Pins And Needles

Want more of this

2011-01-12T21:01:00.000-06:00

Princesses

2011-01-11T11:32:00.009-06:00

Little M's fascination with princesses is catching. I, too, find myself enchanted with castles, keeps, moats, guards, tall towers with banners flying... and the little princesses who live there.

1. Princess Anne's pet bear

2. Princess Ingrid

3. Princess Anne

4. Princesses Grace & Stephanie ice skating

5. Princess Grace and little Princess Stephanie

6. Wee Princesses Margaret & Elizabeth

7. Princess Margaret all grown up with her own wee ones

Arthur Ganson Machines

2010-10-17T11:23:00.002-05:00

Watching this had me mesmerized. I wish it would go on & on & on.

via The Golden Smith

Will Ashford

2010-08-02T10:56:00.002-05:00

I like the story as well when you told it
found here via here

Mina Perhonen

2010-07-27T21:22:00.001-05:00

Would I wear this jacket? Yes. Oh, yes, I would. I would wear it proudly.

Carlos Amorales

2010-07-22T12:50:00.004-05:00

I like 'Black Cloud' by Carlos Amorales.

Swandives & Jackknives off the Couch

2010-06-28T10:57:00.003-05:00

M & I love to dance to this song. The rug is the ocean, the couch is an island & the chairs are rocks & beaches. We play it again & again & again.

40 Years of Art & Books

2010-06-24T14:05:00.005-05:00

This is the kind of place I would like to be living in when I am old & gray. The seeds have been planted, but it will take a long time to grow.

"The walls are covered in the artwork of the Austrian artists Kurt Kocherscheidt, Brigitte Kowanz, Joannis Avramidis and Maria Lassnig; wooden floors and Oriental rugs are found throughout the home.

Also on display are artifacts like arrowheads and figures from Mr. Reder’s research trips to the Sahara, Afghanistan, Syria and the Caucasus. A drawing by Walter Pichler, an architect and sculptor, hangs above the fireplace. It is one of many sketches by an array of artists and architects hanging on the walls throughout the apartment — even in the kitchen, which is a cozy alcove with a Saarinen round table and Thonet chairs.

Thousands of books line the walls of almost every room, as well as the guest bathroom, where a toilet sits like a throne at the back of a long narrow hall. “We were running out of space,” Ms. Reder said. “So the books spilled into the bathroom. We put crates of wine here, too, since it’s the coolest room in the house.” "

Dahlov Ipcar

2010-06-08T14:15:00.005-05:00

"I have lived most of my life surrounded by the serenity and natural beauty of Maine, yet my art is done entirely from imagination. I strive to create my own unique vision of the world. I am intrigued and inspired by the endless variety of patterns and forms in nature; they arouse in me the desire to create forms and patterns of my own.

While many people view the world through the eyes of past artists, I feel that it is up to the artists of the present to reveal new ways of seeing the world and to create new worlds never before seen. Increasingly, I have come to feel that the reality created by the artist is more important than actual reality. The real world may come to seem oppressively dull and barren unless transformed and revitalized by imagination."

Images from here and here

These people are on to something

2010-06-01T10:35:00.001-05:00

Roman & Williams from The Scout on Vimeo.

Mother Earth and Her Children

2009-10-10T21:17:00.005-05:00

Somehow, M found this misshelved & lost book in the children's book stacks at the library. I'm glad she did. Everytime we settle down to read it before nap time, I get so lost in all the pictures... we both do.

The illustrations in this book are actually details of a single quilt created by Sieglinde Schoen-Smith. It's amazing for me to think that someone could make this by hand out of simple cloth & thread.

Mother Earth and Her Children

Illustrated/quilted by Sieglinde Schoen-Smith from a poem/book long-ago written by Sibylle von Olfers and translated by Jack Zipes

Schoen-Smith's design was inspired by the original 1906 illustrations by the author, Sibylle von Olfers. Very lovely too. You can view a complete digital copy of her book here.

Image above via Stadtmuseum Esslingen

I love Ozzy

2009-07-22T21:26:00.003-05:00

As if little Ozzy Rabbit wasn't cute enough, he also has a removable vest with a polka dot lining.

Oh, Fanya. You are too much!

Mommy's Girl

2009-06-10T15:01:00.003-05:00

So Baby M has got a big case of Mommy's Girl. It's gotten pretty bad. Only I can take her out of the highchair. Only I can wash her hands and face. Only I can pick her up in a crowd. Only I can read her stories, even though she loves being read to almost more than anything else in the world. You get the picture.

It's gotten so bad that last weekend, I picked up a little board book called Daddy Loves Me. Yes. Propaganda. We've resorted to propaganda. "Look, MarMar! Look at the daddy pushing the baby in the swing! That baby sure is happy. Look at that big smile!"

