Pancakes and French Fries

How to Store Wrapping Supplies (One of Two Decabillion Ways)

Jules — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:45 +0000

I’ll start today by admitting I have no idea how that vase of lavender ended up in front of the painting, practically dead center. I vaguely remember something about a football crashing into it, lavender buds flying like confetti, and Mikey saying, “Well, at least now we can smell the lavender.” File this one under Life with Boys.

Let’s focus, instead, on wrapping paper. Specifically, the wrapping paper I left in limbo back in October. As planned, I used as much of it as I could during Christmas and did not buy anything to supplement my already embarrassing supply of cheap paper. I barely made a dent in the cheapness, and after today I have a new rule: No cheap wrapping paper, ever. I have a couple of reasons, outlined below.

Cheap wrapping paper comes in rolls that are either too meager or too plentiful. It’s the hotdog buns of stationery. I either don’t have enough, or I’m left with too much.
Cheap wrapping paper doesn’t store well. The color fades or bleeds (both, in my case) and wrinkles or tears easily.
Cheap wrapping paper is often impossibly trendy. What I loved in 2009 left me scratching my head in 2011–and wishing I could buy something else.
Cheap paper is easy to buy in quantity. If I am shopping intentionally and thoughtfully (and not just buying junk in bulk), I don’t need that much paper. This allows me the room in my budget to buy the beautiful, more expensive wrapping paper I’ve always looked at wistfully.

Allow me to be your wrapping paper cautionary tale. Stay away from the cheap paper.

I decided to store the wrapping paper in our campaign dresser. I love this thing. It has a fairly small footprint, and yet it is capable of storing 99% of the contents of our home, as the above picture details. I could have tossed the paper in one of the three empty drawers, but I am committed to having an intentional home from top to bottom, inside and out.

First thing first: take everything out and start sorting.

Bows, ribbons, ties.

Cheap wrapping paper.

Stamps.

Stickers, paper.

I also have scissors, slicers, hole punches, and other supplies that I didn’t photograph because the only thing less exciting than a picture of a pile of stickers is a picture of a pile of scissors.

I started with the wrapping paper, since I needed room to maneuver in tight quarters. I was ruthless, but ecstatic. I gave myself permission to ignore the fact I wasted money and instead rejoice in what I was gaining by recycling paper that was cheap, torn, or faded. Then I tossed rolls that were almost depleted or didn’t have enough paper to wrap a standard box. I’m notorious for keeping random sized strips of paper in case I might one day need to wrap, I don’t know, a wand.

That left me with a roll of parcel paper and one roll of good quality birthday paper. I can’t even. Shame face! (Let’s not talk about the tension rod I found among the rolls of paper.) (Although I could have totally wrapped that sucker with one of my many random strips of paper.)

I thinned out the bows (gave them to my mom), ribbons, and ties, too.

I placed them, for now, in an empty Tupperware container I had laying around. Eventually I will put them in a clear, lidded container or photo box.

I used an extra photo-box to contain my stamps.

The paper, stickers, and random holiday cards I stored in an accordion file I found in the Mister’s office. It won’t win a beauty pageant, but the solution works well for now. One day years from now, when I’m walking around the house looking for something to do, I’ll replace the accordion with one that is prettier.

The scissors, tape, et al went into a basket I found in the kitchen last October. Again, one day I will replace this set up with a lidded container.

But for now, everything fits together like the most perfect game of Tetris. I have everything in one location, easy to pull out and access. I love it.

The two rolls of wrapping paper are in the drawer to the left, along with 2394834 rolls of crepe paper. Don’t worry, today is Nicholas’s 5th birthday (!!!) and I am probably tied up in 50% of it as you read this. The supply should be thinned out by the end of the day, and what’s left I will put in a box. The parcel paper roll is too long. I’m glad I don’t have much left–the next roll I buy will fit the drawer dimensions.

Whew. 19 images, y’all. Mama is cross-eyed.

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This post was part of The William Morris Project, a weekly series that details the steps I am taking to create an intentional home. You can see more of my goals and completed projects here. To learn more about this project, start here.

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Now it’s your turn! Feel free to share how you have lived according to the William Morris quote, “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Made a plan? Cleaned a drawer? Bought a sofa? Tell us about it with a link or comment.

