Cabin Fever
Like many people in the colder months, I have been hibernating the past few weeks. I can spend days in a row never leaving my apartment! I generally love winter but I have had no get up and go! So whats a girl to do? Look around her apartment and see a million things she wishes she could change of course! Actually, for the most part, I love our place. Maybe its the cold talking or the hours spent staring at the same light fixture but I am desperately in want of some warmth and texture in here! So today I spent a few hours visiting some of my favorite spots online to find some items I am now dreaming of owning, its nice to dream!
Incidentally, everything I have discovered today is textured and wool, must be something in the air… First up, a fabulous light fixture from one of my haunts, Anthropologie. The coiled felt pendant is so pretty, I would hang this just about anywhere. It is so romantic, ethereal, and light, the best part its on sale for $199, I just may splurge on this item!
Next, I came across a great area rug from Designer’s Guild. This hand tufted wool rug is made in New Zealand. I just heart the simplicity of the raised pattern and monochrome scheme. But with a price tag of $1250-$1785, I’d have to think twice about putting this in my home. I have a very bad kitty who has little taste for good design!
And finally, the crowning touch to my new living room makeover is this super cool pillow sent to my by my friend Aliza. This wonderful project is found on Etsy, with complete directions! Now, you would think that someone who is doing nothing but sitting around would have plenty of time to create one of these beauties… We will see.
I would love to hear how you are warming up your home this winter!
Filed under Feather Your Nest | Comment (0)Oh Christmas Tree!
Goodness, I have been very lazy about updating my blog. I suppose with winter on the horizon I have been hibernating a little. But last weekend I went home to Pennsylvania and had the chance to enjoy my first real snowfall of the year (in case you don’t know, I love snow!) and we also got to decorate the house for Christmas.
Home Sweet Home
Christmas is my favorite time of year and I love all the decorations, lights, and fun that surround it. So you can imagine how much I enjoy decorating the tree. Justin and I make an evening of it with hot spiced cider, candle light, and classic Christmas records (records, not MP3 player people). Nothing like Robert Goulet singing “Oh Holy Night” to remind you what the true meaning of Christmas is!
I used to stress about having the “perfect” tree with beautiful ornaments, all coordinated and placed just so, but I never enjoyed decorating the tree. So one year I just started picking up the old Shiny Brites and other ornaments from that era (check out your local thrift shops now). They are so bright and colorful and fun, I really love the history behind them too. I sometimes wonder how many trees they have adorned in the past before becoming part of my home. I joke that my tree is tacky but I really don’t care because it makes me happy.
Finally the best part about our tree is the “shared history” we enjoy when decorating it. Justin has his engraved bear from when he was a child, that sits near the ornament given to us by his parents for our first Christmas as a married couple, and sprinkled in are all the special ones we have bought together on our travels. The tree has become a history of us and every year brings a smile to our faces as we remember our years together. This year was extra special as we lovingly placed ornaments that belonged to my Great-Grandmother (Nana) it was a wonderful time of remembering her. We like to think she was there with us as we hung he beloved ornaments on the tree (no one loved Christmas as much as Nana).
However you decorate your tree, make sure it is a fun time for you and your family!
Filed under My Nest | Comments (4)I Like Pie!
As we near Thanksgiving, food is on the mind of everyone I talk to. Side dishes, turkey and dessert, so much to think about. My Mother-in law makes 5 different kinds of potatoes alone. So who has time to make pie? That is why, this year, I am thankful for Mom’s Apple Pie Company with locations in Occoquan and Leesburg.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about Leesburg Restaurant and the pie I enjoyed there. This sent me on a search to find the pie shop that created the delectable delight. So I may have found the location by accident (don’t ask) but the delicous pumpkin muffin I ate while choosing my holiday pie was a well planned treat!
I am sure the Bourbon Walnut Pie I picked up will make me the most popular girl at the dessert table. I think this could be the start of a beautiful relationship.
