Inside My Hideaway

Summer on Film #4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:05:00 +0000

The last days of summer are always sort of bittersweet. I don't miss the heat, but I do love the long days, wandering down alleys and cut-throughs to get to the water, listening to the sounds of chatter in backyards and in restaurants with open doors. And something about this summer in particular brought about the most amazing sunsets every night for the last half of the season. I don't pretend to understand weather patterns or atmospheric conditions; I have no idea what caused it. All I know is that we've been spoiled with brilliant pink and orange and lavender skies so stunning they've stopped me in my tracks nearly every night. And when I look back on this summer, so much of it will be tinged with pink. :)

Summer on Film #3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Sep 2016 16:15:00 +0000

Walking down any particular block, you're likely to come across a mix of homes, from stately and ornate to simple ivy-covered brick. I love that about this place. I know we won't live here forever, and when we go, I'll probably miss taking walks the most...even though the lumpy and lopsided brick sidewalks have tried to kill me more than a few times. ;)

P.S. That house in the top photo is my favorite house in Old Town; look at that roof!

Project 365 - Week 10

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 21:17:00 +0000

You might have noticed there was no Project 365 post last week. I haven't been feeling too great, and I sort of put everything on hold. But I have a couple weeks' worth of photos that I hadn't posted yet, and I finally got around to editing some today. I'm hoping I'll feel better soon and can pick it back up again. I miss it.

Day 64 - Trying to get in the habit of taking breaks every now and then and being mindful, which is sort of the whole point of this project. I have a tendency to spend too much time in my mind, if you know what I mean.

Day 65 - Looking up.

Day 66 - Wrapped up a present for my nephew. Apparently, he loved it so much he hid it from his younger brother because he was afraid he might have to share it. :)

Day 67 - Trying to cool off by a fountain on a super hot day.

Day 68 - I love that plant in the center; it reminds me of Sideshow Bob's hair. :)

Day 69 - Finding little pockets of nature here and there between sidewalks.

Day 70 - We walked out on a dock to watch the sunset from Daingerfield Island on a sleepy Sunday evening. One day I'd like to live on the water and walk out on my own dock.

Hope everyone is having a good week! xoxo

Summer on Film #2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 21:54:00 +0000

I love the unpredictability of film so much, the fact that a strange color cast can appear on one photo and not the next, even though they were taken with the same camera settings and in the same location. It might have something to do with the fact that all my manual cameras are old and were bought secondhand. Or perhaps someone who's more knowledgeable about the inner workings of film cameras and the developing process could explain it away with technical jargon. But I prefer to think it's all alchemy and light and maybe a little pixie dust sprinkled in the mix too.

I can remember being a small child, completely amazed and not really being able to wrap my brain around the idea that cameras could capture a moment in time and hold it forever. It was pure magic to me then, and it still is. Don't get me wrong, I love digital photography too, mostly for the immediacy and convenience of it. And on a related note, the internet wouldn't really exist as we know it without digital photography, and I'm definitely team internet, so there's that. But I never really stopped thinking of film cameras with the same wonder and excitement I had as a child, so they just feel more special to me.

I guess I'm just feeling a little sentimental about it lately because I keep seeing blurbs about this film or that film being discontinued, and I know at some point, they will probably stop producing film altogether. But I hope it's not for a long, long time.

Project 365 - Week 9

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 22:35:00 +0000

Hi, guys! I hurt my finger, and it's a little hard to type, so I'll keep the captions brief this week.

Day 57 - Early morning light when the day was full of promise.

Day 58 - An afternoon at Jones Point. Something about that tree in front of that lighthouse pulls at my heartstrings every time.

Day 59 - Jam and bread for breakfast.

Day 60 - Peter thought I should snap this photo. It looks like the entrance to an enchanted forest or something, but it's really just a cut-through next to a park. It makes me wonder what Alexandria looked like before it was developed. A few years ago, archaeologists found a spearhead in a cemetery nearby that's 13,000 years old! It's both hard, and somehow not hard at all, to imagine people walking and hunting on this land 13,000 years ago.

Day 61 - I don't think I've ever shared this little gallery wall in the living room before. I bought all of these pieces when we were living in different apartments, and I didn't hang them all together until we moved into this house. But at this point, I feel like they belong together, all these little creatures, and it will be weird to split them up when we move.

Day 62 - Morning coffee.

Day 63 - Pink skies.