A few guidelines:

Please link to a specific post, not a general blog address.
Your post must relate to your efforts to create an intentional home.
No links to giveaways, please.
A link back to this site is always appreciated. There are buttons to add to your post or sidebar, too, thanks to the lovely Alex, of Type A Calligraphy. Just copy the code and insert into your blog post or sidebar while in html mode.
Let’s use this weekly link up as an opportunity to gather inspiration and motivation. Click links. Discover new people. Say hi and good job. I know I will.

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How to Store Wrapping Supplies (One of Two Decabillion Ways) is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

F is for Fujikawa

Jules — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:00:48 +0000

Our Best Friends by Gyo Fujikawa was my favorite book as a child. I remember being five years old and flipping the pages over and over again. Everything about it was just too perfect: the bunny, Smudge the cat, the little boy named Larry who always had a sparrow perched on his finger. My favorite page of my favorite book was of the house sitting on a large expanse of green lawn dotted with pink trees. I stared and stared and stared, committing it to memory almost, taken in by the happy house with the big red door. Obsessed with red doors, even then, in 1977.

It was raining when I took these pictures, and had been for hours. The sky was cloudy, like memories.

[p.s. I announced the winners of the book club giveaway on the original post. The publisher got wind of the giveaway and put in two more books, for a total of four. That made me happy! Maybe more book club giveaways are on the horizon?]

F is for Fujikawa is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

C, D, E

Jules — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:00:09 +0000

I was plugging right along with my Souvenir Foto Project: Alphabet Edition until yesterday. I decided upon a book theme, which is okay. I wouldn’t do it again. I’m having fun, of course, but I’m losing the spontaneity I adore. I like to take pictures and write a short story around them, similar to what I did with yesterday’s post and what I did the last time I did the A-Z format. This time, not only am I forcing myself to go in alphabetical order, my narrow subject matter means I often scramble to make something fit. I prefer my projects to be more organic, less structured.

Yesterday was a blur of a day. I was out of the house for most of it, running around town trying to strike items off my to-do list before Nicholas’s birthday party on Friday and our tax appointment on Thursday. Because I decided upon a book theme–in alphabetical order!–none of the pictures I took worked. What I wanted to take a picture of sat in Nicholas’s bookshelf, mocking me in the waning daylight, while I drove to from the health food store to practice.

Oh well, live and learn.

(C is for The Chronicles of Narnia)
(D is for Diccionario, Dictionnaire, and Dictionary)
(E is for Elmer, The Patchwork Elephant)

C, D, E is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

Bacon

Jules — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:00:29 +0000

I sat down for breakfast late, but only because I was waiting for her outside. I was running early and she was running late and then she showed up on time and I didn’t think to look for her car in the parking lot. So I stood outside and talked on the phone while she sat inside and drank coffee, watching me from behind the large window and laughing to herself.

We ordered omelets and bacon, extra crispy.

I watched her with one eyebrow raised as she excised the fat from her bacon with the precision of a surgeon.

“So, we’re still doing that?” I asked, with a nod at the bacon fat discards piled on the corner of her plate.

She kept to the task at hand without missing a beat and gave me a look.

“Yes, we are still doing this, as if you don’t know.” Then she popped a piece of fat-free bacon in her mouth and grabbed another strip, which she used to point at me.”Listen, we both know how this is going to end. You’re going to be bored one day, wondering what to write, and you’re going to remember this. Why don’t you get it over with and thank me now?”

Thank you, Helena.

Bacon is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

B is for Books

Jules — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:00:03 +0000

I went into a used bookstore the other day. Painted green floors, taxidermy, folk art, and books, of course, a million-trillion books all under the watchful eyes of two sisters with gray hair down their backs. It was incredible; bizarre in the best of ways.

I put enough change in the meter to last me twenty minutes and walked through a courtyard, under a yellow awning, and across a threshold into Diagon Alley. I immediately started scanning books, but it was the type of place where you tell the shopkeeper what you need and she scans the catalog she keeps only in her mind and says, “You’ll find Chekhov on the third aisle, bottom shelf, next to the book on how to make dim sum.”