Funny thing is that she LOVES this book. She wants to hear it over & over again... but only if I read it to her. If R tries to take a turn, it's tears, snot & a panicky begging for "Mommy, hold you!"

I hope, hope, hope this phase will soon be over. Don't get me wrong. It's nice to be needed & loved, but I'd much, much rather share that honor (and the hand-washing & the holding & everything else).

Rules

2009-06-02T15:14:00.004-05:00

I love this rule (and this song too):

158. The best thing to do in the rain is be quiet and listen.

Now, if only it would rain here...

Image

New Anthropologie Catalog

2009-06-02T14:20:00.004-05:00

What a fun surprise! Today, I got a copy of the new Anthropologie catalog & lo & behold, the photo shoot was held just a few blocks from my house.

And yes, every surface in this town truly is plastered with crisply new & forlornly weathered rock posters. However, now I'm looking at them in a whole new way.

Blame Ringo

2009-05-29T14:57:00.001-05:00

Made me smile

Newness

2009-05-17T14:28:00.006-05:00

A new haircut that feels just right.

A new blankie & a super-soft new doggie added to the bedtime menagerie (Thank you, Anie!)

And soon to leave for a family beach vacation in Florida. Three cheers for sand, waves & ocean breezes. I can hardly wait! Doesn't it look amazing?

Images here

Wishing it were cold

2009-05-11T17:46:00.002-05:00

I'm wishing it were cold here so I could have a snowman friend of my own

Anchors away

2009-05-10T10:01:00.005-05:00

It's Mother's Day, which for me means a big breakfast of migas, a freshly vacuumed car & hours away from all things children (love you, Baby M! But nevertheless...)

Not sure where the wind will blow me, but two ports of call will definitely be a leisurely solo visit to the Harry Ransom Center and a little yoga.

A Star is Born!

2009-04-29T23:05:00.006-05:00

Looks like today was the day we'd all been waiting for.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a little yellow & black striped caterpillar feeding on one of the milkweed plants in our backyard. Every day, I'd go out to check its progress & watch it grow fatter & longer, until one morning it left its feasting grounds & was hanging upside down from a vine tendril nearby. Next time I checked, it looked like this:

I clipped off the bit of vine & set it up in its new mason jar home on our kitchen window sill. I could not wait for it to emerge.

This morning, the bright green, ever still, unmoving chrysalis had turned black & I could make out the wing markings of the monarch butterfly curled up inside. It was time to let it go.

Amazing! Godspeed, beautiful butterfly. I hope you have a long life & your journey goes safely & smoothly.

Baby M auspiciously wore her beautiful new butterfly dress today. What luck!

Itching for Completion

2009-04-26T21:50:00.006-05:00

An evening at home, all to myself, and I had planned to continue with constructing some grey felt storage boxes. I started cutting the pieces & then hit some sort of mental block. It needs to get done. I want to get this done. But here I am, time a-plenty and not getting it done.

I'm thinking about felt, feeling itchy & overwarm and searching for images of Joseph Beuy's work with grey felt. Distractions.

Pictures here, here, here, and here

Collages: III

2009-04-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

I wish I could go to Laurie Frick's talk tomorrow... She does some amazing work.

Der Sandmännchen

2009-04-20T14:52:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter

2009-04-10T16:45:00.004-05:00

Off chasing the elusive Easter egg, with ego in full-bloom, as I finished sewing Baby M's rabbit just in the nick of time. Not too shabby.

Two bits

2009-04-10T13:32:00.000-05:00

These past two weeks have had their ups and their downs. I've managed to have a few kicks & a few laughs, but more than anything, I feel like I've been endlessly toiling in isolation. I feel tired, bone tired, and the weight of all the unfinished things presses down on my spirit. I want very much to have more time to clear my head & work on the things that really move me & lift me up, but the window of time is often too short & the other more mundane necessities shout louder & drown it all out.

We are heading off to Dallas to visit the family this weekend, a very quick trip, but perhaps (hopefully?) a restful one.

Two things happened last week that really made me smile & blush. One, I won a trio of charming Ghost Academy cards from the excellent Crow & Canary. How cute is that bird card?
And two, Anna gave me a Kreativ Blogger award. Aw, shucks, Anna. Thank you! If you could only see me blush...

So, now I am to list 7 things that I love. How very good to switch gears & refocus on the wonderful things that sparkle & whizz & make me feel most alive. Not so easy to choose, but here goes.

1. Being quiet & alone, an all too rare pleasure. I think my best & clearest when I can get time like this.

2. Having time to get lost in intricate projects with no clear idea of how to do them, but to think them out as I go along.

