Little Happy Ones

Welcome January.

2007-01-06T19:41:46Z

I jotted down some thoughts and resolutions for 2007, but I think the big one for the year is this: To leave things better than when I found them.

This applies, of course, to my home which could use a little love and attention… but I hope it also carries over into other areas of my life. To leave things better. Things like lost puppies, countertops, friends, people, projects, even me. I want to be conscious of taking a moment to make a small improvement here or there. Wow. If I made that a habit, I could make a lot of tiny little differences in my life, in someone else’s life.

I have a big wish list of projects for the year – some are frivolous and fun, others are almost necessities (eh-hem, the great closet re-do of 2007 springs to mind).

My job is spinning into high gear again, and I know my free time is about to disappear. I need to take what little extra time I have and pour into the important people and projects in my life. Having this little space here is important to me, but I want it to be a lot more than it is right now. I am hoping that when I return to it I will have the time and extra mental space to pour into it and help it flourish.

In the meantime, I will continue to try to steal extra moments to make things, dance around the living room, take some pictures, and spend time with the important people in my life.

Hope to be back in the spring.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2006-12-24T18:53:42Z

And so, here we are...

I've been baking and sewing and working a whole lot harder than I intended do this past week. An assignment at work kept me running around a lot, so I’m a little bit behind here. Lots of getting home past dark with no time for photos…

Yesterday, Mr. Bunny Slippers and I wrapped what seemed like a mountain of presents. Every time I thought I’d made a dent in the pile, I’d find five or so more presents I’d completely forgotten about. We ran out of wrapping paper at around 5 and had to make a couple of mad dashes to Target. (You remember that all of our wrapping paper has to match, right?)

There was some miscommunication over the Christmas tags (he wanted squares - I insisted on circles), but we both liked the way they turned out. {Nudge, nudge} – you DID like the way they turned out, didn’t you Mr. Slippers?

Ok, to be honest, they’re not quite finished yet. We still need to add the eyelets. The presents are waiting patiently with little yellow post-it notes on them (the dangers of matching wrapping paper = forgetting which present is which).

Um, right. The more I type, the more I realize I have to do today. Cookies are in the oven, and all I want to do is sew more trees. The photo up top are of the trees before the bottoms have been attached. My mom was less than supportive of the miniature tree farm. (Don’t they need ornaments or something? What are you going to DO with these?) I’m absolutely smitten, but she has a point. What am I going to do with them? I don’t think anyone likes them nearly as much as I do. I was going to give out little sets of them, but now I’m having serious doubts. Mr. Bunny Slippers has been very indulgent, but even he has reached his tolerance level. (Um, don’t you think we have enough now? Can you STOP with the TREES already?! We need to WRAP PRESENTS!) Ok, ok. I get it. Back to work.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. Whatever you’re doing – take lots of breaks for hot chocolate or hot apple cider. That’s my plan at least. Merry Christmas!

From the Archives...

2006-12-15T05:16:10Z

Last year about this time, I was running around clutching not only my Christmas to-do list but also this clipping from the Pottery Barn catalog.

You can see it’s all creased and faded in the scan.

Love, love the hanging ornaments. They had these throughout last year’s holiday catalog -- some were hanging from chandeliers and others from bed posts. It seemed very easy and relaxed, but with the right amount of Christmas sparkle.

Sometimes I’m ok with being a copycat. A few strips of silver ribbon, some sparkly but inexpensive ornaments, and a little bit of thread later, I was in business. I used that top photo as my inspiration, and I have to say - the whole thing took about 20 minutes.

Hanging these up last night felt easy, but festive. Hmm… then again, maybe that’s because I didn’t have to climb on the chair to do any of the hanging.

We've Come A Long Way Baby

2006-12-10T17:30:30Z

I've been struggling to clean off my desk, and I stumbled across my Christmas notebook from last year. In case there are any doubts, I really was that psycho. I carried this file folder with me everywhere and took copious notes on my progress. Oh my.

Thinking back, the whole thing makes me laugh. Last year at this time, I was in England on a business trip freaking out about how I was going to finish everything. I took the list on the trip with me which was a kind of painful torture. I was stuck there without any supplies or time to make things. I'm not sure why I thought re-reading the list obsessively was going to help. I remember the long flights and the growing feeling of panic at missing nearly 5 days of preparation time.

It's good to be at home. And it's especially good that this year's list could fit on a post-it note or a napkin and has no need of a file folder.

