LALA dex press

envelopes

2012-01-28T12:11:00.003-05:00

Last month I found a box of cream A1 size envelopes at a thrift store for $1.20. For the time being, all cards will be a wee bit smaller.

"vintage" purse

2012-01-24T08:58:00.003-05:00

I am not a label person, but there are times when labels are important to me because they represent quality (or at least in the case of Coach, at one point they did. What the heck happened?). Granted, when this "vintage" Coach purse I won on eBay arrived in the mail I immediately removed the dangling leather Coach tag the seller had kept all these years.

Right now I am trying to gradually refine some staple items.

haha- naughty letterpress humor

2012-01-21T10:02:00.008-05:00

(handmade Ryan Gosling)

Last week was a wreck, but this week was not.

Today marks 2 weeks without cheese, although I'm meeting a friend for Indian food tomorrow + there just might be paneer involved.
I've discovered a new author, Pico Iyer + started reading Abandon (library borrow).
Yesterday I had lunch with a new friend, a crafty gal at work.
Avocados are on sale at the grocery store + I've been going crazy for them (like Marissa + her pomegranate obsession. Elaine!!!!!).

currently loving

2012-01-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

My name finally came up at the library for Beginners + I'm in love with this little movie. It's quiet + minimal + a little bit sad + a whole lotta sweet + completely fits my mood right now. I've already watched it twice.

new running shoes + new year goals

2012-01-17T07:00:00.003-05:00

My reluctance to part with my Christmas money paid off when I found the running shoes I've been eying on sale at 25% off. Actually my mom directed me to the shoes + after researching the most ethically produced athletic shoes, Brooks came out near the top. Time to retire the 'ol Vasque trainers.

I previously mentioned that I don't make resolutions at the the beginning of the new year, but rather goals. One of this year's goals, also previously mentioned, is to run in my town's half marathon. Registration begins on June 1st + is marked on my calendar in RED.

For the record + for the sake of accountability, my other goals are:

donate blood in-and-around every 56 days (platelet donations scattered in there as well).
reign in my cheese addiction (so far so good, I have not eaten any cheese in over a week, not even on the weekend).
be more diligent about buying food items in glass containers.
completely disconnect the cable after s2 of Downton Abbey ends (I only have the channels that were formerly free, but have to pay for access through cable). I was going to box up the TV, but I have decided to move it into the studio + use it for watching DVDs only.

I think this is a reasonable set of goals.

3 years

2012-01-15T10:13:00.006-05:00

View of the living room fireplace in 2009
(the bookcase is now in the dining room and minus 2/3 the books)

View of the living room fireplace in 2012
(actually I was just so excited by the stream of light)

more. stuff. out.

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously, I keep noticing things that have been pushed aside that should have gone away long ago.

I used to purchase a box of oranges every fall to benefit a high school band. Normally I don't buy fundraising items, but the oranges were good. So in came the manual juicer. I saved up bottles in anticipation for my yearly juicing fest, which I would freeze, in addition to buying a bottle of vodka to accompany the yummy fresh juice.

I no longer know anyone in the high school band + realized that I had not used the juicer in over a year (my little hand juicer has served me well). The next step was to send out an e-mail offering it to a friend I thought might be able to use it. I also recently did this with a fruit bowl I knew another friend would enjoy, after realizing that I had 3 bowls that could hold fruit.

photo source

cheese! glorious cheese!

2012-01-09T07:00:00.007-05:00

Hi, my name is Shona + I'm a cheese addict.

In truth, I really do have to limit what I keep in the house because I could very easily sit down with an entire wheel of brie + go-to-town! As usual, Cherie @ Renaissance Garden comes along + writes about something that sets in motion a challenge. After some e-mail correspondence I've come up with cheeseless weekdays (inspired by meatless Mondays but more extreme, only without the lightning bolts because I could not figure out the html to make dingbat lightning bolts).

