Souvenirs from Staunton

We didn't have a lot of time in Staunton to shop; in fact, we really needed to get back in the car as we had miles and miles to go that day, but I couldn't just walk past all these cute boutiques and not go in, right? I love to support small businesses, especially when they have great stuff! So we bought a few little souvenirs from Made, "a modern day general store" that carries lots of American-made products, including handmade things from local artisans. We didn't have a lot of money to spend, but lucky for us, they had plenty of affordable gifts. Here's what we got:

I bought a set of illustrated short stories from Scout Books. I've been familiar with Scout Books for a while (at one point I looked into getting my illustrated notebooks printed with them rather than hand-drawing each one...they do custom printing as well as sell patterned notebooks and stories...but the way they do printing wasn't cost effective for me at the time...maybe one day). Anyway, I saw these little stories by Jack London and thought it might be cool to have something to read once we got to the hotel, not that I expected to have a lot of down time (and we didn't), but normally I never travel without a book, and I didn't have one with me on this trip. I love all the illustrations, but the ones by Michael C. Hsiung are my favorite. I might pass these on to my nephews when they're a little bit older, but then again, I might not want to part with them! :)

I also got a little coin purse by Blue Q made of 95% post-consumer material. I'm kind of a sucker for little pouches and purses, and I thought the cowgirl illustration was really cute. Peter got this kit to make a wooden "treasure box" for his nephew. It's made by Jameson Woodworks in Belton, SC. I can't wait to see the box when it's assembled. I think it's going to be adorable!

If you happen to find yourself in Staunton, VA, I highly recommend a visit to this cute shop. We actually talked a little with the woman who owns Made, Corrie Park, and she was telling us how she and her husband moved from Norfolk because they just fell in love with Staunton. I can see why! We commiserated about the horrible traffic in Northern Virginia, and she was telling us how nice it is to live in Staunton where she doesn't have to deal with that anymore. Moving to a less-hectic place is already on my list of life goals, and visits to towns like Staunton just make me want to start packing, like, tomorrow.

I have more photos to share from our trip and other things here in our area too. I hope everyone has an excellent weekend filled with all good things. xo

Scenes from Life

Late summer walks in the garden have been bittersweet this year. Everything is gorgeous, and for the first time in my life, I don't want summer to end! Fall has always been my favorite season, but I've never experienced a summer like this before. We've still had plenty of hot and humid days, of course...this is DC after all. But there've been so many days that were really lovely...the kind of weather that puts everyone in a good mood. I really just want it to stay a little longer.

This bee kept trying to get in the window one day, and I just watched him for a while, fascinated. This little bee is actually what inspired me to make this notebook.

My latest library book. I've not gotten very far in it. I took it outside to read on the back patio, but the afternoon sun and breeze kept my mind day dreaming. :)

Happy weekend, everyone! Hope you have a good one. xo, Mary

Things I liked lately

Good mail this week: a cute card in a popcorn bag envelope from Dawn and felt balls from Benzie.

I thought I'd read The Fault in Our Stars but the hold queue at the library was like a bazillion people long since it's recently been made into a movie. So I went with Paper Towns instead. I don't usually read young adult novels, for whatever reason, but this one was great, lots of mystery and adventure. At times I felt like there were a few too many trendy things or internet jokes crammed in, a little too "of its time" if you know what I mean. But Green is really good at creating characters and scenes that capture what it feels like to be 17, which is no easy task. I really enjoyed it.

And a pretty window, just because.

Other things:

Art - Echo Yang makes art using autonomous machines, really just everyday objects. I love to see artists experimenting with the world around them.

