, where would you want to live, here or there?" I didn't even really have to think about it for more than a second. "There." And I was delighted to hear my friend, who originates in MA, and ended up in Chicago and stayed there, answer the same way. There is something about Boston, about the East Coast, that really energizes me. It kind of made me realize in a funny way that although Chicago still kind of feels like home, and it is has a huge plus factor because of who lives here, it isn't really "home" anymore. At least not in the way I thought it might always stay home. I think in the beginning moving to Boston felt like a temporary move, but now I know it isn't. At least I don't think so. But never say never. Hope you are had a great weekend. We'll be flying back to Boston tomorrow, and as hard as it will be to say goodbye, I am looking forward to being home and settling in to the routine.

I'm starting to show...

2011-09-21T07:22:00.000-04:00

My stress and anxiety that is. Do you have any regularly occurring signs of stress? I have one really annoying one, cold sores. I cannot even begin to express how much I absolutely loathe cold sores. I have been cursed with them for as long as I can remember. My mom gets them, my sisters & brothers get them, it is like it is woven into our DNA just like our crooked little fingers. Many events in my life have a common denominator, big awful cold sores. First law school exam, cold sore. Every other law school exam, cold sore. Law school graduation, cold sore. Flying to Wisconsin for my grandmother's 90th birthday party, cold sore. And now flying to Chicago this weekend to be a godmother, cold sore. All of these things (except for the exams) are really great things, so why do I get so stressed out that I end up with cold sores? I guess I am just a nervous traveler. I don't do well with change and going home is a stressful event because there are SO many people I want to see and I don't have time to see even a fraction of them and every visit is rushed and then I just feel guilty. There is no perfect solution to the problem and I've been dealing with it for the last 15 years but I still struggle with it. every.single.time.

But I get them at other times that don't involve travel, just when I start to feel overwhelmed by work and stuff. Which is going now too. Stupid cold sores. I get so mad at them that I could just knock over a nun. Literally. Well, a little plastic version of one. My friend gave me a nun bowling set, isn't it a hoot?! I'm popping vitamins, smearing on abreva, and just wishin' and hopin' this thing goes away before Sunday. Hope you are having a decent week.

cheater cheater pumpkin eater ... or I was robbed!

2011-09-20T06:48:00.000-04:00

Ok, that might have been slightly dramatic, but here is the story. I received notice from someone on etsy (another user, not the organization) that my photos were being used on a Chinese wholesaler's website. You can click here and again over here to see the evidence. Did you notice that they've plastered their website across MY photos?! I took these photos and posted them to my etsy shop to advertise products that I made. I did not buy these bags wholesale for $1.48 - $1.59 a piece. I was in total shock when this came to my attention. Who would do such a thing?! That was my initial response. Then I became all hot under the collar because it makes me so mad. As far as I know, and it is not like I know everything, but I do know a lot, this is copyright infringement! They are using my photos as their own. You can't do that. My blog footer says that all content is copyright, and these two photos were posted to my flickr account, and each photo includes the copyright symbol and says, "all rights reserved." Oh, and also, you don't have to show the symbol or say it is copyright protected because you get the protection automatically. So where do these little buggers get off using my photos, with the cute shoes, to sell their product?! Have you dealt with anything like this?

Think about it...

2011-09-19T07:34:00.000-04:00

Source: None via Taralee on Pinterest

Good morning and happy Monday! How was your weekend? I had fun. Saturday during South End Open Studios my friend and I were walking near a church in the late afternoon and noticed a van delivering flowers. We thought it looked like a huge arrangement, probably for a wedding. After open studios ended a small group of us grabbed dinner and when we were walking past the same church there were now 4 vans from the florist unloading the flowers. A couple people went to investigate and came back with their arms loaded with white hydrangeas, roses, and zinnias. Enough for about 6 good-sized bouquets. After the wedding all of the flowers from the church were going to be thrown away! What a waste. So free flowers was one of the best parts of the weekend. Another good thing was getting a winter squash in our CSA this weekend. I will probably eat it eventually, but it looks so pretty that I'm enjoying it visually for a while. And let's see, one more good thing from the weekend, we got some good news that family will be visiting for Christmas. We are really excited about that. The quote above, it is a good thing to think about and shouldn't be too hard to do. Just be awesome. Whatever kind of awesome you want. You'll feel better.

week end

2011-09-16T08:59:00.000-04:00

("PND" printing block letters to use as a prop)

Hello! How has your week been? Last week was eventful and this weekend is South End Open Studios, and I really enjoy spending the day going to different studios and being inspired by all that creativity. This year Dave is a guest artist at a Pure Hair Designs at 425 Harrison Avenue (across the street from the SoWa open market).

