FarmHaus Modern

something old, something new

2011-11-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

You can now find me at my other blog SUGAR & PAPER

I'm retiring FarmHaus Modern... I no longer have the farmhouse, so it seems appropriate to start fresh, somewhere else, and to not let the past be so crushing.

online portfolio

2011-03-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

Self-promotion is not one of my strong suits but I finally have an online portfolio. Yay me! heidilauman.carbonmade.com

positive pleasure and positive pain

2011-02-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

"Tess had never before known a time in which the thread of her life was so distinctly twisted of two strands, positive pleasure and positive pain."

I'm part of a book club called Read With Me and the current selection is Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. So far, I'm in love with Thomas Hardy's ability to write beautiful descriptions but I am getting a little impatient with some of the characters and the dialogue. I still have a long way to go... I'm on chapter 31 and there are 59!

2011-02-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

fig series {two}

2011-01-03T23:32:00.001-08:00

My first fig series was posted in July of 2009. My friend Sara has the most amazing fig tree in her back yard and she lets me cut branches from it. In 2009, the branches rooted so quickly in vases of water.

This year, the new cuttings didn't fare so well. Can't believe it's now 2011 (don't blink, your life is passing you by). I recently had to throw away most of the cuttings but this little guy keeps hanging on – it sprouted two tiny, lovely leaves just before Christmas. Sara's response was, "There is life after death my dear. Hang on."

the language of objects

2010-12-22T01:55:00.000-08:00

... a few favorites from my out-of-control vessel collection – hmm, maybe I was a prop stylist in a former life.

I'm a little tormented by all of the objects I own; I swear to you that I don't own a ton but the things I do own can sometimes feel like a burden. The thought of ever having to pack it all up and move makes me quite nauseous.

white diamond-pattern cups: alder & co
white and blue porcelain cups: new moon studio
pale, pale blue ceramic cup: phillip ahnen

something inevitable

2010-11-25T22:56:00.000-08:00

"It's like a bear stumbling into a beehive or a honey cache: I'm stumbling right into it and getting stuck, and it's delicious and it's horrible and I'm in it and it's not very graceful and it's very awkward and it's very painful and yet there's something inevitable about it."
- Leonard Cohen

wish list { current crush }

2010-11-18T00:29:00.000-08:00

1. Jaime Hayon crystal pieces for Baccarat (never in a million years could I afford one! - $16,000)
2. Filamentous Cardigan from Anthropologie (no longer available)
3. Wood and acrylic ring from The Carrot Box

color

2010-10-02T17:02:00.000-07:00

sehnsucht

2010-09-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

"Are not all lifelong friendships born at the moment when at last you meet another human being who has some inkling (but faint and uncertain even in the best) of that something which you were born desiring, and which, beneath the flux of other desires and in all the momentary silences between the louder passions, night and day, year after year, from childhood to old age, you are looking for, watching for, listening for? You have never had it. All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of it—tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. But if it should really become manifest—if there ever came an echo that did not die away but swelled into the sound itself—you would know it. Beyond all possibility of doubt you would say "Here at last is the thing I was made for." We cannot tell each other about it. It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work, and which we shall still desire on our deathbeds, when the mind no longer knows wife or friend or work. While we are, this is. If we lose this, we lose all." - C.S. LEWIS

2010-09-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

kind of amazing

2010-08-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Things continue to be challenging around here. It hasn't been fun dealing with my recent health problem but I remind myself (often) to be grateful that I'm not getting worse. And I have my distractions. It's good to keep one's mind off the yucky stuff. So, I think about food. And take photos of food. It's pretty much all about food.

