shopursula

how to turn 28

2009-09-15T10:41:00.002-04:00

Sunday was my 28th birthday and it was fabulous! We rented a house right on the beach in Nags Head, NC; about an hour and a half drive from our house. I had just received this pretty striped beach umbrella as a gift from a best friend and I was able to use it every day.

There was saltwater taffy.

There was plenty of time spent on the beach with great friends, and the weather was perfect for it. 80 degrees and sunshine, and the water was still warm enough for some play.

There was mini golf; I am always the color red in any game that I play. I looked strange, practically laying on my stomach, taking a picture of my golf ball. I pretended that it was all part of my game.

This was the beach in front of our house and the pier was directly behind me when I took this picture.

Our house had a huge deck on the second level which was perfect for late nights spent under the stars, talking with my friends and enjoying the sound of the waves. We stayed here Friday-Monday, and we ended up with ten people in the house! It was a perfect case of the more the merrier.

This man was the guard/shopkeeper at the entrance to the pier; a friendly, extremely talkative local.

We also got the long version (at least I hope it was the long version!) of P.C.'s story from another talkative local, and it was sweet to hear him tell the story while petting Pier Cat on the head. Some guests ended up having to leave him behind a few years ago, and now he hangs around waiting for the beach-bound folks and pier fishers to feed him and pet him. The pier owners even had him fixed and take care of his vet visits. He reminded me of the Avalanche porch kitties.

It was a wonderful, fabulous and exciting way to turn 28. I think it is going to be a great year!

please sign on the dotted... shadow stripe?

2009-09-03T12:55:00.003-04:00

My mom always has the the coolest stuff. During my visit she showed me these great boxes of really old writing paper. Don't ask me how old 'really old' is because I don't know, but they are old.

These made me want to pen a note or two right away and send them off via Pony Express or carrier pigeon.

My best new habit is having my little camera with me at all times so that I can bring everything home with me and still have room for it all because it is all there on the memory card. Well, not true; my iPhoto has almost completely filled the computer. I don't have a problem getting rid of most material things but when it comes to digital files, WHOA. Don't even think about it. How do I decide which pictures to keep and which to discard? So I keep almost every single one of them. Oh, and my camera hasn't let me down yet; I love the dimension that I was able to get in the type.

I remember hearing something about how for every one picture that appears in National Geographic the photographer took at least one hundred others. And although I have no desire to appear in National Geographic I do trend in that direction in amounts of photos. But that is for me to worry about; you get to sit back and see my every 'one-in-one-hundred' shots.

waffles with St. Peter

2009-09-02T12:58:00.003-04:00

So, what else have I been up to you ask? I made a quick trip up to heaven, rested on a cloud, and watched a beautiful sunrise with St. Peter. We sat by the pearly gates and ate some delicious Belgian waffles with plenty of homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.

Okay, that didn't really happen. However, I did get a chance to go and visit my family in Wisconsin last month. We had hoped that it would be a meet-up of the five of us for the first time in years, all under the same roof where us siblings grew up together. Life makes different plans from time to time, so it ended up being mostly my mom and me during the days and my brother and dad in the evenings when they came home from work. Sofie left for India with her boyfriend (she's been posting bits and pieces of her visit here) before I made it back, but at least she is on an adventure!

I left Norfolk in the early morning, and couldn't resist capturing the sunrise and the land and water below.

I saw the shipyards where I love the colors of the cargo containers when we drive by. They are probably bringing junk from China and wherever to fill the shelves at Costco and Target, or carting away our recyclables to countries where it is cheaper to buy our trash than to purchase their own raw materials. And then they ship it back to us full of consumer goods, and so it goes, all in the pretty colored containers.

I showed these photos to Craig when I got home because I thought he would appreciate them, being a map nerd by profession, and he spotted where he works in Hampton.

I have yet to cross the St. James River bridge, but it doesn't look very impressive anyway; I think it is only 5 or 8 miles long. Only. Sheesh.

And I'm pretty sure that this was Lake Michigan on the way home; it was so blue and beautiful in the sunlight. I'm glad that the clouds were scarce so that I could see.

I think I have some more material from that trip to share, plus the rest of my life's goings ons. Which I am humbled and thrilled that people are interested in looking at and reading about, by the way.

an almost month-in-review: part 1

2009-08-26T12:53:00.006-04:00

It has been brought to my attention that it is quickly approaching a full month since my last post, so I think it is time for me to play a little catch up.

It is all finally starting to sink in now. I really have a new life here; this move as well as some resolved personal issues have changed so much about who I am. It is all around fabulous, wonderful, surprising, and a little bit exhausting.

I love a fresh start, a clean slate, a new place. I love it so much that I forget the emotional toll that it can take, especially since I felt that I had weathered the worst of the storm in the highly stressful months deciding to leave Tucson. Deciding whether or not to sell our house, realizing how many wonderful, important people in our lives that we would be leaving behind, and being unsure if we were making the right decision. (It is a little silly, but when I say "emotional toll" I can't help but think that it is just a life size version of a tollbooth; pay your dues with "change" and your gate will open to the road (of life!) ahead.)

Needless to say, this is a year in my life that I will not soon forget. Remember when I turned 27 and it smacked me in the face? Well, my 28th birthday is fast approaching and I am ready to take it on.

So, what have I been up to? More like what haven't I been up to! One thing (besides spending as much time at the beach as possible) is practicing photographing people. It isn't a strength of mine, and I hope to get better at it. This is Julian, the son of my wonderful neighbors and beach pals. He makes a pretty adorable and easy model to work with; it is just all about capturing the perfect moments that you almost didn't know were there in the first place. I love the surprise of watching a moment happening, deciding when to push the button to capture the moment, and the instant gratification when I can see a really great image on my camera screen. I'm finding that although some of it is pure luck it is also about observing movements, moods, and trying to predict what the next movements might lead to. This is so different from styling a setup and having unlimited chances to capture the right image.

What else have I been doing? Stay tuned!

multi-purpose

2009-07-29T09:48:00.003-04:00

I picked up a big stack of these little flower pots at Ikea a few years ago because I liked how the colors looked together, and because they were only $1 each. They don't have a hole in the bottom, and I don't have a great track record with plants, but I've found plenty of other uses for them over time.

I use them as a corral for my marker collection,

I stash my (minimal) daily makeup in one for easy access on a shelf in the bathroom,

and I'm even having a bit of luck with my hot pink geranium. Because there is no hole for water drainage, and because I'm really lazy and hate touching dirt, I just put a few pebbles in the bottom and popped it right in, still in the ugly brown store container. It has been flourishing in my living room window!

And lastly, one of my favorite tricks that I've mentioned before; anything can be a bookend. So, I just make a stack of whichever ones I'm not using at the moment, and there you have it!

I've really been a bad blogger for the past two weeks, but I'm finding summer to be so enjoyable that I can hardly stand it! I'm still taking pictures, but getting out and about and spending time at the beach has become my #1 priority these days. Really, can you blame me? I saw dolphins for the first time while at the beach a few days ago. This may be ho-hum for some people, but it is pretty much magic for me to see. I'm constantly amazed by this beautiful place, and I have no idea why I didn't move here sooner.

I'm off to finish putting together my new desk that I ordered from Target online (free shipping!), and start pushing things around in the bedroom. I'm almost certainly going to injure myself, but my friend Melissa and I have always been the type to start moving things NOW when the mood strikes. I'm creating a lovely home for a fancy new addition to our lives. No, not a baby! A new desktop Mac! I'm thrilled to pieces, and will probably add years to my life by untangling myself from my usual pretzel position on the sofa, lap on fire from the MacBook's heat, and major pain in my neck, shoulders, fingers, and eyes. I love this MacBook, she's been oh so good to me, but a proper seat and a large screen will change my life.

my favorite walk

2009-07-22T17:20:00.005-04:00

In case you hadn't already noticed, I'll be a little light on the posting this week. I've been taking some time to catch up with old friends, enjoy my new social life in this new city, and squeeze in a bit of time at my (paying) job as well. I'm very excited for an upcoming trip to Wisconsin to visit with my family, and hopefully meet up with a friend that I've made through this blog; well, I started reading her blog and then she read mine and... I just love the blogging community.

I've never lived by the ocean until just a few short months ago, and I'm relishing every chance that I get to go to the beach. I'm such a water person. We've found our favorite spot on one of the many beaches, and this is the path from the road to the sun, sand and water! It makes me so happy as it comes into view and I know I will soon be relaxing on my beach blanket, practically lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. Ah, summer! I wish you would last forever.

on the road again (sort of)

2009-07-20T10:16:00.001-04:00

row 1: vintage NUTMEG woven summer heels - DearGoldenVintage, antique label - TinkersShop, Vintage Ball Mason Jars - findingfabulous

row 2: Nostalgia Limited Edition Print - 7e9ah, Wee Muslin Bag of Acorns - WeeWoodNaturalToys, spring bike 5x7 print - photobird

row 3: eggs, 11x14 photograph - dreadsky, 80's Not Worn Boots - Reruns, 1953 Hudson Hornet Sepia Print - Liberty Images

I was going for an all travel theme with this one, but some other pretties snuck in there because of their great colors. I could have made at least 15 collections with items from these exact shops; I hope that you do give them a visit and find something that you can't live without. Now is the time to support the indie business owners! Mix pieces like these in with your own vintage finds and other mass-produced items for that perfectly balanced look; think more about complimentary aesthetic than making everything match. The combinations are endless, so get mixing!

Obviously the same goes for clothing and accessories; I always get twice the compliments on my vintage and handmade pieces. I don't know about you, but compliments are always welcome in my book! One of my favorite handmade pieces is this one, and my favorite vintage find is my engagement/wedding ring, purchased on ebay for a fraction of the price that we would have found at a chain store. Don't get me wrong, we shopped around and saw lots of rings that I liked, but soon realized that they were all vintage-inspired. So why not go for the real deal?

I wish that vintage shopping was more predictable; that would be the best job ever. What do you want? How much are you willing to spend? And most importantly, how much are you willing to pay me to find it? Oooh. Ideas are brewing over here...

what to do with all this useless beauty

2009-07-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned it before, but I'm just not into "collector pieces"; I'm more of a color, shape and design kind of gal. This yellow canister was a find from the market where I found the globe lamp and Girl Scout scarf a few weeks ago. It is a McCoy piece (not that I care, right?) that has these great circle indentations all over it.

Not to mention the color; a bright, acid-y yellow, and not a scratch, chip or blemish anywhere on it. Let's just say that I got it for more than $2 but less than $4, which I was happy to hand over for this beauty! Now what to do with it... I've been trying to restrain myself from buying items that I have no idea where I will use them. I'm trying it out as a catchall for large cooking utensils, but it seems to be a little too tall for that purpose. I'll probably end up using it as a bookend like I do with every item that I can't find a purpose for; more on that soon.

what's in your (moneybag) wallet?

2009-07-16T08:47:00.004-04:00

It's time for another Chakra Pennywhistle update! (Did I mention how much fun Rikkianne, Craig and I had making the Chakra Pennywhistle website? Rikkianne and I came up with the concept and design, and provided all of the images and text. Then we did our best to explain to Craig exactly what we wanted using sketches, Photoshop mock-ups, and my own version of sign language/interpretive dance on some occasions.)

Rikkianne has been getting some much deserved press in the men's department over the past couple of days; check her famous one-of-a-kind moneybag wallets on Urban Daddy, uncrate, and Wired! They sold out immediately, of course, but I have a feeling that she'll be working on a fresh batch soon! If you or someone you know needs one of these, and trust me, you/they do, I'd suggest visiting her Etsy shop and subscribing to a shop feed so that you are notified the moment that something new is posted.*

And can we all agree that her husband, Dave, is a perfect in-house model for these wallets?! He certainly could have a professional career as a hand model, and is such a great sport to lend his hands to such a great cause. He's been testing a wallet for a long time and has reported that it only gets better with daily use; softer, more comfortable to carry in his pocket, but maintains it's structure and usability.

*to set up a feed for instant notification, visit her Etsy shop. Scroll down to the bottom of the information on the far right of the page, and click the button that says "subscribe to shop feed".

no cable tv

2009-07-15T12:55:00.004-04:00

This was a treasury that I made quite awhile ago, inspired by the AMC show Mad Men. The second season started a few weeks before we moved, and we made the hard decision not to watch it and just wait for it to come out on dvd, which is more fun anyway because you can watch four episodes in one night if you want to. (I want to.) We knew that we were going to try and go cable-less in our new home (gasp!), so it made sense to wait it out. Well, the wait is finally over, and I think I just heard the mailman drop our mail through the slot in the entryway downstairs! So thank you thank thank you netflix; I will be watching Mad Men tonight! I wish that I had the makings for a fancy cocktail to drink while watching, but a diet coke will have to do. Maybe I'll put it in a martini glass. It is ideas like that, my friends, that have made me the classy lady that I am today. Feel free to take notes.

I'm sorry that I can't give credit to the shops that I used; I don't have a large enough picture to read the names. If you see something of yours here, feel free to leave a link to your shop in the comments.

row 1: petitbrocante, 1918vintage, 2pear

row 2: popism, charmings, design7

row 3: electriclime, SurrenderDorothy, JIMWARDMORRIS

row 4: vivienestrauss, toybreaker, JennSki

WOW!

2009-07-14T20:44:00.004-04:00

Thank you so much Apartment Therapy Los Angeles! Beth Zeigler was kind enough to feature some pictures of our home in Tucson, Arizona, and I am flattered/thrilled/excited to share with everyone who has arrived here from the AT post. Of course I feel just the same about sharing with my regular readers, and I hope that some of you shiny new arrivals become regular readers as well. (fact: regular readers have a better chance of winning the lottery than non-readers, so why not increase your odds?) We're just getting settled in our new home in Norfolk, VA and I've got lots to show and tell.

