pretty.pretty.paper

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}

my plates.

2011-10-06T18:30:00.000-04:00

you guys, this shopping for the house thing is FUN. it changes things when you are considering staying in the same spot for more than 18 months. we can kind of consider getting rid of our ikea and cb2 plates and exchange them for nice ones, like these - the ones we registered for and got none of, which is better, they would most likely be dust after that last move of ours. and i'm kind of digging the gold flatware, because wouldn't it be fancy on our wood dining table? yeah i think so too.

ps - can you believe it is THURSDAY already? where did the week go?

when i sometimes just make it up.

2011-09-30T13:03:00.000-04:00

two nights ago i was talking to mas, most likely about frances, and i said something like "she's been quite lacksadaisical as of late." mas responded with "you know, i've heard a few people ... like reporters on tv ... say lackadaisical ... without the S. isn't it funny that they are getting that wrong?"

well, that was awfully sweet of him, an ego boost for sure, but wouldn't you know it ... those reporters actually had it right. we looked it up. i've been saying it wrong for, well, forever. so now i've been trying to say it a few times a day to change that bad habit of creating fake words that kind of sound like real ones. so here goes, lackadaisical, lackadaisical, lackadaisical.

you're welcome.

{paint on paint, tangier from victoria hannan via teenangster's pinterest}

over the knee.

2011-09-26T16:00:00.000-04:00

dear internets.

how do we feel about over the knee boots? i mean, will i be able to wear them for the next five years? because if i pay this much for them i will have to wear them, a lot, for thenextfiveyears ...

xo.

.cevd

{riley boots, loeffler randall}

gold pants, mint mittens.

2011-09-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

because can you tell me one person that doesn't need a bunny in gold pants or a mole in mint mittens? yeah i didn't think so.

{tiniest of dressed creatures from courduroy found via @woolandmisc}

i've gained 10lbs.

2011-09-22T12:25:00.000-04:00

it might be a little more, or a little less, i don't own a scale and haven't since my college days. even back then it was a MISTAKE. so i guess i can't be 100% certain, but i can tell you that my running shorts are uncomfortably tight ... and they are made of spandex. it's been a chore eating anything healthy for the past two and a half months because we've been mostly without a kitchen and apparently allergic to the grocery. i've stopped by whole foods a few times on my way home from work, but i'm in such a hurry i grab a frozen pizza, lettuce and beer ... that lettuce sits untouched in our fridge to this day because it is jsut too much effort. and then there is the whole no exercising thing. i run about 3 times a week (at most) despite the fact that i promise myself i will go daily, and as far as i can tell, i have to commute 40 minutes to the closest good yoga studio*.

but, GUESS WHAT?! our kitchen is fully functional! and with the exception of changing out a few electrical outlets and building our island/bar/table combo we are nearly done with making it pretty. so we are going to take a break on all of the eating out, seriously people it has been NUTS, and stop with the refined sugar, french fries and meat. we might even go vegan for a spell to cleanse our poor and abused bodies. but i think i need to have the walls painted and that island thingy built before i start getting serious about complicated recipes, which i feel we will need if going vegan.

but in this two and half months we have found some seriously good (and bad) places to eat in our neck of the woods. i cannot tell you how lucky we are. we are six blocks from the best pizza, gelato and coffee in the city, but those will be in a future post, a big one. for now i'm off to walk frances, because the thought of running in my too tight shorts depresses me.

*does anyone in dc know of a good yoga studio in capitol hill? something that is hard and will make my legs hurt for the first few weeks back, PLEASE?!?

picture of our first meal, at what has become my most favorite burger in the city, good stuff eatery, on our first night in dc. i like it more than the shake shack, THAT is how good it is, mas on the other hand is a ray's hell burger type of guy. how are we still married?

hi.