Once upon a time I worked at an ad agency in the Pearl District (it was the best of times, it was the worst of times) and just a few blocks from that agency is heaven within four walls: Pearl Bakery. At the end of one lovely summer, the Pearl Bakery made an almond plum cake and it remains, to this day, one of the best food memories of my life. Fast forward to this summer and our tiny little satsuma plum tree produced fifty plums (only had five last year!) and I became determined to use our plums to recreate that cake. I'm not particularly adept at baking but I have to be honest – it turned out pretty amazing. :)

2010-08-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

work

2010-07-31T00:41:00.000-07:00

"The best cure for melancholy is industry - and though the winds blew for days, never ending, and the gulls never ceased their cries, we drew strength from the rhythm of our labors." - The Weight of Water

caroline hwang

2010-07-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

Very intrigued by illustrations by Caroline Hwang. These two images of Caroline's perfectly illustrate how my summer is going so far. Let's just say, it's been rough.

caroline-hwang.blogspot.com
carolinehwangillustration.com

a bit obsessed

2010-06-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

This might end up being a long post without a clear point but I know it will have something to do with obsession and longing and the need to constantly seek out beautiful ideas, music, lyrics and images. Whew. Alright...

The obsession part: I've recently become consumed by everything relating to the band EELS. I'm reading and am almost finished with the book, Things The Grandchildren Should Know by Mark Oliver Everett (E, the EELS frontman). I don't pretend to know a lot about E but I think I might love him. There's just something about a man with a guitar who tells it straight and writes perfect lyrics: "I just can't take how very much, god damn, I miss that girl." The new EELS album, Tomorrow Morning, comes out this August!!!

The longing part: I would love to shoot amazing photo portraits someday. First, I'll need a much nicer camera. Then I'll need to get off my lazy butt and do something about it. Which brings me to the image above of E, one of many portraits by the talented Autumn de Wilde. Lucky girl. She just happens to have photographed a few of my favorite artists: EELS, Built to Spill, Elliot Smith (if she would just add Modest Mouse, then the universe would be perfect).

( image: www.autumndewilde.com )

louise bourgeois, 1911 - 2010

2010-05-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

"Art is a guarantee of sanity. That is the most important thing I have said." ~ Louise Bourgeois

someday...

2010-05-29T21:55:00.001-07:00

someday, this sofa from PINCH will be mine (but I think it's going to be a long, long time before that happens).

fitz and dizzyspells

2010-05-18T23:30:00.001-07:00

How appropriate that this song has been stuck in my head for weeks and weeks. There have been many fits and dizzy spells going on in my world. I wouldn't wish inner ear issues on anyone. Going to try acupuncture next (!?). I'll let you know how it goes.

for ma

2010-05-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

From this little part of Oregon, to you on the other side of the world: Happy Ma's day, Mom! Wish I was drifting through Europe with you.

want but don't need

2010-05-08T00:47:00.001-07:00

materialistic? maybe. but I'd like to own all of these things:
1. white sapphire rings from silverwoods
2. bag from vogel10
3. lorelei dresses from j. crew
4. white tumblers from williams-sonoma
5. helvetica shirt from wire & twine

around the house: clutter

2010-04-25T00:26:00.000-07:00

If it were up to J, there would be nothing posted on our fridge (or stored on top of the fridge). I'm the source of all the clutter in this house.

think: summer

2010-04-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

can't stop thinking about: broken bells

2010-04-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

I have a bit of a thing for James Mercer's voice. From what I understand, quite a few other people feel the same way. I guess that makes me part of the mainstream – is that so bad?

I've been obsessing over three songs on the Broken Bells album – I've been playing them over and over in my car. Over and over and over. My obsession might also have to do with the lyrics that I can't get out of my head:

It's too late to change your mind, you let loss be your guide – High Road

Common fears start to multiply, we realize we're paralyzed. Where did it go, all that precious time, did we even try to stem the tide? Why should we waste it on buying into the same old lies? The longer we wait around the faster the years go by – Vaporize

I was lost then and I'm lost now and I doubt I'll ever know which way to go – Vaporize

Remember what they say, there's no shortcut to a dream, it's all blood and sweat and life is what you manage in between – October

(image: brokenbells.com)

first day of spring

2010-03-20T16:50:00.001-07:00

first day of Spring, first day of getting my life back, first day of stepping back from the ledge. thank god winter is over.

saturdays save me

2010-03-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

current crush

2010-03-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Love it... Thread by Thread pendant designed by Allison Berger

so, maybe I'm a bit critical

2010-03-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

Things I had such high hopes for which fell flat:

The film Bright Star – I need films that make me feel like my heart is being ripped out. This was not one of those films. Okay, yes, many of the scenes were pretty to look at but the intensity I craved just wasn't there. In my humble opinion it was a problem of casting for the male lead.