I'm letting myself off the hook on weekends because there are some really good cooks at the Quaker meeting house + once a month there is a pot luck. Quakers tend to lean towards vegetarian, but not necessarily vegan + there is always a de-licious quiche (or 2) + inevitably someone includes feta in their dish. There is also the paneer in Indian food, cheese samples at Whole Foods (this past weekend there was a cheese dusted with roasted coffee grounds, I went back 3X's) + overall more social occasions where it's just not good manners to be SO picky.

The plan is not to go full vegan, I do love eggs + am happy with my local farmer supplier (laid that morning for $2 a dz, you can't beat it). As for the cheese, it's just a matter of keeping something else on hand to replace the cheese, onion + mustard sandwiches I consume on a near-daily basis. I think I'll start making a batch of hummus every week. Mmmmhummus.

Like getting over a 16 gauge needle sticking in my arm when I donated blood, this is kind-a a big deal for me. I have one more challenge planned after I finish watching all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights + at the rate I'm going...

$1.00 in my pocket

2012-01-06T07:00:00.004-05:00

I drive to Nashville (about 45 minutes away) a few times a month + always make sure I have $1.00 to buy a copy of The Contributor AKA: the homeless paper. It's an amazing program in which individuals who are currently + formerly homeless not only contribute to the content of the monthly paper in the form of stories, poetry, photography + journalism, but they buy copies for .25 + sell them for $1.00 on street corners, with the profit going directly into their pockets.

The local NPR affiliate did an story on the paper + many people interviewed said they bought one every month, but never read it. The thing is that it's a really good paper, the articles are usually very interesting, thought provoking + I'll admit that I have gotten a little misty over a story or two.

Here is a directory of world-wide homeless newspapers + if available in your area, I strongly urge you to not only buy a paper, but take the time to read it as well.

sent back (a book review)

2012-01-05T07:00:00.005-05:00

I really do love Maira Kalman + have collected her books since she illustrated the Talking Head's song Stay up Late. Recently I gave away my collection of her children's books (with the exception of Swami on Rye since it's about Max the dog in India), but kept And the Pursuit of Happiness + Principles of Uncertainty.

With an Amazon gift card I got for Christmas, I ordered her latest book, a collaboration with Michael Pollan illustrating Food Rules + I'm sad to say that it was a real disappointment + I returned it. I thought it would be a collection of her illustrating the guidelines for healthy eating presented in his 2009 publication, but rather it was just a hardcover re-packaging his book with a few of her illustrations scattered throughout.

This video by M.K. is far more interesting than owning the book. Enjoy!

i ate my black eyed peas on new year's day

2012-01-03T09:21:00.006-05:00

credit
For the mere heroic feat of going for a walk in 30 degree weather, Monk + I made the cover of the on-line edition of the local paper.

Later: a co-worker brought in a print copy + we are on page 4.

like a cellar door

2012-01-02T07:00:00.008-05:00

You've never heard books creaking like this before.
I have no idea how these made so many cuts, maybe I was feeling sentimental about my 2 years at community college? (pre-mourning the likely cancellation of Community perhaps?)
Off to the library sale they go!

I now have 58 books (yep, just counted 'em), 5 of which are slated for the library sale after reading.

new year's eve

2012-01-01T08:53:00.007-05:00

I wanted to share something special that happened on New Year's Eve. I went out to eat at a local Asian restaurant with some friends + we had this really chatty waitress named Jenny (Jinlan), who was incredibly charming + we all just adored her. The restaurant was not too busy so we got a lot of her time + asked her about where she was from, how long she had been in the US, etc. She is from China + has a really interesting story. She is from a village where her family has grown tea for many generations (white, black + Oolong tea) + told us a brief history of her family's tea farm, which involves multiple stories of theft of plants, fending off the British, 60 people from her village being kidnapped, along with more theft of plants + forced to tend to the plants, but most of all, a lot of pride.

She plans on opening up a Chinese tea house + made us an amazing tea mixture using leaves from her family's plants + shared the story of Oolong, or Black Dragon tea. It was one of those experiences where I felt privileged to get to know someone. She really was just so lovely.

