Don't you hate it when people say TGIF? I can't help but think of chicken tenders

I do sincerely despise the phrase TGIF. Yes, I enjoy the weekends. And yes, I sometimes enjoy an extreme quesedilla appetizer from the aforementioned chain restaurant. I just can't help but think of Office Space. TGIF? Are you wearing your flair? Does somebody have the case of the Monday's?

Penny Lane and I will be working through the weekend, so TGIF doesn't even apply to me these days. Well, I will be working. Penny will be sleeping, eating, whining for attention occasionally, and generally doing her dog thing. We had a little photo session today to break up the increasing length of my to do list. How's that for time management?

Back in the saddle

I have been MIA for the past few days because my mom was in the hospital again, it seems like it is finally determined what has been going on with her. We are relieved for that, but I getting back into the swing of things has been a challenge post holiday, and post family emergency. But here I am again, trying to get back in the saddle.

My office space is in my kitchen, and my dining table is usually my desk, unless I am having people over for dinner. My office was completely dismantled over the holidays, and although I began working again (I work from home), I had not gotten it all set up. Today's project - Mission Office Organization.
I have been on the hunt for the perfect desk lamp for a long time. I found this one at the thrift store for $3, and spray painted the shade kelly green. It's awesome because it's small and portable, so when I need to do the old office switcheroo, it folds up and I can put it on my printer cart and roll everything out.
I am doing new "To Do List" method, I got one of those giant post it pads and some markers, and I have a gigantic poster sized list on my fridge. I think checking things off and seeing the list get shorter that way will help me feel like I am actually getting things accomplished. I bought old school Mr. Sketch markers, you know - the kind that smell like cherries and licorice. Sooo retro. It takes me back to elementary school. Those were always the markers everyone went for!

So now that my space is pretty organized (I still have a big stack of papers to file, but that will be for another day) I'm hoping to really be off and running now...let's cross our fingers.

"Severe" winter weather

As anyone knows who lives in the South, we all hunker down at the slightest chance of snow. Milk and bread flies of the shelves of the grocery stores, schools close, and the local news cranks out hours and hours of coverage from their "severe winter weather" teams. The truth? We got some snow. We got some ice. It's probably not safe to drive on the roads. But "severe"? I think not. However, since everyone is staying in today, I think we should take a tip from Penny Lane and just curl up in bed with a good book. (If you are wondering what Penny is reading these days, it's Cuba Diaries: An American Housewife in Havana in preparation for my trip there this summer. She likes to stay abreast of international culture.)
Penny was none too happy this morning when she had to go outside. She has gotten a taste of winter this year for sure. I haven't seen her dash back inside that quickly in a long time. And she went immediately back to her favorite spot, curled up in the laundry that I have had every good intention of doing.
It is legitimate snow, however, and it is nice to feel like we got a real winter. I know my NYC and Philly friends will disagree that the snow is enjoyable, as they have been buried for far too long.
But for today, below the Mason Dixon, we have a lovely, quiet winter's morn. Maybe I'll make some french toast with all that milk and bread.

To Ugg or not to Ugg

On my quest to discover new blogs and to ponder the purchase of a pair of gray Uggs, I stumbled upon something that has changed my life and I know will change yours - Polyvore. Am I the only one who hasn't found this yet? If you are unlearned in the ways of Photoshop and Illustrator as I am, this will totally make your day. You can make sets of photos from all over the web, in fashion like I have done here, or you could even do some virtual interior designing like How About Orange did here. C'est un triomphe.

This is a look that I basically rock every day. I'm predictable like that. And old, and set in my ways. Jeans, tank top, long cardigan, big old earrings and a comfy scarf. And boots. But my boots are not so comfy, so I'm thinking of some boots like this. Now that I can see the Uggs...should I buy the Uggs? I have been pondering this a long time. As much as my feet are dying to be in them, is it too Pamela Anderson in a cut off jean skirt?

This post brought to you by the letter N

ow that I've got your attention, I wanted to share two wonderful things with you and one giant obsession of mine. I love, love, love a monogram. I think I have excessive N's around my house - a magnet on the fridge, a giant wooden N salvaged from a "Hollywoodland" sign from a college play, a white metal N in my entryway found at an antique store. Much like my love of spray paint, wood grain contact paper, and anything with a bird theme, maybe I need an intervention. On to the two wonderful things, not unrelated to my loves. This page where you can get free Daily Drop Caps like the N on this post, which I found from a very cool blog called How About Orange. How fun! I know it's post holiday gift wrapping season, but here's one of her great tutorials on how to make a gift bow out of a magazine page - for your next gift wrapping emergency. Although, if you are anything like me, you saved all your bows from your Christmas presents.