The Doug Fir Lounge in Portland – I held the Doug Fir up on a pedestal in my mind but in the bright light of day (on a Sunday morning) the place looks pretty old and tired. I'm going to give it a second chance some night in the future when I can pretend it's a sleek and swanky place. Dim lights and an amazing music show will, I'm sure, change my mind.

{ images: from the film Bright Star }

so in love...

2010-03-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

with this website: Unhappy Hipsters

simplicity is best

2010-02-19T00:16:00.000-08:00

early spring

2010-02-18T22:33:00.000-08:00

I'm forcing Spring to happen inside our house. The trees outside are doing just fine on their own, no forcing required.

The book I'm reading states it nicely: "Trees are sucking winter up through their roots, exploding luscious and green." – Happy: A Memoir by Alex Lemon

current crush

2010-01-29T21:17:00.000-08:00

I never get tired of simple forms.
(image: west elm)

can't stop thinking about...

2010-01-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

...things of simple beauty:

the opening sequence to The Assassination of Jesse James (oh, and the entire film)

the new EELS album, End Times

summer nights in the back yard (summer had better arrive quickly or I might go off the deep end)

(image: from The Assassination of Jesse James)

coping mechanisms

2010-01-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

Excuse me while I sink into a well-deserved funk. Sadness is turning into physical pain. My self-prescribed remedies will be:

– every Built To Spill song I can get my hands on
– a few bottles of red
– yet another attempt at that whole 'running thing'

(photo by: ME)

goodbye dear grandpa

2010-01-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Life is dukkha (life is unsteady). Everything is temporary. Celebrate the temporary.

Goodbye dear Grandpa... always quick to smile, to give... and quick to tease but in a sweet way. If there had been a prize for Most Perfect Lawn in Colorado you would have won it, hands down.

Rest well and goodbye.

more new work

2010-01-04T14:57:00.001-08:00

new work

2010-01-01T19:42:00.000-08:00

A small collection of my cut-paper work will be going up this weekend at Moxie in Portland. This makes me quite happy!!!!!

My work will be featured at Moxie through the end of February 2010. Stop by and check it all out if you're in Portland.

grateful for the stillness

2009-12-19T21:02:00.000-08:00

I can't lie. Things haven't been great lately. I've been sick and so has the boy. My affliction started with an afternoon of vertigo followed by four days of plain old dizziness. The doctor said it's an inner ear virus, whatever that means.

I'm not dizzy now but I am definitely still messed up. I'm learning a lot from this... appreciating stillness... learning patience.

just a tad bit insane

2009-12-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

Now that we're waist-deep in the holiday shopping season, I have to spout off a little about shopping and prices. Please excuse the randomness of this post...

I have a monstrous crush on the items above. However, the prices are shocking. SHOCKING. I just want to know how other people might be able to afford a $1,700 chair. I mean, really...

When I look through catalogs, I drool over pretty much everything and I feel guilty about it. I can, however, make myself feel better by carefully crafting my inner dialogue. For example, I'm not "materialistic" I just have an eye for well-crafted or beautiful things. I'm not "living near poverty level" I'm just on a strict budget.

Anyway, I won't be buying the boots or the chair. This holiday season will be about appreciating my friends and family... it will be about keeping warm, working hard and maintaining my sanity.

(boots: $348, chair: $1,698 – courtesy of Anthropologie)

you should see the mess in the kitchen

2009-11-26T20:35:00.001-08:00

random bits of truth

2009-10-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

There's nothing quite like the smell of fresh basil.

It's easier to list the things I don't want to be when I grow up than it is to figure out what I should be.

I don't see my friends often enough.

