Feast your eyes

I also feel obligated to share a few new-to-me sites with you, so that you too can waste hours of your time online.

new Lonny Magazine-Traditional Home partnership: online magazine Trad Home!
http://www.lonnymag.com/issues/19-trad-home

Rikshaw Design: cute clothes and fun blog
http://www.rikshawdesign.com/womens/ak-110.html

Stylish Bird blog
http://stylishbird.blogspot.com/

Kelly Market blog
http://www.kellymarket.com/

Ok, I'll be back with more things to waste your time with soon!

xoxo,
k

Can I get your opinion, please?

OK, CAKEs, I have been a bad blogger. At book club tonight, we were discussing who has a blog and E and I had to look at each other and laugh because we are members of a secret blog that we don't blog on. So, here is a remedy. Like it or hate it. By the way, our next book club pick is "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua. Looking forward to it actually!

I want to find a new purse. One that can also serve as a diaper bag (welcome baby M, due October 2011, Mommy is already buying crap for herself instead of you). So, I present to you a few options. This may just end up as a purse, but that's ok too. If I could merge these two options, I think that I would be in good shape.

Criteria:

• Must be cross body, for hands free grocery shopping, diaper changing, etc.
• Leather. Not sure why this is a criteria, but leather lasts forever. Even with stains. I'm cool with that.
• No metals in bizarre places. Self-explanatory, really. Have you seen some of the new trends? yuck.
  
• Has a few pockets on the inside or even a divider!

So, I've been researching on Etsy and every other site I can think of (Anthro has really failed me this time). Here are the two options I have found so far. Can I get your opinion? This all goes back to my New Year's Resolution... you might remember it... don't buy stuff you don't really LOVE. I'm trying to stick to it! Look at me, it's MARCH, and I still remember the resolutions!

Option 1:
Pros: you can design your own; Cons: expensive
http://www.etsy.com/listing/59461010/two-way-hobo-choose-your-custom-color


Option 2:
Pros: Vintage; Cons: getting into that too much metal territory; seems a little small?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/71263266/vintage-saddle-leather-hobo-cross-body?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=leather+hobo+cross+body&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=



So, CAKES, maybe you can be my eyes looking for a new purse. My eyes seem to be struggling to find the right thing.

Thanks for indulging this superficial and extremely shallow post.

I promise to be more substantive next time. Whenever that is.

Spring Cleaning!

Spring is so refreshing. I was complaining in my last post about being uninspired and bogged down by life, etc. February has a way of putting me in a stupor. I am was getting so tired of boots. So tired of the black wool coat. So tired of the barren branches. So tired of being inside. And then suddenly.... LIFE. I love how our Creator just bursts into winter with all His glory and beauty. One morning I drove to work and it was winter and the next morning I drove to work and there were daffodils, trees that looked dead yesterday all of a sudden blooming away. It makes me happy and thankful for how creative and kind God is. Winter doesn't last forever. Can I get a Hallelujah?

The whole process is rejuvenating and energizing. It's even got me doing some spring cleaning. Cleaned out the laundry room, vacuumed my WALLS ( that's right-- you would NOT believe the dust on a wall if you really study it), and today I finally faced my biggest domestic challenge-- our bathtub. It's a long story but I've tried A LOT of tactics and none have really been satisfactory. Since I have some VERY important house guests coming this weekend (all the way from Brooklyn) and the bathtub had gotten in a particularly disgusting state ( sorry no before pics), it was time. Who else do you turn to in a crisis such as this but Martha. She did not lead me astray.

K & C, you would eat this book up; although I know you don't need it. I'm sure you've typed up your own manual.

I'm mildly obsessed with the brush and Bon Ami. Both revolutionary really. Isn't the can even cute? Cuteness in cleaning products isn't everything, but it does help. Plus it's natural-- no chemicals. Most importantly, together with the brush ( which I think is key) it worked magic on my tub. It's as clean as it's been since I've lived here.

I was sharing my discoveries with some other girls at K's tonight and they were all raving about the Miracle Eraser? They were shocked that I had never heard of it. What's your most prized cleaning product/tool? Or do you have any impressive spring cleaning feats you've tackled yet?

Wreath #2

So ladies, I got a little carried away with my wreath and it is HUGE!!!!  I put it on the door to our apartment, but it was too bouffant for NYC...and it intruded into our neighbor's space. :) So my husband picked up my crushed spirits, and we found an alternative place for it.  I think it worked out quite nicely.

Okay, here are my suggestions, pitfalls, etc.

1)  Buy the 10 inch wreath form.  The only size they had at the store was the 14 inch, and it made the process so much longer and made my wreath too big to fit on the front door.  So unless you really want bouffant, go with the 10 inch form.

2)  Use weathered book pages.  I used one of Mitch's law school books that he didn't want to keep because the information in it is already out of date.  I felt okay about tearing up the book because it was just going to goodwill otherwise, but I think the look would be enhanced with weathered pages versus the stark white.  So go to a used book store and find a book that is falling apart and use that.

3)  Use a normal sized book.  The law book was on the larger size, and again, that added to the bouffantness.

4)  Do not overlap the pages when you are gluing them on.  I made the mistake of overlapping the ruffles for the first few layers, and as I realized, it decreased the poofiness of the ruffles.  The lack of poofiness made me add another layer or two (I lost count) and in turn added probably about another hour onto the project.  You can actually tell in the picture above that the lower layers are much more dense than the last layers.

5)  When you get to the last layer, it helped me to cut the page length so that there was less bulk to glue down.

It was a fun project, and I think it will go much faster next time.  And I will be more careful and not burn myself. :)  Also, E asked me if I thought she could do this book page wreath instead, and I actually think it would be easier than the one that C and I did.

What do you think of me?

Dearest CAKEs -

I am a little nervous to show myself to you, but the blog challenge demands it - so here goes:

Can't wait to see my brother and sister wreaths in VA and NY!

With love,

the mint julep (name of our casita) TX wreath

Book Page Wreath Challenge

Hey Ladies!


We have all been quite lazy with our blog lately, so I thought that I would give it some love. I also thought that I would set a challenge for us.  We have all talked about how we need a creative outlet outside of our jobs, and I think this blog/our friendships can help with that.  So I am here to challenge us to make a book page wreath by the end of March.  That gives you a little over two weeks to make your wreath and post a picture of it for all of us to see.  I am actually pretty excited to see us all do the same project because I know we will end up with four very unique interpretations.  It only takes about two hours, so clear a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon or heck clear one night after work and get crafty.


Since I set the challenge, I will pledge to have it done within a week (by next Thursday) and I will check in on your ladies and offer encouragement.  We can do this, and I am very excited about it!  C, you asked for some accountability, so I brought it! :)


Love you ladies,
A

Nine People

That is right, nine people will be gathering in my apartment this evening for book club.  Do you remember my living room?  I have no idea how nine people are going to fit, but we will make it work. :)  I am freaking out a little bit, but I know it is going to be so fun!


Miss you ladies!