Summer on Film

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 19:22:00 +0000

I'm still doing my 365 project, but I have some film photos taken randomly here and there that are their own thing, so I thought I'd do a little series of posts...just a few pics at a time.

Taken on my Pentax in one of my favorite gardens (Dumbarton Oaks). There are a few places here so lovely in summer that they somehow offset the stifling heat and humidity, and this is one of them. :)

Project 365 - Week 8

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 01:49:00 +0000

This week was really busy, and I didn't have a lot of time during daylight hours to photograph anything, so most of these photos were taken either early in the morning or late in the evening. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you don't mind photos of my breakfast. :)

Day 50 - Waffles are probably my favorite go-to breakfast food when I'm in a rush. (Side note: has anyone watched Stranger Things? No spoilers...but that scene when Eleven walks out of the supermarket carrying all those boxes of waffles, I was like SAME...though to be accurate I would be carrying TJ's waffles, and it would be a miracle if there were even that many boxes left in the case as our store is always a war zone, but I'm getting off-topic. Anyway, watch Stranger Things if you haven't already.)

Day 51 - Making my to-do list on my "DO or DIE" notepad. Isn't it cute? (It's by Rifle Paper, if anyone's curious...I have way too many of their products.)

Day 52 - In the evening, we stopped by the rose garden for a little while. I like to come here because it reminds me of my grandparents, who grew beautiful roses in their garden. After they passed away and the house was sold, my dad made rose cuttings for each of us and has been nursing them at his house until the time comes when we can transplant them. I hope one day, when we're more settled, to transplant my roses from Nana and have a garden that does them justice. :)

Day 53 - Watching the sun sink and fade from my cozy spot on the couch.

Day 54 - We spontaneously decided to drive out to the nearest Krispy Kreme for late night doughnuts, and it was the best decision ever.

Day 55 - My friend Marieken emailed me one day to let me know she saw one of my pink hedgehog brooches in an old issue of Flow Magazine. I was like "No way! I love Flow!" Marieken was kind enough to email me a scan the next day and then mailed the actual page too! (And I learned a Dutch word; egeltjes means "hedgehogs.") :)

Day 56 - Marieken also sent a bunch of beautiful prints and papers as well as a tiny notebook she made! Peter was laughing at me as I went through each thing in the package because I think I was squealing and saying "Oh my God!" a lot. I love everything she sent so much that I had to photograph it all the next day. And she also sent some recipes for quiche that I can't wait to try out as well. So needless to say, I'm working on a "thank you" package to send to her that I hope will be half as awesome. :)

Happy weekend, guys! As soon as I hit publish, I'm heading to the kitchen to bake some cookies and then finish a movie Peter and I started earlier. He's been very patient waiting for me to finish this post, and by patient, I mean napping. Perfect Friday night if you ask me. xoxo

Project 365 - Week 7

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Jul 2016 00:22:00 +0000

Day 43 - Here's the peach cobbler I made with the peaches my brother and his wife brought up to DC. It was so good! One drawback to making this dessert in summertime, though, is that it makes me miss fall weather something terrible, especially when the heat index is 115 outside. The recipe calls for lots of warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and the aroma of baking is heavenly, to be sure, but also makes me long for crisp cool days and cozy sweaters.

Day 44 - I had a dentist appointment in DC, which is never fun, but at least I passed by these cute houses on my way there. (When I have to do something I really don't want to do, or go somewhere I really don't want to go, I try to notice all of the beautiful or interesting things around me. It's amazing how much it can help quiet anxious thoughts.)

Day 45 - Hydrangeas are so beautiful I can't stand it sometimes. I mean, look at those blush and lavender tones! I would fill our whole yard with them if I could, and I've sort of tried, but they don't seem to grow well in our soil. One day I'll have them if it's the last thing I do! *shakes fist at hydrangea gods*

Day 46 - Gathering inspiration among kindred spirits. :)

Day 47 - Taking a shortcut through an old railroad tunnel.

Day 48 - Pretty geese, bathing in the sunlight. I know people complain about geese being a nuisance, but they're such beautiful birds, aren't they?

Day 49 - Not the best photo, but definitely the best ice cream! We've been going to Sugar Mama's in Fairfax more often than we probably should. We've tried almost all of their flavors at this point, and they're all good. (The scoops are huge here, so if you're watching your diet or want to try multiple flavors, you can ask for mini scoops...not that we ever have, but I've seen more conscientious customers ordering them.) The woman who owns the place was a school bus driver for many years, all the while dreaming of opening an ice cream shop, and she finally did a few years ago. Isn't that great? I wish there were more small business success stories in our area.