3. Swimming laps is as close to flying as I will ever get. It's absolute, dizzying weightlessness.

4. Having fresh flowers in the house. I love bringing wildflowers & the humble flowers that grow in our yard & placing them in unexpected places. There is almost always a tiny, slightly tousled arrangement on our bathroom window sill. It makes the room so fresh & peaceful. 5. Watching a new episode of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse. Every Saturday night, we gather up everything we could possibly need & sit down to watch the newest episode on Hulu. I love all kinds of suspense/conspiracy films & this show is the nailbiting-est one of all.

6. My dear family. I couldn't imagine a more perfect morning than to bring our daughter into bed with us & all hunker under the duvet, lingering until hunger & the desire for a big cup of coffee lures us out again (well, not that the coffee lures Baby M out, the toy push wagon usually does that trick).

7. And finally, dear Internet, this one is for you. I love the Internet. I love how it makes the far, close & how it makes the flow of ideas become liquid-fast. I love how it has brought me together with people I had given up as lost & meet new people in places I have never been. My life is so much richer, brighter & larger for having this amazing resource.

Thinking about...

2009-04-07T22:26:00.000-05:00

Tom Molloy's work

via Joanne Mattera and Art Lies

Bubbles of color

via kanspice2000

The Office for Word and Images

Imperfection (psst: it's a giveaway)

And listening to the sea

Hungry heart, no more

2009-04-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

My heart is full. We had the lucky, lucky chance of getting to see Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band last night, and man, but they hold nothing back. I am out of words.

Will I have that kind of spirit, when I'm that age?

Images via Racing Squirrel and Mark Reuben Gallery

Collages: II

2009-03-31T16:22:00.000-05:00

Elegantly simple work by Anna Betts

Collages: I

2009-03-30T21:49:00.000-05:00

Paper collages by Audrey Smith

Spending Freeze: Week 11

2009-03-30T21:06:00.000-05:00

Ah, this interminable spending freeze is almost over. I have only one week left. A mere seven days. I wish I could say it has gone by more quickly than I had ever imagined, but I can't say that's true. I also, oddly enough, can't say that I have spent any less these past three months than in the past. Part of that has to do with us taking a couple of trips, some assorted car repairs & the usual house & garden whathaveyous. Part of that also has to do with the simple fact that 'spending freeze' is not a very good description for this exercise. We could spend, of course, one must, but the trick was to eliminate unnecessary purchases & to buy used goods, or better yet, to make do whenever possible.

To that end, I think this experience has been very positive. I really learned a thing or two about thinking before bringing anything new into our lives/home & also learned a very uncomfortable lesson about how much a part of my life those unnecessary purchases had become. I'm remembering one particular weekend, a few weeks in, when I was feverishly scanning the classifieds for estate sale listings. Surely, there must be one! Even a bad one will do! There was something lurking behind it all that seemed so low & desperate to me, I felt ashamed. I think that was my big detox weekend. I did find an estate sale after all, but it wasn't a good one and there was no joy in it.

After that, I got more into the stride. Our weekends were spent in the parks, at the creeks, puttering in our yard, meeting friends, reading books, & building things with our hands. I say, more of that, please!

It rained & it was good

2009-03-27T14:59:00.000-05:00

The rains came & left behind some beautiful mushrooms.

Rose's pencil sharpener thought this would be a nice place to take a little rest & catch her breath during her garden rambles.

Valentina

2009-03-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

The jacket, the sweater, the hair, the glasses: I am in love. Pretty lady, may I have your clothes, please?

via Garance Dore

The Lost Generation

2009-03-23T15:44:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, I finished reading the marvellous autobiography of Gerald & Sara Murphy, Living Well is the Best Revenge, by Calvin Tomkins. It got me thinking about F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, so I had to then go reread Hemingway's short & very readable A Moveable Feast.

The Roaring 20s have a fascinating hold on my imagination right now, as we slip away from our own gilded age. We'll survive, of course, but we'll be smarter, warier, thriftier, and more likely to save bits of twine & hoard old margarine containers.F.Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald via LifeGerald & Sara Murphy dancing on the beach at East Hampton via AT Ernest & Hadley Hemingway via the JFK Presidential Library

Spending Freeze: Weeks Nine & Ten

2009-03-23T15:17:00.000-05:00

We've been busy, so it has been easy to steer clear of temptation.

