Happy 4th!

Woohoo! Hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday! We will most likely be hanging close to home, but it doesn't feel like the 4th to me without fireworks and dessert (preferably red, white, and blue) so I'm making some no-bake cheesecake berry tart-type things (if they turn out well, I'll post the recipe later), and hopefully, we'll be able to watch the fireworks from our building.

And Instant Art Collection will be back as usual next Wednesday. :)
xo, Mary

Never Have I Ever

I started to write another random facts post, and when I realized that the first couple were things I've never done, I just continued on with that theme...sort of like a game of "never have I ever" except without the drinking...unless you happen to be drinking while reading this, then by all means. :)

Never have I ever...

1. been to a drive-in movie theater.

2. seen the Pacific Ocean.

3. operated a lawn mower or done really any yard work at all.

4. been skiing.

5. eaten lobster.

6. thrown a party at my place (not including my parent's house).

7. been married.

8. had a professional pedicure.

9. gotten a tattoo.

10. written fan mail to a celebrity.

What are some random things you've never done?

It's Factual

It's been a long time since I did one of those random facts posts, so here you go:

1. I rarely chew gum or drink soda, though there was a time when I drank soda like water (in middle school and high school).

2. Coffee is my vice of choice these days, but I actually don't drink that much.

3. My biggest pet peeve is probably people who are rude to servers in restaurants, or any other customer service people...those jobs suck and don't pay well and it's amazing the crap they have to put up with on any given day.

4. Sometimes when I'm working on something, I get so engrossed that I have to remind myself to stop and eat and go to the bathroom.

5. I come from a long line of thrifty people. I almost never buy anything on impulse, and it's actually hard for me to spend money. I think it's wired into my DNA, but that's a good thing because I've never had very much money to spend.

6. Having said that, I'm not cheap when it comes to the things I love. If there's a special piece of art, a unique piece of jewelry, or anything else handmade that speaks to me, I have no problem saving up and paying what some might consider a lot of money for it.

7. My dad and I are the only ones in my family who can drive a stick-shift. I drove one for years. But now it's been so long I'd probably be a little rusty.

8. I can't whistle or curl my tongue.

9. For much of my life I've been a "thinker" more than a "doer." I'm trying to change that because life is short.

10. I don't love places that are very loud or very crowded. It's ironic then, I guess, that I live in the city where too many people are everywhere. But nothing beats walking down city streets.

Anyone else want to play? What are some random facts about you?

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. :)

Description of a Lost Thing

promopocket

It never had a name,
Nor do I remember how I found it.
I carried it in my pocket
Like a lost button
Except it wasn’t a button.

Horror movies,
All-night cafeterias,
Dark barrooms
And poolhalls,
On rain-slicked streets.

It led a quiet, unremarkable existence
Like a shadow in a dream,
An angel on a pin,
And then it vanished.
The years passed with their row

Of nameless stations,
Till somebody told me this is it!
And fool that I was,
I got off on an empty platform
With no town in sight.

-Charles Simic

Wibbly Wobbly

Nan Lawson

"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... timey wimey... stuff."

Even though most of us must live in linear time, we do get an extra day today. How will you spend it?

Scenes from Life

We had king cake for Fat Tuesday, and I got the prize, which was a half a pecan. I guess that means I was king for the day, or rather, queen.

Reading The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and an article about Françoise Gilot's latest exhibition.

The weather has been schizophrenic lately; one day I'm all in wool, the next, light spring layers.

If you follow me on twitter, you might know that we didn't have running water or heat in my building for several days (a problem which still hasn't been fixed...only temporarily restored in the most ramshackle way). I know there are millions of people living in far worse circumstances, though, so I won't complain here. We did ultimately decide to spend a night in a hotel when I got so cold I couldn't stand it any more. Look how happy and clean I am after a night in the hotel. I can only imagine what my "before" picture would've looked like; I'm sure I was wretched and miserable.

One good thing about not being able to cook in our apartment was that we had an excuse to eat out and try a couple of restaurants in our neighborhood. I ate pancakes for the first time in years, and they were divine.

I guess you can tell from this post that I fell off the wagon, so to speak, of my goal to eat less sugar and more vegetables this past week. But, hopefully, I can get back to cooking regularly (and eating healthier) soon.

Scenes from Life

Still making cards to send with orders from my shop.

I'm no gourmet cook (and don't aspire to be), but I did make a choice as of the new year to try to eat healthier--less sugar, more vegetables--which inevitably means cooking more often. Here are a few things I've made recently: whole grain pasta with spinach, tomatoes, walnuts, and parmesan; quiche with zucchini, tomatoes, and swiss; and balsamic rosemary chicken and peppers.

