A Closer Look at Ottoman

As of Late

I always enjoy posts about what people have been doing lately. Here's a few things that have been going on:

1. A sweet little note found on my typewriter.

2. Food and drink made with care always taste better (and I think they are better for you). A beautiful and tasty mocha.

3. An unabridged dictionary from the 60s bought at a rummage sale. I thought Boo should have some experience with one since they aren't used anymore. We promptly went to work on it with the 70s edition of Scrabble I also got from the sale. Boo is so quick to pick up games, I figured an open game would be fun and he's enjoying learning to spell new words!

4. I love fungus and the images in this book are beautiful and interesting both to myself and Boo. This was also from the rummage sale. Again, this book is from the 60s and I giggled (and blushed) at the "revised and enlarged" bit next to that incredibly phallic fungus!

Oh goodness...I need photos of the more creative bits in my life which sadly have been few and far between. I need to find more available time to make things. I hope to have images soon!

Sidebar Simplification

If you haven't noticed, I've been simplifying the look of my blog lately...bringing the number of sidebars down from two to one. I'm also working on editing down what is on the sidebar. So, one thing I'm going to do here is to list the places that I know I've been featured (which used to be on the sidebar) here so that they can be refrenced later. If I find myself featured in the future, I'll be sure to mention within a post.

Here goes:

1. oh happy day!

2. ..project felt..

3. Green Goods - We Love Etsy

4. The Storque - Trends: Moss

5. ikea hacker

6. a thing of beauty...

7. peppermags

8. zsb creations

9. Crafting a Green World

10. Eco Craftiness

11. The Storque - Earth Tones: Terrariums

12. Indie Fixx

13. Cupcake's Cute

14. She's Dressing Up

15. ...Anything Indie

16. The Peach Tree

17. RSS Designs in Fiber

18. cicuska

19. the design alphabet

20. Crafting a Green World

21. ~Pamela Susan~

22. The Storque - Etsy Finds: Getting Caroline Hwang's Look - Home Decor Edition

23. the sweetie pie press

24. Daily Dolan Geiman

25. Fisheye View

26. GiversLog

27. Phydeaux

28. the long thread

29. Nfall2rt

30. cosa verde | blog

31. Green Earth Journey

32. cosa verde | blog

33. Fit to be Seen

34. Etsy Stalker

35. gretchenmist

36. Etsy Finds Decor: Sustainable Homes

37. SmuTopia!

38. Xenotees

39. Hiving Out

40. cosa verde | blog

41, Etsy Finds Decor: Sweet and Simple Home

42. Phydeaux

43. OURAQT

44. Etsy Finds: Traveling Down the Greenway

45. For the Birds

46. C-urchin ceramic jewellery and sculpture

47. The Daily Etsian

48. We Chirp

49. Autumn2May's Etsy Blog

50. Craft and Style

51. Crafting in Color Etsy Team

52. the arterie

53. Paper Mango

54. Barefoot Shepherdess

55. Glue and Glitter

I know, this is a long post, but I want to thank again all the folks who have featured my work! Many of the links have been broken to those that I had archived, so I apologize if you don't see yourself here.

Happy Wednesday, dear readers!

Squirrel Twins

Surreal...I spotted a twin to my squirrel. And in white.

(via)

Look...second to the left on the bottom shelf.

A Wee Bit Creepy

Look what my sister happened upon the other day....

Look familiar?

Sort of creepy isn't it? Apparently, Sarah of Cursive Design and I have the same taste in shoes and what color to paint our toes!

Two Foxes

I've been going through old papers to weed out what to keep and what not to keep. Here's a couple of stamps I found on an envelope...way too cute to toss:

Now, what to do with them. Any ideas? Maybe they would be perfect just to pin on the wall the way they are (next to some lovely green moss, of course).

On Efficiency

We've returned from my grandfather's funeral...it's been rough. I was really close to my grandfather and I will really miss him.

Since I've been home (a couple of days), I've been harvesting as much as I can before it freezes. Yesterday, I made another batch of salsa and today, I picked some blackberries (which are really at the end, they are shriveling before they fully ripen in many cases).

I'm not a high energy person and can border on lazy (I really hate to admit that because I really have a passionate, gung ho side to myself as well)...but I work really hard at keeping myself busy and try to multi-task (not a word I'm fond of, it's too corporate) to be efficient. Oh yes, and I must not fail to mention that I am a mommy and that requires a lot of running about!

So, this afternoon, I made a big batch of brown rice because Jeff is going to use it for fried rice for dinner and I made Blackberry Slump in the Crock Pot again (by the way, I replaced a lot of the butter with olive oil and used whole wheat flour for half of the flour in the recipe) and timed them out perfectly so that I wasn't in the kitchen fussing over one thing.

Later, I did a dishwasher "change-out" and heated water for tea while unloading the dishwasher (while chatting with my sister on the phone) and loaded up the dishwasher while my tea brewed.

(Jeff was a doll and bought this huge tea cup for me while I was in Southern California in April...it's orange, my favorite color.)

I have realized that this timing of tea/dishwasher change-out works perfectly.

I also find myself reading blog posts while my pictures upload on my Etsy listings. And, if I decide to sit on the couch for a bit, I try to do something useful, like needlefelt, sew, or brainstorm ideas.