Instead of buying unnecessary stuff, we:
Went to the San Antonio Zoo & marvelled at the restless lions, swimming hippos, Kimodo dragons & a silly, rubber-necked ostrich. (Sidenote, did you know that silly, rubber-necked ostriches can actually run 45 mph & kill a lion with a single, deadly kick?)
Planted a garden full of tomato plants, herbs & squashes
Had friends over & hung out in the backyard
Started sewing a rabbit for M's Easter basket
Cleaned house & organized
Read books (I finished two!)
Took Baby M to the Travis County Rodeo fairgroundsPetted deer, goats, sheep & llama in the petting zoo:

Future Life of Books

2009-03-17T10:34:00.000-05:00

Old book covers used in collages by Lance Letcher

Folded books by freshlyfound

Baby Booties

2009-03-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

Watch out, pregnant friends! You might just be getting baby booties made for you from this pattern. Or from one of these.

via ithinksewdotcomvia Martha Stewart

Spending Freeze: Week Eight

2009-03-11T14:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not so very good at this.

- unnecessary metal pail for Baby M

- unnecessary new lightweight summer pants for me

- unnecessary new t-shirt for me

- unnecessary pair of Bruce Springsteen tickets

"want/need" glass by inna alesina via Notes to Self

Use your hands

2009-03-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

Off to do something real with my hands. Bye-bye computer.
Image from the book "Conversations with Students" by Paul Rand, found via Inchmark

Date-Off

2009-03-08T10:50:00.001-05:00

So, our good friends & neighbors challenged us to a date-off this weekend: who will have the most creative night out on the town?

We went with a Texas-theme & scrambled to hit as many stops as possible.

First stop was at Academy Sports to pick up some fishing line & sinkers. Then on to get some top-notch truck stop barbecue (Rudy's).

Photo via m.chiuuu photostream

Then we drove through the hills of West Austin, over the Pennebacker Bridge, parked the car & hiked up the top of the bluffs overlooking Lake Austin & watched the stars & the blinking lights of the radiotowers & city below us.

photo via fattytuna photostream

Thirsty, we headed off to Deep Eddy Cabaret for some Lone Star Beer, a game of pool & the best jukebox in town.

Photo via Jacob Cuthbertson's photostream

We wrapped up the night be walking down from Deep Eddy Cabaret to a small dock on the water's edge for a little late night fishing. We came away empty handed, but happy, as we held hands, walking back to the car, the moon bright above our heads and the trees rustling in the gusty wind.

I wonder what our friends ended up doing for their night out...

Runway at Night

2009-03-06T13:37:00.000-06:00

One of my absolute favorite places in this world is a runway at night. I love the rows & rows of tiny colored lights heading off at all kinds of odd angles in the absolute blackness of space. I love watching the bottom-lit planes taking off and landing. I love the excitement of a journey about to begin and the anticipation of smiles, hugs & homecomings.

Recently, I was stuck on a plane, waiting for clearance to take off. And waiting. And waiting. But I did not mind. I was glued to the window, fogging up the glass & taking it all in. I tried to take pictures, but the lights were too small, the space too immense. I played around with the settings and then finally, I think I got it right. It does not look exactly like what's on the ground, but the feeling is just right.

Cubism

2009-03-05T17:55:00.000-06:00

Curses! This spending freeze is starting to rub me the wrong way.

I just discovered millergoodman's brilliant shapemaker blocks and the accompanying Flickr site. Must I really wait until next month?

Matte Stephens

2009-03-05T17:40:00.000-06:00

Made me smile:
Brainiac the art and life of Matte Stephens: Happy thoughts Blotted drawing

Spending Freeze: Week Seven

2009-03-04T12:18:00.000-06:00

This week, instead of making unneccessary purchases, we:

- Started painting the trim on our house. Bye-Bye baby blue. Hello cream!

- Attended a free organ recital at the University of Texas

- Rode bicycles with Baby M to the Kite Festival in Zilker Park

This sunlight...

2009-02-26T20:49:00.000-06:00

This sunlight is killing me. Too strong. Too intense. I am off to the water fountain park with Baby M, once we put on our hats, shades & a thick coating of spf. Blerg. And it's only February. What are we in for?

Kiet's Kamer

2009-02-25T13:50:00.001-06:00

Wouldn't this be such a wonderful room to grow up in? Look at that gondola! That lamp! Heavenly.
Kiet's kamer by esthermokka

Aesop's Fables

2009-02-17T21:15:00.000-06:00

I have long wanted to create a series of sewn pieces based on Aesop's Fables. I love the strange imagery combinded with the sometimes harsh moralization.

The Cock and the Jewel: The ignorant despise what is precious only because they cannot understand it

The Crow and the Pitcher: Necessity is the mother of invention

The Ants & the Grasshopper: It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow

The Dog & the Shadow: Grasp at the shadow and lost the substance

The Bear & the Beehive: It is wiser to bear a single injury in silence than to provoke a thousand by flying into a rage

Images of old cigarette cards from the New York Public Library's Digital Gallery

Crafted Scarf

2009-02-17T15:32:00.001-06:00

This weekend, I crafted a new scarf out of some leftover bits of cloth. The fabric is all very different, but works beautifully together. Heavy brown linen, gold damask, black/white checkered broadcloth & a lightweight blue flowered cotton. It's pretty different from the kind of thing I would normally wear, but I'm loving it all the same.

