| BIG SKY STARLET |

QUARTERLY REPORT

2009-03-01T13:30:00.002-05:00

When I was writing the year in review, I realized that I was having a pretty hard time remembering what the hell I was up to 12 months ago. Which may be sign of a bigger problem, but in any case, makes me want to write stuff down more. Anyway.

So things have been going pretty okay. The 4-10's schedule has absolutely changed my life. I feel like I actually get to decompress. AND do the dishes.

Because of the extended weekends, we are going out to do stuff more often, like just spend the day out and about, go to a movie on Friday night, go out for drinks. And it's exausting. But fun.

Also, I went 4 weeks without doing any laundry. Thank god I have a lot of clothes. And plenty of underwear.

I've been living by a 'Wear it or GET RID OF IT' policy, and it's helped with the stuffed closet. Also, lets be honest here, the compliments have been lovely. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm shallow like that. (Hhhheeeeyyyyy.) But now, like NOW people, I'm ready to fill the 'ol closet back up.

I had been wondering how the lifestyle industries were going to react to the new normal that we've all been dealing with. Apparently, they've decided to only offer things that I lust over and dream of and REALLY REALLY REALLY want to take home.

Well played, merchants of the world, well played indeed.

So the going out to do things bit. B took me to do Disney 'his way', which involved tasty food and slow walking. He took me to have coffee at the coffee bar at the Poli, which has a great little 'bar' area looking out at the fountains and the monorail stop. Nice. Then, a yummers sandwich lunch at the Magic Kingdom, followed by me wanting to kill a small child (or myself at the end of it) so we took tea at the Grand Floridian, and wiled away the afternoon writing a Lifetime Movie of the Week plot for our server's backstory. Good times.

Been meeting the peeps for drinks, or burgers or even just to shoot the breeze and it's been pretty fun.

Just a regular Tuesday night. With a GIANT beer.

Went to Miami for work, managed to make it through without out throwing up, getting a migraine, or both, which is good for me. There's a first time for everything I guess.

Ahhh, Miami. Pretty people, pretty buildings. Tried to get the guys to just leave me at Lincoln Road for the day, but more reasonable heads prevailed.

I've been working through some personal goals at work, namely to actually design more and type less. It's a bit rocky, but good. And let me tell you drawing a 2 point perspective is NOTHING like riding a bike. I'm ~~a little~~ really rusty. But I bought an actual sketchbook, and have managed to actually draw in it (twice), not just take notes. Baby steps, people.

Been doing a bit of work on the side, as well. The Winner has a new title, and (officially) her own office now, so I did a bit of a renovation on it. It turned out lovely, but I just hope it's not so nice that she never comes home...

BEFORE
(Sort of. Just imagine 2 of these cubicles in the room below.)

AFTER
(The people she works with lost their shit a bit over the new digs, and she is no longer on the waiting list for new 'office' furniture. Her boss said she didn't need it. We did TOO good of a job.)

In other news, I've been cooking like a fiend, and have finally, 6 weeks into the year, reached a plateau in my desire to put home-cooked food on the table. We've had pasta and sauce, and homemade pizza 3 times in 3 weeks. Gouloush is this weeks meal du jour. The epitome of lazy, but still yum. I guess that's February for ya. But I'll be making scratch clam chowder for the first time this evening, so it's not all bad. We'll see how that goes.

The weather has been just downright stupid, which is why, on March 1st, I'm making homemade soup, and sitting here in the living room with flannel pants, angora socks and a fleece blanket wrapped around my shoulders. Two mere nights ago, we were enjoying the back porch at Bahama Breeze, and it was not too chilly at all. What's up with that Mother Nature? Hmmmm? Really. Can we just pick something and stick with it for more than 3 days already.

All of this 'cold' weather has allowed me the joy of purchasing and wearing my new favorite ridiculous at home outfit accessory: leg sweaters.

No I am not kidding. Grey Cable-Knit Thigh-high Socks. FABULOUS I tell ya.

And that's all the news that's fit to print. Later, gators.

TWENTY-FIVE THINGS

2009-01-30T19:32:00.107-05:00

1. I love the color red, but sometimes feel like a tool for having one of everything I own be red.

2. My day is not complete without at least one cup of tea. Or 9. Even in August.

3. I'm afraid of getting old, and that my body and mind will fail me. It's already starting.

4. My inability to be understood because of the way I talk is my single biggest frustration. I hate having to repeat myself, but my tongue and lips just don't do what my brain is telling them all the time.

5. I LOVE fixing things. Chairs, finances, complicated design quandries, whatever ya got.

6. Cooking is not only relaxing, but fulfilling to me.

7. I marvel everyday at how I ended up where I am, doing what I'm doing.

8. Should I have a choice, I think my last meal would be a properly cooked (med-rare), western steak with raw horseradish on the side, with a GIANT Idaho baked potato with all the fixin's, and a crispy fresh salad with homemade creamy dressing. And the OG's chocolate lasagna as a closer. But the last bite would be steak.

9. On that note, my life is a carefully balanced tightrope act of proper digestion.

10. I am a consumate, passionate list maker.

11. I am happiest when strategizing and planning things, and most nights use this as a tactic to fall asleep.

12. I still play dress-up.

13. I am very compassionate, but often don't know how to react to drama around me, so I sorta shut down, and while it may seem that I am insensitive when that happens, it's just me trying not to make the situation worse by saying the wrong thing or doing something to make people feel uncomfortable.

14. My daily commute has become a treasured time to me. I do my best thinking as I'm passing slow-ass tourists on their way back from the space center.

15. I worry about what I'll do when the ideas in my head dry up and they're aren't any left.

16. Sometimes in the morning, the clouds that hang onto the coastline during the sunrise trick me into thinking that they are mountains, which makes me almost weep with homesickness.

17. I can sing. Quite well. I can also play the piano, the cello and the violin. Less well.

18. I wish I had learned to flirt about 15 years earlier than I did.

19. I love the smell of the inside center of a book. Old or new, it's intoxicating to me. And I can usually tell what magazine I'm holding just by how the combination of paper and ink smells.

20. I find the human race and how we react (and reacted) to our lives endlessly fascinating.

21. I'd be happy to celebrate something everyday. Especially if there is champagne involved. Or bourbon.

22. As much as I should probably start spending more money on my clothes and grooming (because it DOES make a difference, especially when you're female and in the industry I work in) I still have a hard time spending more than $20 on any one thing. But I work those $20 things, baby.

23. I truly feel that if I should magically end up going back in time (post Iron Age), I could handle it and not be dead within 2 days.

24. I often wonder if I will ever let myself have children, biological or adopted.

25. My favorite words include but are not limited to: hubris, mileau, accoutrement, panache, harbinger, halcyon, plethora, hullabaloo, kismet, zeitgeist, daffodil, and mellifluous.

5 THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY

2009-01-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

1. I had a waffle from First Watch. More importantly, I had a TAKE-OUT waffle from First Watch. Dammit they are so good.

2. I slept in until like 10:30. Glorious sleep...

3. I made and added a big sky starlet tumblr widget to the old bloggy-blog. Widgetbox is a great little set-up and super to use. I only wish I could wax the rounded corners...

4. I got to hang out with the Winner this afternoon which hasn't happened in like 2 weeks. We made tomato soup, grilled cheese and caught up on some tv. Sidenote: what the hell has happened to Gossip Girl anyway? I miss the first season...it's all a bit heavy now.

5. Talked to Mi Madre completely out of the blue this morning. She called and all three of us happened to be home, sitting in the living room, which is a rare occurance round these parts.

TOP DISCOVERIES OF 2008

2008-12-30T12:06:00.002-05:00

In no particular order:

Europe.

The Internet. (I'm only kidding a little here.)

The Selby because I love seeing how people truly live, without a stylist.

Desire to Inspire because having it all in one place is fantastic, and this page is truly inspiring.

Fashion Individualists. Jane. Karla. Scott. People living in Japan. Denizens of FashionLand.

Our bedroom. And not for the reason you may think, you filthy things. Once I got the magazine archives fixed and cleaned up, and added some nice lighting, you acutally want to spend time in there, and now we do. It's nice to use the entire apartment.

Louise Nevelson. The exhibit at CFAM jumpstarted a new personal style direction for me. It just flipped a switch for me, and all of a sudden, everything I was drawn to started to make sense. I just wanted to sit in that gallery for a week, surrounded by her giant, anthracite colored pieces.

Tumblr. OMG Tumblr, I love you. It is just so easy to keep it all in one place. I only wish I could figure out how to use it on my phone.

Twitter. Cause sometimes life is too random to blog. And I can do it from the phone.

Red hair. Being a redhead is fun, but a lot more work.

Going to the theater to see a movie. I never really want to go, but I always enjoy myself once I get there. I love the sound of the projector, and always look up to see the dust in the light during the movie. It's the little things.

That I can cook during the week. Thanks to fresh pasta, pre-cut veg, Archer Farms meals in a box, frozen skillet meals, and 10 minute fresh baked baguettes. With a salad.

That an iPhone really does live up to the hype. Ah. May. Zing.

And finally, a rhythm. Life finally started to gel a bit this year.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

2008-12-29T15:18:00.002-05:00

January: Did I mention I got to go to Germany this year? Oh, well I did. First time overseas, and it was excellent, particularly because the company paid for it. It was truly amazing, and has instilled in me a deep seeded need to experience those the European lifestyle. I really, really want to go back. It might sound stupid, but IKEA is the closest thing in Orlando that I've found to being in Germany. Especially the restaurant. There's just something about it that feels right...

February: As her life coaches, we helped The Winner finally get a car of her very own. Although I miss her scooter, too, sometimes. Also helped her recover from a tonsilectemy. Which was very interesting to say the least.

March: Hmmm. March. I don't recall.... is this when I decided to narrow down the seven colors of hair on my head and finally became purely a redhead?

April: I turned 30. The age I've always been, really. Finally feeling more comfortable in my own skin. STILL working too much and not playing enough.

May: Work. Work. Work. Work.

June: Work. Work. Work. Work. Recession hitting a bit close to home, but impact still managable. Had no idea it would get much, much scarier.

July: B and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary. And I re-entered civilization when he gave me the best gift ever, a laptop Seriously, it's like having my head screwed back on correctly. I didn't realize how much I missed the daily food of the internet.

August: Got to enjoy the hazy days of summer with Tropical Storm Fay. Jesus, what a mess that was. And a little scary.

September: VERY BUSY. Took a day to go see (and meet!) the greatest chefs in the world compete and judge the American Bocuse d'Or, conveniently held at EPCOT where we were able to enjoy free Champagne and Fois Gras thanks to B's press pass.

October: It didn't really seem like fall this year. FINALLY started to hit a comfortable stride between work and life, and figured out how to actually cook dinner at home a few nights a week. Halloween came and went, with sadly, no costumes this year.

November: Hardest month just about ever. The first week was truly amazing, with the election, and getting to go to Louisiana to see Steve & Lindsey get married, and enjoying hanging out with both her and our family and friends. And the moonshine. It was extremely good times. The next week, not so much. Recession hit VERY VERY VERY close to home. Teammates, good friends were let go. The survivors were walking around shell shocked, most were actually too choked to up speak. I barely remember what I worked on that week. People I never thought I'd see cry broke down in the middle of a meetings that first week. It was just shock and horror all around for 10 days. And then I got laid off for a week.

December: Quiet, nose to the grindstone work for the first 10 days of the month. Got a lot done, which is a nice way to start the new year. Decided to have a little shin-dig in lieu of shopping for everybody. There were tiny hamburgers, and it was good time. Then another week of being laid off, and now two weeks of yearly shutdown/ vacation. Baking, cooking, being a domestic goddess again. Had a good, if low-key, Christmas, and looking forward to New Years.
__________________

I've spent a lot of time (cause I have a lot of time) just being thankful for what we've got. When I feel the need to shop, I clean and re-organize something. I keep wondering if this country and the majority of people living in it truly realize what is about to hit them? Do they understand that not being able to afford a daily coffee is going to be the least of their worries? Does my generation really understand what it takes to make ends meet when you have nothing? Do they know what it's like to eat nothing but rice and tuna for weeks on end?

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm thankful for all we went through in the years before I had a job, all the budgeting and learning cheap, tasty cooking and learning how to take care of our selves without it being just awfully depressing. How to have fun and do things for free. For the time being I'm thankful that we only have us to take care of. I can't imagine going through this again if we had kids. But, we're trying to lay a smarter course now (probably should have done that sooner...), so this won't be too insane. Who knows what the next year will bring. This one was a bit of a doozy.

Coming up next: Ironing, New Years and Jury Duty. Then back to work.

Talk to you next year! When there will be less working (hopefully not by force) and more playing.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-24T14:13:00.000-05:00

(Siddie and Bob Wirth dressed an LCM as Santa Claus in their handmade christmas card. Sent to Charles & Ray Eames in 1948. Part of the deep and rich Eames Collection at the Library of Congress. Via The Mid-Century Modernist, Via the inimitable Reference Library.

Happy Holidays, guys.

A PERFECTLY LOVELY DAY

2008-12-19T11:16:00.005-05:00

B had yesterday off, which happens to be his only entire day off (that is not a holiday of some sort) for the entire time I am off. So it was our one and only chance to spend some time together, by ourselves, for the rest of the year. It's unusual that we go and do things alone together. We always seem to be with friends or family, which is perfectly nice, but sometimes it's nice to just be able to be ourselves and be geeks about food and art and not have to worry about making sure everybody is having a good time and is okay.

So we went to lunch at The Ravenous Pig, which we had never tried, and therein I ate the last salad I may ever need. It had roasted cauliflower, fingerling potatoes (which are just SO CUTE) and tiny roasted green beans on wilted radicchio with a mustard vinaigrette. And then they put steak on top. Seriously. YUM.

B had a big 'ol blody burger with HOMEMADE PICKLES on top. Are you kidding me? Who takes the time to make pickles anymore? The Ravenous Pig, that's who! And then we had their 'Pig Tail' desert, which is deep fried pastry with in house chocolate sauce.

It was majorly good. Major. We must return to eat everything they make.

So then we went to our quarterly viewing of the exhibits at the Cornell at Rollins. They had a great Josef Albers exhibit, which made me think of color theory class in college, and then I got an overwhelming urge to color-match some different parts of something. (I guess I'm missing work a little...) CFAM always has interesting shows, and always a good mix of shows. We need to become members.

And then B took me to the Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar. Which was pretty laid back and awesome, and makes a decent cup of coffee. It is also where they have sci-fi tv viewings (Lost, Heroes, et al), which I can see would be a good time. Comfy sofas, and whatever they were making for the dinner special smelled delish. It just had a good vibe. I was wishing I had brought my computer. I might have stayed for the dinner.

And it's right next door to Beefy King. Next time...

I have to say, it was REALLY nice to visit some independent places. We get so lazy about just going somewhere 'cause its convienent, and not necessarily because its great. Or even good, really. We need to make our limited dollaz count these days. And support the locals.

MY AESTHETIC REPRESENTATION

2008-12-04T19:28:00.000-05:00

We were asked to find an image of something that most represented our aesthetic. This is what I chose. It's a photo by Julius Schulman, first published in LIFE magazine in 1950.

It has just about everything I not only love, but regularly work into my designs: blocks, woodgrain, grey, red, books, metal, fabulous 50's hair, clothes and makeup, alcohol.

You know, the basics. I really love this image. I printed it out this morning and the more I looked at it, the more I loved it.

Fabulous.

MMMMMMM...CUPCAKES

2008-11-17T19:32:00.003-05:00

Just ran across this amazing little site, and all of a sudden I feel the need to ~~eat~~ bake pretty little cupcakes: Bake it Pretty!

Look Look Look!

Pretty Striped Cups!

Pretty Flower Cups!

Little Deer Toppers!

Beer Can Toppers! Wait.

They've also got some badass candy molds:

Mmmmm...bacon...

Annnnnddd, a boombox.

Okay, so it might not all be pretty, but it's all pretty awesome.

No really, now I need a cupcake. Like, now.

5 THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY

2008-11-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

1. I spent time to myself, but felt a bit off about it? Which is weird for me. Usually, I'm pretty selfish about Saturdays alone, but I feel like I'm just on pause until Monday when I get back to work. Not. Good. I just feel like there's something more important I should be doing?

2. I baked muffins for breakfast. I like baking. Especially when in takes exactly 3 seconds to mix milk into a premixed package. I like muffins, too, so win-win.

3 Since funds are slim for new clothes, I actually cleaned my closet and dressing area: put the shoes back on their rack, folded all the scarves, hung up the belts and put everything back on hangers. It was a bit of a wreck. Now it's like my own little boutique again, filled with things I love and can't wait to wear.
4. I walked through IKEA, but in the opposite direction. When I've already read a magazine too many times, I flip through it back to front, and always notice new things. Amazingly, it works with IKEA, too.

5. I ate waaaaaay too many Tiny Brownie Bites, or whatever they're called. I shouldn't be left home alone for more than 12 hours at a time. Certainly when there are brownie-like munchies in the house.

ME AND THE FAM

2008-10-31T17:23:00.000-04:00

And my new favorite toy: Poladroid

Which I inadvertantly managed to download in french. Ces't la vie.

ARE THEY IN MY HEAD?

2008-10-27T19:40:00.000-04:00

Seriously. November Domino. SO GREAT. Back when House & Garden folded, I didn't think that any shelter mag would really take the place of instant inspiration for me, but Domino is really stepping it up lately, and with the new art direction this month, I'm weak with ideas...it's like they know exactly what's turning me one right now.

And I know that these have been ALL over the internet, but they are just so great:

Exhibit A:

Aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnndd B:

C is for CRAZY FABULOUS:

And in conclusion:

SHAZAAM! BRILLIANT!

COZY IN MY HOUSE.

