Hair envy

Most days I like short hair, and most days I wish I was daring enough to shave all of mine off to the extreme, but for some reason (I'm attributing it to the cold) I really want long hair and long blunt bangs! Why? I really have no idea. But the picture here pretty much is my desire right now. Why can't I be rich and just get extensions and play with my hair? Ugh, having money would be so much fun!

best x-mas present

Tony took the cake on this one folks. I'm sorry, but in comparison there is nothing like marimekko dress that makes my heart go pitter-patter.

to have a fireplace right now

would be amazing. I grew up having a roaring fire nearly every night, and now that I'm away and living in my tiny boston apartment, I really miss the allure of fireplaces. Somewhere in between the intense heat that makes you fell burnt, the dry smoky smell and the loud pops and crackles of the wood is my childhood. sigh.

i heart procrastination

and lately I am really digging textiles... lace, embroidery & anything frilly is totally stealing my heart right now. hmmmmm

birds

My day job is for a great furniture design company over in Cambridge, and I have the best job ever: designing the window displays. Of course that's only one of my duties there, but the one that is the most fun... other than designing furniture, because actually that's really cool too. Anyways I digress, but over the Fall season I sewed a few big and small birds with some super rad and super fancy-pants upholstery fabric from vendors like Robert Allen, Donghia and Starck, and then made some pretty sweet mobile-like displays using twigs and branches. Generally a really cool display- check it out!

wedding stuff

Officially, today, we have 9 more months until our wedding. How did that happen? Wow! Like really WOW! So it seems about that time to be finally sending our save-the-date cards out in the mail. For those of you who are going to receive one shortly, consider yourself to be extremely loved! Our guest list is small, and our budget is even smaller- if you are ever curious about what our apartment looks like when I am in the middle of finishing a project like our cards... here is your one and only glimpse: a total disaster!

makery boston

First posting!
Customizable recycled paper-back wreaths! Click here to see my shop!

X-mas Cookies

Every year, for as long as I can remember, the women in my family have dedicated themselves to baking, brewing and melting a serious assortment of sweets. Traditionally we do our classics: Spritz , buckeyes and bark. Lately we have been adding butter cookies to the mix with a too sweet glaze that makes them oooooh so good. However this year seeing as I'm broke , my cookies are becoming more serious and varied! They are going to be presents to my friends and colleagues and maybe also my stomach!

For those of you who just thought " What the heck is a spritz, a buckeye and bark?" well, you needn't worry a minute longer!

Spritz: A delicious almond flavored cookie that is shaped by pushing dough through a stencil like disk, the classic Xmas shapes are green trees, red poinsettias and plain wreaths. Of course these are always frosted with a sweet butter-cream frosting that keeps them moist and delicious throughout the holidays.

Buckeye: The best candy ever! A concoction of butter, sugar, rice krispies and chunky peanut butter dipped in chocolate. I don't think I need to say anymore.

Bark: This is my sister's favorite and the only sweet that I have ever had to "grow to like". It is a super simple candy that is made by pouring melted white chocolate over a platter of broken pretzels and nuts of your choice. So easy, and so good!

I will be making all of these plus a few more over the next week or two, so be on a lookout for my photos and recipes!

black and tan with envy

I'm not entirely sure that I could possible covet a work space more than Alvar Aalto's... seriously man, you are my idol. I wish we could have been friends! Check out the great slideshow of his fabulous work studio across the pond. The man is a genius, I mean angled pin-up walls with natural lighting beaming in from above? Sigh, I fear that any more exposure to great design is just to to stifle my creative drive and send me into a pit of irreconcilable non-genius.

Image via Apartment Therapy

the fringe

I'm so excited to share with you all the news that has been taking up all of my time latley! Tony and I are starting our own little business doing design consultation. We have lots of little projects lining up, and we are currently building out our space in this great warehouse in Union Square. We will be sharing it with two great guys who run their own Green Roof business called (RE)Cover. I will be updating this blog with images of our space and our work, so please check in to see whats up! Here is a link to the space: Fringe Movement. It is a great group of young entrepreneurs who ooze creativity. If you are in the area drop by!

a new endeavor

Tony and I are going to start renting out a portion of Studio in order to expand our craftiness! And this will be my first project:


Burrito for my kitty! Seriously guys how cute is this picture?

cuban food

I was perusing the web today and found THIS recipe for Guava Cream Cheese Pastry, and thought to myself "Tony would die if he saw this!"

Why you ask?

Well, about two years ago during one of our visits to his home in Miami I was introduced to the very interesting combination of guava and cream cheese. Of course this was also eaten with canned coconut (sweet as hell) and it was so odd for me ( a new england girl) eating this totally foreign guava paste and canned coconut with cream cheese! But alas, this is really a good combo despite my qualms, and now it is in Gourmet! Tony is laughing and telling me "I told you so" as I write this.