2011-08-18T18:38:00.000-04:00

we've been in OUR HOUSE for who knows how long now, and you know what? it is still a disaster. as in i'm embarrassed when anyone passes and i'm entering through the front door. the boxes and paper and clothing and shutters and random pillows and strange pieces of furniture lying ALL OVER THE PLACE do not look like the inside of any respectable person's house. in fact i do believe we might qualify to be on an episode of hoarders. it is simply horrifying. i haven't yet broken down and sobbed uncontrolably upon returning from work, but i think i am close. poor mas, every night our conversation goes something like this :

c : i'm gonna loose it if we don't get it together.
m : i know, i know.
c : NO REALLY I AM GOING TO LOOSE IT IF WE DON'T GET IT TOGETHER ... SOON (said while shaking ever so slightly and with a completely crazy look in my eyes mind you)
m : i know, i know (offering up a hug instead of doing what he wants to do, which is get the hell out of there)

and then we have the schedule conversation. we promise to spend the rest of the night organizing some corner, and the next night too. only we go upstairs to the bedroom and then promptly pass out.

but this weekend, well this weekend it is going to be different. i already made mas call our out-of-town friend from high school and cancel the plans i set up because i might LOOSE it if someone that isn't mas or myself walks into this place. i've decided that i do not need to repaint the horribly colored laundry room before we actually set up some shelves. and you know what? the trim in the entire house - well it will just have to wait. we can move furniture away from the walls after all, when we are ready, and have some actual free time. and oh yeah, our kitchens are being pulverized and rebuilt sometime in the next two weeks. i keep telling myself that once we can actually put all of our glasses and plates away we might be able to walk through the dining room.

but dc is lovely and so is that new shiny job of mine. mas is pretty happy too. turns out this move is going to be worth it ... one day ... when we aren't tripping over piles of t-shirts and margarita glasses.

{image via remodelista .. on a side note, we'd take that light}

life lately.

2011-07-13T11:24:00.000-04:00

ohmygod i cannot even start with the stories of the past two weeks, but they kind of involve the following :

- movers coming and "packing" our stuff. they say they are going to give it all back to us, but it's been a week and we've heard not a peep. it's interesting, and slightly worrisome.
- TWO stomach flues ... for me alone. one might have been food poisoning, or maybe not, but either way it sucked.
- we moved out of our hotel and into OUR HOUSE! ok so we're in the basement apartment ... or as they call it here ... the in-law suite. the kitchen doesn't exactly work, and the internet is still unavailable due to comcast taking their sweet time getting us our modem, but the shower sprays hot water and we have a working ac unit.
- the floors upstairs are nearly done being refinished!!! you guys, this owning a house thing is FUN.
- mas has started work, frances has become insanely popular amongst her neighbors and i've, well, i've gotten a job. this working for myself has been fun, but it's also been a bit lonely. when we found out we were moving to a city, where people actually live and work, i kind of got excited about being a part of something again. and let me tell you, i think i scored the jackpot. i'll be working with Suann and helping her set up her new shop, Fifteen Eleven! you can read a bit more about it, and check out my summer MUST HAVES on her blog.

for now i must run back home and save frances from the fumes that are trickling down from the refinishing of the floors. i'm not sure exactly what we are going to do this afternoon but it might involve the weed-fest in the front yard.

{ginormous ring from catalina brenes, from my summer picks, which i'm pretty sure esb linked me to a while ago though can't remember when or where.}

confession #2.

2011-06-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

every time i get out of the shower i place a small dollop of moroccan oil in my palms and douse my ends, it smells delicious. i then take a fair amount of that MOST AMAZING PRODUCT, bb texture, and massage it through all of my hair. it's gooey and weird, but seriously does the most amazing things to my hair. and then after my bangs are mostly dry i spritz them with some of that renee furterer dry shampoo ... you know to keep them from going all gross and greasy. yet still EVERY.SINGLE.DAY my hair is up in a top knot. i might make it five minutes at my desk before it gets there, but without fail it's up before lunch.

maybe i need a haircut (ok that is a definite) and maybe i am a little lazy (another definite) but i'm starting to feel, well, a little lame.

confession #1.

2011-06-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

i bite my nails. it's a BAD habit, i know and i kind of gross myself out with it. which is why i always keep them painted. so last week when i saw this i went to my bin full of *crafty* stuff and pulled out those martha stewart glitters i bought before christmas. finally a use for my michael's impulse purchase! and let me tell you, it has quickly turned into an obsession. last week, grey and green. this week a pale peach (which i cannot find anywhere and can't remember the name of! super frustrating.) and rose gold. mas thinks i've lost my mind and i'm not sure i disagree ... all of this sparkle, it's not my norm.