Some people attract chaos, thrive on chaos and create chaos. I'm not one of those people. Thank goodness I'm blissfully dull.

nutty lady

2009-10-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

On Sunday a woman parked in front of our house then spent a good hour picking up acorns in our yard.

Our gigantic oak tree spills acorns like a waterfall. The woman said she was gathering them to feed her fifteen squirrels. I still can't decide if this is cute or disturbing.

currently obsessed with...

2009-10-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

Currently obsessed with this little bit of gastronomic perfection: thai miang kum.

spinach leaf + plum sauce + coconut flakes + lime + ginger + peanuts + hot peppers = all I can think about

{ photo by: ME }

the importance of unimportant things

2009-10-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the early 90s my mother gave me a ring that she bought from a spectacularly funky clothing store in Pocatello, Idaho. The shop was called Julie's and it embodied everything that was opposite of my small hometown of X. Julie's was where I bought my first (and only) pair of Birkenstocks which I wore until they disintegrated eight years later.

The ring was delicate and sweet – hand-crafted with sterling silver, one perfect amethyst perched in a raised setting and two tiny diamond chips set on either side. I loved the ring for many reasons: it was understated, streamlined and, most importantly, it was from my mother.

About a year later, I lost the ring and was sick over it. I didn't tell my mom, not because I thought she would be mad but because I felt guilty for being irresponsible. Part of me thought I might find it someday. My rational side knew that the ring was gone for good since I vaguely remembered leaving it next to a sink in the ladies' room of the Olive Garden in Logan, Utah.

At some point during the past 15 years, I stopped feeling sick over it. I don't recall the exact point in which the loss of the ring ceased to be a worry. I wish I could pinpoint the exact moment because it seems like a rite of passage, the moment a coveted object becomes less important. Don't you think that's an important transition, when one realizes material items don't matter?

I could be making it all sound more significant than it needs to be. Maybe the forward motion of life overshadows the loss of treasured items – like moving away from home or turbulent relationships, college, the daily grind, growing older...

Of course, it would be nice if I still had the ring but I'm certainly not losing sleep over it now. I've lost many belongings since then, either by my own inattentiveness or by theft. I don't fret the way I used to over lost things (which seems way too adult).

want but don't need

2009-10-05T18:26:00.001-07:00

I'll take one of everything shown above, thank you! Since I'm always wearing scrubs, I'm not sure where I'd actually wear any of these things... but I like them just the same. { images from boden }

in a pear tree

2009-09-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

We're still new to this whole fruit tree thing. Sadly, most of the pears on our pear tree were eaten by bugs (and possibly birds, squirrels and raccoons). Quite a few of them fell to the ground in an over-ripe state and were quickly swarmed by yellow-jackets.

I was able to retrieve one perfect pear. I ate it today and it was THE BEST pear I've ever had. Next year I'd like to try some sort of environmentally safe insect spray. Any suggestions? It needs to be safe to use around dogs, of course.

{ photos by: ME }

color crush

2009-09-15T14:56:00.001-07:00

...experiencing a small case of creative block and am desperate to find some inspiration! A good place to start: the striking patterns and colors shown here from the folks at balanced design.

nice things from nice people

2009-09-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

small, quiet moment

2009-09-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

{ photo by: ME }

the best things in life

2009-08-25T15:53:00.001-07:00

recurring characters

2009-08-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

I see the same three people every morning on my way to work. I don't know them, they just happen to be engaged in their morning rituals on the same road that I happen to take for my short commute. I guess there's not much to do in a car on the way to work, so I people-watch. I have named them all – each one gets their very own uncreative name. The recurring characters in my little world are:

Smoker Lady – like clockwork, the smoker lady waits for her bus on the side of the road. When I'm driving to work in the winter when the mornings are still dark, I can see the glow of her cigarette long before I can actually see her. She takes up the exact same burly stance with the exact same expression on her face as if staring straight ahead and down the road will somehow cause her bus to arrive more quickly. She's the only person who is ever waiting at that particular bus stop. She guards her post. She waits inside a nicotine cloud.

