Tuesday, March 30, 2010

So That's Where My Planter is Going

I have these little iron baskets and window boxes with the coconut shell planter box out on my balcony. Of course, there isn't anything growing in them now. . . since it's finally consistently warm I need to put my green thumb to practice with some herbs and flowers. That is, if my planters are still intact. I've noticed over the last few weeks that chunks of them have started to go missing. I've caught the culprit red-handed.


See that cute little wren there?

The boxes are saggy, so I might have to get new ones anyways, but the cutest pair of wrens have been very busily taking bits of the coconut shells to make their nest. I would agree that it's a good building material! For being such little birds, these guys aren't very shy. They fly around while I am out on the balcony (I do have to be still though). I think they are very cute birds, (I've always had a thing for wrens) and that Wren is a cute name. Not only is this sweet pair taking my coconut planter, they have also re-established the use for one of my bird feeders.


it's a little wren house now!

I have another feeder, just a cheap plastic one, so I am using that one for seed and letting these guys keep the schnazzy one for their nesty abode. I love watching them fly back and forth (so do the kitties).


Mr. Cardinal here also had to check out what's going on.

Love that fire-engine red coloring. Cardinals on the other hand are very shy birds. I have some of those bamboo-framed round chairs with the big cushion out on the balcony. I am scheming to hide out there under a blanket to get some closer shots of them. These are taken through my glass sliding door. We'll see if I can get anything.

I had fun this weekend with some bird-watching. Hope you did something fun too!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Donderdag

Thursday. In Dutch. That was yesterday, and I so appropriately finished a little bit of something....here's a sneak peek.


"Thursday" (you can click on the photo for a closeup)

I am making some special dishtowels for a special someone. These are a la Alicia Paulson's (are you surprised?) Pleasant Dish Towels. She has a free pdf pattern for them, but I decided to make my own Dutch-themed ones for the week. I got artistic and did all the sketches myself! I have been having a lot of fun with the embroidery. It doesn't require much thinking, just following the outline I have already sketched and traced onto the fabric with my needle and thread. Plus having different stitches to do keeps it from getting too monotonous. I think French knots are my favorite to make so far, and I know I haven't even begun to learn all the possible stitches. Anyhow, this towel is not complete yet. I have some pretty blue fabric prints to trim the border, so I'll get to that when I get to that. I'm not really in a rush.

Those purple blooms are, I think, wisteria. I saw them when coming home yesterday, the vines climbing all over this old oak tree alongside the road just bursting with all this beautiful purple. So I rode my bike over (it was such a pretty day) with a little bag and cut some for my little photo op. =) They are fragrant, but not so heady as lilac, and that's why I think it could be wisteria. I could be wrong though! Aren't they pretty? I love purple. . . maybe that has to do with one of my Dad's nicknames for me, Sugarplum. Wisteria and lilac are on my "list of plants for my garden" to have one day, if my location allows for their growth. Anyhow, I am trying to be better about styling my photos . . . I'm learning! =)

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

I'm in Love

Last week, I discovered Anthropologie. Not discovered as heard of it for the first time, but went into the store, got to touch, see smell everything and be in total girly-fun wonder kind of discovered. I was meeting Ryan, his friend and friend's wife at Book People, had gotten there early and saw that Anthro was also in the same shopping mall. Now, I love me some books, but I love me girly things even more, and I really wanted to check it out. I am pretty sure I gasped as soon as I walked in. everything there is so feminine and just . . . pretty. it's like a huge art project of clothes, home decor and well, everything! I saw a chandelier made of seashells, which if I had a lot of money (because that's how much it cost), would have bought for my beach-babe sister and her surfer beau. it was SO Ash. so Ash. But some other things that really caught my eye....


This dress was right at the front door when you walked in. Nothing says cool in the summer like crisp white and blue.

purrrrty

I know I could make something like this....

And I think that was perhaps one of my most favorite things about the store. Other than being a place to splurge and treat myself to pretty things, it's a great place for inspiration. I just loved walking around and finding things that caught my eye and dissecting how it was made. It's really not hard (I can handle that), just impeccably done (where I need practice). Like said top above.

I bet this silk dress is heavenly to wear in the summer. It felt so light to the touch

As did this skirt....


What about this capelet?