After this week, I missed a few days, but I just decided to keep going as if I hadn't. (I'm sure I'll miss a few more before the year is out.) I'm not beating myself up about it because I don't think it will really matter in the long run. Maybe I'll get a book printed at the end of the year (or whenever I finish) so I'll always have a little time capsule to look back on when I'm old and grey...well, older and greyer. ;)

Happy Friday! Hope your weekend is filled with all of your favorite things. xoxo

Project 365 - Week 6

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 21:00:00 +0000

Day 36 - This colorful mural was a happy surprise! I passed by it when I was out running errands on a humdrum sort of day, and it instantly brightened my mood.

Day 37 - I'm trying not to buy too many books these days, to be patient and wait for my local library to stock the books I want to read. But I'm powerless against the charms of a book like Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World. I bought it a few weeks ago, and I've loved flipping through it and learning new words. "Szimpatikus" is Hungarian: "When meeting someone for the first time, and your intuition tells you that they are a good person, you can refer to them as 'szimpatikus.'" I know I have felt this before, most recently when meeting our next-door neighbors for the first time. :)

Day 38 - I noticed the setting sun cast shadows of cacti and succulents on our coral-colored wall, and I pretended for a moment that we lived somewhere in the desert, where the air is dry and nights are cool...as opposed to here, where the air is so close it will make you dizzy sometimes.

Day 39 - We spent the day with my brother and his family who were passing through town on their way to New Jersey. My niece, Maddie, made Peter and me matching bracelets, which we wore with pride (of course!). I can't wait till we live closer.

Day 40 - We went to the Renwick Gallery to see Wonder, and it was pretty spectacular. I wouldn't say no to having large-scale rainbow installations in my house one day.

Day 41 - My brother and his wife gave us a bunch of fresh peaches that they bought on the drive up. I made peach cobbler a couple of days later, and it was so good!

Day 42 - I took this photo on the 4th of July, which as you can see, was very rainy! In fact, it was so rainy that pretty much all plans (fireworks, barbeques, etc.) were canceled. When they announced that they were going ahead with the fireworks on the National Mall as scheduled, we drove to a spot across the river where we've watched them before, but visibility was so bad (and it was still raining) that I didn't even bother getting my camera out of my bag. I think they even aired a previous year's fireworks show on PBS because it was so hard to see anything. All that aside, I kind of liked how this photo turned out, so all was not lost. :)

I might do two posts next week to try and catch up a little, as it's now the 21st and I've only posted through the 4th. I don't plan on posting in real time, though; it's enough to remember to take a photo every day! And in all honesty, I missed a few days between last week and this week. I don't want to post a blank spot for those days--that seems silly, no?--so I think I'll just keep going as if I hadn't and not worry about it matching up to the calendar exactly.

I hope everyone is enjoying these long summer days. xoxo

Project 365 - Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Jul 2016 18:40:00 +0000

Day 29 - After a day of violent storms, the sun finally peeked out from the clouds around 8 p.m.. I felt like I needed to get out of the house, so we went for a walk in the park and spotted a rainbow, which you can sort of see in the middle there. :)

Day 30 - I repotted several plant babies after I noticed they weren't looking so great. Actually, they started to look a little peaked almost immediately after coming home from the garden center, and I was bummed because they weren't cheap. But they seem to be doing better in their new pot, so we'll see.

Day 31 - Rain on the patio.

Day 32 - Peter brought home some tulip-shaped cookies from a bakery near his work. :))

Day 33 - We spent a Saturday afternoon by the river watching sailboats and listening to the kids play in the fountains nearby. The weather was gorgeous! (You can see the Capitol dome on the left.)

Day 34 - The next day we drove out to a lake about 30 minutes away and walked around the trail that surrounds it. I actually didn't really love the trail, but the lake itself was beautiful. I think next time we'll just rent some boats and row around the lake.

Day 35 - Still making smoothies almost every day, helps to balance out all the cookies. :)

As I was putting this post together, I thought, "Yep, that's pretty much what summer looks like around here."...lots of rain, lots of sunshine, smoothies nearly every day, and as much time by the water as I can get. Hopefully, we'll be going on a little road trip to see the ocean later this summer too.

