Bit by the travel bug

I think 2010 is my year to travel.
Just look at all the things I found online...

After digging around, a few of these make my senses go wild.

Current loves:
bright, bold graphic textiles
intricate beading
baskets, bowls, anything that holds things and that is pretty
woven patterns
and of course alpacas.

A. Monkey Biz animal sculpture. Prices vary according to size. pictures via here and here.
B. Raffia Striped Basket. $38 via Ten Thousand Villages.
C. Wool Baby Alpaca. $14 via Ten Thousand Villages.
D. Urchin Ring. $120. via Rare Device
E. Handbuilt Candy Bowl. Design #51 $87 via Rare Device
F. Raffia Star Basket. $24 via Ten Thousand Villages.
G. Mexican bedspread.. $275 via Loaded Trunk
H. MultiColored Shoulder Bag. $34 via Ten Thousand Villages.
I. Vintage Suzani Pillow. $90 via Loaded Trunk
J. Love Knot Beads Felt Hat. $44 via Ten Thousand Villages.

Congratulations Kate!

Happy Engagement dear sister, Kate & Her fiance Bret.




Welcome to the family!


Best wishes to you both!

Also, congrats on landing your job, I'm so happy for you!

Merry Christmas!

All my love from Ohio.







I'll fill you in on some pretty pretty exciting news next time I write :)

The Heart of It All

And so I am home.
Not even a full day home and I've already:

-made a whole lasagna
-baked 3 dozen cookies
-felt overwhelmed by the jumbo super markets here in the suburbs
-wanted to buy every single type of sprinkles at the store (but I held myself back)
-wiped the clumps of snow off of Bailey's face
-fed Max 2 pieces of cheese
-read a 'Midwest Living' magazine




and I am looking forward to more in the next week I am home :)

Where would you Fall?

MMM, definitely the drunk driver that hit my mom a week ago today would fall here.
Maybe Tiger Woods too.

Who else can you add?

Work it out Mami

The winter months are slowly slinking in and I am starting to feel like a slug.
I'm thinking of getting some peppy workout clothes to keep me inspired to get my butt moving.


Nylon Tricot cycle shorts. American Apparel $28 here




bra by aerie here $19.50


these are a little ridiculous, but...they're still fun here $54


VS bra $18 here

What keeps you moving during the winter months?

24 for 24

Remember this?
19. Put up wall frame collage
I promised here. (Sorry, hadn't gotten a sunny day to take pics.) So ta-da.
I am very proud with the way my room is starting to take shape.


I'm now about 1.5 months into my 24th year.
I am slowly achieving my goals of learning new things and pushing myself to keep being creative outside of my sketchbook.










...and this one too...
21. Make red velvet cake
I succeeded at making red velvet cake (using this recipe) for Jon's holiday dinner party this Saturday.





To make this simple cake decoration:

1. Make a tube out of paper and tape it shut.
2. Put tube onto frosted cake and put a bunch of sprinkles down.
Do this for as many dots that you want.
3. Take the tube off of frosting, but move slowly, don't want to take any frosting off the cake.
4. Pat down sprinkles into frosting and smooth out an indentations from the tube.
5. Sprinkle a little bit all over the cake.




Voila! So simple.


Gotta keep going with my list! I'll keep you posted!

Last Sunday, Amy and I trekked up to the Bronx to go to the Fordham choir Christmas Concert.

Sweet Sunday

Last Sunday, Amy and I trekked up to the Bronx on the D train (oh D train, how I do not miss you since our old Harlem days) to go to the Fordham choir Christmas Concert at Fordham's church. It was a good way to get into the Christmas spirit.





Amy, her old college roommate, Erin, and I went to Palumbo's on Arthur Ave and had a few bites of heaven! Yum! Check out those pretty cookies!




This table next to us had the most adorable Italian couples having their regular Sunday night cannoli dessert and cappucinos. Wish I caught the moment when the husband was feeding his cannoli to his wife across the table. Such a sweet moment. Sigh.


But before I went to to meet up with Amy, Tom and I spent the morning at the Bust Craftacular on 18th street. I was there to see my co-worker, Nicola Druker, who was selling cute kids tees.

