Anthro Love

I love this dress from Anthropologie! The colours and cut are just beautiful. But that print on my body would make me look far more ridiculous than I need to. It's just as well... it comes with a $348 price tag. Ouch.

Meanwhile, this dress is on sale and totally cute.

Fashion Inspiration

How awesome is this couple? (Well, except for the ciggies.)

I'm totally in love with her outfit, especially her skirt. The hubs was sitting behind me and said that he'd stood right there for a picture when he was in Paris. I was so enamoured by her outfit I hadn't even noticed the Eiffel Tower looming in the background. Oops.

Picture from Style and the City.

Oldie But A Goodie

So Whatcha Want by Beastie Boys

Step 1: Turn up the volume.

Step 2: Hit play.

Step 3: Rock the eff out.

It's cool, you can thank me later.

Colour Inspiration: Food Edition

It makes me smile when my snack inspires me for a quilt -- red and aqua. Hardly a pairing that's new or imaginative, but I love it all the same.

Meanwhile, the hub's snack is a little more patriotic.

Hope everyone's weekend's been as nice and relaxed as ours has been.

Three

Three years ago today...

We shared our first kiss.

I started to fall in love with you.

The story of us began.

Here's to many, many more.

Proof That Studying Hurts Your Brain

The hubs is currently studying for his bar exam. He's in his study all day, every day. And while he's really smart and doing really well in his preparations, his brain is starting to show signs of damage.

Hubs: What day is it today?

Me: Saturday.

Hubs: What?! Already?!

Me: Yup.

Hubs: What day is it tomorrow?

Oh dear.

A Quilt For Us!

Been working on a quilt for our bedroom, and this time there's absolutely no doubt that this is a keeper! Made all the blocks yesterday from Moda Arcadia fabric and some light grey Kona cotton fabric. That's my favourite print of the Arcadia collection.

I started laying out the blocks and then ran out of room so I had half here and the other half across the room. My neck's not happy with me now after all that head turning, back and forth and back and forth. I've since pieced together the 81 blocks and I'm completely in love with it.

So glad I had that Kona cotton lying around because it tones the quilt down a lot. Most of it's quite mellow but the orange fabrics are slightly obnoxious.

Unfortunately it's a tad smaller than I need it to be (it has to be big enough to drape over our queen bed because I'm married to a blanket thief) so a border is necessary.

In the meantime, I'm unpicking the Wonderland quilt blocks. All 100 of them. Can you sense my joy? But I think of it as eventually I'll have something I'm happy with and proud to put my name on.

Trespassers Beware

During the summer months, our cats Isobel (left) and Matilda (right) park themselves at the front door like two little guard cats.

They're not particularly effective warriors... they're big girls but can't fight worth a damn and don't meow. Isobel makes a sort of whiney squeak and Matilda has a feeble half-squeak. I like to think they'd kill intruders with their cuteness.

And that picture gives you a pretty accurate daily trafffic count, give or take a couple cars. Makes me kind of glad because when we do have kids, I won't have to worry as much when they're outside. Although I probably still will :)

Utility + Art = Awesome

Saw these on Poppytalk and thought they were just brilliant! They're from pid.se (Personal Interior Design) out of Sweden.

The Drop XL is just amazing and I'd like one, please.

Not sure I'd want the Wannabe but I think it's pretty damn cute.

What's That Sound?

Last summer was my first summer in the States, and the hubs informed me that should I hear a horrifying cry from the far end of our yard, I shouldn't be alarmed. Why? Because it would be the sounds of red foxes... erm... how to put this... making more red foxes? Lovely.

Tonight I'm in my studio, hubs is asleep, and I hear what sounds like someone being killed. A lot. Well that's what I thought initially. Then I remembered what he told me.

Eww.

Picture from Wikipedia. Because I'm not about to go take a picture myself.

Wonderland Quilt... Not So Much Us After All

I've been in love with the Moda Wonderland collection designed by MoMo. I loved it so much I snapped up a bunch of precuts on sale to make us a quilt. I happily pieced everything together and it was massive.

