sunday loves

it's beautiful
and sunny
out
and the snow
is
melting.
drip
drip
drip
outside
the window.
i am lazy
and inside
when
i should
be out
photographing
or something.

instead
i wanted
to share with you
some thrifted
scores
i am loving
as of late.

crochet blankets:

{thrifted: crochet blanket}

now,
i am not
knitting biased.
really.
my favorite
blanket
is
one my
grandma
crocheted
that's
in a trunk
back in seattle.
everyone
(including me)
has been
wacko
over
this blanket.
there's something
so appealing
about
color
against
that white
background.
i have
recently fallen
in love
with
ingrid jansen's
stools
.
{photo by ingrid}

i love
the combo
of the
recycled
wood
& crochet.
find
more stools
here.
i hope to
have one
of my own
someday.

stripes & brights:

{thrifted: scoopneck tees}

it was
my
thrifting
score day
for
long sleeve
scoopneck
tees.
they are my favorite.
i hate
collars & buttons.
i blame it
on 16 years
of
catholic
school uniforms.
if i were
to define
my style
of dress
i would
say
color
in the form
of
stripes & brights.
i am particularly
excited
about the
ralph lauren
black & white
tee
with buttons
on the shoulders.
my hair is
super short now
so i
dream of being
half as cute
as this:



abby
pointed me
to these
saint james tees
that i covet.

tiny charm necklace:

{thrifted: windmill necklace}

i love wearing
simple
scoopneck tees
with little
charm necklaces.
i was so
excited
to find
this windmill.
it looks old
and the windmill
turns around.
adorable.

i also
love wearing
my wishbone.
how cute is
this tooth,
typewriter,
camera,
clouds,
and
any of
the states?

now
it's time
to get
some work done
and
then off
to knit
at teaism
with a
friend.

happy
sunday evening.
xo

d.i.y. valentines robot

wont you be mine?

i never cared
much
for
valentines day.
just another one
of those holidays
to
convince you
that you
need
to buy
something
for
someone.

those long lines
at the drugstore
of men buying
last minute
stuffed animals
and candy
on valentines day
depress me.
but then again
how sweet
is it to
get
a handmade card
or
homemade edibles
from a
friend
unexpectedly...

bears
and bunnies
are nice
but robots
are so much better,
don't you think?



wouldn't it
be nice
to make
a robot pillow
for someone you love?

this robot
is made completely
out of felted
sweaters.
thin cashmere
sweaters
work the best
but any old sweater
will do...
it's a good time
of year to
get rid of
that favorite sweater
with moth holes
or that doesn't fit
right.
or hit your
local thrift store
and get a couple.
my advice is
to get men's sweaters-
they always are cheaper
and bigger.
bigger means
more felt- woohoo!
remember that
the sweater has
to be 100% wool or
cashmere, or
other
animal fiber.



so here we go!



first,
put on this song
to get you in the robot mood.

then,
felt all your sweaters
(read instructions here).



make sure to cut
the arms & legs
out of
the sleeves:


now you are
ready for these
easy steps:



remember,
you can use
a machine
or sew by hand.
i did mine
by hand using
mostly
blanket stitch.







you can
decorate your
robot
any way you'd
like...
use real buttons
i used a small
fabric button maker.
i got at
the sewing store
for $3.
you can make
your own fabric
buttons
using
this guide.



i got
some ideas
from
jes hutch's knitted robots.



let me know
if you
have any
questions!

try not
to fall
in love
with your
new robot.

i did.
it's breaking
my heart
to mail
him off
to his
new
sweetheart.



xo

{cross-posted
on
sew green blog}

moments

seattle, by the reservoir


today
i woke up
and
the ground
was wet
and
the sky
was grey.
like
a seattle day
i know so well.
strange to be
sentimental
about
weather
i use to
hate so much.

but
i am feeling
sentimental.
perhaps
because
i have
been sorting
through
old photos
to store away
for a while.

for some reason
these photos
caught my
eye
in the stacks
upon
stacks
of photos...

so like
we are sitting
in the living
room on a rainy day
i will share
them with you...




lately
i have been
in love
with
polaroids
that look
like paintings.



my french grandmother,
valerie.
i wonder how
old she
is here.
i wish
i knew her.



i bought
these photos
in an amazing
store in paris.
a store full
of vintage photo equipment
and photos.
i bought
these two photos-
i only
had a few moments
to look around
and i just
had
to have something.



there's an old
woman by school
who has
an amazing
garden.
it reminds me
of
the secret garden.


wishing you
a good evening...
and
a lovely
week.




xo

keeping time

there's something
so pleasing
about
the same
object
repeated
again
and again
and again.

same form
but different
construction.
different color.
or
simply
the evolution
of the object.

that is why,
i think,
i love collections.

my collections
have changed
a lot
throughout
my life.

this is
what i
am currently
collecting:

1. vintage wind-up alarm clocks
(preferably foreign)

from soviet vintage etsy shop


2. bell jars

3. vintage rubber stamps

from heliopsis etsy store

4. cameras

from my collection

5. old well-loved teddy bears

from hindsvik's vintage etsy shop

. . . . .

what are you
collecting?