2008-10-24T16:15:00.000-04:00

I just spent the last hour listening to this, mesmerized:

House on Loon Lake

Absolutely UH.MAY.ZING. Seriously, it's worth listening to, and make sure you listen all the way to the end...WOW.

So it's raining out, I've got the windows open, the house is (relatively) clean, and I'm able to spend the day just relaxing on the couch reading some magazines. And listening to radio shows.

Life is good. Just wanted to share.

WIFW - OCTOBER

2008-10-05T14:30:00.007-04:00

So I've been ready to post this for like 3 weeks. No really, I'm not joshin' ya. But it's taken me that long to be able to access the stupid-ass web server.

But it works now! So yay!

Anyhoo. Click on the little to get the big.

Top, L to R: Ruched Shift Dress at gap.com - you go on with your bad self Mr. Robinson...nicely done; Briar Chair in Red at CB2.com - TOTALLY digging the modern/traditional american style right now, a little shaker, a little colonial, a lot fabulous; utensil trio necklaces by Emily Elizabeth jewelry at chocosho.com - this tiny silverwear is SO CUTE!
Row 2, L to R: artecnica tatu coffee table at velocityartanddesign.com - great color and love the wire which makes the form visually lighter, so nice; Paul McCobb cabinet at 1stdibs.com - I should NEVER have let myself log into this site...so many amazing things, love the legs and the two-toning on this cabinet; Charmor side plate at IKEA - this is vaguely reminiscent of paper plates to me, I just love it...
Row 3, L to R: Adina gold ring at pinkmascara.com - I'm drawn to the unevenness of the circular shape, so simple and elegant; Axel stool at CB2.com - they're killing it for me right now (or as they say in the 'Zoe Camp'..."Shutting it down") I seriously want just about everything currently on the site; teakwood wall mirror at anthropologie.com - by obesession with wood is a bit cliched, I know, but I'll love wood and woodgrain until the end of time, no matter if it's jumped the shark or not...
Row 4, L to R: Franco Sarto 'Bundt' leather riding boot in black at nordstrom.com - NEED THESE IMMEDIATELY; Devi Kroell crystal wooden clutch at net-a-porter.com - ridiculous, insane, amazing; Lagra spotlight at IKEA - just about the best looking clip lamp I've seen, and it's only 3 bucks so win-win
Row 5, L to R: Chiroptera booties at anthropologie.com - these are weird...just, weird, but I need them on my feet post haste; sommelier wine glasses by maxim velokovsky at aplusrstore.com - great little site, these glasses make me chuckle; abby computer metallic leather computer sleeve by lauren merken - there are NO cute computer bags / sleeves out there, I finally just went all craft-store on the cheap, ugly one I bought at Target but this one doesn't need anything at all
Row 6, L to R: faceted table lamp at west elm - OB to the SESSED with faceted forms right now - to DIE; vallie red patent flats by Mossimo at Target - Zippers = yum; Alwar pillows by John Robshaw - just great color combos, and the simple geometries appeal to me

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

HI.

2008-09-14T14:19:00.000-04:00

Life has been flying by, as life in September is wont to do. Except this year it has been even crazier, but it's been better handled, so not so bad. Work is going well, but we don't talk about that here, do we?

Things I've wanted to post been stacking up, and yet, I still don't ever post. WTF?

I saw a sticker on a the back window of a car that said "I 'heart' Your Mom". It looked like they had made it themselves, which made my heart sing a little bit.

Fringe...very good. Suprisingly good TV all around lately. And yet, no fashion shows...which makes me very sad. Bite me, DISH.

Did some fall cleaning around the house yesterday: finished some tiny canvases that I've had since December (no shit) and got some of B's photos out here in the real world. I love 'em, and no longer have to go into his bathroom to view them. Moved some of the other artwork around, too, and finally cracked the box on the gift of light from my Mom. Red, modern, dimmable light. I want to eat it it's so beautiful...

OMFG the humidity is OUT OF CONTROL.

And that is all. For now.

OH MY GOD FABULOUS

2008-08-29T18:43:00.001-04:00

These coats make me want to move back to Montana for the soul purpose of having to require coats made of wool just to make it through the winter. Gah! The buttons! Swoon! The collars! So delicious.

From Soya & Kyo. They are Cannay-dyeen. Brilliant. Check out the site even if you're not interested in the coats. The interface is pretty cool as well.

FAY, YOU FEISTY BITCH.

2008-08-23T19:16:00.001-04:00

So yeah. It's been strange this week.

I actually worked all of a day and a half because of Fay's shennanigans. It's weird for me because I work in one county/ region, and live in another. (Sometimes it's like being on two separate planets...) Weather is bad at work and people are freaking out, and it's a non-event at home and visa-versa.

Work Monday like normal. Weather starting to get hairy, but no big. Next day, drive to work, work for 4 hours, evacuate. Drive home. Get up, call work...become aggrivated when I find out we actually have to go to work in the storm. Work a windy, but full, day. Get up the next day, endure the WORST morning drive ever (I was getting tossed around like a ping pong ball, and could barely see because of the mist and rain). Work 45 minutes, told to evacuate, then get back into the storm and drive home. I was so pissed. I just wanted to get a good days work in.

It's a good thing I drive to work in the dark, because I had never seen actual flooding like I saw on the drive home on Thursday. If I had been able to see that in the morning, I would have just turned around half way there. It was bizarre, and a little scary. I'm glad I left when I did, 'cause I heard that they closed part of my daily commute route after I got home.

So I've spent the better part of this week living my old life. Domestic goddess, movie watcher and designer of projects that never get brought to fruition. And I figured out one thing: I could never go back to being home all the time. I've been so freakin' bored I can hardly stand myself. I'm lonely. And my body is sore from being in prone position for 48hrs+. It's enlightening, and it makes me feel that all I endure for this pretty cool job, physcially and emotionally, is worth it. Because it's nice to want.

Cause all I really want to do is go back to work and get some shit done. And that's good.

A LADY NEVER SWEATS, SHE GLOWS

2008-08-12T20:35:00.001-04:00

Why don't I remember it ever being this hot before? Seriously. I feel like I am INSIDE THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Whats UP with that? I can't wait for those like 6 days in February when it's NOT hotter than a damn inferno to get here.

Also, I think I have narrowed down the foul odor in my car to my air conditioning. Anybody had any experience with that? Because what with the sunny hot humid time going on, I'm sure as hell not going to stop using it. Screw that. I'll just continue to smell...worse than normal. I'm okay with that.

Sigh. HAAAAAAAAAAAA-TT!

WHAT I'M FEELING - AUGUST 3

2008-08-03T16:34:00.001-04:00

I've been TOTALLY digging this preppy, menswear thing. It's most likely becuase I've been reading the Sartorialist on a daily basis, but I just think it looks really fresh right now. Good for pre-fall: still light and summery, but with a bit of autumn in it. Feels a bit city to me, too. As ever, click on the image and get a bigger one..

Top, L to R: Caribe Fedora hat from Forever 21 - I've always loved hats, and have a good shaped face for them...it might be time to start wearing them again; Handy Pad by Bob's Your Uncle at greenergrassdesign.com - a GREAT way to remember my lunch for work when I'm delirious at 5am; red leather magazine rack from Crate and Barrel - I HATE when the magazines bow, and this seems like it would keep them clean, although I'd need like 7 of these to keep up with the monthly magazines in this house...
Row 2, L to R: leather boyfriend watch from Urban Outfitters - simple and classic; plaid dress by Thakoon at Kirna Zabete.com - GENIOUS pattern placement, hides the hips and makes the breasteses look fuller; Bronze Beauty nail polish by Cover Girl - ADORE the metallic, and looks great on my toes
Row 3, L to R: Shell Ring Figaro Braided Necklace by Subversive for Target - this FINALLY went on clearence and I got to snap it up, it lays just perfectly; Wayfarers by Ray-Ban - I can't wear aviators, and these just look fresh; Cosette bone multi heel by Gabriella Rocha at Zappos.com - totally adorable, right?
Row 4, L to R: Louis Vuitton logo clutch - OMG MULTI MATERIAL LETTERS ON GREY LEATHER I'M SOOO IN LUST FOR THIS; women's patent leather flat at Old Navy - I've wanted a pair of yellow shoes for awhile now, and this is the first pair I've seen without a damn peep-toe, which I can't wear at work; feather earrings at melissaclemente.etsy.com - I'm starting to get back into long earrings since my hair is shorter, these are so beautiful
Row 5, L to R: Pomegranates - I'm going though a major craving phase but let me give you a tip: the Orbitz pomegranate gum is foul, please avoid; branch mirror at West Elm - they've really stepped it up with this last catalog, and I love the found material feel of this; ombre three-strand necklace at Banana Republic - going though a huge ombre thing right now, tone-on-tone rules
Row 6, L to R: Mossimo Black Smocked Cap-Sleeve Dress from Target - also know as "THE CUTEST DRESS ON THE PLANET" especially when paired with a wide black belt and my favorite black moroccan sandals; Telephone print from West Elm - digging the two-color print, and I do love a rotary phone; Mussels - not in season, but the freezer section does me just fine, they just taste so clean and summery

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

JUST SO BEAUTIFUL

2008-07-30T21:03:00.000-04:00

A love letter to Cake by Marian Bantjes:

It's just cool. And I like cake, too.

SO THAT EXPLAINS IT

2008-07-27T09:53:00.004-04:00

Last night I dreamed I was riding a bicycle.

Bicycle
To dream that you are riding a bicycle, signifies your desires to attain a balance in your life. You need to balance work and pleasure in order to succeed in your current undertakings. If you have difficulties riding the bicycle, then it suggests that you are experiencing anxieties about making it on your own.

To see a bicycle in your dream, indicates that you need to devote time to leisurely pursuits and recreation.

In my dream, I was really enjoying the ride. There were good hills and turns, but the road was pretty smooth. I got off of my bike (like you did when you were a kid, dump and run), and then had to walk through some mud on my way to a small town. I lost my shoes somewhere along the way.

Mud
To see mud in your dream, suggests that you are involved in a messy and sticky situation. It also suggests that some internal cleansing is needed.

To dream that you are walking in mud, suggests that you are feeling weighed down by a situation, problem, or relationship.

Shoes
In general, shoes represent your approach to life. It suggests that you are well-grounded or that you are down to earth.

To dream that you are not wearing any shoes, signifies that you have a lack of confidence in yourself and low self-assurance. You may be dealing with issues concerning your self-identity. Thus if you dream that you lose your shoes, then it suggests that you may be searching for your identity and finding/exploring who you are.

Once I got to the town, it was nighttime and everyone was gathered together. Then I joined everybody and watched some fireworks show from a main street downtown. The town was cute and old, and everybody was having a good time.

Fireworks
To see fireworks in your dream, symbolizes enthusiasm, creativity, and talent. It may also indicate that you are showing off and making a spectacle of yourself.

Then it was daytime again, and I was walking through more mud again, and came across a river that wasn't out of control, but was pretty full and fast. A big, fat summertime river. I was searching for a boat to cross the river in, because I didn't want to walk all the way down to the bridge, which I could see not to far down the shore.

River
To see a clear, calm-flowing river in your dream, signifies that you are allowing your life to float away and it is time that you take a more decisive hand in directing your life. A river also symbolizes joyful pleasures, peace and prosperity.

To see a raging river, signifies that your life is feeling out of control.

To see a muddy and/or raging river, signifies tumultuous times and jealousy in your life.

Bridge
To dream that you are crossing a bridge, signifies an important decision or a critical junction in your life. This decision will prove to be a positive change with prosperity and wealth in the horizon. Bridges represent a transitional period in your life where you will be moving on to a new stage.

And then Brian's alarm woke me up. My first thought was, "That was a nice dream. Reminds me of summertime when I was little." But then I got curious and looked the signifiers up on the internet.

This vacation has been hard. I've never had to work at being relaxed and enjoying vacation before, it always just happened. I usually just revel in the time to myself, with no obligations or timetables. But this week I've just had this malaise about me, with no energy or will. I wasn't able to let it go until Friday afternoon, 2 short days ago. It felt like turning a key which I wasn't totally aware was locked. I just knew something didn't feel right.

Thinking back, I felt that when when I left the parking lot at work over a week ago, and it was the same tired, confused, unhappy feeling the whole time I've been home.

It all scares me a little. And just makes me realize that even though I've been trying for 6 months to try and find some balance in my life between working and living, I haven't made it very far. I'm still letting it control me, instead of the other way around.

WHAT I'M FEELING WEDNESDAY - IT'S A NEW ERA

2008-07-24T22:01:00.002-04:00

I'm back bitches!

No, really. I'm finally back. And this has been nice, real nice. So here we go. Click on the image and get a bigger one..

Top, L to R: Long wrap sleeve cardigan from Banana Republic - bought this, returned it, but still lurve it; Square Chandelier Earrings from Forever 21; Pleated Shift Dress from Forever 21 - this is straight outta the 50's and I adore it;
Row 2, L to R: Starburst mirror from Crate & Barrel - I want this to be really huge, and I love the mix of metals; Chevron striped tank from Old Nave - I'm having a moment with chevron-ing (yes, that's totally a word); Metallic T-strap sandals - I'm loving gold right now
Row 3, L to R: Ruffled Contrast Blouse at Forever 21 - yay ruffles!; owl sunglasses holder from www.patinastores.com - THIS IS SO GREAT, I love the smug look on it's face; Clementine flavored Izze - soda with no fake crap in it, and Clementine is great for breakfast, no guilt involved whatsoever
Row 4, L to R: Coffee / Teapot from Kisok - right now the store is fill with stuff from Hong Kong; Sequined Tank from Old Navy - again with the gold, and mmmm sparkles; Cotton Buttonless Cardigan from Banana Republic - didn't buy it, but love it just the same
Row 5, L to R: Sunflowers, sunflowers, sunflowers - thank goodness for Fresh Market; black toe-loop sandals - I've just about walked through a pair of these this summer; Sofia sunglasses from Banana Republic - I just like the light colored frames and I'm looking for some new ones
Row 6, L to R: Carston Jars from Crate and Barrel - I love the carved look and the really square shape of these; Beacon Alphabet bookmarks from artstarphilly.com - I've actually started reading again, and could use a few of these; Sophie Chiffon Top from Forever 21 - this is just such a pretty top, but not too sugary, and the neckline detailing is fantastic

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

No seriously. It's been two years since I've done one of these, and I had a blast going back to look at the old ones.

ISN'T SHE PRETTY!

2008-07-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

Say hello the latest addition to our little family:

She just got her new clothes today, courtesy of StudioJK at Etsy. Isn't it great!

I love her so much! And I love B for getting her for me! Best. Gift. Ever.

But now my roomates think that I will turn into a hermit and never leave the house.

Like I left the house so much before? Seriously. Come on now. I'm not a partier, and never will be. I just need some time to myself to shake off 6 months of stress at work and so I don't kill both of you with my bare hands.

So chill.

'STAY-CATION'

2008-07-18T13:49:00.003-04:00

Ah, July 2008. The time of the Stay-cation.

Like the rest of the country, we're not going anywhere for our time off. Luckily we live in vactionland and there's lots here to keep us busy.

B is taking the same amount of time off that I am.

We have an agreement of 2 days doing whatever each of us wants to do, seperately. Then we can hang out together for the rest of the week. Otherwise we'd kill each other. Don't be horrified, we just like to keep it real.

So for the next two days, I'm hanging out at the house, taking a bit of a weekend and keeping to myself. So far, it's 2pm and I'm still in bed, watching TV and surfing the internet.

Bliss.

We've both made lists of stuff to get done this week, but I'm not gonna sweat it. I just need to rest and relax and have a good time. Which no matter what's on the aforementioned list, I fully plan on doing.

FREAKED OUT AGAIN!

2008-07-13T19:33:00.005-04:00

So I'm going back and tagging all the old posts, and came across the one with the color quiz. And it's accurate as hell, again:

Your Existing Situation
Active, outgoing, and restless. Feels frustrated by the slowness with which events develop along the desired lines. This leads to irritability, changeability, and lack of persistence when pursuing a given objective.

Your Stress Sources
Wants freedom to follow her own convictions and principles, to achieve respect as an individual in her own right. Desires to avail herself of every possible opportunity without having to submit to limitations or restrictions.

Your Restrained Characteristics
Remains emotionally unattached even when involved in a close relationship.

Feels that she is receiving less than her share and that there is no one on whom she can rely for sympathy and understanding. Pent-up emotions and a certain egocentricity make her quick to take offense, but she realizes that she has to make the best of things as they are.

Your Desired Objective
Unwilling to participate and wishes to avoid all forms of stimulation. Has had to put up with too much of a tiring or exhausting nature and now desires protection and noninvolvement

Your Actual Problem
Fears that her independence will be threatened or severely restricted unless she protects herself from outside influence. Does not want to be bothered.

Your Actual Problem #2
The unsatisfied desire to be respected, to stand out from amongst her friends, is causing some anxiety. As a result, normal gregariousness is suppressed and she refuses to allow herself to become involved, or to participate with others in their ordinary activities.

Here's the original post to compare and contrast. Freakin' weird.

JUST AS I THOUGHT

2008-07-13T09:48:00.009-04:00

So I had this blog totally finished. You can see it here.

Nice, right? Except when I went to put it up for real, WYSIW I GOT. DAMMIT.

I knew this would probably happen. But DAMMIT anyway.

Well, I can't look at this for any more minutes right now. I'm off to IKEA to buy these chairs for our dining room. Story of why I need to buy new dining chairs to follow...

STOOPID WIDGETS! STOOPID XML!

HANDMADE HEAVEN

2008-04-08T12:57:00.004-04:00

I have become obsessed with ESTY again. Not so much with the selling, but totally with the buying. I've spent lunches the last week just shopping on ETSY. And the vintage stores! GAH! So much goodness.

