new american paintings

i love to peruse new american paintings at my local news stand. there are six regional issues per year, and each artist showcases three paintings. their resume is included as well, and i love to see when and where they were born. if i like their work i try to relate to the painter based on where and when they were born.

cabin fever

al has been looking at cabins up on the russian river lately. we've been surrounding ourselves with library books on remodeling, dwell magazine, apartment therapy, and thoughts of the ideally designed kitchen using heath tile. we've already decided to furnish it via estate sales. san francisco is just too expensive for us, but there are cute & affordable places up there in need of tons of work. this could serve as practice for our real home in some locale to be determined.

charley

al and i can't wait to start our new puzzle. 1000 pieces of charley harper!

apc dreams

i love to look at the new apc collections, but can't quite commit to ordering. these two looks caught my eye but they aren't practical here in sf and that makes me feel better. i like to take a spin through the men's collection as well. i think al would wear that, but probably not many of the other looks.

new old stuff

after visiting my family in north carolina last month, my parents sent me home with their very old & loved cast iron pan. i've been in serious want for one of these for several years, and i don't know why i never bought one. i'm so glad i didn't because i love this pan. every time i use it i think of mom making cornbread back in our house in cary. we've cooked with this at least once a week since it came home and met our wedgewood. i found the orange cast iron grill pan at an estate sale recently, and sold it's mate on etsy.

calendula caress

i love this stuff but i thought i'd try making it myself using some instructions from earthly bodies & heavenly hair. i've been shaking my concoction for 4 weeks now and it's a lovely golden color. next i need to strain it through some muslin and add lavender and vanilla to the olive oil, which has been infused with calendula and marjoram. we'll see how it compares. i once gave a bottle of this to angela, i wonder if she uses it.

morning person

in my youth i was definitely a morning person, and maybe i still am now. i'm trying to prepare for a more hectic life so i want to get up early again. when al leaves for work at 6:25 he always comes back in the bedroom to say goodbye. i open my side of the curtain while still in bed, grab his digital alarm clock and place it beside me (i can't see my clock in the dark) & usually get up about 10 minutes later. i have this little race to get the bed made and open the curtains wide before my neighbor. today i won.

sale

the estate sales were rather blah today. there was a bounty of them, al and i went to 4 or 5 (i've already forgotten). the only things i found were these two teeny, sweet japanese ceramic pieces. when i say teeny, i mean teeny. they measure about 1 3/8" wide by 2 1/2" long & 2 1/4" tall. when i got home there was a note from katie thanking me for helping her with her new blog, and the colors just all sort of fit together. the boxes are filled with two lovely truffles. oh so nice with my cup of tea.

school

after five years of dreaming, three months of deciding, and eleven weeks of agonizing, i received my acceptance letter monday. i'll be starting my masters of library science in august and now i feel totally overwhelmed. i've got an application out for a volunteer position at a local library, arranging some time to talk with an art librarian, and hopefully starting some freelance work next week. bye bye sleep!

orange

lately i've been really taken with these two orange trays i found at an estate sale. one is on the kitchen table, protecting it from messes, and the other is on the coffee table. everything looks so sharp and clean against that orange.

succulent wall

a few weeks ago sarah and i were at flora grubb looking for ideas for her new back yard and deck. we stumbled upon this amazing piece of art. a frame stuffed full of succulents and measuring about 4 feet x 4 feet. we were in total awe. i'm looking for a place to hang one of these and a carpenter.

early birthday

aurin and i spotted a set of 4 framed prints at a consignment store in north carolina last month. we could not stop laughing at them and she ended up buying them for me as an early birthday gift. this is the pear song.

mine

i'm selling most of my vintage fabric but i can't seem to let this one go. it's so bright with it's fluorescent pink and titled edge "weilwood fabrics, inc." i think this one will have to stick around for a while.