If anyone needs me

I will be lost for days in this tumblr of Barbra Steisand in hats.  YOU ARE WELCOME.

Jewelles

 

Pink Ring, Purple Ring, Ruby Ring

 

  

I have no money and my job may or may not be super dead-end and I am exhausted due to a late night out with an undergrad friend and ready to climb under my desk to nap and why is my desk so messy anyway and wouldn't it be nice if offices had tea carts like British trains and brought round tea and Crunchie bars? I think it would be very nice indeed. Oh and here are some beautiful jewelles that I would like to wear on my fingers.   Thursday, let's power on through.

Spring Cleaning, Upholstering, Organizing, Culling, Moving, Rearranging

This has been my spring of discontent.  I'm really uncomfortable in our apartment, it has too many things in it, it's too small and there are a lot of little things that are driving me insane. I resolved to fix the things that caused me to feel bad and not worry about everything else (my life is not a photo shoot).    In the spirit of the 30 x 30 list (I've already made an appointment for #25 the facial and I'm saving up for my painting) I decided to make a list of concrete things that will make our apartment easier to use, more comfortable.  Things that alleviate guilt and make help our house feel homier. 

• Get the leg fixed on Nana’s desk
• Move couch to Elle’s and rearrange furniture (my little sister needs a couch and I have one too many)
• Put glass in corner cabinet
• Purge glassware and vases etc (this means ALL the Ball canning jars.  Does anyone have a good method of storing those little bastards?)
• Replace plates with something that won’t score and chip constantly
• Purge books (seriously, just do this one)
• Come up with system for mail (maybe an old letter holder)
• Get table for entryway (I have fantasies about a tall narrow apothecary drawer thingy or a card catalogy looking thing, a drawer for dog leash, for David’s keys.  I can't find a reproduction one that isn't gross and I can't find an antique one that fits my incredibly strict size limits,  now that Ikea doesn’t sell Moppe anymore I have fantasies about getting my parents favourite furniture maker to make one)
• Frame Pennant (YES! For Christmas Dave got me the vintage HC pennant I’d been pining for!)
• Get chair from Mom and Dad’s (remember this sucker?)
• Reupholster chair (with what magestic magic?)
• New Living Room Rug (like this?)
• Living room art (rearrange, reassess with rearranged furniture)
• Entry way light fixture (how do I hang it over a bare bulb? Can I make this or is that cray?)
• Welcome mat (to keep the never ending mess tracked in on pet and human feet in the hall. Now, what kind???)

Phew.  Just writing it down feels like a start.  What are you working on this spring?

Art Museums and White Ware

at Som

This weekend we had friends from out of town and we went to museums and ate lots of Chinese food in China town and spent hours in Room and Board and Home Rule and Good Wood because these friends love a good vase as much as me. 

We've been stressed and Dave's been finishing finals but having visitors drags us out of our corner of the District and makes us visit museums and leave our routine a bit.  It's a nice change of pace.

Also: I managed to not buy this record of Richard Burton reading John Donne.  I'm a sucker for any reading of The Relique. "All Meas

Fly

 

I should never have asked Mary is getting mounted butterflies was ethical.  She said if I got them used it was.  And the floodgates of ebay made me want to live in my wedding dress with Helena Bonham Carter hair and cover my apartment walls with butterflies.  Because THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL!

 

Or these fake ones.

Rainy Mondays

Coming back to work on a Mnday after a weekend at the farm is officially a terrible thing.  It's rainy and cold and there isn't a pony or a fuzzy dog or a sweet sister in sight.  My sister and I made throw pillows and the other sister is a pro with eyebrows and took care of mine and one of them bought me this mascara and it is as good as they say it was. My pretty curling hair isn't even curling because of the rain, it's just frizzing, and I've got to start the trip down HELL lane that is becoming a vegan for three weeks (my MD is insisting).  Is there anything worse than Mondays?