Spending Freeze: Week Five

2009-02-15T22:31:00.000-06:00

Unnecessary purchases made during Week Five of the Spending Freeze.

One unnecessary mocha from Jo's Coffee.

One unnecessary bowl of pho soup.

One unnecessary jacket by Mike & Chris. It's the cuddliest, happiest jacket, made out of the softest sweatshirt-style material. It's as easy & relaxed as wearing sweats, but with good style & great structure. Oh and 75% off. Not too shabby.
But that was absolutely all for this week. No Valentine's gifts, just some homemade cards and a cozy dinner at home.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T14:58:00.000-06:00

Mason jar flower arrangements

2009-02-13T11:44:00.000-06:00

I love everything at Spartan, especially these flower arrangements. So casual & elegant.

I'm Sticking With You, Valentine

2009-02-09T14:50:00.001-06:00

Inspired by these sweet valentines, I made my own version of them for all the neighborhood kiddos. I love how much texture of the wood & string add to such an otherwise simple card.

Spending freeze: Week Four

2009-02-09T14:26:00.001-06:00

This week didn't go so well.

I bought unnecessary magnetic alphabet letters:

Two yards of unnecessary rhinestone trim:And one (mostly) unnecessary brand-new HP laptop computer.

House weekend

2009-02-08T19:35:00.000-06:00

Another weekend of chores & progress at our house. By Sunday, I felt like a prisoner in my own home.

Fortunately, we were able to wrap things up & make a break for it this afternoon. A park date & a little junk food later, and I'm magically feeling much, much better about things.

Image of Houdini from here

Katharine Hepburn

2009-02-06T14:44:00.000-06:00

When I was pregnant, I was kind of secretly hoping that we would have a little girl. A little girl with smarts & know-how. A no-nonsense girl, who will look you in the eye & is afraid of little. A girl a little bit like Katharine Hepburn.

The Hepburn Family Having a Tea Party Outside, c. 1910

Via Lark-About

With Cary Grant via The Sheila Variations

via Corbis

Play Kitchen

2009-02-06T12:49:00.000-06:00

It's never enough. The paint is barely dry on our perfect, homemade sandbox, and already I'm dreaming up plans for Baby M's new play kitchen. Some time back, I saw this cool plan for a DIY Ikea-hack kitchen. But there are so many other great ideas out there. The homemade ones are by far my favorite.

Nice wood with vintage kitchen toys from Shop Worthy's photostream:

Compact & portable from from ElsieMarley's photosteam:

So much like our kitchen! From Daddytype's photostream:

Very sweet, small & fully-loaded, from -syko-'s photostream:

Let the good times roll

2009-02-04T23:12:00.000-06:00

Look what my talented husband built us this past weekend:
A sandbox on wheels! Isn't it lovely?

Spending Freeze: Week Three

2009-02-02T21:02:00.000-06:00

Three unnecessary purchases were made during Week Three of the spending freeze:

- three plastic storage bins for crazy organizational frenzy

- frame for an incredible picture of Baby M, recently unearthed from some forgotten box on a high shelf

- Saturday night pizza

Non, je ne regrette rien.

photo via OneFiveDoor

Busy busy bees today

2009-01-31T15:40:00.000-06:00

R is building a sandbox:

I organized things that no normal person should ever organize:
Now, time to make a warm cup of something or other & read a bit in my book (it is a Saturday, after all).

Fearless Flying

2009-01-31T15:24:00.000-06:00

Browsing the bookshelves in R's parent's house, I stumbled across a book co-written by R's Uncle Fred. It's a guide to help people with airplane-o-phobia. I enjoyed looking at all the early '80s photographs of airports, airplanes & stewardesses and was surprised to find myself sucked in by the remarkably lively language. At the very end of the book, the authors conclude with this sentence:

"We leave you with the hope that [this will help] you achieve an orderly, meaningful & optimistic life."

That's it, isn't it?

(Photo of me & my Dad, neither of whom are afraid of flying)

Frank Habicht Photographs

2009-01-30T15:21:00.001-06:00

Live it to the Hilt

Lost in a Dream (Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin)Via Tam Tam Radio

Spending Freeze: Week Two

2009-01-29T22:19:00.001-06:00

Week Two of the Spending Freeze is over. I did not buy any souvenirs on my trip to Pennsylvania.

Most notably, I did not buy a certain Underwood portable typewriter, though I did fall deeply, madly, blindingly in love with it.

See? I even wrote it a love letter:

A Pattern Language

2009-01-28T11:13:00.000-06:00

Varnum's Quarters in Valley Forge is a beautiful house.