I think I do so much sourcing and trending and just plain 'ole shopping, that I just get tired of everything that's out there. It all just seems the same anymore. Nothing new or original. It's all LeTired. Somebody actually took the time to craft/ source the stuff on ETSY. And it's mostly one of a kind, which is quite nice.

I highly recommend the Pounce feature. I've clicked it about 357 times in the last 45 minutes.

This all raises a very important question. How to we feel about toilet graphics? Yes? No? Not on your life?

I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH IT YET.

2008-03-15T19:42:00.003-04:00

Not by any means of measurement do I love this re-design. But. At least I did it.

So enjoy. Not like I'm gonna post more often or anything. Whose blog did you think this was, anyway?

STOOPID TIME CHANGE

2008-03-10T12:17:00.005-04:00

No, really...why do we do this? Because it totally sucks.

Needless to say, I am LeTired. I should TOTALLY be sitting on the sofa, about to nod off whilst watching some random-ass documentary on the history channel. I should be wrapped in a blanket with warm fuzzy socks on, about to nod off.

Instead, I'm sitting at my desk, with cold feets, about to nod off.

And it's only Monday. It's only noon on Monday.

Sigh.

Nothing else to report.

THIS BLOG IS SOOOOOO 2007, HONEY

2008-02-20T12:55:00.002-05:00

So I haven't been here in awhile, huh? (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY, my people)

And I realize that this blog is looking a little tired.

I should get on that.

MOVING EVER FORWARD, BUT WITH MORE NAPS NOW

2007-08-24T21:19:00.001-04:00

It's funny when I go back and read that last post, and then remember what happened shortly after that. I should have seen it coming.

I had myself so stressed out about work and home and work, and especially work and was so exhausted that my body simply decided to stop functioning. I went to the ER at 2am on a Saturday night because I was in so much pain I couldn't sleep. Or sit. Or stand. Or walk. Or think. Me. Going to the hospital. She who hadn't been to the doctor in almost 15years went to the ER. (It's a nice shiny new ER wing. They had flat screen TV's in all the rooms. B was able to watch Sanford and Son's so he was able to stay awake and alert.)

They got me all fixed up after about 4 hours (and 3 g's) but I was too weak to go to work the next Monday.

Which really freaked me out.

I've always had a bit of a physical reaction to stress and environment, but it's never manifested itself into such a drastic form. It really freaked the people out at work, too.

So now, I leave it there, and live in a much sillier world at home. It's officially a house of silly now. It's also a house with fresh flowers, new books and magazines to read, and lot of nice comforting baked goods on the weekends. I try and cook at least once a week, and I'm THIS CLOSE to picking up the embroideries again. There are more afternoon naps on Saturdays. Also, there are more little treats to myself, like make-up and jewelry and organic soda. (And these mad yummy jordan almonds from Fresh Market that I've become addicted to. But thats a post for another time.)

Life's been just as crazy and hectic as it ever has been, but I can't let it bother me any more. And I no longer let those people I am around all day affect my mood. Just because they treat every minute issue with the same level of passion as the important ones doesn't mean that I have to. Or can. I can't LET myself do that anymore, 'cause it's too damn hard to maintain. I choose my battles now. And I laugh more at work. And let the sarcasm fly. And try to just let the world ebb and flow around me, getting my feet wet when I should, and keeping dry when I can.

Life's too short for it to be any other way.

LIFE ROLLS ON - EVEN WHEN I'M TOO TIRED TO NOTICE

2007-04-28T14:24:00.001-04:00

The title pretty much says it all. Since the last post, life and work has zoomed by. I'm 29 now.

Too much has happened to sum it all up in a paragraph, but it's been good, and it's been bad. Mostly it's just been.

I'm still trying to hold everything together, and there are times when I accomplish that better than others. Work has been CRAZY and exhausting, and even fun sometimes and it's starting to be rewarding in ways I could never imagine. Next week is my first anniversary, and there were times (even very recently) that I wasn't sure I would make a year. I wish I could share with you all what I've been working on, because I'm hella proud of what we've done.

Life at home has been good and bad and exhausting, much like work. I try more and more each weekend to make it more of a refuge and take the time to just relax and let life be, but sometimes it's just too hard to keep it all together. It's getting better, and since I live with my two best friends it's always a laugh. Well, almost always. Sometimes it's just smelly. (B, I'm looking at you. With love, but still, I'm looking at you.)

Anywayse, I've got a couple of WIFW's lined up and ready to go. Hell, I may even post them one day. (I wouldn't hold my breath, though.) My motto has been lately, "When life gives you really annoying and aggravating lemons, go shopping". And I've been finding some really cool stuff that I know you guys will get a kick out of.

I miss everybody, and wish we could see each other more often. And hey, thanks for all the birthday wishes! I had forgot it was coming up until B asked what I wanted to do. So thanks for the email reminders, phone calls and gifts! (and PS - I got a new email addy so I can check in on my lunch ~~minute~~ hour. Just click on the link to the right...)

Keep a look-out for a new Audiophilia playlist, and some new WIFW posts.

Peace, Love, and Hair Grease! I love you all!!!

YEA VACATION.

2006-12-22T16:06:00.001-05:00

This morning, I slept in until 10 o'clock.

Let's have a moment of silence for how awesome that is.

Okay, moment of silence over. Convieniently , I HAVE to take off the next two weeks. Company policy. Isn't that WONDERFUL! (I'm saying that without the slightest bit of sarcasm. It's truly one of the most wonderful things that's ever happened to me.)

Not that I don't like the job. I actually REALLY like the job. And I suppose that late next week, I'll even miss it and the people I work with a little bit. But it's so nice to just be able to see the actual daylight that I just might pass out out of sheer delight.

I went food shopping today, and I plan on cooking up a storm. And baking up a...well, a storm. And getting more than 6 hours of sleep a night. I also plan on driving less than 130 miles a day. Huzzah! Double Huzzah!

I'm going to try and get the ole' homestead put back together as well. They're may even be some new furniture and a new wall color involved. Heck, I might even do some new artwork with my own little hands. We'll see. Like the woman in the pic, I'm sorta happy about having nothing more pressing to do than Hoover the floor occasionally. Sigh.

Happy Christmas everybody!

THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED SINCE MY LAST POST

2006-12-03T20:30:00.002-05:00

-We ate some candy and watched some really good horror flicks
-We ate some turkey
-We put up the Christmas tree
-We signed the lease for yet another year, so yea! for having a place to live
-I got the worst migraine of my life while traveling for work, so bad that even a twinge of a headache scares me now
-I read three, count 'em three, actual books that tell a story, not ones with just pictures
-I got the crud, had to call out of work, then was told to leave early from work 'cause I looked scary, then celebrated getting over the crud by giving it to my beloved
-I got a new cell phone, which is disappointing 'cause I only just learned to use the one I've had for the last 2 years
-I saw the pacific, walked down Rodeo, ate: donuts, chicken & waffles, and cioppino, oh, and saw some friends get hitched in Los Angeles
-I WENT TO IKEA, BITCHES
-I put 3000 miles on my car
-I ate ALOT of take-out
-I pseudo-authorized somebody to purchase a certain something
-I voted

It's been a busy six weeks.

WHAT I'M FEELING AUTUMN

2006-10-15T12:51:00.001-04:00

I've been VERY into fall lately. I've been rocking the chunky sweaters, the brown colors, the soup. I mean, how can you look at a pumpkin patch and not feel happy that autumn has arrived.

Top, L to R: Wood Plinth clock from WestElm.com - I LOVE IT, 'nuff said - but West Elm has been doing some really nice things lately; Black Porcelain vase with Dogwood by Sarah Chiat - totally different from her Rehabilitated Dishware series, but so fantastic - love the matte black finish; business card case by Retro 51 thru Amazon.com - this is what I keep by business cards in at work - it looks like an old cigarette case and I love the spring latch on it
Row 2, L to R: LINK brown watch by Tokyobayinc.com - loving the brass and brown, they have some seriously cool watches on that site; Javanese Entertainment Center at Pier1.com - such beautiful carving; PLAID - I'm loving it on everything, but this happens to be a kick-ass vintage wallpaper from www.5qm.de in Germany
Row 3, L to R: Upholstered Wood frame set from West Elm - more gorgeous wood from West Elm, and I love the shape of the backrest; Byzance collection lamp by Fine Art Lamps - just sparkle-y and rich looking, and I adore the unusual shape; Dark Charcoal Grey Cardigan from Old Navy - I actually bought this in Purple, but still love the grey and the HUGE buttons
Row 4, L to R: Fall Blazer at Zara - love me some big-ass collars; Sparkling diva clutch by Amici Accessories - 'cause a girl's gotta sparkle!; Intellect pump in cream at Payless Shoe Source (look again, right?) - LOVE these and I've tried them on like 30 times, but still haven't bought them, 'cause I can't figure out when I would wear them
Row 5, L to R: recycled tealight holders by Resource Revival at Elsewares.com - just industrial and fab; Croc Crossover Skimmer at UrbanOutfitters.com - LOVE the grey flat, I've just got to find some that actually come in my size (I'm 2 for 2 on finding them so far...); Narrow Leg Storage at West Elm - yes, another West Elm piece, but I love the streamlined shape
Row 6, L to R: Bulldog portrait button at reprodepot.com - I kinda want to get a bulldog...kinda alot, but I'm allergic; lace jacket at Forever 21 - another thing that I keep trying on, but couldn't figure out where to wear it; Brazilian Agate Bowl at Elseware.com - so elegant but still earthy

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN' (BACK TO NORMAL)

2006-10-01T14:11:00.001-04:00

Well. I'm posting this from my dining room. We've decided to join the future and go wireless. So now, when we've got peeps with wi-fi, we can hook 'em up. Oh, and like work on the internet in the dining room of all places. It's pretty awesome. We're regretting not doing it this way from the start.

We really did it because my sister Rach is now living with us. Which, when I originally said yes to her, I had horriffic flashbacks to when we both lived at home and REALLY didn't get along. shudder

But, you know what? It works. It's actually been sorta fun. It's nice to have another girl around on a constant basis. B just keeps muttering..."Oh God. There's two of them now..." with a look of horror on his face.

He'll get used to it.

In other news, I survived my first yearly corporate presentation at work, and now I can get on with my life. Hopefully things will get back to some semblance of normalacy and my life will consist of more than sleeping, driving and working in a constant 20 hour cycle.

I'm really behind on my custom orders for Etsy, and I feel like a total jerk. The past month has been a rollercoaster what with Rachel moving in and prepping for that damn presentation that I just haven't had the energy to do what I would have liked on these pieces.

I also came across an email (which I had just checked for the first time in like 3 weeks) for a call for entries for a SCAD affliated Small Works show here in O-Town. Due the end of October, and it's being held at a gallery that I've actually been to, so I'm going to try and get a couple more canvases done by then. I've gotten some good ones lined up so we'll see.

I've missed the entire summer. The leaves are already starting to change, and we're getting cooler mornings. And there's so much fun stuff to be done. I love this place in the fall.

Ahhh. It feels good to be back.

TRÈS SOMNOLENT

2006-09-16T18:20:00.001-04:00

Tired. Carnky.

Exausted. That is all.

ANCHORS AWEIGH

2006-08-21T20:43:00.001-04:00

So here's the latest Etsy piece. I had wanted it done earlier in the summer, but well, life got in the way.

It's funny how it works. Now I have the time, and I have 2 new custom orders to work on. Funny, huh? Looking forward to starting them both.

INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!

2006-08-15T12:29:00.001-04:00

I can think of many other things I would like to come across at 5am than a 3" golden lizard on the wall above the terlet in my bathroom. Especially when I am sans culottes and groggy from just waking up.

THANK GOD B was still here. My fearless defender tried talking to the little guy (who presumably had set up a comfy little home for the past week or so, as evidenced by the 'black marks' I have been finding on the walls...), but he just wouldn't listen, so B resorted to the Raid Max.

B kept saying as I was finished getting ready, "Whoa, he's messed up now", "He's freakin' out now!" which makes me a little sad. He finally caught him and took him outside, but I doubt he's still living. Even I was feeling a little heady from the spray.

RIP 'little lizzard'. BUT STAY OUT OF MY HOUSE!

WHAT I'M FEELIN' AUGUST EDITION (+ SOME CATCH UP)

2006-08-13T13:07:00.001-04:00

So I've had all of these thing floating around on the ole' computer ever since I started the new job. So now, for your consumption:

What I was Feelin' in late April (days before new job, at one of my lowest points of the past year; see also: INCREDIBLY HOMESICK FOR MONTANA)
and
What I was Feelin' in mid May (during agonizing first few weeks of aforementioned new job; could you tell I was trying to find a new design aesthetic?)

(If you wanna know what any of this stuff is, drop a comment...)

After that, I had a hard time from keeping my brain from running out of my head, so there wasn't much I was feeling except some sleep and the occasional beer. But now, I'm starting to get my shit together again (famous last words) and I'm starting to 'feel' again. But I can't do this more than once a month. There just isn't time people. But here's how I've been feelin' lately:

Top, L to R: Composition CD by 5inch.com - I'm in a very back to school mood; Black Baroque Pinch mirror from Urban Outfitters - loving the sexy goth looks for fall; Grey Cardigan from Antrhopologie - I would rock the shit out of this cardi if I could afford it
Row 2, L to R: Roxanne top - I will be rocking the shit out of this top 'cause it came from Forever 21 and I love the really long tie when it trails down my back (no bows for me); Geode bookends from Anthropologie - loving the nature trend right now; stamped leaf earrings from Forever 21;
Row 3, L to R: Growth lighting by Christopher Poehlmann - Oh My GAH! so fantastic; trousers in general - go Kate Hepburn; Edo table by Hivemind design - I love that it looks like it may tip over at any second, but is made from iron - so beautiful;
Row 4, L to R: Pinnacle Tea Set by Eva Zeisel - an original midcentury design that still looks new; Red Moto FONE by Motorola - I want this SO BAD - it's so slick looking and it's RED!; Iced Chai tea - had one from the Anandahpur Tea House at Animal Kingdom last week, and now I'm addicted
Row 5, L to R: Allura flats by Nine West at Zappos.com - I'm really loving the low-key metallic that is bronze; 'Wooden' trash pail from the store Noho in Amsterday - faux bois a liscious; pinstripe jacket from Forever 21 - I've been wearing a lot of these little jackets to work lately
Row 6, L to R: Geometric Garden Skirt from Forever 21 - love the color blocking; Twig Creamer Set from Koo de Kir - yummy; Illis pumps by Enzo Angiolini at Zappos.com - I've discovered that expensive shoes are the key to confidence (that's my story and I'm sticking to it...)

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

RANDOMNESS IS SOMETIMES CONSIDERED A PATTERN

2006-08-04T18:00:00.002-04:00

It has been a LONG, long week. But now it's over and the shopping/eating/sleeping/magazine reading/tv watching can begin. Oh, and I may actually see Bri for more than 1 hour and 45 minutes at a time, which hasn't been happening alot lately.

I think my body has finally adapted to this schedule. It seems to be easier to function at 4:30 in the morning than it did 3 months ago. It's been pretty random lately, though. Sometimes I'll be home by 6 and asleep at 8. Or I'll get home at 7 and can't get to sleep til 10:30. But I still wake up at 4:30. Weird.

Other than work, not much else has been going on. Met up with some more internet buddies last weekend and had a fantastic time as per usual. (ps - Three-year-olds are adorable when they are as intelligent and well spoken as these guys' kids are. When was the last time you heard a kid that age use 'startled' in context? B just charmed the pants off of them. And I got a big heart sticker to take home with me. Cuties.)

Oh, what else. Finally got a new DVD player. Go Target for having the one we wanted in stock. The SATC marathon can resume. Now we just gotta work on getting that new big-ass LCD TV...

Started cooking dinner at home again after a bit of a lapse. I actually don't want to eat out anymore if I don't have to. So I guess that's a good thing? I'm sure it won't last long...

I've got a bunch of pics of stuff I've been lovin' to post, but that'll have to wait till later, 'cause B's Dad dropped off the 2 tapes of recordings of the new season of Deadwood that's begging to be watched. Three cheers for foul language and mealy-mouthed whores!

DEE-VA-MAH-DEEEE. PLAYER.

2006-07-25T12:33:00.003-04:00

Sigh. Our DVD player played it's last while we were trying to watch the 3rd season of Sex and the City on Sunday night. I am crushed. Man, now we might actually have to watch...man I can hardly type it...VHS tapes.

What? No skip to chapter? No super slo-mo? I have to re-wind? I'm sorry that's just too much effort. And it's not like there's anything on TV right now. Darn it anyway.

So our borrowed discs and recent Netflix movies will be gathering dust until we can replace the poor thing.

Sigh.

NO 'EFFIN WAY

2006-07-14T13:22:00.001-04:00

So I get an email on Monday, asking for a custom embroidery. I'm all, cool, no problem, then I re-read the email, and see that she says she saw my stuff on Apartment Therapy.

I read Apartment Therapy every day, so I was all WTF, but I read the original New York version. (Apartment Therapy is BIG time in the design blogging world, they've done TV shows on HGTV, recently expanded to include 4 cities and a new blog just about food, and just published a book. We're not talking about one person in their bedroom, talking about their favorite new chair, we're talking people who are becoming pretty respected in the design world.) So I did some searching, and Big Sky Starlet on Etsy was featured on the Los Angeles version on Monday morning.

SWEET! OMIGOD! HOLY CRAP! LOOK LOOK LOOK!

I am so incredibly psyched, I may even pick up a needle and thread this weekend.

YIPPIEE!!!

BLAH BLAH BLAH

2006-07-09T19:39:00.001-04:00

Well, now that I've waited a sufficient amount of time between posts, now that no one even checks this page anymore, I can post again.