New shoe clips unveiled (drumroll, please)

he clock is ticking and the vacation will be officially over in about 9 hours! Back to the grind. I love my job, so it's not so much that, but I won't have the same kind of free time to craft, paint, cook, rearrange stuff, and hit every thrift store in town like I have done over the holiday break. One of the things I did make time to do was to create new shoe clips for my Etsy shop. Each pair is unique, so when I make them, I like to have at least half a day to take out all of my fabric and trimmings and just play. I did some shopping for vintage fabric, buttons, and beads on my vacation, so I gathered all of that up and had some fun. Check all of them out here.

Happy New Year

"And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been."

-Rainer Maria Wilke

Wishing you every good thing this new year. I'm kicking it off in grand style by cleaning my bathroom like it has never been cleaned before. I'm talking scrubbing the floors by hand, here.
This will happen no more than once a year, twice at most, I assure you. We're good for the next six months. And there's nothing quite like the feeling of having a big basket of fresh white towels.
I had a long vacation and lots of down time, and it's time to kick it back into gear again. I made a whole bunch of new shoe clips that I am starting to post on my Etsy shop, too! New shoes for a brand new year. Hope your holidays were amazing. I'm looking forward to a fantastic 2010 full of adventures and surprises.

Twas the night after Christmas

The night after Christmas. Whew, it was a whirlwind of holiday activity around here. My work week was absolutely insane, cramming all of December's work in preparation for a very busy new year...into two days or so. When it was finally over, and I was just kicking a touch of the flu, it was Christmas Eve.
How did it get here so quickly? The days on the advent calendar flew by. Regretfully, I found myself shopping on Christmas Eve. I blame my brother, who was doing about 90% of his shopping that day. A mild day turned into full blown winter as I went to Ross in search of a tin for baked goods. Kids screaming, a 20 minute wait in line, and the store looked like it had virtually been looted. The redeeming point of the day were the two Santas I spotted, one the jolliest Christmas crackhead ever strutting in his green pants, red t-shirt, santa hat, and leather pimp coat. The other was a lady Santa wearing a red jumpsuit almost cut to her naval, and black knee high patent leather boots. Classy. She was clearly shopping for more than gifts.
This is the shopping list of a person with a craft problem. I had a few last minute crafty things I wanted to do before the holidays, and a few that I will just have to file away for next year. My family comes over to my house on Christmas Eve for dinner, so I had a table to set. I tried to do it mostly with things I had around the house already.
I had every aspiration to make a tablecloth or at least napkins out of this pink floral fabric for a Christmas table. The best laid plans often go awry. In the end, I found a red floral tablecloth at Ross for $9 on clearance. It would have been $80 at least at Anthropologie and looks almost just like one I have been eying there. I used the snowflake doilies again, reused the votives from Hanukkah, and got some new green napkins. It has been Project Kitchen Upgrade around here. I feel like I'm too old to still be using the hand me down utensils and worn out linens anymore. My stocking was stuffed with spatulas, a fancy basting brush, and serving spoons. We survived the shopping, and went to the candle light service at church, which was lovely as always. There was a flamenco dancer in the service! Back at my house, we ate the traditional Italian sausage and fried potatoes and had the obligatory screening of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. This an essential holiday tradition.
My brother and I slept in and made our way over to my parent's house. We opened presents, had lox and bagels and my dad's insanely strong coffee for breakfast, and cooked meat and sauce and lasagna all day. It was a feast.
I got wonderfully lovely and thoughtful gifts. I am so very blessed. I also learned that a dear friend is going to have a bambino, and my best friend got engaged over the holidays. Many wonderful milestones to come this year.
My favorite gift was the one I gave my mother, a print of this photograph she took of my grandmothers hands. I played with the coloring and put it in a beautiful frame with a mat. It was so gorgeous I wanted to keep it. She really loved it.

I have promised myself that I will not work until Monday at the earliest. I am on vacation until the 4th, and I couldn't be more in need of a break. I have a to do list that I have to accomplish to be ready for the new year, but I have a whole week to do it. Until then, I'm turning off the alarm, may unleash the crafty beast a time or two, and generally taking it easy.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay

The giant old tree in front of my house bit the dust today. It was about 75% dead, limbs dropping all the time, and it was really time to pull the plug. So the tree-climber-cutter-downers, which you could call urban lumberjacks, arrived early this morning, strapped in to a harness and scaled the tree. I decided to stay and work at my desk in the front window, and was entertained until a limb swung from a rope uncomfortably close to the glass. I ducked out and came home to find a guy half up the tree and a gigantic pile of limbs blocking the front door. I squeezed in and tried to mentally block the drone of the chainsaws until it got dark. It's sad to see the old tree go. The lumberjacks showed me where the tree had been struck by lightning years ago, you could see the impact on the rings and the way the tree was starting to grow over it. The stumps and big slices of the trunk are scattered in the yard, which a guy will come and grind up tomorrow. Hasta luego, Mr. Tree.