Charmed

2006-12-06T15:55:08Z

I'm heading out on a business trip for the next couple of days. I thought there might be some snow, but it sounds like it might end up being very cold rain instead. I'll be back this weekend, and hopefully getting down to some serious Christmas prep. Hope all the little elves out there are feeling merry in their workshops!

(Notes on the photo: I love silver charms! They make a great way to personalize a present or even a sewing project.)

Making the List

2006-12-03T17:36:30Z

The Christmas shopping has begun! I’m feeling much better knowing that at least a few people are crossed off my list now, and I can really concentrate on the toughies… like my dad who has pretty much been claiming he doesn’t need a single thing for the better part of my life.

I had been really trying to keep the “things I’ll make” list pretty short this year, but it keeps expanding – just a project or two at a time – thanks in large part to all of the inspiration I keep stumbling across in internet land and catalogs. Last weekend, I loaded up on fabrics to make soft trees. They’ve been on my Christmas project list since last year when I was completely smitten with the ones at bella dia and little birds. It’s no surprise to me that they’ve seen a huge resurgence in popularity. I think what I really, really like about them is that they seem to look better the more you make. I love seeing little armies of people’s creations. I’ve never made lots and lots of the same thing, but it’s really appealing to me. I wonder how many I can get through… do people machine stitch the bottoms of the tree or is that part done by hand? Hmmm… my little tree farm is going to have to be efficient.

And then there’s this project…

This one came from one of my favorite editions of Cotton & Paint (Vol. 23). The little bird with the washing line (up top) was the reason I HAD to get a copy, but it’s this little dog with backpack and hat that I’m going to try making first. I ordered my copy from Kitty-Craft along with a lot of fabric, and she generously sent me a sample of some pretty cute dog fabric that will be used on the little guy’s hat. (Oh, Kitty-Craft, please come back soon! Molly Chicken, as usual, has some great pictures from this volume if you’re interested.)

So far, I have all of the pattern pieces cut and ready to go. Now, I just need to get the machine threaded and ready to make a mad dash to the finish. If that all sounds too easy… I’ll openly admit that I still have more shopping, Christmas tags, some pretty insane baking goals, and wedding thank you notes on my list. And true to my word, I haven’t freaked out that the decorations aren’t quite up yet. I think we’ll need to do that pretty soon though – I’m not sure how much longer I can maintain my cool.

Wrapped and Ready

2006-11-29T02:30:55Z

I can’t tell if it’s cold in here or if it’s just that I’ve been reading too much about first snow sightings and chilly weather. I think the low tonight can hardly be classified as cold (43 degrees F), but I’ll use any excuse to stay inside and have some hot apple cider.

I’m on a full time mission right now to round up Christmas hints and organize my shopping expeditions. I try to come up with ideas unaided, but sometimes you need a little push in the right direction. So far, my sister is the only one who has helped much in that department. I’m getting the impression that she’s been divvying up hints across the family so as not to get any duplicate gifts. It’s pretty impressive, really.

The only thing I have organized so far is the wrapping paper. This will now be the third year that I’ve stuck with one wrapping paper/gift tag theme. It’s so wonderful. I mean, it’s horribly obsessive-compulsive, but it makes things so much easier. The wrapping part is very calming that way, and I find it incredibly satisfying to see a growing stack of monochromatic presents. I’m sure this wouldn’t work for everyone, but I do enjoy seeing everything match like that. I also splurge on fabric ribbons. I had one to many run-ins with the curling ribbon and scissors.

These pictures are from last year, and I used the same circle punch/eyelet setter combo as I did to make my numbered stocking tags. The circle design was heavily inspired by the alphabet garland I saw over here at The Small Object. For my version, each one was labeled with a person’s initial and name... as in "K is for Kristen."

This year, everything is getting wrapped in a silver/white motif. Mr. Bunny Slippers is in charge of designing our new gift tags which I’ll share here when they’re done. Now we just need to get stuff to put inside. Oh.

Stockings, With Care

2006-11-26T18:21:26Z

It’s grey out today which is very nice for things like cozying up the house and pulling out the Christmas decorations – and not as great for things like taking pictures for one’s blog.

So I’m pulling a couple of pictures out from my stash.