It is restored to what it might have looked like in George Washingon's time, but breathed such a timelessness that it reminded me of the patterns in Alexander, Ishikawa, & Silverstein's A Pattern Language.

Pattern #207: Good materials

Pattern #252: Pools of Light

Pattern #211: Thickening the Outer Walls

Pattern #159: Light on Two Sides of Every Room

Giddy-Up!

2009-01-20T23:01:00.001-06:00

We're off to Amish country! Be back in one week.

Image via OH306

Spending Freeze: Week One

2009-01-19T22:16:00.000-06:00

Ah, the end of Week One of the Spending Freeze. All in all, it went well. Of course, I had to get groceries & the usual bits & ends, but as we are heading out of town soon to visit R's parents in snow-dusted Pennsylvania, our needs this week were a little unusual.

Baby M needs new shoes in a bigger size, so I picked up a pair of (new) warm boots boots for our upcoming sledding adventures & walks in the woods. I also got her a warm pullover, navy corduroy pants & a warm (& austerely stylin') tunic dress that will be nice to layer over long pants. All of these last things I was able to find used at a nearby consignment store. I did not get her this dress. Or this sweater. Or this suitcase.

One thing I am proud of is that we have been eating very well. No eating out and no unnecessary convenience foods. We made every single meal at home and from scratch... except... On Sunday, I picked up my camera, a good book & headed out into the springlike weather for a good old fashioned ramble. I walked (Alone! And without pushing a stroller!) over to Enoteca, took a seat at the bar & then got busy taking my sweet time enjoying a little reading, a mocha & a blood orange tart. That was the only purchase. I also checked out the goods here and here & this incredible looking new hotel, but didn't buy anything, or book myself into a $450! poolside bungalow. (Wha??)

I did come home with a haunting memory of that out of the world tart, a bounce in my steps, and a few photos.

Studio dreams

2009-01-17T15:42:00.001-06:00

my office
Originally uploaded by Castanet

One of my big goals this year is to carve out a little workspace/studio space that is just for me. Ultimately, I dream of this being a little space on its own with lots of windows & wonderful light, storage to keep my materials tidy & in one location, and to have a board to pin up ideas & inspirations.

With lighting like this, possibly?All images are out of my league and from YLighting

Until that day happens, I think if we move our bed & nightstands to the other wall, enough space will be opened up in the far corner to attach a small shelf to the wall for my sewing machine. I can use the bed to lay out my cutting board & fabrics. Also the light is wonderful in that room, which is an added plus. But really, all I really want is a permanent place for the sewing machine (currently kept on the top shelf of Baby M's bookcase) and a quiet place to work.

Feist sings 1-2-3-4 on Sesame Street

2009-01-17T14:52:00.000-06:00

She is the cutest cutie:

Spending freeze

2009-01-16T13:01:00.000-06:00

I am testing the limits of my willpower. Today, I did not buy a non-essential, yet undoubtedly delicious, burger & fry combo from P.Terrys. Feeling strong, feeling proud.

Photo of P.Terry's food by Pottywu

Man, these guys are cool

2009-01-15T20:43:00.000-06:00

I heart Buck Owens:

I also heart Roger Miller (on the Muppet Show, check it!):

OK, I already cracked...

2009-01-15T16:15:00.000-06:00

OK. I cracked. Three days into my shopping freeze & I already made my first non-essential purchase. But! But! It's very special & I've been looking for a copy available for sale in the US for literally years. Not only did I find what I was looking for, but it's an original vintage copy. So, hmmm, vintage is used, is it not? Looks like I just squeezed it through one of my loopholes. Three cheers for loopholes!

Pluk van de Petteflet by Annie M.G. Schmidt & illustrated by Fiep Westendorp

I neither read nor speak Dutch, but I can sorta understand the international language of gorgeousness. Isn't Fiep Westendorp the most exquisite illustrator?

Der Struwwelpeter

2009-01-14T14:06:00.000-06:00

Baby M is obsessed with this book and it's kinda making me worry. I know it's a classic, but dang. I don't know if it's a good idea for her to be looking at this. Every story ends with some naughty kid getting punished in some bizarre moralistic way. Death by fire anyone? Or drowning? Or how about that tailor who snips off the fingers of the bad children who won't let their parents trim their fingernails? I'm sure they had it coming.

Spending fast, not quickly

2009-01-12T14:05:00.000-06:00

Joslyn of Simple Lovely issued a challenge: no new purchases for three months. I'm in.

Here are my ground rules:
- groceries, toiletries & house stuff (home improvement, gardening, etc.) are okay
- purchasing used things is okay
- gifts for others & items for my quickly growing daughter are okay, if done mindfully
- things purchased on trips are okay, if done mindfully (I am going to NYC in February (yay!) and it would be cruel, cruel, cruel to not allow myself to pick up a lovely thing or two from Muji or Purl Soho)

(Pretty forgiving, eh? Well, I'm hoping this will be part of a lifestyle shift, not just a crash diet.)