We exchanged information (we also frequent this restaurant she works at) + anticipate the opening of her shop. For now her shop is just on-line .

Happy 2012!

a little bit more

2011-12-31T07:00:00.008-05:00

I often vacillate about what to do with this space. There are days when I want to delete my blog + live entirely off-line (although not having a Facebook page or Tweeting is pretty much living off-line) + there are days when I want to go in another direction + write a whole lot more.

In these 5 1/2 years I've really revealed very little about myself. You know that I love Bruuuuuuce (who is touring in 2012- crossing my fingers for a Nashville date), that I take the trash bin to the curb every 4 months (I'm working on a 6 month goal this go-around) + that I've been slowly purging all the superfluous things from my life for the past 2 years. Oh, yeah, there's also that whole letterpress thing. You also know that this year I've experienced heartbreak of an unprecedented level, but I've also experienced moments of overwhelming love + gratitude. A psychologist co-worker said that I'm really getting to experience the amazing mystery of life.

The things I would like to share with you are that I did achieve my 2011 goal (a word I use instead of resolution) of doing something worthwhile in my community. I barely made it in under the wire, but a couple weeks ago I forced myself to get over my big fear of needles + became a registered blood donor at the local Red Cross center. It turns out that my blood type is one in which I am encouraged to also donate platelets, which I will start doing once my donor card arrives in the mail.

This was also the year I started going to church, Quaker Meetings for Worship to be more specific. Religion was not part of my upbringing, but I figured that one day I would find what worked for me. A couple years ago I had read about Quakers (which was the instigator for my moving towards simpler living + all this purging) + happened upon Cherie's blog Renaissance Garden + started reading more. In March I found out that there was a meeting house in Nashville + in November I finally got up the courage to go. During that first meeting, as tears streamed down my face, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be at that very moment. I have attended fairly regularly for the past 2 months + next November will decide if I want to seek membership with the Nashville Quarterly Meeting.

I have no idea where my life is headed + as I have clearly learned, life does not always work out as planned, but as the days progress, I am more + more joyful about experiencing the amazing mystery of life.

From the absolute bottom of my heart, I thank all of you who have been with me for these past months + years + wish I could give you all a big hug (another revealing thing about me: I'm a hugger).

go on girl...

2011-12-29T13:41:00.007-05:00

I don't mention my brother around here very much, but he's 10-years younger, was at one point commonly mistaken as my son + is a witty lad. Here is the message he sent along with an on-line gift certificate he gave me for Christmas:

As an official representative of the Pawnee, IN division of "Treat Yo' Self!" (a subsidiary of Entertainment 720), I humbly bequeath this certificate upon you, an exemplary individual who has expressed themselves as a true lover of our great town.
Now go on girl, Treat Yo' Self!

Among the handful of shows I watch, I love-love-love Parks & Rec + totally love the antics of Tom + Donna's Treat Yo' Self day.

repeat the sounding joy (again)

2011-12-26T07:00:00.004-05:00

The second color has been printed + will be sent off shortly.
The blue is mixed with silver + the red is mixed with bronze giving both a fireworks-like shimmer.

The 4th plan for Christmas was the one we went with: Thai food + Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. It was a wonderful day that started with a pretty strenuous 3+ mile hike, resulting in a very worn-out pup, which was the plan all along.

Merry day after Christmas

repeat the sounding joy

2011-12-22T07:00:00.004-05:00

(we have had some beautiful sunny days + I'm taking advantage of the light)

A new card I'm working on for my friend Sue. I don't normally take commissions, but this one has turned out to be very therapeutic in getting me back into my studio after barely opening the door in 2 months.

The deal was I host Thanksgiving + some friends host Christmas, but now I'm hosting Christmas. I don't know how that happened, but before I knew it I was agreeing to it over a bowl of vegetables, tofu + noodles. It will be another pot luck gathering with a smaller group.

windfall

2011-12-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

At last weekend's Book Babes gathering

I yoinked this stockpile of graph paper.
A woman from the group saved it
from the trash can at her work.