The sad thing is, I don't have the energy required to post about the magical dinner B and I had at Bistro de Paris on Friday night, or about the fact that B is in fact the silliest shopping buddy a girl could have (case in point: I hold up what I think is a cute jacket, he stops in mid sentence to ask where the rest of the coat is, then goes back to his story. Swoon.)

TRUDGING ALONG

2006-06-18T12:10:00.001-04:00

Well. It's been a month now since I've been employed.

And the paycheck has been nice. The creative stimulation and output has been a gift. But the lack of sleep needs to be fixed. I need to get better at leaving it all behind when I leave for the night or the weekend. A couple of nights last week, I didn't get to sleep until almost midnight 'cause I couldn't shut my brain off, and the 4 hours of sleep are leaving me ragged.

BUT. It's nice to actually have a life now. We go out together every Friday night for a drink, which usually melds into dinner. And then I get to go out and do somethng for me on Saturdays. Of course, Sunday = tea, paper, nascar, laundry. And maybe a little internet. Only a little.

Something is still lacking though. On weekdays, I'm usually asleep by 8:30pm wheather I want to be or not. So the week is usually one big long day, with 4 little naps to break it up. There's just no time left over after dinner, and certainly no time in the morning.

I remember Stac and I having a conversation awhile back about having it all, weather it was possible to do. The good job, the good relationship, the nice stuff, the time to enjoy it. B and I seem to be running ourselves ragged just to make sure one of us physcially pays the bills, gets to the grocery store, we find something to eat at night, and the house ends up being a mess all the damn time. Which I completely despise coming home to every night, but I can't really do anything about that. There's just no time.

Everybody keeps asking if we'll move closer to the coast to be closer to the job. The thing is, I don't want to move just to save 40 minutes a day. Wow. When I write it out like that, the drive dosen't seem so bad. I'd only save 40 minutes a day. Hmm. I like where we live, how convienent it is to everything. Just not that convienent to work. I like how nice the apartment and neighborhood are compared to where it would be more convientent to live.

Anyway, we've got to come up with a plan to fix some of this stuff. Maybe we just need a cleaning lady. Or more mojitos. We'll figure it out.

But stay with me. I'm gonna try to make posting and sewing more of a priority. Cause I need it.

FLAH-RI-DA

2006-06-03T17:30:00.001-04:00

So I actually finished this last weekend, bit I still hadn't gotten it scanned in. I haven't even photographed it for the shop yet, either. Oh, well.

I called it Flah-ri-da, 'cause, I don't know, it makes me think of the sunshine state.

I like it. Note the lawn ornament legs. I'm not into realism when dealing with kitsch.

I'm gonna buy a couple of this this year for Christmas decorations. Because it's FLAH-RI-DA, that's why!

HMMMM. INTERESTING.

2006-05-27T15:13:00.001-04:00

Aries
March 21 - April 19

Aries is the first Sign of the Zodiac, and that's pretty much how those born under this Sign see themselves: first. Aries are the leaders of the pack, first in line to get things going. Whether or not everything gets done is another question altogether, for an Aries prefers to initiate rather than to complete. Do you have a project needing a kick-start? Call an Aries, by all means. The leadership displayed by Aries is most impressive, so don't be surprised if they can rally the troops against seemingly insurmountable odds -- they have that kind of personal magnetism. An Aries won't shy away from new ground, either. Those born under this Sign are often called the pioneers of the Zodiac, and it's their fearless trek into the unknown that often wins the day. Aries is a bundle of energy and dynamism, kind of like a Pied Piper, leading people along with its charm and charisma. The dawning of a new day -- and all of its possibilities -- is pure bliss to an Aries.

The symbol of Aries is the Ram, and that's both good and bad news. Impulsive Aries might be tempted to ram their ideas down everyone's throats without even bothering to ask if they want to know. It's these times when you may wish Aries's Sign's symbol were a more subdued creature, more lamb than ram perhaps. You're not likely to convince the Ram to soften up; these folks are blunt and to the point. Along with those qualities comes the sheer force of the Aries nature, a force that can actually accomplish a great deal. Much of Aries's drive to compete and to win comes from its Cardinal Quality. Cardinal Signs love to get things going, and Aries exemplifies this even better than Cancer, Libra or Capricorn.

Your Rising Sign - Aquarius Rising:

If your Rising Sign is Aquarius, you may seem aloof and self-introspective, maybe a bit outlandish. Though you seem detached, you also give the impression that you care very deeply for humanity -- just not necessarily individual humans! You'll likely attract friends easily thanks to this Aquarian influence, but be wary of the more negative traits of the Water Bearer. Sometimes you can come off as rude or thoughtless -- as well as willfully eccentric. Despite these characteristics, you'll still be wildly popular, due in large part to what people see as the innovative Aquarian brain power.

Your Moon is in Cancer

You respond very much to the emotional tone and atmosphere around you, and can be dominated by your fluctuating and unpredictable moods. You often appear irrational to others because you cannot always explain the reason or source of your feelings. Anyone who lives with you must accept your ups and downs and appreciate your need for times of withdrawal.

What is your Sign of Karma? - Leo

Because you undervalue yourself you are afraid that no one else will value you either. And yet this is what you desperately want. Popularity is your goal -- and yet your own inferior attitude continuously sabotages your achieving it. If feelings of jealousy and the inability to act spontaneously don't push people away than it is the cold and callous facade you've developed to protect your own vulnerability. Romance, creativity and children may be an issue in your life too. Your challenge is to connect to and find value with your own core self -- reaching through all of those outward layers you have developed in protection. If you are really able to value yourself you have the chance to recaptured a child-like sense of joy which may have been missing from your serious adult life. You are also very sympathetic and understand the unspoken feelings and needs of others. You take slights and rebuffs very personally and though you may forgive a transgression by a friend or loved one, you never forget it.
____________

Interesting. I got all of this stuff for free at Astrology.com

WELL WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT

2006-05-26T18:14:00.003-04:00

Look what I found at Penney's today! Apparently, Big Sky Starlet Inc. is bigger than I thought. I didn't know that I had hired PR people to get the word out. I'm glad they're doing such a fantastic job.

The weird thing is, it's actually in my new colors. Bizarre.

TODAY WAS HARD.

2006-05-23T20:05:00.001-04:00

I'm only just realizing the responsibilties I have at work. I AM AN ACTUAL DESIGNER NOW. No more make-believe. My on-the-fly decisions are actually being implemented. They matter now. I made the mistake of overhearing the company profits for last quarter. I'm in the big time now. Shite.

To be honest, I'm freezing up a little bit. Better shake that off right quick. Best not to think about it and just design my way out. I can do this.

And it took me 2 FREAKING hours to get home tonight. Effin' traffic.

B went out to get me a cupcake. 'Cause I sure could use one...

IMITATION IS THE MOST SINCERE FORM OF FLATTERY

2006-05-21T20:04:00.001-04:00

Once again, Chef Briardee has discovered one of the coolest things on the internet. Namely, personal streaming radio capabilities.

I'm totally stealing the idea and will be puttin' my new mixes up here on my page for all of you to enjoy. Sha-zaam!

Me making mixes isn't anything new. I've been doing it for like 6 years now. At least those of the digital variety. (Cassettes never did it for me, it was just too much work, and you never get them edited as tight as you should. Which bugs the crap out of me.)

So I choose songs and make mixes that say something about how I'm feeling or what's going on in my/our world at the time. Lately, the mix titles are when my current mood has been presenting itself, not so much in the songs, but that comes and goes.

I like the songs to cross genres, constants being a song that I can sing along with and that I like a damn fine beat. (If it makes me shake my ass, it's all right with me.) Other weaknesses include, but are not limited to: string accompaniment, female vocals over hip-hop beats, brit-pop, songs sung in french, obscure remixes, songs sung acapella, and the entire trip-hop genre. Sometimes all at once. If a song makes me spontaneously burst into tears (see: Hide & Seek by Imogen Heap, Beautiful by India.Arie) you can pretty much guarantee that I will put it on a mix, if not build the entire album around it.

Most of the time, I just really (REALLY) like the songs. In the beginning, I used a lot of mainstream radio stuff, but that's TOTALLY started to blow chunks, so I like to dig a little deeper. Pandora has been a godsend, as has KCRW and Sirius. Sometimes I just start looking around iTunes, and one thing leads to another, leads to another, leads to another, and then I end up with a supremely deep cut off of an obscure album that is totally awesome.

But anyway, I ramble.

So here's my latest: Blessed Be. I'm especially identifying with the lyrics in The Woman Who by Lamya (Rach, it's Luh-MY-uh, not LAMB-YUH). So check it out under Audiophila' in the right sidebar.

Enjoy. You can be assured that I'll be listening to this in the car on the way to work for at LEAST the next few days...

WHERE HAVE ALL THE SIGNALS GONE?

2006-05-19T12:20:00.001-04:00

Where have all the turn signals gone? Why dosen't anyone use them anymore?

Why is it considered rude to pass a car and only drive 80mph while doing it? (I don't like going over 80 mph. Please don't flash your high beams at me if I'm passing a car at that speed and you don't like it. The speed limit is only 65mph anyway.)

Why is is okay for a semi to drive 50mph in the fast lane?

How is it okay for HP's to drive faster than anybody else?

Why?

In a related note, I'd like to invent a system that automatically makes a blueberry glazed doughnut appear on my dashboard everytime I pay a toll with my Sunpass.

I'm totally serious.

No, really.

TOO MANY CHOICES

2006-05-15T20:05:00.001-04:00

So B and I want to start going out to eat again.

We've already re-instigated the fondly remembered 'Friday-Night-Beer-and-Wings-at-an-actual-bar' rule, but I, for one, miss wearing pretty going-out clothes and going out at night. For dinner. And being all rah-sha-sha.

While B misses wearing pretty going-out clothes too (I'm sure), I think he's more into the being served good food and drink by someone other than me. And you know, that whole going out at night thing...

But there are too many restaurants to choose from in this city. And too many of them are good!

Also, I want to actually go to the movie theater and see Art School Confidential. Now to decide Enzian, or AMC. Hmmm. What to do, what to do.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE

2006-05-14T12:15:00.001-04:00

It's been a long week. A long one, but a good one. Really good, in fact.

Without going into too much detail, this new job is pretty much perfect. The commute, not so much, but I think the work I'm doing will be making up for being on the road for at least 2 hours a day.

It's sorta like being back at school, which I loved, and I've realized that I really missed that. All the designers and materials people are in one big room, and the people that work there are pretty great. A good mix of young and old, of experienced and greenhorns. You get a great energy from everybody, which sorta fuels you. And since we work in the test facility, you get to see what you've designed being built. There's an instant gratification to it. Of course, I've been doing what the other materials people call 'The Fun Stuff', and they've warned me that it's not always as fun. But, whatever. I don't really care.

It has been a wake-up call as to how lax I've gotten in my design vocabulary and, really, my thought processes, too. I'm not nearly as sharp as when I left school. But, much like riding a bike, I've found that you never really lose it, it just sorta comes back. A little bit at a time, but it does come back. So cautious optimism is the mood I've chosen to go with. Which is cool.

Not so cool has been the driving. Don't know if you've heard, but we're in a bit of a drought, which means the land and everything on it makes for great tinder. A massive brush fire broke out the day before I got hired, but a little north of the road I need to drive on, so not too big of a deal to me. Just some smoke and such, but you could see the (pretty big) flames from the road. I figured that it would probably be down by the time I had to drive to work in 4 days.

The day before I started, another MASSIVE fire broke out north of where I work, which didn't affect me directly, but the wind that accompanied the new fire, was carrying smoke and heat farther south to where the old fire was smoldering. It turns out that after the brush had burned away, the 'muck' caught fire (kinda like a bog) and was building, and starting to flame up again.

So they decided to close the easier, faster route I need to take to work. I was 30 minutes late the first day, even though I left the house 2 hours before I had to be there. (Normally, it takes just under an hour.) The people there at work were totally cool, I called when I knew that I was for sure going to be late, and they just wanted to be sure that I was going to be safe. I found out that they were placing bets as to whether I would show up at all, or go half way, see the mess, and turn around and go home. Which never even occured to me.

Everybody on the road that first morning was FREAKING out, and the detour they had us on was WAY out of the way, and also under construction and through a very poorly laid out city with like 7,000 stop lights. Day 2 was a little less crazy, 'cause me and my good friend Google Maps found a different detour, which saved about 45 minutes. So I actually made it there on time. On Friday, they unexpectedly opened the road and I was 30 minutes early to work. Which didn't suck, so I'm thinking of leaving at the same time from now on. And can I just say that the SunPass is like the greatest freakin' invention ever! EVER! You don't even have to slow down to pay the toll! It's AWESOME! I heart SunPass!

Did I mention that I leave the house at 5:30 AM? And get up at 4:40 AM ish? It's been sorta rough. On Monday, I was in bed and asleep at 8:30 PM. I managed to make it to 9:30 PM the next night, and now I round if off to 10:00 PM. I haven't dozed off at work yet, but Wednesday was pretty rough. I think this week will be WAY better.

I have to try to get online more often. It's been like having a limb gone. I feel so cut off from the world. We have access at work, but I don't have the nerve yet. And I sit right in the middle of the room, so everybody can see what I'm doing at any given moment. Tried to check up during lunch, but don't have my links, so no go yet. I'm going to try and take Monday and Wednesday nights to catch up. Cause I miss the interweb sumpin' fierce.

SOME BAD, SOME GOOD

2006-05-06T12:21:00.001-04:00

Spent yesterday shopping for things I need. Note I said things I NEED, not necessarily things I WANT. For this new job, I basically can't wear anything that has been my daily uniform up until this point. Sleeveless shirts, skirts, bracelets, open-toe shoes & heels = NO. Pants, shirts with sleeves, totally flat closed-toe shoes = YES.

It also equals boring, but whatever.

I'm not sure yet, but I hope that necklaces = YES, 'cause if I can't wear any jewelry at all, I might just ass-plode. But I saved the reciepts, so I can return them if I can't wear them.

I basically spent the whole day in either A: the mall or B: a giant discount store. And let me tell 'ya, a $15 off $75 coupon at Penney's brings out the macaws in DROVES. I actually had to wait in line for the dressing room. The entire store was simply a-flutter. A-flutter, I say!

And it seems as though the entire apparel and accessories industry somehow knew that I would be getting this job, and that they decided to sell nothing but formal shorts (don't get me started) and cute little shirts without sleeves. And TONS of adorable sundresses that I long to take home. And gorgeous big earrings and bracelets. Especially ones that make great jingly noises. And the shoes! Not a single cute flat under $50 was to be found. Dammit! But there were tons of great slides and little heeled flats. Not to mention all the great heeled sandals which beg to be taken out on the town. Sigh.

I had some good eats, though. I treated myself to a $2 hot dog/ lemonade combo at Target. YUM. Since I still haven't done the dishes from vacation, and thus want to avoid the kitchen at all costs, I treated myself to KFC for dinner. Purchased mostly as a nod to PMS, but still so tasty. My God, that crap is so freakin' good.

I fell asleep in a food coma about 9:30.

I think I'm set for Monday. Sunpass is installed in the new car, she's got a full tank of gas, new clothes are ready to be washed and ironed, and there's food in the fridge for bag lunch.

I've got about 75 lbs of paperwork to fill out for the new job, not to mention an entire product line to learn, hopefully quickly.

I also need clean the house, and try and get some sewing done. I'm working on a great little flamingo piece that's almost done, and I want to get another tank done before too long. And I really need to make a new CD or twelve. Damn. Anybody have a favorite road CD? I'm gonna need a few...

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

2006-05-03T17:32:00.001-04:00

Yesterday at this time I had only a job. Today I have not only a job, but a car of my very own:

Her right side...

and from the left...

Now we have a fleet!

She's a 2005 Hyundai Elandra GT hatchback, black (obviously) with grey leather interior and a sun/moon roof. Choice. We paid exactly what we paid for the other one, but this one has 10000 miles on her. 50,000 mile / 6 year warranty. We paid about 1800 dollars under Blue Book, too. B had a good time 'talking the guy down' from the ridiculous price that they told us first. Not too shabby. And boy was one of the salesmen swarmy. Ew.

Her first CD was the Hotel Costes No. 7. No name yet. B suggested Betty. ~~That's what I'm leaning towards so far. Suggestions?~~ Yeah. I'm goin' with Betty.

I heart her.

I'M ACTUALLY SPEECHLESS

2006-05-02T16:58:00.001-04:00

I got the job.

Holy Shit, I am in total shock.

UM, OKAY, NOW WHAT DO I DO

2006-05-02T10:45:00.001-04:00

So we've reached the hurry up and wait portion of the program. Went on a second interview on Thursday afternoon and got to know everybody and the company a little bit better. It was really cool. Tres cool. Should know something within the next week or so.

Had a FANTASTIC time in Skevannah over the weekend. Savannah just seemed so small somehow. I guess that means I've finally settled in here, right?

Can't wait till November to see everybody again. Or maybe Halloween? I didn't even think about that...

B's off work until Friday morning, so I expect to see alot of his back as he types away on the interweb. Actually, we're not doing a damn thing, just enjoying being home.

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 17

2006-04-26T09:54:00.001-04:00

I have a need to do more modern. Actually, in my case, the design filters out to be retro-modern, but still. I'm in the mood for something cleaner, a little more streamlined. Still want to paint the apartment. And even though it's spring/ summer, I'm not really feeling spring/ summer colors. I've been wearing a lot of black and brown, even though it's been spring clothes and floral patterns. Odd.

