- Image from Two Straight Lines-

I just have to share this post- it is pretty freaking smart-

http://twostraightlines.typepad.com/two_straight_lines/2007/09/minimalist-bird.html#comments



Excess? Indeed. Everywhere. And I am guilty of daydreaming about it- thankfully, our one-income budget keeps me from over-indulging.

I am guilty of encouraging it, too, as a designer/artist who sells stuff. Buy this! Buy mine! Put it in your home! Buy more!



One thing I have been conscious of for a long time, though, is the notion of buying for keeps. Like, lifetime keeps. Buy the best thing that you really love and plan on keeping it for a long, long time. Use it and enjoy it. Love it. Let it find roots in your home, in your visual identity.



Shoot- daydreaming again- minutes have gone by and I've been mentally writing a "contract" that customers have to sign when they make a purchase at a shop called "For Keeps". How great would this be- "I, the undersigned, here do solemnly swear that I am making this purchase for keeps. I promise that I have thought a lot about it, and I seriously love my purchase, and I plan on keeping it in my possession for a very long time. I am not making this purchase for the cheap thrill of impulsive consumerism. I am making it because I truly love it, find a connection with it, and/or plan on putting it to use for many years ahead. I promise I will not get rid of it just because it doesn't "go" with a decorating trend I am following. If I do become tired of it or need to get rid of it, I promise to donate it to a charity, give it to someone who needs it more than I do, or loves it at least as much as I do. Signed, ______________ "



For Keeps... this would be a great shop. I wonder if Courtney from Two Straight Lines would consign her minimalist gourd birdhouses with me? :)

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On being tagged...

Eva tagged me to share 8 things about myself that you might not know... egads! And this is perfect timing- truly- it has been a rough summer, and I have been struggling with where to begin again with blogging. Thank you Eva, for giving me a much-needed push!


1. I have an unreasonable fear of being chased. I hated playing tag when I was a kid, and only excelled at sports where the opponents were always where I could see them (tennis, volleyball, air hockey, bring it on! Basketball, soccer, even baseball- forget it). If my husband walks up behind me with loud footsteps, or the dog runs behind me into the house, I damn near hyperventilate and fall to the ground in the fetal position. I am that lame.

2. I have never seen Gilligan's Island, but the actress who played Marianne lives in our valley, and I've seen her dressed as Ginger on a float in the 4th of July parade. People think this is funny, but since I've never seen the show...

3. I have a serious weakness for Cheetos, puffed or crunchy.

4. My first job after college was as a furniture & interior designer at a shop on Beverly Blvd in West Hollywood. Stephen Gaghan & I had a madly flirtatious relationship while he obsessed over a coffee table- we were mere breaths away from dating, and then he made the critical mistake of telling me I reminded him of his ex-wife. Buh-bye. Two years later I was watching the Oscars, and he walked onstage to accept an Oscar for best adapted screenplay or something- maybe for Traffic? Yeah, I had NO IDEA that's what he meant when he said he was a writer.

5. I'm a Christian. Heck, I'm helping to start a church. Double heck, I'm the chair of the Adult Ed committee- and no one is more shocked by this than me!

6. I used to dye my hair a color called Carribbean Mahogany, and I picked the color for the name cause I thought it was so funny for a furniture desiger geek to, you know- haha- sigh. I was a geek.

7. I worked in the buying offices for a kabillion-$ retailer based in Menomonee Falls, WI, and it was heinous. Made some great friendships, but the place, the retailer, 99% of the 3500 people in that hellish place- heinous. Picture Devil Wears Prada, only in a grey expanse of a building with people who shopped for fashion in the malls.

8. I would drink 2 pots of coffee and 2 pots of tea a day if I could.

Bonus nugget! 9. I just came back from a trip to Montreal!


I believe I'm supposed to tag other people, but Miss Lovely is waking up so maybe I'll tag people next time-

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a little tangle

As it turns out, making tangles that look like tangles is not as easy as one would think.