13 packages of vellum graph paper.

17 small boxes of some sort of accordion folded graph paper that
was fed into a 6" wide machine. I just see pre-folded text blocks.

.

2011-12-19T07:00:00.005-05:00

I am well past the Goodwill runs, I'm now into items that I never would have dreamed of letting go. These are objects that I once loved, but no longer feel the need to have in my home. I'm moving them to their new homes through le Etsy shoppe. In addition to the random surprise packages I've been sending out to friends if I think something would be better suited in their homes.

Standard office stamp holder (sold. thank you.)

Teak candlestick holders (sold. thank you.)

Yellow head bottle (sold. thank you.)

What remains on my shelves + mantles are items given
+ made by family + friends that are my true treasures.

have i ever mentioned...

2011-12-18T14:34:00.003-05:00

...that Monk used to be homeless?

Lazy Sunday afternoon nap on the couch after a long walk
+ covered in a down throw that just came out of the drier.

not much to look at 'round here

2011-11-27T16:42:00.015-05:00

As requested by my friend Danielle, a photo of the 40x40" salvaged antique mirror I found in my friend's barn, which I cleaned (scrubbed off years of mud dauber nests + caked-on dirt) + painted charcoal grey.

This year I hosted a pot-luck Thanksgiving + it went really well. I'm happy to report that food sex noises were made by all!

Throughout the night questions kept popping up about my home being so sparse; had I just not replaced things? (no, I'm actually getting rid of more) is this look intentional? (a very empathetical YES!) and my favorite, how long does it take to clean? (about 15 minutes, including sweeping the floor).

I will say that I have been buying a lot of used books via Amazon, all of which I cannot get from my library (I always check first). Downgrading my internet service will not allow me to stream online, but I'm still reading more than watching movies + shows. Also coming into my home is a large-ish house plant, which is being given to me by a friend who has too many.

AND the kitchen mini-renovation should start soon. It was decided that I should not start before having guests over for a big food-related holiday.

and the signature i didn't get

2011-11-19T08:57:00.007-05:00

It's funny when you decide to get rid of stuff, it does not stop. I have another stack of DVDs that I am donating to the library sale (still keeping my Wes Anderson Criterion collection).

Anyway, I'm still going through my books and Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book by: Terry Jones creaked, so it goes. Inside was a post card for the Book Soup author signing + I got really excited looking for Terry Jones' signature in my copy. Oh yeah, my oldest friend + I never made it, which is surprising because we would have ranked Monty Python above Talking Heads, but managed to see David Byrne.

Hmm... I wonder what we were doing on September 12, 1994 instead?

these are the daves i know/ i know

2011-11-15T10:27:00.005-05:00

I'm still going through + getting rid of stuff, mainly books, CD's + DVD's (my Wes Anderson Criterion collection stays!). One criteria for getting rid of books is if they creak when I open it.

Years ago ('95 per the inscription) my oldest friend + I stood in line at Book Soup on Sunset to have David Byrne sign his book Strange Ritual. We were BIG Talking Heads fans. However, the book creaks when I open it, so it goes to the library sale. Perhaps some Talking Heads fan will be elated to find this signed book at a library sale!

Around the same time I stood in line at Rizzoli in Santa Monica to have David Hockney sign That's the Way I See It. This book is not going to the sale because it does not creak. Plus, if you have ever had the opportunity to see D.H. write with 2 different colored pens in one swoop AND stamp your book with old office stamps... well, let me just say that it's like a magic trick.

i'm still around

2011-11-13T08:49:00.008-05:00

Right now I just feel like living off-line.