Article - Huffington Post wrote about creative people doing things differently. I don't know if putting this article in a "things I liked lately" post is really the right place for it. Honestly, it was kind of bizarre reading this post because so many things on the list are "so me," it's almost like someone was following me around with a little notebook jotting down all my daydreaming, weird sleep habits, watching people, etc. To read so many of the things I do in a list like that on Huffington Post was just weird and maybe slightly unsettling, as if I had been part of a scientific study and didn't know about it. But anyway, I guess it did make me feel better in a way because a lot of my personality traits or habits, the very things that make it difficult to be "normal," i.e., have a normal office job and a normal social calendar, are according to this article, necessary to, or at least hallmarks of, being a creative person. In other words, I don't think I could have one without the other. And I wouldn't want to be a person who never daydreams and is super efficient and productive if it meant I wouldn't be very creative. Life would be infinitely more boring if that were the case.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! It's supposed to be 60 degrees today! :)

P.S. There's still time to sign up for the card swap. Just email me your address by tomorrow night if you want to join. xo

Things I liked lately

New cups from IKEA (which I plan on only drinking smoothies and milkshakes out of - come on warmer weather!) and rose-shaped/scented soaps.

My phone case from Rifle Paper Co.. I've actually had this for a little while but don't think I've blogged about it before. It has proven itself worthy already as I've dropped my phone several times on our wooden floors since I've had it, and there's nary a scratch on it. And of course, it's very pretty too.

I'm really enjoying this book. Thank you to whoever recommended it to me--I can't remember who it was, but maybe you're reading this right now?  Anyway, thanks! It's very good.

Other things:

Buzzfeed quizzes - like this one, this one, and this one. Such a good way to pass the time when you're say, waiting at the doctor's office. If anyone's curious, I got Up!, Gryffindor, and pizza. (Thanks to Marieken for linking the Pixar one.)

Movies - We watched The Avengers this week, and I thought it was a lot of fun. To be honest, I'm not really a superhero/action movie girl, and I had pretty much zero interest in watching this movie until I found out that Joss Whedon directed it and wrote the screenplay. There's so much of Whedon in this film, and that's probably why I thought it was much funnier and better written than most movies of this genre. I'd be lying if I said I didn't zone out during the sometimes really long CGI fight scenes, but overall, it was very entertaining. And Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk is so great.

Randomness - This made me laugh. Anyone who has ever found themselves wondering at where life has taken them will appreciate it.

Anyway, happy Friday! What are you guys doing this weekend? It's supposed to finally be warmer here so I'm breaking out! I don't even care what we do, I just want to be outside with my camera. And if waffles or pancakes or french toast could be worked in there somewhere, I'll be a happy girl. :)

A few recent vintage finds

Peter and I have been waking much earlier than normal the past few weekends and heading out to flea markets, estate sales, and vintage shops hunting for things for the house. We haven't actually found any of the items we need, however, we have come across several things that found their way into my shopping bag regardless. Some things are just too pretty to pass up, especially when the price is right.

I got this Mexican folk art owl at a vintage shop. I've seen Mexican Tonalá-style pottery here and there but was never really tempted to buy it before. But this little guy stole my heart.

He is really small, with a light greenish-blue glaze, and black, blue, and yellow markings.

A flower is painted on his back. :)

Here's a book on folk art that I got from an estate sale. It's actually a first edition, though I didn't buy it for that reason. It has the best/weirdest folk art paintings and sculptures inside.

For example, this painting entitled Girl and Cat is one of my favorites. I love the stylized portrait of the cat and the odd, pouty expression on the girl's face. I would love to have this on my wall!
 

This wooded scene entitled The Shepard and His Flock is very stylized and typical of folk art. I love all the animals and trees.

This quilt sample was another estate sale find. The woman who lived in the house was obviously a talented quilter. There were several full-sized quilts I would've loved to have taken home with me, but they were priced higher than what we could spend. The woman doing the checkout was nice enough to knock the price down a bit because she said she loved that we went straight for the handmade stuff, and I was like, "Handmade is my favorite! I would take it all if I could!"

I'm not sure what to call this piece exactly; it's 16" square and a finished piece, so I don't think "block" is the right term. I've just been referring to it as a sample. Any quilters out there know if that's the correct term? Also, I would add that normally I go for more abstract/random quilts that don't seem to follow a traditional pattern, but I really loved this particular design.