P.S. I realize I only captioned two photos, but the rest are self-explanatory, I guess. Feel free to make up your own captions in the comments. :)

And I miss you, even when you're around. I'm a black cloud, sending lightening to the ground.

I came across this brilliant little video when searching random things on youtube. It reminded me of this song:

Blog Hiccup

To all those who got a message saying "This blog has been removed" earlier today, I have no idea why that happened, but everything seems to be working now. It was really scary, actually, because I was completely locked out of my google account (email and everything). Fellow bloggers, take a minute today to back up your blog (Sonya wrote a handy how-to if you're not sure how to do this).

Today has been eventful to say the least. Also, it snowed!

(click on image to go directly to source)

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky

Happy New Year, everyone! I've got a good feeling about 2012. I think it will be a year of wonder and delight, growth and exploration, overcoming fears, and finding new talents.

I feel so lucky to have found new friends through this blog. You have inspired me and supported me and made daily blogging a joy rather than a chore. Thank you!

I hope each of you greets this new year with peace and knowing that good things are to come.
xo, Mary

*post title from a poem by Tennyson

Resolutions and Big Dreams

I was looking at my resolutions from last year, and I think I actually made progress on a lot of those goals. I still have so much I want to do in life, and I'm excited about the vast possibility this burgeoning new year brings. Above all, I want to be creative and make things and contribute to my little corner of the world in a positive way.

I found an old painting (which was just sort of an exercise in all-over composition) in one of many portfolios stacked under my bed and decided to turn it into a sign to point me in the right direction. I taped it over my desk so that I will see it every day.

I'm still thinking about the big dreams I have for 2012, inspired by Sonya's post. But for now, I'll list a few things I definitely know I want to accomplish this year:

1. I want to do a 30-day drawing challenge like Anabel did.

2. I'm going to focus on my Etsy shop even more, add artwork and other new things.

3. We're moving again, to a bigger place, and hopefully, we can get a dog!

4. I'd like to take a few weekend trips; it's been years since we went anywhere that wasn't to visit family.

5. I know everyone adds "exercise" to these lists, but I'm making it a serious goal this year. Other than walking everywhere, it's been a long time since I was on any sort of regimen. I want to be strong and healthy.

6. And of course, I plan to keep blogging here! I'm thinking of new features and different types of posts.

So, that's all for now. Are you making resolutions for 2012?

Ornament Swap

Because I can never be involved in too many artsy things, and because I most likely will never conquer the arduous task of going to bed at a sensible hour (and thus need artsy things to occupy my time in the wee hours of the morning), I signed up to participate in a blogger ornament swap last month, organized by Micaela of Dolce Vita. I was paired with Dawn, the book fiend behind the blog, Candidly Clyde. I knew I wanted to incorporate books into her ornament; that was a no-brainer. Then I read her blog a bit and discovered she also loves cats and the color red. I added reindeer antlers on the cat and sparkly stars because that just makes everything Christmasy to me.

Dawn broke the rules a bit (which instantly endeared her to me) by sending two ornaments; both are adorable. She said she'd never worked with felt before but decided to give it a go knowing how much I love it.

She also included this sweet vintage Christmas postcard. I think next year I will probably participate in more swaps like this one as it was a lot of fun and a great way to meet other bloggers.

Have you guys done any handmade swaps this year?

Stocking Stuffers

I've mentioned before how I love stocking stuffers: something about lots of small, cute gifts is endlessly appealing to me. Here's a collection of pretty things for every style and taste (and everything is under $20):

Hand soap (hee hee) from foliage

Hand-calligraphed notecards from sparrownestscript

Silver bow earrings from RingBinder

Polaroid magnets from paintedfishstudio

Illustration postcard set - pick any five by minifanfan

For lip balm addicts - pick 5 from Flourish bath & body

Free Printable Holiday Cards

I was working on a hand-lettered holiday card recently, and it didn't turn out exactly as planned (mostly because I was using a heavily textured paper). This one:

Rather than scrap the whole thing, I thought I'd add a fun background and make a couple of free printable holiday cards for you to download. They aren't perfect, but if you find yourself writing the last card in the box and realize you still have several more people on your list, pop some nice paper in your printer and there you go!

Red Holiday Card

Green Holiday Card

These are pdfs sized at 8.5" x 11", but if your paper is smaller, you can always check the box in your settings marked "shrink to fit" or "fit to printer margins." This is the first time I've uploaded pdfs to Google Docs, so if it doesn't work, please let me know!