Energy-Waster Guy – he backs into his parking spot every morning. Maybe he's perpetually in need of a speedy getaway. He is always sitting and waiting inside his parked car and he leaves his headlights on even if the sun is already up. I don't know if he leaves his engine running while waiting in that car. Something tells me he does. I judge him for wasting fuel and energy. And I want to know why he thinks it's necessary to leave his lights on.

The Running Lady – she is motivated and runs every morning. She reminds me that I am lazy. She runs as if she has a thirty pound weight attached to each foot (an observation, not a criticism). I have never seen anyone else run in this particular manner. It is unnerving. I should start running. But not at six in the morning.

{ photo by: ME }

current crush

2009-07-25T15:12:00.001-07:00

{ moon vases from cb2.com }

old(er)

2009-07-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

...silly little things that make me feel old(er):

1) I now get sweat on my upper lip. This never used to happen. Apparently I have finally reached the age where there is enough 'insulation' above my top lip to create an overheating situation. Mortifying.

2) It now costs 28 cents to mail a postcard (what?!). In the year I was born, a person could mail a postcard for 7 cents.

3) My feet are killing me... I'm actually considering buying Gold Bond Pain Relieving Foot Cream. Okay, people, Gold Bond makes me think of eighty-year-olds. I have nothing against senior citizens but I find that I now require a product that is probably geared toward an older demographic and that makes me feel sort of sad.

Too much information (over-share)?

fig series {one}

2009-07-15T17:22:00.000-07:00

{ photos by: ME }

friends who are foodies

2009-07-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for friends who are foodies. It's so nice that they appreciate food (and talk about food) as much as I do.

Here are some random food notes about my friends:

N.C. – Would drive 12 hours to Montana in order to buy salad dressing from McKenzie River Pizza and bring it back to Oregon in a cooler. Okay, slight exaggeration. A visit to friends in Montana was the main purpose of the trip... the dressing was a bonus.

T.H. – Loves tomatoes so much that she would eat one like an apple, no knife needed.

A.L. – Loves healthy food. Hates cilantro.

K.H. – Coffee!!! Enough said.

L.Q. – Can always be counted on to mention a particular food craving RIGHT when my shift starts at work and then I have to think about food while my stomach gurgles in desperation until my shift is over. Hello? Spicy Street Noodles!

S.P. – Has been to every restaurant in the Portland Metro area (I've been to 2% of them). Currently consuming Greek food in order to satisfy 'pregger' cravings. { p.s. – thanks for the peas! }

K.R. – Is passionate about Dr. Pepper. Hates sandwiches.

{ photo by: ME }

oh. happy. day.

2009-07-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so thrilled that Roberta Freymann has finally opened an online shop for her Roberta Roller Rabbit store!

In the past, I could never just skip off to New York (or to California) so there was never a way for me to purchase from her shop... but now, cha-ching! Oh, the beauty of online shopping.

I love the patterns of her current online offerings. The tea towels pictured above are my current faves. I wish she had tea towels made from her MONKEY fabric!

We're still on a strict budget but when the nights start to turn cold this fall, I just might have to treat myself to one of her quilts. I shall call it an early x-mas present.

bragging, a little

2009-06-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

How do I announce this in a humble way? Um... my work is IN THIS BOOK! { 1,000 Handmade Greetings by Laura McFadden }

the places I love to visit {online}

2009-06-17T12:59:00.001-07:00

I think I've told y'all before about how much I love blogging and how it has helped me to live and think more creatively. I also adore visiting other creative blogs and want to share a few of them with you (they inspire me daily)...

spaindaily.blogspot.com
hugoandelsa.blogspot.com
www.smosch.com
littlepheasant.blogspot.com
happymundane.blogspot.com
staceywinters.blogspot.com

And the photo above doesn't really have anything to do with anything. It's a photo I took of snake grass that my mother gave me (thanks ma)! I just can't seem to post without using an image.