Hopefully be seeing you all soon, and remember your ol' pal, Ursula, when you hit the jackpot!

don't cross the line

2009-07-14T14:33:00.006-04:00

So, I was walking along the other day, minding my own business... okay, we all know that I wasn't minding my own business. Let's start over.

So, I was walking along the other day, carrying my camera, looking for someone's window or door or whatever to zoom my lens at when I passed this little niche area between two buildings. I stopped and almost laughed out loud; it looked like two different photographs spliced down the center and then put together! Or like two neighbors, acting like sisters that share a bedroom, drawing a line down the middle so that neither one could cross over into the other's space.

I wasn't going to post today because I've been spending too much time on the computer and I wanted to go on a bike ride because it is a beautiful day. But this "illusion" picture has been on my mind, and I wanted to smash it up with some other photos that I took on the same walk.

I miss hopscotch I think. I feel like I was really good at it, but then again probably everyone was. For me it might have been my one skill that involved some coordination; I wonder if it could be considered a sport? For the sake of feeling sporty today, I think I will consider it so. I'm going on a bike ride after all! As far as other playground activities went, I don't recall being very good at double dutch; it mostly conjures memories of fear and scabby knees. My head is a permanent target for frisbees to this day, and I once hung upside-down from the monkey bars while wearing a skirt. I think I was best at chasing boys. How's that for a sport? I'm going to head on back to yesterday's post and find myself a ribbon for that...

it's time to reach for the stars!

2009-07-09T17:38:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday! I had a lovely weekend of movies and beach, so I think I'm back in the saddle with some mental clarity. I also got a re-stock on my favorite Very Mini Vanilla Meringuesfrom Trader Joe's, so if anything should keep my sanity on track these should do the trick.

After my last disappointing post, (which got funnier and funnier in the comments, thanks to some faithful readers!), I thought we should start the week off with a little bit of inspiration.

I've given you a bunch of options to choose from, so feel free to pick your ribbon and go for it!

No one is saying that you need to aim high; I'm feeling like working my way up to "alternate" this week. I like that there is a ribbon for that; a carrot at the end of a pole for me and a "better luck next time" for others. Which reminds me, have I ever told the story about how I used to go into the garden when I was little and pull carrots right out of the ground and eat them? No? Well, I'm not doing it today. I'm staying on topic. Trophies, ribbons, medals, Pulitzer Prizes, goals. How we are all going to be our very best selves this week.

Well, maybe just ribbons. Have you earned any of these today? Do you have your eye on one in particular? There was enough variety that I figured there would be options for just about anyone.

And speaking of honors and awards, I've got some more related posts coming up that I am finding to be very fascinating. I hope you do, too!

(photos taken by me on my way to the bike shop. I stopped in to a party supply store and found some good things, but thanks to my camera, I didn't end up bringing home any junk that I just don't have room for. Almost bought the classic glasses/nose/mustache combo though, but come on! Is it possible that I'll never grow up?)

the post where I go off on a weird tangent but decide to post it anyway

2009-07-09T10:40:00.011-04:00

I never really wanted to be a girl scout when I was little. It wasn't that I didn't want to be one, but I just didn't care one way or another. Maybe because none of my friends were really into it so I didn't feel like I was left out of all the fun. And, I already knew how to rough it and put up tents, build campfires; I even went on a 3rd or 4th grade camping trip where we had to build our own "debris huts" to sleep in. (Nora? Anyone else from my class remember what year that was?) That night it rained so hard, and we all ended up in tents, but I did almost end up sleeping under a stick propped against a tree with other branches and leaves carefully arranged to keep out the cold. I was basically raised by a pack of wolves in the wilderness.

Also, I don't think that the Girl Scouts have cool badges like the Boy Scouts. You know, the I Passed the Fishing Test badge, I Started a Fire With Two Sticks badge, I Remembered to Bring My Canteen badge, and my personal favorite, only because Craig got the badge without doing the test and he kept it, guilty to this very day, the I Learned How to Drive a Motor Boat badge. For me it would have been all about the badges and the outfits. So, maybe I should have joined the Boy Scouts, or, maybe I should have time traveled back to when this awesome scarf was Girl Scout material! This find was also from the 4th of July, and fits into the ever-growing category of things I buy for $1. I was digging through a box of scarves, saw this pattern down at the bottom and immediately assumed it would be a Vera scarf. Wrong.

Okay, this post is getting a little out of hand. For those of you who don't already know this about me, I don't do time travel. I won't read about it, I won't watch a movie or tv show where it is involved, and I won't have a conversation about it. I used to watch Lost, but as soon as they started time traveling all over the place I was DONE. I'm getting worked up even writing about it! And I also got to the point where I actually wrote the words "I was basically raised by a pack of wolves". Wow.

Are you still reading? If so, sorry about the longest story ever about a $1 scarf and my analysis of the Girl Scouts (which I really know nothing about except for the cookies). I hope you were at least able to enjoy the pictures!

*Yet another area of this post where my "facts" got a little foggy; Craig has corrected me about the badge issue. It was the I Learned To Shoot a Rifle badge, and in is words: "It was mistakenly sent to me and unethically kept by me." He went through the whole rifle training but was unable to shoot the clay pigeons, thus not really earning the badge. When asked if he still feels guilty about it, he said no because he never benefited from it; never moved on to Eagle Scouts, and doesn't have it on his current resumé. And that's the facts, folks. LONGEST POST EVER.

globalization in my living room

2009-07-09T07:33:00.005-04:00

Ah, globe lamp. You are finally mine! Ever since Anna mentioned hers I've been hoping to happen upon one of my own.

This was on of my lucky finds from the 4th of July. It is in good condition but the bulb was burned out, and it became mine for a song.

I had the whole world in pieces to change the bulb and clean it up a bit before taking some pictures when I noticed how pretty it looked from the inside.

The afternoon sun had turned it into a lamp in reverse, which of course caused me to love it even more and take about 300 additional pictures.

I had it all put back together and ready to go for the big reveal. I closed the curtains and waited for the evening to GET DARK ALREADY!

And the rest is history! It is the first light to be turned on at night, and last to be turned off before I head off to bed. And it is nice to have a decorative piece that reflects both Craig and my interests; me and my love for lamps and Craig, the little boy that loved looking at maps and then grew up to be a certified, bonafide, employed map nerd!

if you want to know about Jesus...

2009-07-08T11:09:00.005-04:00

I finally found a good antiques place sort of near my house, but I have yet to find something that even comes close to the gold mines that I had in Tucson!

Craig humored me on Monday, his vacation day, and we spent some time digging around in said location. One of my favorite finds was this postcard to Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Beaman from Lillian. Lillian had apparently taken a trip to Jerusalem in 1968, and wrote to her friends:

I have been from the manger in Bethlehem to the mountain of ascension so if there is any little thing you want to know about Jesus- just ask me.

Now that is a friend that could come in useful in the right kind of situation.

(The front of the postcard was this wrinkly old man picking grapes; I guess he was already at the raisin stage.)

I've been to this place twice, and both times have been most enjoyable thanks to the two HILARIOUS old ladies sitting behind the counter. There is no way to not eavesdrop so I got to enjoy one of my favorite activities and have a listen in. Their conversations include interesting anecdotes about various trips to the doctor, how much they hate Sally Field and her stupid bone commercials, how their friend started crying on card night because she didn't win and someone had to tell her "you stop crying right now! You're 76 years old and this is supposed to be fun!", and a lengthy phone conversation with a man named Roger, who, although we've never met, I feel very sorry for. I could only hear one side of the story, and it was mostly the old woman yelling at him to ONLY PICK UP HER QVC BOX, NOT THE PAPER TOWELS! DO YOU HEAR ME, ROGER? ONLY MY QVC BOX! NOT THE PAPER TOWELS!

Probably much funnier in person, but if you come and visit me I'll take you there for a good laugh.

*the first photo is just some decal that I saw the other day; it seemed to fit with today's theme.

I love to ride my bicycle...

2009-07-06T11:58:00.005-04:00

... I love to ride my bike!

Well, I will love to ride it soon. I bought in on CL for such a deal; I played pitiful and got $20 off, easy as pie. Yes, most of the time I am completely shameless. Anyway, the bike is a Fuji Cambridge III, a nice medium blue color, and has a comfy seat and gears that shift easily.

I photochopped it to glow like it is from another time...

a sunny summer day when a girl would bike to a lake and wear a swimsuit like this, swinging out over the water on a rope tied to a tree, plunging into the sparkling cool below. Laughing with her girlfriends and flirting with the boys. A picnic in the late afternoon, pulled from their bike baskets, and a bottle of booze passed around by the boys. Then the ride home, tired and happy, skin glowing from the warmth of a sunburn and thoughts of summer romance...

Oh my, what's gotten into me! The guy said that my bike has been in storage for 15 years, and has never been used. I'm taking it in to the shop where it was originally purchased for a tune up and maybe some new tires. Then I will love to ride my bicycle, I'll love to ride my bike...

p.s. two cloudy days in a row, so I haven't been able to photograph my fabulous finds from the other day. Maybe the sun will come out tomorrow.

weekend potpourri: gee whiz!

2009-07-04T18:49:00.009-04:00

Something that I'm seeing a lot, and I'm liking a lot, are porch ceilings that are painted a noticeably different color than the rest of the house. The houses that I've been admiring have a steep set of stairs leading up to the front porch and are very close to the sidewalk. This puts me in the perfect position to look like a creeper, standing outside of someone's lovely home and taking pictures of their porch ceiling.

Everything was looking cool, green, blue and calm last night on our walk after dinner.

Today we drove to Olde Towne Portsmouth instead of taking the ferry; I was taking too long to get ready, and there are lots of festivities going on downtown, so we imagined that parking near the dock was probably going to be a nightmare. I needed to be in Portsmouth this morning because I have been CRAVING a good hunt-and-gather, my mind has been rehearsing my best haggling tactics, and my fingers have been itching to pick up some treasures. And I was hoping hoping hoping that this antique fair wouldn't be a huge letdown like all the rest that I have tried since rolling into town a few months ago.

It was so worth it; I found almost too many good things! I haggled on all but two items, and that was because when I asked the price, both of the items were at least $5 less than I was expecting them to be. I don't know why, but that situation always makes me feel sad for the seller; like I want to give them the higher price that I had been expecting. Want to, but don't. I'm going to take pictures of my loot tomorrow; the perfect way to celebrate the ~~4th~~ 5th... totally spaced and forgot what day it is!

(Craig found this sad/funny framed print. We think it is a young single mother with a ginormous crying baby and a shaky grasp of the English language. What do you think?)

Oh, and that marquee is the Commodor theatre in Portsmouth. We haven't been yet, but we've heard that it is a fun thing to do. I'm intrigued by the idea of going to the movies, sitting at a table and placing orders by phone from your seat. I'll report back about the experience should I go anytime soon.

I found something odd

2009-06-30T14:28:00.007-04:00

Just look at these little children, all in their pretty little outfits, the girls with bows in their hair.

Rosy little cheeks, curls, and not a hair out of place.

All dressed up, ready to be picked for a forever home. Craig and I found a stack of these plates at the thrift store, and I bought two of them that were in good condition; no cracks and no crazing. They didn't have any date on them, but the outfits suggested that it they were older plates, and I wasn't sure that anyone still calls an orphanage an "orphanage". We couldn't decide if they were funny- the concept of a commemorative plate for an orphanage- could one purchase it in the gift shop? Did the new parents receive one free with adoption? Was it for the child to eat off of and remember their old life? Or, were these plates incredibly sad? I wonder who had a stack of five orphanage plates at their home for all of these years, and why they ended up at Thrift Store USA last weekend. And how were they obtained in the first place?

I did a little bit of research, by which I mean my quick google search and a quick scan of wiki, and found a page with a bit more information. The orphanage is now called The Church of God Smokey Mountain Children's Home, A Place for Hope and Healing, and is still open for business. It was moved from Cleveland to Sevierville, Tennessee in 1949, so does that mean that these plates are at least 60 years old?
.

I keep on looking at these plates, and this little one looks so worried. I wish that I could comfort her. My verdict is: interesting and odd token with the very real, sad subject of homeless children and children who had lost their parents in one way or another. That is what we found, and purchased for... you guessed it... about $1 apiece!

I was unable to turn up much more information, so if you can shed any more light on the subject, please share!

fun in the sun

2009-06-30T11:34:00.005-04:00

Sun prints are a nice summer thing to do. We used to do them as kids, picking flowers, leaves, and anything else that had an interesting shape and was just laying around. Then layering everything up and sitting in the sun on the driveway waiting for the image to burn. Quickly racing down the path to the house and watching the pattern emerge as we ran cold tap water over the paper.

Sofie and mom have been doing them again lately; I've got a packet stored away in a box somewhere and want to try a paper cut version like this stumps and stones one that my sister gave to me as a gift.

I have this magnetic board from Ikea near the front door and it helps corral the stamps, prints, and postcards that I want to look at for a bit before filing them away or finding a more permanent home for. Clockwise from top left corner: pretty letterpressed thank you note from Hijiri, inspiration photos from my senior art show when I graduated from college (already five years ago!), reminding me to watch what I eat when I head out the door for the day, an original gocco print from Lab Partners, my mom's latest postcard mailer for her shop, my new favorite part of the postage rate hike- the kings and queens stamps, a printed postcard of one of Sofie's paintings, Sofie's sunprint, and a silkscreened note of Sofie's pink dog from her animal parade.