As practical as I am, there is a large part of me that is mystical, prone to woo-woo. This store brought out the woo-woo. I don’t know if it was the sisters or the smell of yellowed paper or the large set of antlers with the scalp and skull still attached under which I stood transfixed for five minutes, but the place vibrated with energy. Even Nicholas must have felt it because after he finished playing with the blocks in a woven straw bucket he put them all away before he started in on the puzzles. My only explanation is that we were somewhere magical, because the muggle version of Nicholas can only be bribed or threatened into picking up toys.

I bought Mikey a $4 hardcover of Lemony Snicket’s A Series Unfortunate Events and walked out to the car to find the meter expired long ago. I didn’t get a ticket.

B is for Books is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

Updates to the Living Room

Jules — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:39 +0000

As more people hear about The William Morris Project (thank you to all who are spreading the word) I realized that the biggest mess around here is my blog! If someone were to stop by via link to one of my William Morris posts, their first thought would undoubtedly be, “Huh?” I have no explanation, no links to previous posts, and no way for regular readers to track what I’ve done.

Oops!

I’ve also done a few projects around the house and don’t have a picture to show for my work. Double oops!

Take the living room, for example.

A few weeks ago I uploaded these images to Craigslist because, as my list so clearly states, I wanted to sell the mid century china cabinet we used in the dining room. Except we moved it into the living room to break up the world largest expanse of blank wall. Likewise with the two framed photographs.

I moved the cabinet from the dining room to the living room and then straight out the door to strangers from Burbank. See how I did that without any photographic documentation?

We have rugs now, too. More things to mark off the list without documentation! I’ll talk about the large, beautiful flat-weave that I refused to settle on another day, but suffice to say we kicked it into gear when Mikey looked around the room after all the Christmas decorations were gone and said, “I’m sad. This house looks lonely and empty.”

A shot to the heart, but only more so because he was right. With just two chairs, a coffee table, and a sofa, voices echoed off the floors and walls. It looked like someone was moving in or moving out, but not living here. Enter the large rug. For our anniversary we bought a Koldby from IKEA.

People have strong opinions about cowhides. They either love them, hate them, or think they are trendy. I can see all viewpoints, but they remind me my childhood. Being from Argentina, they were ubiquitous in our home. My mom has three on the walls in her office alone. I do think it’s funny they are so popular now. Crazy, when I think of how many people in high school and college teased me about them.

For now, our living room looks like this.

I had plans to sell this other china cabinet on Craigslist, too, but once the mid century cabinet left, I knew I had to put something in its place, at least temporarily. It will be a while before we can afford to replace it, but right now I am debating between an upright piano (I played for 11 years) or a low sitting set of bookshelves with an assortment of family pictures on top. Similar to this, but not quite so cluttered.

On Sunday, after my solitary walk, I went home feeling inspired. I unloaded the IKEA china cabinet and put everything on the dining room table. (Picture it, because I forgot to take a picture.) Then, the Mister and I moved the cabinet to its placeholder position and I spent the better part of an hour fiddle-faddling with the contents.

The bucket of white flowers is 12 years old. The vase and obscenely large candle stick (I mean, really) is around 7 years old.

Not willing to spend one red cent but aware of the decorating lesson I had just learned, I went around the house and tried to find accessories, which I generally loathe. Don’t get me wrong, I like accessories and think they make a house look homey. I just find most of them are insincere or staged for me. It’s a bit like wearing red lipstick. It looks good on everyone else, but when I do it I feel like I’m playing in my mom’s makeup drawer.

Basically, the story we have here is of a woman who was once timid, but now isn’t. She was once rushed, looking to make things work, but is now willing to wait until she finds just the right thingamabob to pretty up the coffee table. (Most likely books, rocks, and plants or a terrarium.) Also, she lives with people with severe allergies and is still looking for a candle that won’t make someone sneeze or get itchy, runny eyes. The odds aren’t looking good.

I have such plans for that large corner in the window. I see a round library or tea table stacked with books, plants, a vintage bust (I’ve always wanted one!), or even a globe. I thought this globe was snazzy, and didn’t even balk at the price. This project taught me to buy for life, and therefore prices aren’t as intimidating anymore. Only cheaply made, disposable items should have a too good to be true price, and that’s because you need to account for buying items two and three times over before you learn your lesson. If I loved it enough to buy it, I would save my money, sell items I don’t love or need, and wait until I could afford the darn globe. If it’s gone by the time I can buy it, it wasn’t meant to be. That’s neither here nor there, unfortunately, because I think the globe is too big. I would need something more petite for the size table I can fit in that corner. That’s okay–that gives me more room for a freaky bust!

