we’re going in.

By Emily | Published: December 21, 2010














Posted in CREATIVE, decorating, HOUSEHOLD ISSUES, i'm dying, kitchen | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

all is calm.

By Emily | Published: December 20, 2010

Something has recently settled down a bit – and I can only hope it has an internal affect in me as well.

Awhile back I started out with a disaster of a home office area—


no space to work, and piles on top of piles.

Then after some tedious painful steps, I got to this—


much better.

I appreciated this shift, but being that this desk is actually a kitchen island it’s just not quite the right fit—my knees run right into the desk if I want that chair pushed in at all. Meant for snacking at, not for this work I claim to be doing here.

And yes, all is bright. Calm? No. I’ve found this little desire for a space with a bit more of a peaceful feel to it with this constant war on paper and some of the to do’s in life.

Changes I made. I turned a corner to some balance and tranquility. Calling for even a shift in font – something a bit more quiet in nature.

Enjoy your scroll down—


ahhhh. Home sweet home.

I love love how this aqua bookcase is just the right nook for my Mac to nestle into. (Aqua bookcase? No, you didn’t miss a post of me painting another item aqua. This one came house ready – credit to Julie. Funny story – she purchased an aqua piece and tried to claim it as her own. Somehow in all the comings and goings it ends up at my place. Maybe we’ve all learned a lesson here friends and can save ourselves some hauling if we just move forward with a policy that all aqua pieces come directly to my door.)

Something else worth noting—paper, printer, pens and pencils—come on! I have a shelf dedicated to just these things—and they all start with P. If that isn’t tidy—what is??? Now maybe with it being so very clear I can respect the boundary: don’t put here unless it starts with the letter P. And maybe I start developing the Same Letter System to other parts of my home – towels, tea, trifold, tissues, and tape – all on one shelf. Let’s do another – books, bat, blanket, buttons, and baskets….or fabric, folders, felt, flowers, flashlight… or makeup, movies, money, measuring tape….hmmm….what have I just stumbled upon here?

So far it appears I can focus a bit more as I sit here. (Can’t you tell just by reading this?)

And if I start to go bonzi with 18 windows open at once and every paper imaginable in front of me, I have found it helps just to stare at the slow movement of the second hand on that creamy old fashioned clock and sink my eyes into the soothing colors of the Readers Digest books. The books also serve the fine purpose of hiding some of those annoying computer related devices – that back up drivey thing and a cord or two or ten.

And this couldn’t have come at a better time—the week before Christmas.

So if I start to freak out friends…

just send me to my corner.

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Posted in CREATIVE, decorating, HOUSEHOLD ISSUES, me | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

week three: wrapping

By Emily | Published: December 17, 2010

So this week we feature a wrapped gift.

Is that what people are doing? Wrapping gifts? (Already???) I see you did it—and in style I might add Ms. Julie.

Tonight I go to a Christmas Party and I am thrilled from head to toe. Would love to bring a little something to this lovely lady of the house….but it needs to come from inside. No getting out today to hunt down a little something.

While Mr. C naps I pace and wonder. I come up with an idea that’s a bit off the beaten path, but go with me.

First step: fire starters.


Supplies needed: wood chips, some pieces of an old candle and some kind of fire-burning container; I used a cupcake holder.


Put the candle wax in a tin can of any sort and let it melt down.


Pour into the cups. The wax set in the fridge in about a 1/2 hour.


Gather up some wood from one of trees out back. Hah! Ok – we just happen to have a small wood pile out back – thanks to Papa. As I go outdoors and rummage through the assorted sizes I feel so very rustic—like, aren’t I a hardy soul so connected with nature!

Yes, pathetic. I was outside for 1 minute.

Now how to wrap this baby up? The wood already has it’s perfect shade of brown bark…just toss it all in a grocery bag?

No. Hmmm….

I find an aqua bankers box cover that hasn’t had it’s match in quite some time. (Yes, save these odd items friends! Save one and all!) Bending it this way and that – and running some gold string through and around….let’s see if this can work.


Yay! The wrapping holds it’s own weight in gold. Love when a gift is transportable. I am a sucker for things with a handle.

I make it the the carpool stop fashionably late and we head off to our evening in the country. We pull up this drive and I think we really have made it to the North Pole—or are we on a movie set? Camera ready I make the dear friends stop so we can snap a photo.


I enter and don’t want to leave. I hope to give you an inside view soon….

One thing to note: rumor had it that this home inhabits a real fireplace. That was declared as false, it’s gas. Luckily she graciously received the host warming gift and plans to use it at her cabin or bring to a friends home.

The other bonus of this gift? It works for those people who have everything – it all goes in the fire with the light of a match. And if nothing else, you are providing a bit of a break on their heating bill.

