Also, I Want to Make This...

...in fact, I will probably try to replicate this room in the new house. D doesn't know this yet. 

D, I'm going to replicate this room in our new house.

Ok, now he knows.

It's good to have an inspiration though, right?  Then you're not blindly hoping things go together.  This way, you already know! However, the room in mind was newly painted a very nice (different) color, so I'll work with what we've got.  

 

 

{image from House Beautiful)

But isn't this quilt great?!  I am in love!

I can probably figure out this quilt pattern, but if someone already has a pattern for this, I would love it!   Anyone interested in a quilt-along? 

Shirt Refashioning

I wish I had taken before photos of these, but I am hasty and I get too excited.  I've discovered knit ribbing!  I'm not very good at using it yet, but I decided to sacrifice a few shirts to practice with.  Please do not scrutinize, they are very un-Virgo with lots of flaws. Whatever - I'm learning.

This used to be a turtleneck.  I liked the stripiness of it, but couldn't justify wearing it when the weather was nice (which is has NOT been in like 2 years - boo, San Francisco!).  But anyway, here's how I refashioned it:

This was a rather boring, ill-fitting shirt I got at the GAP for like $5. I had to take in the sides because it was frumpy (schlumpadinka, as we say 'round these parts), but that was a long time ago.  Anyhow, still not loving it, I added this yellow ribbing.  Mucho mejor. The yellow is a bit too lemony for my taste, but really, you can't please me - if it's not too boring it's too exciting.  Though I am pleased with this shirt now and maybe now I'll wear it to places other than the gym.

And this old thing, well, I still wear it to work even though I had to cut the sleeves off (put a hole in it trying to pull up the sleeves).  It worked as a 3/4 length sleeve shirt, but since it was pretty much garbage anyhow, I experimented with some colored cuffs.  I think I just added a couple months to the life of this shirt.  Nevermind that the cuffs are about 1/2" difference in length (awesome me!).  And yes, I wear garbage to work.

And this, folks, is what I do with a surprise day off.

Caution: Cuteness Overload

Oh my goodness, I am so mad!! 

Why? I am so mad that I can't take credit for the following adorablosity!  (but I will take credit for that new word, thank you)  Mud & Twig on Etsy is the genius behind this genius.

Check. These. Out.

Hand-sewn labels for your home-canned goodies!

Marmalade!

Honey?! Get me a hive, STAT!

Pickles!? Too much cute!  Look at those things!

And this, right here, would be the reason I would spend all day in a steamy kitchen canning tomatoes.  Just so I could put this label atop.  But then I would be so in love that I simply couldn't part with or open them.  It might be a problem.

You probably won't believe this, but there are even more labels in her Etsy shop, like marshmallows, lemons, pears... I know, it's ridiculous. 

I think you need to buy these.  I think I need to buy them too.  Also, I need a drink, because that was way too cute for me.

A Game-Changer

My life is forever changed! (That was slightly dramatic, wasn't it?)  I just used this stuff for the first time, and I just basted 4 quilts in one evening!!  Granted, they were baby quilts, but whatever.   I can't believe how much time I wasted pinning!

Um, don't spray it while your quilt is directly on your carpet... I mean, not that I know (D, this has all been taken care of) and not that I would do it indoors because it's not very-well ventilated indoors, as everyone already knows.  Spray it over some extra batting that you'll end up spraying anyway down the road....outside or in the garage (should you have one).
 
In other exciting news:  Tomorrow I have a long-overdue sewing playdate with PeepThread's Katy! She'll be getting ready for the Etsy Craft Party she's hosting with The Cheddar Guppies.  Sounds too fun!!  I will probably just look around her place to see what ideas I can rip off...

I Heart Muji

Every time we go to New York to visit D's family, it's compulsory that we go into the city and visit Muji. I would liken it to a Japanese Crate & Barrel. Everything is so simple and sleek. D likes all the little boxes and the fact that everything is paper-bag brown. I like the clever-grasshopperness of their products, and all the fine-tipped pens.

One perceptive little Easter Bunny put these alphabet cookie cutters in my Easter basket, which I am in love with. That Easter Bunny, he always knows...

photo from Muji

Love Me Some Lotta Labels

Remember when I went to Lotta Jansdotter's studio in Brooklyn last year? Well, while I was there I picked these little guys up. And I'm so glad I did! (p.s. I didn't realize these photos were quite this blurry on my iPhone - sorry!)


I use them to spruce up the simplest of packages. My favorite is brown postal wrap with baker's twine. And I use the large Avery Manila Shipping Tags (for everything, basically) and adhere the Lotta stickers. Often times, in lieu of a card, I write my message on the back.

Wedding shower:

Baby gift:

Birthday gift:

Cutest Gift Card Packaging Ever!

We have one last fund-raiser before we go to Haiti. Blue Bottle Coffee was kind enough to donate to our hospital-wide raffle. It's sure to be one of the most coveted raffle prizes!