from my own yard

2009-06-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

Our cherry tree seems to be producing a heck of a lot of cherries this year. Is it nerdy that I have the need to share that information with you? { photo by: ME }

wasted effort

2009-06-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Something, some creature, has eaten all of my sunflower starts except for one! Grrr! { photo by: ME }

bold

2009-06-06T01:36:00.000-07:00

If the man in my life could tolerate bold patterns, these chairs would be in our home. { image: urbanoutfitters.com }

green is gold

2009-06-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Nature's first green is gold. Her hardest hue to hold..." ~ Robert Frost

The weather is perfect. I wish our Summer could last longer.
{ photo by: ME }

brother of mine

2009-05-11T01:32:00.000-07:00

Today is his day, my brother the architect. The artist, comedian, daredevil, fisherman, visionary, father, builder, philosopher... the man who is far from ordinary. Happy day to you, big brother.

homes and gardens northwest

2009-05-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

I think it's fairly well-known that I'm a tad bit obsessed with interior design and home decor. So, imagine my delight when I found out that the condo belonging to a vivacious lady that I know (my lovely co-workers and I watch over her dog) has been featured in a local magazine! Check out the online version of the article here. Photos above: by Stephanie Yao Long

Ooo, I like it!

2009-05-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

I approve of the Lauren Merkin website re-design... ya know, because my opinion truly matters, ha, ha, ha! And I most certainly approve of all of her bag and clutch designs, too.

dogwood blossoms

2009-05-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

{ photos by: ME }

my current crush

2009-04-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

...feeling overwhelmed by projects at the moment but wanted to pause and give my blog some attention!

I'm currently obsessing over this Vincent Van Gogh image. I wanted to do a photographic re-creation of this painting but all of the blossoms have fallen off of our trees, so I'm lacking the proper props. Argh! Maybe next year.

oxalis oxalis oxalis

2009-04-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

I have this ongoing problem of calling certain plants by incorrect names – I'll chalk it up to a bad memory but, really, you have to admit that there are a lot of plant names out there... how are we supposed to keep them all straight?

Anyway, in my e-mail inbox today was a photo that solved a mystery for me (a photo featuring two of my fave things: a Jonathan Adler product and a COOL plant). For years, I've been incorrectly calling the plant cyclamen when it is actually oxalis. How did I mix that up?

I associate this plant with the beginning of my relationship with J. He had one of these plants when I first met him... so that's why I love oxalis. { photo: jonathanadler.com }

i heart ikat

2009-04-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

I love ikat patterns! This green ikat bowl is the one and only thing on my birthday wish list. Hmm, that might not be the total truth: I wish for this bowl and one slice of banana coconut cream pie from PaPa Haydn. Yum. { image: anthropologie.com }

Oh, he makes me laugh.

2009-04-05T12:27:00.001-07:00

Overheard in my house this morning... "Hello, feet!"

fantasy and reality

2009-04-04T19:47:00.000-07:00

I pour over home decor magazines and salivate over images of perfectly styled interiors with perfect lighting. I would love it if my home could constantly match those professional images.

I definitely reside in a place called 'reality'. My funky plantation chair is usually a storage device for quilts, pillows and clothing. My floor is always littered with dog beds and with shoes.

I can't spend my days cleaning and organizing and putting fresh little floral arrangements on every available surface... but that doesn't change my absolute love of design and decor magazines. They are my happy place(s).

bursting

2009-04-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

{ photo by: ME }

early spring, lenten rose

2009-03-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

I want to surround myself (and my yard) with thousands of Hellebore plants. { photo by ME }

vessels

2009-03-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

I would like one of each, please. (image: wisteria.com)

can't stop thinking about...

2009-03-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

SUMMER

domicile

2009-03-13T22:47:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the near future, my house numbers will look just like these stainless steel beauties! (image: chiasso.com)

my current crush

2009-03-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, Swedish Stripe Love. I know, I know, this sofa doesn't exactly fall into the MODERN category, but I swear I could make it work in my house! { photo: wisteria.com }

thank you, thank you very much

2009-03-09T17:42:00.000-07:00

I have a loyal supporter who is always so nice to bring attention to my little ol' blog – she's the lovely lady at The Ordinary Housewife. She was nice enough to give me a blog award last week and I thank her for thinking of me. I'm just so glad that she came back to the world of blogging after a bit of a sabbatical. Thanks girlie! ... and welcome back!

