Another wonderful morning of crafting classes at Kreatelier. I will be posting a tutorial for these oh-so-cute button-stamped bookmarks soon! I love starting out the weekend with a crafting class because it inspires me to do some crafting of my own when I get home. I am going to get started on those quilts today. There, I put it in writing, so now it will happen!
Okay, so I am trying my darnedest to get excited about this whole house project. I have decided to start with two quilts...one for our bedroom and one for the guest bedroom. Random musing: I am so in love with this owl fabric (see below) that I bought from Purl. I forgot to tell you that I took a trip to NYC on Monday. I stopped by the New York International Gift Show...wasn't overly impressed (although Jonathan Adler and Simrin's booths stuck out as favorites) and then made my way to Purl and ABC Home. I bought a whole bunch of fabric for quilts and curtains. The end (sorry, keep in mind my excitement level is still at an all-time low)!
I am not a hoarder in any sense, in fact, I am the opposite. I have lived in one-bedroom apartments ever since I left home for college and that has forced me to par down my belongings. One thing I have hoarded, is every Domino magazine that I have ever received. Right now, I am so thankful that I held on to them. With the magazine closing after the March issue, I have a feeling I am going to be leafing through my old copies more often; for inspiration, for ideas and to remember the good times. Oh, Domino, you will be missed.
Sarah just posted the inspiration board for my living room and I think it is my favorite so far! Click over to check it out...and yes, we are both going to attempt the Purl color wheel quilt in the very near future. I will keep you posted!
I am still hoping that this is someone's idea of a cruel joke. The design part of my heart is breaking. This is one of the only magazines that I still subscribe to and I do a little dance every time it arrives in my mailbox. Click here to read more about the closing of Domino.
For all you google reader readers, click over to my blog to see the changes that I have made. I am overly excited because I am really getting the hang of this HTML stuff. Basically I just find a very easy-to-follow tutorial that explains exactly how to do what I want to do, and I follow it to a T. I am really loving the new layout...very crisp and clean, easy to read. But do tell...what do you think?
Oh did I mention we just bought a house. Guess I forgot. The story of how this came to be is enough to make you laugh (at the irony) and cry (at the irony). When we found out we were pregnant, we decided it was time to start looking for a house. A real live home in which to start our family. We found a beautiful house and decided to put in a real low-ball offer. Well, lo-and-behold, after a bit of negotiation, they accepted our offer.
Read more...
I had some down time this afternoon and decided to get a jump start on my Valentine's gifts. I made this love-filled 'busy book' for curious little hands. This is a great gift for children who are just learning to dress themselves as it works on buttoning skills!
Step One: For the book you will need two same sized rectangles of felt (preferably in a color that will contrast with your hearts). Take six buttons and scatter them over one of the rectangles. Sew the buttons in place with embroidery thread.
Step Two: Cut out six hearts, some small and some large (depending on the size of your buttons). Cut a small slit in the middle of each heart.
In the midst of all of this sadness, I have tried to focus on the many things in my life that I am thankful for. I was tagged a long time ago by the oh-so-sweet Meg and I never got around to it...bad blogger. So, instead of a normal 'tag' post in which you list 7 crazy facts about yourself, I am going to list the top 7 things I am thankful for (in random order). Right now this list is helping me get through each day! None of these items are particulary groundbreaking, but it is the simple things that have a tendency to get us through the hard times. At least that is what I have found.
It seems that when the days are the darkest, I am drawn to pictures filled with color and light, like this one from the portfolio of Selina Lake. I guess I am also feeling drawn to this picture because my husband and I are planning a trip to India in late March. He is going there for business and I am going to tag along. He loves telling me about the vivid colors of the marketplaces, with stalls of spices, saris, bangles and textiles. Can you imagine the loot I will be hauling back with me! Oh, I can't wait to share!
I am struggling to find the words to thank all of you for the many comments and emails that I received. I knew I had an amazing group of readers, but I was so blown away by your kindness and concern. Thank you, thank you, thank you...from the bottom of my heart.
I don't usually talk about deeply personal things in this space, but today, I am going to break that rule. I have a sense that what I am going through is something that many women out there have been through, so I feel that honesty is needed.
Is this wallpaper the cutest thing you have ever seen? I can see a vintage styled kids room with one wall covered in this cuteness! I found it while searching Secondhand Rose.
I get so excited every time I have an email in my inbox from Anthropologie. I think they do such an amazing job styling their promotional material. Like today's...I am really loving that long striped sweatshirt, not to mention the whole lounging on the beach idea!
Monday's announcement regarding the closing of Country Home has got me thinking of all of the magazines that I love and all of the ones that I miss. Here is the list that I came up with, but I would love to know your thoughts. What are the magazines that you just can't do without? Are there any that have gone under over the years that you miss?True Love: I wait for the arrival of these each month!
RIP: Why oh why did you have to go?
There is no doubt about it, our economy is unstable right now. And one of the first things to go in an economy like ours is often entertainment products, like magazines. As a freelance writer, I have seen so many changes in the past few months. People getting laid off, offices downsizing and merging, and magazines closing their doors. Unfortunately, the latest to be hit is Country Home, one of my favorite magazines. It is always sad to see such a fine product go off the market. I have always loved their styling, projects, collectors tips and laid back style. This is one magazine that will be missed. Farewell Country Home. 
I was walking back from lunch with my husband when I decided it was absolutely necessary to stop in Urban Outfitters. I am such a dedicated window shopper, always poking around to see what's new. Well, of course I found something grand...I discovered the Nutshell Library featuring four stories by Maurice Sendak, author of the forever favorite, Where the Wild Things Are. The stories are so brilliantly illustrated that they are a joy to read whether you are 8 or 80. And the tiny little size makes the deal even sweeter!
Check out these gorgeous collages from Print, Pattern, Paper. I just love the rich colors and textures!
Perfectly lovely pictures from 'Abby Try Again' to start off the week. We had a beautiful snowstorm this weekend here in Providence, so I am blogging from under my covers right now. Our house is so chilly! I am working up the courage to brave the cold floors and drafts coming in from our old windows.
I am sorry for the light postings yesterday and today...Sarah and I are busy working up samples for the craft classes that we will be teaching starting next week! For those of you in the Providence area, I will post the class schedule early next week. I hope to have some pictures of the finished projects to show you tonight! So thank you for your patience! (photo by Cathie Filian)
This is such an inspiring studio makeover. See how it goes from an empty room, to a messy room, to a beautifully organized studio over at Yummy Goods! I just love how each shelf is a color-coded vignette!
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