Mom used a sunprint image of her scissors for this postcard; I like how the wavy, watery variations of the original print still show through on a professionally printed card. She does her sunprints behind her store and then walks down to the creek to develop them in the cold water.

You can see some more of hers here and some that I took in her shop on a visit awhile ago, where she also sells the kits. I'm sure she'd be happy to sell some kits and mail them to you if you contacted her by email; susan(at)avalanchelooms.com. (Mom, correct me in the comments if I'm wrong.)

No sunprints for me today I'm afraid; I'm finally working on a collection of before and after photos from our house reno in Tucson and then I've got a sweaty, humid walk to work.

you saw it here first

2009-06-27T23:31:00.005-04:00

Hellooo, I thought I'd drop in for a moment just to rock your weekends. You can thank me later.

Behold: BOOT PANTS! According to the price tag, $24.99, they are "size 8-9 vintage boots w/ leggings". I don't know which part is supposed to be size 8 or size 9, or if it is a combined size range for the whole boot/legging ensemble. Oh, and after all that talk about having the camera on me at all times I ended up using Craig's phone to capture this dangling, purple atrocity.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and may you find your own version of BOOT PANTS!

p.s. kuddos to the employee that added the "artwork" to the display; such contrast, such depth!

utility

2009-06-24T14:34:00.005-04:00

I can't help but love the utility covers all around town, on every sidewalk and in all patterns and colors. Just like we wonder who designs the patterns in security envelopes, who designs these covers? I've seen a few really amazing ones on some walks through other parts of the neighborhood, so I'm planning on retracing my steps to get some pictures of those. One of them says that you can't put lobsters or some other type of crustacean down the drain in the street, and it has a really cool image on it if I remember correctly. Some of these look really old, but who knows?

I like this fire hydrant because it looks like a toy. It reminds me of legos or something. And it appears to be a well thought out color choice considering the amount of dog walkers I see every day...

And a note on the taking of pictures; do you think it is possible, or will be some day, to have a decent camera (good zoom, nice macro setting etc.) implanted into my body somewhere? It certainly conjures up a horrifying image in my mind, but there needs to be an easier way to remember to bring your camera with you on all occasions. I'm finding this to be an issue for myself more and more often as my obsession with snapping shots grows. I recently got this camera that fits into any purse, but it isn't nearly as fancy as my big clunker that I'm used to lugging around. (I would recommend both of these, btw.)

I'm also wondering what is happening with my eyes and what I take in. I'm starting to look at the world and objects and color combinations and textures thinking "what angle could I shoot that from? How can such a perfect composition happen so naturally? How will I crop this photo later on in photoshop?" Am I starting to look at my surroundings as what they could be through my own camera lens and photo-chopping powers instead of what they actually are? Am I missing the appeal of real, tangible views by seeing them in digital pixels, ready for me to manipulate into my idea of perfection?

I think these kind of thoughts, and then I realize that I don't really care. I'm at the point where if I am not hurting anyone else by doing something that makes me happy, I'm going to keep on keepin' on. The answers will come. As much as I hate it, I know that patience is a virtue.

If you are into it how do you feel about taking pictures?

walking in the rain

2009-06-23T16:37:00.004-04:00

I like walking to and from work. I don't like it so much when it is super humidhotdisgusting, but on a nice day it really works for me. It was raining yesterday, and I was okay with that. This is a tree that I can see from my living room window, and every branch is dripping with pink blossoms. I walk right under it as I go on my way.

I pass lots of shops, restaurants and bars. Friendly people that make eye contact and say hello. I pass the local movie theater that shows the kind of movies that I would like to see.

On the way home this is where I turn off of the main drag and pass a few houses before I am at my front door. Yesterday my pants were drenched up to my knees, but I'd remembered my umbrella, as I am starting to think like a local, and that made it possible to take some pictures on my way.

I can't wait to show you my new bike that I found on CL the other day; it will certainly make getting around that much easier without a car. This is a very exciting decision for us, living with only one car, but we are also a wee bit apprehensive. Craig drives about 35 minutes to work each day, and that is if there are no accidents holding everything up, so it isn't like he can just quickly run home if I need the car for some reason. But, we figure that if we can give up cable we can give up a car. Both are things that are nice to have, but more importantly they are expensive and they make me lazy!

$1 beauty show

2009-06-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

I'm beginning to think that I should rename this blog "Things That I Find For $1". Case in point: these here oranges cost about $3 more than the bowl itself. Some of the oranges will be eaten, others will probably sit a little too long, lonely and forgotten, until I walk by one day and catch a compost-y whiff and toss the rotten leftovers. The bowl, on the other hand, will be around as long as I choose to keep it, and the pretty pale aqua color with tiny speckles of brown throughout will continue to delight me for all of those days.

I will most likely use it to hold more fruit, perhaps a lovely green salad, a pasta salad, or nothing at all. I'll just set it on the shelf and enjoy it when I pass by. And it cost only $1. Cheap thrills, I tell ya.

the hanging of the artwork, or lack thereof

2009-06-19T12:53:00.003-04:00

It has been slow going with the hanging of the artwork around here. We had a layer of plaster on our walls at our house in Tucson, but there was drywall behind it that made it pretty easy to bang a nail or two (or three, or ten) into. Not so in our new apartment in Virginia. There is a thick layer of plaster, and behind it a bunch of small wooden lathes; very different styles of architecture and 50 years of time difference making hanging things on the wall quite a different experience. Oh, and the fact that this is a rental and we own our house in Tucson.

Hanging things on the wall here requires drilling a hole through the plaster and hopefully hitting a wooden lathe behind that, and then hammering in a nail so that the plaster around the nail won't crack and crumble. Although this isn't the hardest process I do tend to shy away from it and usually wait for a time when Craig is around to do the dirty work. This way if it goes terribly wrong I wasn't the one to do it, see?

Hanging shelves is the worst, mostly because it turns into a hugely stressful event centered around the level. We are lucky if we are on speaking terms after hanging a shelf, and the more crooked the outcome, the longer the silence between us. He really is a great sport to help out in the first place, especially knowing what the outcome could very well be; please don't think that I don't appreciate his help!

I have a hard time feeling like a house is a home (I really don't like that phrase, but it applies here) until I have my favorite pieces on the walls. I love creating balance in a room after the furniture is placed. Hanging artwork gives me the opportunity to balance out the heights in the room already created by lamps, seating, and bookshelves, and to bring the right colors and images in order to create the perfect contrast for an interesting atmosphere. Color, style, balance, and scale are what I'm all about.

The shelf is from Ikea; I'm not sure if they carry it anymore but it has been put to good use in many of my places. It is perfect for a spice rack over the stove, or a place to display artwork and other small items. The votive holders are from Ikea's summer bins a few years ago, and I've always wished that I'd stocked up because they give off a great light and pattern when lit. The original artwork is one of my first and favorite Etsy purchases from seller Jennifer Kerr. Oh, who am I kidding? All of my Etsy purchases are my favorites! And the little bird was made by my mother out of paper pulp in a sucker mold.

the 99 cent book collector

2009-06-18T11:28:00.007-04:00

That robot is totally freaking out! It makes me wonder how "practical" the information in this book actually is, but not enough to make me want to grab a quilt and cozy up for an afternoon of electrifying drama. (Come on! How could I resist that one?)

I've accidentally started to collect old books with an interesting look; fonts, titles, images, colors, and textures are all things that catch my eye. And a 99 cent price tag is another essential eye-catching detail.

I've been picking out a mix of practical textbook style books and some more romantic looking reads like the one above. For my personal taste I find that I need a nice balance of the two styles because otherwise it could all get a little to shabby chic for my home.

This copy of Ethan Frome actually belongs to my mother and is the only one that I have actually read from cover to cover. Somehow it has ended up in my moving boxes with every move over the years including two cross country treks. So, if you have been wondering about the whereabouts of this book, mom, I've been taking good care of it. It is amazing how the tale of a romantic sled ride suicide attempt can make such a nice addition as a decorative element!

And by the way, I've slammed into many a tree, and even ended up in the icy waters of the creek on countless sled rides as a child. But the story is apparently based on an incident that Edith Wharton witnessed in real life, so who am I to say that it couldn't happen?

I don't know which book came first in the series, Mildred's Married Life, above, or this one, Mildred and Elsie. Hmm, now I'm starting to think that I should give these a read!

Lastly, this one jumped out at me because of my love for 20th century bookkeeping and accounting, of course! Especially in it's 20th edition of the advanced course.

*snicker, cough, lol*

I liked this one first for the colors, then the 97 cent price tag, and then the title, which would be such an ironic decorative element in my bookcase. As far as additional aesthetic value goes it is stocked full of pretty graphs, worksheets and equations. Oh, and I like that the title uses the only word in the English language (that I know of) with three consecutive double letters; b-o-o-k-k-e-e-ping.

I've also been contemplating cutting into some of these for hidden storage. Maybe in the shape of a pistol or something? I would personally never allow a gun in my house, but it might be fun in a Clue sort of way. The shape of a candlestick, a lead pipe?

If you are visiting from the Chakra Pennywhistle featured seller link I'm so very happy to have you and hope that you find enough interesting things to keep you coming back for more!

organic, recycled, handmade, oh my!

2009-06-17T13:10:00.003-04:00

How exciting! The latest and greatest featured seller on the front page of Etsy today is none other than my best friend, Rikkianne! Chakra Pennywhistle is her business; an amazing collection of hand silkscreened, organic pillows featuring original designs, recycled vintage bank money bags turned into crazy cool pillows and wallets, and organic onesies and toddler tees for the little ones featuring custom circle the date patches made from vintage tea towels. She is hands down the friendliest person that I have ever met. As well as making exceptionally well crafted items she'll offer you the best customer service you've ever received. No lie. So get shopping already! Congrats Rikkianne!

pssst... she also does wholesale to top-notch boutiques around the world!

hung up on you

2009-06-17T08:00:00.002-04:00

row 1: The Royal Couple- almost famous, Vintage Black Wood Hangers 2- solsticehome, On Audrey Hepburn's Table- Thrush

row 2: NEW LINE - Spells and Charms Notebook- celestefrittata, Coney Island Couple Circa 1930s- Octochic, A Closer Look- Oh My Cavalier!

row 3: Shabby Chic White Rotary Phone- Urban Lotus Boutique, We've Changed Art Book- Ice Bear, Christine figure drawing original pen ink signed female nude- Helen Gotib

I was listening to Elliott Smith's Figure 8 the other day and thinking about how such beautiful music came from someone with such sadness and how he died at such a young age. I went to the most credible source that I could think of, Wikipedia, (ha ha) and learned a lot of things that I may have known at some point but had completely forgotten about. One thing being that Wes Anderson had asked Elliot Smith do some songs for his movie, The Royal Tenenbaums. Elliot only ended up recording one of them, the song "Needle in the Hay" (warning: graphic) in the scene where Richie Tenenbaum cuts off all of his hair and attempts to commit suicide in the bathroom. I of course immediately popped the movie into the DVD player, and then made this collection that turned into a very loose interpretation of the romantic relationship between Richie Tenenbaum and Margot Tenenbaum. (If you haven't seen the movie, spoiler alert: Margot is Richie's adopted sister... oh, the drama!) Oh, I'll be honest; my collection is more about the colors than the relationship!

And onto a much happier subject, make sure to click on the image above to see the items up close and personal and then use the links to go ahead and buy some presents for yourself or a lucky friend.

who wants to be a gajillionaire?

2009-06-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

Remember this Etsy collection? I included one of my favorite pieces of artwork from Etsy seller Gajillionaire. I say one of my favorite pieces because I have a few more...

I love the bright colors combined with the visible grain of the poplar wood panels, and the shiny, shiny resin coating.

For a cool $40 (usually $60) you can have one of these original pieces delivered to your front door, ready to hang on your wall. Which one will you pick, and where will you hang it?

on having one's cake

2009-06-15T13:22:00.004-04:00

Just to get the week started off on the right foot I thought I'd share some cake with you. Poor Craig hit delay after delay as he tried to make it home from Dallas on Friday, and didn't end up touching down in Norfolk until 3:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, his birthday.

But as you can see, the story had a happy ending. Saturday night was dinner with friends; the kind of friends that bring a beautiful cake. A much much prettier cake than I would have made.

Dinner led to drinks, and drinks led to a late night, so Craig didn't have his cake and eat it too until the next morning. While he was having his cake (and eating it, too) I was taking pictures with my my new camera as the ice cream melted. I've said it before and I'll say it again; food is so hard to photograph looking as delicious in digital as it did LIVE. I know that the professionals have all sorts of tricks using spray mist, clear nail polish, fake fruit, hairspray, bobby pins, chewing gum and whatever, but is it just a food version of the camera adds ten pounds? Well, either way, at least you won't add ten pounds from just looking. I, on the other hand, have it sitting on my counter...

And technically it wasn't until around lunchtime that we had our cake and ice cream breakfast, so don't judge!

security blanket

2009-06-13T12:01:00.000-04:00

I'm still at it, friends.

Craig now knows to show me the inside of any security envelopes that come in the mail, and is even starting to remember which ones I already have. "Do you still want this one? I think you already have it." Now, that is love.

It is starting to look like a quilt when I lay it all out. I've got no idea what I'll do with it all except for keep adding images to this flickr group. Sometimes life is all about flickr.

