Giving a Hoot

Handbags & Accessories - Macy's

This is so my new key chain fob. I haven’t had a new one for a while. My new obsession seems to be owls so I couldn’t resist this little guy.

New:: Green Apatite Dangle Earrings With Flower-Stamped Octagon Thai Silver

Some new works are being created around at Hip To My Lu. I thought I’d share.

Here is one lovely example.

I call these faceted apatite gems “just-the-right” green.

Please check them out at www.hiptomylu.etsy.com.

Anyone else going through a productive time as we head into winter and the Holiday season? Please share…e-mail me or comment below!

Special Delivery!

By now many of you may have heard about Social Designers 500 Pencils Project.

[LEMON DROP, GERANIUM, PUDDING, RUBY, GARNET, TEA WITH MILK, BISQUE, TRAGEDY, SNOW PEA, MERMAID’S GOWN, LETTUCE, SCARLET O’HARA, LITTLE RED WAGON]

The names alone are inspirational. Let’s start at the beginning though. 500 colored pencils specially designed by felissimo, time-released if you will, to you in sets of 25 over 20 months. Add to this, several incredible artistic storage solutions, and well, it’s almost too much for a girl to take.

If all of that’s not enough – the experience continued for me one morning while I was, let’s see, somewhere between feeding the dog and emptying the sink strainer from that mornings breakfast crumbs – there was a “knock, knock” on the door. A nice little man was at my door. He was holding a box and I could see a mini-van parked out on the road. Hmm, I thought, what could this be? “You expecting…let’s see…(as he looks over the package in his hand) some colored pencils?” “Why yes I am!” I replied with probably a little too much glee for any delivery man to expect from delivering a box of colored pencils. Then, I had to sign for them, that’s right, sign for them.

I was quite impressed. Special delivery from Japan – signature required, for the next 20 months? Sigh. How will I ever handle it when the Orchestra Display Case arrives?

“Like a time-release of inspiration and color, each month, over 20 months, a set of 25 colored pencils is delivered to the collector.”

Shout Out

Many thanks to Jillian from { Live Green Give Green } for including my “Drops of Sunlight” earrings in her treasury. It even made the FRONT PAGE Monday a.m. May 25th. Congrats Jillian and thanks again. Beautiful treasury!

Might As Well

Thought I might as well take advantage of the pics taken by our realtor’s photographer and post a few shots of our home while it was all cleaned up, really really cleaned up. Yep, it’s for sale. Anybody moving to West Michigan???

We are planning a move to the Phillie area. Any suggestions from anyone for a good family-area to look at would be greatly appreciated. My “husband’s” office will be in Conshohocken but he will also be flying out of the airport often.

I have lived out east before. I lived in Connecticut when I was growing up but that, obviously, was years ago, so it’s going to be a new adventure for all of us!

[Boy, I really need to get on the painting for our next house right away, and not wait 3 years and then it’s too late!]

Pupped Out

I finally found just the right collar for my little pup-pup! It was of course found at a wonderful etsy shop called {shop mimi green}. The bonus is that it comes with a matching leash. How cute and stylish is that?

This little flower accessory was just too irresistible, you know for those special occasions in a yorkie-poos life.

I believe I first heard of mimi from her beautiful blog {blogmimigreen.com} so check that out. She also has her own shop at {shopmimigreen.com}.

I can’t wait to get my goodies and I will be sure to post photos of my little pup all decked out in her new mimi gear when it arrives!

A Conversation Four Years Later

Okay so here’s the set up. For this little conversation to make sense I need to tell you that my husband died when my daughter was 16-months old. I know, pretty bad. I met my current husband [okay I just call him my husband - he’s really more like my perma-fiancé but that takes a whole long explanation in itself] when she was four. She is now eight and calls him daddy. [Her choice.]

D: Mommy, you know when we met daddy?

Me: Yes.

D: I didn’t really like him at first.

Me: You didn’t? Why not?
[Surprised - news to me.]

D: Well, I really didn’t want a dad.

Me: Hmmm. You didn’t? Why not sweetie?
[Thinking I'm getting to the really deep deep issues here.]

D: Well, what I really just wanted was... a dog.

P.S. As you may know, we now have a dog.

Super-Delicious

Should I be concerned that second-graders are now sending boys notes in class that say, and I quote...“I think you’re super-delicious”?