How fun to add some hot cocoa or red wine to really get the home fires burning. Something to keep in mind if you ever want to heat things up with a certain someone…

Stay warm friends.

That’s a wrap.

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Posted in CREATIVE, homespun, how to, party, thoughtful | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

it’s all how you look at it.

By Emily | Published: December 14, 2010


Whirly and swirly, she feels fully alive and warm by the presence of snow. She takes it in.

-or-

Eyes squinting in the harsh wind she roams around the parking lot freaking out as there is no sight of her car. Or any car for that matter.


Her words are carried by the whisper of the wind. “To love like this is all the warmth I need. Tom and I are to be married come the first sign of spring. Yes, upon the first sign.”

-or-

“I snuck a flask into the PTA meeting today….sshhhh, don’t tell. Especially Tom.”


“Let’s head back inside sweetie for a a cup of hot chocolate and story time by the fire.”

-or-

“I have been yelling for you to come inside for 20 minutes—now I had to drag myself out here—no fig pudding for you—none!”

Stars Falling by Julianna Sweeney
Sincerely You and Winter Solstice by Aimee Sicuro

And yes, there is something very wrong with me, or very right. Depending on how you want to look at it.

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Posted in art, funny, me, thoughtful | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

the stars align.

By Emily | Published: December 12, 2010



I like others, love paper. And a new take on a wreath? Love that too.

Here’s a clever idea from Little Birdie Secrets I came across. How fun! You have all the control over the colors – whether traditional green and red, or let’s say….maybe aqua and gold.

If anyone has the time, and the right paper cutting system – give it a go. For step by directions, just click here.

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Posted in CREATIVE, homespun, how to, she made it/might, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

week two: homemade

By Emily | Published: December 9, 2010

What gift to give this group of women…??? It needs to be special. Very. These women hold so much on other’s behalf.

A symbol of some kind…?

What could that be…?

The string of ideas from one to another lead Jen and I to getting out a pile of extra upholstery fabric.


We get a feel for the fabric and wonder.

Could we?

Well, you could. I can’t.

Ok, I do. Your right. I have. Well, just a little bit.

You will?

Yes!! That’s it.

And off to work we went.




This is so her! Let’s save this to go with that. Or is it better that with this? I move things to and fro and back again.


And Jen would get it jussssst right. We make a perfect combination.

Another great combination??


Not only does she invite me into her home, and attempt to keep me in line— she has warm oat scones ready. To top it off—yes! Butter, and jelly, and honey.


And mocha.

Jen’s cross stitch. Her attention to detail deserves some attention—look closely.


My cross stitch. Just scroll down and get it over with—fast.


Now are you ready?


Hip—


Hip—


Hooray!!!!

So fun. Handmade-hip-slinging-cute-as-a-button-bags.

For all that each of these women hold.

—

Posted in CREATIVE, fashion, full caf, homespun, me, thoughtful | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

tiny trees.

By Emily | Published: December 7, 2010

We are blasting into December full speed people. Like there are rumors of January up and coming. I’m going to hang out in the Christmas spirit for awhile, and I am among friends, hope you can join us in between whatever madness you are up to on your end of the world.

So tree raising happened last week, that sure was fun.

After that blast of energy came and went I was left with this one little awe inspiring moment—so obvious—so clear that I wondered how did I never think of this before??? Surely someone has, if not all of you.

Being that I have a love for the sparse Charlie Brown tree I had left over branches.

Hmmm….

Greenery. Just sitting there.

I love spruce tops, but just don’t have the cash flow during (“the most expensive time of the yeaarr… There’ll be parties worth hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the snow….”) this time of the year.

And now I am thinking how many sad topless spruces are out there.

I’m kidding. I know they don’t just cut the tops off!!! (right??)

So hmmm….these branches.

I have planters that have this slight hue of aqua to them—


That I then painted another shade of aqua awhile back—


Using a piece of mulch nearby to get that messy I-didn’t-try-but-we-all-know-it-actually-took-some-trying look.

I have blue ball jars.

Extra tree branches.

The retro blue decorations.


I am liking this little collection of blue blue and more blue. A happy little moment.


Thanks for taking a peek into what I’ve been up to over here. Hoping you are having some happy moments yourself – whether little, or big; and regardless of whether there is any shade of blue involved.

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Posted in decorating, how to, me, painting | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

i’m back!

By Emily | Published: December 6, 2010

Sorry about that.

Truly.

For the cyber bullies and their attempt to hack our site, I am not sorry to you.

For the Comcast power outage crash that affected consumers in 3 states, one of which I happen to live in.

For all the sleeping I’ve done.