. . . . .

some wonderful
collectors:

camilla engman

abbytrysagain

lisa congdon

oh bara

heather smith jones

have a
lovely week.
xo

sunday morning

there's
something
so quiet
and
relaxing
about
sunday mornings.
i always
think of
this song.

sunday morning
brings the dawn in
it's just a restless feeling by my side

the city
slowly wakes
up
from
the
revelry
of
the night before
and
the sad
realization
of work
the following
day.
there is
the desire
to savor
the free
morning
before
it all begins
again.

grub
and i
trade off
making
a slow
and lazy breakfast
because
grub
hates
going out
for brunch.
so we rarely do.

grub
often makes
french toast.
one of my favorite
things
to make
is the easiest.
my mother made it
for sunday
breakfast
when we
were growing up.

early dawning
sunday morning
it's all the streets you crossed, not so long ago

i am not sure
where she got
the recipe
but it is
so simple
and
so tasty.

she called it
a
mexican souffle.
my alaskan friend
nicknamed it
vegetarian seal
because
it's the kind
of breakfast
you could
survive the whole day on.

here's the recipe:
mexican souffle



ingredients:
6 large eggs
8 oz sour cream
~ 1 cup salsa (just enough to cover the bottom of dish)
~ 1 cup cheese
(cheddar, monterey jack, pepperjack,
whatever goes with your salsa)

directions:
* pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
(you'll need about a 9 inch dish)
* cover bottom of the dish with salsa.
i like to use grub's tomatillo salsa
(if you want his recipe,
you'll have to ask him)



* sprinkle cheese on salsa liberally.
i am very generous with the cheese
* in a seperate bowl, beat the 6 eggs with a wisk.
after they are well beaten,
add sour cream and beat until smooth.
*pour egg/sour cream mixture slowly
over the salsa & cheese layers.



* place carefully in oven
* cook for ~45-50 minutes
or until brown and the middle is firm.
* serve immediately.

this also reheats great
in the microwave
for breakfast
the rest of the week.

eat...



enjoy...

your
sunday morning.

xo

a w a k e

i awoke
this morning
before light.
there was
barely
enough milk
for tea
but i
was still
out the door
by seven.
unusual.
by 7:30
the metro
surfaced
to cross
the potomac.
it was beautiful.
i was lucky
enough
to have
my polaroid
ready
and i was
somehow
awake enough
{or my
instincts
kicked in}
and
i snapped
this photo.

this weekend
grub and i
hope to take
a drive
out to
the countryside.
it's finally
warm
again in dc.
i want to
see new
things.
new old
things.
barns
and
silos
and
railroad
tracks.

i want
to enjoy
what i have.
food.
a bed.
a home.
my friends
and family are safe.
my heart,
like you,
is heavy
for
the people
of
haiti.
i can't
even
imagine...

i wish that
i had
more to give.
it may not
be much
but i am
giving 20%
of the sale
of anything
in
my shop
to doctors
without
borders.

hope you have
a lovely
weekend.

xo

2 0 0 9

. . . . .

j a n u a r y


inauguration.
i feel hope.
after a long hopeless time.

baby fifi is born.


f e b r u a r y



a room of one's own.
visiting my brother
in nyc
for valentines.


m a r c h


sea ranch.
grub & west coast pony.
she teaches us to jump.
and we jump.


a p r i l


danish night.
our 11th anniversary.

baby luca is born.


m a y


falling in love with bees.


yearly trip to yarn mecca.


j u n e


grub gets his LEED.
i turn 35. gulp.

baby ruth is born.


j u l y



field work.
bee yard.
my sister visits.
we all go moth collecting.

layoffs
at school.
our lab is decimated.
i learn to hate academia.


a u g u s t



meeting in
new mexico.
my mother & aunt
join me.


s e p t e m b e r


weekend walks
with grub.


meeting in mexico.
an amazing adventure
with grub.
grub turns 37.


o c t o b e r


visiting nyc.
missing friends.
a lot.


halloween!


n o v e m b e r


lab moving.
just coping.


d e c e m b e r



trying
to get rid of
things.
simplify.
finally.

. . . . .

thank you
for visiting
my blog
this year.

happy
new year
friends.
xo