And can we please talk about how cute this gift card packaging is?? I wish I had thought of it first! Can you imagine, someone literally put this teeny-tiny envelope into a typewriter. I can't even stand it!

High-kicks for the donation, for sure. And 100 high-kicks for the packaging!! Who needs coffee when the packaging can get me so excited? (oh, but their coffee is so gooooooooood!)

I will probably borrow this idea... just so you know.

Missing Three

She insisted on wearing just her bathing suit with Uggs and water wings - even though it was going to be a couple more hours before we hit the water.

This might be my favorite photo of all time.

Yo Quiero

In a perfect world, this is what my "fancy" dinner party table looks like. Found on this blog, originally (and photo) by Emersonmade. I want the "EAT" linens and I want all those flowers and maybe I'll wear a flower on my shirt too while I'm serving dinner. I like the wine glasses, that aren't wine glasses at all. And I love the kraft paper table runner.

You know what? This table doesn't even need dinner. I would just leave it set like this to admire and take photos of. Oh, but I would probably drink all the wine and just refill the glasses with my cool carafe.

This is totally me. I want.

p.s. This is my 300th post! Sonofagun...

Little Red Ramekins

I can't believe I haven't blogged about these yet. They're my newest favorite things!


I actually bought them at an antique store at the Marin Art & Garden Center (we're 99% sure we're getting married there!!). I have visions of baking little individual macaroni and cheeses with crunchy bread crumb topping. But for now, I mostly just eat yogurt and cereal from them.

I wish I had about 8 more of them, but I'm obsessive like that.

Design Within Reach Airstream

It's decided. I definitely want this. Like, really badly. REEEEEEEEALLY badly. This is not just an ol' Airstream trailer - this is the Design Within Reach Airstream, and it comes with an awning and chairs and nice linens and a ball clock and sustainable flooring, and ooooooh, I just want it!




So, if any of you feel like buying me this as a belated birthday present, or a Christmas present to last me the rest of my life, I would totally accept your offer.

Doesn't it make you want to take a year (or many) off and just travel around the country?

Did I mention I want this really badly?

*photo from airstream.com

New Favorite Thing: Macarons

There are some rare occasions at work that we are overstaffed. So, in the event of overstaffing, you can put yourself on a list to get "called off". First on the list, first to get called off. You don't get paid, but you don't have to work either! :) I liken it to winning the lottery...

So, I was called off yesterday and with my free afternoon, I walked down to Hayes Valley to score me some macarons. I thought about it, and within a 1 block radius, there are 3 different places where you can procure such beauties. There's La Boulange, Miette, and Paulette.


These are from Paulette. The colors were so vibrant and beautiful! I bought a lemon and a passionfruit. I am obsessed with passionfruits, so I'll buy anything with pasisonfruit in it. They were both SO scrumptious - fluffy and soft on the outside, juicy and tart on the inside.

I gotta learn how to make these bad boys. They're definitely my new favorite thing.

The NEW New Favorite Thing

Shishito peppers.... yummmm!

They're a Japanese pepper that are generally mild, but about 1/10 are hot. Not too hot, but you'll need a drink of water to cool yourself off.


We like them....a lot. Can you tell?


We tried our hand at making them ourselves. Not too shabby! Just tossed them in some olive oil and cooked them over a hot pan, tossing, and garnishing with gray salt.


I could probably eat these all night. Next time you see them on a menu, I recommend you give them a go. (You can get them at the Alembic in San Francisco if you're really curious)

My New Favorite Thing

I went to the Goodwill to drop some stuff off, you know, because we're trying to downsize? Well, I accidentally spotted (pun!) this, and couldn't leave without it! Do you just love it?!

I don't really even drink coffee, much less tote around a giant carafe of it. But say one day I do, won't I look great doing it??

Onions...It's What's For Dinner

Yes I did just eat 9 onions for dinner...but they're called "calçots" and they're my new favorite thing. We first learned about them on the Spain - On the Road Again series. And now I've noticed them on menus all over the place. (I never did see or eat them when I was in Spain, however)

Basically, they're grilled green onions (I broiled instead). I'm sure they taste better dipped in aioli or romesco-esque sauce, but I just used olive oil and salt and pepper and they were delicious. And while I ate them as my main, they're more of an appetizer.

As a sidenote, the onions came from our friend, Bill's, garden. He has this giant garden that my mom and sister (and I, when in San Luis) raid on a regular basis. This year, we decided to "sow" what we "reap" and so we spend the morning helping Bill in his garden by raking and tilling and staking and trellising and shoveling and maybe eating a couple strawberries and learning alot about making a garden (not that we were total novices, but...). Already growing were artichokes, onions, brussel sprouts, sweet peas, and strawberries. I got a big bag of fava beans from Bill's father-in-law, which I forgot in San Luis (drats!! I know my dad will do me proud with those beans).

Man, it was fun, rewarding work. I can't wait to see what we did to his garden - yipes!