Teatowel, $16.50

Friday

 

via

I’m off to my parents farm this weekend. I’m seeing my stylist (I always go back to the same girl who has been doing my hair since I was sixteen) for a keratin treatment (I hope I look like Veronica Lake magically afterwards) and maybe a trip to the flea market to keep an eye out for a cake stand or some lovely blue mason jars. Every time I’m at the flea market I want to be one of these people who buys things in the country and sells them on Etsy but I might not be on top of it enough yet to do that.  Instead I'll just keep an eye out for all the things the Best-Friend-From-High-School needs for her new apartment.  My littlest sister and I are going to make throw pillows with freezer paper stencils (my new fave) and I’m going to eat all of my mother’s delicious cooking.

  Have a good weekend!

Foxes, Flowers

 

The thing I don't like about living with David, living with any man really, is that you can't have as many pink things, as many things with flowers and maybe little foxes.  I wonder if I could talk him into one on the gallery wall?    Kari Herer's gorgeous animals with flowers are among my favourite things I've seen this year.   

 

 

Paint

 

Everyone has heard of freezer paper tutorials at this point.  I'm late to the party but what a party.  My twin sisters turned twenty-four and one of them (the teacher) got a rad tote bag.  My bag making method is basically two big rectangles sewn together and then turned inside out and then sewn again (my mum calls these french seams, I assume she's right) and then handles.  Here is my incredibly simple explanation of how to freezer paper stecil with the shakiest iphone photos ever:

 

I printed my design out on regular paper (and the BIGGER and simpler the design the better when you starting) and I taped it onto a cutting board.  Then, with the shiny side down, I taped a layer of freezer paper over it.

 

 

You could trace and then cut but I just used an exacto knife and cut through both the regular paper and the design beneath.  You are aiming to have the negative space intact so I cut tiny bits out of the E rather than worry about keeping the E intact.

 



 

Then I placed the E with the shiny side down onto the fabric and ironed it on high without the steam setting.  I paid extra attention to the edges because I wanted the edges of the E to be crisp.  Then I painted my fabric paint on with a foam brush and when I was done I peeled off the freezer paper and left it to dry (no photos of the painting part,  I was unnecessarily concerned and got paint on my fingers like the glamorous mess I am).

 

 

And then I made myself this knitting project bag.  Can I stencil hearts on ALL THE THINGS?

Cards, Birthday

Do you send birthday cards? I try. I really do. When I read the Happiness Project last year one of the resolutions that resonated most strongly was her resolution to send an email to her friends on their birthdays. There are a lot of people I love and it’s not really sufficient to just love them alone in my apartment, I need to reach out. So I’ve been trying to send birthday cards religiously. Even if it’s the only time I reach out in the year it’s something and the thought of getting a card and mailing it in advance of their birthday seems to mean a lot to people.

 

  For a while I bought Rifle cards in bulk but at this point, with David in school and in a much more expensive city, we are DIYing. This afternoon I sat down and designed four cards that will hopefully cover the birthdays of sisters and friends and cousins and coworkers and the babies of friends. I thought tomorrow I’d swing by the printer and get a bunch run off and keep them in my desk at work with regular old Paper Source envelopes. I’ve set up my birthday alarm and hopefully I’ll keep on top of it. I hope they print well.

 

 

All cards the product of me and my computer.

 

Window Boxes

 

Marbleized Planter Ledge / Silver-Tone Metal Window Box Liner / Cedar Planter Basic Window Box 36" / Forest Creature Water Feeders /  Flared Wood Window Box / Terrarium Stones / Floral Pruning Shears / Molly Hatch Ceramic Plant Markers

Our apartment has deep wide windowsills (so deep and wide that a family full of squirrels hang out and tantalize the cat).  Since we've moved in I've wanted to do huge window boxes just sitting on the sill and it's on my 30 x 30 list to plant a container herb garden.  The weather seems to be good and ready to stay warm and I’m already planning my weekend alone (Dave’s got finals) and paper flowers won’t keep me busy all weekend so I think I might try my hand at a window box to fill with herbs. I’m planning on two boxes in the kitchen with herbs and maybe two off of the bedroom all filled with colourful annuals. The inspiration boards of plants will keep me going until Friday.

Articles:

Grow your Own Grub from the BBC
Herbs for Every Window Box
Budget Friendly Window Box Garden