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A few guidelines:

Please link to a specific post, not a general blog address.
No links to giveaways, please.
A link back to this site is always appreciated. There are buttons to add to your post or sidebar, too, thanks to the lovely Alex, of Type A Calligraphy. Just copy the code and insert into your blog post or sidebar while in html mode.
Let’s use this weekly link up as an opportunity to gather inspiration and motivation. Click links. Discover new people. Say hi and good job. I know I will.

<div align=”center”><a href=”http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com” title=”Pancakes and French Fries”><img src=”http://www.pancakesandfrenchfries.com/banners/useful_beautiful_wreath_375sq.jpg” alt=”Pancakes and French Fries” style=”border:none;” /></a></div>

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Updates to the Living Room is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

A is for Aesop, Anderson

Jules — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:53:58 +0000

My parents–my mom, really–bought several leather-bound book collections when my brothers and I were little. I think it was called the World’s 100 Classics or something, and every month we would get a new book. I loved the crackle noise the spines made and the way the gilt pages felt like glass. One summer I was actually old enough to read a few of the books. I read them in my mom’s leather wing chair because I thought it made me look all the more important.

My mom still has that wing chair. Same chair, same dark brown leather(ish) upholstery, in the same spot in her office twenty-eight years later.

Since that summer, I’ve wanted my own collection. I’m moving at a much slower pace. I have these four, a not nearly as sophisticated Chronicles of Narnia edition from Barnes and Noble, and Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, which was a birthday gift from my mom this year. I told her I would love a leather or cloth bound book for my birthday every year. She thought that was a great idea. For some reason, she’s really big on giving the same or similar gift every year. She finds traditions in the strangest places.

A is for Aesop, Anderson is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

Rules of Civility: Giveaway!

Jules — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:27:10 +0000

I bought my book last week, but I’m buying every book the Phenomenally Indecisive Book Club reads because I am a sentimental fool. Some of you, though, are still on the waiting list for your library’s copy–even the electronic versions! Melanie noticed the same thing in the comments yesterday and offered to give away two copies of Rules of Civility to those who still need a copy.

I don’t know how many of you know Melanie, but you will be hard-pressed to find someone who reads more than she does across all genres. Because of her lighting fast reading, publishers like her. A lot. So she gets to read books. A lot of books. (I’m insanely jealous!) Check out her Good Reads shelf. It’s ridiculous. She reviews them all on her blog and frequently does giveaways, like today.

Melanie has been working quite hard behind the scenes telling her contacts about our club. This should help people who are overseas, on tight budgets, or have libraries with mediocre fiction shelves–like mine. Gardening fan? Visit any of the Inland Empire libraries for your pick of tomes. We’re big gardeners here. Fiction fan? Put your name on the list and in three years you might have a chance at 1 of 3 copies of the latest bestseller.

Melanie is giving away two copies–of course she’s already read the book–to anyone who still needs a copy. Since time is of the essence, I’ll close this giveaway tomorrow evening (5pm, PST) and pick two winners using the random number generator. Melanie will ship the book to the winners.

Thank you, Melanie, for doing this for us!

Some rules:

One entry per person.
To enter leave a comment.
Only U.S. residents 18 and up.

[Update! I used the random number generator to select winners Karina, Ris, Rebekah, and Hopeful Leigh. I've already contacted them, and their books on on the way. Congratulations, ladies!]

Rules of Civility: Giveaway! is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

The Phenomenally Indecisive Book Club Starts Tomorrow!

Jules — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

What does that mean? Absolutely nothing! (If you have the book and are ready to go. Otherwise, chop-chop!)

February Book Pick: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

Read by: February 29, 2012

That’s it. This book club is going to be fun, no-stress, and, hopefully, something that exposes us at least once to a book we would normally not read. Other than that, I don’t have many concrete goals. I love books and want an excuse to gush about what I’ve read on a regular basis with people who have read the same book. That sums up the mission of our club.

Now, some answers to a few frequently asked questions.