I would like to share something great that happened yesterday. A friend accompanied me my regular running route, which I guesstimated was around 5 miles. She has a wrist GPS + as it turns out my regular route is 6.1 miles + I was able to push myself to run 7 miles!

out of habit

2011-10-31T10:20:00.006-04:00

I got into a conversation with a friend about watching TV shows out of habit. The basis of this conversation was The Sopranos. I loved that show, but as the years progressed I did not, but continued to watch because it was a habit. In between the 1 1/2 year gap of the last season I forgot about the story lines + did not care about watching the last episodes or even that it ended rather ambiguously to Journey's Don't Stop Believing.

With the changes in my life I'm also finding that I'm not watching a lot of TV (it's currently unplugged so it doesn't draw power) + have little interest in shows I seemed to watch out of habit. I'm toying with the idea of disconnecting TV all together + downgrading my internet service. I watch a couple shows through Hulu + don't know if I can still stream (internet research on this subject has proved inconclusive), but the plus with Comcast is that I can downgrade my service one day + if I don't like it I can call them the next day + upgrade with no penalties or fees (that's not a plug for Comcast, I'm just sayin' it's a plus with the service).

I'm also finding that the library is really coming through for me in the DVD dept.

And just when I thought I could not get rid of any more, I recently distributed 5 shopping bags of DVD's, CD's, French lidded jars, books, clothes + odds + ends to friends, library sale donations + Goodwill.

kitchen

2011-10-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

After the studio tour, next on my list 'O house projects is a fairly big one. It will consist of a lot of removal + an actual decision on a paint color. Above is my new shelving (actually, I already had the shelves) which I have slowly been getting accustomed to.

Oh there will be before + after photos.
The kitchen in this Sneak Peek is my inspiration.

remains of the garden

2011-10-21T21:28:00.003-04:00

Last year all the green tomatoes went to the curb as an offering to the neighborhood. This year I am making salsa verde for friends. A friend is taking all my basil, along with more basil collected from around the neighborhood, + making pesto. We are under a freeze warning tonight + I'm trying to salvage the remains of my summer garden.

final printing week

2011-10-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

The Off the Beaten Path tour is in less than 2 weeks, which makes this the last weekend to print, allowing time for drying + packaging. I'm kind-a reaching the freak-out point, but know that everything will turn out just fine, it always does.

The above card is a variation on an old card from around 2005.

My running partner is having some Achilles tendon issues + we went to a spinning class + an additional 15 min on the stair-master in lieu of our Sunday run. Holy cow! It was my first time ever at a spinning class + I'd go back, but holy cow! I can't walk!

a wedding

2011-10-16T07:00:00.002-04:00

Last night I went to the wedding of a very good friend + co-worker + had such a fun time. It was in the country + I rode with a very rowdy group from work. At some point John Denver was mentioned + as it turned out everyone in the group loved him AND the driver had a Best of CD in her car. The night concluded with a rousing driveway moment sing-along to Calypso.

It should be noted that although the above photo features some pint glasses, there was a cash bar and an hour+ drive on a country hwy, so there were very few adult beverages consumed.

in one year...

2011-10-15T07:00:00.002-04:00

(image from the race website)

Today 2,500 people are running in my town's annual half marathon + my goal for 2012 is to be one of those people. This is somewhat significant because I'll turn 40 next year (some of you might remember that my mother climbed Mt. Whitney the year she turned 60, so late bloomer physical challenges run in my family).

A couple months ago my dear friend Danielle came over to my house + dragged my sad + weepy ass off the couch + out running again (in addition to channeling her Jewish-Italian heritage + forcing me to eat). Now we go out every Sunday morning + run 5-6 miles, in addition to the 4-5 miles I run during the week. We have been doing this for so many weeks that 5 miles is starting to feel, as she said, "like butter."

I have two other friends who are planning on running the half marathon next year + I am so excited to have this goal to share with them!

more curtains

2011-10-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

My single I have no idea what I'm going to do with this purchase turned out to be a wise buy. I turned the 3 yards of hand-dyed Indian silk into dining room curtains. (I am so in love with the fabric that I could not cut it + ended up folding it, used clip rings + closed the sides with a running stitch).