Etsy seller The Sweetie Pie Press is making badges from hers.

cross my heart

2009-06-11T16:20:00.008-04:00

I don't remember when I found this tin, but I do remember why I picked it up.

a) crown

b) dents, dings and rust

c) red crosses

and d) foreign language (according to babelfish: "approved by the Nederlandsche Red Cross" and "sport and travel link drum"). I'm pretty sure it is Dutch...

I've had this classic style of cross on the brain for quite some time now, so in true hunter/gatherer form, I've been squirreling away some images into my desktop inspiration folder and Etsy favorites. Without further ado:

Enhabiten's beautiful handsewn hemp pillow with an upcycled black linen cross and filled with kapok. (Check out her profile to read more about kapok and the other materials that she uses.) Kapok is such a cool material; it is very buoyant and resistant to water, and I believe that it was used for filling in life jackets, and possibly still used for the same purpose today. Nothin' but the hard facts here, folks!

These images* were gold-mined from a favorite blog of mine, Door Sixteen. Some spice with the artwork and some chevron wooden floor; need I remind you of my love for some chevron?

I really like the black and white stripes peeking out from under the seat cushion as well; it has the look of some good old fashioned ticking with a bolder look.

And don't even get me started on this blanket! It makes me wish that I was already an expert weaver and could watch this blanket materialize on the loom. Or that I were to receive a present wrapped up in brown paper and string, open it up, and find this blanket inside. Yes, the second option sounds easier.

On a semi-related note, writing this has caused a little twinge of guilt in my heart. I haven't donated blood to the American Red Cross since I was in high school, and I think it is high time that I put that fear of needles aside and get my bad self on down to my local Red Cross and let them bag up some blood. If you are eligible, how about you?

And on a completely unrelated note, I just saw a promo for tonight's 20/20 with Adam Lambert, that kid from American Idol that officially came out. They used a clip of him saying "I think playing it safe is so boring. It's like so five years ago". Chuckle.

*Chevron wooden floor and black cross pillow images from Marie Claire Maison, cross blanket image is from Elle Decor UK . Blanket by Pia Wallén - I own one of her bracelets! (you called it, mom!).

so what?

2009-06-10T10:43:00.003-04:00

It is time for a little honesty today, so here's the deal. I'm scared to start this new weaving project. I'm still going to do it, want to do it, and am pretty excited about it. So what do I have to be scared about? I think that it has to do with my own control issues and fear of failure; control issues dealing with imagining one thing and having it turn into something completely different, and fear of failure in that I am putting this new endeavor out there, feeling a little bit of self-inflicted pressure to perform, and not have it come out a complete mess. Now, the control issue is irrational because that is so often part of the creative process, and it usually leads to a more interesting door. The failure part can also be looked at in the same light. I've got to learn to let go. I know this.

Which leads me to another nugget of honesty, or more like an admission that will come as no surprise from the look of things around here. How I've started to deal with these feelings is by testing the waters with something that I am confident in my abilities to do and insanely happy while while doing it. Here we go. I am a styling fiend. I love to set it up, make it as pretty as possible, and take the pictures. I love to crop and work a little magic in "photochop", and I love to use this blog as a way to display it. Rest assured that to the right and left of every little vignette you see here you would find some piles of unfolded laundry, stacks of unread magazines, dirty dishes that haven't made it into the dishwasher (how lazy is that!?) and probably some friendly dust bunnies. But this blog is my happy place, my happy place that I am completely in control of.

So, there you have it.

Oh, and these pictures show some of my gathered sheeting that will soon be cut into rag strips and woven into the rag rug of my dreams. Or something completely different, which I'm working on being just fine with.

(for additional inspiration along these lines, read this and this)

frame it

2009-06-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

If you're anything like me, and I know that there are at least a few of you out there that share my weaknesses, you probably have a pile of empty frames just waiting for the perfect piece of artwork. You probably also have a large collection of chairs and cannot pass on a nice lamp, but that is just a problem that we have to live with. I've had this particular wooden frame for a few years, picked up at some estate sale, and have never known quite what to do with it. Usually it just sits around, empty, because there isn't really any way to put glass in it and I haven't found a good piece of artwork to fit the opening. Plus the carving and gold aren't exactly my style, and I've never gotten around to painting it. My fickle color issues have already been discussed on this here blog as well as my... distaste... for painting, so I don't need to go any further with that today.

Back to the gold frame. I had an idea, so simple that I'm surprised I didn't think of it sooner. I used a favorite vintage postcard, a thumbtack, a few pieces of tape, and a snippet of thick gray thread from my ever-growing warp collection. I tied the thread around the thumbtack, pushed it into the back of the frame, and taped the postcard to the thread at the length that I wanted it to hang in the frame. (That probably didn't need an explanation, but I'm trying to make this a full service decor experience!)

I like that it swings and twists a little bit, drawing attention to the string and giving it a nice 3-D effect.

And there you have it! Easy to change out the picture with another postcard, a photo, a magazine tear, or even a pretty little item like a vintage pair of sewing scissors. You could even skip the string, hang the frame, and pin your picture right into the wall.

By the way, these frames are usually extra cheap in the junk bins at your thrift shops because they don't have a painting or glass in them. What is someone to do with such a useless frame, they think. Classic case of their loss = my gain, but I'm okay with that in exchange for all of the overpriced items I've purchased because I must. have. them. A topic for another day, but seriously, what's up with that?

thrift |θrift|noun1

the quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully : the values of thrift and self-reliance.

Second Chance

2009-06-09T11:39:00.006-04:00

Taking a tiny break from Pandora, I've been listening to this song quite a bit for the past couple of days.

*random fact: Liam Finn is the oldest son of Crowded House frontman Neil Finn. Music may run in the family, but it sounds like son has taken a different musical path than father...

Found via Cicada Daydream.

time warp

2009-06-05T11:00:00.002-04:00

Yes, super cheesy title, but I'm pretty excited about these new cones of warp. Even though I'm fairly new to this weaving thing I know that one of my favorite parts about it is always going to be picking colors. A group of fresh warp, so neat on the cones, so beautiful to arrange and look at.

Opening the box is a bit like opening a birthday present.

This group is for my first attempt at rag weaving. I'm using a cotton/poly blend because it is durable and supposedly pretty easy to work with.

I would like to talk a bit about something that is (somewhat) cohesive, mostly because I've thought about it a lot and discussed it with a few people that I trust and admire.

handwoven |ˈhandˈwōvən|adjective

made on a hand-operated loom : handwoven linens.• woven by hand.

I'm planning on selling my work on Etsy, so I've been thinking about pricing, marketing, and connecting with customers. Customers deserve to know about the process of weaving so that they can appreciate their purchase that much more, and weavers deserve to make an honest profit for their hard work, knowledge, materials, time, and design. Becoming a weaver is a huge commitment; it involves taking the time to learn a complicated skill, researching, finding, and then making the decision to purchase a large expensive piece of equipment. (I found my loom on Craigslist by posting a wanted ad, and after deciding on making the purchase, drove two hours with a rented trailer to pick it up and bring it home. I parted with a big chunk of money that was a steal for the loom but a large amount of money for me.) You then must find a place to put it, buy your warp, weft, and other expensive tools, and only then can you begin to start the process of dressing the loom, and finally begin to weave. I am trying to explain how completely unique the long process of becoming, and continuing to be, a weaver is. It is different and complex, and I'm going to try to share my documentation as I conquer my new loom, mistakes and all. I plan on being less wordy and I hope that you enjoy seeing the process and find it as interesting as I do! (I'll also continue with my regular random life stories and Etsy finds so don't you worry your pretty little heads if weaving ain't your bag, baby. But, if that's the case, I'll probably change your mind... *evil laugh*)

some random things:

Very excited to go to a concert in Richmond tonight; I'm going for the opening show, Blind Pilot, but I suppose I'll stick around to see the Decemberists as well. I'm also going to see an old friend that I haven't seen in nine years!

Watch out world, I just got a pocket/purse sized Canon PowerShot camera, so that means many more pictures because I don't have to lug around my big camera whenever I'm out of the house. And lucky me- I was gifted a flickr pro account by a certain Miss Teariest, a frequent commenter on this blog.

I want to show you pictures of my new place so badly, but the truth is that I've hit a creative wall and it just isn't ready for showing yet. This is very strange for me, so I'll snap out of it soon I'm sure.

sweet danger

2009-06-04T16:00:00.000-04:00

Oh, sweet, sweet little puffs of love. Where have you been all my life? And in addition to being delicious, you insist on being incredibly photogenic, causing me to drop everything and bust out the camera and spend about 45 minutes of my day on a Very Mini Vanilla Meringue photo shoot. Which leads to some quality time with my BFF, Photoshop, and the inevitable blog post to follow about... a tiny puff of sweetness.

After our weekend beach adventure, but before our cruise ship stalking, we made a quick stop at the new Trader Joe's in Virginia Beach. First of all, this is one of only TWO T. Joe's in the area; quite the adjustment from deciding which one of many I wanted to shop in Tucson. We only buy a few essential items from T. Joe's (vegetable goyza, roasted red pepper and tomato soup, various Trader Ming noodle boxes, Indian Fare meals, and now... Very Mini Vanilla Meringues) so at least it isn't a necessary weekly grocery stop.

1 calorie per meringue, 100 pieces per serving. I already threw the container, but I remember that the ingredient list had about 4 items on it. I wonder how easy they are to make.

warning: if you hate a certain lucky "marshmallow" cereal, you might not like these. They are the same consistency as those charms, but I think the vanilla flavor makes them deliciously different. I'm feeling a little silly about posting this, but I mostly just wanted to share the photos... and talk a little meringue with y'all.

one pretty thing + the beginning of something new

2009-06-04T09:12:00.001-04:00

Yes, please! How great would this look in my living room? I'll tell you how great: extra fabulous, stupendously amazing, dazzlingly spectacular; a vision in Llama wool. Hand loomed, and you can even pick your own colors! $30 a square foot for a custom size, available from Johnathan Adler. You know, the guy who re-invented pottery, as Craig loves to mock.

I'm so interested in rug pricing because I am on the verge of getting my weave on. I have a new (old) loom that I haven't even shown you yet, some beautiful new warp, and instead of the scarves that I was weaving before on my grandma's loom, I'm going to be trying my hand at rag weaving because this loom is larger and more sturdy for just this sort of project. I've been collecting thrift sheets and fabrics because I love the idea of creating something fabulous and new from someone else's old castoffs (just as Rikkianne does!), plus the recycling aspect of it is appealing as well. Hey, I am a white person after all! (see #64)

I've also been thinking of a weaving mission statement; a commitment to what I want my weaving to DO. Not exactly what I am going to be weaving, because I know that as soon as I start weaving something it will look entirely different than I expected, but I'm thing more along the lines of a general goal for what my weaving should "speak". I want to make weaving sexy, young, and fresh. I would say "this isn't your grandma's weaving", but that's not true. My grandma who weaves let me borrow her loom to learn on last summer, gave me some starter warp and books, and provided advice when I would call in a panic. She told me the secrets of how to shop the thrifts to find the best quality fabrics and how to pick the pieces of clothing that would get the most bang for my weaving buck. And I can't say "this isn't your mama's weaving" either because my mama's weaving is dang sexy already, and available in her new Etsy shop! Whatever I end up weaving will be guided in part by their experiences, technical expertise, and inspiration, no matter how different my finished products turn out. So, I'm still working on my statement. I know that it has to do with bringing weaving to a younger audience and educating them about what it is. I want people to understand the difference between a $3 rag rug at Ikea and what weavers like my grandma, mom, and I do. I also want a younger generation to be excited about a new age of weaving! So, as I begin my first rag rug experience on my new loom I plan on sharing the process of how I turn rags to riches. Ha ha. I hope that it is interesting and entertaining for you; I'm going to try my best!

Anyway, if you are still reading, thanks for listing to my ramblings that might have been better off staying in my head until they become a more cohesive thought. I've said enough for today and need to crank up the Pandora and get started already! And, Justin Timberlake style, start bringing sexy back. Handwoven style.

cruisin'

2009-06-02T22:51:00.006-04:00

So, apparently Norfolk is a port city, or port-of-call for the maritimers amongst you, for cruise ships. We were driving back from exploring a different beach this weekend, and right as we came into the downtown area, we could see a giant thing that looked like the back of an airplane sticking out of the water. Turns out it was Carnival cruise ship!
Oh, and its departure just "happened" to coincide with a beautiful sunset, so we drove a bit further and watched it cruise on out to sea and caught a bit of the sunset for ourselves.
Then we headed back towards our neighborhood, through the tunnel,

and past some of the shipyards. I really like the colors in this area; lots of cranes and other types of tall, shipyard-y related structures, painted in perfect colors.

And tons of cargo containers in all different colors, stacked taller than I would think to be safe. They are very pretty too, but you'll just have to take my word for it because I couldn't flail the camera around that quickly. Yes, a girl can only flail so much, people!

love comes in many colors

2009-06-01T15:40:00.006-04:00

row 1: Live What You Love Letterpress Poster (green)- hijirik, Love plate- Ninainvorm, Giant Bear In A Tiny Village- LizzyStewart

row 2: Lui et elle. Set of 2 prints- blancucha, Original Paper Collage Mexican Mint- madebyanna, 1950-60 Pea Green Wool Peacoat - Size S-M- jenkmcq

row 3: Beautiful Hand Painted/Silkscreened Paintings on Poplar Wood- Gajillionaire, VINTAGE Olive Green Plastic Beaded Necklace- SamyStClair, The Connection - - gocco screen print - - fricdementol

Make sure to click on the image to see the items up close and personal and use the links above to go ahead and buy some presents for yourself or a lucky friend.

billiards, anyone?

