pretty.pretty.paper

bedside lights.

2012-02-20T10:43:00.002-05:00

every single night for the past, um ... eight months, i've ended the day with the aid of a headlamp hanging off the side of our bed. i guess we* were uncertain as to where the bed would be living in the room? or lazy? or both? whatever it was our level of commitment to putting things like lights in that room was non-existent. until last week.

something happened last week. something good. our shithole turned into a HOUSE. you shouldn't get too excited or anything, i've still got a ton of work to do, but for the first time since we've moved in i honestly feel as though i could invite people over. not a whole lot of them, and not anyone i don't really know, but still this is huge step for me. for the past eight months mas has been asking if we should maybe have so and so over for drinks before dinner. or perhaps over for dinner? and i've either laughed at or nearly scolded him every single time. i've always been so obsessive about what our home looks like that i just could not take it, having someone see all of the boxes and mess and lack of seating options. it makes me crazy just thinking about it now.

i know, i know, i'm nuts.

*when i say we here i mean mas. having not been around for the initial set up of the bed he's convinced it will be better on another wall. he of course, is wrong.

happy valentine's.

2012-02-14T07:57:00.000-05:00

here's wishing you at the very least a good bit of cake ... or brownie ... or doughnut.

frances and i are each other's sweethearts this year and i've already ruined it for her. so, she's gone back to bed. i might attempt walking down to barracks row and trying out this place for the first time (i think it's the last cupcake only shop i'm left to experience). or perhaps i'll just hunker down into some projects and go for these brownies instead. or maybe we'll head on out to the suburbs for a lowe's/petsmart trip and just hit up krispy kreme? our options are endless and all very sugary.

{image via}

knitting.

2012-02-13T11:43:00.001-05:00

i bought this kit and have watched about two hours of youtube/other videos, all of which tell me how easy knitting is if you just do it correctly. well, let me tell you something, that is a load of crap. maybe it's because my yarn is wool and messy and i don't like messy so i go super tight and then can't move stitches (or whatever they're called) from one needle to the next? or maybe it is because i'm starting out with 15mm wooden needles? or maybe it's just because i'm an idiot? it seems so easy, but seriously, you should see the shit i've come up with. just some rats nest of yarn that is fraying because i'm constantly starting over.

so, i'm bound and determined to make that stupid snood, before it warms up even, and am wondering ... should i pick up smaller needles and yarn to practice with? i'm talking straight up basics ... knit one purl one ... this has been impossible for me so far. OR should i just suck it up and take a class?

tingly.

2012-02-07T05:55:00.003-05:00

does this, or does this not make you tingly all over?

i can't stop watching it.

also, apparently, i need more rings.

catbird short, by the more than amazing east side bride. shop the collection here, rose gold first knuckle ring any one?

plants.

2012-02-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

my mission this week, house plants. we're decidedly bare, well if you don't include the various cacti in the kitchen, which are nice, but also secluded in the kitchen.

any favorite hard to kill varieties out there that are not succulents? i used to be a pro with things such as ferns, but that was before i had an animal and literally treated all house plants as pets ... we're talking names, travel itineraries ...yeah ... i was young, they were important to me. but since then i've been murdering everything that has a light/watering preference and now i'm scared of being a serial killer.

although, i think this could all be fixed if i just PAID ATTENTION to them?

{image via kitka, who has a pretty good selection of house plants}

pretty.

2012-02-02T09:51:00.001-05:00

between all of this crazy warm weather and the spring lines being readily available for purchase, i'm having a hard time not wanting an entirely new wardrobe.

{loeffler randall spring shoes available here, and here}

bread, the making of.

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

about once a month mas and i have THE talk.

you know, the one that goes like this :

m - oh, warm bread, YUM.
c - i know, isn't it the best?
m - yeah, we really should start making this.
c - i know, wouldn't that be the best?
m - yes, in fact, it would. let's start.
c - hmmm, ok, how about we spend our sundays making bread and soup for the whole week!
m - perfect, let's start.

and then, something happens. mas goes out of town, or he gets back into town and we spend our sunday doing things around the city. like buying slabs of wood for the making of tables. or heading out to ikea ... again ... to buy more faux wood flooring because we've decided to rip out that gross carpet in the apartment after all. or we spend it watching homeland, etc. whatever it is we are doing, it simply is not planning meals and breads for the upcoming week.

but those days are over. it's a little bit because that last prairie boule we nabbed from the whole foods was a disappointment. and its a lot because i am done with disappointing bread. also, i've got the time. so last week in an effort to use our williams sonoma cash back, or somethingoranother coupon that expired on the 29th, i went on a shopping spree. enter this book. it's fantastic.

and now, i've got my starter made and am well on my way to what i hope is the most delicious county loaves around. because there really is nothing better than fresh bread.

side note : i'm really quite a fan of these chronicle cook books, plenty has gotten a lot of play in our house recently as well.

one twelve.

