c h a i r

This is my new desk chair, bought on a whim while window shopping at Sticks and Bricks -- one of my most favorite shops.

Reasons why I love it:

1. It is the most perfect blend of beauty and function
2. It was clearly built for someone with a 9-5 desk job.  Oh, the back support!
3. It rolls
4. The orange and turquoise floral fabric makes my heart flutter. 
5. Sometimes, when I shift my weight it tips back and surprises me. I get a little adrenaline spike.

a sweater (and other things)

Today, during an impromptu thrift shop stop,  I found this beautiful sweater.  It is the Anthropologie brand Sleeping On Snow and it is called the "Sketchbook Pullover." I almost keeled over.  It is new with tags and I bought it for $5.99.   Little Mouse was with me, and she didn't really get what the fuss was all about. $5.99? Madness! Actually, the shop was packed with lots of beautiful stuff today.   Given that I live in a college town,  I'm guessing a whole mess of students emptied out their drawers and closets before they left town.  I also found a crazy nice bathing suit top and a bunch of other summer shirts.  It isn't often that I score big for myself on my thrift runs (usually lots for the kids), and it felt really nice.

Last night, I bumped into this bag on etsy.  I have a little birthday money tucked away (from February!) and I think I might spend it on this.  The shop used to sell the same bag in a kelly green color, which I think I would have loved.  I think I'll like this watery blue just as much, though.

And, this is a vintage potato masher, which I just listed in the t r e a s u r e s section of my shop.  I have the same one in my kitchen and I use it every time I make mashed potatoes or banana bread (it mashes partially frozen bananas perfectly). I saw it and figured that someone might want one too.

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting many craft projects lately. I actually have been spending lots and lots of time crafting and creating in the studio, but most of the projects are for magazine and book deadlines, so I can't share just yet. In the meantime, I'm having lots of fun finding treasures and posting about our outdoor adventures.

Alrighty. Despite the warm and humid air, I'm going to go cuddle with my new sweater.

xo e

winter thrifting

I drifted into our local thrift store yesterday to score a cheap double boiler (success = $1.49) for some gifties we are going to whip up this weekend. Of course, after I wandered through the kitchen supply aisle, I couldn't help but wander through the rest of the store. I found some cozy pajama pants for the kids, and this dish and quilt.

The dish is fast becoming one of my most favorite finds. I love how all of the mid-century shapes look like actual things (chairs and tables), but when I look closer they are just nifty little designs. Or, maybe they are actual things? See? Love.

And, the quilt will be a cozy addition to Chick's bed. It needs some repairing, which I think I'll do while we are traveling at the end of the month. It will be a nice project to keep me busy and warm while we visit with family and friends.

xo e

juicy

This little thrifted bunch will be perfect for juice and milk for the kiddos. I like to use glass, metal, pottery, and wood for their dining experience as much as possible because of how spooky some plastics are. The only drawback is that sometimes their dinnerware is kind of boring - plain glasses, wooden bowls, white plates. These four tiny sippers called out to me, and they were already met with much enthusiasm. There is something about these that makes me feel nostalgic, like I drank orange juice out of one of them at my Great Aunt Blanche's house or something.

You can't beat a price like $.5o/cup. I'm also feeling drawn to the design and colorway going on (blue stems and all). Cheery.

xo e

silver

These are my new, old shoes. $5.99 at the local thrift store. Perfectly old timey for my two new, old timey cocktail dresses (both were insanely cheap and on sale).


I have a big wedding and a kindergarten send-off to tend to before I post some of the crafty bits I have stored up in my studio.

Just today, I remembered my Labor Day peach cobbler recipe from last year. I think I have to buy a bucket of utility peaches and squeeze some sweetness into my week.

xo e

little places

I am recovering from my first ever full blown sinus infection. Who knew it could be so intense and incredibly persistent? Wowzers! I tried to cure it with all of the regular home remedies like steam, tea, spicy food, garlic, but in the end, a dose of antibiotics seems to be what is helping it to heal and not throb, throb, throb.