Right now, it's sitting on top of the cabinet in our dining room. I've thought about turning it into a pillow--it's already standard pillow size--but I'm not super experienced with my sewing machine, which was passed down from my mom and is really really old and finicky, and I definitely don't want to mess it up. I might try to make it into a pillow in the future after practicing on other things, or I might just frame it and hang it on the wall.

Last, but not least, are these two classic books: Anna Karenina and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Again, we definitely didn't need any more books, but these were only $1 a piece, and I couldn't leave them there, obviously.

Here's a peek inside Twenty Thousand Leagues.

I love when old books have inscriptions. If you can't see this one, it reads, "John H. Austin / From Elinor / July, 1909." One of the art books I got at another sale read, "Merry Christmas Uncle Dave / Love, Barbara Ellen, Eddie, & Kathy." So sweet! I would love it if my niece and nephews got me art books when they're older. Also that reminds me I should share a peek into those art books as well!

I hope everyone's having a good week so far. I had a rough day at the dentist yesterday and am still feeling a bit sore and having trouble eating today...think I might actually need to go back in to have something looked at. Anyway, I'm taking it easy at home today and trying to finish some things for my Etsy shop. I have many things half-finished that desperately need to be completed, photographed, and listed. (Did I mention that my dentist bill was huge? Ugh.) Hopefully, I'll have a shop update later this week! xo, Mary

Stitched Gifts

I know a lot of you are planning on making gifts for the holidays, and when I came across this sweet book at the library, the timing seemed perfect for a book review. There are projects for newlyweds, babies, friends, and almost every occasion. Nothing is too complicated, and there's a handy stitch guide in the front to help you get started. Even if you are an experienced embroiderer, this book is worth buying because there are some really cute projects! And you never know when one project will spark an idea for another, and another, and so on.

All of the templates are in the back of the book, though several of them do need to be enlarged. I haven't actually tried out anything yet...it is a library book after all, and I'll probably buy it first if I decide to make anything. But I did read through several patterns from start to finish, and they seemed fairly straightforward.

I don't have any experience with embroidery patterns actually. Whenever I embroider anything, I usually just do it freehand or maybe draw on my fabric first and then embroider. Actually, I was very naive when I first began browsing on Etsy and thought everyone selling embroidered goods was also sewing freehand or even that they had drawn their own designs! I know now, of course, that a lot of people use transfer paper and trace designs or use that tear-away stabilizer. I was quite shocked when one lady selling embroidered goods who I follow on twitter made an off-hand joke about how she'd never been able to draw well. And I was confused at first, thinking, "How does she make anything if she can't draw?" Like I said, I was very naive!

There are Etsy sellers who do draw their own designs, of course, and they make gorgeous things. Anyway, drawing is definitely not a required skill for making fun embroidered gifts to give your family and friends, and this book is full of cute ideas. And if you don't care for embroidery but know someone who does, the book itself would be a perfect gift! :)

Have you guys come across any good books for crafty gifts? If you've done a book review, please link in the comments!

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

This weekend, we'll be going through our things to decide what should come with us to the new place and what should go on to a new home with someone else. I'm really dreading packing and moving again; I joke all the time that I have PTSD from the last move. I got rid of a lot of stuff last summer, but you guys, the books are out of control! We have way, way too many books. I use the library a lot, and I donate often, but somehow we still find ourselves in a situation not unlike this:

(Source: My Modern Met)

This is an installation by Spanish artist Alicia Martín, part of a series called Biographies.

Anyway, I suspect that most of our books will be coming with us. I am definitely going to clean out clutter though, and probably donate some clothes to Good Will. Perhaps I'll do a "yard sale" online or a giveaway?

I did happen to see a timely article on Apartment Therapy yesterday with three "junk-busting" apps and websites, specifically how to stop junk mail, automatically organize email newsletters, and find people online who want your stuff. Definitely worth checking out, even if you have no plans to pack up all your belongings and shift your coordinates several miles to the west. Humans are so silly; why do we do this?

Hope everyone has a great weekend. xo, Mary

*Post title courtesy of Groucho Marx.