2009-05-20T11:55:00.004-04:00

I've been struggling with the mantle because the wall above it is plaster with brick behind it. Not exactly the easiest surface to hang things on. My favorite part so far is the lovely letterpress print from the sweet Hijiri; I wish that she would start a flickr group for people to share how they have displayed this print in their homes. I love how she uses a wooden pant hanger in some of her images; I've been hoping to stumble upon some at a thrift store but no luck yet. There are some for sale on Etsy, so that is always an option as well.

And what about those pool/billiard balls? Is that what they are called? Anyway, found a full set for $1 at one of my favorite junk stops right before we left Tucson. It was one of those dangerous times when I had no idea what I would do with them but I couldn't pass on the price and the cool font used for the numbers. For now a few of them are living on the mantle, but if anyone has a better idea I'd love to hear it. (Seriously, it would just make my day to hear from some readers who are not my mom! Mom, please keep commenting; you make me feel popular and cool and loved.)

And I'm sorry that this is all that I can show you of the living room so far; that's the new chaise that we got with our new sofa and love seat and it is SO comfortable; the sofa and love seat are a different color. Above the chaise, if one can have a signature light fixture, hangs my (signature) Tord.

you can stop worrying now

2009-05-20T10:46:00.005-04:00

Hey there, peeps. I know it's been quiet around here, but guess what? I found some shades for my vintage lamps! They are different in scale than I was hoping to find, but I ended up using the lamps in the living room instead of the dining area and the scale of the shade works well in their new space. I found two of the same shade on the shelf at Target and was surprised because I've been stalking their lampshade section for months with no success. People, how hard can it be to make and sell a barrel shade for a decent (cheap) price? Of course by "people" I mean Target, but like I was saying, there they were, and I think I heard angels singing. The customer service lady told me that they keep the shades that have become separated from their bases for some reason and sell them individually instead of throwing them away. Well, no one can accuse me of not doing my part to save the earth that day! The good news is that you can all stop losing sleep, worrying about where I was going to find the perfect shades. You're welcome.

That is my mom's high school senior picture and I love it! She is going to be making a window weave like this one for the window behind my loom, and I'm going to put on my tool belt and hang some curtain rods in the living room today. I am almost ready for a full reveal, and I've got a sneak peek coming up in a few- just have to do a little photochopping first.

do you know Grete?

2009-05-11T01:16:00.004-04:00

Craig and I have been making an effort to get out and see the sights around here; anything to help me get oriented! Every time that I am convinced that we are going north it turns out we are going south, and if I think east of course it is west. This past weekend we headed out in some general direction from our house to a little town that we had been told had antique shops and ice cream parlors. And it had both! I found a Cathrineholm casserole dish in great condition for $8(!), and a mint chip waffle cone. Because it was hot, and because I deserved a treat for finding such a great bargain.

After a little bit of research when we got home I found out some interesting facts about Cathrineholm enamelware. Cathrineholm was the name of a factory in Halden, Norway. Grete Prytz Kittelsen was born in Oslo, and it was the Cathrineholm factory that began the mass production of her enamelware collection in 1954. In 1962, in an attempt to entice more Norwegian housewives to purchase these dishes, the factory began adding the lotus pattern that we are familiar with today... without Grete's permission! It is said that she does not care for the design, but it seems to me that most collectors today love it. I found a bunch of information and a ton of beautiful pictures in the flickr group Lovers of Cathrineholm Designs. And a quick eBay search will show you that this design is highly sought after. But you never know what you may find at the back of a shelf in some innocent thrift store... *fingers crossed*

(this information is true to the best of my knowledge, but I didn't spend a ton of time making sure that my sources were credible... I mostly just wanted to show you what I found!)

hmm... I like these

2009-05-10T21:43:00.006-04:00

row 1. Dogwood- avalanchelooms, Twig of leaves placemats - set of 4- Kainkain, linen 'kukiyot' backpack- mishidesign

row 2. Brooch Rose Terracotta Linen- LinenMe, stephanie (size 6/8) order your size, linen- Kcoline, 7 Piece Pom Kit - Choose Your Colors- PomLove

row 3. Big City Linen Bag- tortillagirl, Organic Linen Thread Necklace- magdalinen, 1940's style linen hat- sanchia845

It is no secret that I love Etsy, and also no secret that I love making treasuries. The only thing that I don't like about making treasuries is the waiting around for a spot to open up and that is why I have stopped making them. So, a friend suggested that I do some sort of an Etsy picks as blog posts and I'm giving it a try. I'm going to be experimenting with formats for this; I am starting with a traditional treasury format and hoping that the image size is big enough to see the actual items. To see a larger version of the entire image you can always click on the picture, but the images themselves will not be active links. I will be posting the links to each item below the grid from left to right, row by row, numbered 1 through 9.

Let me know what you think; do you like the idea as a recurring post? Should I still keep my Etsy favorites in the right sidebar? Would you rather not see them in the traditional treasury format? And what should I call this series? I've thought of: 1) treasures 2) I dig 3) can you dig 4) I'm in love 5) The Finder 6) my imaginary shopping basket 7) better than the rest of the crap on Etsy, or 8) window shopoholic

These were just off the top of my head this very moment, so I am open to suggestions. Now I'm all excited about doing this, so I'm off to heart some Etsy booty!

pretty transparent

2009-05-07T10:11:00.003-04:00

Finally! My very talented mother has finally opened her Avalanche Looms Etsy shop! If you are in the market for something beautiful to hang in your window, let the light filter through one of her Swedish linen handwoven panels with dogwood blossoms made of Finnish paper yarn, tied in traditional Finnish rya knots.
They also look beautiful displayed on a simple wall, and if not for you, they make a perfect gift for weddings, housewarming gifts, or Mother's Day. So hop on over, "heart" her like I do, and then take a peak at her blog to see what else she is up to.

on the prowl for: coat rack

2009-05-05T10:10:00.007-04:00

If I were to stumble upon $2,100 (you never know; I once found a 5 dollar bill in my front yard!), I like to think that I would buy the Erich Ginder Ghost Tree coat rack. In reality I would probably put it towards something responsible, like a mortgage payment or car payment, but I would be thinking of this coat rack whilst doing (insert responsible action here).
Then my dad sent me a link to this DWR Tra Coatrack that he gave to a client as a house warming gift after finishing building their house. I briefly considered having him build a house for me so that I might receive the same gift, but quickly realized that shelling out $250 would be a much cheaper option. Instead, I am settling on this one in white from CB2, which I like very much, and is also in my price range. Or... maybe I'll find something fabulous and vintage for $5, the $5 that I actually stumbled upon.

everything was just beachy...

2009-05-04T19:08:00.003-04:00

Oh boy. So much has been going on! Two weeks ago was great; we spent time in the DC area with some of our favorite friends, and then we brought them home with us to our home with no living room furniture. I know, nominate me for Hostess with the Leastest, at least when it comes to comfortable seating options for special guests. We did get to Virginia Beach, however. It was the first really hot and humid week, so it felt great. And nice to know that it is only about 15 minutes from home!
We ate and drank our way through Alexandria, Georgetown, and then our neighborhood here in Norfolk.

Now we have our living room furniture, and I found lampshades for those impossible lamps! I stopped at the local vintage lamp store to see what they had available (yes, I have a vintage lamp store in my neighborhood... trouble!) but no luck. The owners were really nice, though, so I made some new friends. I actually found them at Target because they were selling the shades that had belonged to a lamp set, but somehow lost their bases. Their loss was my gain!

Everything is almost in order around here. Craig was pleased that we only had to try two different furniture arrangements before I was happy with how it looked because I've been known to try many more. I'm one of those visual people; I need to see things in order to really get it. I drive according to landmarks, not street signs, and I paint an entire room before deciding if I like the color. And I hate painting.

I promise new pictures soon. Today was a complete mess, and according to my iGoogle horoscope I should have been expecting it. My friend, Melissa, and I always joke that the author of these horoscopes is spying on us because he is always so spot on. We joke, but who knows? So, be cautious if you get a horoscope that says

You may be trying so hard to be responsible that the stress finally gets to you. You could work yourself into such a tizzy that you overreact to put things back into balance. Unfortunately, this kind of impulsive reaction now could prompt you to do something you'll later regret. It may be healthier in the long run for you to let an obligation slide while you regain a calmer demeanor. Even taking a short walk might be enough to set you back on track.

or if you see a man named Rick Levine peeking through your windows...

help! and lyckhem!

2009-04-21T11:39:00.003-04:00

We had a rather successful trip to Ikea last weekend. Everything is slowly but surely coming together in the house; my style of decorating involves plenty of furniture rearranging, changing of lighting, buying of curtains, and the hardest but most rewarding part of all, putting up the artwork. I like my home design to evolve and change as I find out how I am actually living in the space.
Even though we have ample cabinet space in the kitchen I am unable to reach anything above the bottom two shelves without a step stool. This Ikea unit, the Lyckhem, is perfect for storing my most often used dishes so that I can use the cabinets for food and lesser used dishes and baking supplies. This wasn't my only purchase, so hopefully I'll be sharing more soon. We did order our living room furniture yesterday and it will be here on March 2nd. I'm very excited to sit somewhere other than my bed!
But I need some help! I know that things like this seem trivial when there are so many other things going on in the world (the war, endless updates on the octomom, and Nancy Grace's seemingly 24 hour a day coverage of "tot's mom") but I've been searching oh so long.
Remember when I found these? I can't find the right size shade in my price range anywhere! I'm looking for either a spider or regular fixture skinny drum shade. Well, two matching ones, preferably in the $20-30 range each, and around 13" tall with little or no slope and roughly a 9" diameter. If someone knows of the one stone that I have left unturned, please contact me! I would be forever grateful.

old turned new again

2009-04-21T11:10:00.003-04:00

Okay, I might as well call this blog the Rikkianne (Chakra Pennywhistle) fan blog but only because she is so great! She did a nice post today about making aprons out of old table runners and I wanted to take this chance to show a sweet little zipper pouch that she made for me out of of vintage table linens. Hand embroidered? Stitchery is about one of the only things that I have not tried, so I don't really know how to tell the difference between embroidery, cross stitch, etc.
It is the perfect size for holding makeup and other small things in my purse or while traveling. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to start experimenting with the lighting in my new home, finding the best places for taking photographs in natural light.

I'm sorry, babies! I only do it because I love you!

2009-04-17T17:45:00.004-04:00

I can't wait to post pictures of the beginnings of my new place! Unfortunately we left a lot of furniture in Tucson, so I don't have many options for storage at the moment, or crucial items such as sofas or chairs. Being a little short on funds in the furniture department, I think that I am going to order this sofa and loveseat in the granite color. I was also informed this afternoon that I am invited to go on a trip to Ikea tomorrow by some friends with a large truck... Craig almost didn't tell me that we were invited! I'm scouring the website to see what I might want/need/might leave screaming, kicking and crying if I don't get to bring home. Oh, money, why must you be so important?
Yesterday started out on a high note. I was all set to get things done; my landlord's handyman (who conveniently lives right next door!) came in the morning and put in a new faucet and shower head in my bathroom that I got to pick out, my Marimekko shower curtain came, the sun was shining and I already had my VA driver's license. I went down the street to the mechanics to get my car inspected so that I could go to the DMV to get my new registration and VA plates.
While I waited for my car to be ready I started to wander the blossoming, sunny streets and couldn't help taking a picture every few steps. You'd think I'd never seen doors before, but I'm so captivated by these houses. I grew up in a very old farmhouse, then moved to college dorms, college slum apartments, and then adobe and slump block homes in Tucson. This kind of architecture is new for me to be around. Yum.
The friendly mechanic called to say that my car was ready, so I hit the road, determined to get my bearings (with the help of my new best friend, GPS Garmin) and hit up the DMV.
And that is when the day went south. Long wait at the DMV of course, but then while I waited for the woman to fill out my paperwork and whatever she was pecking away at with her four regular length nails and one insanely long pinky nail, I wished that I could take a nap. Read a book. Scrub my toilet... anything to not be standing there, staring at her creepy fingernail for what seemed like three hours. Then her supervisor walked by, about 3 1/2 hours into the process and said "oh, you can't process that because the old registration has both of their names on it and we need his signature on it." I wish that I would have said "oh, Craig's sleeping in the car, but I'll go wake him up and have him sign it" but I had lost the ability to think quickly by this time.

There is a happy ending to this long, practically pointless recount of my Thursday. At about 9:30 p.m. our doorbell rang two short rings. This is the code that it is Ted, the handyman. I sent Craig down because I was in no mood to chat and Ted is a talker. Craig returned with a ziploc bag of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. And I realized this is just how it is. Life is good, people are good for the most part, but a trip to the DMV will most certainly destroy your good mood and possibly break your spirit. It should probably be in the ten commandments: Thou shalt never conduct a quick, smooth transaction if you work at the DMV. But what do I know; I'm an atheist.