For the record, this was not my daughter.

8 Is Sooo The New 13

Can’t you just see the expression on her face?

Quenepa

It’s pronounced keh-neh-peh, or close enough. The fruit from a tree in the Carribbean with a strong, thin green skin, a pink-ish flesh and a large pit that really takes up most of the inside. The fun part is that you bite onto the fruit and the skin kind of cracks and pops open in your mouth. Then you proceed to suck the flesh off of the pit. While I was searching for a photo to include in this post I found out that according to Caribbean folk wisdom (especially in Jamaica), girls learn the art of kissing by eating the sweet flesh of this fruit.

We were lucky enough to stumble upon this exotic little lime-colored fruit while on a quick little trip to Ponce, Puerto Rico which just so happens to be a hot spot for Quenepa. Who knew. There were street vendors everywhere carrying these huge bunches of what looked a little bit like big green grapes. They were walking up to people in cars exchanging the bunches for a few dollars. It definitely piqued our curiosity.

It has started to amaze me how many fruits I really haven’t tried. Actually, after that trip, how many fruits that I don’t even know exist. It’s a big, big world!

[Photo courtesy Felicita M.]

Embroidery Pillow of Your Child’s Artwork

What a lovely lifelong keepsake of your child’s extra special drawing. I say lifelong and I mean it. Vivre.com by Monogrammed Linen Shop offers this wonderful pillow but it’s not cheap. At $795.00 per pillow I see it going up on a shelf or in a shadow box frame as an awesome addition to the decor of a room!

Knowing my daughter she will want to tote it outside along with her favorite blanket so her and her friends can picnic on the patio! Yet , I am still so tempted. Let me know if anyone takes the plunge and purchases one. I would love to see more photos of the drawings themselves and the pillows after.

Float Bed by Okooko

Zzzzz…
Some serious napping could be accomplished here. At a mere $25,000 the Float Bed was designed by David Trubridge, a New Zealand designer. It’s the first of our annual ‘challenging how we sleep’ projects… says Okooko, a company based in New Zealand, who recently opened its first retail store in the United States, in Philadelphia.

Ummm...

Are you kiddin’ me? This is amazing. He [Slovenian artist Franc Grom] drills thousands of holes into these eggs with such intricate designs. I really couldn’t believe my eyes. But here it is. Check out the link for more amazing photos. This just confirms, even more, my lack of patience in life.

Doggie Decor On The Wall

This makes so much sense and is so cool looking Get the dog dish off the floor and out of the way – no more bumping into it with your foot or broom – save little Fido’s back from aching and it’s an awesome addition to any room’s decor to boot. Genius!

These Creatures, Inc. is a design studio that seems to be very “eco-aware” in it’s manufacturing in that their products are designed and manufactured in one building and the steel only travels one block to their site, etc… Every bit helps.

It looks like prices for these little steel pieces of functional art range anywhere from $155-$275. There are a variety of breeds and colors available. If you’re not a dog person, they didn’t forget kitty, so check out the link.

Butterflies and Glockenspiels

The second-graders have their spring performance today. My daughter has butterflies in her stomach. I know this because she has told me several times. Though this confuses me a bit. See, she loves to perform. Perform anything and everything:: ballet recitals, piano recitals, plays at drama camp and even [I know – bad parents] karaoke at a “bar & grille”. Maybe that will be another entry.

So I remind her of this while we are waiting for the bus. She says yes, I know, but I have to dance – then sing – then play the Glockenspiel and come in at the right time! Hmpf! I think. Well, mommy has no words of advice for such a challenge. I mean I have no idea where she got any of her stage presence to begin with! Just the thought of performing anything anywhere fills my entire body with butterflies.

The bus comes. I kiss her good-bye and tell her to take a few big deep breaths and to please have fun. I say I can’t wait to see the performance tonight – they have one at 9:00 a.m. for the students and another in the evening for the parents.

This little exchange seemed to work for her because she scooted off all smiles in her little white tights and black skirt as happy as a little lamb.

All I can figure is this whole “Glockenspiel” thing has thrown a wrench into her normal “rock star” like persona! What is a Glockenspiel anyways? And a pox on it and the school for freaking out my sweet little baby!

For Fellow Graphic Designers…

“MAKE THE LOGO BIGGER” Song