I can’t wait to try several other pies, almond amaretto cheese pie, chocolate pecan pie, and sour cherry crumb pie to name a few. While it is too late to order your pies for Thanksgiving, I would pop in and grab anything you can from their case. You will not be disappointed.
I know a woman who gets paid for being an ice cream taster. I wonder if Mom’s Apple Pie Company is looking to hire an expert pie taster…..
MMMMMMMMMMM
Holy Awards Batman!
Last week I posted about my friend Michelle, who you can thank for the new look, by the way (also shout out to Justin for making it work). Well, not to be out done by his wife’s success, her wonderful husband has also been busy animating a super cool short called “The Mouse that Soared.”
Check out the website to see images and the trailer. It really made me want to see the whole thing. I can’t wait for the day when this is available to the masses. Also check out the impressive list of awards this little film has racked up!
Congrats Joe, what amazing talent! I love my Psuedo celebrity friends!
A New Look, Coming Soon!
My super cool, super talented friend Michelle has worked up a new graphic for my website. I can’t wait to see the website with the new fabulousness! Here is a preview for you.
Ooooohhhhh! I can’t wait!
I guess I know what my patient and loving husband will be doing this weekend. Check back soon to see the new look.
By the way, not only is Michelle talented but she is the closest thing I have to a celebrity friend. She has worked on “Veggie Tales”, “Jimmy Neutron”, and recently the amazing “Coraline”. Check out her website and tell her you love my new artwork!
http://www.michellegorski.com/
http://sierrafaylynn.blogspot.com/
Filed under My Nest | Comments (3)Vintage Beauty
I love to hunt out new sources for unique finds. This past weekend we went to visit my Mother-in Law for her birthday but I feel like I got a gift! She introduced me to Divita, located at 2350 N. Reading Road, Denver Pa. This store is a must see!
The owner purchased 15 tons of jewelry out of a warehouse. The shop is chock full of costume jewelry from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. I had so much fun going through every little nook and cranny of the shop and I know I only saw about 20% of the beauties hidden throughout the store.
Not only was it fun to dig through all the treasures in the shop but Anne and Sophie, the ladies running the show are so much fun! My only regret is that I didn’t have more time and money to spend there.
One word of warning, the pricing is not marked on each individual piece (hey what do you expect when there are several tons of jewelry in one place). You gather all of your finds and then head up to the counter for your pricing. Unfortunately, my greed had gotten the best of me and I had to put a few items back (so sad). But hey that is just insurance I will be going back. I left with a bag of fantastic finds for less than $70. In fact not one item I picked up was priced higher than $15. So grab some cash and your Christmas list and head out to Divita. I have a couple of friends I know will be up for a road trip when they hear about this place!
Moving Day!
As many of my friends already know, I am about to become a small business owner (very small 10′ x 10′ to be exact). I am opening a space at the local antique mall. Located right on Mount Vernon Ave in Del Ray, Potomac West Interiors and Antique Gallery will be my new “home.” www.potomacwestantiques.com
Growing up, Mom had an antique business and we always had so much fun spending our weekends with the vendors and shopping. I was the only girl in my graduating class who had a full set of china. So my love of the old and unique runs deep.
With nothing more than the promise of pizza and beer, I managed to drag my husband and three wonderful friends into helping me move into my space.
Moving Day!
There was plenty of heavy lifting, and lots of unwrapping to do. Not glamorous stuff but my good friends stuck with me. When all was said and done, I learned a very important lesson, 10′ x 10′ is much more space than you might think. I need more stuff!
Have a great Weekend!
Filed under My Nest | Comments (7)Learning is Fun!
A couple of weeks ago I bought a fabulous wood block that came from India, and I have been anxious to work with it ever since. Then last weekend I went on another shopping spree and came home with several more. I feel a new addiction coming on!
Thanks to today being a holiday, (Thank you to all the Veterans out there!) I finally had a free day to drag out all my new toys and play! After much debate about what type of ink to purchase at Plaza we left with water based ink, oil based ink, and screen printing ink. Which really didn’t narrow down our choices at all!