Hope everyone is having a great week! xoxo

Project 365 - Week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 23:45:00 +0000

I'm a few days late posting week 4, not that it matters, I guess. I'm still taking photos; it's just finding the time to edit and post that's a challenge. I think I'll get back into the groove soon, though!

Day 22 - I love the way they painted this birdhouse at the garden. Give me all the colors and patterns, and I'm happy. :)

Day 23 - I got back some prints from a roll I shot last summer. (It's probably time for another SOOC post soon!) I love to get prints in the mail; it sort of makes me fall in love with film all over again every time. I've started browsing used 35mm cameras online again, as I've had my eye on a few that I'd love to try out...if only they were cheaper! Photography is not a poor woman's hobby, that's for sure.

Day 24 - We randomly find things from the kids next door in our backyard from time to time...usually when Peter mows the lawn. This week's finds were a half-deflated ball (or dog toy?) and a tiny shoe.

Day 25 - I love this pretty ivy-covered entrance, don't you? Most houses in Old Town are right on the street, as they often are in very old towns with small lots, but these people are lucky enough to have a bit of a front yard.

Day 26 - We went for a walk by the water at twilight, my favorite time of day, and it was blissfully uncrowded and quiet.

Day 27 - I made some chocolate chip cookies using a low sugar recipe I'm still working on. I basically baked my way through winter, and amazingly enough, did not get tired of being in the kitchen! I'm still at it fairly regularly, though I've cut back recently since it's been so hot out.

Day 28 - This was the day of the Strawberry Moon! Did you guys see it? I can't remember ever seeing the moon so big and so pink in my life! Unfortunately, I did not get any decent photos of it. We were out when the moon started to rise, and I only had my phone with me. I tried different photo apps hoping one of them would work, but the moon just looked like a tiny, white blob instead of the huge and gorgeously pink sphere rising in front of us. So I turned around and took a photo of the pink sky opposite, which was still very beautiful, even if the moon stole the show.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July yesterday! It was a total rainout here, but I know everyone still enjoyed a day off. :)

Project 365 - Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 20:01:00 +0000

Day 15 - Currently reading The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. I read The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters years ago when it came out, and I'd wanted to read one of Nancy's novels ever since. I finally picked this one up the last time I was at the library, and it's exactly as I thought it would be: clever, funny, and kind of dark. I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a summer read!

Day 16 - Packing up this fly mug to mail to my Dad for Father's Day (pun intended). He loved it! (It's part of the Hook Line & Sinker collection from Wild & Wolf if anyone's curious.)

Day 17 - Sat outside on the patio for a little while to enjoy the sunshine and noticed our lavender is looking quite pretty! We don't do anything to it, and it grows and grows. I think it's one of the easiest plants to maintain. (I know lavender is recommended for warm, dry climates with mild winters, but we live in a humid, wet climate much of the time and have had horrible winters with lots of snow the past few years, and the lavender remains unfazed.) The bees and butterflies love it too!

Day 18 - Spent much of the day in bed in the haze of feeling awful. (Thanks for all the well wishes, by the way! I think I'm finally getting better, slowly, but surely.)

Day 19 - Long shadows in the afternoon, listening to the kids next door play outside.

Day 20 - I'm in the process of a major wardrobe overhaul. I've taken bags and bags to Good Will, but I've held on to some pretty dresses and blouses because I thought I might do a sale. Has anyone bought or sold anything on Depop or Storenvy? Is it worth the trouble?

Day 21 - Going through my felt stash to see if I have enough to finish an order I'm working on. I looked down at this stack of scraps and noticed an abstract pattern forming, like layers of peeling paint.

Happy almost weekend, guys! We're finally supposed to get some good weather here, and I'm planning on getting outside and enjoying it! :)

Project 365 - Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 18:08:00 +0000

Here's my second week!

Day 8 - Opened up a package filled with colorful washi tape, and it made my day. I should order more "office" supplies because they make me so happy and more excited to tackle my to-do list.

Day 9 - Making tacos.

Day 10 - Decided to take off this old painting and try to reuse the frame after I found a bunch of canvas rolled up in a closet. After removing all of the staples and getting everything ready, I remembered that we don't have a staple gun...at least I don't think so, but I could actually have five hidden in the shed. Anyway, more half-done projects! Yay!

Day 11 - We have honeysuckle growing all along our back fence, and I couldn't be happier about it. Honeysuckle is one of my favorite scents! I'm always looking for candles or perfumes that capture it, but I've never found one that truly did.