The plan to change out the old windows for energy efficient windows is being put on the back burner + since winter is coming, I'm trying to add a second layer of insulation.

The other thought behind curtains is it adds a little color, which I am needing at the moment. 3 years into home ownership + I still cannot commit to paint colors for the walls.

bringing it back

2011-10-09T18:59:00.001-04:00

~circa 2006~

so long tiny tailor, you've been replaced

2011-10-03T07:00:00.003-04:00

This post goes out to my friend Beth + my mother, who both voiced their concerns via e-mail after I posted about hand stitching two 45 X 90" curtain panels.

While on my Sunday morning jog, I came across a yard sale + bought* a grown-up sewing machine!! I knew exactly how much I wanted to pay, asked the price + it turns out she had the same amount in mind. I absolutely love when that happens.

Pardon the mess in the background, my dining room table has temp. been converted into my packaging area, far away from my messy ink-y studio table. I am in production mode!

*I had no money on me, had her tuck the machine away, swore I would come back! + returned in a car to pay + pick-up. Even if I had the money on me, I was not about to continue my jog lugging a sewing machine.

fishy, fishy, fishy, fish/ that went wherever I did go

2011-10-01T22:46:00.008-04:00

While accompanying my dear friend Vickie to my favorite thrift store in Nashville, I found another Buffalo China plate. This one did not exactly match my set, but I had to buy it because I fell in love with the painted fish (unfortunately there was only one).

My mother brought to my attention that Williams-Sonoma is carrying my new dishes, although I've been having fun accumulating my set for a mere .29 to .99 a piece + I'm pretty sure they don't have fishy plates.

curtains

2011-09-28T07:00:00.015-04:00

(that's Monk hiding under the yellow blanket on the couch)

I have been wanting to replace the drab muslin tab curtains for quite awhile + got the idea for partially sheer curtains from Lotta Jansdotter's Handmade Living.

Having curtains on the brain, on a whim I went into Hancock Fabrics + found two sheer chocolate brown panels on sale for $5.60 each + I already had the cotton fabric. The set-back was that my Tiny Tailor kids sewing machine could not handle the job, so I spent most of Sunday hopped up on flour-less chocolate birthday cake, catching up on Rescue Me on Hulu + hand stitching two 45 X 90" curtain panels.

hey y'all, i baked my first cake

2011-09-26T07:00:00.005-04:00

Carrying the birthday celebrations from last weekend over to this weekend, I was nudged into baking a cake, which is something I've never done before. It's a flour-less chocolate cake, which is an easy peasy recipe my mother suggested. I replaced the butter with coconut oil + the white sugar with sucanat + with the help of the birthday girl (there was a birthday boy too), made an icing with cashews, coconut milk + raspberries. It's very dense + very rich. Wow-za, it was out of this world good!

NPR First Listen: Ryan Adams Ashes and Fire

now with extra flair

2011-09-25T09:56:00.006-04:00

Let's just say that the creative juices have not exactly been flowing for new pieces. To compensate I'm digging through my drawers of misc. type, borders, dingbats, and vintage blocks + playing around with some new images.

As a result of my playing around with dingbats, all envelopes included in card + note card sets will now have a bordered "to" design printed on the front.

the end of our summer season challenge

2011-09-23T10:00:00.004-04:00

On June 21st I embarked on a summer season no shopping challenge with Cherie @ Renaissance Garden + at the close of 3 months I feel really good about this experience.

There were a couple times when I e-mailed Cherie with near confessions about some purchases, but she told me I was being too hard on myself + items such as a couch (when I had no couch) + dishes (when I had no dishes) were necessities.

During these last 3 months I bought:

3 books, a tank top + pajama bottoms while on vacation at June Lake, CA (all second hand for charity)

a new (to me) couch on Craigslist for $50 (score!)

dishes + glassware

fall/winter clothes (I was in LA, far better thrift shopping than in my little TN town)

3 yards of hand-dyed silk from India, found at the Goodwill for $3.99 (the closest I will get to my dream of traveling to India for awhile) This was my one impulsive I have no idea what I'm going to do with this purchase

some misc. items at Home Depot (trust me, necessities)

black winter boots to replace the 2 pair I had to discard after much wear + dis-repair.