I find that lately I haven't been taking photos and I haven't been drawing and I haven't been doing much with my blog. Between being sick with the weirdest flu/cold/allergy thing and being really busy with work and freelance projects, I haven't had much time for my own creative stuff. I will be back eventually, I promise.

dearest

2009-03-02T22:41:00.000-08:00

2009-02-28T14:36:00.001-08:00

when we were very young

2009-02-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

Please forgive my week-long absence – I recently fell into the deep dark hole called facebook. Oh my, what have I done?

I joined facebook because I wanted to contact one specific person – an important message needed to be sent and facebook was my only option. Within twenty-four hours I had been 'friended' by twelve additional people. So, I committed. I took the plunge: I sent out requests to other friends and the snowball started rolling.

There's something very unsettling about suddenly knowing the day-to-day details about people that I have not spoken to for fifteen years. Sometimes I think it was nicer to be insulated from all of that and just read the yearly glorified synopsis in a holiday form letter. But hey, whatever. It is what it is.

In most instances it's nice to reconnect. Aaah, memories. Which sorta brings me to the photo shown above... the whole facebook thing got me thinking about my collection of childhood photos and I dug up the gem above. That's me. I'm not sure how old I am in the pic. I'm in my grandparents' back yard and my mother is hanging the laundry (see her feet?). I have nothing but good memories of that place...

the title of this post was taken from the book by A.A. Milne

random is my middle name

2009-02-17T15:42:00.000-08:00

Hello dear friends, I have been tagged. The lovely Joy White is the person who tagged me and you should take a moment to visit her blog and check out her Etsy shop!

Most of you already know that I never follow the tagging rules. I've stopped tagging other people because they never play along. I will, however, share the obligatory list of random facts about me:

For me, nectarines = pure happiness.

I know it's old, but these days I can't stop listening to the album Nico by Blind Melon... a timeless favorite. I recently re-named one of our foster dogs at work Nico (they spelled his name wrong online). He still needs a home if you know of anyone who is looking to adopt!

I think the digital camera is the best invention EVER.

I've been thinking a lot about the new neighbors that moved in behind us because they haven't been picking up after their dog. They have been letting their lab roam free, unsupervised, and the empty lot next to our house is now a giant poo circus. I'm thinking a large gift-wrapped box of poop bags is in order.

My absolute favorite shop in Portland is called NOUN. I wish I could live there. That might not fly with the owner, so I'll try to avoid bringing my sleeping bag next time I visit.

The public works department is, at this very moment, replacing the 'sharp turn' road sign that is posted in front of our house. I can't wait to see what the new sign says! It had better read "Slow The F#%& Down". No, I'm not bitter.

A dirty vodka martini with extra olives would turn me into a very happy camper right now.

want but don't need

2009-02-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

(photo: crateandbarrel.com)

weekend scribble

2009-02-09T15:29:00.000-08:00

...the ever-present challenge of thorough (successful? meaningful? intelligible?) communication – otherwise known as "what the hell are you talking about?"

can't stop thinking about...

2009-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

... how I should have bought the album Orange by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion back in 1994 when it was friggin' available. Can't buy it on iTunes. I could order a used copy through Amazon but I have a hard time trusting that any of the used copies are in decent shape.

bottle cap conundrum

2009-02-07T15:45:00.000-08:00

If you're concerned about the monumental amount of plastics that end up in landfills, oceans, or inside the stomachs of birds and gulls, you might find this little radio snippet interesting: click here to listen

Unfortunately, I'm still looking for a local recycler that will take the plastic bottle caps that I've been collecting. I'd like to come up with some sort of creative reuse project for them, but I haven't yet. Any ideas?

my forever crush

2009-02-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

My current crush – my forever crush: the no-longer-available Ipanema Clutch from Hayden-Harnett. Ah, love. If you ever see one on ebay, let me know! (image: haydenharnett.com)

polarized

2009-02-02T22:37:00.001-08:00

I miss my friends. I miss talking about food all day long and having coffee cravings in unison.

more tea-time wisdom

2009-01-29T21:00:00.000-08:00

...battling a grey mood these days... battling the urge to panic – a buzzing that lies just below the surface that I'm managing to contain for the moment.

