Belle

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One of my goals last year was to wear jewelry more often. This was greatly helped by a few gifts I received for my birthday: my MIL chose a a necklace and earrings from a local consignment shop (woohoo to that kind of shopping) and my sweet friend chose several pieces from her own collection in my favorite colors. Ever since September, I have been looking for one of those jewelry stands that you can hang many items from but none of them were just right. Until Belle.




I like her because she is girly without being too ornate compared to others of her type. I don't know why I named her Belle, but it just seemed to fit. Of course, now I hate to "clutter her up" with jewelry but I'll get over that.


P.S. A very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has voted for me in The Poppies!

Red Umbrellas

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I've got rain on my mind today and now, I've got a red umbrella obsession forming. As if the Clean White Love video wasn't enough! Don't even get me started on rain boots.








Hey, did you know there is an entire Flickr pool devoted to red umbrellas? Yes, I'm joining. :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, whether you are having wet weather like me or not. I got a few new craft supplies today after seeing so much Valentine goodness online this week! (There are two separate goodies linked there).

Saying Hi

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Good morning! How is everyone? I've been enjoying being a homebody the past few days. We did squeeze in a visit to my side of the family, which is a fairly rare event since my closest relative works in NYC and is only home when he's between jobs.


a pretty spoon rest


I did have a little dance party with the Noodle on Saturday morning that left my calves in shreds. Jeff and I also cooked together for Sunday dinner, another rare event. His mom came over and we made lentil soup and a salad that had bitter greens + roasted pears. My spoon rest has been getting a good workout since I received it for Christmas. It makes my stove and dysfunctional kitchen a lot prettier.

I am feeling quiet as I have a lot on my mind right now. I have been taking in the situation in Haiti without directly consuming the news. My husband's back is hurting him again. I wonder, is this the year we both really make exercise a priority for ourselves? Not to mention, it is 2010 and are we staying in the Bay Area after this school year ends or not? Hello White Elephant!

Also, as much as I *adore* blogging and photography, I need to begin contributing financially to my family in a tangible, predictable way. I am working on my resume and that is a huge undertaking for me. I do not have a career to go back to compared to other stay-at-home-moms who re-enter the workforce when their children are in school all day. I have not had a traditional life, but I do have a hodgepodge of skills and experience. It feels like a force field is upon me as I begin this new phase of my life and a job search. Where is Yoda when you need him?!


P.S. My "Little Houses" photo is featured over at SEWNnatural today.

The Cookie Book: January

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Hello Friends, I am posting way late today because I had one of those busy days filled with normal, scheduled activities like volunteering in my son's classrom, and unplanned activities like taking my husband to the chiropractor before his back went out on him and then stopping at the Apple Store for a new iPhone after resisting for two weeks.

Anyway, I am now all connected again -- my laptop is back with a brand new video card, I can receive texts and voicemails again (my landline is connected to a rotary phone with no answering machine) and best of all, I have a way to play music again! I was able to download my camera too.



I picked up this vintage book at a flea market last fall and it has a cookie recipe for each month of the year, plus a recommended "special day for cookies" each month. January is all about Sugar and Spice Cookies, and who cares if I made them on January 10th instead of January 1st.

Sugar and Spice Cookies

1/2 C. butter or other soft shortening
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons molasses (light or dark)
1 C. flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 C. confectioner's sugar

Set the oven to 375 degrees.
Grease the cookie sheets (oops, I missed that and it is important with these cookies)

1. Get a large mixing bowl. Cream the butter and granulated sugar together.
2. Add the egg and beat well.
3. Add the molasses and mix well.
4. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt and three spices together.
5. Stir flour mixture into molasses mixture until incorporated.
6. Drop one full teaspoon of batter at a time onto cookie sheet, leaving room (cookies will spread).
7. Bake for 10 minutes, then check. They should look flat, crinkled and firm. If not, bake for an additional two minutes.
8. Set cookies on a wire rack to cool.
9. But don't let them cool all the way because now you need to take the warm cookies and dredge them in the confectioner's sugar on both sides.

I did not type this recipe exactly the way it is in the book because it's geared for kids who don't know what sifting means, etc. These cookies were very yummy! February is all about Coconut Drops, I can't wait!

Happy weekend!

Curating: Grey Ruffles

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This week, I was really in the mood for the color grey and I'm always in the mood for ruffles (not the chips, sillies). In fact, my husband gave me a new nickname recently...it's...drum roll...Ruffles. So I thought I would give this whole curating thing a try to celebrate grey or ruffled things.