While we were nestled in at home and in our vacation mode last week, I made a quick trip to The Trading Post - a little thrift/vintage/refurbished furniture store, which is just around the corner from our house. It is right next door to The Moan and Dove, which is a ridiculously well stocked beer bar. Side note: Tom and I often joke that our baby monitors would certainly function only .15 miles away, and we dream of sipping hoppy specialty ales while our kiddos sleep soundly at home. Joke, joke, joke. Anyway, I've mentioned some of my thrifty finds from this store before. This time, I really lucked out because they had a little old printer's tray, which has been on my "find that for a reasonable price" list for the past year.

I had fun putting lots of my little treasures in it. Those sweet crocheted thimbles were given to me by a long lost graduate school friend. I love them so. The little salt shakers with red tops were $1 each from The Trading Post.


And, they had a nice little vintage set of office shelves that fits perfectly next to our computer. We were desperately in need of a place to store pens, envelopes, books, and other office stuff, and I love that we found something used and absolutely perfect.


xo e

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Chick, my mom, and I took the train into New York City for a little trip to SoHo. The air was crisp and appropriately cold - not like the previous 70 degree days. And, oh! the light! Since the late autumn sun is so low in the sky, there were sharp rays of light beaming down onto the city streets creating beautiful, angular shadows.

We decided to go on a city adventure because this past summer our local fabric shop closed its doors (sad, yes?), and, since then, I've been itching to see some beautiful fabric in person. I love Purl's on-line fabric shop and idea blog, so I decided we should go there first, and then we popped into Kate's Paperie to gaze at some beautiful printed paper. We meandered down Spring Street, stopping to look into store windows and to eat a faux fancy lunch where we drank our water with lemon slices out of wine goblets. I bought the above stack of fabric and sheets of paper, and my mom bought a few holiday art supply gifts for Chick and Mouse.

The train was empty for the ride home, and as I closed my eyes and listened to the clanking of the train I held Chick's hand tightly in mine. When I squinted my eyes open, I saw that her other hand was gripping her brand new train ticket as she stared at the blurry window snap shots of houses and trees. I'm pretty sure she was wondering about the children who lived in those houses. What were their parents cooking for dinner? And, did they get their medicine at that exact drug store? Just as I did when I was almost five.

I made some more felt ornaments when I returned home. I recently bought some beautiful hand dyed felt squares that were deemed "seconds," and I have fallen in love with the light, woolly gray and soft brown colors. I really do think the gray felt likes hanging around with that red stitching. They've become good friends.


xo e

lucky me

Look what I found at the thrift store a few weeks ago! I know, I scored big, right? It is a soft little lap quilt made with vintage fabrics, and it happens to be in beautiful condition without any holes or tears anywhere. At first, I didn't see it hanging between two worn out plaid blankets, but as I carefully pondered each blanket, I noticed a bright line of color pressed against the wall. And, when I saw it, I immediately looked around wondering how I ended up being so lucky.

Each time I place it on my lap or watch my children play with it, I try to figure out why it was unwanted and sold for $2.50.

Odds & Ends:

I'm busy preparing for a little craft project demonstration, which I am leading on Saturday at the grand opening celebration of Cradle in Northampton. I'll post some pictures of the event. It is bound to be warm and lovely since it is being organized by the wonderful Katie Rubinstein!

I'm off to bake for curriculum night at Chick's school tonight, which I'm so excited to attend. I love hearing all about what she is studying and exploring.

xo e

antique

Summer finally arrived in the northeast with heat, humidity, and sunshine that just won't quit. Luckily, we visited the lake house this weekend, so when we were uncomfortably hot, we just slipped into the cool water. Chick played in the water endlessly. She was in the water yesterday from the early morning until we drove off in the early evening.

My sister-in-law, Beth, and I bravely decided to face the heat, and visit The Madison-Bouckville antique show in NY, which is, conveniently, only 17 minutes up the road from the lake. This is where I found the above handkerchief and the 1940's business ledger tablet pictured below. There was a whole stack of the Blair's Mail bill head tablets, but I figured that I would just scan one of the ledger sheets into my computer and have it forever.

I read about the fair on Maya's blog just before we headed out the door on Friday evening, and was instantly motivated to make my way there since I knew we would be mere miles away from antique paradise. Sadly, I didn't bring my camera because I felt wimpy and a little fearful of the extra sweat that would run down my neck from carrying it. We were drippy and hot and thirsty, but it was totally worth it since there were so many reasonably priced treasures to be found like this sunny salad bowl.


