This image comes from Just Be Splendid via Teaspoon and Petals. And yes, I really love the purple one with polka-dots...
12/23/2009
Some day it may come to this...
Isn't this amazing:
This image comes from Just Be Splendid via Teaspoon and Petals. And yes, I really love the purple one with polka-dots...
This image comes from Just Be Splendid via Teaspoon and Petals. And yes, I really love the purple one with polka-dots...
12/21/2009
Craftiness...
It never fails. Every time I undertake a large-scale craft project, say, making holiday cards, I look around my craft room, shake my head at the sheer volume of stuff there, and vow that for this project, I will use only what I have and not buy anything new. Good theory, no? Somehow it never quite works that way. Take this year's cards, for example (just finished tonight! hooray!):
I knew I wanted to do something with an embossed element. I had no ideas beyond that. Then in looking for something else a week or so ago, I came across these tags I've had since who-knows-when. The design sprang from that. I played with it, selected some stamps, made a prototype, made a plan, and I was good to go.
I tend toward dark blue or green card stock for a base. I had a bunch of navy duplex stock (a different color on each side, lue and white in this case) that was no longer flat despite laying flat continuously. Sure enough, I didn't have enough. No problem - I had some red to use up as well. Next supply: tags. I ended up having only half as many as I needed. This led to the first trip to the store, a package of 100 tags, and now as many, if not more left over than I had to start with!
I'd overlooked the fact that the tags I already had had no string or ribbon on them. But I have a drawer full of ribbon. No issues, right? Wrong. I never have enough of the right color or quality. But I had almost enough of the white organza ribbon I wanted so I was content to improvise on the last five or so. Luckily all of the new tags come complete with string already attached.
Inks are always a dicey proposition for me. I have a ton of them, but they don't, in fact, last forever. I never know which ink pads will be extant when I sit down. Luckily, though not all of the inks worked out as I had hoped, I was able to regroup and not purchase anything new.
Last element - the sentiment. I tend to be minimalist in the sentiment on my cards at holiday time, not wanting them to be Christmas cards, but more generic. This year's sentiment is very brief: Joy. I tried creating the word with alphabet stamps, but none I had were the right font and size. Then in looking through my word stamps, I came across a quote that included the word. I was in business - stamp out the quote, cut out the word. Alas, that left me with a small bit of paper to adhere to the card - difficult, but not impossible, though possibly time consuming.
I'm a fan of dry adhesives, preferring them to the messy and not quick enough to dry glues out there. Double-face tape is my friend and constant companion in the craft room. But no tape I own is narrow enough for these tiny pieces of paper. Last year I had a similar issue and used a product called Glue Dots, which were perfect for sticking small pieces of paper to each other, etc. And, I had some left! But of course, the dots I had were too big for my one brief word. Another trip to the store, this time the dangerous craft store, for, yes, micro glue dots! (That's all I bought. Really.) They were perfect.
Finally, tonight, all supplies in place, all elements complete, all address labels printed and postage stamps purchased, all that is left is to write a million notes and pop them in the mail!
I knew I wanted to do something with an embossed element. I had no ideas beyond that. Then in looking for something else a week or so ago, I came across these tags I've had since who-knows-when. The design sprang from that. I played with it, selected some stamps, made a prototype, made a plan, and I was good to go.
I tend toward dark blue or green card stock for a base. I had a bunch of navy duplex stock (a different color on each side, lue and white in this case) that was no longer flat despite laying flat continuously. Sure enough, I didn't have enough. No problem - I had some red to use up as well. Next supply: tags. I ended up having only half as many as I needed. This led to the first trip to the store, a package of 100 tags, and now as many, if not more left over than I had to start with!
I'd overlooked the fact that the tags I already had had no string or ribbon on them. But I have a drawer full of ribbon. No issues, right? Wrong. I never have enough of the right color or quality. But I had almost enough of the white organza ribbon I wanted so I was content to improvise on the last five or so. Luckily all of the new tags come complete with string already attached.
Inks are always a dicey proposition for me. I have a ton of them, but they don't, in fact, last forever. I never know which ink pads will be extant when I sit down. Luckily, though not all of the inks worked out as I had hoped, I was able to regroup and not purchase anything new.
Last element - the sentiment. I tend to be minimalist in the sentiment on my cards at holiday time, not wanting them to be Christmas cards, but more generic. This year's sentiment is very brief: Joy. I tried creating the word with alphabet stamps, but none I had were the right font and size. Then in looking through my word stamps, I came across a quote that included the word. I was in business - stamp out the quote, cut out the word. Alas, that left me with a small bit of paper to adhere to the card - difficult, but not impossible, though possibly time consuming.