Wee! This weekend is Ikea and a trip to the beach. And hopefully a clean, organized house to take pictures of. Hope your weekend is great as well!

the hunt: part 2

2009-04-07T23:34:00.005-04:00

True story: these are the flowers that our lovely, fabulous new landlord fresh cut for me from his backyard as we left his home after signing our lease today.
It was such a great experience learning about the neighborhood from him because he's lived there his entire life and knows just about every building and everybody around. We got a great tour of the neighborhood, tons of useful information and a very informative history lesson. It was a great afternoon.
Overwhelmed by the choices that he showed us, all on streets like the one above, we took a day to stew it over and look at the over 200 photos that I had taken on our whirlwind tour of apartments. And it became very clear which one we wanted.
We now have the keys to the second floor apartment in this beautiful old building! The three front windows fill the living room with beautiful light and all of them open to let the beautiful spring weather in. The bumped out windows on the right side are the dining area in an open style kitchen; perfect for my tulip table!
This is the fireplace in the living room. Love!
I wish I had more pictures of the apartment, but soon enough! As soon as we get everything coordinated with our moving company we will be moving in, maybe within the next few days. I wanted to show the original hardwood floors throughout the entire apartment; such a rich dark brown. We also have a fireplace in the bedroom, a full size washer and dryer in the apartment, and even a dishwasher that isn't named Craig or Ursula! I can't wait to move in and get everything set up and start shopping for the perfect furniture and explore the neighborhood and enjoy the spring weather and set up my loom and.... gasp.... all of the excitement makes up for the fact that our semi-beloved Suzuki Sidekick, Jerri, came off the car trailer today and wouldn't start. Even after a new battery was installed. So, Jerri sits at the mechanics while I dream of moving out of this hotel room and into my dream apartment. Life is a whirlwind. I think that I am going to like it here. Come and visit us!

the hunt: part 1

2009-04-07T23:23:00.002-04:00

This one was beautiful except for the horrible kitchen and bathroom. I seriously couldn't have done anything with them; think peel-n'-stick black tiles with swirls of "gold" in them. At some times all of the way up the walls, right up to the ceiling. Bleighckhh. (Yeah, I made up that word. The overall look deserved its own word, so I went there and did it.)
This one was great, but out of our price range. It looked like a castle from the outside. Inside one of the windows opened up into a door type of thing, and let you out into the balcony. I wish I had a good picture of it because it is hard to explain, but it was pretty neat-o.
This would have been a perfect spot for a cozy sofa for reading, or for my new loom.
I wish that this was in our price range!
We knew that we really wanted to live in this neighborhood, so...

what a surprise!

2009-04-06T21:23:00.004-04:00

We ended up staying an extra night in Vicksburg, MS due to some super scary weather that we were interested in avoiding. And a very surprising thing happened.
I found out that I actually kind of like the south. Shocking, I know. I have never been in the really southern states, and I always imagined it to be like backwards country folk from Wisconsin except for with more confederate flags, less teeth and a tad more racist. While this may be true of some, I only encountered some of the friendliest people that I have come across in a long time. And once we got into eastern Texas everything started to look pretty, and it just kept getting better!
These photos were taken on our extra night in Mississippi; Craig and I each took $4 and played the penny slots at the riverboat casino. We managed to stretch those dollars for an hour! We now consider ourselves "Mississippi High Rollers".

I loved this nativity scene garage sale. It seemed to be missing a few key players...

After an extra day of rest we did a 13 hour day of driving and practically passed out the instant we hit the pillows in our hotel room. Mr. Kitty was a champion again, especially after all of your praise from the last post. He didn't want to spoil his angelic image.

Up next... our last four hours of driving on Saturday ending at our extended stay hotel in Virginia Beach. (No pictures; too tired and DONE with being in the car.) I do have tons of pictures from our first day of apartment hunting on Sunday, all in the historical Ghent neighborhood in Norfolk, VA. I think we have our place picked out and I love it! Stay tuned...

1,316 miles down...

2009-04-02T02:51:00.003-04:00

and I'm not sure how many more, but at least two more days of driving. That little red star is my new fabulous apartment in Norfolk, VA; you know, the fabulous apartment that I haven't found yet. I want to pick it from a live viewing and we didn't have time to do a house-hunting trip before the move, so that leaves us in an extended stay studio hotel room until I find the perfect place. Now that is the kind of pressure that I like!
As you can see on the map we have spent a lot of time driving through Texas. I was just going to type that it was interesting, but it really wasn't. I did manage to take some pictures out in the middle of nowhere on the first day. The cafe photo is titled "excuse me, but do you have a businesswoman's special?"
I ran down behind a gas station to a truck stop because I saw two trailers of carnival ticket booths. I risked life and limb dodging between the trucks, trailers, and drivers with their tan left arms. This leads me to believe that my camera and I are back to being BFF because a few months ago I couldn't even stand to look at it sitting on the cabinet, idle and memory card empty. Me with no desire to ever take another picture or do another blog post ever again. But look at us now.

"step right up, up, up, up..."

And then the three of us rode off into the sunset.
There's a good boy!

Well, off to bed for me because we've got a long day of driving ahead of us. Craig conked out long ago, still wearing his glasses and clothes. Kitty is curled up between us and I know that everything will work out.

this is how we do it!

2009-04-02T02:12:00.005-04:00

Act 1: Monday morning, moving semi pulls up in front of our house.
Act 2: the moving crew gets everything prepped; blankets everywhere and even a red carpet rolled out across the living room floor!
Act 3: the crew got to work at an amazing speed. The best part was the fact that I didn't have to pack a single thing myself, especially since I was running on only 3.5 hours of sleep after having a major panic attack the night before! I had to focus on making sure that the house was ready for our new renter and that everything that we might possibly need for the next couple of weeks was set aside and jigsaw-puzzled into the car with the cat and all of his.... ummm... accessories.

Act 4: rambling out of town, watching the desert pass by through the blur of tears, trying to swallow around the giant lump in my throat, the image of Rikkianne and Mia standing at their door and sweet little Mia yelling "bye! I love you!" still fresh in my memory. Tucson was a very important part of my life; I finally had my chance to escape from Wisconsin and made the move with my best friend, my then-fiance, and the boy wonder himself- Mr. Kitty. I left almost four years later with another best friend, a husband, relationships with relatives I had never had the chance to be around more than once every year or so, and a renter in the home that we renovated by ourselves. That is just skimming the surface of what happened in just four short years and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. Well, maybe something really, really, really amazing, but I can't think of anything at the moment.

nubbins for Sofie

2009-03-22T12:47:00.004-04:00

I present nubbins in honor of you and your 23 years! (It is your 23rd birthday, right?) You are the best sister that I have ever had, the only sister that I have ever had. So lucky for me that you turned out to be such a good one. I wish that I could be there to put Ready Whip on your nose.

love,

Ursula

upstaging me, but I don't mind!

2009-03-20T19:20:00.006-04:00

I just stumbled upon this amazing (and cute!) artist named Sofia Arnold. She is an interesting girl, a pisces with a birthday coming up on Sunday. Maybe that is why she's swimming with the fishes? She just made a portfolio website and she's looking for a little input on it as it is the first one that she has ever made. She's basically self-taught in everything that she does, and is currently getting her BFA at the University of Madison.
This is one of my favorite new screenprints from her portfolio website titled New Nose No Good. Make sure to click on each image on her website and it will take you to the next in the category. She's also got a limited edition art book for sale in her Etsy shop that is a steal at $7.50, and it looks really great.

Okay, time to come clean. Sofia is my sister, whom I talk about a lot, but can you blame me? And if I don't get around to scanning the pictures that I just from Grandma of you as a wee leetle girly to post on your actual birthday, happy birthday!

both photos used without permission from www.sofia-arnold.com

so thrifty, so true

2009-03-20T01:20:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was spent out and about thrifting with a friend and I remembered to bring my camera. I don't know if I've ever written about my fixation and fascination with amateur art and how it is priced at thrift stores, but it cracks me up! It is like they are worried that one of them might be an actual Picasso and they don't want to take the risk of letting it go for a buck or two. I've got plenty more hideous examples that I'll share at a later date as the inspiration strikes me. I don't remember what the price was on this beauty, but isn't it funny? A little girl (boy?), trapped behind an ivy covered fence, holding a kitten that looks like it is about to make a mad dash getaway.

Anyway, I just wanted to share one of these images. If you like - and probably even if you don't - I will be posting some more gems. Because it is my blog and I am queen bee around here.

the post where I tell you how awesome I am*

2009-03-16T20:34:00.006-04:00

Looking back at the things that I have done in our four years in Arizona, one of the things that was the most fun/challenging/rewarding was climbing to the very tippy-top of Picacho Peak, or as my mom and sister call it, "Mt. Pistachio". First I must disclose that I have a pretty severe anxiety disorder, and I almost turned back at the bottom because I was sure that I was going to fall off of a giant precipice about 2 hours into the intense hike to the top and have to be med-lifted out with broken bones and head injuries that would result in a lifetime of permanent mental retardation. Now, look for the highest point in the above picture and then picture a tiny, tiny speck at the top. That speck was me! I did end up falling down the mountain after all, but it was on the way down. I was able to hop along, propped up by my awesome aunt the rest of the way to the bottom. Then we stopped at Dairy Queen before heading back to Tucson where I cried like a baby and picked rocks and other various pieces of desert out of my knee in the car while Craig got me a bag of ice and a chocolate dipped cone. At which point I think I stopped crying... I couldn't stand for two days after that and still have a giant knob on my knee a year later. A battle scar, a victory wound(?). Also- I think this is a true story- the place that I fell was around the same area that two hikers died of dehydration a couple of years ago, within sight of the parking lot.

On that happy note, I have given you yet another little tribute to my time in Arizona. I took these photos on our drive back from Phoenix, and I was reminiscing and loving the colors and the mountains and the warm evening breeze. Blasting my face off as we zipped down the interstate at 78 m.p.h.

*A bit of background info: I used to watch Homestar Runner and there was a video in which Strong Bad sang a song that went a little something like this:

every time I look at myself

I can't believe how awesome I am

how awesome I am!

So, that was the inspiration for the title of this post. Maybe I'll go watch some more of that instead of listening to "(I Just) Died in Your Arms", courtesy of The Cutting Crew and my Music Choice channels. And with that sad window into my life I bid you adieu.

glass gardens and goodbyes

2009-03-16T15:35:00.002-04:00

We are moving in 14 days! We have begun the sad process of saying our goodbyes to friends and family, and recently spent some time in Phoenix with my grandparents and aunt and uncle. Even though they had already been, they took us to the Desert Botanical Garden that is currently hosting the Chihuly exhibit. We saw they daytime version, which was beautiful, but there is also a nighttime exhibit when they light up the glass. Amazing. I liked the daytime visit because the glass was gorgeous and fit into the desert gardens so well. The wildflowers were in full bloom and I was reminded that there is an amazing amount of color in the desert. And the weather... oh, how I will miss the perfect weather!

If you live in the Phoenix area I suggest that you plan a visit; I believe that the Chihuly exhibit will be up until May 31st, and make sure to call ahead for reservations.

happy birthday to you!

2009-03-10T14:05:00.003-04:00

Happy birthday, mom! I had a bunch of pictures that I wanted to use for this post but everything is in storage so I had to make do with my iPhoto library. The paper monkey ball is for the monkey mails that you are ever so fond of sending, and I know that it is one of your favorite store items.
For anyone reading that is not my mother, and I think that there are a few of you, my mom is amazing. She is talented, funny, truthful, and incredibly caring and thoughtful. We talk and email almost every single day and that is the only reason that I can live so far from my family. She's also the reason that I finally started weaving (the above picture is of one of her wool rugs) and I hope to one day be as good a mom as she is.
This was the only picture that I had of the two of us together. It was taken by me a few years ago, holding the camera inches in front of us before I boarded my flight back to Arizona. I definitely know who I got my ability to cry over every little thing from; I think that this was one of many tearful goodbyes. Whenever we get to see each other we are too busy making things, looking at things, cooking, laughing, and enjoying our time together and I forget to take pictures.

I love you, mom, and your infinite wisdom; "waste not, want not", "consider the source", and the famous "if you see a man come out of a bathroom with his pants down, don't take candy from him". I've dodged many a bullet because of that advice...

life saver

2009-03-05T18:50:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to lie and say that the last few months have been easy. I even considered shutting this blog down for good because thinking about it sitting there, with nothing new to to show, stressed me out because it was a reminder of what I used to enjoy and I just didn't know when I was ever going to feel like that again. I didn't know where my inspiration mojo had gone and I didn't know where to find it. So, I sought outside help and at the same time began to get my groove back through a different outlet. This is a short story titled How Ursula Got Her Groove Back, and no, it does not involve Taye Diggs or a trip to Jamaica circa 1998. (Anybody? I hardly remember it but it was probably a really horrible movie.)
Anyone who reads this blog knows how much I adore my friend Rikkianne of Chakra Pennywhistle fame. Well, she had a rather large and exciting project that she let me participate in, and you will most definitely want to follow her blog to see when she can finally share the details of the project. The wonderful thing about it was the timing; working on this amazing pillow project allowed me to work with my hands, talk about business ideas and creativity, and spend time with my friend and her great family before we make our cross country move in a matter of weeks. And look what is happening; I am back to blogging, I am no longer afraid to look at or use my camera, and I'm excited that I bought my very own loom. I'm excited to start weaving rag rugs. I've been jolted back into my life.
Rikkianne is doing an amazing job with her business and these packages couldn't have looked lovelier with her signature recycled pattern paper wrapping and beautiful organic pillows. I may not believe in a god, but I believe that friends and family fit into your life at just the right moments, as satisfying as putting a puzzle piece into the right spot, interlocking it's abstract shape perfectly into the pieces around it. Each time this happens, the puzzle becomes clearer and the real image begins to appear. You know what it is supposed to look like from the cover of the box, but you have to do the work to make the finished product. I realize that this is a weird metaphor, but I really feel as though I am finding the right pieces at the right time to get the full picture.

So, stay tuned for more about our move and hopefully more about my try at rag weaving (see my first rag rug here). I'm extra-super excited about it and have been talking with my mom about it lately. She did a nice post about it herself today.