Top, L to R: BLT - I'm strongly considering sneaking over to the diner this weekend, 'cause those are the BEST!; Branch serving set at flaxart.com - these are just too gorgeous; straw tote from Old Navy - like that it dosen't look like it's from Old Navy
Row 2, L to R: Holz chair in oyster from Design Within Reach (dwr.com) - love the rounded back and the dots; Floral-lamp by Marta Pietryzk and Mathew Birtch at vestcollective.ca - laser cut wood veneer put onto lamp backing - AMAZING, just beautiful, the scalloped edge is fantastic; Trenton pendant with Streamline glass shade from rejuvenation.com - I wish I could afford this shade to put on the fan in the office, so cool!
Row 3, L to R: Faux bois rug by floortoheaven.com - it took me a minute to figure out that this was carpet, not an actual piece of wood - yum; Vanile eyelet dress from anthropologie.com - I used to have an eyelet petticoat (who know's where I got it...) that I wore almost every day one summer when I was in middle school and this dress reminds me of that and takes me right back there to laying in the tree in the front yard, and chillin' out on the back screen porch; Modern Rosso table runner from Pier One - LOVE the raw edges on the fabric strips, and the color palette is fantastic;
Row 4, L to R: Stone Flowers frame from Pier One - love the weighty look of it; IBC Root Beer, in the bottle - I just love the flavor of root beer, and it dosen't have caffeine, just LOT of sugar; die-cut wool window panel by Bev Hisey at homepage.mac.com/bevhisey/ - This is just TOO beautiful, I've really loving the cutouts lately
Row 5, L to R: Sweet Olive sandals from Anthropologie.com - LOVE the color combo, and they have little flowers on the ends of the ties (!); French Vintage Clip Pick 'Marche' by Decole at kitty-craft.com - these would make great cupcake picks; Limmaren bathroom set from IKEA - suck it IKEA - love the bottle green glass
Row 6, L to R: Kei fabric 30's- 60's vintage collection Star Flowers at kitty-craft.com - brown and black together are just doing it for me lately; Delightful Sheath dress from Forever 21 - this is a direct rip off of Roland Mouret but I can't help but love it, 'cause I would buy Roland Mouret if I could, in a heartbeat; Grace chair in Thicket fabric from Room and Board - would look perfect in the office, I need a comfy chair in there

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

WE BARE ALL...EXIT NOW!!!!!!

2006-04-24T20:31:00.001-04:00

Another busy weekend around here. But not too busy for cupcakes:

I highly recommend Duncan Hines Butter Yellow Cake Mix...

Trav actually said that they were the best cupcakes he'd ever had. Nice.

But first, here's some pics of what I was doing all day on Wednesday instead of researching What I'm Feeling Wednesday. I was at "Taste of Winter Park". I designed and decorated the table of a certain restaruant's booth for someone who happens to work there. It was pretty fun and there was some really good food there.

Lovely. Can you tell how bright the sun was that day?

I used lots of fresh veggies, along with some of the brands that the restaurant uses. It was really pretty. PRAH-TTY!

So that's where I was on Wednesday.

Anyway, this weekend the boys were in town to find a new abode in Gainesville. On Saturday morning, they DRAGGED me kicking and screaming back to Hot Dog Heaven. I mean, I really didn't want to go. They had to spend HOURS convincing me that I wanted a hot dog for lunch. It was touch and go there for awhile.

Actually, it went something like this:

Trav: "Hey Mel, would you like to go get some lunch at Hot Do-"
Me: "YES YES YES, I WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK TO HOT DOG HEAVEN. TAKE ME NOW. FEED ME HOT DOGS AND FRENCH FRIES!"

I heart Hot Dog Heaven. We even took our portrait with "Big Frank". I heart him, too.

On the way back to the house, we stopped to check out a new used books store, where I found the single coolest Dover book ever printed:

Oh. My. GAH! Just look at it!

Many headers and graphics will be made. The store had a whole shelf of Dover books, including one entirely of horse illustrations. I had about 5 of them layed out on floor, wanting ALL of them. I decided on the one with the lowest price. I may go back for that horse one...

B had to work on Sunday, so I tagged along on the trek to look at houses. We saw some pretty fantastic stuff, such as this sign on the highway:

That is the single biggest sign for a strip club by the highway that I've ever seen. Evvvv-er.

Oh, and the model homes were pretty fantastic, too. I took some covert photos of the best living room ever:

The seating...

The remote...

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Sha-BAM! The TV!

THAT THING IS HUGE! AWESOME! You have to get past the sage green wall color. And the sign in the bathroom, above the toilet, that said: "Come and Sit a Spell". I shit you not. (Pun sorta not intended.)

It was fun. Gentlemen, thanks for coming down and thanks for letting me tag along. I'd be happy to trade you cupcakes for hot dogs anytime.

Hmm. I think there's a dirty joke there in that last line...

OUR WEEKEND IN (FOOD) PICTURES

2006-04-18T15:21:00.001-04:00

I'mmmmmm baaaaaaccccckkkk! It's been too long, my little chickadees.

A birthday gift to myself, God bless the $3 bin at the grocery store!

THANK YOU to all the well-wishers who called and sent gifts. I love you all! Thanks for remembering me!

We had a great weekend. We drove around a lot, and we ate a lot. A lot. A lot, a lot. B has a trucker tan on his right arm, and I on my left. But I'm not complainin'.

Friday, we had to run some errands and such, and I decided then to document the weekend in food. (Why you ask? Why not?) I'm glad I had the camera with me, 'cause Friday turned out to be the day of HUGE.

Exhibit A...a giant bottle of Whey Protein at BJ's Warehouse store:

What the hell is this stuff for, anyway?

Exhibit B...a remote with ginormous buttons at Brookstone:

No glasses required...

Exhibit C...a ridiculously sized lighter in the shape of a match, also at Brookstone:

Fire INDEED hot!

While we were at Brookstone, B discovered the magic of the massaging chair. The $4500 massaging chair. He actually sat in it for almost 20 minutes. Then, when we came across another Brookstone, and he did another 15 minute stint there. He's in love...sweet massaging chair love.

and finally, Exhibit D...a disgustingly huge (and way overpriced) chicken lo mein at Mama Fu's:

Tasty, but I left $5 worth of it on the table 'cause I couldn't finish it

Mama Fu's is like the asian version of Moe's. We'd never been before. Not spectacular tasting, way overpriced, with 'funky' paintings on the walls and that oh, so nostalgic 80's music playing on the sound system. In a word: disappointing. Oh, well.

So we went home and make something much, much tastier:

Beer!

Actually, roasted red pepper hummus and warm pita. Not just beer. I get mad cravings for 'Boma' at the Animal Kingdom Lodge at Disney on occasion, and we've finally discovered a meal that satisfies that without all the trouble of a 35 minute drive and a $50 tab. We just make it at home, now. It makes the house smell delicious, too. Always a plus. Chicken and Apricot Tagine over couscous:

It doesn't look too pretty, but it sure tastes good. Mmmmmm.

Then I stayed up and watched Frontier House on PBS while B farted around on the internets. Just your basic Friday night at the ole' Sapidity Ranch.

And then, my natal day...

Another treat, croissants:

Holy crap, they smell just as good as they look...

I love weekend breakfasts. Fresh coffee, the paper, something yummy to eat. Delicious.

Then I opened a gift:

Thank you for the hat Stac! Er, I mean the book and movie! Yeah, thanks for the book and movie!

We had planned on checking out a little neighborhood festival of sorts but we did a drive by, and it was more for the under 5 crowd, not the after 5 crowd. No big.

Really all I wanted to do was get a hot dog. So we decided to go straight to the source instead:

God's love shines down upon the hot dogs...

And they're good, too:

Man I want another one just looking at this picture

I love this place. Love, love, love it. It's kinda in a weird location, but SO WORTH THE DRIVE. I mean, YUM! And everything we ordered came to a slim, trim, $10.41. I mean, Hello! How can you beat that? Seriously?!?!

And they have really good cheese-y fries:

Mmmm. Cheese. Fries. Cheesefries...

Not to mention a GIANT hot dog on the back of a pick-up truck:

It's name is "Big Frank". Priceless.

Then we drove around some more, went to check out the new stores at Downtown Disney, drove around some more, oops! had to run the toll booth on the Beachline since we didn't have 50¢ in change, and then drove around a little more. Then, home. Besides, I had caught a bit of a sinus infection-type thing from all the pollen, so I wanted to get back to the air controlled house.

B entertained me as I blew my nose:

Thanks for the new tunes, sis!

Then, I was hungry again. Big surprise. Behold, the antipasto:

This meal made possible by a generous donation by the T n' D foundation... (thanks guys!)

There are no words. Except maybe yum. It's really been too long since we had this. JUST TOO DAMN LONG! And so freakin' good. I love making this meal, 'cause it lets me use all the little dishes and bowls I've accumulated. And it tastes amazing. We finally discovered how to make the roasted red pepper bread dip from Il Pasticcio in Savannah. We used the leftover sauce from the lasagna rolls and just added heavy cream, another roasted pepper and some salt. Gahhhhhhh......so good. With a good bottle of Chianti, there's nothing better.

Except maybe mini cream puffs with a dark chocolate sauce:

Yes we ate all of them in one sitting. I have no shame.

I'm not a big cake person. (I have room in my heart for only one cake.) In fact, I usually have birthday pie (key lime) instead of birthday cake. But this year, on account of getting a free sample at BJ's the day before, we went with the cream puffs. And some melted 70% dark chocolate that I had in the pantry. And the rest of the Chianti.

Then we waddled off to bed.

Unfortunately, B had to work the next morning. So I made Easter breakfast for myself:

Actually this is what I have every Sunday morning...

The rest of the weekend was leftovers. Which ends our "Weekend in Food". Hope you enjoyed it and thanks again for all the birthday wishes!

We've got some fun stuff going down tomorrow for the restaurant, then the guys will be here this weekend to look at houses (YEA!!!), and then, Sidewalk Arts. Foofty!

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 16

2006-04-12T13:09:00.001-04:00

Still craving clean, white things. I'm not talented enough to wear white clothing, so my white fetish has to be in the form of home decor. The color is never too far away, though, I just can't help it. I'm about to go on a rampage with a can of white paint around the apartment, but hopefully B will stop me...

Top, L to R: Fleur etched glass lamp from Crate and Barrel.com - almost a nothing lamp, love it; tea cups by Anna Kraitz at launchdesignpartner.com - love the colors of the glaze, earthy somehow; 'Animal Thing' horse lamp, pig tray table, and rabbit lamp by Front Design for moooi at frontdesign.se - these are either pure genius or absolutely ridiculous, I haven't decided yet - that horse is a floor lamp;
Row 2, L to R: Tea Room Savannah - how I long for an afternoon at this place, if we were still living there, it's where I would spend my birthday. Sigh...; beaded retro halter from Forever 21; white quilting - LOVE the look of this, I want to re-do the guest room with stuff like this, but I know it would never work...
Row 3, L to R: pearl grain switchplate by john keaton art and design at cafepress.com; 'Grace' chandelier by Louise Hederstrom at scandinaviandesigncenter.com - laser cut metal, then enameled white - YUM; gold ring necklace from delias.com - love how it sorta looks like bakelite
Row 4, L to R: this is the SINGLE. GREATEST. CAKE. ON. THE. PLANET., and it will soon be leaving our realm completely (it's already gone from B's restaurant - damn new menu, grumble, grumble, grumble) BUT, not all of the restaurants have gotten rid of it yet (not till July), so some of B's peeps hooked me up a few days ago, and there are 2 pieces chilling in my freezer as we speak - I should start a whole underground ring of cake distribution and start stocking up for the end of the desert world...maybe I need to buy a deep freeze...dammit I can't believe they're getting rid of it. BAH!; Chantal red ceramic tea pot - I just love it's little shape, I want to hold it in my hands; white painted frames from presse-citron.com - mmmm, white textured frames
Row 5, L to R: hexagonal ceramic floor tiles, I would buy our apartment if only to be able to replace the bathroom floors...; 'Things With Wings' by feanne at pusakal.com - I really love the overall quality of her work, so organic and lovely; battery operated flip clock by Furnicreations.com - love the little swatch of wood grain
Row 6, L to R: Frillie Pepper flats from Aerosoles.com - I would buy each and ever color of this flat - adore the metallic trim; Key Ring (Mustang) by KielMead.com - taken from an actual key, then rendered in silver; Reading Is Sexy button from kateblack.etsy.com - so it is.

God, looking at this stuff, you'd think I'd be turning 68, not 28 this year. What's up with that?

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

HOW RA-SHA-SHA!

2006-04-11T13:17:00.001-04:00

That's what I named the latest tank. Ra-sha-sha.

I HATE this photo, but it's all I got before the batteries on the camera died...

I need to buy a mannequin if I'm going to continue to make clothing. Suncoast had one that would of been perfect, if not for the fact that they wanted $50 for it. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?! FIFTY BUCKS?

The embroidery turned out suprisingly well for being just an outline. The key was getting the backing really ironed on to the tank, then getting it stretched REALLY tightly over the embroidery hoop.

I like it alot.

PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE GEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN!

2006-04-10T15:51:00.001-04:00

So Steph asked how I make my blog.

It's totally done by magic. (Shh. Don't tell.) I just found a little pouch in the back of the Apple store one day labeled 'Blog Dust' and all I do is pour a little into my hand, make a wish for something stylish and then blow it onto the screen. VOILA! A blog of my very own!

Magic. Really. Simple as that.

Actually, I code it all by hand. I could never get Dreamweaver to work for CSS.

Way back in September for my one year anniversary (blog-iversary?) I decided to do the major overhaul and I just spent an entire day (or 2, maybe 3, maybe 8, I'm not sure - it's all a little hazy) learning CSS as much as possible just by looking at blogger templates and the source code of blogs that I like the look of. This is also a good resource for learning what all the CSS code stands for.

CSS is not hard at all once you figure out what everything does. The first half of the template gives the ingredients to make up the blog - how the text and spacing should look, how to treat a link, how the header should look, etcetera. The second half of the template takes those ingredients and actually makes the blog - where to put the text, what graphic to call, where to put the Blogger code. Each ingredient on top should correspond with a direction on the bottom. The only thing that sucks is that I've never seen two blogs with the same 'ingredient' code. It seems that everybody does it differently. Which makes it a little hard to figure out at first.

I actually started out with one of the stock blogger templates (Scribe, by Todd Dominey), then hacked the shite out of it to get the container so I could have a plain background for the text and a pattern or gradient on the sides - which I haven't really used in awhile. (I made the patterns from scratch using the offset tool in Photoshop.) When it comes to the coding, you just gotta take one section at a time and not worry about how it looks till you're all done. The template code can smell your frustration, your fear...never let it beat you. I do tend to yell a LOT when making big changes though...

To get the three columns, which I could NOT figure out until B was looking over my shoulder and said 'hey, why don't you just do a this' I used a basic table. It's actually 5 columns, 3 for content and 2 for the spacing. You just figure out how wide you want the container to be (mine's 800px), then take off a few pixels to leave a border (mine's 790) and divide the table into percentages: mine is like, 25%, 5%, 50%, 5%, 25%. Which doesn't add up to 100%, but it works to get it in the container. Not totally reliable, but it does the job. I don't look at it on a PC very often, but I guess it works, right?

Right now, the container is still there, but I just have it the same color as the background. Same for Wonderful Time. The only problem I've had with the container, is that if you use the program Paparazzi (sorry, Mac only) to grab a picture of the site, it only grabs the container, not the patterns on the side. Which is really only a problem if you need to put the site in a portfolio or something...

Then it's just a matter of putting what you want in which column you want and then making the graphics themselves. All this takes is basic HTML tags. I'm anal to the extreme, so this part takes me awhile to get the breaks and spacing right. Also, making every.single.graphic. in web colors will make your life WAY easier when you go to do the link colors and container borders. I like to use this page to get the color codes.

Actually making the graphics takes the least amount of time out of everything. When you're done, as long as you name them the same each time, the code does all the work for you.

Also, all the content in the sidebar has to be changed by hand through the template, and doesn't get saved when you change it. Which sorta sucks. I've toyed with going to Typepad, which lets you categorize and archive things such as that, but that takes money! Blogger's free!

Anyway, I actually have a totally separate bigskystarlettest blog where I play with all the code beforehand. It makes life MUCH MUCH MUCH easier. Less 'OMIGOD I JUST @#$% up my BLOG now what the hell am I gonna do' and more 'oh, so that's what that does' and 'that looks awesome, lets do that'. I have a separate test folder on our server for the images so it doesn't change the real blog. Then, all I do is copy the entire template into the ACTUAL bigskystarlet blog when I end up with something I like.

This time I wanted to get away from having a wide header with content underneath as per usual, so I cleared everything out of the left sidebar and just put the graphic there instead. When I did Wonderful Time, I just put the content in the sidebar instead of in the center and changed the percentages on the table to make the columns the right size. Easy-peasy. Simple cut and paste.

Let me know if you need any help, I'd be glad to take a look at it if you get stuck!

WOW. IT DOESN'T GET MUCH MORE CLEAN CUT THAN THAT.

2006-04-06T12:59:00.001-04:00

So I took a little color quiz today, as recommened by Alicia at Posie Gets Cozy in honor of color week by Mecozy.

It is shockingly accurate:

Your Existing Situation
Sensitive and understanding but under some strain; needs to unwind in the company of someone close to her.

Your Stress Sources
Is responsive to outside stimuli and wants to experience everything intensely, but is finding the existing situation extremely frustrating. Needs sympathetic understanding and a sense of security. Distressed by her apparently powerlessness to achieve her goals.

Your Restrained Characteristics
Unhappy at the resistance she feels whenever she tries to assert herself. Indignant and resentful because of these setbacks, but gives way apathetically and makes whatever adjustments are necessary so that she can have peace and quiet.

Able to achieve satisfaction through sexual activity.

Circumstances are forcing her to compromise, to restrain her demands and hopes, and to forgo for the time being some of the things she wants.