Day 12 - I'm all about trying new fruity drinks this summer, and this cute label caught my eye.

Day 13 - We spent what felt like the entire day driving to IKEA (and running a few other errands), and when we finally pulled into the driveway, I grabbed my camera and ran out to the backyard to capture the last light before the sky went dark. It's my favorite time of day to be outside, but I wish it wasn't mosquitoes' favorite time of day too.

Day 14 - A new print for the kitchen came in the mail! We're doing a little redecorating and sprucing up around here. We've decided not to repaint the pale green kitchen (a gift from the previous owners), so I decided to find artwork that would match it a bit better.

I'm still going strong with Project 365, but I'm not gonna lie, this past week has been tough (I'm a little over a week ahead from what I've posted). I've been really sick and like, "What can I take a picture of that isn't in bed (where I've pretty much been living) and without having to move?" I did putter around the house a bit and take photos of things other than the duvet or my feet so I feel pretty proud of that lol. I'm kind of wondering if I should skip a few days and pick it back up when I feel better and can actually leave the house, but for now, I'm sticking to it.

And on a related note, this current plague is also why I haven't started my 100 Day Project of illustrated notebooks yet. I've been struggling just to finish up orders and complete commissioned work, so I need a few more days to catch up before starting that one.

Hope everyone is having a great week! xoxo

Project 365 - Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 22:19:00 +0000

Project 365 is going pretty well so far. I'm actually two weeks in already. I still sometimes forget to take a photo till late in the day, but I haven't missed a day yet, so that's good! Here's week one:

Day 1 - Making my to-do list in the morning. One of these days I will actually cross everything off.

Day 2 - Peter and I went for a walk in the garden after he got home from work. We stopped every now and then to investigate all the new things blooming. These pink peonies were my favorite.

Day 3 - Made an eggy pie for dinner with sliced avocado and sourdough bread.

Day 4 - The end of a very long week. Peter and I curled up to watch Netflix, and I burned this candle called Windmills and Tulips, a very sweet, spring-like scent.

Day 5 - We walked under a canopy of blooms and twinkly lights unexpectedly on the way down to the river. We got ice cream, met some sweet puppies, then headed back home to watch a movie.

Day 6 - Went to an antique store looking for a few things. Came away empty-handed, but I loved this vintage espresso set.

Day 7 - Picked up some new plants at the garden center. Pardon the mess of random things in the window. I'm doing some rearranging in this room and there's stuff everywhere.

Hope everyone is having a great week! xoxo

New Projects!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 18:29:00 +0000

Remember when I said I was back to blogging? Hahahahaha. No really, though, I am back! I might not post as frequently as I used to, but I miss it so, so much. I love to look back at old posts, even the ones that are slightly embarrassing, and remember what we were doing, where we were living, and all the little odds and ends that make up daily life. It makes me sad to think I've missed half of the year already.

With that in mind, I've been thinking of ways to motivate myself to get my camera out more often and post here as well. Two challenges came to mind that I see on Instagram all the time: the 100 Day Project and Project 365. Is it crazy that I think I want to do both of them at the same time?

100 Day Project - I struggled to think of something I could make and complete daily for 100 days, and also something that I wouldn't get sick of quickly. I used to be the type of person who would keep reading a book I didn't like until the end, or stick with a job I hated, or whatever. But I have a whole different attitude about that now that I'm older and have realized my time is too precious to waste on things I don't enjoy, that don't add value to my life or to the lives of others. So I really thought long and hard about what would be worth the time commitment. And suddenly the answer was so obvious! I'm going to make a hand-drawn or hand-painted pocket notebook every day and list it for sale each day as well. That's a manageable amount of work to add to my load at the moment, and I love the idea of having something tangible to offer people. I also plan on taking requests for what to draw at different points in the project so that people can participate too!

Project 365 - I've actually already been doing this one for a little over a week; I'll share my first week's photos soon! I plan on taking at least one photo a day for an entire year. I probably won't skip days even if we move or travel, etc. I'm a little undecided as to whether to post every single photo here though. I'm currently working on a few things that aren't ready to share, and most of my family and friends don't want their photos public. It will be a challenge to find something unique to document each day, but I'm excited about that! I'm hoping it will inspire me to take a few minutes out of each day, notice my surroundings, be present, and find something interesting to "say" with my camera. I guess I'll just see how it goes...if people enjoy my photos, then I'll keep posting them each week.