Some crafters really grabbed my attention.

SKT Painted Porcelain sells handcrafted porcelains. Such sweet and simple objects that sparked my interest. I hope she restocks her Etsy store after the holiday season.




And Thief and Bandit. Trully love the bright florescent colors and geometric graphic prints on these pieces. I wish she had as many pieces in her Etsy shop as were at the event. But still...love these pieces below.

HotGlow Fabric Necklace $39. here


Poncho T $30 here


Magenta Maze Fabric Necklace $39. here



Oh, and if I could recommend something, I would highly recommend the hot cocoa at Cupcake Cafe on 18th (it's in Books of Wonder, one of my faves!).
Sooooo good and made from teeny tiny bits of chocolate that dissolve in your mouth. Mmmmm.

How are you all doing with the Holidays approaching?
What gets you in the Holiday spirit?

I saw this from PlanetAwesomeKid.com a day or two ago and it really struck me, especially after tonight:

"As a mother to a baby girl, I am very aware of the impact I will have on my daughter. She will look to me, look up to me, emulate me, and idolize me. The best I can do is just be the woman I want her to eventually be, and just simply lead by example."

I hope that I will be as good of a mom (when that time comes), as self-less and as sacrificing as my mom was and still is. I'm glad you are okay mom. Wish I could be there tonight.
Let's leave it at that.

I finally got the color done :)

Tom and I got to go iceskating at Bryant Park. He is quite a good skater and didn't let me fall once. :)

If I were to get a Christmas bonus this year...

...like that is going to happen!
I stumbled upon this website, and rarely do I fall in love with a website's entire aesthetic, but this one, well this one was pretty spectacular.
Beklina. It's a MUST check out!



I. Ronni Kappos Rainbow Multi Disk & Black Bead Necklace $195 here


GreenBees Emma Boot $220 here




Fox In Mociun Print Pillows $48 here



vanaHelsink Dress $260 here



Lina Rennell Sheepskin Blanket and/or Rug $140-360 depending on size here


Rachel Comey Pouf Skirt here $150 on sale.



Mociun Shasat Dress $260 here

Zippidy Do Dah! These are the happiest, cutest things I have seen all weekend!
by super-talented Sarah Neuburger of The Small Object.


Celebration Candle Kids $30.


Cupcake Cutie Candle Holder. $16.



Clothespin Doll Kit. $30.





Wedding Toppers. $135 & up.


Cupcake Wedding Topper. $85.

AntiSocial

I was looking through my old college sketchbook....


strange because this is how I was feeling the last few days...

Tday

How was your Thanksgiving everyone? I hope swell!

Amy and I caught the cross town bus through Central Park and made our way down to Tribeca to Kitchenette. Such a treat!









And somehow we made it back to Cleveland in the end. :)

Lots of love! xo

Why are you so cute...

...and cost 2 weeks worth of groceries?
I want. here


and here
I guess she was featured in O magazine this month. Whatever. I knew about her way before Oprah did.

Working for the Weekends

Work has been pretty grueling this last week, hence the lack of posts, and this week doesn't look any easier. We are trying to get all the Fall graphics out for kids, toddler and baby, an amount of graphics about x5's bigger than what we are used to. There is an end in sight or at least Thursday's off for Thanksgiving. Woohoo!

So I made sure to make the weekend count. I got to hang out with some of my favorite people.

You can definitely tell the holidays are approaching in the city. All office buildings have gorgeous trees in the lobby and I spotted such a cheerful weath on the bridge in Pershing Square on my walk to work. I'll try to snap a picture next time.

Sunday Tom and I met up for dessert...but before hand I got some fabric from one of my favorite stores. Purl. So small, but so cheerful. I'm planning on making something in the lines of this whale for christmas gifts.

The weather was oh so perfect this night. A clear view of the ESB from Once Upon A Tart just near Purl on Sullivan.

And, oh how wonderful it is to have someone special to plan trips to the ice skating rink. :)


Have a good week! Hope to write soon!

Getting back to our Roots...

Tom and I took a trip to the Natural History Museum on Saturday.





We had a grand time to say the least.

Doodle Mail

I'm going to start doing this more...