Over the weekend we were running back and forth from house to house, moving our things to and fro while what I've now dubbed as "second winter" drifted in covering everything in town in pure white snow. As we drove up to our new place I instantly noticed this amazing display of purple roses waiting at our front door. Although there was no note, I had a good hunch it was from my rock star friend. These lovelies, have helped make the chaos of this move a much sweeter experience. After this week, we should be all settled in.
I also got a really special package from my talented friend Monica up in Astoria this weekend, with some very skillfully quilted lantern potholders she made in her amazing home studio. I've been seriously cautioned that if I don't use them and get them dirty... she won't invite my husband over for leftovers anymore while he's on his trips up North (A little inside joke). Too funny!
I've been happily creating in the studio over at PaPaYa HQ this week. It's wonderful to get back into my creative flow playing with pattern and fun color combinations.
& Here's a peek at my desk, where all of the good creative juju happens at PaPaYa! (thanks to the camera on iphone, again).
This is one of my favorite photos of all time. I was 20 years old, roaming the streets of Rome with my father who had taken me with him on one of his business trips in December. We passed this alley way and there it was, the perfect Roman holiday scene. Lined up vespas, a tiny fiat, surrounded by enchanting old buildings with graffiti on the walls.... with a living tree decorated in white lights so slight of hand. Like a Christmas magic trick.
This Christmas Eve was so unusual. We unexpectedly went 4 wheel driving on the beach, a very Oregon thing indeed. This time though we found ourselves avoiding all of the scattered tree logs and driftwood that had washed up from the recent storm. So many foreign things on the beach we'd never seen before. Clouds of weird foam bubbles were gliding over the wet sand as if they themselves were living too. While the sandpipers skipped over them. It was a little alarming, but there was also something that felt truly wabi sabi about it, when the sun began to set.
Before we moved up here, I had read stories of beachcombers finding interesting things after a big storm like, messages in bottles, and lost cargo fallen off of ships. So, Shawn kept teasing me, "now go find the rich stuff"! (Rotten luck, not even one Nike.)
I know it says paper, but I see the name Amy Butler and my mind instantly thinks "FABRIC", that's how the idea came about to sew it. I'm so addicted, these oversized gift envelopes only take 5-7 minutes to whip up. This time of year, there's so much going on... it's definitely my kind of project!
I also added a few fun embellishments like eyelets, ribbons, sometimes a sticker from my moo book to seal them, and the cherry on top... hand glittered cards and loveletters tags from PaPaYa! Creative Abandon.
After last years fantasizing about creating these very delicate carved pumpkins. I've been looking to try something much simpler this year. Luckily before I went searching to unearth my carving tools in the attic, I saw this really clever idea in Better Homes and Gardens magazine on making stenciled pumpkins with paper doilies. I ended up cutting up the doilies to make my own patterns, the end result reminds me a bit of print blocked textiles from India.
I'd also like to try making these celestial pumpkins once it gets a bit closer to Halloween, to light the way to our porch. Aren't they lovely?
Martha, Martha, Martha... your site always has the best ideas.
Here are a few of the fun project ideas they have offered up on her site for Halloween. Spookyness is a good thing.
I still can't get over how magical the film stills for Marie Antoinette are. Third post about this movie, I know... I've been waiting so many months to see it. One of the disadvantages of small town life. Thursday, it will be mine though... a late Valentine!
I couldn't agree more with Stylebubble's perception on this film when she says, "I think all the pre-US release data reviews should have forewarned people enough to see this film, not as a historical period drama that wants to re-tell facts but as a stylised piece on 18th century decadence, that views Marie Antoinette as a young, bewildered girl thrown into a heady fast-paced lifestyle. "
"Beauty for beauties sake", this film is definitely right up my alley.
But in truth when I look at period costumes, I'm taken back in time to my highschool fashion merchandising class. A speaker came to visit us from FIDM (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) to give us a presentation about the history of fashion. I loved all of the quirky information that we learned, things that you're never told about in stylized period films.
For instance:
Men were the first ones to wear silk and lace. A show of wealth, and status.
In Elizabethan times, the ruffle collars were filled with herbs so as to distract the wearer from their own scent (bathing wasn't a big thing back then).
Light skin was once so highly sought after that aristocrats went as far as taking small quantities of arsenic to get that pale look.
Heart and star shapes used to be applied right on top of blemishes to hide imperfections of the skin. Dirty but glamorous!
And the bustle, it just kept growing in size until it so much hit the point of exaggeration that the style went away completely.
I bet someone out there reading this has some more quirky fashion history facts they can add?!
I had a dream last night, that I was driving through the snowy hills of Astoria. When I woke up I pulled back the drapes, and squealed with happiness.There it was... after record breaking rain storms, a soft white blanket of snow had enveloped our world last night. Being raised in Southern California, this actually was my first snow experienced at home. Ever.
So, watching the snow drifting past my window this morning, surrounded by the Christmas garlands twirled with fairy lights that were neatly hung over Thanksgiving weekend was pure magic for me. What a lovely day.
It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from the character Katherine in the movie under the Tuscan Sun. "Never lose your childish innocence. It's the most important thing."
That movie and our life run a few parrallel lines. Rennovating an older home, and moving away from everything we were so used to. A few people even warned us that leaving Southern California to move to the Northern coast of Oregon was a terrible idea too.
Yesterday the most inspiring gift arrived from one of my new favorite creative artists on the net Anahata of Papayalicous and Anahataart. After my post about the little garden studio, we had discovered that we both had been on a lengthy search for gauzy lanterns. Through a few emails, a surprising coincidence came into play and she was able to find a source for them. As an AMAZING gesture she sent this package as a thank you!
From the moment I laid eyes on this box, I felt like I was walking on a cloud all day.
I couldn't stop beaming over the piles of colorful cards, tags, mail art stickers, soulful collage backgrounds, and posters. All made with love by the wonderful creative mother-daughter duo, who are the genius behind Papaya. It's so good, you feel contagiously snared into wanting to create something just as beautiful yourself!
My favorite part about keeping this blog truly is the brilliant people that I've been lucky enough to meet along the way. Thanks so much Anahata... I cannot stop smiling over here!
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(*edit* Here's the correct link!) These gauzy lanterns are now available in various shapes and colors through Anahataart for anyone else who's interested... Hurrah, the search is over!
Don't they look dreamy?!