Your Desired Objective
Needs a change in her circumstances or in her relationships which will permit relief from stress. Seeking a solution which will open up new and better possibilities and allow hopes to be fulfilled.

Your Actual Problem
Intensely critical of the existing conditions which she feels are disorganized or insufficiently clear-cut. Is therefore seeking some solution which will clarify the situation and introduce a more acceptable degree of order and method.

Your Actual Problem #2
Agitation, unpredictability, and irritation accompanying depleted vitality and intolerance of further demands have all placed her in a position in which she feels menaced by her circumstances. Feeling powerless to remedy this by any action of her own, she is desperately hoping that some solution will provide a way of escape.

So go take it, and learn more today!

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 15

2006-04-05T11:45:00.001-04:00

There are times when I want to get rid of everything I own, and move into a beautiful, airy, white condo by the beach. This is one of those times. I don't know if it's because spring is here, and I feel the need for everything to be organized and clean, or if I just need to move to a beautiful, airy, white condo by the beach.

Top, L to R: classic empire dress from Forever 21 - love the color and the cut is perfect for me; military-styled twill jacket from ArdenB.com - I adore the raw edges, I actually have some throw pillows that look just like this; bamboo lantern from CB2.com - I'm looking for a couple of hanging lanterns for the back porch, and these would be perfect
Row 2, L to R: hand-knit cowboy baby booties from mahardrygoods.com - so cute and tiny, I need a wee baby friend to give them to; crocheted baskets from www.dixie.se/Katalog2005.html - unfortunately, this website is in Swedish, but the stuff is GORGEOUS, so I couldn't pass it up; hibiscus napkin from crateandbarrel.com - I don't usually dig orange all that much, but I find it creeping into my designs lately
Row 3, L to R: butterfly teapot by Polly George at 2jane.com - so delicate and beautiful (read: breakable); ring sandals from Oldnavy.com - beautifully uncomfortable, but I love the colors, especially together; shiny doily earrings from Forever 21 - part of me likes them just because they're called 'doily' earrings
Row 4, L to R: oval dark carved bowl from crateandbarrel.com; green apples - especially with peanut butter smeared on top; silver embossed table from Urbanoutfitters.com - don't know exactly what I'd do with this, but it'd look great in that beach house I was talking about, I love the texture and the shine
Row 5, L to R: Thistle and Allium pillows from CB2.com - more orange; vase from www.dixie.se/Katalog2005.html - again, Swedish, but just do darn beautiful, love the cracked glaze mixed with the floral relief on it, so raw looking; wood and pearl cuff from bluejeanbaby.etsy.com - love how chunky it is
Row 6, L to R: cabbage leaf urn from arusticgarden.com - going to Leu gardens only strengthened my love of a big beautiful garden urn; raw braided belt from Forever 21 - I love me a belt without a buckle, and LOVE the rope aspect; metal film reel (this one from ebay) - I don't know, I find myself drawn to the shape and texture of the metal, and hey, I love move memorabilia, plus, they look so cool on a wall

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

BIG SKY STARLET - SPRING 2006 COLLECTION

2006-04-04T10:50:00.001-04:00

So I've got the first two tanks done. I'm almost done with a third, and want to have the 4th done by this weekend. I'm going to list 2 per week, one each on Tuesday and Thursday, to keep the shop exposure high. That seemed to work before, so we'll be trying that again.

I'm gonna market them as 'lounge wear', something to wear to lounge around the house in, read a book, watch tv, go to the gym, or sleep in. I was afraid that the embroideries were going to be stiff and itchy, but they came through the washing machine like a dream. And the colors didn't run! Huzzah!

Anyway here's the first one:

I still haven't come up with a title for any of these yet, but I want to.

And the second one:

Can I just say how FUN it is to have to model these?

I made sure to buy sizes for women, not girls. No x-sm things in my store. Since I have no boobies, you can't really tell that the pink shirt would fit a bombshell with a bust size of 44. The green one would fit up to a 40. But the green one also fit me, very comfortably.

I even made some custom tags to sew inside:

They are just ink-jet printed iron-on transfers put onto twill bias tape. I got that idea off of the craftster.org boards. Not the easiest things to make, but they turned out alright, and cost less than $10. They're a little stiff, though. I wonder where the least annoying place would be to put them...hmmm.

So I'm gonna list the shirts around 2pm, since that seems to be when everybody stops working to check out what's new on the internets.

Here goes! (Here's the link to the first one)

FIRST HARVEST

2006-04-02T15:21:00.001-04:00

I decided to take a little sewing break to rest my sore fingers. And I needed to do a little gardening.

I've got pots of herbs out by the front door, and since I've actually remembered to water them, they've been growing. Funny how that works. I put them in from seed the first week of January, and now I've got fresh food growing before my very eyes.

No, it's not diseased, it's supposed to look like that.

I'm experimenting with purple basil this year, and it's not doing as well as I'd like and I only got one little cutting so far.

Fresh from the earth

The thyme is going like gangbusters, it must like all the sun it gets out front. I only wish is wasn't so hot or I'd roast some potatoes in a little olive oil and thyme. Mmmmmm, maybe it's not too hot...

Some of the thyme is purple on the underside. So pretty.

But as per usual, I got hungry. So I made some caprese sandwiches with the basil, some leftover baguette from last night, a few slices of a plum tomato that was getting a little too ripe and a few slices of whole milk mozzerella.

Roughly translated, 'Caprese' means 'FREAKIN TASTY' in Italian.

Boy was it ever good. Like summertime on a plate. Or springtime, I guess. Yum. Super yum. Yum, Yum, Yum.

See? Yum.

BECAUSE IT'S SPRINGTIME

2006-03-31T19:20:00.001-05:00

Behold, the "Lemon Wonder" cupcakes. So named because well, they're lemon cake and I used the "White Wonder Frosting" from the 1952 Betty Crocker Picture cookbook.

And boy, are they tasty. I want to eat all 24 22 of them. Light, but sweet enough.

I love how the frosting looks like snowdrifts.

I suddenly realized today that it's spring. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but strangely, I feel renewed somehow. Like I made it through the winter/ depressing months and now I'ma be okay. I think part of it has to do with my birthday, which I'm actually looking forward to this year.

And it's REALLY warm outside, which helps. Now all we need is some rain.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

2006-03-30T11:57:00.001-05:00

I've got a TON of projects lined up. I need to stop planning and get started sewing. The pic above is the first tank. Acutally, it's not the first, but I hated the way the other one turned out and ripped out all the stitches to start over. So this is the first one I like. I'm thinking like $24 a piece, plus $6 for shipping since the damn post office raised rates again. So a nice round $30. I wonder if this is too much, or too little, 'cause they're gonna take quite awhile to sew. But I really, reallly like them, and if they don't sell, I'll be more than happy to add them to my lounge-around-the-house wardrobe.

Pink has a coral lip mark on the lapel area, blue has a cool retro-y apple on the lapel, brown will have an orange crown near the waist, purple with have a white umbrella near the waist, and aqua will have a feather in this pinky-brown thread - don't know if I'll do the peacock eye or if this pattern will even work. We'll see.

Just in case I miraculously become the bionic woman over the weekend and get those tanks finished, I've also got the dinner napkins to sew and then embroider.

Oh, and a few art ones, too.

Well. I'm off to pick out some flicks to watch, but not really look at, and get started.

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 14

2006-03-29T11:11:00.001-05:00

So I've got this slight victorian thing going on. Don't know where it's coming from exactly, but I seem to revisit it on occasion.

Top, L to R: Cinnabar floral porcelain dinnerware at Crate & Barrel - love the simplicity of it; Dauphiine drum pendant light fixture by Zia Priven at velocityartanddesign.com - my god this is gorgeous and sexy; russet roses from marthasflowers.com - I love how lush these look, and that's one of my favorite colors of all time
Row 2, L to R: Fork Bracelet at contrary.etsy.com - this isn't a new idea, but I still love the reuse of old things; Hurricane candleholder/ vase at wisteria.com - love the contrast of classic and modern; striped ruched cami from Forever 21 - I love the idea of chevron stripes, but I'm not brave enough to attempt making something with them
Row 3, L to R: '6095' flats by Sigerson Morrison at zappos.com - oh zappos how I adore thee, and the metallic blue trim on these flats; red doily at jprescott.etsy.com - this would look so great on a big throw pillow, white, black, brown, and you don't see red crochet very much; Chroma beaker by Jonathan Adler - so beautiful, so expensive
Row 4, L to R: Cameo Ring by ornamentalthings.com - so lovely to see a brown cameo; 'Half and Half' blouse from Anthropologie - you can't really see it, but this has some white embroidery across the top that I just love, and it would make my girls look bigger (always a plus); 'Half Lotus' doormat from Anthropologie.com - love the flat pattern and the colors are great
Row 5, L to R: Casa Bella end table from Pier One - I like the graphic quality that the black legs give this table, it's a little more modern; Roses applique from myprivitiveboutique.etsy.com - these aren't plaster, but look it, and would look so great painted a bright color on an armoire or just left white on a white wall; CUPCAKES! - it's a cupcake-a-palooza around here
Row 6, L to R: Silver lacy Butterfly pin from violetsvintage.etsy.com - I have always loved pins, and I always will, even if they're not in style; leather Cathedral shoulder bag from bonspielcreation.etsy.com - she has screenprinted a cathedral image on the most delicious embossed red leather - so cool; embroidered floral cardigan from gap.com - love the little flower, I'm a sucker for cardigans

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

FREE ON MONDAYS

2006-03-28T11:10:00.001-05:00

Daisies are such a happy little flower. And I love, love, love that urn.

Sorry, dudes. It's been a busy week. Got called last Wednesday for an interview scheduled on Friday, and spent the end of the week madly cobbling together another, better, version of my portfolio. Then all day Thursday, studying interview techniques and writing answers to the questions they might ask.

None of which they actually asked.

This job would be lovely, but it's a 60 mile drive. One way. On toll roads. But it really wasn't that bad of a drive, so I'm still on the fence as to weather it would be a good thing. The interview went as well as could be expected, what with my STELLAR interview-ee skills. I'm just trying not to think about it.

But anyway, since I spent 3 entire days on the interview stuff, I had to spend Saturday sewing (to finish an order that should have been done on Wednesday) instead of doing laundry and cleaning the house. So all of that crap had to be done Sunday (and there was a lot to be done). It was a long day.

So we decided yesterday to take the day off and have some fun. I started the day with a bath, with B still snoring away in the bed. Can I just say that it feels sooooooooo luxuriously decadent to have a proper, searing hot bubble bath first thing in the morning. Especially on a weekday. Utterly divine.

Anyway. The botanical gardens here are free on Monday mornings, and since the weather was fantastic, we decided to take a stroll and take some pictures.

It's yellow! It's a tree! It's a yellow tree! No, really, that's what it's called. Go figure.

It's a really cool place. It seemed like the entire city was there, and I had no idea that Monday mornings were so popular. There were a lot of little kiddies there, doing cartwheels in the fields and trying to catch butterflies in the butterfly garden, and just generally being adorable.

I wish my garden looked like this.

It's a pretty magical place, especially now, with a lot of the flowers in bloom. An the smell!!! GAH! You could just drown in the aroma of the jasmine and the herb garden.

Peaches and Cream. The heady scent just about knocked you over.

Everywhere you turn there's something cool to see. And smell. And gush over. We'd never been in the springtime before. Must go back.

I wonder how long it took to get it to look like this.

So after we soaked up some nature, we were starving so decided to grab some (conveniently free) lunch. If you ever go to Crispers, dude, just get half a sandwich. They put like 3/4lb of meat on there. Huge! But tasty.

Then we had an appointment for tea (pinkies out!) with B's Mom and their cousin Lola at the tea room at the Grand Floridian at Disney. On the way there we saw the single biggest 'Herbie: Fully Loaded' fan on the planet:

They love Lindsey Lohan pictures.

I'm still not used to the fact that we live in the same city as DISNEYWORLD. Seeing the monorail on a regular basis always trips me out.

It's the pink one.

Tea was lovely, as always, and a huge thank you to Lola for treating us. THANK YOU!

Then we went to the parentals house for some dinner. Which was tasty, but I have to say that my favorite part of visiting the homestead is being able to witness the love of my life, circa 1994. Hot-cha-cha-cha-cha-cha! Nice specs.

I wasn't able to get a snap of the 'Brian the Magnificent' portrait. Maybe next time...

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 13

2006-03-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

Somebody get me to a beach! STAT!

Top, L to R: Alessi Mediterraneo fruit holder (ie. bowl, why can't they just say bowl?) from fitzsu.com - love the color and the shape; black dots bikini from harajukuswimwear.com - love the polka-dots!; Chaba garden stool from Pier One - my goodness they've got some great new stuff - love the 'hand' painting
Row 2, L to R: "Why yes, I would like a big plate of goat cheese!" - and some crunchy bread if 'ya got it...; embroidered halter dress from Forever 21 - Must.Buy.Dress.Soon; spider mum - I love the white ones and they sell them at Albertson's for like $3 a bunch, how cool is that?
Row 3, L to R: 2001 Prieure le Toures Graves wine lable - I have no idea what this wine is, exactly, but isn't the typeface fantastic?...so turn of the 20th century Paris; Thomas O'Brien Vintage Modern outdoor rocking chairs - love the deco/desert resort aesthetic; River Stone servers from Pier One - these look so heavy and I love the sculptural feeling of them
Row 4, L to R: Ratan (sic) Stripe Blue handbag from ammiciaccessories.com - love the unique handle; Onyx mirror from Pier One - seriously, they've really improved their product line; faux bois console table from Crate and Barrel - OMG love the texture of the cement on this table, you can even leave it outside and it will weather beautifully
Row 5, L to R: carved smokey quartz ring by Stephen Dewck at neimanmarcus.com - LOVE the carving on the stone, it gives it such a tone on tone quality - gah, why does it have to cost so much?; Deep Forest Oak server from uncommongoods.com - so sexy; Daphne clutch at amiciaccessories.com - so pretty
Row 6, L to R: Angel Lace Anelite earrings from incaprincess.etsy.com - handmade straight from Peru; Stallion Belt by Ryan Green at elsewares.com - two of my favorite things...horses and woodgrain; wool felt applique pillow by Koko Company at pillowsandthrows.com - love the directional quilting, and the colors

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

A QUICKIE

2006-03-21T15:46:00.001-05:00

It's finally raining. I am surprisingly overjoyed at this.

I stood at the office window to watch for a bit. I watched the palms finally dancing in the raindrops, thoroughly parched by my lazy watering schedule by now and desperate for a drink.

I love how the water makes the contrast on everything rise just a little. Everything looks like it normally does, just a little more vivid now. A little brighter. A little more alive.

Then I went to the kitchen window to watch the water fall on the herb pots by the front door. The river running down the hill to the street drain was absolutely yellow with pollen. Hopefully this helps B's newfound allergies.

Just a short burst of water, it lasted all of about 5 minutes. Just enough. The sun is already back out and now it makes the drops on the patio chairs and palms sparkle like little crystals.

Nothing like a rain shower to really make it springtime.

RUN OF THE MILL WEEKEND

2006-03-19T17:55:00.001-05:00

I made cupcakes! They are so yummy. They even smell good, 'cause I made buttercream frosting from scratch to make up for the fact that I used a yellow cake mix from a box. YUM!

I'm having a pretty good weekend so far. A large part of my general good mood I attribute to us having a free preview of HBO and Cinemax until tomorrow. Watched Monster-In-Law (bad), 50 First Dates (loved it and I bawled through the end credits like a baby), and I watched Girl with a Pearl Earring again and I have to say that on second viewing, I really like it. I was struck again by the AMAZING cinematography, but I actually paid attention to the acting this time, maybe that's why I liked it more. One more viewing and I might actually buy it. Then I watched Brown Sugar (LOVE it, why don't I own this yet?) to cap off Saturday night.

Sunday morning: paper, tea, english muffin and a V-8, and 3 hours of design shows. Sadly, the NASCAR race was postponed until tomorrow, but while they were deciding what they were going to do today (for TWO HOURS they were 'deciding') I re-organized the 'library' in the dining room. Now, wonder of wonders, you can actually find what you're looking for without going completely crazy. While I considered going totally anal and doing it by dewey decimal, I decided to take a pill and just put them together by genre. Of course, none of this means that B will be able to find the books he's looking for, but it will make it easier for me to find it for him...

So when they finally called the race, I turned the computer on and what should I find but that Mz. Swirlogirl herself bought one of my embroideries! AWESOME! Thanks, Jenn! Hope you like it!

I actually started sewing again yesterday afternoon and started the first of the ladies tanks. It's turning out to be a weeeeee bit harder than I thought. I'm going to have to get some more needles, 'cause I'm gonna break a few on these tanks, I can just tell. But it's going okay. Taking alot longer than I would like, though. I guess this project will make me slow down and take it easy. Which isn't a bad thing.

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY FRIDAY- NO. 12

2006-03-17T16:54:00.001-05:00

File this under: "I'm an effin' idiot to think that I would want to stop doing these."

This week, there's a vaguely far east thread running through what I'm feelin'. I guess I'm just looking for something serene...