Like a number of people I can think of last year, I got completely caught up in the Advent stocking frenzy (see posts here, here, here, and here). I am a total sucker for Advent calendars and have always kept an eye out for unique ways to mark the count down. Even now, I don’t think I’ve ever quite lost the here-comes-Christmas anticipation. My sister and I shared one as children that was a small felt tapestry with Velcro ornaments that you placed on the tree each day (kind of like this, but cuter). Oh man, when it was time to pull that thing out and hang it on my bedroom door, I knew Christmas was coming. At some point, almost all of the Velcro wore off of the backs of the ornaments, but I was still quite devout about trying to get all of the pieces to their proper spot.

Last year’s holiday season was very special as it was the first Christmas I spent with Mr. Bunny Slippers. Looking back, I know I really over did it – planning everything down to the last possible second and creating a spirit that was more manic than festive. Working on that. Really. Working. I promise.

We haven’t started putting up the décor this year (please see above where I promise not to over-plan everything and force holiday spirit upon others). However, I am REALLY looking forward to pulling out the decorations and just enjoying them. And top of the list for me are these stockings which I just loved making, but were also quite a source of stress at the time.

They are so warm and cuddly looking – all store bought, but different textures, sizes, and colors. All lined up, they make this side of the living room feel deliciously cozy. The numbers were printed on card-stock in different fonts and colors. I used my beloved eyelet setter and circle punch to make numbered tags for each. Although if you had the time and the inclination, I think the beautiful appliquéd ones that others made would be lovely (and probably longer-lasting).

I think I spent the better part of last November trying to figure out what 24 items to put inside. There are some great lists circulating now with ideas for children, but I had a much harder time adapting these ideas for adults. Being young at heart, this sort of dilemma seems to creep up quite a lot (which may be a clue that I need to grow up a bit!). I ended up surprising him with an assortment of chocolates, practical items, the occasional trinket, and a handful of notes directing him to the fridge where a favorite snack or dessert would be waiting. All in all, it was a pretty good time. I figured out by the end of the month that all he really wanted were the chocolates anyway, so I think I’ll be simplifying this year. Feels good.

[For those not cutting back on new projects this year, here are some more ideas: here, here, here, and the one I will eventually try here. Above are photos from two of my all time favorites from Pottery Barn.)

100% Pure Pumpkin

2006-11-23T19:34:04Z

There is a lot to catch up on here.

For now, I’ll start with the smell of cinnamon and sugar and the pumpkin pie just now deposited into the warm oven.

It’s quiet here except for the halting sounds of my young neighbor practicing the piano. He’s started learning some Christmas songs now, although I’ve heard him sneaking them into his practice sessions since July. Do you know that song “Up on the Rooftop”?

Up on the rooftop reindeer pause
Out jumps good ol’ Santa Clause

I’m convinced it’s not a real Christmas song – just one that was written for new piano students. I can’t imagine a choir or a Christmas caroler breaking that out at a holiday event. In fact, I’m sure that it never goes on anyone’s list of favorite Christmas songs, but it’s easy to play and seems to find its way in to every child’s anthology of easy Christmas piano tunes. He’s moved on to a shaky version of “Deck the Halls,” and I’m feeling grateful.

I have until noon to bake my pie, sip some coffee, and enjoy the morning. I do like baking, but I rarely leave enough time to actually enjoy the experience. It’s usually done at a manic pace that leaves flour on my shoes (yes, it happens regularly!) and a ruin of dishes, measuring cups, and other assorted supplies towering precariously in the sink. It is not usually done meditatively -- where one has a chance to savor the smell of spices, ponder thoughts of thankfulness and shared hospitality, or most importantly -- stir at a gradual pace that does not leave bits of mixed ingredients flying through the air and deposited on fronts of cabinets and floors. This methodical state allowed me to catch a most grievous error in the creation of this pie, my first pumpkin pie ever. Perhaps I was reflective almost to the point of sedation, because I nearly added one tablespoon of salt instead of a teaspoon. Mayhem was avoided, but it was a close call and some spices had to be sacrificed down the drain although I did take a moment to inhale their delicious aroma before washing them away.

It is almost time to go and wake my husband(!) who doesn’t have the same affinity for leisurely, early mornings. And here is where we arrive at the explanation for my long absence. (I am supposed to apologize profusely here for being away – aren’t I? It seems to be a rule.)