It's these little things that help me feel like I'm not wasting my life away. There are so many things that I want to do in life and that I want to learn...many of which cost too much money (I'd be a lifetime college student if given the chance). So, I do what I can with the resources I have and try to keep myself busy.

What do you do that is efficient? I want to learn more tricks!

Just a quick note about comments.

I just wanted to leave a quick note about comments...I have been replying to comments via email (because I realize that not everyone checks back at comments), but I've noticed that I've been following a lot of conversations on others' blogs that involve the author. I also haven't been getting my comments via email (I think it's my email rather than Typepad) and I keep forgetting to have Jeff look into it. Anyway, I'm going to go back to commenting on the blog because of the conversational angle, the email situation, and because I realize that I may answer questions via email that some of you may not be asking me directly. So...let's see how this works!

Happy weekend!

Blondie

They're playing locally tonight, unfortunately we won't be able to attend because of Jeff's work schedule. They were my first favorite band, and ironically, Jeff found my old tape in the garage while organizing today:

Check it out...1978 (a year after I was born):

Pretty early for a cassette tape, don't you think? It seems really early. My dad always has gotten the latest in audio/video technology; we got our first CD player when they first were available to the general public (I think in the early 80s).

I was really into Blondie (and, dare I say, the Bee Gees). Apparently, I had a Blondie poster, but my mom says that I didn't like a picture of someone looking at me in my room (I still don't really like that). I believe "Call Me" was my favorite song...released in 1980.

Down for the Count

Hi folks...I'm down for the count with a cold right now. Hopefully, it will be brief...I'm already a few days into it, but I'm feeling really wimpy (I'm finding it difficult to even talk on the phone with my mom and sisters, and that's saying something!). So, I'll drink some more juice and make some more tea and I'll be back soon. Fortunately, Boo is over most of it already, he started feeling sick last Sunday and Jeff is on the mend as well.

We'll talk soon!

Tagged!

I've been tagged by BROOKLYNrehab.

What is your current obsession?

Finding a great vintage sofa or design one that Jeff can make (I just missed one off Craigslist)

What is your weirdest obsession?

I like fussy grandma stuff

What are you wearing today?

Jeans and a tank top...pretty typical

What's for dinner?

Thank you for the reminder...I need to get something in the Crock pot

What would you eat for your last meal?

Ravioli with rose sauce, some fresh bread, salad, tiramisu and a mocha (the best I've ever had) from a little restaurant in my home town. It's what I had with my good friend Risa when I visited my family in April.

What's the last thing you bought?

Vintage embroidery hoops from a local thrift store

What are you listening to right now?

The hum of my computer, my son and crickets (I know, that didn't really answer that question)

What is your favorite ice-cream flavour?

Oh, I love this vanilla bean gelato with a shot of espresso poured over top from a little place in Southern California - the best. (I've noticed there are good gelato places and bad ones...well, I've only found two I really like.)

What do you think of the person who tagged you?

Alyssa (BROOKLYNrehab) is an incredible designer and collector...and I continue to beg her to keep up the ceramic work! ;) Thank you for tagging me!

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?

Well here, but I'd love to someday buy my great-grandparents house in Quebec. There's a bachelor who currently lives there and has kept the worndown stairs in the house because he finds it charming (my grandmother was one of 12 children). The town hasn't changed since she was a child and much of her family still lives there.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

Quebec...but I would cry because it would only be an hour.

Which language do you want to learn?

French. Sadly, I only know a little and find it frustrating that I often can't communicate with my own family.

How do you take your tea?

Black tea with milk and sugar (preferably raw sugar)

What is your favorite colour?
Orange. Didn't I mention my childhood umbrella recently?

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe?
My Recycled Ring

What's your favourite magazine?
Readymade

If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?
Supplies for my shop

Favorite designer?
I agree with Alyssa, Hella Jongerius - I love the Polder Sofa

Do you admire any one's style?

Something's Hiding in Here

Describe your personal style?

I often wear jeans and a T-shirt, yet I'm a total art snob.

What are you going to do after this?

It depends on my son...do more on the computer, sew, or do something with him, like go to the park.

What are your favourite movies?

Amelie, Chocolate, Russian Ark

What's your favourite fruit?
I love berries; it's too difficult to choose between them.

What inspires you?

Dichotomies, nature, materials, trends and non-trends, processes

What music do you like this week?

My old favorites: Depeche Mode, The Smiths, The Cure (and more in that genre...you know which ones) Some newer favorites: The Faint, DJ Z-Trip, Daft Punk, and MGMT

What is your dream job?

What I'm doing! But, it would be fun to have a little shop filled with handcrafted items, a tea shop and a crowd every morning clamoring for the small amount of whatever I baked that morning.

What is stopping you?

Money...and my mom would have to retire here to help.

Who is one of your favorite artists?

Wolfgang Laib

The rules:

1. Respond and rework; answer the question on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add one more question of your own.
2. Tag eight other people.

I'm tagging:

Pamela Susan

Chakra Pennywhistle

City of Dionne

Etsy Stalker

Phydeaux

The Cookbook (Savor)

the sweetie pie press

little is the new big (miniature rhino)