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Tangled Up

After a little sketching on an empty brain, I carved up this nice tangle. I really, really am beginning to love this lino thing- and the printing is so fun! The subtle variations in the ink make my heart jump. All these tanlges are clearly the same, but they all have a little personality- do you know what I mean?

I think there will be many more tangles to come. Just a hunch. But what to do with them? I often resort to messy circles a la spirograph when I have a pen & paper and nothing coming out. And I have surely been feeling tangled lately. But really- WHAT to do with them? Cards that say "What a mess"? I'd buy that- it would crack me up. But would anyone else crack up?

Wouldn't tangles be neat-o beads? Has anyone ever seen anything like this? I think I might be tangling some thread tonight. (Dang. I'm old and boring- I'll be tangling thread on a Friday night- woohoo! par-tay!)

Will keep you posted of developments as they untangle themselves from my brain.

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how cool are these???

From Domino magazine's blog.... Wishes in the Sky! Chinese lanterns that you light and they float up into the sky. The company sells them in boxes of ten along with a marker, you are supposed to write a message to heaven, and the lantern will carry it up for you.

I love it. I wish I could send one up every night...

inspiration overload!

I have been a big, big fan of Rae Dunn's work since my husband & I went for coffee one night when we were dating. We were sitting in the shop on Prospect Ave, having a big, wonderful discussion about our big picture goals, regrets, hopes & wishes. I was wearing my favorite camel coat with the industrial sized snaps, and it was snowy. I knew I loved him, and definitely wanted to marry him, but this night made those feelings multiply by at least 843- we weren't just dreamy and lovey-dovey, we were honest about our faults but filled with hope nonetheless. Anything- everything- seemed possible.

My lovely date said he would go get the car, and I wandered through the tea pots and mugs and tee-shirts absent-mindedly in the shop... and then bam! Two mugs that absolutely encapsulated that perfect date were sitting right in front of me- ivory, perfectly imperfectly shaped and simply stamped, one with the word "create" and the other "begin".

I presented them as a prize that night, and they are cozily tucked into our kitchen- still very much prizes.

The mugs were designed by Rae Dunn, and I found more of her work and just went nuts for it. Wabi sabi, simple, lovely, heartfelt and not too cute (know what I mean?)- it is all just right. When I finally got to open my (now defunct) shop, I was all excited that I could sell her work from Magenta Inc- but darn it, my pal Hayden up the street had beaten me to the punch.

Ok- my point is this- I just discovered that Rae has a blog, and she is just as wonderful as you would hope of someone whose work you admire. Indeed, I am on inspiration overload!

Even more overload? As if this isn't enough? Rae & her friend Basak just launched a new line of letterpress goods. They, too, are just right.

bookish bag

Update: This project was posted a few weeks back, but I wanted to share it with WhipUppers! In a nutshell, it is a library tote & the design references (ha ha) books on a shelf.

I pieced 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inch wide strips of fabric for the books & added length of my background fabric (white) to extend to the top of the bag. I simply folded the sewn strips in half & stitched up the sides to create the tote. I added a lining with a pocket & a nice long strap.... voila. Read on for the rest of the story!

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Am so excited to share this!

Will be giving it as a belated gift to my mother for mother's day tomorrow when we arrive home for a visit. Finally can write about it!

My mother works in tech services in a library, and she is forever lugging books back & forth. In keeping with the library theme, the design is based on a shelf of books. Can you tell? It's lined, and I have one little pocket for a libray card inside.

I adore this bag- so, so fun to make! I love wing-it sewing projects- no pattern, just a spark of an idea and go! Wouldn't this be great as a quilt?! One "shelf" of books stretching across the top (or bottom?) of the blanket? For a quilt, this might work better as applique.

This blog will be very quiet until we return... happy June!

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I'm on a roll!

Ok, I'm turning into an aceo geek. Added this little embroidered number to the shop, too!

What I love is that they are small enough that I can finish an idea while little Miss Lovely takes a nap. Have I mentioned that she rarely naps longer than 45 minutes? Often only once a day?

We're heading back to the land of beer to visit family... fingers crossed we get to go here! But I adore this place too... there were many, many lingering breakfasts & dinners there when we were dating...

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