Top, L to R: Damask velvet pillow from jaysonhomeandgarden.com - so deliciously luxurious; Jonathan Adler ceramic birds from weegohome.com - they're so cute and attentive looking; ruched kimono top from Forever 21 - love the color, and the wide neckline would make my butt look smaller...
Row 2, L to R: Lace top from Old Navy - B would be happy to hear that the color name is "Pearl Cream", this top is so Deadwood-esqe, perfect for Trixie; Daily Fortune (money edition) from rosebud-design.com - I could certainly use some guidance right now; Screen-printed ties by Tymbal Art Company at artstarphilly.com - I think I'd hang them on the wall before I'd convince someone to wear them
Row 3, L to R: Pharos opaque pendants from Nichelighting.com - these are simply gorgeous, I love the dusky colors; 1920's ring from Forever 21 - I'm not exactly sure what about this is reminiscent of the 20's, but I'll go with it and I love the oval shape; 'Zilia' heels by BCBGirls at zappos.com - these shoes are just looking for a party
Row 4, L to R: wool cuff by Karen Mulloy at greenergrassdesign.com - I will happily steal this idea to use up all of the felt that I seem to have accumulated...; vintage Elephant necklace at sparrowbox.etsy.com - he just seems like a happy little pachyderm and I love the chunckiness/ delicateness of the chain; handknit green chain scarf/ belt at moosesmix.etsy.com - I cannot believe that someone has the ability (or the patience) to HANDKNIT an actual linked chain, it's just too gorgeous and yummy
Row 5, L to R: vanilla tea from pearlriver.com - I love it not so much for the tea, but the tin and I'm SO being influences by Expedition: Everest here; Mobius table at design within reach (DWR.com) - I just want to run my hands over the curves of the wooden base, and hey, it's wood grain which is always lovely; beer - 'cause it's getting warmer outside and a beer just sounds really good right now
Row 6, L to R: lace chairs from gamplusfratesi.com - what are they gonna come up with next? - not sure exactly how these are made but they are just yummy and I love the colors; Orkide plan pot from IKEA - Dear Ikea: You suck...build a store closer to me and I'll think about letting you not suck; mussels - why do I always crave them when they're not in season for chrissakes? - but I do

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

DO YOUR PART AND HAVE A BEER TODAY

2006-03-17T11:07:00.001-05:00

Also, today is the 2nd anniversary of car ownership for us and our car, "Annie O'Toole". Happy birfday Annie! Maybe we'll get around to washing all that pollen off of you one of these days...

THAT'S THAT

2006-03-16T14:02:00.001-05:00

"Vacation" was just okay. We didn't do anything in general, but I now know that my Everest ride limit is 5 times in a row before my brain gets all floaty. B also introduced me to the lovely 20oz Aruba Red beer at Bahama Breeze. For the low, low price of $3, you get a nice beer buzz and can listen to some kickin' steel drum music and watch the sun go down. (Cheap beer buzz courtesy of half of the proceeds from another embroidery sale - thanks T! - it's nice to feel human again and go out to a bar and try and have fun.) I also helped polish off the remainder of a pan of brownies in one sitting yesterday, so I guess vacation was a success.

It's hard when you now live where you used to vacation ALL. THE. TIME. It never really feels like a vacation. Maybe I'm just in the mood for a road trip. I kinda miss driving, like back home. Really driving, not just commuting. I miss the mountains, too.

Anyway. I'm still feeling out of sorts. Trying to get back in the swing of things today, as I forced myself not to do anything creative for the duration of B's time off. (Which I stuck to except for the hour I spent laying out patterns for the new tank tops for the store. So sue me, I got a little excited.) It may have actually worked, 'cause I'm jonesin' to get my studio set back up again and get some projects done. I'm giving myself the weekend to get everything settled sewing-wise and then I'm going to go apply to some area stores on Monday. Aack...retail.

At this point, I'm pretty exausted with the job search/ rejection circus and all I really want now is a paycheck. I'm tired of getting calls 3 times a day from the school loan people. It kills me a little each time I hear my phone ring.

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 11

2006-03-08T12:13:00.002-05:00

This is what I always go back to. Red and blue, graphic shapes, intricate details, weathered finishes, floral patterns. It's my chicken soup of style. I guess my worries in life are leading me back to comfort. I kinda started these to figure out my own personal style, because it's easy for me to pick/ design something for somebody else, but I had a hard time figuring out me. I'm in a better place stylistically now, so this will probably be the last one I do for awhile. Or at least till I find some more cool stuff to gush about.

Top, L to R: Ginza pillows from Pier One - man, do they have alot of cool new stuff right now, and I love the scooter on the front pillow; the oranges this season have been SO tasty, I've been having them as dessert after dinner; Antique Rose bracelet from Liz Claiborne - I can't believe these are from Liz Claiborne, I really, really, really love this bracelet, just so gorgeous and vintagy, and only like $20 (which would rock my world if I had $20)
Row 2, L to R: round teak table by Baik Designs - the finish on this table is delish; Motif Linen in Rouge at Reprodepot.com - never mind the fact that I love the word and the color rouge, I love the little folksy pattern on this fabric; I've been drinking a ton of italian cream sodas of the almond variety, which are totally yummy
Row 3, L to R: Vintage metal enamel brooch from sparrowbox.etsy.com; Gothic Mansion Tote by mamadelic.etsy.com - reminds me of a house in an old coloring book I had; bottle cap coasters at patinastores.com - I've been wanting to make some wall letters with some bottle caps but have been having a problem with my supplier...
Row 4, L to R: Retrolight Horse Pin at classichardware.com - want to make this into an embroidery pattern; Skye standard pendant by mibo-usa.com - love the pattern on it; twig taper candles - ah, faux bois
Row 5, L to R: antipasto, antipasto, antipasto - I long for it, but can't afford the good stuff right now, so we're gonna wait; Floral cutout swag necklace from Arden B - again love the asymetry; Roses are Blue dishware from rosannainc.com - good color, love the silhouette graphics
Row 6, L to R: Hako heels from Anthropologie - love, love, LOVE these heels, so flirty and gorgeous; Napali vase from clio-home.com - this vase is beautiful, but it also reminds me of the way the frosting looked on our wedding cake, and anything that reminds me of cake is a good thing in my book; Regatta dress at Anthropologie - the stripes are gorgeous, it just looks fun and summery, love it

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

OH, GOODNESS ME

2006-03-06T13:38:00.001-05:00

Some random thoughts:

Random Thought No. 1 - You know that it's been too long since you did laundry when you find things you forgot you owned.

Random Thought No. 2 - Spring Cleaning is so much better than going to the gym, 'cause at the end of the day, you not only got a workout, but you also have a 'house that sparkles' (except for the fact you've collapsed on the floor in the living room out of sheer exhaustion...)

Random Thought No. 3 - This is like the coolest idea ever, 'cause who wouldn't want some advice from someone who's seen it all and isn't afraid to tell it like it is?

Random Thought No. 4 - I love the music option on myspace, but everytime I go to change it, I get overwhelmed by all the options so I do nothing (just like napster in the early days).

Random Thought No. 5 - I want to go to the beach on the gulf

Random Thought No. 6 - I think I've lost my ability to make good Lo Mein. The last two times I have it's been crappy.

Random Thought No. 7 - Saying it out loud (actually, I guess that's typing it out loud) has made me actually want to stick with it. I'm finally ready to expand to new things and I've got dinner napkins and a hat in the works. I've also got a custom shirt order lined up. Now I've just got to work on getting a flyer.

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 10

2006-03-01T11:13:00.001-05:00

Same old color scheme, SOOOOOOO girly and feminine.

Top, L to R: I love this font, and it is everywhere; lemonade - I'd like a glass of the really good one at Bahama Breeze, the one that comes with suger cane; vintage belt buckles found on etsy - I just like the eclectic quality of them, they're so beautiful
Row 2, L to R: double horseshoe necklace from Urban Outfitters - they're upside down, but I still like the chain; birch tree painting by by birdinthehand - I loves me some faux bois; eyelet mini-jacket with beaded lapel by Y and Kei - OMIGOD this is so yummy I could eat it
Row 3, L to R: portion of 'Night School 2003' by Stanford Kay; painted chairs by chair couture by Margaret Ellman - love the color combo; 'Autumn' season tea towel at quelobjet.com
Row 4, L to R: double breasted jacket with balloon sleeves at Topshop - it's such a good thing that this store is in London and not here; Brighton Pouf Boutonniere at rosylittlethings.com; gathered pattern halter dress from Forever 21
Row 5, L to R: terra cotta stamp pendant by bibbidibaubles.etsy.com - I love terra cotta, but never thought to wear it; battenburg lace tee - so spring and lovely; forsythia tote bay by mamadelic.etsy.com
Row 6, L to R: Patterson bench by Silho Furniture - LOVE how skewed it is, yet still incredibly graceful; Cow tea towel from quelobjet.com; Spectrum paper lamp from chiasso.com - this color scheme is crazy, but crazy good, not crazy insane (wait...crazy insane is good, too...)

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

PUMP D'OR

2006-02-28T11:07:00.001-05:00

So this will be the last new one I'm gonna do for a little while. I'm feeling a little discouraged about the whole online store thing. I'm going to finish up the pieces I have planned, then I'm not going to buy any more supplies.

I really, really like doing them, but I'd like to actually see something monetarily out of this whole deal. I've re-invested all the money I've made back into new projects, which is what you're supposed to do, right? I don't know, I guess I'm just greedy. I lowered my prices so I make about $8 a piece. Is that worth the effort involved? Argh.

And I thought that 1500 hits was a big deal, until I looked around and saw that alot of people have 10000, 25000, 40000 hits. So that's that.

That all being said, I'm toying with the idea of doing some flyers to hang up around the area. Simple, black and white. Eye-catching.

I don't know. All this past week I've been thinking, "What am I doing wrong?". I'd like a little bit of success somewhere in my life again. I'm SOOOOOOO having a "every-ting I touch turns to ca-ca" period.

PS: I'm so not on her level, but Posie is much more eloquent on this subject than I am.

WOWZA

2006-02-26T15:48:00.001-05:00

1500 hits.

It's appropriate that I was my 1500th hit.

Cool, man. Now to work on more sales.

SEWING FOR DUMMIES

2006-02-23T18:12:00.001-05:00

I got my machine all fixed up and I was all raring to start sewing again, but I've been crippled by this debilitating fear that I would spend the money on some cool fabric and a pattern to make a dress, then royally 'eff it up because sewing is like, hard.

Did I mention it was hard?

So anyway, I'm reading a novel last night and one of the characters is setting the dinner table with cloth napkins that she made herself.

What a brilliant idea, I think. I use cloth napkins everyday. I could make cloth napkins for a lot less than I buy them at Crate & Barrel.

Wait.

I could SELL cloth napkins if I embroidered them.

Awesome. I took my 2nd SCAD check (it finally arrived) and went to the fabric store to check out the clearance section.

So I've been sewing all day today. ALL day. And this is all I have to show for it:

This fabric was 1 dollar. The thread cost more than the fabric, but whatever. I love the feathers, and it seems so 50's somehow. They're a little small (because the first mistake of the day was cutting the fabric wrong) so they're the perfect size for a drinky-poo or a canape. Lovely.

I never knew that sewing 4 straight seams could be so FREAKING difficult. My machine and I are currently taking a break from one another. I'm tired of yelling at it and it's tired of being yelled at.

We may need couples counseling but I think we'll make it through.

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 9

2006-02-22T10:47:00.001-05:00

This color palette came through in my etsy store re-design. Also, I think I've been staring at my gold sconces too much, 'cause it's all over this too.

Top, L to R: vintage owl pincusion from marigoldtree.etsy.com; gold decal charger plate by Isaac Mizrahi at Target.com; Light Up! Deco pendant lamps at designpublic.com
Row 2, L to R: vintage striped jacket - I would love a dress from this fabric; this is a steak, and I want to put it in my mouth; faux coral from Crate & Barrel - I love the textural quality it has
Row 3, L to R: Golden shell lariat necklace from brightonmoon.etsy.com; antique ring with Swarovski crystal from SnapCrafty.com; 'Pale is the New Tan' tee by Local Celebrity at KarmaLoop.com - 'cause it is baby!
Row 4, L to R: sleeveless sweater shrug at Old Navy - I know that shrugs are sorta out, but they're perfect for Florida and I love the chunkiness of this one; cocoa diagonal plaid fabric from eQuilter.com - I'm really wanting to do some pieces with a plaid of some sort, and I love the colors of this one; Katrina Necklace from gneebo.etsy.com - love the asymmetry
Row 5, L to R: Meat pins from repurposedgoods.etsy.com - LOVE them, don't know if I'd wear them...; letter pillow by Maharam at velocityartanddesign.com; button bracelet from UncommonGoods.com - love the carving on the buttons - I almost bought an entire basket of old buttons at the flea market last week, but I didn't 'cause what would I do with an entire basket of old buttons?;
Row 6, L to R: 'Twig' table from InsideAvenue.com; clear salt and pepper dish from cathkidston.co.uk - I love the pressed glass, but I love the idea of this piece more; I'm really digging collage lately since there are so many great little places to get paper and ephemera - this one, titled 'Home is Where the Heart Is' is from paperrelics.com

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

JUST ME

2006-02-21T18:36:00.001-05:00

So I just got B all settled in his hotel, which was conveniently located exactly 1.7 miles from our house. (It takes one right turn to get there...)

I'm single until Friday afternoon.

Which is so weird to me. I've never lived alone before. Ever. I have to say, it's nice. No one to worry about when they're coming home, and I can go to bed whenever I get sleepy. (I have a thing about waiting till B gets home to go to bed. Not to sleep, just to bed.) Also, NO SNORING! Yippieeeee!!!

I dropped him off and then went to the fabric store just to look around. I had all the time in the world to sit down and look at patterns, go play with the trims, drool over the new fabrics. Then I went to Tarjay and tried on clothes I had no intention of buying. Why not? It's not like I have to be home at a certain time, or that B has to go to work and needs the car! Holy crap this is awesome! I can listen to what I want on the radio, make what I want for dinner, watch what I want on TV. If I feel the need to go to the store I can, anytime of day or night! Huzzah! I have to go to the post office? Okay, just get in the car and go! No delegation involved, no hoping and praying that something will get done! I can just do it!

It's nice to have no obligations. The God's are smiling down on me, 'cause the new Vogue came in the mail. Yay! No distractions! No disparaging remarks about a magazine that is 3/4 ads!

Of course, come Thursday night, I'll be desperate for a hug and snuggle. And I'll need someone to take care of and worry about. To wait impatiently for them to come home 'cause I miss them.

But tomorrow will be great.

A PLACE OF MY OWN

2006-02-20T13:45:00.001-05:00

Some might comment that our entire apartment is mine. But I try very hard to make sure that B is as comfortable here as I am. Trust me, things would be a lot different if this was only my apartment. He keeps me from doing crazier things.

But, I decided that if I was really going to take this whole embroidery thing seriously, then I needed to dedicate a space in this apartment for that and only that.

So I did:

(If you cannot see the pictuours, consult your local library.)

I made the desk out of pine board and plumbing pipes for our old apartment. It was in storage up until now. It's just slightly higher than regular table height, so it's perfect. The chairs were already here. The lamp was in our bedroom in Savannah, but I had had it in storage, too. My bowling pin table is the perfect spot to store the machine. I picked up the soda crate at the flea market for $5 and then added a shelf and lined the inside with vinyl to protect the fabrics (Love the 'Atlas' graphics on it). Now I can keep the embroidery fabrics separate from my other fabrics and I don't have to sort them every time I start a new piece.

The little seven picture was scanned in from a catalog last year, but I could never figure out where to put it. The sconces are from eBay, and I really need to get some candles to put in them. I've stored all my little extras in the cool thrifted tin that I just love. I had two white metal bins that matched the others in storage and now I've filled them up with various supplies to build the frames. And there's finally a place to store the pins (in a glass votive candleholder).

IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL! I keep asking myself why I didn't do this sooner? It's so nice not to have to wonder where I left my pins (or pattern marker, or pattern paper, or thread, or scissors - the list goes on and on) because they have a home now. And it's so conveniently located - right next to the computer, scanner, and printer. I can watch DVD's on the computer, or just turn on the TV. Most often, I sit at the worktable while B is on the computer at night. (It's nice to be in the same room again...) I also positioned the plants outside so that I can bear to look out into the sunshine if I feel the need.

It's also re-aligned the apartment as a whole. Now, the office/studio is for weekdays, for the working time. On Saturday, I can shut the door and just relax. Go out into the rest of the apartment or the patio and just enjoy it. Instead of walking in the front door and seeing all the sewing flotsam and jetsam that's here, there, and everywhere, I just see comfy chairs and good things to read and watch. No stress.

All the little pieces fit underneath the table for when the room magically turns into a guest room. I'm going to sew a cover for it right quick. The table is actually the exact same depth as the little dresser, so I don't lose any space. We just gain some more surface space. Fantastic!

It's lover-ly. I should have done it sooner!

THINGS I'M LOVING ABOUT THE OLYMPICS

2006-02-17T13:27:00.001-05:00

A list in seven parts:

1. The Russian's uniforms.

2. The font that NBC is using for their on-screen graphics, it's reminiscent of Salaryman, which is a fave of mine.

3. Canada's national anthem.

4. The ice dancing competition. What can I say, except that I love it.

5. Curling. Strangely interesting. Constantly on, so you have to watch it.

6. Freestyle skiing. How their bodies can handle that abuse is amazing. And the jumps are cool!

7. The discipline graphics are just beautiful. When they're shown in color, they look like old art deco images.

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 8

2006-02-15T13:04:00.001-05:00

These colors and my obsession with them just won't let go. I love 'em! And I'm really loving natural textures, too.