Marimekko Dress of the day

Paloma Dress by Samu-jussi koski

Why? Because I got this for my Birthday!!!! Whoot whoot!
except in the grey colorway... which is way better

and btw it looks waaaay hotter on me than that model :)

Thanks Pam & Tony

Wood Jewelry

Anthony Roussell makes jewelry out of wood in the most amazing shapes and forms!

Marimekko Dress of the day

If I could, my wardrobe would consist of only these f+%$ing amazing dresses! I am seriously in love with all of them. So now, I am dedicated to spending 5 minutes each day finding the one that best represents me and my day.

Mood: Content, and a little excited (because I'm starting this and I like my wardrobe today)
Weather: Cloudy and cold (fall)
Outlook: Good prospects on the horizon folks, good indeed!



Dress: Rihanna Tunic by Samu-Jussi Koski
Why: Comfy, classic, has pockets*** and proffesional all rolled into one!

Stitch House

Finding awesome new fabric shops in Boston! I place that has a severe absence of fashionable fabric stores.


Clickhere to go to the best new thing in Dorchester! Can you handle that fact that they have workshops, a blog, knitting stuff and fabric... I almost can't! So excited!!!!

Love This:

A very unique Banana holder indeed! Love the idea that without Bananas it is sculptural piece and at night it is a light! Fantastic!

Loving this right now

I've been aware of these pieces for a while now, and just as summer is coming to an end and I'm holding on dearly to those last few sweltering nights I'm returning to these fresh, simple and ultra cute ceramics. MUST SEE WEBSITE!

EVIT : Glass mosaic tiles

These are incredible! The bubbles are so fantastic, but far too trendy to actually use (considering the cost of installation). However the second picture of the "broken glass" is so crisp and fantastic that I would be tempted to do entire rooms out of that stuff! Ugh so hott! Love Italianmosaics, but not as much as I love Spanish ones!

about that time

Can't really believe that I totally blow this thing off now. I'm not used to having a real work week people! I need to get back on the blog and write something interesting for my own sanity and peace of mind. Speaking of sanity... does anybody know anything about fixing '95 Toyota Corolla? No- that image above is not my car, however I'm sure Tony wishes it was!

It's about blue-thirty

Or maybe quarter to pink!

Cyclopse Watch by Mr.Jones uses colors instead of numbers, it kinda makes feel all tingly inside.

Other things worth noting

This website : Daytum

one word : brilliant

I can already foresee hours of my life gone

Swoon

I love typography and this project by Nicholas FEltron is AMAZING! He compiles data from his life, average things like the highest temperature in NYC that year and compiles it into charts an graphs. It's a great reflection of his life in an "art form" that I can toally relate to. I love his graphics and I really wish I could produce something this awesome, really...

Here are some drool worthy clips

What we need in the USA, or just Boston

A place like Make Lounge is not only an awesome Idea, but something that would provide a great resource to people in cities with small apartments or underprivileged communities that want to learn unique skills. Its such a great place that provides a fun class for kids, moms and friends! I love love love this idea! The only problem that I foresee is that that price tag isn't accessible for most people who would want to use this ($72.00 a class!) !

However the interior of this place is enough to make me forgo paying my cable bills and join a session!

Check it out :



(images from make lounge)

Great Idea!

I love seeing really smart innovations and recycling ideas, especially since we are inundated with lots of copy-cats and lame ideas daily. So this one from aDesign Sponge Before & After Segment is fantastic! Check out the great renovation of the filing cabinet turned planter here.

I'm in love!

Sometimes I find gems on Etsy, and other times its an endless abyss that sucks hours out of my day. Today however, I found this beauty of a shop over on the west coast called Timeless Vixen Vintage that sells vintage 50's and 60's dresses. Seriously guys these pieces are insane! I love each one and if I had the money I might buy them all and start dressing like Mrs. Beaver ... the pearls and all.

Check out some of her piecesHERE!

waste not want not

So I already posted some pics about the yummy plums I purchased lat week, and now I get to write an even better post about using over-ripe plums in one of the yummiest, summery desserts one can make. It is called Plum Clafoutis and I used the recipe from gourmet's website. The best part is that the soft plums that were slowly turning into mush in my fruit bowl were used all up! I wasted nothing, and I love that!

Another day... another project

This is one that sprouted from a curbside find. The first of every month means a new neighbor, and the removal of another. In May however, there are tons of recent graduates moving in and out of their Boston apartment, and their trash is another mans treasure. Tony found this table on the curb and i decided that it would make a great present for our friends. Their coffee table is broken and the bottom shelf always gets dumped on the floor anytime we go to their house to hang out. It served as some serious frustration and usually resulted in us always joking about how we were going to buy them a new table. Well... we did one better! Check out their new table with a certified awesome chalkboard top!

Experiments in the kitchen

Today or rather last week on one of my days off I thought about making some yummy snacks that are healthy and cheap, and can be packed up with Tony's lunch. Well, since I'm an awesome girlfriend and think about my fiancé's lunch prior to him even thinking about it I decided that while Tony was away I would experiment with some healthy and yummy concoctions so that when he gets back from Miami he will have loads of healthy alternatives to pack his lunch with on tuesday when he returns to work.

