Fashion and Distraction

Today, I'm at home, still not feeling well, aaaaaaand I broke my toe on Wednesday. It's amazing how something so small can hurt so much! There's not much you can do for a broken toe other than stay off your feet, which is inconvenient when you don't own a car and walk everywhere. Doh! I'm hoping it feels better by Sunday, though, because I have places to be.

Anyhoo, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I'm playing imaginary clothing dilemma, as in I have this dreamy invite and absolutely nothing to wear!! I'll call this one...lunch date in Paris with someone very rich who wants to become my patron and sponsor all of my artistic endeavors. By the way, do those people still exist? Probably not. But this is entertaining me and distracting me from how much my foot hurts so I'll say, yes, they do exist. And they want to help all of us make lots of money doing whatever it is we do. :)

1. Asos pintuck blouse; 2. Ray-Bans new wayfarer; 3. Marc Jacobs single quilted shoulder bag; 4. Kate Spade Tabitha flats; 5. Kate Spade carousel bangle watch; 6. Vionnet color-block skirt.

Also, this video for the Orla Kiely Spring/Summer 2012 collection is so great. I love that they did something different this time, but it still feels very Orla. And it goes without saying that I love all the clothes.



Hope everyone has a great weekend! xo, Mary

Wishful Decorating

Clockwise from top left: RRRaoul postcard by Courtney Oquist; vintage Abraham Palatnik lucite bird sculpture from junkhouse; vintage sea foam green sofa from Hindsvik; and "the message" by pool pony.

Easter Swap

Yes, believe it or not, I'm finally posting pics of the Easter gift swap that my friend Sonya of Kanelstrand was so kind to organize. At first, I was sketching designs for a slightly ambitious (given the time constraints) fold-out Easter card that had a papercut bunny on the front. But ultimately, I decided it would be better to make a flower brooch that could be worn and enjoyed for a long time, rather than a card that would, at most, be displayed for a few days.

My brooch went to Lori Sullivan--Lori, if you happen to see this post and have a blog or shop to link to, please let me know!

And here is the gorgeous hand-tatted cross I received from Ginger Webb (also, Ginger if you have a site to link to, please let me know). It's so lovely and intricate, don't you think? I've never tried tatting before, but this gift has definitely piqued my interest in the craft. I often joke that there's a little old lady who lives in my heart, and she was doing backflips over this cross. How amazing would it be to have a hand-tatted collar? I'm adding it to my infinite list of things to make and/or buy from Etsy...probably both.

Happy weekend, guys! Any fun plans? I'm actually quite sick as I write this and having a hard time staying vertical, so I'm guessing I'll be curled up watching old movies and drinking lots of tea this weekend, which isn't all that different from what I'd be doing anyway. :) xo, Mary

Sneak Peek

Here are two new headbands I'm adding to My Hideaway later today...my take on a modern simplified Grecian crown. I love headbands like these because there are so many ways to wear them. What do you guys think? Also, more brooches are coming soon!

Flickr Favorites

(Click on images to go directly to sources.)

Pixie Pop-Up Shop Tomorrow!

I am super excited that the ladies of Pleatherette asked me to be one of the designers in the Pixie pop-up shop that's part of Lightbox, a huge all-day (12pm - 12am) event to kick off Lumen8Anacostia. Seriously, you guys, this event is going to be so cool, with art installations, a record fair, vintage goodies, DJs and live music, performance art, and of course, good food. If you're in the DC area you should check it out!

Here are some of the brooches I made for the event.

And here's how I packaged them. I didn't have a lot of notice, so I had to pull the packaging together diy style. What do you think?

Do you guys have any fun plans for the weekend?

Scenes from Life

I'm back to cooking more often and trying to eat healthy. That's whole grain pasta with red bell peppers and zucchini on the left and broccoli tofu casserole on the right.

But of course, there were treats for Easter: hot cross buns and Leonidas chocolates, which lasted about 5 minutes.

My mom sent me this movie, which she thought I'd like mainly because it's about a ballet dancer. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much as there's a long tradition of pretty terrible dance movies (i.e., bad acting and montages galore, which I also kind of love fyi). However, this movie surprised me with some good performances and a moving story. It's based on the autobiography of Chinese dancer Li Cunxin, who defected to the U.S. from Communist China in the 1980s. Of course, there is some clichéd storytelling (lots of flashbacks), but the lead actor, real life ballet dancer Chi Cao, is excellent and a beautiful dancer. I wished there was more dancing in it!

It's still chilly here, but nevertheless, I've gathered up all the winter things scattered around my apartment to put away till next year, when hopefully, I'll be unpacking them in a new home!

I've been busy getting ready for a pop up shop that's happening this weekend, which I'll do a separate post on, and I also have photos to show you guys from the Easter swap. Lots of exciting things going on. :)

DIY Scribble Flowers

Here's an easy tutorial for pretty paper flowers that would make perfect Easter decorations or centerpieces at a laid-back diy wedding (which of course, is my favorite kind of wedding).

What you'll need: tissue paper in light colors, something to color with (I used oil pastels, but you could use crayons or markers too), scissors, clear tape, craft or school glue, wooden skewers (you could also use chopsticks, anything long and thin), and optional washi tape or stickers (you could also use green floral tape).

Cut a long strip of tissue paper (the entire length of the sheet wide, and maybe 3 inches tall) and start coloring. I just made random marks in gradations of color, but let your heart go wild here. :)

Once you're finished coloring, turn the paper over and roll it up so that the colored side faces out.

Cut the top of your roll in a rounded or pointed shape, whichever you prefer; this will be the shape of your petals. Make sure you cut it deep enough for your petals to fan out a bit. Then, roll the paper back out flat.

I didn't get a photo of the next step, but it's easy. Place a little glue right inside the edge of your paper and place your skewer on top, about an inch from the bottom. Start rolling it up again, but this time roll loosely, gripping the base around the skewer and shaping the top as you go. The base will be tighter than the top, of course. Place a little clear tape around the bottom of the flower to hold it in place. Cover the clear tape with pretty green washi tape or floral tape.

And that's it! It only took me a few minutes to make four flowers; you could make several bouquets or centerpieces in the time it would take to watch a movie.

Happy Friday, guys! And Happy Easter to those who celebrate it. xo, Mary

Shop Update

I added a new Cousteau brooch to the shop last night. I have a few other pins in the works, and I'm waiting on pin backs to arrive in the mail. Don't you hate waiting on supplies?

I have a spring diy to post tomorrow! :)

New Earrings from Shizen Designs

Take a peek at my latest Etsy purchase: delicate handmade silver earrings from Shizen Designs. I'd been looking for a pair of earrings that I could wear every day, that would go with everything, and these little leaf-shaped earrings are perfect!

Have you guys bought any handmade jewelry lately? What are your favorite shops?