(the trophy says, "Ladies Night, 10-30-56, Waltz Contest Winners")

So a bit of a recap of last week and last weekend. Last week was a pretty gloomy one with a lot of rain. Like days and days of rain. I was hoping it was going to clear up by the end of the week because it was Brimfield week. So Thursday at a super early hour I drove out there with a friend (she did the driving, just to clear that up), and it was pouring almost the entire way, like heavy downpour where you could hardly see in front of you. But the closer we got to Brimfield the slower and lighter the rain. A good sign. But there was a lot of traffic on Route 20, and I thought it was a bit too early for the amount of traffic. Well, it turns out there were parts of the road that were flooded. Not a good sign. And then we got up to the start of Brimfield and none of the tents were open, there were some tents under water, there were police all over the road, and nothing, not a thing, appeared to be open. May's field was to open that day and instead you could have gone swimming in the field. (I have no idea why you'd want to do that, but you could have). We drove the whole length of the venue and it didn't look like one tent would be open for business. The food court was flooded, there was just water everywhere. Nothing to do but keep driving and head home. Total bummer. But I was a little more upset than I should have been. I was missing that cider donut!

(mercury glass pulls on the closet doors. I need to do some work to

the door and to the pulls to make them look right.)

But I did make it to Brimfield, and it was awesome. I spent the weekend with Gina and we drove over to Brimfield Saturday morning and spent the whole day in the fields. And guess what? There were cider donuts!! The weather was great. A little warm, but at least it was dry. Some of the fields were muddy and some of them had a really nasty odor, but it was a small price to pay to spend the day getting junk drunk at Brimfield. And we went back for more on Sunday! And even with those two days spent in the fields we didn't make it to about 2/3 of them. I picked up a couple of neat things and there are photos of them interspersed throughout this post. But my big purchase was architectural salvage that I am going to incorporate into my living room. I'll just tell you that it weighs a lot and looks really awesome. When the project gets done, which might be this winter, I'll post some good photos then.

watercolors pillow by Hettle

The other best part of last weekend (sadly, the first best part was those cider donuts) was getting a couple Hettle watercolor pillows for the bedroom. They look so awesome. I really really love the color and the dye patterns are gorgeous. They really tie the room together. I'm trying to work on a bedroom post for next week because that project is pretty close to done. Hopefully I can put together a before and after post.

Wednesday (two days ago) I went to the Design * Sponge book signing with my friend Megan. It was at West Elm near Fenway Park. They do a beautiful job displaying their items and making me want to redecorate my entire apartment. And after a bit of a line, there was Grace! She is so cute! And she was wearing a really cool necklace, like a geode slice, really awesome. And there was a photo booth! We kind of messed up the timing of the photos, but it was a really cute extra. Have you read the book? It is full of inspiring photos and projects. I've got tabs all over mine.

(Hettle pillow in the reading nook)

So that was a re-cap of last week and a preview of this weekend. What about you? What have you been up to?

Cheesy Thursday - Raining Men

2011-09-15T08:19:00.000-04:00

Good morning and happy Thursday! It is really grey and dreary outside and there are thunderstorms on the way. If it really does start raining men I hope they fall wearing more than these ridiculous red banana hammocks. The video is quite a literal translation of the lyrics. I don't think it won any awards for innovation, but it would certainly win a gold cheese wheel. Happy day!

Mercury Glass

2011-09-14T07:45:00.001-04:00

Source: browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com via Debbie on Pinterest

I am really admiring mercury glass lately. And I picked up a piece or two or a set at Brimfield last weekend. This post is a teaser of sorts because I haven't taken any photos of the Brimfield booty yet. Maybe by the end of the week.