This was supposed to be a post about the Chakra Pennywhistle pillow project, but I couldn't leave out the story of how it was a saving grace for me, an opportunity that came along at the exact time when I needed it most. So, thank you, Rikkianne. Oh, and check out her website that Craig, Rikkianne and I designed together!

oh-so-lucky

2009-03-03T09:30:00.002-05:00

I'm one lucky gal (as Rikkianne would say and I love it.... gal) because I was part of this story, which is part of this story.
And you could be, too! If you hop to it there may be some left in the The Broken Plates shop!

We are planning on moving at the end of the month, cross country, to Norfolk, VA. I'm excited for a new life adventure but sad to be leaving our house, our family that lives in this part of the country, and our great friends. Like the ones who give me beautiful necklaces and inspire me daily. I trust that you know who you are.

Oh, and if you would like to buy my lovely little home here in Tucson just let me know! Hey, I thought I'd give it a try...

I got mine!

2009-03-02T13:23:00.002-05:00

I went for the gold at Target the other day and came away victorious! After stalking the limited amounts of the Orla Keily line at various stores about town I read somewhere online that people had gotten their hands on these beautiful stoneware canisters by bringing in the product number and asking someone to check if they had them in the back. Now, I know from my many years in retail how annoying this can be to the employees but I just had to do it. Especially after seeing them listed on eBay and Craigslist for insane prices.
It worked! I have since seen a few in my local stores but at least I have mine. I love these canisters.

I'm alive!

2009-01-14T11:55:00.003-05:00

Yes, this poor blog needed a good amount of dusting off so that I could get in and do a post. This has been one of the craziest years of my life in so many ways and I never know how personal to get when I put it out here in front of an audience. I am resolving some health issues after many years of knowing that things were wrong, but not knowing what they were. We have made the very hard decision to sell our house (in this market! After all of our hard work on it!) in sunny Tucson, Arizona and head to the east coast; Norfolk, Virginia to be exact. Craig took a new position with his current company, and it is an exciting move for him in his career. We have never lived on the east coast, but I am excited to live near the beach and learn about a different part of the country. We figure that this is the time to bounce around a little more, see what other places are out there, and hopefully find a happy place to settle down before we start a family. I hope to do a little more blogging as things start to come back together and life regains a little focus. I'm excited and scared and nervous and happy all at the same time. I don't know anyone in this new city, and as I've already done with two of my closest friends, I'll be leaving a new close friend and awesome family members behind. But I've got Craig, Mr. Kitty, and a new place to explore. It just sucks that my most important relationships (husband and cat aside) are long distance. Thank goodness for email and unlimited long distance phone calls!

I sincerely thank everyone that has been there for me this year. I love you all so much.

It's curtains for me (but in a good way)

2008-12-01T15:08:00.005-05:00

To say that things have been hectic in my life right now would be the understatement of the century. Because of a very uncertain future (in a personal and world sense) I've been spending my energy in the least useful way possible: worrying, second guessing, fretting, and forgetting to breathe. We have a potential cross-country move in the works, so Craig and I spend our time preparing the house in case we need to put it on the market or time feeling guilty that we aren't working on getting things ready. Needless to say, I haven't been making or creating anything fun! As part of the house prep project I finally made something last night. And it felt GOOD.
Behold my new laundry room curtains! I got this fabric at Ikea, and they totally perk up the most frightening room in our house! It is a stretch calling it a room because it is really just an enclosed porch, or Arizona room as the locals call it, but we just never got around to fixing it up in our big house re-do. It was painted an UGLY oxblood red color with shag carpeting and tinted film on the windows. There is a vent that must have been for the gas fireplace that we found in the shed; it must have been one glorious man-cave before we turned it into a laundry room! We recently dowsed it in white paint and the feeling is so much better. And while I made curtains, Craig finished the demo of the old brick BBQ in the yard.
The inside of it was filled with old beer bottles and cans, mostly "Acme" beer. Seriously? Mmmmm... sounds like a refreshing light dry beer! They are from before you could open a can with the tab thingy. Old school!
In summary:

life: crazzzzy, uncertain

weekends: filled with boring house projects, or if I'm lucky, curtain making.

laundry room: less scary, and with cute curtains. If we don't move, I'll have that!

backyard pile of rubble from BBQ demo: large

random:

wanting: a white Christmas tree (why are they all $200???) and to see my family.

excited about: maybe living by the beach! And the adventure of the uncertainty.

thursday

2008-10-31T02:34:00.004-04:00

Not to make anyone uncomfortable, myself included, but I thought I'd share two things that are making me happy in my bathroom lately. The first is this print from Sofie's Etsy shop that I love more and more every time that I step out of the shower. I think she's got a few left in another color combination.
The other happy thing is this metal tree branch hook from Urban Outfitters. It came as a set of two, and I had originally intended to use them as props for styling the scarves I've been weaving. That may still happen, but for now this one looks great with my favorite necklaces and rings on it.

pitcher this

2008-10-25T13:50:00.006-04:00

Here's a pretty little pitcher that I found at a yard sale a few weekend's ago. I think it will make a lovely vase. I'm dreading the organization of the Biggest Yard Sale I've Ever Had, but I think it has to happen soon.

(Does anyone else watch Top Design? I was catching up last night and wondering if anyone else is ready to strangle Eddie from Martha Stewart. Wow, what an attitude!)

letters

2008-10-25T13:38:00.005-04:00

Dear Warp,

Please work. Please don't be such a mess. I've been trying pretty hard to make it work with you, and I really want us to have a bright future together. Please... I want to make a pillow out of you. One that isn't as ugly as the first one I made, the one that I can't even post a picture of because it is just that ugly. (And because Mr. K has claimed it as his new bed.)

Love,

Ursula

Dear Bedroom,

Please paint yourself this weekend.

Thanks,

Ursula

Dear Economy,

Please get well soon. I might be selling my house soon, and you are making it very hard for me to feel like that is a good decision.

Give my regards to Rock Bottom if you see it.

Sincerely,

Ursula

on the wall

2008-10-08T18:41:00.006-04:00

Shadow from the curtains.
Unfinished striped scarf. I need to wash it, dry it, and snip all of the loose threads. I've been experimenting with different materials from a local weaving studio's going-out-of-business sale and learning some new things along the way. I'm also loving the show Mad Men, and waiting to record a marathon of season 2 on the DVR so that I can catch up on the new season before I accidentally spoil any of the plot. Parts of the show make me wish I was around back then (early 1960's) and parts of it make me glad that I wasn't...

update: I just made a Mad Men treasury! It expires Saturday at 3:09 a.m.

new color!

2008-09-29T12:07:00.006-04:00

We repainted the living room over the past two weekends. It took forever because we had to paint over that deep chocolate brown color and we're still not done. I hate painting but we made the most of it with Pandora playing our weekend soundtrack and us inserting our own funny lyrics into songs. Well, funny to us at least! The letter U was a lucky find at he antique market a few weekends ago.
Here is a little preview corner of the living room. The color is called Ocean Pearl, and it is my new favorite color. I'm just crazy about gray, and I love it with brown.
We only have this wall left. I think it is going to be this color found on the $5 oops! paint rack. A huge chance from the bright orange!
In weaving news I have some new cotton yarn to work with. I've got about a month left with this loom before it goes back to my grandma and then I've got to figure out what to weave on next.
I think it is funny/frustrating that my color instincts are always the same; I go for the bright, bold colors at first (see house colors and weaving supplies) and then I wish for all muted colors, soft and pale. But only after I've placed an order or painted an entire house so that I truly have to start over.
So I'm mixing it up to see if that works better for me. I'm using my new heather gray warp, the softest cotton I've used yet, and mixing it with some neutrals and a bright peacock blue from my previous colorful order. I'm loving it so far.

paper things

2008-09-25T11:58:00.005-04:00

I've been coveting this stereograph of my mom's for some time now so I was pretty excited when she sent it as my birthday card this year.
The back of it reads

No. 88. "I WONDER IF I CAN DO IT THAT WAY."

No, they are not the necks and heads of waterfowl, but calves and feet, parts of a man who a moment ago was standing by the side of the woman, and who jumped into the water head first. His body formed a perfectly straight line as it shot into the water, and the lady wishes she might be able to go in as gracefully. She is going to try, and, of course, the first time she will strike the water as flat as a board and it will hurt.

Hmmm. Or maybe she'll get it just right, Mr. T.W. Ingersoll! (the card is copyrighted 1899, so you'll ~~forgive him for being~~ see why he is so sexist!)

This also reminds me of my first dive at swimming lessons one cold summer morning. I was standing at the end of the low diving board, with goosebumps from the chilly air and paralyzed with fear. My teacher was patiently treading water below, ready to save me when I most certainly would drown. My mom stood on the other side of the chain link fence, standing in front of the metal benches and the other parents, coaxing me to do it, just do it! And then she made the magic promise "I'll bake you a cake, Ursula! If you dive now, I'll bake you two cakes!"

Splash!

I don't want to give myself too much credit, but I think it could be described as the most graceful dive that the pool saw that day or any day after. And my two cakes were delicious: I think one was some sort of chocolate frosting graham cracker thing and the other was a jelly roll sponge cake.

And this last bit of paper is inspired by this flickr pool security patterns. I've been snipping bits out of the junk mail bin as I see new patterns come in.

Okay, I'm ready to get some weaving done. I just got a new order of materials in, this time in softer neutrals. True to form, I went with bright bold colors right away, then wished I had picked the opposite so this gives me the chance to mix them up a bit.

you had me at soba noodles...

2008-09-19T00:16:00.005-04:00

I was on the treadmill at the gym the other day and there was nothing to watch on TV. I finally ended up watching Food Network (I know, on the treadmill) with that guy that I don't really like. What's his name? Oh, I think it actually is Guy! He was making a cold soba noodle salad that looked delicious so I thought I'd try it out. I love soba noodles and I was in the mood to chop some vegetables.
It was looking so fresh and colorful that I got distracted and forgot to taste the dressing part to see if I even liked it.
This is what it ended up looking like finished and I managed only about two bites before declaring it a failure. Craig kindly ate a serving, but I hate making something and then realizing that you wasted all of those ingredients. Next time I'll remember to taste the dressing first, but for now I'll browse through my new cookbooks that I got for my birthday!

my morning, part 2

2008-09-17T15:38:00.008-04:00

After all of that "where is my life headed?" blabber, I thought I'd share another thing that I am sure of: my new bedding! I continued taking pictures at the risk of being late for my appointment, but the light was looking so pretty that I just couldn't resist.
I can't wait for the nights to get chilly so that I can pull out the down comforter and put this beautiful duvet set (thank you so much, Rikkianne!) to use! It is a lovely gray/brown color block printed on a soft natural white, and the pink, orange and red mohair blanket is an estate sale find that will be a great punch of color at the foot of the bed. We are also repainting the bedroom walls a cool pale, pale blue soon and I'm so excited. Not for the actual painting part of course...
It wasn't long before someone else thought that he'd join in on the photo session. Cats seem to have this strange sense about knowing exactly when there is something soft and new to nap on, or maybe this is just Mr. Kitty? When I was little I know that whenever my mom would take a new rug off of the loom there would be an immediate pile of us kids and some cats right on top of it. Hmm, this bedding could also use a bit of ironing, but I'm not going to fight this cat napper.
Oh dear, I'm that girl blogging about her cat, again. Which brings us back to what am I doing with my life? My morning has come full circle, and I'm off to weave another scarf.

my morning, part 1

2008-09-17T15:38:00.004-04:00

Before heading out the door for my haircut this morning I wanted to try some product shots of one of my scarves in the early morning light. Amidst the madness that has been my life lately, I think I'm finally getting close to opening up shop again, this time with my handwoven scarves!

I just turned 27 last week and it was the strangest birthday that I've ever had. I spent a good portion of my day grilling others about if they remembered their 27th birthday, and what did it feel like? How "figured out" was their life? My grandma had four kids already, on her way to seven total. I guess for me I'm just finally starting to feel like a real adult, but a bit worried about figuring out what I want as an adult. I know I love being married to Craig and I've got the best family and friends that I girl could ask for, but other than that, nothing is certain. So, what was 27 like for you? Or if you aren't 27 yet, what do you hope for or expect?

two happy things, one sad thing

2008-09-02T13:26:00.007-04:00

I love my Target clearance Isaac Mizrahi dress. Now I just need an occasion to wear it...
And I love Craig for making a warping board for me! Well, I also love him for lots of other reasons, but this really is a time saver and a back saver. My previous method was to overturn every chair in the house, and lean over the pile of chairs to wind the length of warp in some sort of drunken configuration around the legs until my arms went numb and my neck and back ached. No more! I used it for the first time yesterday (and yes, I am still in my pajamas at 3 p.m.!) and am all ready to start threading up the loom. There is really so much prep work that goes into even these simple weaves that I am doing but it is hard to tell from the finished product if you aren't familiar with the process. Weaving is a great balance for someone who is creative but also likes order and precision.

The sad thing is that we took our little Lotta kitty back to the Humane Society last week. She is adorable and sweet, but Mr. K was really miserable with her here, and it was causing problems all around. Although Craig and I felt like complete failures, Mr. K has turned back into our Real Boy, friendlier than he ever was to begin with! And I know that Lotta will do better with another family (without a spoiled Only Cat) so that she will be happier, too.