House of Ismay

I came across the delightful shop House of Ismay recently, and I'm not quite sure how I missed it before. This UK-based artist with a degree in Book Arts makes wonderful journals, cards, and jewelry out of vintage reclaimed materials. But it's these animal brooches, all made with well-turned pages of classic novels that stole my heart. I mean really, animal brooches that combine classic literature and vintage materials!! It's like Sarah climbed inside my brain and found the absolute perfect thing to make to send me swooning. I wanted to order one immediately, of course, but since they ship from the UK, I thought it best to wait until we're settled. By the way, I hate this limbo period of knowing we have to move soon but details not being sorted yet. I'll have more to share on that hopefully in a couple weeks. Until then, I'm left clicking back and forth and trying to decide which one I love the most.

Have you guys found any new exciting shops lately?

Scenes from Life

My latest library book matches the bookmark my mom sent me from a recent trip to China...fortuitous color harmony makes me happy.

I made Kate's confetti salad the other day, and it was really good! I just scaled back the recipe for two. I also put the carrots and onions in simmering water on the stove for a few minutes to soften them up because they were a bit too hard (and I don't have rabbit teeth). This step probably isn't necessary if you grate the carrots like the recipe says to do (I couldn't find a grater)...likewise, I guess, if you use a food processor.

The most delicious chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting from Best Buns.

Packing up an order to go to someone awesome. This journal was one of my favorites.

Peter and I were watching the Nats play Milwaukee, and something happened to the network and everyone turned blue. It was like watching a baseball game in the twilight zone. This is what passes for entertainment when it's too hot to go outside.

So, what are you guys up to this weekend? I have a lot I'd like to do--there's always fun stuff going on here--but I've been feeling a bit crap lately, so I guess it all depends on how I feel when I wake up tomorrow. I was so tired yesterday I started falling asleep at my desk. Anyway, I'm definitely going to make some stuff this weekend whether I feel up to going out or not, and hopefully, I'll have some new stuff to show you next week. I'm way overdue for a shop update. Hope everyone has an awesome weekend. xo, Mary

Pattern

I recently bought Pattern by Orla Kiely and thought I'd share a peek inside. It's no secret I love just about everything in her brand, season after season. Every once in a while, you come across a designer that fits perfectly with your personal aesthetic, perhaps what you're already making if you're a creative type, or perhaps the silhouettes and colors and patterns you wear or decorate your space with, and for me that's Orla Kiely.

I expected it to be full of glossy images of her products over the years and, of course, lots of juicy pattern inspiration. But there's also interesting info on Kiely's background, the history of the brand, and what inspires her work. I don't know why, but I was surprised to find out that Kiely continued working for other brands for years after she started her own company. I know lots of designers work for other brands as well, but she seemed to be successful from the start. I guess it's a good reminder that name recognition and sales do not necessarily equal lots of money, at least initially.

Anyway, if you are like me and are inspired by patterns with a bold graphic element and retro color palettes, I highly recommend this book!

There's No Place Like Here

There's No Place Like Here: Brazenhead Books from Etsy on Vimeo.

I love the idea of a secret bookshop. It seems like a quiet refuge tucked away from the brazen clamor of city life. And all those stories waiting to be read!

Spring Cleaning...Or Not

Some spring cleaning probably needs to happen around here, though I'm not necessarily nominating myself to do it. We have stacks of mail on the coffee table, piles of laundry in the bedroom, and...this might shock you...boxes still unpacked from our move last July. It's definitely not ideal to let clutter accumulate in a small living space, but on a scale of one to Hoarders, I guess we're not that bad.

I checked this book by Mary Randolph Carter out of the library based on the title alone, which I think is brilliant. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, maybe recommendations on how to artfully display collections, or tips for keeping clutter under control (while not being Type A about it), but this book really doesn't offer much in the way of practical advice. It does, however, have lots of full-page photographs. So, if you're like me, and you enjoy peeking into other people's homes, and interesting homes at that, it's definitely worth a browse. It is not, however, a design book. In fact, some of the photos made the designer in me cringe, but the part of me that's fascinated by social history loved it.

I hope everyone has a fun, if slightly messy, weekend. :)