i hug trees.

getting out of the city was so good this weekend, we drove out of DC and down near loudoun county in Virginia. to see hills and pastures was something i've missed so much since moving away from home and it was such a nice day out. our destination, Snicker's Gap Tree Farm where, after much conjecturing and tromping about, we found the bestest little blue spruce to be had!


why have a silly fake plastic thing with no soul when you can chop down your own smashingly fantastic evergreen? well yes, allergies you say and perhaps that bit of irony behind chopping down an evergreen to remind us of the gift of eternal life...hmm ok....but other than that, it just wouldn't be a proper christmas without the genuine article all bedecked with handmade ornaments from when we were kids, big old vintage lights, and garland made of cranberries and popcorn. speaking of which, we really need to hunker down and get to work because at the rate we are stringing garland, it's going to be next christmas when we get the whole tree dolled up.

so here we sit on sunday night getting tangled up in our garland strands, pretending we do not have to go back to work tomorrow. lucky for me i am getting back to work on all my projects for etsy: the clutches with loads of lovely fabrics, new letter sets, and some rather charismatic draft snakes which i'll show you later! stay tuned to the shop for updates this week and always feel free to let me know what you think of the blog!

a bit of gluttony and grace

i've been so busy preparing for and hosting our family thanksgiving this year that i haven't really had a moment to think of anything that did not revolve around it. so much cooking, toasting, meeting new beautiful babies, exposing my fingers to mild and also probably some serious oven burns, and of course an overload of feasting and family!

i do love cooking and tampering with recipes but this is only the second time i have even roasted a turkey, the first being just last year...the 18 lb. brined and roasted bird seemed to come off without a hitch though, despite my best efforts :) and all in our miniature apartment kitchen!


i hope your holiday was pretty much amazingly fabulous as well (without the burns that is...speaking of which i really should have made myself some potholders) and if i could, i would certainly have you over to join us for the dessert of pumpkin and apple pie from scratch with homemade whipped vanilla cream and chocolate shavings, and then of course a ridiculously large mug of some uber drool-worthy coffee and bailey's concoction to finish it off!


it is off to bed with me for now then to catch up on my sleep (the flannel sheets are finally back now that we have said goodbye to another soul-melting DC summer!). meet you back here tomorrow when i make my official return to the land of the living!

my etsy shopping rampage

i'm slowly building up more sales and constantly tweaking my etsy shop. it's very gratifying work, especially finding that someone thinks my pieces are beautiful and of value. i must check the site several times a day and if a sale does appear, i am jumping.around.the.house.estatic! 26 year olds can still do that, right?

i do love selling my wares on etsy, it has really opened up many new possibilities for me. in addition to this however, i really love BUYING on etsy...it's become something of a habit i must admit. almost all of the christmas presents i've found have been on etsy..we're on such a tight budget as so many others are this year, but on etsy I can still get finely made, affordable, beautiful, unique objects that are so much more personal and meaningful to give than anything i could pick up at the mall.

i wish i could show you all the cool things i've found, but alas, many of them are going to family and friends who might just stumble across this post. yeah, i just barely thought ahead of myself right there. so instead, i will show you some of my favorite things which i bought for myself...yeah, oops.


this is my fabulous new christmas stocking (made by betzwhite) which seems to have my personality written all over it. it's made of felted wool and a recycled sweater and of course it has bright colors and buttons and big stiching. i have a felt stocking which my mother made for me when i was just a wee lass, but it is such a keepsake that it always hangs above my parents woodstove each year..just wouldn't feel right to have it hang anywhere else and now this stocking will be a part of my own new family traditions!


here are a pair of fingerless mittens which i bought from a lovely etsian in australia, teesjourney. they have sweet little mismatched buttons in shades of pink and white and brown and yellow and a great diamond pattern. I love useful pretty things but what i really love about these is that the fiber was dyed with onion skins and the color is gorgeous. when i was in elementary school, i made a whole science project about natural dyes and fibers (yes, the bug bit early) and so, when i came across these i was simply tickled pink. and with that phrase i do believe i've betrayed my deep midwestern us roots, ya? eh?

and last, but certainly not least, is this beeeUUUUtiful ring which i'm especially sweet on because it's not just any ring, it's my engagement ring (holy moly, that is still exciting to say!). just two weeks ago my bestest friend and i decided to make it official and we are so so happy with this ring from DesignsByVickie. i'm not usually one to get all gushy but when he proposed on the outer balcony of the kennedy center after taking me to a sold out show of my favorite opera, Carmen, i pretty much couldn't see the ring because i was crying (happily of course) like a baby.



so i guess you never know what you might find on etsy next..so many trinkets and treasures from items of daily use to items that mark single days you'll never forget. and yes, i am getting pretty cheesy here so i apologize...i'm addicted to etsy what else can i say?!

new fabrics, new projects

One of the few local fabric shops here in DC is moving to a new Georgetown location and so they're having a great-big-huge-wonderful-must-move-it-all-i'm-foaming-at-the-mouth-SALE! We went this past weekend and picked up as many buttons as i could carry and a few lovely yards of silk and satin, rayon and taffeta on the cheap which i am now using on some new purse designs...hoping to have a couple in the shop in time for christmas, key word being *hope.* It was a madhouse in there but i find that sorting through bolts of fabric is so nice that i didn't mind all the grabby pushy people. after all, there is nothing quite like sliding your fingers over white paisley silk or diving into drawers of big.little.shiny.wooden.rubber.colorful.crazy.buttons!

The purses are clutch style and feature rich fabrics, fabulous hand-picked buttons, and a little pocket on the inside—perfect for a special night out on the town or just general coveting ;) even my mother, the queen of muddy galoshes and ridiculous hats, insists that sometimes all you need to turn your day around is a new little purse. and, judging from experience, i think she might just be right...

and so i go back to my work table, listening and singing along to RENT because i just can't help myself even if that is slightly embarrassing to admit. i mean, what's the point of working from home on your own if you are not going to take advantage of the all the things one cannot do in a cubicle?

beginnings, endings, and all that lay between

here zoë and i sit in front of the space heater, another day of coffee, sewing, designing some new purses, job applications, and whatever else drops into my lap.

i'm starting this blog to share my musings, adventures, and creations with friends, family, and YOU. at the very least i'm aiming for one post a week, probably more because i never seem to run out of things to carry on about. so check back in here and then check out my little shop on etsy. I hope you enjoy the many vintage and handmade items for you and for your home; each unique and designed to be useful with a good helping of indie style, storybook charm, and old-fashioned themes. i sew everything by hand, design and create all my own linoblock prints, and generally make a rather large mess in my work area of pretty little notions and art supplies galore!

It's a new venture which is keeping me plenty busy while i search for "real" work and helping me to support myself while on this economic roller coaster ride. afterall, who says you can't do something with an art degree?!