Well, I'm off to start threading up the loom! I can't wait for cool weather (even though it is a long way off for those of us living in Tucson) so that I can start wearing some of these scarves. The pile is getting a little ridiculous.

welcome to the De Anza

2008-08-17T00:12:00.005-04:00

I love when the moon comes up during a sunset. We were headed out the door for the drive-in like I had mentioned, and the sky was all lavender and pink and the moon was huge.
7:42 p.m. by the clock on the dash and we're almost there, so for once we have plenty of time to get settled in before the movies start. We only live about two traffic lights away.
If it weren't so blurry you could read that it is called the De Anza, and it has four screens all playing different double features. Six bucks at the ticket booth, please! (It used to be $5 when we first moved here, and then it was almost turned into a strip mall about a month ago, but that fell through thankfully.)
Waiting for the show to start is the hardest part. You feel good for getting there early enough to get a good spot, but get the show started already, ya know? The first show we saw was Pineapple Express which we liked well enough, especially since it starred some actors from one of our very favorite shows, Freaks and Geeks.
Then the clouds started rolling in, filled with lightning, and I thought it might mean that we would miss the second show. It didn't rain, but I wish it would have.
Somehow we managed to stay through the entire horrible movie Step Brother. It mostly just made me feel sad for Will Ferrell.

So, I thought I'd start adding in a little bit more about what I do besides my weaving projects. I'll spare you the yard work that we are (planning on) getting up early to work on tomorrow. Although... it does involve a hula hoe, which I think is a funny name for a tool.

I've got a herringbone to pick with you

2008-08-15T19:18:00.005-04:00

Somehow I turned this pattern...

into this! It even has some diamonds in it, but they are all wound up right now so I didn't take a picture of them. It is amazing to watch it appear on the loom as I go. I should have this one finished up tonight or tomorrow depending on if we go to the drive-in for a double feature tonight or not. It is always a toss up with the drive-in because it is fun to go and bring your dinner and popcorn, and the tickets are cheap, but it is usually still pretty hot, and extra crowded on a Friday night. I'm kind of in the mood to brave the crowds and maybe use my new little cooler for something other than a warping stool behind the loom.

Have a nice weekend!

It's the middle of August already!

2008-08-13T16:30:00.004-04:00

I made another attempt at modeling my weaving after I finished the blue and green scarf that I last wrote about. I was sweating buckets in the backyard, trying to find some shade to prop my tripod in and feeling awkward in general. If I plan on selling these, I think I'm going to have to hire a model or figure out some other way to photograph them... but I do like our brick fence as a background. And I absolutely love taking pictures!
On a chair? As I've mentioned in my previous post about Rikkianne's photo session, I've got plenty of those around!
Since I finished this scarf, I have started weaving with a cotton warp that has been much easier to deal with. I wove a white and red scarf that I still need to photograph, and I am currently getting ready to start another cotton scarf with pattern! I'm attempting a twill that will be either diamonds, herringbone (my favorite pattern ever), or both. In weaver-speak, I think it is called point twill, rose path, or goose eye. I call it confusing to do for the first time. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

So, that's what I've been up to during my blog absence, and thank you for reading to those of you who've stuck with me. I've also been on a fabulous vacation to San Diego, and made a delicious guacamole for lunch today, so you can see my life is just brimming with activity!

change of pace: Chakra Pennywhistle!

2008-07-20T21:54:00.006-04:00

For a little change of pace around here I thought I'd tell you a little about my good friend Rikkianne, the mastermind behind the fabulous Chakra Pennywhistle. She's been up to all kinds of good stuff lately, and her hand printed organic cotton pillows are just part of her offerings in her Etsy shop. I had the pleasure of helping her with some photographs the other day; we raided my storage for some chairs to use as props. I have a thing for collecting chairs, and a tiny house, so if you do the math... I need a separate shed for my chairs!

Her pillows are beautifully made, and she really puts a lot of thought and effort into creating them and the materials she uses. They are lovely to hold!
Rikkianne's organic cotton toddler skirts are just as thoughtfully made, and modeled by her very own in-house-model, the adorable Mia! Not to mention the cool things she is doing with vintage bank money bags... she's a constant inspiration. (You can also catch up with her on her blog.)

modern weaver

2008-07-19T20:11:00.006-04:00

Signs that I'm a weaver from modern times: plastic boat shuttle and tiny remote for my iTunes.
I'm worried that posts are starting to all look the same around here but that is because I'm taking it slow with this learning to weave business. Today I started a new scarf, same warp, but this time I'm trying the bamboo yarn for the weft. It feels different when I'm weaving it but otherwise I can't tell the difference. I'm curious to see what happens when I wash it. The tencel definitely changed when washed so I'm sure the bamboo will as well.

Also, while I was weaving and listening to iTunes, Lyle Lovett's "She's No Lady" came on. As I hummed along Craig informed me that this song reminds him of me, especially the part that goes:

The preacher asked her

And she said I do

The preacher asked me

And she said yes he does too

...She's no lady she's my wife

oh, being married. It will be three years in August! And apparently I'm no lady, but that comes as a surprise to no one!

twins: the tan one and the pasty one

2008-07-18T20:48:00.004-04:00

This is so silly: I was trying to get a picture of my first piece off of the loom but my pale Scandinavian skin gets so red in the summer desert heat that I was embarrassed to show the scarf! So I made a sort of tan twin in Photoshop. Or maybe just an artistically colored twin but either way, her skin tone looks better than mine!
This scarf was amazingly difficult to complete, and I had to finish it much sooner than I would have liked. It is supposed to be a few yards long, but ended up being a shorty instead. The difficulty was due to using tencel as a warp. I'm going to try a few more since I already have the warp on the loom, but after than I'm going to do a simple cotton warp and use my bamboo and tencel yarns for the weft. While it turned out differently than I was expecting, it is very soft and comfortable to wear. It is also amazing to hold fabric in your hands that used to be individual threads, now the fabric that you made. The best part is that even though it didn't turn out perfect (or even close to what I had envisioned) I am still feel like it was worth the effort. Onward and upward!

it takes a village to warp my loom

2008-07-07T18:20:00.008-04:00

If I had to title the last week of my life, I would call it "Learning Curve". Actually, that barely begins to sum it up but in the area of weaving alone I have been learning a lot. My first warp on the Baby Wolf is tencel and it is proving to be a difficult warp when it comes to tension. (As a side note, it is hard for me to write about weaving; I feel that my explanations are silly sounding to any readers with weaving experience, and alien to any non-weaving readers. Not that non-weavers won't understand, but that I am hardly the person to be explaining it!)
I think that I have gathered some valuable input from my "village"-I never realized how many weavers I know!-and will be able to carry on from here. The important thing is to keep slogging along through the rough patches and make some progress. Not let the mishaps get you down. The actual weaving part has been most enjoyable and I can't wait to do more. We'll all be wearing scarves in no time! Craig has already promised to wear all of my mistakes. Now that'll be a sight for sore eyes!

the only cone better than an ice cream cone

2008-07-01T00:22:00.008-04:00

I almost kissed the mailman today. It would have been awkward, creepy and wrong, but I think that Craig just might have understood. I've been waiting and waiting for this package to come and finally it came!
I got right to work, calling tech support every so often and built the ugliest "warping board" ever constructed. It included - but was not limited to - four upside down chairs on two sofas and part of the loom. I am absolutely too embarrassed to post a picture, so I'll just let you imagine. The best part was chaining the warp after I measured it all because I finally got to use my finger crochet skills from kindergarten! And no one thought that my class record finger crochet that spanned across the entire building would get me anywhere in life... suckers! That is my chained warp in the upper right corner.
Oh, and opening the box felt like it was my birthday. I also ordered this pretty little boat shuttle that is supposed to be indestructible which I'm sure I'll put to the test at one point or another. I'm almost done warping the loom, but it is a lot of work. I hope to be weaving as soon as tomorrow!

And I totally lucked out because both cats were so hot and tired that they slept through the whole process; that could have been a disaster what with all of the strings draping and dragging all over the place. This little one especially. It is fun to have a kitten in the house, though!

Canary and Blue

2008-06-26T19:05:00.004-04:00

Hello! I'm just testing out Paparazzi!, a new-to-me application for taking full page screenshots on a Mac. So far it is pretty easy to use for a non-techie like me, and it is open source. This is my Canary and Blue, Sunshine and Sea, or Swedish Flag (as my mom pointed out) treasury on Treasury West until Saturday at 11:37 a.m.

It seems like monsoon season might actually be starting, and I couldn't be happier! I love the cloudy weather for a change and the thunder and lightning and heavy rain is exciting. The cats are tolerating each other and I predict that they will be fast friends soon. And my weaving supplies should be here any day now, so life is good!

I guess I needed two cats

2008-06-25T12:17:00.003-04:00

I've been busy with this little girl for the past few days; isn't she sweet? We just adopted her from our local Humane Society (half price!), but I believe that June is Adopt-a-Shelter Cat Month so if you are thinking of doing it, you should too! The Mr. (Kitty) is having a little bit of a hard time adjusting to her, but we think they'll get along great in time. *fingers crossed*

We named her Lotta, after Lotta Jansdotter and as in "whole lotta cute kitten". Because she is.

new friend: Donvier

2008-06-21T16:37:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I just find great things while out and about. Yesterday was one of those days when I came across a Donvier ice cream machine (or check this one this one) for practically pennies and not 24 hours later I was making my very own ice cream. This one is tiny, which is good because it is better portion size for not adding any more wobble to my wobbly areas, but you can also get quart size versions. I found this just in time as the temps are well above 100 degrees every day now.

It is just so easy to use! You put the canister in the freezer overnight and then pour in the simple mixture (for ice cream: egg, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and anything else your heart desires or just some juice or a yogurt for sorbet and fro yo) and give it a few turns every few minutes until it looks like your preferred consistency. No ice, salt, power cords or excessive cranking! I'm going to be trying all sorts of treats in this baby.

And the ice cream (we added strawberries) was out of this world DELICIOUS. Anyone else have one of these and have any special recipes? I'd love to hear them!

*the little cups are iittala of Finland from my mom's shop.

Dream Weaver

2008-06-17T20:18:00.005-04:00

Oh, how does one choose? I did choose, and I'm so excited for my new weaving supplies to come in the mail. These are the tencel samples, and I also ordered some bamboo yarn as well. The colors are so great, and the fibers are so soft.
Craig and I went to pick up the loom last weekend, and kept our fingers crossed that it would fit in the back of Jerri, our Suzuki. We popped it right in the back, and the heddles (below) jangled the entire hour and a half drive home making us feel crazy.
But now I am just excited to get started. It is such a fancy little loom, and fits right next to the sofa in the living room. Craig adjusted the vents from the cooler so that I'll get a nice breeze while weaving. We keep joking about my weaving name being Dream Weaver, and then break into song every time. Well, just the part that goes "dream weaver..." because I don't have a clue what any of the other lyrics are. You have no idea what a fun time it is living with me...
Avert your eyes if you are sensitive to loom frontal nudity; the loom is just waiting to be dressed.
And while it waits to be dressed, I'll be trying to keep this bad boy out of the foot peddle strings. This is his defeat position, or maybe it is his Hot Pancake Cat pose. He's been doing that one a lot ever since it got so hot.

More to come...

photo transfers

2008-06-09T17:03:00.003-04:00

Well, I've certainly made myself scarce around here! I've been to a family reunion in Indiana,
have been working on various projects here and there, and I'm helping out at the coffee shop for a few weeks. And working out, cooking, reading, making treasuries... just my helter-skelter life, as usual. Today I'm experimenting with photo transfers, using my old product shots from the vintage shop and some others mixed in there.
I am learning a few things as I go, one being that I will not be able to use these for what I had originally intended. No worries though; I've already come up with two more ideas for them. I also learned that I need the transfer paper for dark fabrics because the paper I am using now is allowing too much of the fabric color to show through, making the images very dark.

And, I've been reading this book in preparation for when I get this! I can't wait. I'm borrowing it from my grandma for the summer while she is at her other home in Ely, Minnesota. And you better believe I'm going to be blogging about it when I get it!

And, one last thing; my sister, Sofie, has a spot at the Here Comes the Sun! Poppytalk Handmade market that starts today. There are really a lot of great things, so hop on over to see it all! (I snagged myself a little something from Lab Partners...)

on pins and needles

2008-05-23T15:49:00.004-04:00

I'm working on a little pincushion project, mostly because I need one! My original plan involved some gocco printing, and I will probably still give that a try, but I found these funny little patches stashed away in my work room, and thought that this might be the perfect opportunity to use them.
I haven't attached the patches yet, but I stopped to take some pictures anyway.

In happy news, Craig comes home today and Mr. Kitty and I are both very excited. (He has been gone all week for work.) It would also appear that my noisy neighbors are heading out of town for the holiday weekend, so it might be kind of peaceful around here... double hooray! If bad things happen in groups of three, good things must happen in pairs at least!

I hope everyone has a relaxing weekend!

things that are making me happy

2008-05-18T20:27:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, Rikkianne and I had the best time, traipsing all over town, looking for treasures. Between the two of us, we left no stone unturned, and I came home with these great vintage salt shakers! I have been adding little touches of yellow to the kitchen, and they fit in just perfectly. It was such a fun and relaxing day, just babbling away like old friends, even though we haven't known each other that long. I feel pretty lucky to have such a great new friend.
And I just had to share my lunch from today, but the picture doesn't do it justice. I've been making a variation on this salad almost every day for a few weeks now. Spinach, avocado, radishes, toasted walnuts (or pine nuts), and feta, but today I got some chevre at Trader Joe's and used that instead. HOW DID I FORGET ABOUT CHEVRE? Oh, it was so good. I think I'll eat this same salad all summer, especially now that I have found the 33 cent mini avocados at the grocery store. Mini avocados! It is a little embarrassing how happy they make me. I just look at it this way: I can buy happiness for 33 cents!