I'm a fan of dry adhesives, preferring them to the messy and not quick enough to dry glues out there. Double-face tape is my friend and constant companion in the craft room. But no tape I own is narrow enough for these tiny pieces of paper. Last year I had a similar issue and used a product called Glue Dots, which were perfect for sticking small pieces of paper to each other, etc. And, I had some left! But of course, the dots I had were too big for my one brief word. Another trip to the store, this time the dangerous craft store, for, yes, micro glue dots! (That's all I bought. Really.) They were perfect.
Finally, tonight, all supplies in place, all elements complete, all address labels printed and postage stamps purchased, all that is left is to write a million notes and pop them in the mail!
11/15/2009
Tea Room Review - Arium
The sun is finally shining here this morning! Not so yesterday in NYC when our lovely outing day was plagued by intermittant showers. But the rain did not deter from theater, tea and dancing, i.e., a pefect combination of events!
After seeing Love, Loss, and What I Wore at the Westside Theater, we headed down to Arium for afternoon tea. In our family, we have a tradition of having real, official, afternoon tea on the day after Thanksgiving. While it hasn't really worked to have tea on that day in the past several year, it's not working to have tea that weekend at all this year. So yesterday was substitute.
Finding the perfect place for tea can be a challenge. We like trying new places, if we can. We like the full, three-course, sandwiches, scones, and sweets tea without excessive cutesy floral romance, but with a certain formality that marks a difference from coffee and a small cake or pastry at a cafe.
Deb was on the case, and found seemingly the perfect place: Arium, down in the revamped, now trendy meat packing district, on a street with one of the best names ever: Little West 12th.
Arium was lovely in many respects. The atmosphere was nice - good furniture, formal serviceware, but simple. The food was good, though I prefer my scones a little less cake-y and more biscuit-like. The service was good. We were served quickly and not rushed. The tea selections were great, far beyond the usual one type of green, a darjeeling, an earl grey, and maybe an oolong for variety, with a list of trendy non-teas. I had two of my favorite Yunan types to choose from. I selected an Emperor's Red from Fujian Province.
But here's the kicker - there were no other people in the place. And not just the tea part of the place. This so-called design studio is really an upscale hair salon. It used to have a gallery, but that has been replaced by headshots of models with interesting hair. And though the place serves lunch, dinner and tea and is in a trendy location, it was empty but for us.
My overwhelming thought when we left was that Arium wouldn't be around for long. I'm glad we caught it in its brief moment of existence.
After seeing Love, Loss, and What I Wore at the Westside Theater, we headed down to Arium for afternoon tea. In our family, we have a tradition of having real, official, afternoon tea on the day after Thanksgiving. While it hasn't really worked to have tea on that day in the past several year, it's not working to have tea that weekend at all this year. So yesterday was substitute.
Finding the perfect place for tea can be a challenge. We like trying new places, if we can. We like the full, three-course, sandwiches, scones, and sweets tea without excessive cutesy floral romance, but with a certain formality that marks a difference from coffee and a small cake or pastry at a cafe.
Deb was on the case, and found seemingly the perfect place: Arium, down in the revamped, now trendy meat packing district, on a street with one of the best names ever: Little West 12th.
Arium was lovely in many respects. The atmosphere was nice - good furniture, formal serviceware, but simple. The food was good, though I prefer my scones a little less cake-y and more biscuit-like. The service was good. We were served quickly and not rushed. The tea selections were great, far beyond the usual one type of green, a darjeeling, an earl grey, and maybe an oolong for variety, with a list of trendy non-teas. I had two of my favorite Yunan types to choose from. I selected an Emperor's Red from Fujian Province.
But here's the kicker - there were no other people in the place. And not just the tea part of the place. This so-called design studio is really an upscale hair salon. It used to have a gallery, but that has been replaced by headshots of models with interesting hair. And though the place serves lunch, dinner and tea and is in a trendy location, it was empty but for us.
My overwhelming thought when we left was that Arium wouldn't be around for long. I'm glad we caught it in its brief moment of existence.
11/13/2009
A spate of home improvement...
Almost all at once it seems, I'm trying to take on some very small house projects.
First, in a spate of frivolity, the halloween mantle:
The first image, though clearer, does not convey the lovely light emitted when all of the candles were lit. The second image, though blurry, gives a sense of that warmth. I felt so Martha using the leftover berry spray from my autumn wreath revitalization project as an added bonus. I'm finally about to put all of the halloween candle holders away, but I'm still finishing burning the orange and black mini pillars I'd been holding onto for several years...