I'm giving myself a little leeway with both projects in that it might not be 100 or 365 consecutive days. If I miss a few days here and there, it's not a big deal as long as I make them up. I think I will probably post the notebooks daily on Instagram with the hashtag #100pocketnotebooks and do weekly posts about the project here. I'm hoping to start posting them in a day or two (I've got a big order to finish up first).

I just want to say I've missed all of you who've been reading here over the years. I've had emails from a few folks wondering where I've been for the last few months, and I just want to say thank you so much! I'm happy to be back. :)

xo,
Mary

SOOC #4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 14:50:00 +0000

After two and a half months of not blogging, I've almost forgotten how! A couple of people asked me recently if I was ever coming back, and I'm happy to say the answer is yes! I never intended to take such a long break, but once you get out of the habit of taking photos and blogging regularly, it can be difficult to start back up again. But I've missed posting here--Instagram is really just not the same, for me, anyway. I will always love reading blogs (and blogging) more. I do still post to IG regularly, and I loooove looking at other people's photos, but I don't really like reading (or typing) on my phone, so that platform will always have it's limitations for me. (I still love snapchat too, by the way; it's a whole 'nother animal, but it's sooooo fun!)

Anyway, on to some SOOC photos. I found a couple of rolls of film from last summer (I think?) in a drawer in my studio, and I just got the first roll back last week. All of this lush greenery climbing up the sides of old buildings makes me ache for summer sooooo bad. We had our first taste of warm weather this past week, and it's been heaven! I heard talk of more cold weather and snow coming for Sunday, but I'm not even letting that get me down because I know warmer days are coming, and everything will be green and gold again. :)

P.S. Hope everyone is having an excellent St. Patrick's Day and doing something fun tonight...if you're into fun, that is. I'm pretty anti-fun, so I'll most likely be staying home lol. :)

Our Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 18:26:00 +0000

Hi guys! How are you? It's been a while. The holiday season was a busy one for
My Hideaway, which kept me cutting and stitching, packing and shipping right up to Christmas. I loved every second of it. Thanks so much to everyone who supported my little shop!

I've since been feeling a bit under the weather, as tends to happen this time of year after the holiday rush. Needless to say, our New Year's Eve celebration will be a quiet one at home, probably with hot tea and soup instead of bubbly, but that's OK.

I wanted to share a few pics of our "big" tree this year. Because I decorated the mantel with gold and white accents, I decided to keep the same color scheme for the tree. We didn't pack on too many ornaments either because Peter and I wanted to let the natural beauty of the branches shine through.

If you're wondering where the colorful felt and handmade ornaments are, rest assured, we had two trees! I have a smaller white tinsel tree that I stuffed full of cheerful little felt ornaments and funny trinkets that people have given us over the years, and that sat on the hall table to greet everyone who came through the door...definitely a crowd-pleaser. :)

I'm normally a "more is more" type of person when it comes to Christmas decorations. Bring on the bright colors and festive garlands and all the sparkle, but I really loved our gold and white minimal decorations this year. It felt calm and peaceful, while still being cozy and cute. It's given me a lot of ideas for things I want to try next year!

Speaking of next year, I'm working on making my list of goals and resolutions, both for my business and my personal life. I'm thinking there are going to be some big changes in 2016. What about you? Making any resolutions?

Happy New Year's Eve! Hope you have a good one! xo, Mary

Holiday Decorating - On the Mantel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Dec 2015 22:35:00 +0000

I decided to keep our holiday decor simple this year: white and gold accents surrounded by fresh greenery. I'm not usually one for minimalism at Christmastime, but I have to say I love how calm and peaceful it looks. I did have plans to DIY a white wreath out of felt, but I've been too busy to indulge in just-for-fun crafting, and I didn't want to wait until Christmas Eve to put up our decorations. So I bought this paper wreath kit from Paper Source as an alternative. It's so pretty!! I don't know if you can tell from these photos, but half the leaves are made from paper with a shimmer finish, and half from paper with a matte finish. It has just the right amount of shimmer to catch the light, particularly when the candles are lit, without being too over-the-top and glittery.

I'm not gonna lie though, it did take forever to put together. I probably would've been able to design and execute my own DIY in the time it took! But I honestly don't regret it at all; it looks beautiful above the mantel, and I think it fits in perfectly with the decorations we already had.