Yesterday I started basting the quilt on our bedroom floor. I stood over it and stared at it, thinking something's not right. I still adore the fabric -- it's one of the cutest collections Moda's put out, in my opinion -- but I just didn't feel much excitement for it. I folded it up, brought it back to my studio and left it.

Today I came in my studio, looked at it again and decided it's not going to live with us after all. Unfortunately, the colours don't go with our bedroom, our house, nothing. You can imagine my dismay. It's breaking my heart but I knew even if I finished it and kept it, it'd never get used because I'm too big a control freak to have something that doesn't quite go. It's a disease my sisters and I are afflicted with. The shame.

So I liberated 42 blocks and put together a lap quilt instead. I'll probably make a baby quilt and other things from the rest of the fabric and blocks. And then I'll list them in my store. I love this fabric and I hope the things I make from it go to good homes where they'll be used and loved.

I realise I'm talking about fabric like it's a child or a pet. I realise it's kind of odd. I do that with yarn too. I realise that does not help make me seem less loony.

Shop Update!

The Clementine baby quilt is now washed and in the store!

Don't you just love that yummy crinkling?!

What The...

You look at this lovely sight and think, "Burgers, fries... yeah, so what?". And that's where you're wrong, my friend.

This beautiful sight comes courtesy of Bakerella. What you see is here is made entirely from cupcakes, brownies and cookies. I kid you not. I seriously don't know how she comes up with these things! My mind is still being blown as I write this.

I'm in awe. In complete awe.

Picture from Bakerella.

Moda Authentic Collection

Oh goodness. The Moda Authentic collection of fabrics by Sweetwater is making me giddy with anticipation! It's only going to be released in September, so I've got a bit of waiting to do.

Patience is not a virtue of mine. Le sigh.

Picture from Sweetwater.

Clementine Baby Quilt

I finally finished the Clementine baby quilt (using fabrics from the Moda Clementine collection) last night! Or the wee hours of this morning if you want to be precise. I'd actually pieced together the squares ages ago, but I left it sitting there because something didn't look quite right to me.

So after a lot of staring and pondering, I ripped out 17 squares and put in a border around the remaining 63 squares. Immediately, it looked so much better. I decided to use free motion quilting on it because it just made sense with the flowers on the print.

For the back I just used the one piece of fabric instead of piecing more bits together. I decided to use a smaller daisy print for the binding instead of the usual polka dots or stripes... quite glad I did!

I just have to wash it so it goes all nice and crinkly before I put it up for sale at my store.

Rain Does A Garden Good

The hydrangea bushes in my backyard are flowering! I can see them from my kitchen and it's such a pretty sight.

Isobel sits at the front door, watching the birdies and squirrels scurry around, and me gardening. I quite enjoy the audience.

The shasta daisies are finally starting to bloom! I love daisies. I love them so much I have one tattooed on me.

Found a wee little ladybug on one of the daisy buds. Aren't they good luck or something?

When I planted this garden, I had grave concerns. I love that it's proving me wrong.

For Dad

I love you, I miss you, and I think of you often. The things I love about you -- your sense of humour, your thirst for knowledge etc -- I found in Steve.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Wonderland Pillows

All done with my Wonderland quilted pillows! They came about because I had lots of excess fabric from making the quilt (which still needs to be pieced together) so I thought I might as well make some pillows. Sort of as a trial run for ones I was intending to make for the shop using kona cotton, Heather Bailey fabric etc.

I love this Wonderland fabric from Moda. I highly recommend it... it has a lovely hand and sewing with it was easy peasy.

Quite happy with how they turned out, although I'm rethinking the back. I think I'll make the overlap a little bigger so I can either omit the buttons or just have the one button. I don't like using zippers for pillows because I always feel like the zipper tab somehow finds your face when you're lying on it. Or is it just me?

The free motion quilting's coming along... I'd like to think it's improved somewhat. I know the quilting process was a lot quicker than with the sewing machine mat.

Bedroom Redux Inspiration

I just love the light and airy feel of this bedroom. White isn't us at all, but it just feels so fresh!

I'm in love with the colour of the walls of this room. My studio has aqua-ish walls and I'd like to go to a very, very pale aqua with our bedroom walls. The hubs has given the green light. I love that he's not all must-have-manly-colour-or-balls-will-shrivel-up.