Yesterday, the snippet of wisdom on my tea-tag read, To be calm is the highest achievement of the self.

This statement hits a chord with me because I would love to feel a high level of calmness during all situations, but that's not how I'm wired. No wonder my yogi in tea-tag form says it's the highest achievement – because it just isn't easy to remain calm.

i had a splinter

2009-01-23T19:58:00.000-08:00

can't stop thinking about...

2009-01-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

...the documentary My Architect by Nathanial Kahn, son of architect Louis Kahn

breaking my own rules

2009-01-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

You know, when I first started my blog, I made a promise to myself that I would NEVER use an image that I did not create myself. But today I made the decision that I should probably break that rule for my 'current crush' posts so you can SEE what I have a crush on (and to make my posts more interesting for you all, my dear readers).

So, once again, West Elm has more new items that I adore: my current crush is this hand-loomed striped pillow cover – actually I have a crush on both of the covers pictured above. To me, they exemplify Farmhaus Modern... the term I use to describe my personal decorating style. However, there is a moratorium on all non-essential spending in our household, so I will admire from afar. It's good that we aren't making frivolous purchases right now... I dare say we might actually (finally) have our priorities straight. (image: westelm.com)

one talented papa

2009-01-21T01:09:00.000-08:00

I have one of those dads that can make or build anything. Furniture, a kayak, furniture, shelving... more furniture.

He is also an extremely talented metalsmith. No matter what he is making, the final product has impeccable craftsmanship. I don't know how he does it.

Thanks for everything Pop!

january 20, 2009

2009-01-20T10:50:00.000-08:00

The adorable beast is stretched out on the back patio, taking an über-nap while basking in the sun. There is still a layer of frost on the grass in the back yard. Mini beast is curled up in her tiny pink bed, her tail wrapped ever so gently over her snout. I sit here and worry about banal things like how do you find a dvd that has been returned to the library when it should have been returned to the video store.

Things are very much the same and yet different. The sun shines on this day. The inauguration has taken place. We have changed Presidents. I have a renewed HOPE for PROGRESS and CHANGE but at the same time, my day will be just like any other. I will go to work. I will drive my car. I will go to the library. I will wonder what to make for dinner and not come up with an inspired decision.

But I do feel a certain sense of anticipation... a bit of potential energy in every breath. Will we all live up to our own grand expectations? I hope, I hope.

grey with green

2009-01-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

"Green how I want you green. Green wind. Green branches."
~ Federico García Lorca

favorite colors

2009-01-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

what font are you?

2009-01-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

I took an online quiz the other day that told me which FONT best matches my personality. The result was Helvetica. I can't say that this surprised me at all. I'm sure that upon first impression, I come across as very straight-laced and average, practical and without frills. But I must say that I can't always be described as plain old Helvetica.

When I'm at my best, when I'm clear-headed, motivated and in tune with my creativity, I am Dalliance Font. When I'm in a deep fog, lost in being lazy and reclusive, I am News Gothic. When I'm getting my work done, following through on other's expectations of me, I am Georgia. When I'm safe at home with J and our dogs, I am Fleurie.

So, what font are you?

crazy dog lady

2009-01-08T00:43:00.001-08:00

This is my adorable beast – my baby boy.

And, yes, I'm one of THOSE people... I made my poor pup wear a scarf but only long enough to take a photo.

my current crush {four}

2009-01-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

Currently in love with this souk pillow cover from West Elm. Normally I would say that $59 is a bargain, but these days it seems like that's way too expensive, especially since you only get the cover and then pay extra for the pillow insert. Oh well, if it ever goes on sale, I'll make it mine.

giveaway!

2009-01-02T20:17:00.000-08:00

And the winner is... Stitchgirl52!