My reasons are five-fold. It is not, as my husband joked, to drive the knife deeper into our faltering economy, but to be more aware of the difference between want & need, to go on a consumption diet after the holiday gluttony, to make more & buy less, to keep a little more money in our pockets for a rainy day, and to bring less stuff into our teensy house.

The last reason is a clincher. We have a very small house & yet appreciate openness, light & airiness in a home, so the less we have, the better. We also must approach furnishing & decorating our home as an editor or curator must. Ideally, our house should have very few things visible and all of them must be things we love. The idea of my husband & I as curators is very appealing to me right now, especially after reading this article, which describes how some struggling museums have revitalized themselves in the weakening economy by looking into their vaults & reorganizing what they already have. It's such a basic concept & one that I hope to keep in mind as the years go by.

A scarf from my closet to change up a winter outfit. A dear old packed-away polka dot table cloth pulled out to freshen up the dining room. Things like these will be my secret weapon in staving off want.

Who else is in?

Life of Pianos

2009-01-10T20:06:00.000-06:00

via lark-about

Ring Around the Rosy

2009-01-10T13:15:00.000-06:00

This morning, Baby M kept looking at me & saying Asheh Asheh. It took me a minute to realise that she was asking to play Ring Around the Rosy, a game we had only played twice before and several weeks ago, at that. So, I took her hands, sang the song & walked in a circle with her & she sat down at the Asheh Asheh part. Of course, we had to do this over & over again.

It is so amazing to me how much she remembers & takes in. It gets me every time.

Illustration from Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose

A walk in the park

2009-01-09T14:13:00.000-06:00

This morning, M & I went to Central Market on 35th Street to pick up what turned out to be many, many bags of groceries. Before I buckled her into the cart, though, we took a turn through the little park behind the store. M walked up & down the steep embankments to the wet pond, we greeted a few dogs & little old ladies, then stood on an arched bridge & fed the ducks (so many different kinds here this winter!)

It's a tiny urban park, but you'd never guess it from these photos.

Grackles & ducks:

Baby locks no more

2009-01-06T15:38:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I took M to get her first haircut. It was a bit sad to see those sweet, soft locks fall to the ground, but really, that mullet had to go. She has the cutest little bob now, very classic baby girl style. Here she is waiting to get her hair cut:
The shop has little cars for the kids to sit in while they get their hair done.

They have little video screens too. M watched her first ever Elmo show & got very, VERY excited... and then very, VERY agitated when Snuffleupagus appeared. Can you blame her? Creepy!

More fun with pins

2009-01-03T21:55:00.001-06:00

White paper doilies with orange thumbtacks: brilliant.

From citipix via Fieldguided

Newness Ends

2009-01-03T14:22:00.001-06:00

(image of Austin's First Night Parade by the talented Gretchen O'Neil)

New Year's Resolutions:
1. Get a designated sewing area set up & my Pins & Needles business started.
2. Make more, buy less
3. Bring more of 'me' back into my life.
4. More rock, less talk.

Getting Dumped

2008-12-30T15:08:00.000-06:00

OK. We had a nice time. We had some laughs. We all enjoyed your blinky lights & the hijinks, but now, Christmas Tree, I think it's time to go.

No offense, but have you noticed how you take up almost a quarter of our living room & block our passage into the dining room? Yes, there I said it. You're kinda big in the middle. I'm sure you can't help it. And I know that we are partly to blame too, loading you up with trinkets & toys until all your branches are loaded down.

I think it is time that we part ways. Please understand that I'll look back on our short time together & smile. We had fun, didn't we? We'll always have that.

I just need some space right now.

Photo via won7ders

A little window shopping

2008-12-28T22:39:00.000-06:00

Though I can't say that I am 'in want' for anything, that is not to say that I am without want. Here is the proof. I have a million things to do & I just spent way too much time browsing the Huset shop. I am feeling a little bad now...

But here are some things I saw:

How tall are you now, little one? Our girl would reach the horse's snoot, I think.
A teacup with a wooden lid/coaster:

Lovely bowl with drip drops:

Beautiful notecards:

Christmas Morning

2008-12-25T13:49:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning found us...

Dressing our favorite dolly up in holiday duds:
Eating Swedish pancakes with lemon, powdered sugar & jam:

Crafting a few new ornaments (sparkly mushrooms!):

Resting & reading with our feet up on the coffee table (this is our view from said location):

Advent Calendar: 25

2008-12-25T13:47:00.000-06:00

Advent Calendar: 24

2008-12-24T10:32:00.000-06:00

Clever Tree

2008-12-23T14:15:00.001-06:00

Lookie, lookie! Isn't this clever?