Give Thanks

Mini felt plush turkey from Drops of Color

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! No matter whether you're feasting on traditional Thanksgiving Day foods with family (the trick is to pace yourself) or just hanging out with friends, I hope you share lots of laughs and good times.

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." W.T. Purkiser

Life is better than death, I believe, if only because it is less boring and because it has fresh peaches in it.

I always get the urge to bake when the weather turns cool, and this spiced peach cobbler is just the right sort of warm deliciousness that's perfect for fall. Plus, it smells amazing while it's in the oven, filling my apartment with an intoxicating aroma.

Ingredients:
For the fruit filling:
-6 to 8 cups peeled and sliced peaches
-1/4 cup white or packed light brown sugar
-1/8 teaspoon each ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-2 tablespoons flour

For the topping:
-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-1 egg and extra sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

In a large bowl, toss the peaches with the sugar, spices, and flour. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients for the topping, then add the butter, mixing in with your fingers until it forms coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla until dough clings together. If dough is too dry, add more buttermilk. Put the fruit mixture in a lightly buttered baking dish (I used 8x8, but a bit larger than that would be better), and drop the dough on top in clumps for the "cobbled" appearance. Brush the top with an egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until fruit juice is bubbling at the sides and the top is golden brown.

If you can't get good peaches, I've also made a similar dish with apples (easier to find in autumn) with a teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and a splash of lemon juice.

*Post title is a quote by Thomas Walker.

Cute Calendar

The folks from Scout Creative have done it again with a cute printable toucan calendar for November. I have really loved seeing what they come up with each month and hope they continue the Calendar of the Month club in 2012!

I think November is going to be a great month, and not just because it's my birthday month, which means presents and eating delicious treats, but because I have lots of creative plans and projects on the horizon. And as always, I'll try to take lots of photos and blog along the way.

Also, I noticed my blog views were up 180% for the month of October. Wow and welcome new readers! Nice to meet you. :)

Moving Woes

Hi guys!

Just a quick post to say I'm still alive. We haven't had internet for almost 3 weeks! I'm blogging from the public library right now. Verizon majorly screwed up the service transer, and after many many phone calls and a technician coming out to our apartment twice, they still couldn't manage to switch it on. Friday, I finally lost my patience with them and canceled my account. Hopefully, we'll have a new service provider by early next week.

Actually, the whole move was kind of a disaster. Suffice to say that everything took twice as long and cost twice as much as expected, and several pieces of furniture were damaged. But the good news is that we're finally settled in our new apartment, and we don't have to move again for at least a year.

I apologize if I haven't responded to emails or comments. Hopefully, I will be back to my regular blogging schedule soon. I can't wait to get caught up on all of your blogs!!

xoxo,
Mary

Let's Go Camping

I should get one thing straight from the start: I do not like camping. Don't get me wrong, I like nature...I just don't want to sleep in it, go to the bathroom in it, or get bitten, stung, or attacked by it. I do, however, love s'mores, ghost stories, lanterns, looking up at the stars, and having a good time in general. So what's a girl to do? Have a camping party of course! There's nothing wrong with setting up camp in the backyard, or if you live in an uncomfortably hot climate, the living room.

First, you need invitations:

(printable party kit from partysweet)

Next, decorations:

(orange cotton bunting from murdockdesign and paper garland from aLittleCard)

Punched ceramic lanterns make the light dance around:

(punched ceramic lanterns from Pottery Barn)

You can make your own pup tent:

(fabric pup tent tutorial from ReadyMade)

You might need an extra table or chairs:

(ponder table from stevechamberlainart and vintage folding chairs from theartfulcodger)

And of course, lots of pillows on the floor:

(crochet floor cushions from lacasadecoto)

Next, you need drinks and snacks:

(chilled mint lemonade from Martha Stewart and mini grilled cheese and tomato soup from fresh tart)

(apple chips from vittles and bits and striped popsicles from butterflyfood)

And what would a camping party be without s'mores?

(s'mores cake in a jar from how Sweet it is)

Next, you need games:

(1972 Clue game from Capzilla and vintage Sherlock Holmes game from MemorySaver)

And ghost stories, of course:

(Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories and Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural)

And last, party favors for everyone:

(miniature playable harmonica from paperfacestudio and red harmonica and whistle necklace from Azeetadesigns)

Doesn't that sound like fun (even for the indoorsy at heart)?

Now, on to the more serious business of announcing WINNER #2...it's Ren!! Yay! I'll send you an email shortly.

Also, today's the last day to enter the Harry Potter giveaway. Winner will be announced tomorrow!