Source: claytongrayhome.com via Ann on Pinterest

Source: southernliving.com via Debbie on Pinterest

Source: westelm.com via izziella on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Natalie on Pinterest

How is your week going so far?

shoe lust

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-04:00

Source: anthropologie.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Will you get a look at these?! Amazing. Just gorgeous. Hope you have a shoetastic day!

Think about it...

2011-09-12T08:53:00.000-04:00

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Do you get distracted thinking about tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or five years from now? That is exhausting, isn't it? And sometimes when I get stuck in these time warps I get really stressed out and feel completely overwhelmed. And when that happens I sometimes start to shut down a little and feel like I'll just escape for a little bit. And then a little bit might turn into alotabit and then I'm even further behind. And when I start to think of how behind I am I get even more panicked then when I took that first little escape. So, maybe it could all be prevented by trying to stay focused on today. I'm not 100% sure it will make me ultra productive and stress-free, but considering the alternative it is worth a shot! How was your weekend? Mine was really quite fantastic. But more on that later this week. Happy Monday!

Cheesy Friday - Hooked on a Feeling

2011-09-09T07:51:00.000-04:00

A little bit of the Hasselhoff to get the weekend started super cheesy style. Do you remember that annoying dancing baby video? That is a disturbing image that is hard to scrub from memory. Unfortunately, so are some of the shots of Mr. Hasselhoff in this video. Want some motivation to actually watch the video? He dresses up like an Eskimo and pretends to surf on snow. He also "flies" behind a motorcycle while holding onto the handlebars. Oh, and he wears a hat with a cheetah-print band with his safari costume. There are other bits too. It is cheesy. Real cheesy. Hope you have a good weekend!

September (and sale)

2011-09-06T07:31:00.001-04:00

Source: bookshelvesofdoom.tumblr.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

September. Back to Work. Back to School. Back to Books. Do you think of the year in terms of the calendar year or the academic year? Or are you totally crazy and think in terms of some sort of nutty fiscal year? I think in terms of both the calendar year and the academic year. Meaning I am always thinking of projects that I'd like to get done in the summer because for a lot of years it was back to school come the end of August, and with back to school all "extra" time disappeared. It was almost like I looked forward to the end of the school year so that I could get at my summer projects. I am no longer in school and there shouldn't really be a difference between summer and the rest of the year because either way it is work M-F, weekends somewhat free. However, I also think in terms of the calendar year for resolution sort of goals, etc.

But I just always feel like the start of the school year really kicks things off. And in that spirit, I am offering you a super back to school sale on all items in the etsy shop. 50% off! That's right, you only have to pay half price for stuff you'll love to give and get. The super sale code is: septembersale (you might have to type it in ALL CAPS) and you have to enter the discount code when checking out and this is the only only place the discount code is being advertised. Half off notebooks, half off shoe bags, half off laundry bags. I hope you enjoyed the long weekend and are looking forward to the start of it all.

sole mates - weekend edition

2011-09-02T07:36:00.000-04:00

sole mates red flats and striped jacket by prettyneatdesigns featuring flared jeans

Happy Friday! Isn't it great to have a weekend?! I am just delighted. It was a long week, many nights spent agonizing over work stuff and now it is the weekend. All I have to do is get through today and then I can sleep as late as I want tomorrow and Monday is a holiday! Awesome. I put together a little outfit post (using stuff already on polyvore so pay no attention to prices or your eyes might pop out of your head) for a nice fall weekend. It is coming, oh yes it is - the return of jeans and a sweater weather and I can't wait! Have a good weekend!

Cheesy Thursday - boy band edition

2011-09-01T07:19:00.000-04:00

Cheesy Thursday is here yet again! Are you getting sick of this? Well today I was thinking of skipping it because I didn't plan a song in advance and then I woke up on the grumpy side of the bed and I was just not feelin' it. But then I heard this song and it was perfect cheese. And you can get a double dose of cheese today, click here to see the Happy Birthday Emily video posted on Emily Henderson's blog. The end of the video is the best part and you will lol. Her friends hijacked her blog and posted the video, how cute is that?! Hope your day is mmmboppy.

Bag it, tag it...