This is what I got so far:


Basically it a modified granola bar that is sweet but not too sweet and really healthy... minus the choc chips. Since this was an experiment and wasn't using a recipe or anything there are some minor tweaks that I need to make, but for the most part these were pretty satisfying.

Recipe:

DRY

1- 1/2 C Oats

1 Egg
1/2 C  Flax meal
1/4 C Almond meal (just ground up some almonds in our coffee grinder) 

1/4 C  Brown sugar

1/4 C Choc chips

1/4 C Coconut 

WET

1/4 C Honey

1 C Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla

Mix together and pour into 9x9 baking pan lined with parchment paper

Bake for 25 min at 350

The dish I used to bake them in spread the concoction out too thin, so I recommend using a smaller  container for thicker bars. I also think that chunks of slivered almonds would have made a great addition.  I'm also going to try some raisin and dried fruit versions that I think will complement the clover honey I used better than the chocolate did... but they are still good!

HOLD UP!

I just spotted a tomato growing!!! Whew... that just made my day!

Garden Update

I'm sad guys, I'm really sad. With all of the rain and cloudy weather we had a few weeks ago my plants bit it. Although it looks like they might have some new growth, I'm afraid that they won't produce any fruit! My broccoli looks like it's been attacked by bugs with lots of holes in the leaves, and my tomato's leaves are turning yellow and wilting away. My squash is also pretty sad looking, and I can't spot the baby squash's that were starting to grow anymore!! Hopefully others aren't having the same bad luck as me, but I'm hoping that this string of beautiful weather will get them growing again. Here a sad photo, since I can't bear to show you more...

Things I love

Ripe Fruit!

On an impulse I bought a package (10 count) of plums at Tj's. Normally I have trouble with Plums being either too ripe when I first buy them or too unripe, and then by the time they have ripened in my fruit bowl, I forget about them and then they go bad. I can never win! However I got Lucky yesterday and scored with these plums. So far today I have eaten three of them, and each one just gets better. I just had to share these beauties.

Warning: You may lose hours of your life

I just found this Photography Blog and I'm truly, madly, deeply in love with every single photo... In case you didn't know, Tony and I are getting married a little over a year, and we have lots of planning to do! I'm really excited and I have been spending countless hours searching for dresses, decorations and general inspiration. If any of you think of anything send it my way!

Chef's Collaborative

I encourage all you folks in the Northeast to take a gander at this website. After finding them in a Gourmet Magazine article about heirloom produce and Slow Food USA's efforts to preserve it- I was in love. Their initiatives are great, and it makes me more aware of local industries that provide produce and other foods to our lovely area markets.

Concrete in the Bedroom

Nothing says romance like Pre Cast Concrete! I LOVE, LOVE the look of this bedroom, and it's even better because you can sleep in it! Part of a new hostel designed by non-other than Philippe Starck (Shaking fist angrily in air) in gay old Paris named Mama Shelter. Check out their website here

I love the whole feel of the place, and the best part is that it's relatively affordable for a mix between hotel/hostel accommodations in France. Tony and I haven't finalized our Honeymoon plans yet- but this just mixed them all up again!

Maybe instead...

of a real house, I could buy a Houseboat. These are pretty awesome:

Schwimmerhaus

Metroship by Ballinger & Co.>

Things I want for tomorrow

A.) Sunshine
B.) Lobster and/or a Cheeseburger (can you image both!!!)

C.) A sunburn and/or tan (yes I am that desperate for sun)

D.) Red, White & Blue dessert of some kind- it's an American tradition!

E.) Beach
F.) To hear Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA, once.

G.) Fireworks!!!!!

WOW

This is a great timeline about average amerians through the past five decades. Check it out here at Woman's Daily

Duh!

It dawned on me today that I have not posted any updates on my garden! Well folks- let me tell you! My garden (despite the incredible amounts of rain) is kicking butt and taking names! I'll post some photos soon, I promise!

I hate this weather

boston.com says we are expecting 5+ inches tonight....great! Happy July first - I mean April first, cause this is a joke right?

Things I do for Tony

So Tony works for a design build firm in Boston, and since it's construction work (for the most part) he eats a lot of food! He also works with four other men who also eat a lot of food, and since their company is really ecologically conscious I thought that I might make them some super-awesome lunch bags to reduce their dependency on plastic shopping bags, which they all used previously to carry their lunches in. So I made one as a test out of some canvas I had laying around the house, and sent it off with Tony. That day he came home and told me that everybody wanted one, and to make them ASAP. Well, that was about a month ago, and last night I finally caved and busted out three more bags for the boys. They aren't the most beautiful creations, but seeing as they end up looking like Tony's (see before/after shot) I don't think anymore time should be spent on them.


Also note the sweet initials Tony personally stitched onto scraps and then sewed into the bags, yeah that's not my sewing you see there!