2012-01-31T12:53:00.000-05:00

it's been a fly by kind of month. a few things happened, like i rejoined the world of freelancers/small business owners (new, updated site coming soon)! we went sailing! frances got a swollen lip and we are still trying to figure out what the fuck from ... and mas was only gone for 8 days! all in all, it was pretty ok.

{images via instagrid, an online gallery of my instagrams}

thoughts?

2012-01-30T07:31:00.000-05:00

it's navy and it's awesome.

{rag & bone fedora via need supply co.}

wknd.

2012-01-27T09:41:00.000-05:00

this weekend i intend to :

- do some serious research on the installation of flooring

- hang antlers!

- clean up this disaster zone of a house

- eat a cheeseburger

- oil up the press and PRINT SOMETHING.

{image of a swarm of ancient stars from the hubble}

couch v. chairs.

2012-01-24T13:06:00.000-05:00

so, we bought a house that is too small for a couch.

space enough for a couch is apparently something you do not notice when you spend a total of one hour in a property before you decide to BUY it. plus, what kind of living room isn't wide/long enough for a couch?!?!

or maybe you do notice that kind of stuff, but we certainly don't.

anyhow, we bought a chair and a half (dolphin, not orange) before thanksgiving and have since decided it was a bad idea.

now we're on track for a four chair living room. 1 // 2 - walnut // 3 - cream, not the color shown // and 4???? we're still looking for the fourth, and haven't even seen our current three together in real life. this could actually be a wonderful disaster in which we end up with five (and a half) chairs that go nowhere in our domicile.

oh, and we're thinking super wooly cable rug, will we regret that once summer comes around? so.many.questions.

{living room that is not ours via}

weekend.

2012-01-23T13:05:00.000-05:00

this weekend, well, mostly it was uneventful. a touch of snow and weather that was just cold enough to keep us inside. which wasn't bad, in fact it was filled with hours in bed watching homeland, SOOOO GOOD. but then an errand needed to be run, far away from the comfort of our covers and computer.

so we trekked out to the suburbs, and you know what is in the suburbs? besides our errand, good vietnamese food, that's what. we stopped by banh mi dc and had ourselves the most delicious $9.00 lunch around.

we snagged a #2 and #8 and a custard steamed bun. the custard was a bit too heavy and the bun, not as light as i like, but the #2 WAS TO DIE FOR. the #8 wasn't too bad either, but damn, the former has me wanting to go back, like now. the perfectly spicy pork, lotsa mayo and quite a delish showing in the bread department. the mass amounts of cilantro and veggies didn't hurt either.

happening. right now.

2011-12-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

ohmygod, i am kind of ridiculously happy that the whole christmas thing is over. i mean, don't get me wrong, i do love a good celebration, but the stress of getting everything done that needed to be done was too much this year. just too much.

so the holing up solo (save for my husband and dog) for a long weekend was a delight, we did nothing except eat and make a mess.

how was your holiday? lovely i hope?

and now, it's time to actually get my shit together and start taking these final touches on the house seriously. i mean, it's been SIX MONTHS. can you believe it? i can't. in fact i'm slightly embarrassed to admit it really. but whatever. we've made a lot of progress and just because there is a lot left to do, doesn't mean it isn't fun. we really are done with the nitty gritty, i think.

annnnnyway. i've a few days off this week, so i've decided to go ahead and start the gingham vestibule project. when i saw the above picture on design*sponge a while back i knew there was no changing of my mind. i had to have these walls. mas thinks i'm ridiculous for even attempting. but whatever. today is the day i start. i mean, taping the walls is a v. good first step, right???

happy christmas.

2011-12-16T09:44:00.000-05:00

two of my most favorite things on the internets these days. i bought one for myself for christmas, it was a bit of an indulgence. but it kept popping up in my dreams over and over and over again ....

{pom hat by yokoo, chair from organic modernism}

white.

2011-12-14T10:02:00.000-05:00

i really wish i could pull off this hair color, and i really wish these shoes would show up on my doorstep.

{hair via jeana sohn, shoes via jak & jil}

i caved.

2011-12-13T09:13:00.000-05:00

i've done a lot of painting in this house of ours. and when i say a lot, i kind of mean it. if i told you how many audio books and episodes of the office/parks & rec/gossip girl and harry potter movies i've listened to while painting, you might wonder about my sanity, or at the very least my efficiency. but this painting thing is kind of a craps shoot at first. like when i painted the entire foyer/upstairs hallway this very pale grey and it ended up looking like BABY BLUE. i had to repaint it. a nicer grey. one that actually turned out grey.

then there are the ceilings, we left nary a ceiling untouched, and with the majority of our rooms being darker than 75% grey do you have any idea as to how many coats that takes? also, there was the painting of some old furniture we thought needed a facelift. the painting of kitchen cabinets, which were COVERED in grime. and the trim. this house has trim all over the stupid place, and it's old, and it's been re-painted, at the very least, 18 gazillion times. oh, AND, apparently the woman who used to live here had a thing for leaving her dogs in rooms until they scratched their way through doors. so shit had to be fixed ... or just covered with paint, which maybe took longer, because getting into those damn nooks and crannies takes a while.

