Friday, November 26, 2010

salvaged

I have that post thanksgiving appreciation for the comfort of home and I so much look forward to the day when we buy our first house. I know that what I dream of doesn't exist, but all the same, I like to fill my imaginary house with furniture. especially when we stumble upon greats like olde good things, an architectural and altered antique store. walking through the upper west side this week, my husband and I entered one of their many locations and fell immediately in love with just about everything. below find some of our finds that sent my heart fluttering.

While I do love our current coffee table, three wide wood slates perched on iron legs, I have always imagined taking the industrial level up a notch. and, in having a larger living room (which we of course would, being rich in my fantasy dream home) I would also want a larger, heavier, more substantial coffee table:
(although, I could see myself - or really, my sister - stubbing my toe on this guy a bit too often)



I am a sucker for iron legs:


I told kevin that if we had 5 kids, (which we don't and won't), and a large country house type entry way, I would absolutely put this set of lockers there:

we have long dreamed of getting a farmhouse table for our dining room. in our fantasy house, I get to have a decadently large, slightly more formal 10 foot long farmhouse table for dining...


aaaand a slightly smaller 6 foot long, less formal, more industrial kitchen farmhouse table used for eating, preparing, chatting, sewing, etc.:


similar to the open kitchen style from it's complicated:

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

decorating your jam

the apple butter is made. I have about 16 jars worth. and am super excited to give it out as a little christmas gift to friends and family. in order to dress it up a bit, I bought a bunch of fat quarters from stone mountain and daughter (east bay people, shop here for your fabric needs).


I cut "squares" out of the fabric and tied them to the top of the jars with baker's string (have it in bulk and *love* it). I bought labels from paper source. I am not thrilled with them. I wanted ones with a design and I am not the fanciest computer user, but these were the smallest and simplest to compliment the fabric. I have much more to do, but here are the results so far:


frenchy

while shopping with my sister this weekend in chicago, she took me to the greatest fabric store (at least in the chicagoland area): the needle shop. I cannot say enough about the fabric in this sweet little bucktown shop. I perused and found this joel dewberry fabric to replace one of the rocket ship pillows in our living room (death by puppy chewing frenzy):
I also happened upon a badass bag hanging in the corner of the shop. it was a frenchy from amy butler. and I am going to make one.



I will use joel dewberry's annie in corn yellow for the bulk of the bag.


and etsuko furuya-kokka's school bus in black for the top and possibly the interior pockets.
I've never made a bag before. I can hardly handle a pillow; we will see how this goes. but I am eager to get started on my new project. if I can pull this off, I will consider the "Master of the Universe" title all mine. my goal is thanksgiving, I will show you when I finish.

Friday, November 5, 2010

so cool


kate ridder for kips bay decorator showcase 2010

Monday, November 1, 2010

We're gonna need a bigger boat

Ta-daaa! I made June's great white shark costume....and actually got her IN it too. A sweatsuit is the perfect base for toddler costumes. Simple, practical, and warm - to combat the New England chill. I bought the $7 gray hoodie at Target and sewed wide red satin ribbon as the "gums" and used white felt to make the teeth and ventral pigmentation. A white shark is counter-shaded, after all. Wouldn't want my girl wandering around without proper camouflage. Otherwise how's she gonna ambush a seal?



Apparently, sharks like crackers...