The purpose of this challenge was not necessarily to close my wallet for 3 months, but to re-assess my spending habits + in this regard I was successful. In a conversation with my friend Susan, she noticed a pattern on my blog of perpetual FINAL purges, something I also noticed when I printed off all my old posts from the last 5 1/2 years. Another friend told me that you never know what the universe is going to present + now that my financial situation has significantly changed, mindless + impulsive spending is NOT an option.

Cherie + I hoped that this challenge would not end on the last day of summer + in re-thinking + really contemplating my purchases + their worth in my life, I hope never to post about a FINAL purge again! This is my vow to myself.

new queue

2011-09-22T08:02:00.002-04:00

My library hold list has become my new Netflix queue.

found!

2011-09-20T07:00:00.012-04:00

Lately I have been on an good luck streak with street finds.

Sunday I found a big stack of CD's on someone's curb + plucked these from the batch. Within the last month I have also found a pashmina, a Furminator dog brush + a really nice fall jacket. The jacket was a men's medium so I gave to my friend Chris, who was so excited that he literally jumped up + down!

My mom put in a request for a new Audi she has her eye on, but I told her that type of street find would probably be considered auto theft.

NPR First Listen: Wilco The Whole Love

look out tippi!

2011-09-18T23:53:00.001-04:00

The holing myself up in my studio to crank out printed matter plan kind-of worked out this weekend, but I took a break + went out with friends + we ran into more friends, upcoming birthdays were discussed + that turned into a celebration + everyone finally disbanded at 10:30 (on a school night!).

Red bird gift tags have been a big hit at the craft gallery I sell my work through + I definitely needed more to re-stock + for the studio tour. The above photo is evidence of some weekend productivity in the studio.

dishes

2011-09-17T09:27:00.005-04:00

This weekend I'm holing myself up in my studio because I have to crank out printed matter for the upcoming Off The Beaten Path studio tour (with the exception of taking a break to see a matinee of Drive because Ryan Gosling rocks my world), but let me take a moment to talk about my new dishes.

It was suggested by many of my friends that I have some sort of shower for myself + register or have a wish list for items I needed for the house. In the past I had drooled over the dishes at Heath Ceramics + impulsively started browsing their site, landing on the Chez Panisse line. Well, as you know I'm just far too... um... uh... practical (read: frugal) to spend $44 on a plate, let alone asking friends to spend $44 on a plate, so it was off to the thrift shops I went.

Never mind about the no shopping for the duration of the summer season, that sort-of went out the window (although the end of summer is upon us + I will post about the challenge Cherie + I embarked on 3 months ago). What I landed on was a set of Onieda Buffalo china dishes that cost about $6 for 4 dinner plates + 4 salad plates. Bowls were impossible to find + my dad bought me a set of chili bowls when I was in LA + they are a nearly dead-on match.

now open

2011-09-12T08:25:00.002-04:00

Last month Paper Source finally opened a store in Nashville + I got a chance to go yesterday. It's a tiny store compared to other locations I've been in + it's been awhile since I've been an actual store, but their focus seems to have changed to cards + gift items.

It also seems like awhile since I've looked at their paper colors because there are some new ones + some I've used in the past that are discontinued. With the help of my friend who was familiar with my card designs I was able to choose some new colors that I think will work. Things are needing a little shake-up around here + color changes will be good.

All this is leading up to the return of cards on colorful cardstock. I initially stopped because of recycling concerns, but found 100% recycled cream envelopes + hope that those will go into the recycling bin + people will keep the cards.

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2011-09-11T11:34:00.005-04:00

Standing under the bones of a T-rex definitely puts things into perspective.

When I was in LA for Labor Day weekend, my brother + I spent an afternoon in the new dinosaur hall at the Natural History Museum.