Is it too late to join?
Never.
How do I join?
You don’t. This isn’t a traditional book club, at least not yet. For now, all you need to do to consider yourself a member is to read the monthly pick. Participation in the discussion would be great, but I know what it’s like to be shy. Think about it. The majority of us don’t know what we’re doing, either.
By when do I need to finish the book?
We’ll be discussing Rules of Civility, at the very latest, on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Some members of the book club have already finished the book. From what I hear, it goes by fast and is an easy, enjoyable read. Inspiring, too.
Are there discussion questions we should keep in mind?
Sort of. Amor Towles, the author of Rules of Civility, created a discussion guide with the members of his own book club. This is what I plan to use. I have only skimmed it because it, at quick glance, appears to have mild to moderate spoilers. I don’t do spoilers, but if you do, go for it.

Now, I have two questions of my own.

How often do you want to meet and discuss the book?
Option One: We can meet and discuss twice per month. The first meeting would occur in the middle of the month and discuss the first half of the book. The second meeting would occur at the end of the month and discuss the book in its entirety.
Option Two: We can meet and discuss the book in its entirety once per month at the end of the month.
Note: All dates will fall M-F so we don’t eat up weekend time.
Where do you want to meet and discuss the book?
Option A: Right here, in the comments section like we discuss everything else.
Option B: On the P&FF Facebook page.
Option C: Twitter, with hash-tags so that anyone can follow along.
Option D: Google+ has a chat room thing I know nothing about, but it’s been recommended.
Option E: A private forum, set up here.

Okay, that’s it. Are you ready? Excited? I have to say, I’m really nervous! I’ve never done anything like this, and I don’t want it to suck. I really want everyone to enjoy themselves. Fingers crossed…

The Phenomenally Indecisive Book Club Starts Tomorrow! is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries

Vignettes

Jules — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:30 +0000

Late Sunday morning was so nice. I had to run an errand, and though it would take me nowhere near our downtown, I asked the Mister if he would mind if I left him with the (sick) boys while I walked around and looked at antiques. He just rolled his eyes and said, “Please. You don’t have to ask. Go and have fun. Just don’t do anything crazy, like shabby chic.”

I pointed out that I don’t like shabby chic interiors so it wasn’t a risk. He then claimed I once sent him an email with a picture of a thrifted dresser spray-painted and made to look “chippy.” Men remember the oddest things. “Don’t forget to buy blue cheese” goes in one ear and out the other, but an email from several years ago about a white dresser? That gets burned into the brain.

I walked around all my favorite shops–not one carrying Rachel Ashwell–and had such a wonderful time by myself. I’m normally with the boys, or on rare occasions, friends. It can be hard to shop with children, of course, but the same can be said of shopping with friends. It was nice to linger at my own pace, speaking to no one, and hover over displays I loved without worrying about dawdling or keeping someone else entertained.

When I went to Campy Mighty, Nicole and I later went shopping on the furniture strip in Palm Springs. We went into one store that had the most amazing candle burning. I would have bought one, but the store that carried them was closed on Sundays. I haven’t been able to find a candle I like as much since, though a part of me worries that the memory of this candle exceeds the reality. I was pretty excited about the Flora Exotica candle, above, with its alluring packaging of black and gold and floral, but no. It’s scent is primarily honeysuckle, a smell I loathe. And so the memory of the Palm Springs candle glows brightly. To my husband: the only way I could have been less subtle is if I had I printed out this post, wrapped it around an anvil, and dropped it on your head from a second story window. Mother’s Day is in May.

The takeaway from my window shopping, aside from honeysuckle and lilac remaining my least favorite scents, is that our home lacks vignetting. You walk into some of these stores, and you are pulled in by the most interesting displays. They unfold as if the store houses characters in a book. In this corner lives Ruth, who likes to read cookbooks in bed, prefers her hand soap to smell like rosemary, and collects crockery–always in cream. Magda is agnostic but adores religious folk art, Santos dolls, and lights a Saint Jude veladora before her weekend meditations because (1) it reminds her of her grandmother and (2) sometimes she feels her love life is a bit of a desperate case. Across the aisle stands Jane. She likes bright, pure colors (all of them), cooks semi-homemade, and throws the best parties because she never tries to make everything perfect.

It hit me, in that big store full of characters I would like to meet, that decorating is just another form of storytelling.

Vignettes is a post from: Pancakes and French Fries