You'll have to pry this glitter out of my cold, dead hands

Much like my fun with turquoise spray paint this fall, I have excessively used this fantastic mint green glitter from Martha Stewart. It is subtle and a super fine grain, and don't we all love sparkly deep down? I have glued and glittered and my porch has a green metallic sheen that will probably last until spring. I recycled my fall pine cones and used card stock and white paper strips to make the trees inspired by my trip to the NYC Anthropologie flagship store on Park Ave.

Oh, Charlton Heston. Maybe I should start a National Glitter Association.

It's all in the wrist

Last night was the final evening of Hanukkah. My family came over to my house to eat and celebrate. I have gifted myself with some new kitchen things for the holidays, first some white dishes from Ikea, which were $20 for a set of dinner plates, salad plates, and bowls for six. I decorated the table with a turquoise twin sheet, also purchased at Ikea for $5, snowflake-like doilies from the dollar store for $5, and napkins and votive holders from Big Lots for $10. The place cards were a total find at Publix when I was finishing up my grocery shopping. Total cost for tableware that I will use again for Christmas Eve - $35. Considering that my dishes previously were cobbled together from a set I had in college that is missing most of the pieces, a few from the thrift store, and some plastic ones from Target, this is a big step for me.
Of course, Hanukkah must include latkes. The technique is all in the wrist. You eat a lot of fried food, partly because the oil is symbolic of the lamp oil that lasted for eight nights, and also just because it is delicious. My mom is a master latke maker, which you must serve with applesauce and sour cream.
Penny Lane was tormented while we cooked and ate, especially because I made a new recipe for brussel sprouts with pancetta. Like a good part Jew puppy (it's legit from your mother's bloodline, so she's covered), she sniffed and snacked on crumbs all around the stove and the latkes fried. She was a maniac.
The brussel sprouts were sooooo good. It's a Nigella recipe from the Food Network. Words cannot express how delicious these are. Even if you don't like brussel sprouts, you will love these. Pancetta is like $10 a pound, so I considered just using bacon, but it was totally worth it. I left out the chestnuts and parsley but it was still amazing.
The evening was rounded out with a little dreidel spinning and gambling with chocolate gelt. We played "high stakes" dreidel, the competition was vicious. I'm kind of sad Hanukkah is over, I really enjoyed it this year. Even though I stumbled over the Hebrew readings, I got better and it was nice to spend some time each night with my heritage and remembering those who came before me.

Yarn wreath with glittered sparrow now on sale in my Etsy shop

I decided to list the winter yarn wreath I created on my Etsy shop. You can view it here.

Eight crazy nights - night 6, and an advent stole

This is my first Hanukkah where I have lit the candles and said the readings every night on my own. It's really lovely and meditative. My Hebrew sounds like I'm a 2nd grader but at least I'm trying. I have learned a few things, though. I was basically doing it all wrong, oops. The candles are put in right to left, and you don't have all of them on there at the same time. One gets added each day, but the middle one always stays. You learn something new every day.
I promised a stole for my friend Jeannie for advent this year. She had seen one from another artist that inspired this one. Mine isn't all that technically advanced. I sketched used a heavy felt backing cut and sewed it into a V shape. The designs are basically a fabric collage, but I used fabric glue. The tassels make it look legit, though, I think.

I sketched it out and figured out the measurements. The essential design element are, first, the pregnant Mary with her hands on her belly. And the roses on the side make me think of the song "Lo, How a Rose E'r Blooming". I was also totally enamored with a children's story by Ken Medema growing up called "The Story of April". There was a song with the chorus -

Bring me a rose in the wintertime

When it's hard to find

Bring me a rose in the wintertime

I've got roses on my mind

For a rose is sweet most any time, and yet

Bring me a rose in the wintertime

How easy we forgot

I really love the stole and was blessed be able to make it. The message for me is really expectation, hope, and that joy is always approaching. I hope Jeannie likes it, too.

Home town tour

I was out and about this weekend and decided to do a little tour of where I live. I am inside the Atlanta city limits, but just adjacent to City of Decatur, the cutest little town within a big city. It's just four and a half square miles. People who live here are very specific to say "City of Decatur" instead of just Decatur, they are a bit snobbish that way. But, I have lived here for around six years now, and I love it. I get the anonymity of the city and a small town feel at the same time. Here's the giant water tower with the city logo, which is also plastered all over the place in town.This is downtown Decatur, where there is great boutique shopping, coffee shops, pubs, condos, the most bad ass yogurt shop ever (they have Captain Crunch and Nutella as toppings).
And here's my church, I doctored up the photo a little bit. Ooooh, mysterious. We had our Moravian love feast at church on Sunday night. It's like an advent celebration with lots of choral music, carols, and the youth pass out coffee and sweet buns. I volunteered to bake a batch this year, and they took literally 5 hours to make. It was pretty intense for a Sunday afternoon. But the house smelled delicious, and I love kneading dough. Here's the bread rising...