I have been on a whirlwind since August, when Mr. Bunny Slippers and I started planning to get married. I think we did everything just slightly out of order and at a brisk pace that left some of our unsuspecting friends a little startled. There is a lot to tell about planning a wedding in just a couple of months while working a very full-time job. Despite our abbreviated schedule and intimate scale (families only), we did not skimp on details. There really hasn’t been space in my head to hold a single other task or thought.
So here it is November, on Thanksgiving, and I feel I am waking from a very long sleep in which I had some panicked nightmares and some of the most beautiful, lovely dreams I’ve ever had.

I return here excited (and a little nervous), but ready to embark on the holiday festivities. I feel v-e-r-y, very behind. It may not be sane, but I usually begin my Christmas planning in August. I’m realizing that this year I’ll have to scale back quite a bit on my “to do” list as well as my expectations. But I’m starting this morning, and I’m going to try to enjoy the things I can do – like making a pumpkin pie and recording these thoughts.

I hope you’ll come back and indulge me while I share some Christmas projects (some old, some new) as well as some details from our wedding day. I want to get them down mostly for myself and my family, but we did do a lot of the design and decoration ourselves. I think there might be something craft-related in there worth sharing.

So here’s to making space for the little touches and pies. Happy Thanksgiving.

Birthday Boy

2006-07-23T17:48:48Z

Earlier this month, my favorite nephew turned one. He is one of those exceptionally lucky kids who turned everyone into an aunt, uncle, or grandparent for the first time, which basically means we fall over ourselves trying to dream up the absolute best possible birthday presents.

In all fairness, I do think he’s cute and nice enough (see proof here) that he could be my 26th niece or nephew, and I would try equally hard to please him.

This year, I started what I hope turns into a long-standing tradition: I wrote him a little book. Here is a shot of all of the pages laid out before they were laminated and bound.

From the introduction:

Right now, you are one year old, so I understand that you can’t read this. Don’t worry. You’ll be able to read eventually.

This book contains some of the things that I think you should know. Now that you’re one year old, I think you’re ready for the truth.

When you’re ready, turn the page.

Some sample pages:

First, the rhinoceros is the coolest animal. You might like other animals. Maybe you like dogs or cats or even dinosaurs, but the rhinoceros is the coolest. It’s a fact.

Second, you should always wear a hat when you go outside. It will protect your head from rain or sunburns or strong gusts of air. You should pick the silliest hat you can find.

When buying someone a present, it’s nice to ask them what their favorite color is first. In case you were wondering, my favorite color is green.

And just in case, he doesn’t appreciate his aunt’s whacky sense of humor, he got a pirate ship too. We weren’t able to stay for his party, but I’ve heard he got quite the haul. Happy Birthday, Kaden! Be nice to your parents.

Regularly Scheduled Programming

2006-07-20T03:36:31Z

Now let’s see… where were we?

Well, I’ve managed to miss most of July, but I’m feeling much MUCH better now. Thank you to everyone who commented or e-mailed me. You’re so sweet. And thanks to anyone reading this post. I was wondering if anyone would come back after my unexpected hiatus. It was a little frustrating there during the end – I could manage to get through the work day, but my eyes were completely exhausted by the time I got home.

I did manage to thoroughly clean out my closet for goodwill – 84 articles of clothing and 2 pairs of shoes. 84! I can’t believe I even had that much in there. It was a little bit like looking through a museum of my life. A sometimes scary museum, but still… I realized I was hanging on to a lot of things as memorabilia, and it was really not a good use of space. It was good to get back in there in the depths of the closet and really purge.

I am hoping to take that same resolve and apply it to my desk/workspace. I have some new fabrics and materials, and I need a little space to spread out so I can really dig in. I am hoping to get out the camera later today so I can get some pictures together. It’s hard to even know where to begin; I feel so behind.

And in case anyone is wondering how I’ve amused myself for the past couple of weeks, this photo is a little hint. This is new territory for me. I’ve never been much of a cross stitch fan, but I had a couple of ideas and wanted to try a little practice run. This was easier on the eyes than TV or the computer or reading. I have no idea what to do with this piece once it’s finished. I have seriously contemplated giving it to my blind grandmother. (No, really.) Of course, I’ll have to turn it into a pillow or something. She would be horrified if she felt the back and realized what a mess I made of the stitches.

More to come… so good to be here, you have no idea.