I think its feminine and smart

ok, yet another example of something that, with a good amount of time, could totally be made!



so dainty

love that pop of color....something else that could be handmade!

Emma, one of my buddies here, also loves this place and we have decided that we will make a girls date to go back. She hasn't been to the one in Austin yet. And I would love to get this.


I've been on a lavender kick, and I am certain I won't get over it. I have a couple perfumes that are just about gone and I have my eye on this one!

Their housewares section was just as fun.

This is just a color gradient of cotton ruffles. viola! Expensive shower curtain! genius.

poppy drawer knob? yes please. I would be fine not making this one. But it is so cute. I am already dreaming about a little studio/craft room so artfully decorated. . . complete with poppy drawer knobs.

And pretty door knobs too.

I would get fat making food just so I could eat them off these plates. And I'd have lots of dinner parties. more poppies. =)

embroidered dishtowels. how cute is that? I am working on some simple ones right now (the going is very slow) and this example, while very cute, is not nearly as ornate as some of the others they had. Anyhow, my eyes were opened yet again!

So, that was my lovely adventure at Anthropologie. And I didn't even get to the bedroom section. But I did see a quilt that was made of jersey. huh? yeah. It was so gooshy and felt amazing. Kind of heavy, but somehow light at the same time. I'm sure I'll embark on such an endeavor sometime in the future. Now I know what everyone has meant when they talk about Anthro, and I am all over that boat.

Friday, March 5, 2010

I love to. . .

Wash my face. I know. Is that lame?
During the Superbowl, they aired some commercials for L'oreal's new Go 360 Clean skincare line. I don't know if these aired before because I don't have or watch TV. This line features a little "scrublet", a gentle little scrubber thingiebobber. The guys all laughed and thought it ridiculous. But I secretly wanted one. I hate using washcloths to wash my face. I just don't like leaving a wet, dripping cloth to dry and get everything else wet. It gets so humid here, that it often does not dry, and you're left with a mildewy towel. eewww. definitely not washing my face with that. And I feel like my palms/fingers just don't clean as well. So, I promised myself that I would wait until my current bottle of face cleanser was gone, because I am one of those girls. you know, the kind that sees a new beauty product, then buys it, and has a whole stash that she never ends up using, taking up all the space in her bathroom. I hate seeing all that stuff around. It makes me feel guilty, like I'm really high maintenance. But really, I'm not. Anyhow, I finally got it last weekend. And I love it.


the scrublet =P

I got the orange one. It's a foaming scrub cleanser. yeah, you're probably thinking, "geez, a scrub and scrublet? Does this girl have any skin left on her face?" I do. And it's soft. And my skin feels cleaner and my pores smaller. Plus, I loved the smell of it. apricots. it's like a fresh summer day, sun a-shining and birds a-singing. a near-spiritual experience, twice a day. for five bucks. (maybe the guys were laughing for a good reason) So yeah, I love to wash my face. You should try it, you will too. Now, I wash my face just for the heck of it. Ok, maybe not that much. But at least now it's fun.

Oh, I also made a Flickr page. You can check it out here. I think I also have a space for it in my happy places. There are some sneak photos up there, so you can check 'em out if you like. and leave comments. Every blogger, poster, person who shares something over the web loves to get comments and feedback. I was reading an article somewhere about blogging etiquette, and how one should leave a comment whenever they come across something that really piques their interest or moves them in some way. I've really tried to get better about that. Especially since I use Google Reader to keep up with all my favorites. With reader, you don't have the option to directly leave comments, you have to go to the blog page itself. I used to be lazy and not leave comments, but now I'm being better about it. Because I know I like to get comments. who doesn't? =)

Annnnd, I joined a quilting bee! Lisa (The Blue Dress) just started one, and asked me to be a part of the group! i'm excited. i'll get to be a part of 12 different quilts, one being my own. Each member, or bee, is assigned a month, and gets to decide on a theme for their quilt. They buy the fabrics, and send them to the other bees with instructions on how they want their blocks constructed. The bees then get to create the blocks and send them back to the Queen Bee for the month, who then assembles her quilt. Sounds like fun, eh? I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure I'll learn a lot.

Ok, that's it for now. I don't have much else to post about. i've been keeping busy with school stuff, and things are going to be pretty intense on that front for a while. I'll pop in and update when i can. Hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend!