36 Shea

2012-01-30T08:31:00.002-05:00

A soup that looked better than it tasted. Carrots, beets and parsnips. The parsnips made it too bitter, I think. I don't think I like parsnips at all, in fact. The beets were so pretty raw, but when they were cooked, their color completely faded to a dull yellow. Next time, I'll just make the soup with carrots and follow the actual recipe rather than improvising. Oh, well, just a good lesson that not every experiment can be successful!

2012-01-26T13:12:00.002-05:00

Hi! Kind of obsessing about the colors yellow, pink, coral. Sort of washed out forms of these colors.

My calendar arrived from Flora Douville. It's so cheerful!

Tulips...I've been buying a different color every week at the grocery store. I think I do this every January. Kind of boring and predictable, but I'm not much of a flower arranger.

Little watercolor of San Francisco painted by a very sweet and talented artist who has a table set up across the street from the Ferry Building. He paints all day at his table, all different scenes of the Bay Area. I should have bought, like 20 more. If you are in SF check him out!

Plant I almost killed this summer, but seems to be happy now that I've been remembering to water it.

Kilim pillow from Turkey. Again with the yellow, pink and coral colors here. I think I'm going to repaint my front door a coral color this spring.

2012-01-25T12:43:00.002-05:00

Working on finishing up some projects this week.

1. Sweater is done. I'm wearing it today and it turned out just like the photo from the original pattern, so I'm happy. It's not perfect, there are plenty of little mistakes, but I still love it. I learned a lot from this project.

2. Pillows for a friend.

3. Kantha pillows for Pod. Nice springy colors.

I just got a shipment of pillow forms in, so I'm going to be working on some new spring pillows for my shop for next week.

2012-01-20T16:40:00.002-05:00

From a beautiful sunset the other evening. It's been cold and crisp this week, the kind of weather I love in the winter. January has been a month for catching up on everything...work, friends, things around the house that never got done in November and December. We've gone ice skating and cross country skiing. I'm finally knitting the sleeves on this sweater I abandoned in the Christmas rush. I've been making soup and stews and all sorts of wintery food, trying out new recipes. This recipe with spinach, leeks, and eggs is my favorite so far.

Stay warm!

3 fun links if you have time this weekend.

Honey Kennedy

Miss Moss

Nearness of Distance

2012-01-19T08:36:00.002-05:00

Last part of our trip to California was a day spent with Mark, Shara and Charlie in Point Reyes, eating oysters and hiking out to the beach. It happened to be really warm and sunny that day. Good times!

2012-01-12T08:31:00.002-05:00

San Francisco's Chinatown. Touristy and so colorful. I could not stop taking pictures of the crazy color combinations and the beautiful lanterns.

2012-01-11T08:42:00.002-05:00

More happy times from California. Monopoly is the game of the year. The kids are obsessed with it and fathers and grandfathers are willing to play along.

I just saw that Flora Douville has a few of her lovely calendars left. I don't think I can resist this one.

2012-01-04T08:44:00.002-05:00

Sunny California morning at my brother's house. It's 9 degrees here in Cambridge this morning. And sunny.

2012-01-03T09:37:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! We spent the holidays with family in Oakland, CA. My brother and sister-in-law have an orange tree in their backyard and a delightfully sunny kitchen. California in December is balm for the East coast soul and we spent some time wondering why we don't live there as well! I'll be sharing some more Bay area photos this week. Good luck to all returning to normal after the holidays. For me, it was almost impossible to wake up and get the kids off to school on time!

2011-12-20T16:10:00.004-05:00

Happy Holidays! Thanks so much to everyone who has stopped by this space over the year to leave a comment or just wandered by to browse. And thank you to everyone who has supported my shop over this past year. I really appreciate it.

Best wishes for a happy 2012 and I will see you back here in the New Year!

2011-12-16T08:55:00.003-05:00

What a whirlwind few weeks it has been! Now I'm done with the holiday shows and have (almost) completed my Christmas shopping. I still have yet to bake any Christmas cookies. Got to remedy that somehow this weekend.

We have our tree up and decorated. I've always thought the Christmas tree began as a pagan tradition of leaving a tree filled with food for the birds and animals during the darkest, coldest days of winter, but after looking it up the other night, I discovered there is another explanation as well. Apparently, December 24th is the feast day of Adam and Eve, and the tree represents the Paradise tree in the Garden of Eden, while the ornaments represent the apple of knowledge.
Interesting!

Hope you have a nice weekend whether it is filled with holiday plans or not!

p.s. the little deer among the clothespeg dolls is a fern animal by ashley anna brown.

2011-12-13T08:04:00.004-05:00

New cotton plaid scarves and a striped cotton canvas tote in the shop!

2011-12-12T08:43:00.003-05:00

What a busy time of year! This poor blog has been so neglected this season, something I plan to remedy in the new year. My studio is filled with red and blue today as I clean it up after a whirlwind week of making and weekend of selling. Now it's time to start thinking about the holidays for my own family.

I've got a few new things to post in my shop this week if I can get some good photos. Otherwise, I'm afraid it's looking a bit sparse after a busy weekend of sales at Michelle Willey! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our trunk show there...it was SO great to meet and chat with all you lovely people.

These are the last of the grainsack pillows for the year, so if you are interested in them as holiday gifts, please be in touch. If they ship early this week (US, not international, sorry!), they should make it in time for Christmas.

We are getting our Christmas tree tonight...I can't wait. It's my favorite part of Christmas.

2011-12-08T09:03:00.003-05:00

The last sale of the year. This weekend Angela and I will be at Michelle Willey both Saturday and Sunday in the South End. I've been working all week getting some brand new things ready. Got a few more things in the works to get done by the end of today!

Thank you to all my lovely friends and family who came to the sale last Sunday. It was fabulous to see you all. Thanks so much as always for the wonderful support.

p.s. invite photo and design is by angela

2011-12-02T14:56:00.004-05:00

Getting my house ready for the Holiday Sale this Sunday! At the eleventh hour I start to get nervous and for me that means I try to do way too much at the last minute...like start baking a bunch of cookies the morning of the show or dusting all the window moldings and stressing everyone in my house out (well, mostly just myself, I guess). This afternoon my nervous energy got channelled into making an impromptu inspiration wall in my dining room.

Anyway, if you are in the Cambridge area this Sunday, please stop by the Holiday Sale!

Sunday, December 4th
1 to 5 pm
36 Shea Road
Cambridge, MA
02140

Angela, Aileen and I will have lots of lovely holiday gifts for sale and some nice things to eat too.

2011-11-29T08:34:00.003-05:00

Went for a woodsy walk over the weekend. It was great to be out in the fresh November air. The woods were peaceful, other than our noisy band of children. We walked for about three hours with only a handful of clementines and a bag of pretzels. Next time we will remember to bring sandwiches!

2011-11-24T13:28:00.003-05:00

Free Shipping within the US on anything in my shop Friday November 25-Monday 28! Enter code HOLIDAY2011 at checkout.

Enjoy the long weekend, folks!

2011-11-22T16:15:00.003-05:00

Feeling inspired by color and pattern recently.

We're getting ready to host Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. After so many years of traditional New England food, this year we're going to try something different, more southern.

Deep fried turkey (okay, my husband's doing this...I've got nothing to do with it, except when it comes to eating it)
Cornbread stuffing
Creamed collard greens
Shrimp Gravy
Biscuits
Pecan bourbon bread pudding

I bought an unbelievable amount of butter and heavy cream today at the grocery store.

All recipes excepting the turkey from the November 2011 issue of Bon Appetit

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll!

2011-11-21T10:37:00.004-05:00

The 36 Shea Holiday Sale will take place Sunday, December 4th from 1 to 5 pm.

Please join Studio Carta, Forest Karma Soap, and Jill Bent for an afternoon of shopping and holiday treats!

36 Shea Road
Cambridge, MA 02140

Lovely stationery, ribbons, twine, handcrafted soap, hats, pillows, scarves, and more!
Feel free to bring a friend or two along.
Parking is available on the street and free on Sundays.

2011-11-17T13:16:00.004-05:00

I just added these wool pillows to my shop. Made from the softest vintage blankets.
And a heads up that next weekend Friday, November 25-Monday, November 28, I will be offering free shipping within the US on everything in my shop. I'll post the coupon code closer to the date.

My favorite Selby post ever.
Beautiful travel blog.
Finally watched True Grit and The King's Speech. Both so good and available on Netflix now.

2011-11-12T19:31:00.003-05:00

Mostly working these days, not taking many photos. Sewing what feels like a billion lavender pillows for my upcoming holiday shows.

I love the geraniums in my neighbor's upstairs window and the fact that she painted the top of her stairs red recently. It will make looking through my window this winter more cheery!

I moved the blue table indoors to house my own geraniums. I'm determined to get them to bloom vigorously this winter. I hope they will co-operate.

2011-11-08T07:51:00.003-05:00

My shop is part of the new Poppytalk Holiday Market, which just opened yesterday!

As always, Poppytalk has curated a beautiful group of shops.
Some of my favorites at first glance are:

Claudia Pearson

1Canoe2

Ouistitine

Fog and Swell

Stitch and Tickle

Albertine Press

Happy holiday shopping! (I haven't even begun to think about mine yet!)

2011-11-03T09:57:00.003-04:00

I've been knitting this sweater from Quince & Co. The pattern (although simple) was initially a bit out of my comfort zone, meaning I had to learn a few new things about knitting as I went along. One thing I learned the hard way. When a pattern says use a size 11 needle, don't try to get away with using a 10.5. I was knitting along, thinking I could get away with it, only to find once I got to the sleeve separation that the gauge was wrong, the sweater was too small, and I would need to start over, and invest in the proper size needles! But now, it's coming along after that minor mishap! I've got the bottom edge to finish and then the sleeves. I'll admit, I'm a little nervous about the sleeves, again a bit out of my comfort zone. But I'm hoping when all is said and done, I will have a nice cozy sweater to wear this winter.

2011-10-28T14:26:00.002-04:00

100% Superwash Merino Cable Cowls in the shop! The softest wool ever and super warm. Handknit by me in charcoal or cream.

Thank you, Charlie, for the photos!

2011-10-27T08:56:00.003-04:00

I finally made some new fall pillows for my couch, two from a gorgeous, creamy, vintage wool blanket, and one from the last of some navy blue ikat fabric I brought back from Indonesia ages ago. I made the tartan pillow last winter, and am happy to have it sprucing things up this fall after a summer in storage. I love trading around pillows, artwork, etc. when the seasons change, it makes my house feel refreshed, and it's less costly than buying new stuff. Might be time to move some furniture around too, slightly more daunting though.

Fooling around making color co-ordinated banners from stamps, just for fun. I used Angela's stamps, and just ran them through my sewing machine with white thread. You could do it too!

It's raining like crazy today, which is good, because I need to stay inside and get work done. Sunny days I get too distracted going on long bike rides when I should be working.

If you feel like procrastinating on this rainy day, check out these links (all found through
16 House):

Brydie Brown

The Design Files

Megan Morton's Sydney home

It's freezing in my house! Time for another cup of tea and another sweater to layer on. BRRRR.

2011-10-25T10:27:00.003-04:00

Clothespeg dolls 1, 2 and 3 are in my shop now!

2011-10-20T11:37:00.003-04:00

Wouldn't be fall for me without apples. We went picking last weekend. I made baked apples the other night, stuffing the cores with a little oatmeal, chopped almonds, brown sugar, raisins and butter. It wasn't a big hit with my family (probably not dessert-y enough), so I've been having the leftovers for breakfast. It seems like a pretty healthy thing to eat.

I've been making this apple raisin cake this fall. Not really so healthy, so it's best to not have it sitting around the house tempting you when you have an afternoon cup of tea. But it's a great cake to share with others!

2011-10-18T13:00:00.003-04:00

Lost and found stuff:

I forgot about this tray because it was too far back in the cupboard. A gift from my brother from when he lived in Mexico. Now that I've rediscovered it I want to use it all the time.

Postcards from my parent's recent trip to Wales. After I took the picture I noticed the frowny face between the postcards...from my daughter. Wonder what she had to complain about?

Almost lost this plant to neglect this summer, it is slowly coming back. I love the tiny green leaves.

Just finished reading Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. It took me a little while to get into the story, but about half way through I decided it is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

2011-10-12T15:26:00.004-04:00

October...the leaves are changing slowly. Fall doesn't seem to be in a rush to get here this year, but the days are getting shorter. I'm working towards some holiday shows, sewing, knitting. I've made a few new clothespeg dolls that I will post in my shop soon. Isn't this antique wedding dress pretty? It's sitting in the corner of my studio adding quiet inspiration to my work days.

2011-10-03T09:17:00.003-04:00

Knitting, reading, inspired. Finally finished knitting my sweater. It's a bit funky, and a bit too big, but I don't mind. Just glad to have completed it. Taught myself to knit cables. Sometimes things are simpler than you thought they would be.

2011-09-30T08:01:00.002-04:00

Rooftop garden at the place where we stayed. The light and air were gorgeous here.
Happy Friday!

2011-09-30T07:55:00.003-04:00

Where we stayed in Rome. On a quiet street in the Trastevere neighborhood.

2011-09-27T07:39:00.003-04:00

Chesnut vendors on the street of Rome. Right around the corner from the Piazza Navona, if I remember correctly. I love the colors in these photos; the yellows, browns, blacks, and greys. And the stripes too. Perfect for fall. It's not really fall here yet. Still getting very warm days. It's gorgeous, but I'm getting ready for some crisp weather.

2011-09-26T10:26:00.003-04:00

Happy Monday! All this week, I'm going to be revisiting Italy (on the blog). I took so many photos last fall, but never really took the time to post all my favorites. In Rome, I fell in love with the color of this building and with looking at the windows, imagining who lives behind the shutters.

2011-09-22T08:11:00.004-04:00

Almost a year ago that we were in Italy! This little market was in the Trastevere neighborhood in Rome. I love daily markets. We're lucky to have a great weekly market right in our neighborhood, but wouldn't a daily market be amazing?

2011-09-20T10:19:00.003-04:00

It's the end of the flower season in my garden. A few straggling roses and thank goodness for the hydrangea, whose nice dose of color perks things up. Flowers on fabric are nice too!

2011-09-13T17:29:00.005-04:00

We went to a family wedding this past weekend. We were a bit late having run into traffic on the way and we had to rush inside and finish getting dressed before the ceremony started outside the house. The house was empty except for us, the calm before an explosion of a party. There have been many family weddings at this place, including our own 14 years ago. I thought maybe going to this wedding would be like revisiting our own, but it wasn't. Ours stands alone in my mind as being unique to us in every way.

2011-09-08T17:31:00.003-04:00

School started on Tuesday and so did the rain. It just stopped a few hours ago, so the last few days I've been holed up inside my house cleaning, knitting, cooking, baking. Doing all those things I really didn't do much of in the summer weather. Anyway, I was glad for the rain as my plants needed it so badly! And as I really needed some quiet time, the rain gave me an excuse to stay inside and be domestic.

So, the cake pictured above is apple and raisin, and a really nice one to bake in the fall. You can find the recipe here. It's the kind of cake that makes your whole house smell delicious for at least a few hours after baking it. And it tastes even better the next day.

2011-09-01T15:52:00.003-04:00

Late summer, back at home now after being away for almost 5 weeks. I'm happy to be home. It's cooler now in the city, cool enough to drink a cup of tea at night. I like that. It's been taking all week to get things together here, getting ready for the kids going back to school, seeing friends and neighbors, cleaning, weeding the garden, grocery shopping. It's nice to cook in my own kitchen again and to visit the farmer's market down the street from my house. I'm working on knitting a sweater. Almost half way done, I think. I've got lots of knits planned for the fall in my shop....so yeah, got to get knitting!

2011-08-26T16:16:00.004-04:00

We went to Halibut Point in Rockport, MA on a cloudy day last week. The tide was coming in and the waves were crashing around dramatically. We had a little picnic of roast chicken, french bread and cheese. And some grocery store cupcakes with sprinkles on top. The kids spent hours jumping over the huge pieces of granite that make up the waterfront and getting frighteningly close to the edge of the ocean as only kids know how to do.

Take care in the hurricane this weekend if you are on the East Coast. Strangely enough, I just finished reading Zeitoun by Dave Eggers about Hurricane Katrina, so hurricanes have been on my mind. Stay safe, people!

2011-08-15T11:00:00.002-04:00

Hi! I've been visiting family in non-urban places. We've been doing lots of swimming, biking, eating, relaxing. My mom's garden has brilliantly colored flowers. Now I'm at our little summer house near the marsh where the view looks like the painting above. More photos soon!

2011-07-22T07:56:00.003-04:00

In the heat wave we've been having dinner on our upper deck. It makes an everyday dinner feel like a party! I'm about to get out of the city for a while and live a quieter life for a few weeks, visiting family up north. Be back mid-August!

2011-07-14T18:51:00.003-04:00

The first blueberry pie of the season! My husband bought a ton of blueberries at the farmer's market yesterday, and after a very hot week, it cooled down enough to turn on the oven and make a pie.

It's been a slow month for blogging for me...I've just been busy doing other things (or doing nothing some days too, which feels great). In the super hot weather this week, I knit a hat. It was too hot to be in my studio, so just knitting on the couch felt great. Now I'm a bit addicted again to knitting and will start another hat soon. I also got a new bike, a road bike, and it is so fast (compared to my old hybrid/mt. bike) that I am addicted to riding it, even in this hot weather.

Hope you all are enjoying summer and taking it slow as well (if that's your thing, of course). Thanks for reading even though I haven't been posting much...I will be back much more in the fall, and until then will try to post at least once a week.

2011-07-08T09:05:00.003-04:00

It's been a hot week here in the city. My kids are away at camp and visiting grandparents and it's quiet here. I've been working away in my studio for long uninterrupted periods of time.
Lots of purple in the garden in July: hydrangeas and clematis.
Today: rain, making granola (changing up my old recipe a bit), sewing, reading...maybe a rainy walk.
Have a great summer weekend!

2011-07-01T13:08:00.003-04:00

Maine = lobster = summer. On our last night, we sat by the ocean in Bar Harbor for dinner. Neat and tidy lobster rolls for my daughter and I and the real deal, full, messy lobster, shell and all for Charlie and Will.

Happy fourth of July to all who are celebrating this weekend!

2011-06-30T08:34:00.004-04:00

We spent a sunny morning biking around the carriage trails in Acadia National Park, making a loop from Jordan Pond up to Eagle Lake, then Bubble Pond, then back down to the Jordan Pond House just in time for lunch. We got to sit on the lawn overlooking the lake having their famous popovers and tea. Really was a perfect day, even though the kids were not so much into the biking at first. Eventually, they did warm up and have a good time, but I'll be honest, the first hour there was lots of walking the bikes up hills and lots pleading and begging and cheerleading on our parts to just try riding the bike, please!! Well, no one promised family vacations would be easy and all's well that ends well, I say. A bit more on Maine tomorrow.

Also: Justine from Designskool featured our gray house on her blog this week. I love her take on it!

And: I'm thrilled to have my red stripe tote bag included in the Poppytalk Lookbook for July!

2011-06-29T18:44:00.003-04:00

I've been away in Maine for the last couple of days vacationing on Mount Desert Island. We stayed in Acadia National Park, camping for a couple of nights. The weather started out as torrential rain for our six hour drive north, then tapered off to drizzle and fog for the next day. The last two days were sunny and glorious. But honestly, it was nice to see the island in both rain and shine. It's gorgeous either way. I'm feeling a tiny bit blue to be back in the city, and I think I will need another nature hit very soon! More Maine photos tomorrow....

2011-06-22T13:29:00.002-04:00

I spent yesterday afternoon making jam. It took about a hour, maybe two tops. I didn't use a recipe with pectin or do the whole sterilizing/sealing jars thing figuring I'd only be making about 3 jars and they will be eaten in the next month or so...we used half of the first jar this morning if that's any indication!

I used a recipe from my favorite Gourmet cookbook (the huge one with the yellow cover if you're wondering), which is also available on-line here.

And then my favorite easy biscuits. So good with jam, but also can be used for strawberry shortcake. Similar recipe is here.

Yesterday my work was featured on Poppytalk! Thank you, Jan and Earl!

2011-06-20T11:32:00.004-04:00

We went strawberry picking for father's day. Now we have enough berries to make some jam and some strawberry shortcake. If this isn't a sure sign of summer, I don't know what is!

And speaking of summer, Poppytalk's summer themed market "Here Comes the Sun" opens today! I have a table there, and I took a quick browse and spotted some really fun summer stuff I'd like to point out to you all.

Great summer pint glasses from Vital Industries
Gorgeous ocean themed soft sculpture from Fog + Swell
Fun summery stationery from Pink Bathtub
Camp journal from Lazaflair (I just ordered one for my daughter!)
Beautiful bracelets from Be Charmed Designs (My birthday is coming up!)
Clever soft sculpture from Timo Handmade
Pretty artwork from Sarah Ahearn who I also know from the Squam Art Fair (Hi Sarah!)

Do have a look, there are so many great vendors there besides the ones listed here too!

2011-06-16T14:23:00.003-04:00

Summer breakfast with fresh strawberries from the farmer's market. Local strawberry season is so fleeting! As are the peonies, they are just about gone from my garden, only a few stragglers left. First bloom of roses is just about over too, there are the petals on my sidewalk. But the roses will bloom all summer, just have to wait a week or two for the next batch to bloom. And school is almost out, next week. I need to make a summer list of things I want to do, otherwise it does just slip away....

2011-06-14T14:21:00.004-04:00

Just added some cheery red stripe grainsack pillows to my shop. I like how they look with the subtle red stripe pillows too. They feel very summery to me. Come on summer! It's 60 degrees and cloudy in Cambridge today.

2011-06-10T17:18:00.003-04:00

This year we've fully embraced plastic on our top porch. Plastic adirondack chairs, plastic watering can, plastic works for now. I used to be snobby about plastic, but I just don't care anymore. Lucy's bedroom overlooks the porch. It's a beautiful sunny day, but she'd rather be in her room listening to her favorite songs (or same song, played over and over). Almost a teenager...

The indoor plants are liking their new outdoors environment, just have to remind myself to water them more often.

It's really summer here, although the kids are still in school for two more weeks. I'm trying to get into summer cooking mode. The farmer's market near our house has started up, so that helps. I'm not much of a summer cook though, summer makes me lazy in the kitchen.

Hope you have a sunny weekend!

2011-06-08T13:20:00.003-04:00

The flowers in the garden are exploding right now: roses, peonies, lady's mantle. Hostas are out of control. The irises and lilacs have gone by. The spirea will bloom in a week or so and the hydrangea and clematis will come a bit later. It all looks like a garden gone wild, in a good way, I think, maybe my neighbors think it's a bit crazy, I don't really know.

I moved most of my indoor plants up to our second story porch (mostly because I thought they would look cool on my new table). Someone had left the table out on trash day last fall and I dragged it home. It really was ugly, but two coats of blue impervo outdoor paint later, and I think I really love it.

Will drew these flowers in school. He usually draws airplanes and I don't think drawing the flowers was his choice, but I love them all the same.

2011-06-07T11:23:00.003-04:00

I've just added these lavender pillows to my shop! Made with vintage French fabrics they are great for stuffing in drawers, cupboards, suitcases, even under your pillow. I usually put away my winter sweaters this time of year and will tuck some of these into the storage container for sweet smelling clothes in the fall.

2011-06-03T15:03:00.004-04:00

I meant to blog more this week, but it was so busy, catching up on work and getting ready for the Squam Art Fair, which is tomorrow! Anyway, over the long weekend I went to New Orleans and it was fabulous. Good times, good food, good music, good company, and hot, hot weather. My northern self was melting in the heat. But the only photos I took were with my iphone and sadly, none are worthy to go up here. I mean they are REALLY bad pictures. So these photos (taken with my iphone at home) kind of remind me of the good times we had in New Orleans.

Have a good weekend, and I hope to be back to blogging next week with decent photos. Cheers!

2011-05-26T16:28:00.002-04:00

Beautiful outdoors now. A day for wearing a skirt and sandals. Windows are open, the smell of blooming lilacs are blowing through the window on the breeze. There are really only a few days each year when that happens and I try not to take them for granted!

I had to post another columbine picture, as I love the shape of the columbine flower when it blooms and opens up a bit, a lovely star shape. I'll be away until Wednesday, going on an adventure to someplace I've never been before, so I wish you all a nice long weekend.

2011-05-23T15:53:00.004-04:00

Weather refuses to be sunny. To compensate: baked a cake, picked fresh lavender for the table, finished knitting a hot water bottle cover (project going on since March), watching Larkrise to Candleford. I'm going someplace sunny this weekend.

2011-05-19T14:01:00.002-04:00

Cat watching bird. I'm watching columbines and lilacs, still wet from the rain. The sun is trying to come out. Haven't seen it in 5 days or so.

I'm happy with the bigger photos. I had to make my blog template wider and I used these instructions here to do it. Then I followed these instructions to make the photos larger. It takes a tiny bit more editing with each blog post, but it feels worth it.

2011-05-18T16:57:00.006-04:00

Experimenting with bigger photos. I think I've got it figured out. I think I like the bigger photos. Will keep experimenting. Sorry, things may look funky while I continue to work on it!

2011-05-17T08:03:00.003-04:00

We're in a rainy cold spell here. It's good for the neighbor's lilacs and our rooftop lettuce and that's about it! I'm back to my winter cooking mode. I made a big batch of minestrone with cabbage, kale, and swiss chard yesterday afternoon and will be eating it for lunch today. Soup is the best dreary day food ever. I'm off to take a quick walk before it starts pouring again, then have some sewing to do. Hope your week is sunny, if not in temperature, then at least in spirit.

2011-05-12T08:07:00.000-04:00

Installation project in my hallway. I bought Sibella Court's book, Etcetera a few months ago and love her philosophy of changing things up on the walls. I've been thinking I need to change things up a bit on my own walls ever since. Our stairway walls have been empty for months after taking down an unsuccessful gallery wall I made a year ago. Then after seeing photos from thank you, ok of this amazing installation at the Parisian store, Merci, I knew I had to try something like it. I collected a group of favorite objects and artwork that worked well together and tacked and taped them up. Then as the seasons (or my moods) change I'll switch it up with other stuff that's inspiring me in the moment. It's kind of freeing thinking that things on the wall don't have to be there permanently...

2011-05-10T12:58:00.002-04:00

Rhubarb season is here! I tried a new recipe for country rhubarb cake, but I altered the recipe a bit, replacing half the white flour with whole wheat flour and cutting the sugar in half. I had a bit of rhubarb left over, so I made a compote (or at least that's what I'm calling it). About 4 big stalks of rhubarb cut up with about 1/3 cup of sugar, heated on low in a saucepan until the sugar melts and the rhubarb falls apart and the whole mixture turns this beautiful deep pink color. It's great by itself or with some yogurt. Got to take advantage of rhubarb season while it's here!

2011-05-07T09:04:00.006-04:00

Flea market season starts soon and seeing as I don't really need anything for my house, I will be searching for little tiny things for my dollhouse, which has been totally neglected since I finished painting it.

This weekend:
school play
soccer
motivate to plant a few things
haircuts for everyone but me
clean laundry
bike ride? (I hope!!)

And happy mother's day if you are a mother.

2011-05-02T08:40:00.001-04:00

Busy weekend....busy week ahead. Happy May!

2011-04-29T12:57:00.005-04:00

I've spent the last few weeks working on costumes for my daughter's school play. I don't often get the chance to work with fabric this sparkly and shiny.

And speaking of lovely, shiny dresses, I got up early today to watch the Royal Wedding. I remember watching Charles and Diana's as a child, and somehow it seemed very important to me to watch this one too.

Today is maybe the perfect day. Sunny, warm, spring. A good thing for a Friday.

2011-04-27T13:38:00.003-04:00

I just added some more red stripe grainsack pillows to my shop. The red is a soft washed out color, so pretty! I'll be adding some bright red stripe pillows soon, I'm just waiting for the pillow inserts to arrive.

It's sunny and warm today, blossoms exploding all over town. I've got a bit more work to do before I can go outside, but it's so tempting!

2011-04-25T13:38:00.002-04:00

Easter was really nice this year. A bit different because this is the first year my children no longer believe in the Easter bunny. Kind of relief not to have to pretend anymore, and the Easter baskets were enjoyed all the same, no matter who brought them! It was warm enough to sit out on our back patio with afternoon drinks and grill the Easter dinner leg of lamb on our tiny barbeque. Hope you all had a nice Sunday whether you celebrated Easter or not!

2011-04-22T07:54:00.005-04:00

I like it when Easter falls so late in April that it really feels like spring. Okay, maybe it's not so warm here yet, but there are blossoms on the trees and daffodils and tulips in the neighbors' yards. Tomorrow we will dye Easter eggs and get things ready for an Easter breakfast and dinner. For me, Easter is all about food and spring time, a way to celebrate a new season.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-18T16:23:00.003-04:00

Patio furniture came out of storage this weekend and I made two trips to the garden center. First one just to look, second one to buy. It turned out to be quite a shopping spree. What came home: a hellebore, 3 strawberry plants, ferns, some lily of the valley, a bunch of seed packets (wish me luck with these, I'm feeling a bit intimidated that I will actually be able to coax them to grow), and a few little house plants. Okay, now I have my work cut out for me to plant these.

I have a huge crush on the color of this hellebore. It's called cotton candy. Perfect. Feels like I'm writing a flower blog these days. It's just that season, you know.

2011-04-15T13:43:00.003-04:00

These tulips are just about over. They were so gloriously orange when I bought them earlier in the week.

In a quiet and sunny moment in my kitchen, I went through all these old Toast catalogs and ended up feeling overwhelmingly inspired to make things. Now I have too many ideas running around in my brain and don't quite know where to begin. I have a slightly daunting project to finish before I can begin any of my own work. But it will get done and I think it will turn out okay.

Have a nice weekend!

2011-04-13T13:00:00.002-04:00

Just the beginning of things starting to grow and turn green again. Since it's pouring rain today, that will help things along on the next sunny day. Our lilac is starting to get buds, and when those blossom it's my favorite smell ever.

I took a quick walk through my neighborhood garden center yesterday, keeping my eye out for new things that might be fun to grow this year. I'm thinking I'd like to grow more herbs in pots this summer and maybe try planting some lettuce in pots as well. Anyone out there ever had any luck with that? I've never been much good at growing vegetables, only flowers.

This afternoon, green tea and dark chocolate to get me through the rainy weather.

2011-04-11T16:27:00.003-04:00

Spring weather today! Our neighbor's magnolia tree bloomed in the warm sunshine and we made avocado milkshakes to drink outside after school.

For two big avocado shakes or four small ones mix in the blender:

1 avocado

1/2 cup milk (I use whole milk)

1 cup of ice

2 tablespoons -1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (depending on how sweet you like it)

Blend until all ice is crushed and blended in. Pour into glasses and enjoy.

2011-04-08T13:48:00.002-04:00

Got a 9 year old birthday to celebrate today. I love this guy so much! I just can't believe he's 9 already. Seems like just yesterday that he was born. Time flies. Have a good weekend. Weather is sunny here for two days now and perhaps over the weekend too. Fingers crossed.

2011-04-06T09:11:00.002-04:00

Sometimes a little orange is just the thing. I don't have a lot of orange in my house, so I was suprised to see that when I rearranged my book shelves by color, some of my favorite books have orange spines.

What is the what. By Dave Eggers

Balzac and the little Chinese seamstress. By Dai Sijie

Crossing to safety. By Wallace Stegner

Bridget Jones's diary. By Helen Fielding

I love the randomness of these books together. All they have in common is orange spines, and the fact that I enjoyed them heartily.

Just started reading The Tiger's wife, by Tea Obreht. So far, so good.

2011-04-04T09:10:00.002-04:00

Somehow the weekend flew by with not much to show for it. Some nice moments, like dinner with friends, and the sunny weather yesterday was great for a walk around town. I can't believe these seedums survived the snowy winter in a pot which I neglected to bring inside.

2011-04-01T08:41:00.004-04:00

Last bits of Mexico, this time from the ruins in Tulum, a Mayan city that flourished around 900 A.D. I find it extraordinarily humbling to look at what's left of civilizations, keeping in mind that someday in the distant future, the bits and pieces of our own will be examined and analyzed. Who knows what conclusions future archaeologists will draw about us?

Mexico is an amazing place to visit. This was my third trip there, and I look forward to going back again. Especially today, the first of April, as it is snowing and sleeting here in Cambridge. How crazy is that?

Hope you all have a nice weekend, and I do hope it is warmer and sunnier where you are than it is here.

2011-03-30T08:29:00.002-04:00

This was the prettiest beach I've ever been to. Right below the Mayan ruins in Tulum. The water was so warm that day. At the point where the sea met the horizon, the sky was lavender. We bought fresh mango and watermelon for a snack, then ate a lunch of grilled seafood at a tiny restaurant on the beach.

2011-03-29T08:12:00.002-04:00

There is a large coral reef right off this beach, and the coral has washed up and bleached in the sun over the years, creating a mosiac of natural patterns in the sand. On a late afternoon walk on this trail, everything under my feet appeared bone white in the strong sun. I'm interested in the trees and plants that grow in this kind of climate. So different from what I see at home.

2011-03-24T22:46:00.002-04:00

Just back from Mexico. So warm, sunny and colorful there. We rented a funky beach house with my husband's family, near Tulum. 8 grownups and 7 kids under the age of 12. Chaotic fun indeed, including sleeping under this thatched roof for a few nights, finding scorpions in the kitchen, swimming in underwater caves, taking the kids to a crazy water park, visiting Mayan ruins, eating fabulous Mexican food and just hanging out in the evenings drinking my brother-in-law's insanely good margaritas.

2011-03-16T10:31:00.001-04:00

My family and I are going to Mexico tomorrow. I'll be back in a week or so. Take care, everyone!

2011-03-11T10:23:00.002-05:00

Last night I began sorting through all of my 2009 photos to make a Blurb book. I made one last year with my favorite photos from 2008 and it's been a great alternative to a photo album to share my family. I got as far as May 2009 in my files and these were some of my favorites from spring of that year.

Looking at the lilacs in the last picture reminds me of my new favorite soap . It really smells like lilacs, which I'm pretty sure is my favorite smell ever (well, at least in a tie with lily of the valley).

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

2011-03-09T12:13:00.002-05:00

Lemon tart, two new spring scarves, daffodils and hyacinths. All signs of spring, even though it is cold and gray today. That's part of spring too...

2011-03-08T08:05:00.002-05:00

I think soup is the most satisfying thing to cook (and eat). I usually grocery shop on Mondays and inevitably have some things left over from the week before that I need to use up, hence the soup.

My favorite soups are usually the ones where I wing it without a recipe. This soup is made from a few leeks, some scallions, half a sweet red pepper, a handful of tiny potatoes with the skins left on, celery, and carrots. I chopped and then sauteed all the vegetables together with some butter and olive oil for about 30 minutes in a big pot. Then I added about 4 cups of chicken broth and a cup of water or two and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. Finally, I added a bit of salt to taste and pureed the whole thing in the blender. Voila! Really delicious and simple.

2011-03-04T16:04:00.003-05:00

I spent January and February sewing and knitting, and this week I just needed a break from it all, I had zero creative spark. This week I needed to catch up on things around the house. I cleaned the stove, I painted the chips in the woodwork and the walls, I took down all the paintings from my hallway and patched the walls, I cooked lentil soup, I researched summer camps for my children...just really boring regular stuff that had to get done. And now it's done and I feel ready to get back to work next week. But first I'm looking forward to relaxing this weekend! Nothing exciting going on to be honest, but glad to be able to just hang out with my family.

oh, one last thing i almost forgot! i saw a few brave crocuses and snow drops today on my walk...could spring really be coming? it made me so hopeful.

2011-03-03T11:21:00.002-05:00

Spring feels awfully far away right now. I miss this view of roses and greenery. I think I took it a bit for granted at the time when I took these photos last May. I can't wait for the rose bush to bloom again, although I am a bit worried that it has taken a beating with all the snow piled on top of it this winter. Snow, would you please melt! It's 16 degrees as I'm writing this, so there's not much chance of melting today, but it's sunny and bright out and I can tell the light is changing towards spring even though the temperatures are not.

2011-02-28T07:58:00.002-05:00

This time of year I am craving green and flowers. I want real flowers, but will be happy with flowers on fabric for now. I made these pillows for my cousin and his wife from some vintage kimono remnants. They'll go on this beautiful blue couch in their living room.

The weekend ended with snow and now today it's sleeting and gray. There are no signs of spring anywhere in my neighborhood. One more month of winter for us at least!

2011-02-24T17:16:00.002-05:00

Visiting my cousin, I notice lots of things in his place that used to be in my aunt and uncle's house growing up. It's fun to revisit them here, brings back memories. Both rugs in the above photos were woven by my mom, the brown and red one from way back in the 70's, one of her first, I think. The bright red and blue one is later, she must have given it to my cousin and his wife as a wedding present. It's fun to see her work incorporated here too. And I don't know where the bedding came from, but everytime I visit, I want to take it home with me. Same with the Tintin picture.

2011-02-23T17:36:00.002-05:00

More inspiring apartment details from Brooklyn. The sky was so blue that day, it felt like Greece. Except for the freezing cold temperatures. We spent a lot of time at the Met (two whole afternoons), went ice skating in Central Park (so pretty, with the snow in the trees), walked through Times Square, ate lots of excellent Asian food: dim sum, Thai, Vietnamese. I had an excellent avocado milkshake and lots of good tea. I took no pictures outside of the apartment....I get overwhelmed trying to take photos on the streets of Manhattan!

2011-02-22T16:11:00.002-05:00

We just got back from four days in New York, staying with my cousin in Brooklyn. Somehow all the small details of someone else's home are so interesting and refreshing to me. Different colors and patterns. It all seems so charming away from home.

2011-02-17T15:28:00.002-05:00

I just added some blue to the mix! New blue stripe grainsack pillows are in my shop now. I'm loving the bright French blue color of these stripes, and actually made two for myself from this fabric.

The snow is melting fast today and these colors give me spring fever.

2011-02-16T11:25:00.002-05:00

Sold out of red stripe grainsack pillows earlier this week and just put some new ones in the shop today! These are a wonderful cherry red, with the most delicious texture.
I should have some new blue ones coming in very soon too.

2011-02-15T08:12:00.002-05:00

Day after Valentine's Day. Leftover strawberries on cereal. A single red rose from my husband and some sweet cards.

2011-02-11T10:53:00.002-05:00

My living room bookshelf has been bugging me visually for quite a while, so when I saw this lovely apartment with the color coded books via 16 House, I knew I had to give it a try. My kids were just getting home from school and they were happy to help me pull all the books off the shelves and rearrange. It took us about half an hour and I have to say, I love the result! My eye is no longer drawn all over the place by randomly placed red book spines and I like the way there are solid blocks of concentrated color. Isn't it funny how such a small change can make you feel so much better about a space?

Have a good weekend!

2011-02-09T15:59:00.002-05:00

Today was bright, clear and very cold. As long as the sky is blue however, I really don't mind the cold at all. I went with my son's 3rd grade class on a tromp through snowy Cambridge Common to find Revolutionary war monuments, which were for the most part, buried in snow drifts. It was cold and fun and exhausting! Anyway, that doesn't relate at all the the pictures above.

I got a big shipment of grainsacks in January and tomorrow I start sewing them into pillows. I love working with this kind of fabric: love the texture, the history, the creamy oatmeal color, the crisp red and blue stripes in all their simple and classic variations. I just finished a custom order for 20 x 20 pillows and will send them off to their new home in the morning. This particular fabric was a favorite of mine. I'm just a fabric freak.

2011-02-07T14:51:00.002-05:00

I'll be honest, today is dreary. Gray skies, huge piles of dirty, melting snow and ice. Ugh. Thank goodness for grocery store tulips being on sale. Because that's just about the only thing that's saving my mood right now.

2011-02-04T11:15:00.002-05:00

I've been working with some interesting fabric this week. Another kantha quilt from India, which I've been sewing into pillows for Pod. I know I mentioned this in a previous post, but I'll say it again. The tiny handstitching is not mine, it's done in India.

This week I finished reading The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt, and while Possession will remain my all time favorite book of her's, I really did enjoy this one too.

Last night I watched Seraphine. Although the ending is a bit sad, the movie is visually beautiful, especially if you like the French countryside and French country interiors circa the 1920's. The movie used lots of French ticking and other lovely vintage fabrics in the interior scenes.

Have a superb weekend!

2011-01-31T13:52:00.002-05:00

New cowls are in the shop! I made one for myself before Christmas and I have been wearing it every day since! So I thought it would be fun to make up a set for the shop as well.

Four colors: cream, charcoal, black and caramel. 100% superwash merino wool.

Softest. Wool. Ever.

Cowls are 15% off in the shop until the end of today with the STILLWINTER code at checkout. Then after that all scarves are going back to their original prices.

p.s. i can't afford to hire a model, so yes, that is me in the photos :)

2011-01-28T10:35:00.002-05:00

Yay! It's Friday! Just saying that this is the last weekend of the STILLWINTER sale in my shop. 15% off all scarves if you enter the STILLWINTER code at checkout. The sale will end Monday January 31st.

Have a great weekend! I'm going to be listing some new handknit cowls in washable wool in the shop next week, so stay tuned!

2011-01-27T19:47:00.002-05:00

The snowstorm ended early this morning and left us with huge piles of snow, no school, and brilliant blue skies for a change. We spent the morning outdoors and by afternoon there was still so much light streaming into our living room. This time of year I really need those sunny skies outdoors and flowers and white walls inside. And British magazines too...Selvedge and British Country Living. The best, they always cheer me up!

2011-01-26T10:54:00.002-05:00

Cold week, lots more snow on the way tonight. One child home sick for the last three days. I have been knitting lots and trying out recipes from old issues of Gourmet magazine. Yesterday there was a pink winter sunset and pink tulips from the grocery store.