We've been trying new holiday-scented candles lately too...maybe I'll share some that we've liked if anyone's interested in that sort of thing. I never really thought I'd be a candle person, but it just makes the whole room cozy and warm (especially now that the nights are drawing in), and lighting candles has become a daily habit.

Hope everyone has had a great start to the week! And to my fellow shop owners in the midst of the holiday rush, remember to take a break now and then and breathe. Don't worry, it will all get done. xo, Mary

SOOC #3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 17:24:00 +0000

It's been busy around here for the past few weeks as I've turned into a one-woman felt ornament factory, but I wanted to take a quick break from making things to post a few SOOC shots.

I took these photos last year with my Yashica, and I love the sort of quiet, small town vibe they portray, which is not really accurate. I seem to be able to get shots with no people in them on busy streets quite often; I wonder if it's my introvert nature and desire to live in a less crowded place manifesting itself through my photography. Probably.

I have two rolls of film sitting on my desk waiting to be developed, and I can't wait to see what's on them! That's one of the great things about film: I often wait a while to get film developed, and then it's a total surprise when I open the package and flip through my prints.

I'll definitely share more SOOC posts soon! xo, Mary

New Ornaments!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 18:28:00 +0000

Hi guys! I wanted to share a few more ornaments that I've added to the shop and remind everyone that today is the last day to save 15% off with coupon code HOLIDAY2015.

I actually have a few more ornaments that I wanted to have listed by today, but it's been horribly dark and rainy here, and I've struggled to get good photos. I looked at the weather forecast for the next week, and there's nothing but rain everyday until Thursday. I definitely don't want to wait that long to list ornaments because I know that some early birds have already bought their trees! But I will probably wait for better lighting to photograph and list the notebooks I've finished and other things. So expect a few things to be added later on this week and early next week. I'm going to try to photograph the rest of the ornaments today and list them tomorrow, regardless of the weather. Wish me luck. xo, Mary

Shop Update + Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 13:09:00 +0000

Hey guys! Just wanted to do a quick post to let you know lots of new ornaments have been added to the shop and more are coming! Also, you can save 15% off everything with coupon code "HOLIDAY2015" through Monday night.

I've been making a list this morning of all my favorite handmade shops having sales and trying to do as much Christmas shopping as I can today. This is more fun to me than getting presents. :)

Happy shopping, friends!!! xo, Mary

What's Happenin', Hot Stuff?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 18:37:00 +0000

This is just a small, prettily arranged pile of what is actually taking over my life right now. I'm basically just floating in a sea of crafty flotsam and jetsam. Really though, I've stabbed myself more times than I can count, and I'm pretty sure I have a permanent hunch in my back from leaning over my desk. BUT! New things are coming soon. :)

What are you guys up to this weekend? I've been busy working on a few side projects lately, one of which was to shoot family portraits for some folks, and I'm trying to finish up editing today. I have much respect for people who do this all the time because going through and editing hundreds or thousands of photos takes sooooo much time, at least if you're going to do it right. That's one of the many reasons why photography is better as a side gig for me.

Actually, now that I think about it, every project I take on is very time consuming, like see-you-in-a-few-months kind of time consuming. One of these days, I'll figure out how to be one of those people who does things quick and easy. Are you one of those people? Share your secrets, please. :)

We are also going to Glenstone tomorrow, which I'm really excited about. It's actually not great timing with everything else we have going on this weekend, but I made the reservation months ago, and I'm not giving up our spots! Glenstone is a modern art museum in Potomac, Md. that's only open Wed. to Sat., and they only allow a certain number of people in at a time. Reservations are required, and you can probably imagine that weekends fill up fast, which is the reason we've never been before. Photography isn't allowed inside, but I'll probably post about it anyway if the show is good.

What are you guys up to this weekend? Oh also, if anyone has any good suggestions for shows to stream while I'm sewing I'd greatly appreciate it! I've been re-watching old shows like Buffy for the millionth, possibly billionth, time. And I'm not saying there can ever be too much Buffy, but you know, I'd love to get into a new show also. I feel like it helps me get into a rhythm when I'm working, and I can challenge myself to try and finish one ornament in the time it takes to watch one episode. For the record, that has never happened, everything I make takes too long, but it's something to shoot for.