I'll hopefully be there next year with my camera!

xo e

necklace winner & thrift store score

I used a random number generator because it sounded all fancy and mysterious, but, really, I could have just drawn a number from a hat. The winner of the necklace give-away is Bixi and Goxi ! I'll need your name and address, please. She is from Germany and she wrote:

What a lovely necklace! I live in Stuttgart / Germany

and I love the variety around here: You have museums, art gallerys but also a lot of nature, wood and parks nearby.

Thanks to everyone who participated. I loved reading the little descriptions of where you live. I found myself imagining the mountains, far away lands, the little flowered yards on the way to the beach, the CSA farm under the highway, and more. It helped me to feel a little more connected to those who visit and support my site. I'll do another in a few months or so.





I actually went thrifting on July 4th. Who knew that the The Trading Post, the newly expanded thrift store down the road from me, would be open on a national holiday. There they were munching pizza, welcoming people to their lovely shop. I scored big! Along with the bowl (only $2.00) and free buttons (how nice of them), I also bought one of those fold-up suitcase holders for people who come to visit and a little side table for Miss Mouse's room. Tom finished building one of Mouse's closets yesterday, so we got to do some reorganizing in her room.

I'm off to enjoy a sunny afternoon at the park with tom and girls.

xo e

rescue

I have been in rescue mode lately. I think it must be a combination of emerging from sick season, where everyone in my family needed soup and tea, and a need to revitalize after a long winter. Lately, even in my dreams I find myself restoring and taking care of what has been left behind. I have an important decision to make in the next few weeks (more on this later), which is why taking care of my family and birds and plants and little treasures left on the side of the road is very appealing. Distraction!

I was flying solo at Ikea on Saturday, which meant that I got to deviate from the main thruway in the Marketplace section, and I got to look at fabric, frames, and tall skinny glasses with punchy flowers and squiggle patterns on them (more on that in another post) and the garden section. Yay! Spring! Anyway, I was busy looking at some tiny brown clay pots when I saw two succulents in a section marked "plastic decorative plants." I was all, "Really Ikea? Really?" I stuck my finger inside their dented pots to feel the dirt and leafy debris. Completely dry. Then I dug my fingernail into one of the plant's leaves and it practically sobbed into my hand. I think they may have been overturned at least a dozen times because when I looked, there wasn't any dirt in their containers - just a plant and its root ball. They are raggedy and pathetic and kind of almost dead, and they were in my cart within seconds. I loved them instantly. I know plants die all of the time and things get wasted and misplaced and overlooked, but I gave myself permission to feel sentimental and mushy. I figured that these two bruised guys would love the chance to hang out in comfy, snug pots while soaking in some sun in our south facing living room.

So, check it out. I found this little $10 bar stool at the Salvation Army a few months ago. I thought if Tom steadied it a bit with some wood glue and if we painted it with some red milk paint*, it would be the a perfect counter stool for Chick. Unfortunately, even after using much more wood glue than should be allowed on one chair, it is still kind of rickety. And, Tom noticed that it is kind of not completely fixable because the legs are uneven and wobbly. Last week, I broke the news to Chick that it wasn't going to be her new counter stool, and after some disappointment**, we all decided that it would make a happy plant stand for our porch.



Do you know what this means? Our poor succulents could have a tall, red throne to sit on if they wanted to. Talk about moving up, right?

* I recently discovered that you don't need to strip off paint/varnish from an old piece of furniture to apply milk paint. Instead, just sand the old surface a little bit and then add some super bond liquid, which you can buy on their website, to the paint before coating the surface with it. Easy peasy.

**If a local friend knows of or sees a used counter stool with a back, please let me know. A certain four year old would be your best friend forever and ever and ever.



xo e

table

I have been in total planning mode the past few days, which is why I haven't posted as much as I have wanted to.

Projects

1. recovering two thrifted chairs (I will have before and after shots)
2. sturdying an old stool and repainting with red milk paint (I will have before and after shots)
3. planning to do some mixed media work with fabric and paint on canvas
4. planning for Chick's birthday
5. thinking about valentine making

Oh, and we also bought a table on craigslist.com. I am such a stick-with-my-decision kind of person, especially when it comes to something that is so not a big deal - like a table. I promise! But, upon arrival, this table was so much bigger than expected and, really, it is so room filling and enormous. This is all relevant because I have been really busy coming up with big table jokes. Like about how I can't find my seat because I didn't mapquest it and "Okay, everyone, squeeze in so I can have room." Within hours of bringing it home, I was on craigslist re-listing it so someone else can smoosh it into their kitchen.