2011-08-31T07:40:00.003-04:00

Source: anthropologie.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Did you start singing that song? I learned that line in college back in like 1993 and it is the only Phish lyric I know. Quite possibly the only Phish song I've ever heard. But sometimes lyrics come out of nowhere and just start bouncing around my head. But it kind of works because I am noticing that my go to bag for work is looking a little worse for the wear. The lining is starting to come apart, the seams are cracking and splitting, and it is starting to get that look. The "I've been dragged around on the subway for far too long" look. But I love it. The same one is currently for sale on ebay and I thought about buying it again, but it is listed for more than I paid for the original one (I got it on sale and I was getting paid for unused sick days ((why did I leave my corporate job? Right, because I was growing horns during the day and Dave was filing them away at night)) so it was a great price and perfect timing.). So I am on the hunt. It has to be big enough to hold file folders and a bunch of other work crap, but I don't really want it to look like a typical work bag. Here are some options I've found online. Mostly for drooling but not for buying.

Source: hobobags.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: bluefly.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: jcrew.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: hobobags.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Not that I can afford any of these, but which one is your favorite? The last one has been one of my etsy favorites for like 3 years. Oh, remember when this was the "it" bag? There were a lot of these going down the halls of my high school, how about yours?

Color inspiration - lilac

2011-08-30T06:23:00.000-04:00

Source: google.com.au via Alisha on Pinterest

Morning! I've been thinking in color lately. And one color in particular has struck my fancy, lilac.

Source: thegloriouspile.blogspot.com via Sandra on Pinterest

Source: community.thenest.com via Mad on Pinterest

I like it so much that I think I kind of want to bathe in it. Literally.

Source: blissfulb.blogspot.com via Kadie on Pinterest

As in, I think I'm going to paint my bathroom this color.

Source: flickr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I have a grey and white shower curtain and grey towels, so it would be like a room re-do for just the cost of a gallon of paint. Do I need one more project on my plate? Heck, no. But that has never stopped me before! We'll see. Right now I'm still in the thinking phase, no action. But I did tape a paint chip up and I am liking a color called "lilac champagne." I'll keep you posted. Have a nice Tuesday.

Think about it...

2011-08-29T07:29:00.000-04:00

Source: fridgedoor.com via Lindsey on Pinterest

Eh? What do you think about this quote? I sometimes want to post quotes that are silly but probably not appropriate for putting on the blog. If you follow me on pinterest you can see them over there. This one seemed tame and true. I was in major pain over the weekend because I tend to carry all my stress in my neck and shoulders (when I was studying for the bar it got so bad that I couldn't sit without crying and so I started getting massages. It was a game changer. I went once a week for like a month and it was amazing. I don't get them very often anymore because my massage therapist is a new mom but when she can make it happen I make it happen. If you have problems with tension like I do, and make it worse by carrying a ridiculously heavy bag on one shoulder, like I do, then you should explore this as an option. It is amazing. That was a fun little tangent.) and it was from all sorts of pointless worry. Then I just started drinking. I'm totally kidding. If you know me you know that I'm not much of a drinker. Wait, didn't I just post about a champagne tasting at a vineyard? You must think I'm in denial. I'm not. I pinky swear. Anyway, think about the quote above, or think about something better. If you've got something better to think about please share it. I'm all for better.

Oh, how was your weekend? We were spared by Irene. Well, almost. Our phone was pretty much out all day and the internet would come and go. But no trees down right by us and no power outage. We were very lucky because there was a lot of tree damage around the city and so many people without power.

Beach Weekend?

2011-08-26T07:39:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday! How was your week? What was the number one ultimate very best moment? Hmmm, I would have to say that mine was finally getting to the post office to send off a big bag full of packages. I kept meaning to, yet there they sat. That doesn't really sound like a number one ultimate very best moment, does it? Well it was because I felt so productive. And my second best ultimate moment was eating a peach from our CSA that was just out of this world. It was almost as good as a cider donut!

Are you having a beach weekend? "They" are predicting that we'll get hit with a hurricane this weekend. I was told to go to the home improvement store to buy batteries, a generator, and other supplies. Call me crazy, but I am going to ride this one out. I live walking distance from everything. I might end up regretting it, but I am not going to be an alarmist. If I lived in a rural area or on the water, OK, then I would probably take this more seriously. But I am pretty much just thinking a day of wind and rain. Am I dumb for taking this approach? Only time will tell! These are the "before" and "after" photos from horseneck beach. picking up shells and then displaying shells. Except for the super awesome sand dollar (I think it is a sand dollar), that was a gift from my friend Rebekah (of this awesome vintage shop).

