comfy chair
Leya from Curious Bird is hosting Color Me Pretty: A Week of Color, and I'm playing along. Today's color is green:
I just found out that my Feeling Stitchy interview with Doe-C-Doe was picked up by the Craft blog yesterday. How fun! Yay, Gina!!
Now back to my regularly scheduled weekending....
xoxo
I told you I found the prettiest candy ever.
the packaging reminds me of this vintage wallpaper in my stash:
I found a huge wallpaper sample book at the flea market last summer. I think this piece is my favorite. The collection is called Mod Impressions by Michel, circa 1970. I have many, many plans for all of the lovely pages in the book.
I have to keep the post short and sweet today because I have much to do! Weekend plans include: dinner tonight with six girlfriends and their husbands - we're going out for tapas and we keep calling it our topless dinner because we are hilarious. Tomorrow, I'm going downtown for Artropolis, then out to dinner and then we have tickets to see Margaret Cho at the Chicago Theatre. Sunday is the flea market at 7 am, followed by a matinee performance of Grease at the local high school - four of us girls are bringing two kids each. Whew. I should need a break by Monday morning. Hope your weekend is lovely!
xoxo
Well, hello there! I was so surprised to find this yesterday afternoon:
And since there are so many new visitors here this week (Seriously, say hi!), I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Jessie (sweet, sweet Jessie!), and this here is where I share my misadventures in Craft, Thrifting, Motherhood, and Life. Thanks for popping in. May I interest you in a butterscotch candy?
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I used my free time wisely yesterday and actually got a couple of tablecloth grocery totes finished. This one is already in the shop. More coming soon!
And I guess I better put together a few of those hoop corkboards for those of you without a drywall saw!
So I better be on my way. There's a rummage sale I have to get to this morning. Nothing thrills me like a good rummage sale. Have a great day, lovelies!
xoxo
ps: I'm over at Feeling Stitchy today. Come over and keep me company.
pps: I'm not kidding about the butterscotch. I got the coolest package of candy EVER the other day. If you play nice I'll show it to you tomorrow.
I've been waiting a long time for a day like today: no appointments, no volunteering, no grocery shopping, no dance class, no piano lesson. Just a free day. So I'm going to sit home and sort buttons and sew.
I have exactly four hours before I have to pick up the boy from Kindy-garten.
Ready, Set, Go!
xoxo
ps: A warm welcome to all of you who are visiting from Decor8. Thanks for popping in (and thanks to you, Holly!). Please don't be shy - say hello!
pps: I've gotten a few emails about the grocery totes. I will be making some for the Etsy shop. Hold tight and I'll let you know when they're ready. Thanks for your interest!
ppss: Don't miss my Stitchy Woman interview tomorrow over at Feeling Stitchy. This week, I'm interviewing the lovely G from Doe-C-Doe.
Now I'm done. Really.
We do not collect gray water, or have a compost pile in the yard (though we're thinking about it). We do not have a worm bin in the kitchen or have low-flow toilets. There is not a Whole Foods within 25 miles of my house, and as much as I love my pink bike, we still drive everywhere. And not in a hybrid, either, but a minivan.
Welcome to the suburbs.
We do, however: recycle with fervor, use energy efficient lightbulbs, use "green" cleaning products, and possess a good amount of spending power. Which is why Big Green Purse is on my reading list this month.
Because I'm not the eco-mom of the year. But at least I'm doing something. Happy Earth Day.
xoxo
Whew. Since we last spoke, I have:
I wanted to post this a couple of days ago, but I got lost. Meaning: In the last week, I have watched 12 episodes of Lost. Oh, it's good.
I knew I wanted to start watching the series, but I've never seen it before, and I knew I needed to start from the beginning. So I got myself a Netflix account and added every single episode to my queue.
I think you can watch it directly from the abc website, but then you'd have to watch commercials and it would take FOR.EV.ER - which is why my heart now belongs to Netflix.
Each season comes on something like 6 discs, with 4 episodes per disc. So obviously I have some serious work to do.
So that explains my whereabouts, but I still wanted to show you this:
It's the tote bag that Candace sent me as part of a little swap we did. Isn't it the cutest thing ever? I love it.
She also sent me some great vintage embroidery pieces from Amway (this great mushroom and an adorable owlie) and a couple of back issues of some great magazines. Even her little hang tags are cute. If you want to go get some of your own Sparkle Power goodness, go check out Candace's etsy shop.
xoxo
A few months ago, I went went thrifting way way way up north and found all of these great wool sweaters. I thought I would felt them and make a baby blanket out of them for my shop.