Tools of the trade.
We had so much fun printing on card paper. I can’t wait to print on fabric and see where that leads. I see lots of super cute t-shirts in my future!
I love this beautiful design but I wanted to try something a little different. I stamped directly onto paper made specifically for printing business cards. I could barely wait for the ink to dry before I seperated all the cards. sometimes the individual parts can be even more interesting than the whole.
I absolutely adore the effect of dividing up the design. I think I may print up some business cards and decorate them using this technique. If you have ever done block printing, tell me all about it. I would love to hear about your projects!
Filed under Feather Brained Projects | Comments (3)Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Occasionally, I want to write about my town Alexandria, Virginia. More specifically, Del Ray. When people outside of Del Ray ask what I like about living here, its a little hard to put my finger on. I mean, there is so much to love here (which you will be hearing all about in future posts). If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, I describe Del Ray as being similar to Stars Hollow, not quite as quirky but equally fun. The motto is “Del Ray, where Main Street still exists.” And its true, well, except Main Street is more accurately known as Mount Vernon Avenue.
One place you should check out when in town is E C Robinson Upholstery. Located at 1604 Mount Vernon Avenue, you might just mistake this little store front for an antique shop. There is always something interesting in the window for sale, one day a dresser, the next a great mid century coffee table. More than once a great upholstered chair displayed in the window has stopped me right in my tracks as I attempted to jog by.
Several months ago, I had the pleasure of doing business with them and I could not have been happier with the end result. The story starts with an old, ugly, modern style chair. I loved the lines but the upholstery needed updating and the seat had sunken in. It had potential but needed a lot of love. I saw the beauty in this $4.00 cast off at a thrift store in Pittsburgh and off I skipped happily with my treasure. Unfortunately, not everyone saw the beauty in my treasure, you know who you are.
$4.00 Worth of Love
After much debate and saving my pennies, it was decided the only way to make this fabulous find into something we would truly love was to re-upholster the piece. I was nervous as I had never had any furniture re-upholstered and the process of choosing the perfect fabric and deciding on all the details had me concerned. But the staff at E C Robinson was so patient and helped me through the whole process. Of course I had a little help from my friends at Hardwood Artisans too (o.k. a lot of help, thank you Lois).
Finally, after ordering the fabric on my own, it arrived. I had just 5 measly days before I had to take my finished chair to its final destination. Oh and did I mention that 2 of those days were Saturday and Sunday. I went in on Friday, shame-faced and begged, “Oh please, can’t I have the chair by Tuesday night.” After the shock of what I was asking for wore off, they worked their fingers off and called me Monday to let me know the chair was now beautiful! I don’t suggest doing this as it is clearly poor sportsmanship, this is shared only as an example of the wonderful service you can expect! When I left with my treasure I could not have been happier. My $4.oo find looked like a million bucks!
I'm ready for my close up!
I would love to hear all about your adventures in re-upholstering furniture. Giving new life to old pieces is something we should all consider before buying new! I can’t wait to see your projects.
Filed under My Nest | Comments (2)Second Chances
I spent this past weekend in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. I really enjoy shopping for antiques and there are a lot of great shops in the area.
One of the most unique shops is called “Second Street.” Located at 2222 N. Reading Road, Denver Pa, this store is a must see. They offer new clothing, donated clothing, household items and even antiques. Its a great place to pick up cute vintage sweaters and coats. The best part, 100% of profits go to help orphaned girls in India. All of the merchandise is donated and the help is all volunteer.
Orphans hold a special place in my heart thanks to some time I spent in Honduras. Because of the great work they do and the quality products they offer, I never make a trip out to Lancaster County without stopping in at Second Street. I hope you will drop in the next time you are in town.
To learn more check out the article posted in the Reading Eagle. Absolutely inspiring!
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=148604
Filed under Things a little bird told me | Comment (1)