For the laundry I got caught up on.

To my dear readers, as in anyone who has ever skimmed over or scrolled down my lane; you have my sincere apologies. I sure missed you. And maybe you even missed me….even just a little bit.

—

I’m back!

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Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

week one: tree

By Emily | Published: December 2, 2010



I am loving our new—very fake—very used—very cheap tree. Dboy helped me bring it out of Goodwill and into the house with the ambiance of a cold winters rain. (Dang it!)

After getting Mr. C down for a nap, I take inventory of what is what here.


The branches are all grouped and labeled with previous owner care, with color coded instructions.

Following these directions will give me that perfect tree look…

think I’ll ignore them.


I am drawn to the ole’ Charlie Brown tree. (Who isn’t?) I like seeing the negative space, and love that it allows room for the ornament to hang.

There is also the obvious point of being drawn to something that looks a bit humble in appearance—not quite up to par, overlooked, lost even. Sounds like the spirit of Christmas wouldn’t you say?

As I pick and chose branches, the fam is joining in-and-out and I get the keen sense that I’m the only one over-the-top about the less-is-more style of tree.

Hmm….what’s a creative girl to do, who is also a mother?

I toss in a few more branches on than I would of preferred. Decided not to go for the Christmas-mom-zilla award this Holiday season. No.

Still, I get by with breaking the rules, putting an H branch where the C goes (gasp!!) and with a few other misses and skips I make my way up the tree. Doing it wrong is making it—sooooo right.

Now I get to dig in storage for my long awaited treasure…


Thanks to Julie (the master finder of all things) I got hooked up with an estate sale and scored on some old aqua ornaments and tinsel. (For all of $3.00)

The whole idea of hanging up colorful round ornaments really put a twinkle in Mr. C’s eyes.

Yes, we lost a couple.

Then the big moment arrived and we all burst into song.


Ok, maybe there was no bursting.

But it is a lovely tree, even with all of it’s branches. It’s all tucked into the corner of our living room adorned quite simply with mostly blue ornaments and those lights that I grew up with— the ole’ fashioned kind. (Sorry Mr. K, I didn’t ask what kind of bulbs tug on your heartstrings.)

I recall growing up how each of the 5 siblings in my family, A,B,C,D and E (yes, I am the youngest, and yes, our names are in alphabetical order) actually picked out a bulb – calling it our own for the season. I would hold my bulb – often times it was orange in color –  all warm in my hands. I think part of that was our old house was pretty drafty, and the lights were a good source of heat. On school mornings first-things-first I would put the tree lights on, say good morning to my bulb, mix up my hot chocolate (scooping the mix from my moms big tupperware) and nibble on toast with lots of butter. That was my breakfast in the month of December. Cozy.

*

My favorite feature is the turn of the tippy top.

Is it perfect?

No.

And that makes me smile.

Now I am not the only one who’s been trimming a tree. Check out what Heaths been up to here. And Julie here.

*

It’s December friends.

Hanging in there?

Posted in celebrating, decorating, homespun | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

crying over spilt milk…

By Emily | Published: November 29, 2010

…and not just any milk.

Special steamed milk from 4bucks, with two pumps of mocha and two shots of espresso.

Dang.

And I was really moving one foot in front of the other on this rainy Monday. I went from putting clothes away in my bedroom, bathing Mr. C, cleaning the bathroom while he bathed and bathed (for over an hour!) took Dboy and Mr. C out to find a tree (stay tuned!) and with each of the parts there was a beginning and end, therefore transition, therefore a tantrum. (I won’t name names.) Holding it together I was heading toward a stoplight—I gave myself a green one and kept driving towards a well deserved cup of mocha goodness.

Something to know about me, (we all have our coffee rituals don’t we?) when I start to feel that light weight of the cup—meaning there might only be 4-5 good sips left—I start to feel a bit down. Grieving that the end is ever close.

This time I ordered it extra hot and was taking smaller sips to elongate the process, dreaming of what I would do with this jolt of energy. Getting home, I have 2/3 of the tank left, meaning another hour of joy. I set my hot cup safely on the kitchen counter and start surveying the Monday scene around here.

I then hear an innocent “ut-oh.”

It was too late. There was nothing left to salvage.

Not only was I not sipping it, I was now wiping it up.

Another tantrum ensued (I won’t name names). There was a ramble of under-the-breath-murmurs that translated something to the effect of “Ughgh!! How         *(#&%, I     come on! Give a        #*(%& break.      so          irritated! Seriously        not                 I                           believe this!”

I’ve gotta go get a kleenex.

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Posted in coffee Shop, frustrating, full caf, kid story, me, monday, Uncategorized | Tagged | 4 Comments