As of today, I am realizing that maybe the reason I re-listed so quickly has more to do with the fact that it is replacing my small round table than with its ridiculously big size. This morning, for the first time, I recognized that maybe I am a teensie bit sentimental about our old kitchen table. After all, I ate all of my meals on it from the time I was wee. It is one of the few material possessions that has been schlepped during all of my moves and squeezed into cars and moving vans (thanks Chris & Tracy). I played cards and dominoes and whatever else around it in my first apartment, I fed both of my babies off of it, and now a HUMONGOUS intruder is trying to take its place. This new table is really big. And, rectanglish. And, when I touch it, I'm a little lost. I think I really do need a map.

So, this morning, a few new super lovely friends came over for breakfast. We sat around (can you say that with a rectangle table?) it, and for the first time I felt myself willing to begin mapping it out. There was discussion, laughter, joining of ideas, and learning. And, biscuits with jam. At one point, my friend noticed that Miss Mouse's head fits just underneath - that her hair grazes it when she breezes under. This was its first reference point. It was the beginning of the map - the beginning of creating a new kind of permanence. Isn't that what change is all about? In the meantime, I have stopped being so snarky, and decided that maybe it can stay for a little while longer. You know, until I am ready to decide if it is right for our family or until Chick takes the old one to college . Whichever comes first.


Cornmeal Biscuits (served on my new table)

2 cups white flour
2 cups wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 T baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
7 T chilled butter (in tiny pieces)
2 cups low fat buttermilk
1 egg white
2 t poppy seeds
2 t sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 450˚. Mix flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl and stir. Cut in butter with pastry blender (or 2 knives). Turn dough out onto floured surface and roll out until 3/4 inch thick (be sure it isn't too thin). Cut biscuits with a 2 1/2 inch cutter. Place biscuits on a lightly oiled pan, brush with egg white, and sprinkle seeds on top. Bake for 9 minutes or until golden. You will end up with 24 (sometimes 25) biscuits. I usually spread jam on them and eat them for breakfast, but, really, they are the perfect snack for anytime.

under ten

Miss Mouse is now a little over one, which means she has reached the age where she is nosing around in cabinets, playing with sharp pencils, and sucking the little knob on the door that houses the garbage can every second of the day. Well, at least it feels that way.

A list of the things Miss Mouse feels like she needs to play with:
Tom's boots (some licking of the soles happens from time to time)
my boots (some sole licking)
Chick Pea's boots (some sole licking)
folded laundry
scissors
permanent markers
Tom's cell phone
my cell phone
the home phone
anything Chick Pea is playing with (oy!)

A list of things Miss Mouse definitely won't play with:
baby toys
wooden spoons w/ pots and pans from the kitchen, etc.
baskets of unfolded and untidy laundry (see above list)
her boots

A list of things I can't do while hanging with Miss Mouse:
vacuum (very scary)
fold laundry (clearly)
type on the computer (much protesting ensues)

What is the effect of this kind of turbo-parenting ? Evening trips to Target where I wander the aisles, lost in my thoughts, looking for something seductive that is priced under $10. I usually come home with a shirt or some knee high socks or a new pen .... or nothing. My latest find was this metal napkin holder that I instantly deemed as perfect for some of my handmade napkins that are usually all stuffed in the drawer in our sideboard. I love how it is lacy and metal at the same time. I almost bought it in a leaf green, but at the last minute I decided I wanted a neutral color.


Last spring, we made a commitment to using only cloth napkins for meals, which means I have been busy sewing napkins in an attempt to build up our supply. It sounds all chore-y and sore back inducing, but oh no no no no. Don't pity me. I could spend hours sorting through my fabric collection, and, really, there is something so relaxing about evenings spent folding, pressing, and pinning. Have I mentioned that there is no way for me to hear anything over the whirrrrrrr of the machine? It is like being in the shower, only instead of walking out clean, I march out having made something thrifty and perfectly useful.

xo e