What I found out is that it takes quite a bit of patience to assemble a group of images.  So I have an extra appreciation for every curated blog post I see out there now. Still, I think I'm hooked on the craft of it now...so I'll probably keep trying.


P.S. Yesterday a treasury that included my Apothecary photo made it to the front page of Etsy. I was beyond excited by this news. You can see the treasury here.

Flickr Vacation: Snow

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We are going to the snow in a few weeks, and my excitement is getting palpable. I'm going to take a little pre-vacation today with Flickr.






image credits: snow macro, first snow, cold berries

I cannot wait to take some of my own snowy photos! I also want to finish knitting my blanket by then so I can start a new project there. I don't know what it will be yet, but I do know it's going to be all crochet, all the time. I may never knit again!

Back to Regular Life

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Good morning! The Noodle is off to school and it's time for me to get back to regular life as well. I chose to leave a lot of the housework for this day instead of doing it over the weekend. I guess I wanted to squeeze every last drop out of the holidays.

We traveled away from home a lot. I think from Christmas Eve to yesterday, we only spent two and a half days at home, and not continuously. Typing that out makes me realize that was a little bit nutty, but we did enjoy spending a lot of wonderful, quality (and quantity) time with our family and friends. Among other things, there were birthday celebrations, dinners out, movies (at home and in the theater), get togethers with friends and ice skating (twice).


Hello 2010!


So I'm not here this morning with a new year's list of resolutions or goals to share like many other bloggers, or a year in review. I'm here simply to say hello friends and hello 2010. I am wondering what you will bring my way, and what I will bring my own way with you.


Vacation days blur right by, don't they?


The second half of last year was a blur, and in general, time seems to be speeding up each year that passes. I guess this is a hallmark of getting older. This is the year I turn 40, a big deal for most women, including me. January is a time of reflection. But I hope I take more opportunities throughout this year to pause, reflect and plan, and not just rely on the beginning of the year for that.

I've been mulling over Michelle's post, 1 Thing in 2010 and my one word, one intention, for this year is DISCIPLINE. I aspire to implement more of it in multiple areas of my life. I haven't answered the rest of the questions yet, but they are very good food for thought for me.

Speaking of discipline, I am going to attack my house now and whip it into tip-top shape!

Happy New Year

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I am breaking my little computer fast to wish you all a Happy New Year!




We rang in the new year with a group of good friends and then slept in while the Noodle was away at Nana's. I spent today lunching, knitting, sewing, catching up on blogs, making smores and now I'm going to share a late night pizza with my husband.

Thank you for sharing my journey last year from stress to sweetness to gratefulness.

I am looking forward to sharing another year with you and filling this sweet space with more art, photography and thoughtful inspiration. Here's to a creative, loving, healthy year!





Yoda and Boba Fett

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I commissioned these Star Wars peg dolls from a cool 5th grader at the Noodle's school for my boys as a Christmas gift. Boba Fett is my husband's favorite character and my son cannot possibly choose a favorite. Who doesn't love Yoda?



 I met X. at a craft faire and he had a whole lineup of superhero peg dolls. I fell in love with his work instantly. I asked him, "Where did you get the idea to make these?"



"Oh I got inspired by this one website called Etsy."


Ha! I want to know when he is going to open his shop. His mom is also a very talented lady who makes needle felted eggs with chairs on them, among other recycled and upcycled awesome things.



His dad and brothers are musicians. What a creative family! They are not out of the norm at school either. If they open Etsy shops, trust me, I'll let you know.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my kid's school?

Tibet

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Today's beautiful, totally gorgeous, photograph comes all the way from Tibet.


© Victor P. Maningo


One of my oldest friends in the world went to Tibet with his lovely wife this year. They had an amazing journey, and that is saying a lot coming from two world-travelers. Victor published a photo book of their travels, of which I was one of the lucky recipients.

Rumor has it a Flickr account has recently been created (after years of begging by certain photo addicts). I will share the link when I get my hands on it. Here's the link! Victor's photostream.

Globes

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I am going to slow things down around here for the holidays and do simple photo posts for a bit of time. I am inspired by Holly's example. I have the Noodle home and I don't want the entire week to be a blur of Mama running around like a crazy person doing too much (hello, yesterday). I want to be more in the moment than I have been so far this holiday season. But I am addicted to pretty pictures so pretty pictures there will be!



Are you slowing down a bit yet?

Blue Door

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Good morning! I snapped this photo over the weekend when Jeff and I went out shopping for a certain little boy's Christmas gifts. I am drawn to understated holiday decorations like this simple wreath in the window.