Getting Me Through

2006-07-08T18:05:24Z

Just a quick note to say that I'm having eye problems -- nothing serious -- just enough to force me to wear my glasses for a week and make staring at a computer screen pretty unbearable. Oh, and I'm not allowed to wear eye make up. I feel great as long as I'm sitting in a dark room with my eyes closed. It's just wanting to actually LOOK at anything that's a problem. And there is so much I want to look at right now. I have inspiration literally spilling over my desk and onto the floor. I can't wait until I can see properly again so I can gaze lovingly at my new Japanese craft book and fabrics and links and -- well, I won't taunt either of us anymore.

I'll be back in another couple of days -- hopefully quite cheerful and with newfound appreciation for the gift of sight (and eyeliner).

Out and About

2006-07-01T19:35:44Z

It's been quite busy here. I have lots of fun things to share, but I'm going to resist the urge to spill everything right now. I'm off to visit my sister for the long weekend. A certain nephew is turning one. Hope everyone has a lovely fourth!

Cute Kids

2006-06-21T16:39:10Z

Is it already Wednesday? Really? I lost the first part of this week to a business trip. This morning I'm drinking some strong coffee and revising my To Do list. Um, and writing about my fabric obsession. (Read as: procrastinating when I really should be getting ready for the day.)

My wish list over at Kitty-Craft has gotten out of hand. The fairytale motifs get me. I love all of the little storybook themes (Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, even the Bremen Town Musicians -- and I never even liked that story). I almost don't want to write about them, because I'm afraid you will all go over there and snatch up everything, and I won't be able to have them all to myself.

I have been debating placing an order for ages now. I guess I feel that I'm going to spend THAT much money on fabrics, I should at least know what I would use them for... and hording in a secret drawer doesn't count. Then when I think about what I would make (and I think about it quite a bit because I'm pretty desperate to place an order now), I keep envisioning things for children. (Although I've seen at least one ingenious, non-kid usage of the Hansel and Gretel fabric at Yvestown.) The thing is – I don’t have children and am not planning on having any either.

It is a little odd because a vast majority of the sites I visit and love are moms writing about their kids. And although I've found plenty of fellow softie-loving adults, I'd still say a good majority of the creations I admire are intended for little hands. I think a huge part of that is because I have a wonderful mom who was able to stay at home and made things for me. And it's with a little nostalgia that I enjoy reading about other moms who work equally hard to give their children a happy, magical childhood complete with trips to the library and craft projects and homemade costumes. I think that's one of the reasons I still like children's storybooks and any excuse to play make believe.

And since I'm not having kids, I need my sister to have more than just this one so I can justify spending lots more money at Kitty-Craft.

(Side note – Sorry for the dark photos. I don’t know how people manage to get such great pictures of their kids. It’s hard! They’re so squirmy so you pretty much have to use the flash and cross your fingers they’re still smiling when the camera finally snaps the picture. Fortunately, my little nephew didn’t seem to mind being a part of Aunt Kelly’s photo shoot...)

My Pretend House

2006-06-16T16:38:24Z

On Sundays, I drive about 45 minutes north to spend time with my family. We go to church, eat a relaxed lunch at our favorite Chinese restraunt, and hang out while I do laundry. It's especially nice as they have a large screen TV, and we rent a lot of movies.

But our new hobby (and one that even Mr. Bunny Slippers has joined in on once) is looking at model homes. My parents have been wanting to remodel their house for awhile, so they go under the pretense of looking for decorating ideas. But I've always loved open houses and house hunting even when it was just for pretend. When I was little, we used to go on walks as a family and I would beg and plead to go into any open house we came across. I would march straight to the master suite, and announce "this is going to be MY room." Now, it's more of a drag to really look for a house as everything is still SO over priced in Los Angeles. This past weekend, I saw some sad $1.6MM houses with rather scary bathrooms that hadn't been redone since the 60's. (And no, of course that isn't in my price range.)

But there is something about the model homes with their uniform exteriors, shiny new floors and appliances, and postage stamp backyards that I find really enjoyable. I even enjoy the fake family pictures they put on the mantles. And they always set up the most divine vignettes for reading. It's like an invitation to use your imagination.

There's also a certain fun to choosing your favorite model and features. "Heavens no, I'll have to take the 'Tuscany' model - I simply can't deal with that funny shaped balcony on the 'Palo Verdes.'" "We'll need to get the tile upgrades. This won't do at all." I could do this every weekend. And I don't ever feel sad that I can't really live there... there's usually something weird about the community (bad location, houses too close together, tiny yards) that makes it not entirely ideal. It comes just close enough to set the stage for some first class daydreaming.