The pinnacle of my crafting career

I was inspired by KnockKnocking on Etsy to make a yarn wreath. It took forever to wrap the yarn neatly around the wreath form, but it was totally worth it. I made a few yarn flowers and attached a vintage button in the center. I also made some rosettes of of lace, some snowflakes, and the cute little glittered bird. I think the chandelier glass in the center really makes it special. OK, so maybe I got carried away with the glue gun and some little rhinestones and a few feathers, I bedazzled it quite a bit, but it's sparkly and fun. I also love that I can leave it up post-holiday. I'm already envisioning how sad my bare my apartment is going to look after Christmas.
I'm considering putting this guy up on my Etsy shop, I had so much fun with it I would love to make another.

Lighting the lights

It's the first day of Hanukkah. We celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah in my house, so we've got candles and latkes until sundown next Friday. Here are the lights around my house tonight.
And here's the Hanukkah bush, miraculously just like a Christmas tree. It's going undercover this week.
I'm spending the weekend with friends and family, and baking buns for the Moravian love feast at church Sunday night. The buns take five hours to make. I've made them once and as I remember, they weren't that fantastic, but I have to use this traditional recipe they gave me. Bread making is always therapeutic, though, so Sunday afternoon I will be laundering and baking.

My Top Ten Christmas Movies

Here are my all time favorites...

1. Pee Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special – While Pee Wee was controversial after that unfortunate movie theater incident, this show was one of my favorites growing up. I watched it every Saturday afternoon and still have the entire 1988 season on VHS. I don’t have a VHS player anymore, but that’s beside the point. This should be in everyone’s holiday film repertoire. You can’t go wrong with guest stars like Cher, Oprah, Magic Johnson, Dina Shore, Joan Rivers, Grace Jones, and Frankie and Anette.
2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – You cannot escape Christmas Eve with my family without eating Italian sausage and fried potatoes, and watching Christmas Vacation. It never fails. “The little lights aren’t twinkling, Clark.”
3. Home Alone – My little brother was obsessed with this movie. We decided it was a must watch this year, but agreed to wait to watch it together. We did take a few sneak peeks on Hulu, though. Kevin!!!
4. Bad Santa – Billy Bob Thornton as burger Santa and a chubby kid looking for love. My favorite part is when he eats all the kid’s chocolates from his advent calendar and replaces it with random things from around the house.
5. The Family Stone – I have a soft spot for most of the actors in this movie. It’s a little cheesy, but the cast is fantastic. Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, Luke Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and my favorite My So Called Life-r Claire Danes.
6. Home for the Holidays – Who doesn’t relate to awkward family holidays?
7. The Muppet Christmas Carol – The Muppets make anything worth watching.
8. A Christmas Story – The classic scenes make this totally worth it to watch again. Who can forget “You’re going to shoot your eye out!” and the Christmas dinner at the Chinese restaurant. “Deck the harrs with barrs of horrry, fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra.”
9. Elf – Because I love Will Ferrell.
10. Scrooged – Because I love Bill Murray.

Post office mayhem and making cards

It took me three attempts at the post office (and TWO post offices) to finally get my stamps so I could mail all my holiday cards. I work from home, so I even got to go at odd hours when I thought there would be less people in line, but no luck. Here was my mistake - using old first class stamps that needed that little extra postage to make them legit. I went out of my way to a post office that I knew had a kiosk where I could just buy from the machine and be on my merry way, but after standing in line for that machine, I found out you can't even buy them there. So I waited, and waited, and waited and finally purchased my 2 cent stamps from the postal worker who appeared to have checked his personality at the door.
The view from the post office in Little Five Points, across from the Junkman's Daughter, which I used to think was the mecca of cool when I was in high school.

I made my cards again this year. I can never find cards I like in the store, I hate the generic sayings inside, too. So I got some blank cards and a new stamp at the craft store and used my embossing powder and hot air thingie that makes it all work (which is the purple phallic looking contraption there in the picture). If you have not embossed, I highly recommend it. It is minimal effort and it looks really fancy.

The paper whites emerge

I planted these paper white bulbs just after Thanksgiving in this little kit I found that had dirt, three bulbs and the aluminum planter. You have to keep them in a dark, cool place for a week or so until the leaves come up, and about two weeks later you have blooms like these. They are so pretty and they smell amazing. It's also just a nice sense of accomplishment to actually grow something!