It's a big week for those who celebrate Christmas. I take comfort that I am not alone in the madness of last minute preparations. My house is a shambles after being sick last week, but I am emerging from the fog and plan to conquer it.

I have most of the shopping done but all of the wrapping to go. If you are in a similar boat, you will love this post from Two Brunettes on how to wrap pretty and on a budget with items you probably already own. If you need a last minute handmade gift, join me in making these ridiculously adorable cakes and pies.

Artist Profile: Rachel Austin

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This morning while I was visiting Bloesem, one of her ads caught my eye: Rachel Austin map paintings. I was smitten right away. Rachel's map paintings are layered with maps and each piece is named for a location on the map. I just love this concept!

Rachel shared a lot about her process in her August 2008 Quit Your Day Job interview on Etsy's blog, The Storque. One part that particularly stood out to me was her answer to the question, "If you could go back in time...what advice would you give yourself knowing what you know now?" Rachel said:

I didn't have any smaller items when I started out...I think it is important to have different items at lower price points for those who like my paintings but can't afford the originals."


Here are a few of those kinds of items that I like a lot!


Left: Birds Flying Over Flowers print, $18; 
Middle: Here to There journal, $12; 
Right: Tents and Bird pocket mirror, $8

Rachel is a sweet and approachable artist. She responded warmly & quickly to my request to profile her on my blog. This native Oregonian even recommended a nice person for me to chat with in Portland who relocated from the Bay Area a few years ago. (Yes, the Big Move is the big white elephant in our life but it is still in our consciousness.)

You can keep up with Rachel on her blog Paper and Planes, her main site, her Facebook Fan Page and, of course, her beautiful Etsy shop. You know, doing these artist profiles is one of my favorite features on my blog. Thank you Rachel for sharing your beautiful work with my readers!

Scene Around Town: Santana Row

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Not sure what is up with me and the double posting so far this week, but here I am *again.* This time I thought I'd share some images from Santana Row where us gals met for our ornament exchange.




SR



They sure know how to do festive and twinkly over there, right? See two of my smiling gals over here.

Handmade Ornament Tutorial

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This weekend, I made some handmade ornaments inspired by Anna Getty's I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas that I mentioned a few weeks ago here. (Oops, I see I failed on my mission of a blog advent calendar full of tips for you guys). :(

Some of my girlfriends and I made an agreement to only exchange ornaments as a way of simplifying the holidays. It is a nice tradition and we met on Sunday evening at a wine bar to exchange them. I wanted to do handmade this year and while there are many ideas for ornaments in the book, I settled on this one.




I didn't feel like messing with eggs though and I happened to have some clear glass ornaments so I adapted the "recipe" (basically, I eliminated the steps about blowing out the egg contents and sterilizing needles).


I gathered my supplies: ornaments, decorative tissue paper saved from a gift years ago, scissors, glue, paint brushes, water, bowls. I also went through the newspaper and cut out phrases that reminded me of each of my friends: a favorite city, their initial, an activity, etc.





Then it was time to cut the tissue paper into strips. I followed the book's suggestion of 1/2" wide by 2" tall. It was only around midnight after I got home and was trying to fall asleep that I realized it was that dimension that caused me to have so much bubbling going on with my strips on each ornament. That dimension works well for an egg but my ornaments were round so I if you are going to do an ornament like me, I suggest strips about 1" tall instead.



I have really improved on my perfectionism though, I must pat myself on the back for that. I didn't like all the bubbles but I constantly reminded myself that the point of handmade items is not to look like it was produced by a factory machine. The beauty is in the imperfection! Think of all the love that was going into this darn ornament! And glue!



When you have covered your ornament with tissue paper strips, add the collage elements. Finally mix some glue with a few drops of water and paint the entire ornament with that glue mixture. Then steal some pipe cleaners from your kiddo (hey, you bought them right?) and dry them from a towel rack. (Edited: I forgot to tell you that once they are dry, replace those wonky pipe cleaners with a pretty ribbon. I used a 1/8" double-faced satin ribbon from Paper Source).




I wish I had a picture of the packaging because I hate to leave my readers hanging (heh) with this awful photo. But I used cellophane bags lined with red tissue paper and made cute little name tags with my scalloped circle Martha Stewart punch. I tied the top with some multi-colored yarn that I had on hand.

So basically I bought absolutely nothing to make this gift. I had the ornaments, the tissue paper, glue and packaging materials -- a win-win! Even if they are quite bubbly! (I think they are just effervescent with eco-friendlieness and love!)