Perhaps I ought to just go with one wall of pale aqua and have the rest a warm white. And don't you love the quilt? Gorgeous.

This may not be everyone's taste, but this bed just makes me smile! I love the mismatched bedding and the bunting!

The reason for all this inspiration is that I've wanted for the longest time to do something with our bedroom because it doesn't have any personality. It might have a personality but it definitely isn't ours. The biggest reason for the redux is we want to bring in more light because it's quite dark and sad right now.

When we moved in, we decided not to paint it because I'd have wanted to paint the wood trim white, and to be honest, I just wasn't up to it. I'd painted the dining room and kitchen / eat-in area almost all by myself (the hubs was absolved from painting because I wanted him to concentrate on law school), and with 9-foot high ceilings, it wasn't as fun as one might imagine.

I'll most likely paint when the weather cools, sometime in the fall. Plus it'll give me plenty of time to decide what I want to do because I'm not moving that furniture again!

I Couldn't Agree More

This teatowel from Australian company Materialistic made me laugh. Love it!

Alexander Girard Collection at UO

I'm in love with the Alexander Girard Collection at Urban Outfitters! They've slapped his art pieces on everything from wallart to bedding. So lovely... I want, please.

Fashion Inspiration

Love everything about her outfit. Love!

I want that dress. Want it so much.

Not quite so into this outfit but that bag... I so want that bag!

Pictures from The Sartorialist and Stylesightings.

Squeak No More

I made my sewing machine a little quilted mat with some Robert Kaufman fabric I had in my stash. I used the same fabric for the binding because truth be told, I had some odd bits and pieces I'd cut wrongly for another project so I thought I might as well use them.

It does look a wee bit wonky in the picture but I think it just needs to be pressed.

The mat came about because when I push my machine away from me (my sewing area is slightly cramped), there's sometimes a big squeak if I don't lift it when I push. It doesn't bother me, but it often makes my husband jump (his study's right next door).

The mat in action.

It was my first go at free motion quilting and it's not perfect but I think I'm getting the hang of it. Slowly but surely. I will not allow it to kick my ass.

Must. Have. Cherry Chomper. NOW.

Is this not the cutest cherry pitter in existence?

Even the instructions are cute. Oh my.

Obviously I don't have a need for this. But look at it! I love collecting cute (read: unnecessary) things, and the Cherry Chomper is right up my alley.

Besides, red + aqua = awesome.

Fashion Inspiration

I love that dress! And I want that bag!

Picture from Altamira NYC.

Chocolate, I Has It

My husband's mum organised a huge family reunion over the weekend and as my contribution, I brought coleslaw and baked confections starring my old friend, chocolate.

Where chocolate's involved, I bring it, and I bring it hard. I made FOUR batches of chocolate chip brownies and a 9" x 13" pan of sour cream chocolate chip coffee cake. Did I get to bring any of this loveliness home? That's a big, fat nope. My mum-in-law was responsible for squirreling away most of the leftovers to take home, and today informed me that she thoroughly enjoyed it. Hmph.

Oh and I had to tell this story -- at the reunion, my mum-in-law grabbed my arm and dragged me across the hall to meet her cousin who's pregnant. She pointed at her burgeoning belly and exclaimed, "What's in her belly, I want that!". I suppose she was hoping with the close proximity that I'd catch baby or something. What a big silly.

The Orla Kiely Obsession Continues

Yesterday I went to Target* to exchange a flat sheet I ordered online (the colour was awful in person!)... and what did I spy? Orla Kiely items on clearance!

A travesty indeed! You might remember this post from a while back where I was slightly obsessed by the collection and rather pouty that I couldn't get too many things from it because of the price. In particular, I wanted this large canister that was going for $19.99.

But of course I'm totally gleeful because I managed to finally get it!

50% off totally rocks. Now... whatever shall I do with it...

* Last year we ordered a desk from the Target website but had to return it because it wasn't what we wanted. Instead of refunding us the money, they issued us an online gift card. You can imagine my displeasure. Therefore, since this incident I've refused to shop at Target unless the item can be bought online with free shipping. The only exceptions have been the few Orla Kiely items I've had to purchase instore. My disdain for Target will be everlasting.