so when the thought of picking up a paint brush and attacking the bajillion linear feet that was left of 6" trim made me want to hurl myself off of our roof, i called in a dude and he brought another dude and they are now currently just doing it.

i've mixed feelings about this, because really, i could do what they are doing. i've actually turned into quite a good little house painter. and you know what? i wouldn't break that porcelain skull i had sitting on the dining room table either. (yes, there was the breaking of one of these, and yes i could KILL them, and yes, it's fine, i've patched it up with some glue) but at the same time i've watched my social life dwindle since living in a city where i could actually have a social life. i've also seen some of my favorite items of clothing become splotched up with paint because i'm just going to touch up this one spot, why would i need to change? and then i saw nothing getting done with the bastardly trim day after day after day.

so that's it. they came in yesterday and will leave today. tonight i'll decorate the christmas tree and revel in the delight of just being DONE. i've put some sparkling in the fridge in fact, just for this very occasion. now it's on to hanging more things, like antler hooks that came with the most absurd anchors i've ever seen ...

though from here on out, this house will not own me, or ok, maybe it will, but i'm heading out for happy hour waaaaaaay more often.

{image of stairs that look absolutely NOTHING like ours via happy mundane}

acrylic, paper mâché, foam + wood

2011-12-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

i kind of can't get that wreathy one out of my head.

found on pinterest, made by lauren clay.

ps - HOW ARE YOU GUYS?

boots.

2011-11-15T09:24:00.001-05:00

last night, around 6:30, i kind of made what some would call an impulse purchase.

you see, about a year ago j.crew was selling some of the most amazing coral bottomed sperry's (seriously, i love them). but, they sold out in like a MILISECOND, leaving me without and thinking about them non-stop, for like, a year.

so ... when i saw these in the j.crew catalogue last night, there was quite simply nothing i could do. they were on the first page, i was sitting next to my computer, it was over in less than a minute.

sometimes ...

2011-11-10T16:25:00.000-05:00

after i haven't blogged consistently in MONTHS i get nervous and don't know what to blog about. it leaves me second guessing and nixing posts. also, it makes me little verbose, you know, like i have to tell you every last little thing that has been happening in my life - around the house, on the internet, and in the yoga studio. i go to proof read my 85,000 words, and delete almost every single one, leaving a mere sentence behind because it is just simpler. then i'm embarrassed, who am i am to think i am clever enough to boil things down to just one sentence? so i delete the whole stupid thing, close my computer and go to work.

i forget that finding a wonderfully simple bracelet is sometimes enough. well, that and telling you that you should maybe also buy this one to go with it?

ANNNNND now since it has been a bit since i told you our kitchen was functional, i should probably tell you a secret ... we hung two shelves in a couple weeks back. feeling all proud and happy we went on with our lives. then a few days ago, one of them fell off the wall. none of my precious wecks (filled with baking ingredients such as flour) were harmed in the process, and thankfully frances was asleep upstairs so we didn't have to endure her THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING NOW meltdown. we just had to spend two hours in the shitty dc home depot hemming and hawing over the various dry wall concoctions that supposedly allow you to hang upwards of 600 lbs from the worst wall building material ever.

{bracelet by son of a sailor}

happy november!

2011-11-01T09:21:00.000-04:00

last night we passed out candy and made a ridiculously delicious mushroom soup. it felt so comfortable, so homey, so ... normal. and now, i'm sitting in our kitchen sipping coffee and enjoying being just about DONE (with the kitchen that is). and you know what? it is super satisfying.

also, it's november, my most favorite month of the year.

james & tilla waters.

2011-10-28T09:10:00.000-04:00

apparently i like grey, and white and a bit of bright. also ... circles.

{james & tilla waters ceramics}

tarantula.

2011-10-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

a piece of the tarantula nebula taken by the hubble. i can't stop looking at it.

it's obvious.

2011-10-12T12:22:00.000-04:00

i need this bag.

{kate spade's spring line via pinterest, of course}

kitchen.

2011-10-11T20:52:00.000-04:00

i cannot believe that it looked this nice. it is beyond unrepresentative of the filth we have been scrubbing away for the past couple of months. i guess that is why we bought the place? the grime was so well hidden? we're getting there guys, we are getting there! i'll post some in between photos in the morning. my computer is quickly dying and i've left my charger at work. BOOOOO.

whoopie pie war.

2011-10-10T13:16:00.000-04:00

did you know there was one? i didn't. i mean, i've been a fan of the little cake sandwiches since i can remember, but i never knew two states were attempting to claim them as their own. apparently pennsylvania and maine are duking it out over the title "creator of whoopee pies." to which i must reply ... pennsylvania, who are you kidding? i had never even heard of a PA pie until this past weekend. so give it up, the mainers deserve the credit for this one.

{images from whoopsies whoopie pies, a local fave that you can find here on saturdays}