Hope everyone has a cozy and crafty weekend! xo, Mary

Shop Update!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 16:23:00 +0000

Here are a few notebook sets I've added to the shop! I've been experimenting with hand-carving lino blocks and rubber stamps for a while and ultimately decided on combining printed images with hand-drawn and painted details. So each notebook is still one-of-a-kind!

I have been wanting to do notebook sets for about as long as I've been making notebooks, and I finally got around to it! Better late than never. :)

More notebooks are on the way. I'm trying to get as many finished, photographed, and listed as possible because I know people like to give them as Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. I can't believe it's almost time for Christmas shopping!

Speaking of Christmas, I've been a busy bee sewing up lots and lots of colorful ornaments, which I'll share soon.

Holiday crafting is in full swing around these parts, and I couldn't be happier about it.
xo, Mary

Chinatown

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 21:31:00 +0000

I took these photos at the end of the summer; I can't remember where we were coming from, but we passed through Chinatown on the way to the metro one warm evening. This area is now largely dominated by the Verizon center and teeming with the type of sports bars/chain restaurants that typically surround stadiums, but there are still a few architectural nods to the neighborhood's history, and I've always thought that the gate is pretty fantastic. I hope they never take it down.

This area has changed significantly since we moved to DC in the late 90s, and I wonder what it will be like 20 years from now. DC is an odd place in that so much of the cityscape remains unchanged, at least on the surface. Facades are largely protected by historic preservation laws, and neighborhood streets are still lined with the same rowhouses that have stood for many generations. But the character of neighborhoods is changing all the time. And there has been a push in recent years to lift the height restriction in the city (no building can be taller than 110 feet, I think, due to a law that was passed 100 years ago). When you have so many people in a town that was built to accommodate a much smaller population, you have problems with infrastructure, transportation, affordable housing (there is none) and trouble attracting companies and businesses, just to name a few.

It reminds me of a program Peter and I watched on Nova last week called "Making North America." (They've just aired the first of a three-part series.) It's all about how the continent was formed from a geological perspective, and how it's still changing all the time. It was super fascinating to see how mountains were formed and other landmarks took shape, but the overarching theme I took away from the show is that no landscape is permanent. They talked about how the coastline of California is changing due to the San Andreas fault, and joked that due to the shifting masses of land, one day Los Angeles will be right up next to San Francisco, and two cities that don't like each other very much will be neighbors. It's only moving at a rate of about 2 inches a year, so that will take some time, but still, two inches a year! That's a lot if you think about it.

Anyway, this idea of impermanence and environment is very much on my mind these days. And no, this ramble of mine is not a veiled attempt to hint that we're moving, just things I've been thinking about lately. It's all a bit unsettling and wonderful at the same time. xo, Mary

National Museum of Women in the Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:21:00 +0000

I found a folder full of photos I'd taken at the National Museum of Women in the Arts from last summer that I never posted. I'm actually not sure if I've ever posted about NMWA on this blog, which is just nuts. This museum is the only one of it's kind in the world, and it really is a special place to me.

Did I mention that the building is beautiful? I'm a bit obsessed with the gorgeous chandeliers, the intricate trimwork and moldings, and those dreamy arched windows.
The late-afternoon light in the great hall and mezzanine is heavenly.

But the art is really what matters here, and the truth is I would visit this collection if it were housed in a garage. There's a good mix of historical and contemporary artworks from women all over the world, and I'm always discovering new work I've never seen before. I particularly like to see portraits of women by women, and self-portraits of women artists in this collection. I did a huge research project almost 20 years ago (yikes!) on women as subjects of art versus women as objects of art in paintings in particular throughout history, and that project was heavy on my mind during this most recent visit.

I sometimes wonder if I should use this space to write more intellectually about art and design rather than "ooh pretty picture!" But then I think that anyone reading this right now who is interested in the cultural significance of how we depict ourselves and how others depict us has probably already studied and researched and discussed such topics at length, as I have. And maybe that's not why people read blogs anyway? I know I often turn to blogs for entertainment or escapism or inspiration or even just pretty pictures, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I guess I've been feeling a bit torn in general with what to post in this space lately, but that's a topic for another day. (I definitely mean to start showing my own work more regularly though, not just photography.)

**The paintings (top to bottom): Lady Reading by Lamplight by Minerva J. Chapman, 1898; Self-Portrait Dedicated to Leon Trotsky by Frida Kahlo, 1937; and Self-Portrait When Seventeen by Jane Fortescue Seymour Coleridge, 1842.