(from All the Luck in the World via Hidden in France via the resourceful KMcE)

A flat Christmas tree made with "useless but pretty" odds and ends she has collected over time. So nice for a small space. Or entry. Or hallway. Or...

I don't know if it would be a satisfying replacement for a real tree. I would miss the smell and the depth. I also have a strong distaste for putting holes in my walls. Could this be done as successfully with cork or pegboard? Doubtful. Anybody have any ideas?

Advent Calendar: 23

2008-12-23T08:52:00.000-06:00

Pablo

2008-12-22T13:16:00.000-06:00

I don't understand him, but Pablo Picasso consistantly fascinates me. A brilliant monster, a fragile egoist, incessently restless. I can't stop reading about him.

An old photo from Life Magazine via Nothing is New

Advent Calendar: 22

2008-12-22T11:58:00.000-06:00

Getting closer!

Advent Calendar: 21

2008-12-21T14:06:00.001-06:00

Advent Calendar: 20

2008-12-21T13:53:00.000-06:00

Stars of the Tree

2008-12-19T13:14:00.000-06:00

Our Christmas tree is up & is under siege. Both our cat & our toddler are beyond fascinated by the shiny baubles & wooden toys hanging on the lower branches. We are finding our ornaments everywhere: under chairs, in drawers, behind the couch. Fortunately, we put both our dearest & most fragile ornaments up high or deep inside the tree for glimpses of sparkle & depth. Tragedy averted.

The undisputed King of the Tree is our leather lion. And our lucky, plump pig is from a (free!) Wee Wonderfuls pattern (Thank you, Hillary!).

I've said it before & I'll say it again: I love seeing these dear friends again!

Odd note about the lion. I found this noble fellow at the strangest estate sale. That lady had a mind-bogglingly crazy collection of size 6 shoes. An entire bedroom of racks & racks of barely worn high-end shoes in every color & only one style: high-heel pumps. Those shoes & this lion for 50 cents. I left with the lion & a one big, ol' goofy smile.

Advent Calendar: 19

2008-12-19T12:52:00.001-06:00

Advent Calendar: 18

2008-12-17T20:57:00.000-06:00

Advent Calendar: 17

2008-12-17T08:31:00.000-06:00

Advent Calendar: 16

2008-12-16T22:20:00.001-06:00

Enchanted Evening

2008-12-15T23:05:00.000-06:00

Sunday, late afternoon, my amazing neighbors Lynn & Gretchen hosted the most dreamy dinner. It was a potluck affair to celebrate all that is seasonal & local in our area. Everything seemed to fall into place perfectly (surely the secret magic of a talented pair of hosts working hard for that elusive effect of effortlessness). The guests were all inspired & threw themselves into creating inventive & well-crafted dishes, all inspired by what is now readily at hand. Even the weather stepped up & was on her best behavior: lovely 70 degree December weather, clear blue skies and not a mosquito to be heard.

I made these:
Grapefruit ice cream with David Lebovitz's chocolate macarons. Not too bad.

Long tables and lively conversation:
I walked home with my belly happy, my mind full & feeling like the luckiest person alive.

(Photo credit: Gretchen O'Neil)

Advent Calendar: 15

2008-12-15T10:39:00.001-06:00

Advent Calendar Countdown: 14

2008-12-14T11:40:00.001-06:00

2008-12-13T23:27:00.000-06:00

Today we drove out to Evergreen Farms, near Elgin, Tex., to cut our own Christmas tree. We've been having such a bad drought here that it felt kind of surreal to be picking out a pine tree while wild gusts of warm, dry air stung our noses & eyes with dry dust. A Currier & Ives winter wonderland it may not have been, but it was an interesting outing all the same.

We came home with a fine tree & will gussy it up in the morning. I'm really looking forward to pulling all the ornaments out of boxes & tissue paper & seeing them again. I've got a couple good, trusty pals I've particularly missed (Leather & straw lion, I'm talking about you)

Advent Calendar Countdown: 13

2008-12-13T18:01:00.001-06:00

Making Christmas Cards

2008-12-12T13:34:00.000-06:00

It's begun!

Though I picked up a couple of boxes of beautiful letterpress cards from Vertallee Letterpress while checking out the East Austin Studio Tour last month, I couldn't afford to get enough to handle all our cards (every year, we seem to send out more! And more! And more!). So, it's handmade time again this year. I bought a stack of pretty, red stationary & am stamping them with my nifty stamp set from the Yellow Owl Workshop. Add a few tastefully restrained drops of glitter & voila! Done. Instant recession goodness.

Advent Calendar Countdown

2008-12-12T13:20:00.000-06:00