Cheesy Thursday - I ran

2011-08-25T07:02:00.000-04:00

Good morning!! Hope your week is going well and you enjoy the cheese. I wish I could have posted the actual video because the second best part of Flock of Seagulls is their hair. Sadly the video could not be embedded. Lawyers. But you'll enjoy the song because I think it is kind of hard not to. Happy Day! PS, no one is willing to share even one item from their bucket list? What's up with that?

Bucket List

2011-08-24T07:13:00.000-04:00

We watched The Bucket List while we were up at the cabin. It got me thinking. And so on the plane back to Boston I drafted one. It is kind of a combination between a bucket list and a wish list. Draft #1. I'm sure it will change. Probably daily if I keep thinking about it. Here it is.

learn to skate better
learn to silk screen
learn Spanish (maybe some French?)
kayak on the Charles river
go to Paris w/ Dave
travel on a scenic train route
learn to weld
drive a vintage muscle car (instead of just always peering inside like that guy in the photo)
bake a pie from scratch, including the crust
take clothing construction classes and learn how to create a pattern, put in darts, and everything else necessary to create a wearable garment
host a farm-to-table dinner party
lead a group trip to Brimfield by bus
learn to can and preserve food
get a beautiful, classy camel coat
find a really great pair of wingtips - not too fancy, more like an awesome men's pair
go to Scotland
go to the Aran Islands
go to the West Coast: Portland, Seattle, San Francisco
write something. short story, essay, memoir, novella, novel. something.

Do you have a bucket list? What's on it? If you don't have one, think about it for a minute. What is one thing that would be on it?

These, please

2011-08-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

Source: anthropologie.com via Cindy on Pinterest

I would like to find these shoes in my closet. I'd like to find them an inch shorter and a lot less expensive. But if they just sort of magically appeared in my closet, which is the only way they are going to end up in there, than maybe I'll magically be able to walk in high high heels and be able to afford the pricey prices. Magic. I could use some of that this week. (and it is only Tuesday! what kind of week can it be if you already need magic by Tuesday?!) Hope you have a super duper day.

Decorate by Holly Becker - book signing event

2011-08-22T08:33:00.000-04:00

Saturday I went to the Decorate book signing event at Anthropologie. All Friday I was stressed about what to wear. I didn't want to wear something that suggested I was trying too hard (even though I obviously was) and I also didn't want to wear something way too casual. I was just wishing it was sweater weather because that is my favorite time of year for dressing. So I was going a little bit batty in my closet trying to come up with something. Looking at all of my clothes with complete disgust. Then I remembered this vintage shirt I bought in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago. It is white, long short sleeve (you know, like an inch or so above the elbow), very thin and super soft with hand embroidering on the front and buttons that look like bakelite. So I tried that on over a grey tank top and jeans and it looked pretty good. And I loved the embroidery on the shirt. OK. outfit crisis over.

I got to Anthropologie in time to buy the book (I had ordered it on Amazon a long time ago and it has been backordered, which is just awesome because it shows how well the book is selling!!) and get a good seat for the mood board demonstration.

Anthropologie did a wonderful job of creating a beautiful and fun setting. They had a table with refreshments and cheery plates and cute glasses (all of which are sold in the store) and the most adorable little bottles of water. Hanging above were tissue and cellophane puffs. It was so inviting and just beautiful.

And then Holly arrived. Talk about style! She just oozes it. And I noticed her shoes right away. Yellow sandals with a slight low wedge heel. I want those shoes!! The whole thing felt sort of surreal. It was kind of how I imagine it would feel to be shoe shopping with Carrie Bradshaw. And Holly was so gracious and posed for photos with people and chatted and was just so genuine.