Top, L to R: 'Cape Seaweed Clutch' Agnes & Hoss; Roland Mouret 'Spoonbill' backless silk halter top; dancing drop earrings from Forever 21
Row 2, L to R: Cut Rose bowl by Karin Eriksson at Mint; rodeo cowboy iron on transfer (flocked!) from dutchtradeshop.com; 'Cassidy' heel from Banana Republic - love how thick the straps are
Row 3, L to R: vintage electric wall clock off ebay - I need a clock for the office, and this would be perfect; embroidered peasant dress from Forever 21 - love the cut and of course, the color, wonder if I could make one since my machine is fixed now...; stone cairns and vases from vivaterra.com - their perfectly rounded shape is great
Row 4, L to R: coral two-strand necklace from Target.com - another granny necklace; pendants from merrycrystal.com - these are salvaged from 70's chandeliers and the colors and forms are so great; spanish brass earrings from Forever 21 - love the delicacy, I bet they make a great jingly noise
Row 5, L to R: dress by Zac Posen for spring 2006 - this dress emcompasses every thing I'm feelin' right now...shine, the colors, and a great little dress; these are Pithivier, they are pastries filled with crushed almonds and an almond paste type stuff and are the single greatest thing I've ever eaten at EPCOT, I'm craving them SO HARD; spaulted maple salad bowl and tossers from vivaterra.com - omigod the raw edge
Row 6, L to R: 'Twig' etagere from Crate and Barrel - iron that looks like twigs, a perfect match; butterfly pillow by Michele Varian - theres that shine again; patterned crossover back top from Forever 21 - love the color and the line drawn quality of the pattern

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

KISSES

2006-02-14T11:59:00.001-05:00

J'adore you all! Hope you have a good day!

I READ GOOD

2006-02-10T14:50:00.001-05:00

So I finally got a library card. Praise (insert deity of choice here)!

It's also conveniently located on the way to the food store, how great is that! I had forgotten how great is to be encouraged along by the likes of Mel Gibson, Sean Connery and Denzel Washington, too.

The best part of the experience though, was not getting to bring home 17 books home for FREE (I didn't let myself venture into the periodicals or that number would have been MUCH higher) but was getting to visit a place from a certain someone's past. They shall remain nameless, except to say the their stage name at one time was "Brian the Magnificent"...

We pulled into the parking lot at the main branch of the library and he gasped, "Oh, my God, I've been here..." and I'm all, "Okay, in which lifetime..." and the fact came out that the magnificent magician had done an end of summer tour in his youth in which he visited many area libraries, including the one we had just pulled up to.

Indeed.

I'll refrain from posting pictures of said tour. Besides, I've got better things to do, like read a few books.

IFEELFINEREALLYFINEFINEME!

2006-02-09T13:16:00.001-05:00

I'm not a person who has caffeine on a regular basis anymore.

When I was in High School, I had an iced frappuccino (from a bottle) every day during first period, drank cherry coke on a regular basis, and the northwest being what it was in the 90's, a lovely cappuccino on occasion.

When I got to college, I dropped the coffee for tea, limited my soda (or pop, depending on what half of the country I was in at the time) intake to oh, like 3 a day, and was regularly enticed by the siren song of the raspberry latte at the old (better) Gallerie Espresso.

Then I realized that my debilitating insomnia was probably affected by all the caffeine I was ingesting and I basically dropped it cold turkey, except on special occasions. Occasions such as that certain day a month when all I want is fried chicken and chemicals dipped in chocolate with a corn syrup chaser, or times when a cappachino with my dessert sounds like the perfect thing after a meal out. Which is rare. I do enjoy a cafe au lait (half coffee, half milk) sometimes for breakfast, but I generally stick with my pot of tea. I certainly don't drink coffee after 4 in the afternoon.

So when B told me the other day, that when he used the new coffee grinder for a pot of (french press) coffee one morning and it turned out a little weak, I decided to try my hand at it. I made a cup for myself, and drank it without milk. I thought it was a little weak, too.

Then, on Sunday morning when I would normally have a pot (3 cups) of tea while reading the paper and watching design shows, I made coffee instead. Since it had been so weak up until this point, I really went for it. I'm not really sure how many scoops it ended up being, but I couldn't actually press the stopper all the way to the bottom of the carafe. It was like 3 inches from the bottom. That's how many grounds were in this pot of coffee.

It tasted good. Really good. Like, coffee house good. Stardust good.

I don't really remember how it happened, but I drank the whole freaking pot of coffee. I think I was just going with it, and since I have my Sunday morning routine based around 3.5 cups of tea, I just drank until I reached that point.

90 minutes later, my hands started to shake. I was embroidering at the time, and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't hit my mark. GOD it was PISSING ME OFF. I put the piece down, and stretched out my arm. My whole arm was shaking. My head felt kinda funny, and boy was this TV show getting boring.

I realized that I had better things to do than embroidery forgodsakes. I needed to eat. Pizza sounded good. Yeah, pizza. Find the rolling pin, the dough is a little hard oh did I turn on the oven okay oven on OOH! a salad sounds good why didn't I do these dishes last night I can barely get to the sink oh crap I forgot to do B's laundry I better sort that oh did I remember to email her back I bettergo checkthatismypizza doneyetI'mreallyhungry. Okay I feel a little better since I ate something. God, I should go the gym or something maybe I'll go for a run or just do some cartwheelswouldIbreakthetable ifIfellintoitwhyamiskipping downthehallwaytothe officeI'mthirstythrirstythirsty. WHOO-HOOOO!

I took a nap about 3 hours later, my mind and body exausted from what I can only describe as an out of body experience.

I feel it's the closest I'll ever come to experiencing the effects of being on crack. And I just now had a craving for a cup of coffee...

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 7

2006-02-08T11:41:00.001-05:00

I've got a thing for texture this week.

Top, L to R: 'Keraton Cabinet Desk' from Pier1's special finds department - love the carving; crescent bag from Old Navy; 1234 Number glasses by Werner Design Works at dafridge.com
Row 2, L to R: I really am loving the look of eyelet, I'm thinking of using some for an embroidery, and this is the dress that piqued my interest (by Michael Kors); multi-strand drop earrings with gems from Urban Outfitters; draped cap-sleeved top with polka-dots from Forever 21 - love the neckline
Row 3, L to R: 'Dramatic Red Coral Bracelet' by ShopClementine at etsy.com - love the chunkiness of it; perpetual calendar from inspire company - reminds me of my tastes in high school; this is a stick, a USB stick - an actual working USB memory drive that the people at OOMS stuck into a stick - LOVE IT
Row 4, L to R: gathered cross-over top dress from Forever 21 - this is now my favorite color to wear, I like the way it makes my eyes look; croissants - the ones I get at Publix just aren't cutting it anymore...; cuff bracelet by Luella Bartley for GO International at Target - sadly, they're already sold out
Row 5, L to R: folding trivets by Jakob Wagner at MenuAS.com - these fold up to the size of a pencil, and the colors are so great; Acoustic flat by Seychelles at Urban Outfitters - love the mix of textures; tweed jacket from LaRedoute.com - love the cut and the knubly texture
Row 6, L to R: antique lace trim top from Forever 21 - the lace pretties it up a bit; 'InsulaCup' dual-wall tea cup by cake decor LLC - keeps you from burning you fingers on a hot mug, but looks so stylish doing it; shell chandelier earrings from Forever 21 - loving the natural texture

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

BUTTONS SET NO. 1

2006-02-07T12:31:00.001-05:00

So here they are. They are easy to do, and the most difficult thing I've ever tried to make into a button. The fabric fights like a beast. But I LOVE THEM.

Don't know if I'll sell them yet, I kinda want to make sure they won't fall apart.

BUSY IS GOOD

2006-02-06T16:08:00.001-05:00

Had a good, busy weekend.

Everything on the embroidery front is full steam ahead. Have started the buttons, and they are turning out FANTASTIC!!! Can't wait to share them with you all - at the pace I'm going, I should have some done tonight.

In etsy news, got my latest upload on the front page again. That totally rocks my world! Yea, exposure!

Now, to sell a few. I still haven't heard about/gotten the rest of my SCAD money, but I already spent it to get my machine repaired. Which I'm sure you read about. (tangent: my horoscope that day told me that 'amazing and miraculous things will happen today', which if you read B's post, you'll totally understand...)

Anyway, I'm gonna keep uploading the old ones to my store, and working on the new stuff. I'll post the new stuff here first, just 'cause I can, and I'm always hungry for feedback.

My fingers are sore, but I'm happy for a change. Hope it lasts awhile.

WORK. WORK! WORK?

2006-02-02T11:44:00.001-05:00

I hate that my creative life is so stop and start. One day nothing. No ideas, prospects or projects. Then all of a sudden, 789 things that really should be done by today.

I'm moving fully ahead on the custom embroidery thing, even have an order/ request. I made a webpage with all the available patterns (check it out) and am trying to source some stuff to sew on. There are like a millliontrillionbajillion different places to buy wholesale stuff. I want to be able to order everything from the same place, and that's proving difficult. Not to mention that I don't know if some of these websites are legit. Tried looking locally, but all of the places are just screen-printing/ embroidery shops and don't sell the stuff blank.

I'm looking for:
women's hoodies in white, camel/tan or black ($20 or less);
women's long-sleeved tees in black or camel/tan ($7 or less);
knit caps in camel/tan or black ($5 or less);
BASIC tote bags without a gusset or grosgrain handles in natural or black ($2 or less); and
long-sleeved toddler tees in whatever color kids won't ruin as quickly ($4 or less).

If this magical place also sold a small hand-bag sized tote in natural or black ($5 or less), that would be just swell. And I don't want to pay more than $10 shipping.

Would those of the boy persuasion wear something embroidered? Should I be thinking about them, too? Some of my patterns could be done in a masculine way I think.

Man, I just had a stroke of brilliance while making lunch. What about a 2" button with a tiny embroidery on it? No shiny plastic, just the embroidered fabric. I like the fact that I could still buy fabric for these, which is sorta eliminated for the clothing (although I want to try to line the totebags). Would you buy that for like $3? DUDE, I don't care if you would, I'm totally making some for myself anyway...

This weekend I'm going to drop-off my sewing machine and try to get it repaired, hopefully for less than $40. I'm also going to try and find a cheap sweatshirt that I can practice on, and get the supplies I'll need to do all this stuff. Gotta get an actual embroidery hoop or two, and I cannot use any of the thread I've used up until this point, 'cause the dyes will run when I wash them. (SO ANNOYING) Also, I need fusible web and I have to figure out some way to finish off the back sides of the embroideries.

In semi-related news, SCAD is attempting to screw me again by only paying me for 3 of the 4 pieces I sold. Can they not get their shit together, like, ever? Still haven't heard back from the gallery yet on the rest of my dinero. I want to use it to pay for all of these supplies so I'm getting a wee bit impatient. (Who me?)

I've also decided to heed the advise of my better half and re-do our personal website. It's coming along swimmingly and should be done in about a week if I can hold it together.

Foofty!

WHAT I'M FEELIN' WEDNESDAY - NO. 6

2006-02-01T10:41:00.001-05:00

I don't really know where this gold color obsession is coming from. It just is.

Top, L to R: 'Linden Tree' flocked pillow from Antropologie - I've become OBSESSED with flocking, they had a flocked chandelier in one of the store widows in France at EPCOT, and I about fell over two ladies sitting in front of it just to take a picture, then I found flocked paper (!) at Joann the other day and was lucky I didn't have any cash with me; 1950 Lace Tulle Party dress (originally from Filene's French Shop) at VintageTextile.com; coffee - ~~made the mistake~~ had the pleasure of going to the Stardust coffee shop last week, and now we're both craving coffee at odd hours, we even went on a hunt for a little grinder last night to no avail
Row 2, L to R: lucite tables from CB2 - they've really upped their product line; Multi-Strand Semi-Precious Stone necklace by Stephen Dweck - if I only had a couple grand laying around I would totally own some of his jewlery...; Voile Pleated Skirt from Banana Republic
Row 3, L to R: 'Kimono' handbag by imooi at elsewares.com; ribbed button crewneck tee from Gap - love the button detail at the neck; 'Lumiere' candleholders from CB2 - the best part about these is that they're all under $10 a piece;
Row 4, L to R: Blonde Copper Flower clutch from AmiciAccessories.com; paintings by John Currin (this one is 'Heartless' - I just love the skintones and the lighting, so gorgeous; 'vintage oval ring' from Forever 21 - I never wear rings, but I really like this one for some reason
Row 5, L to R: biscotti - I'm still craving them after having 6 of them at the restaurant last week, I just may have to make some of my own already; 'Island Palm' leather belt from Gap - love the color; screenprinted jeans fom Old Navy - I don't know why I like these, but the pattern is nice, although I'm not sure I want to accentuate that part of my leg...
Row 6, L to R: slouchy african print hobo bag from Target - I like the pattern, but the size of this bag is almost my height; round birch pedestal table/stool by Husdon Furniture Inc. - you know me and wood grain, and this is just so well done; gold metallic pointed toe flats - even though B told me the other night out of the blue that he dosen't like pointy-toe shoes, I still want them

Enjoy. Two years from now, when I'm bored and looking back at old posts, I certainly will.

CALLING FOR DONATIONS

2006-01-31T13:16:00.001-05:00

So if anyone would like to pay to clone me, then front the costs to send my clone to Sidewalk Arts and me to Coachella I would be most grateful.

The line-up makes me weep.
_____________________

And in the "talent-coming-out-of-their-ears" department: if you haven't voted for a certain someone's kick-ass tee design, what in the world are you waiting for? It's awesome! Go to it!

LIGHT AS A FEATHER

2006-01-30T14:03:00.001-05:00

First off, I just want to thank everyone for the encouragement and the positive re-enforcement over my last post. This whole job search experience has just been way more emotional than I thought it would be. A big, giant, huge THANK YOU to you all.

On to different things, guess who has re-joined the 21st century! My sister, the long forgotten Rachel. Check our her blog at: watchmewin.blogspot.com. I just got it all pimped out for her. Since her screenname is "The Winner" you can see who got all the confidence in our family...

And above you'll see my latest embroidery, titled "Light as a Feather". I really love it. You can also see that my current obsession with that teal-y aqua color is still going strong. I drew the pattern from a vector image that I had made to use on one of our websites, but it just wasn't working for that, so I took it for this.

It will not, however, be in the store for a couple of weeks, as I received the Small Works pieces back from SCAD on Saturday. I'm going to work them back into the store by adding a new piece every other day, so that way I'll keep my exposure high. When you add something new, it pops you to the top of the category, so we're going to try that tactic and try to sell some more.

That's it my little birdies! I'm off to make some onion soup for dinner.

MARBLE, TASSELS, AND BERGERE CHAIRS...OH, MY!

2006-01-28T23:43:00.001-05:00

Had another interview on Friday.

It was rather odd. I applied over careerbuilder, but couldn't check out the firm before I applied, 'cause they didn't have a website. So I went in totally blind.

I got a call back and even though the owner didn't sound too enthused with me during the phone interview, I ~~coerced~~ scheduled a face-to-face interview. I knew I wasn't qualified for the job, but she had commented that she had hired the person that was leaving right out of school and she wasn't worried about my inexperience, so I blurted out "I'd love to get together with you to discuss the position more" during a pause in the conversation and after a moment of silence, she gave me a time to come in.

I'm worried that I'm not taking enough risks in this job search, not putting myself out there and underselling myself and my abilities, so I forced myself on her. To be honest, I seriously contemplated calling her back and canceling out of embarrassment on my part, but I willed myself to go through with it. I asked if there was anything she would like me to bring and she mentioned bringing drawings. Which I didn't have a hard copy of at the time, but after $40 and 3 trips to Kinko's in 12 hrs, I acquired.

I knew I didn't have an ice cube's chance in hell the second I pulled into the parking lot. It was a firm that specialized in a specific style in VERY high end residential projects. I'm certain they do it very well - the place was money. Their offices were spacious and comfortable, and very nicely done. I like to call their style "Tuscan-French Floribeean", because it's a style I've really seen only in Florida and some celebrity homes in California. See here, here, and here. Very Calico Corners. Very InStyle magazine.

Very NOT me.

Not that I couldn't do that, I TOTALLY could, but I just haven't before. It's not enough that you have the potential to be good at something, only that you are and I just don't have the experience dealing with clients with actual budgets where things like custom drapery and marble tile floors could be installed and then photographed and put in my portfolio. Never mind clients, I don't even have acquaintances who have the taste for such things. But I went in and sat down at the big marble table, with leather chairs so heavy I could hardly move them, and showed her my pitiful 'portfolio', all the work I had done so far.

I felt very low at that moment. Very out-classed, and even slightly trashy. So mediocre. Not by anything that she asked or said during the interview, she was completely cordial. I just had a feeling of impending doom that made me lock up like a clam, dodge eye contact, begin to stutter a little, and forget to smile. You know, my usual interview style. I was perched on the edge of that chair like a scared puppy. I think I even started tapping my heels a little bit. I tried sooooo hard to just relax and attempt some sort of conversation, but it didn't work.

The interview lasted all of 7 and 1/2 minutes. I arrived about 10 minutes early ('cause I didn't know what traffic would be like), and I was done before I was even supposed to begin. I thanked her for taking the time to talk with me, gathered up my things and I was on my way.

This is all getting very frustrating. It's not enough that I actually find a position that I am eligible for because of my lack of experience and CAD capabilities. I also have to find someplace where my style meshes. SO FREAKIN' AGGRAVATING. Is there no modern/ vintage/ country/ funky design firm out there willing to take a chance?

RANDOM: VERSION NO. 798

2006-01-26T12:00:00.001-05:00

It's like a clip show. But not:

Aneta Grezesykowska & Jan Smaga photographs
I love seeing how people live, and these aerial-ish photographs of entire apartments really give you a full view of that; Man, how the hell do they do that?

Audrey Heller photographs
Tiny little people in the big world, love the perspective, and the way she uses food as backgrounds.

Olivo Barbieri's model world
These INSANE photos are taken of real places, but they completely look like architectural models. Incredibly cool.

Food on Film by Rebecca L. Epstein
A great list of the best movies from a food-on-film standpoint

Biscotti
Random cat picture that makes me LAUGH MY ASS OFF. I try not to laugh, but I just can't...

Chairs made from champagne corks
This year's winners for the DWR champagne cork chair contest. Love the 'Alhambra Chair' by Charles Sands

Cell Phone Citatons
I am SO going to start carrying these around with me..."Painfully banal subject(s), remedy: seek therapy"

Enjoy!