Then I thought, I don't need to make any more random stuff to sell (truth be told, no one really buys my handmade stuff anyway!). I'll make myself a picnic blanket. Did you know wool naturally repels moisture? It would make a great picnic blanket.
But then I didn't do that, either. And the sweaters sat in a drawer in my studio.
And sometimes something happens and you know that it was meant to happen and that's why you waited for it, even though you didn't know you were waiting for anything.
Because my mom called and told me about this organization she's working with. It's a Minnesota foundation called Cornerstone, and it serves to 1) prevent and 2) support those affected by domestic abuse. My mom is working on a fundraiser with them right now called Project Little Lambs, and they are trying to collect 200 handmade afghans for children who are living in Cornerstone's protective housing; Children who may have left their homes in the middle of the night wearing only their jammies and could really use something to snuggle with. It breaks my heart.
And so even though I don't knit, I can make a soft handmade blanket to donate to a really good cause.
If you are interested in participating, you can download instructions on how to proceed here, or click on the little lamb icon in my sidebar. Thank you for even considering it.
xoxo
... My perfect dinner party guest list (this weeks theme selected by Lily and Agathe):
Hmmm... This was much harder than I expected. I mulled it over for a bit today, and then asked my husband who he would invite to his perfect dinner party (limit of six guests, not including himself or ME!!!). Jack immediately came up with his list: Teddy Roosevelt, Al Pacino, Colonel Patton, Robin Williams, Ernest Hemingway, and John Adams.
My husband and I have very different interests.
But this is MY PARTY and this is who I'VE come up with:
Dorothy Parker, Ira Glass , David Sedaris, those two guys from Flight of the Conchords (thank you miss Three Buttons for the idea), and Annie Leibowitz.
I would also really love to invite Gertrude Stein, Diane Arbus, Peggy Guggenheim and Sylvia Plath (What?!? I could always set up the card table!!!).
We would laugh and chat and drink too many cocktails (maybe Absinthe if some of those ladies had their way) and end up ordering a pizza because I would ruin the dinner. Unless I had it catered in which case we would have my usual catered fare:
ensalata alla francesca, bruschetta, spinach ravioli, and tiramisu (all from here).
I would probably play the soundtracks from Amelie and Chocolat as background music (unless someone - not me- could play my piano), and I would have very pretty flowers in the center of the table. And there would be placecards (obviously), and lovely little favors at each place setting (because one does what one has to do). And after dessert Annie would take our pictures for the cover of Vogue.
And that would be my perfect little dinner party.
xoxo
Good morning, lovelies!
I'm so very excited to announce that my first ever interview is up over on Feeling Stitchy! Go check it out.
xoxo
Confidential to Candace in Ohio (I've always wanted to do that, just like Dear Abby used to do) - these are the tea towels I made for our little swap - I hope you like them! I mailed them out on Monday.
PS:
Heather (from today's Stitchy Woman interview) was concerned that since I'm hosting the interviews, that I'd never get to answer my own questions. So she turned the tables on me, and posted my interview on her blog this afternoon. Just in case you're interested...
I commandeered my good friend Elorie's blog this morning. So I'm hiding out today, afraid of the smack-down I've got coming. And doing a little laundry.
xoxo
Well I hadn't wanted to jinx myself or anything, so I tried to keep mum.
But now I guess I can tell you that a few of my projects are going to be featured in a book published by Lark titled Sweet Booties! 
I've been biting my nails for months now, waiting for a dreaded email that never came. At first I thought they wouldn't accept my submissions. Then when they did, I thought they might not accept my samples. And then I thought that since they accepted so many of my submissions, that they must not have had many designers contributing to the project, so I guessed the book wouldn't ever actually be published. And then I thought maybe they wouldn't like the tutorials I wrote (I had no idea how hard it was {or, um... tedious} to write out directions like that).
But the other shoe never dropped, and I received a nice check from them just the other day for all five of the projects I sent them! So I guess it's practically official now.
Included in the book will be (or should be, anyhow): a patchwork baby quilt, an embroidered baby blankie, soft fabric blocks, baby burpies, and a quilted patchwork bib. All of the projects are currently on location in North Carolina for their close-ups, and will then be returned to me. And I'm so excited to see the book next January!
So what will I find to worry about next?
xoxo
... Spending so much time blogging that I don't have time to make pretty things to blog about.
I'm working, working, working today.
xoxo
I'm playing along with all sorts of lovelies in This is..... hosted by three buttons. Every week, a different gal is asked to choose the theme, and then we post our pictures on that topic.
Technically, we post on Sunday, but since Three Buttons is on Australia time, I better start posting on Saturdays instead. It's already Monday morning there now.