So then I waited in line and had my book signed and I was nervous giving her my book to sign and having to say my name because you know how I feel about having to say my name aloud. (here's the thing, I've always loathed my name and when I was crying about it once as a kid my parents said I could change it when I got older. It wasn't the last name I had a problem with, although I did change that one. But I think unless you are a celebrity, or in the witness relocation program, people will think you're a bit odd if you change your first name. What do you think about this? If I was changing my name I would pick something with a "l" in it. My favorite names are Eleanor and Ellen and Elizabeth and Helen and Lilly and Violet. I think Elanor and Violet are my most favorite.) And so I got my book signed and found out the location for the lunch. Then I had some time to kill. So I went to the sale section and found a great basic summer cardigan with elbow length sleeves and a slightly cropped look. It was light grey and the buttons had reddish thread. Cute! And affordable. So I bought that but then I still had all this time to kill before lunch and inspired by those amazing shoes Holly was wearing I decided to go try on some shoes. And this is where my day took a turn for the worse. I sat down and leaned forward to tie the shoe and heard my shirt rip.

That beautiful vintage hand embroidered shirt was now a torn mess. I knew the fabric was thin, that was why I wore it, because it was pretty warm out. Well, it turns out it was so thin it tore like a threadbare sheet. I cannot tell you how far my heart sunk. But it was somewhere around my toes. (it wasn't the money, the shirt cost $5.00, but it was the fact that I ruined it the first time I wore it and when I decided to wear it I kept thinking of how much use I was going to get out of it. ((so much so that when I was in the dressing room trying on the sweater, I took a picture of the vintage shirt because I liked it so much)) big fat invisible tears.) And there was no way I could keep it on. And also no way I was having lunch with a group of women I'd never met before in a tank top. Even if I had met them before I don't think I would have had lunch in a tank top. Pretty good thing I bought that sweater!

When I got to the restaurant there were already many people at the table so I grabbed the closet available seat, which was at one end of the long table. I exchanged cards with the women near me, who turned out to be Laura, a writer (and new mom!), of Lolalina and Diana, a scientist and photographer, of D.S.Brennan, and Ellen, an illustrator, of Ellen Crimi-Trent. I also met Monica, an illustrator, of Monica Lee Studios, who is very friendly and very funny. And Rochelle, a writer and landscape designer, of Studio G. Rochelle is launching a new magazine called Leaf. You can subscribe here (it's free!). Such lovely people! I realized I had been admiring Diana's photographs for some time, and recalled reading a story about a hungry bear on Laura's blog. It is so wild to meet the actual women behind their creativity! It was great. Everyone had funny stories to share and it was nice to meet new people. And then Holly arrived and everyone went around and introduced themselves. I didn't get a chance to make my way around the table and meet everyone, so I am looking forward to Holly's post about the event because she mentioned it would include some information about who attended.

I was telling Dave about the event and he didn't realize that it was Decor8 that introduced me to blogs in general and etsy, and just how much more creative my life is because of Holly's blog and her BYW course. He said, wow, you're really lucky to have been at the event and showed your support. He was right I am lucky. And I am really so grateful to Holly for being so accessible and inspirational. It was a treat!

Weekend

2011-08-19T09:39:00.001-04:00

Hello. And happy Friday. I'm quite delighted that the weekend is here. Because it was a long crazy busy week and I really don't want to wake up at 5:00 in the morning tomorrow. And also because tomorrow I am going to Holly Becker's book signing at Anthropologie! It is going to be so neat to meet her in person. Decor8 was the very first blog I started reading. In fact, I didn't even know what a blog was until someone said, you have to go visit this website, you'll love it. They were so right. It was love at first read and I've been hooked ever since. And Decor8 led me to start reading other blogs and eventually start this one. Blogs have provided so much inspiration, and bloggers and blog readers have become such great friends and are so supportive. It might sound nerdy, but I am hugely proud of Holly's success and I really can't wait to not only meet her, but to meet other people like me who are so inspired by her. What are you up to this weekend? Any last minute weekend trips? Back to school shopping? I think it is perfectly fine to do some back to school shopping even when you are no longer in school. Perfectly fine. Whatever you're doing, I hope it is awesome. See you Monday!

Cheesy Thursday ... Endless Summer Nights

2011-08-18T06:25:00.000-04:00

Happy Thursday!! Can you believe it is almost September?! Why, oh why, does summer seem to just fly by so much faster than winter? Wipes tears with back of hand. So a little ditty by Mr. Marx to commiserate.