Anyways, here's this week's topic:
This is my knick knack/jewelry box:
So, you see, I don't use a jewelry box. My "real" jewelry is on me at all times, and the fun stuff is so pretty to look at that I like to have it out on display. I've been collecting these dishes and sugar bowls in this great mustardy yellow color and just recently started using them for all of my pretty baubles. I actually just picked up the deer planter at a flea market this very morning (two dollars, thank you very much)!
xoxo
I love the reaction I get when I'm out the world with my embroidery. It never fails, for example, that while waiting for a doctor's appointment, an older lady will walk past me, do a double-take, and circle back around to talk to me about what I'm working on. They say "You just don't see people embroidering anymore." I smile and nod and tell them about the resurgence of stitchy-minded gals. They tell me "My mom used to embroider things like that when I was just a little girl". I say that I collect, (and am using) vintage patterns, probably the same ones their mothers used. And they smile and remember.
I love the sweet nostalgia evoked by the vintage patterns I use. I love that there are so many stitchers out there willing to share their treasured patterns with the Hoop Love group - (thank you, Floresita for cataloguing all of them!) - after all, they're not always easy to come across, not always inexpensive, and they don't clean up and digitize themselves. There's stitchy love being shared out there.
And with that...
I'm super super excited to tell you that I'm going to be one of the new contributors to Feeling Stitchy (the blog that accompanies the Flickr Embroidery Group)!! Starting next Thursday, I will be sharing all sorts of stitchy goodness over there on a semi-regular basis (as often as once a week). I would really like to focus on interviewing other stitchers (Thank you again, Floresita for the opportunity to do so!), as well as highlight other fun and/or unique embroidery tips and tutorials and links and photos and projects and patterns. And If you're willing, I sure could use a little help getting started.
Here's what I need:
volunteers (or suggested names) to be interviewed about stitchy things, as well as other random bits of life; a few questions you'd like to see in the interviews; your thoughts as to whether the interview questions should always remain the same, or change depending on the interviewee (I personally kind of like to see how many different people answer the same question); and then I need to you periodically send me fun stuff/tips/links/photos/projects/patterns to write about over there.
I can't wait to hear your suggestions!
xoxo
I was at the grocery store with the perfect cart of groceries today: green, leafy vegetables; fresh berries; organic milk; potted herbs - the kind of cart I want to be pushing when I run into a mom from the FSP (that's our Family School Partnership, like a PTA). The kind of cart that is so full of good-for-you that it even smells good. I had a decent outfit on (not my pajamas) and (gasp!) MAKEUP! But I didn't run into anyone today.
Not like the time when I was in some sort of horrible getup and my hair looked bad and all I had in my cart were some Cheetos and a couple bottles of wine. That's when I ran into another mom (who I'm now chairing a committee with, by the way) from the FSP. And while I could tell she was really trying to make eye contact with me while we exchanged pleasantries, her eyes defied her as they kept wandering to the contents of my cart. I bet I even had an US Weekly in there somewhere. She couldn't help herself. She had no chance.
Other highlights from my day (oh, the minutiae!) included taking my SEVEN year old to the orthodontist (poor thing!) and to gymnastics; working on some sweet little things for a private swap with this fine lady; getting together a few handmade goodies to send out for the Pay it Forward exchange; and doing a little behind the scenes work on something I'm really excited about and will announce later this week (maybe as soon as tomorrow!).
Oh, and I also took a little field trip over to our rental property with my husband and ran smack-dab into the somewhat anonymous processors our lawyer hired to evict our non-paying tennant. We had to show ID to prove we were us (the ones they were working for), and not the guy they were trying to serve! That was some good fun. Being a landlord is not.
xoxo
I've never seen the movie Pay it Forward, but I think I get the concept. And it's one I like.
I like to think that if I smile at someone or hold the door open for them, that it makes them feel good and hope that they'll do the same for the next person.
I like to think that even a small gesture, a small kindness, can alter the course of a person's day, which then alters the course of many people's day.
.
So when I saw Sugarbug's post about participating in a handmade Pay it Forward, I knew I had to join in.
Here's the dilly, yo:
I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 lovelies that comment on this post with a request to join in on the fun. They will send me nothing. But to participate, you must swear on your life that you will pay it forward by posting the same request on your own blog, and send three handmade gifts out into the world, asking that those recipients do the same, thus expanding the circle of smiling faces.
So are you in?
xoxo
Edit:
Sold out! Sweetcheese, Sondra, and Roseanne are participating in Pay it Forward. Check out their blogs for three more chances to win handmade goodies (they promised they'd do it!!!)