On my one free weekend in October, I made great strides in some closet re-organization. I went through a bunch of clothes in preparation for a Salvation Army run, and in the process, realized that I didn't have to repossess the "closet" in the little room on the 2nd floor, soon to be my office. Instead, I banished the final clothes rack that was in my craft room to the basement, hung all of those clothes in the wardrobe in the office (which is normal closet depth - amazing!). And the office closet will become, wait for it, a linen closet! Small it seems, but this excites me no end.
Once I had decided for the linen closet, I didn't want to lose momentum. Last month I just happened to meet a handyman who does a bunch of work in Mt. Airy, and decided to take a chance. I've been building a list of small projects - painting things, hanging things, adjusting things. - things I lack the time and/or the expertise to do. I called him up, and last weekend he came to look at my projects and give me an estimate. The good news is that he said he can do the three small things I gave him. The even better news is that he goes to California once the weather gets cold (Thanksgiving), but he can fit my projects in before he leaves! Now if he actually calls back, I'll be in business. But I know his mother, so the chances are good...
As the last item in this series, I bought a bed last weekend. For several years I've been lusting after the Crate and Barrel Porto Bed. Finally it came up on E-bay for about 1/3 of the list price, and shockingly, I won it. The good part is that it was a pick-up item, so no shipping costs. The other good part is that it previously lived in NJ, which means, driving distance. So last weekend, a friend with a big car and I picked it up, put it together, and suddenly, a big-girl bed!
I'm still not used to seeing it because I don't think of myself as a person with major pieces of furniture I acquire myself, but I'm pleased. And just think of how nice it will look once I actually paint the room a lovely blue-grey. Maybe in the Spring...
First, in a spate of frivolity, the halloween mantle:
The first image, though clearer, does not convey the lovely light emitted when all of the candles were lit. The second image, though blurry, gives a sense of that warmth. I felt so Martha using the leftover berry spray from my autumn wreath revitalization project as an added bonus. I'm finally about to put all of the halloween candle holders away, but I'm still finishing burning the orange and black mini pillars I'd been holding onto for several years...
On my one free weekend in October, I made great strides in some closet re-organization. I went through a bunch of clothes in preparation for a Salvation Army run, and in the process, realized that I didn't have to repossess the "closet" in the little room on the 2nd floor, soon to be my office. Instead, I banished the final clothes rack that was in my craft room to the basement, hung all of those clothes in the wardrobe in the office (which is normal closet depth - amazing!). And the office closet will become, wait for it, a linen closet! Small it seems, but this excites me no end.
Once I had decided for the linen closet, I didn't want to lose momentum. Last month I just happened to meet a handyman who does a bunch of work in Mt. Airy, and decided to take a chance. I've been building a list of small projects - painting things, hanging things, adjusting things. - things I lack the time and/or the expertise to do. I called him up, and last weekend he came to look at my projects and give me an estimate. The good news is that he said he can do the three small things I gave him. The even better news is that he goes to California once the weather gets cold (Thanksgiving), but he can fit my projects in before he leaves! Now if he actually calls back, I'll be in business. But I know his mother, so the chances are good...
As the last item in this series, I bought a bed last weekend. For several years I've been lusting after the Crate and Barrel Porto Bed. Finally it came up on E-bay for about 1/3 of the list price, and shockingly, I won it. The good part is that it was a pick-up item, so no shipping costs. The other good part is that it previously lived in NJ, which means, driving distance. So last weekend, a friend with a big car and I picked it up, put it together, and suddenly, a big-girl bed!
I'm still not used to seeing it because I don't think of myself as a person with major pieces of furniture I acquire myself, but I'm pleased. And just think of how nice it will look once I actually paint the room a lovely blue-grey. Maybe in the Spring...
10/26/2009
Every time it rains, it rains...
As my version of the stuff-it-in-the-mattress savings plan, I've been saving all of my loose change for the better part of a year. I guess it started when the fabric wall of the change pocket of my wallet tore, and I started keeping any change I got during the course of the day in my pocket. From there, I would unload it into a glass jar every night. I wasn't attempting to not spend it during the day, just putting aside the remainders to feed my dreams of colored walls and warm rooms, and maybe even a linen closet.
I counted the coins at some point over the summer and had about $75. After my gigantic craft room re-organization, I found a bag full of pennies (why I had them, I'll never know), and added them to the growing number of jars on my bookshelf.
For some reason, this past weekend became the moment to do a big counting. I armed myself with coin rolls, settled myself in the glow of the Halloween tableau on my mantle (which the camera could not capture, you'll just have to come visit), and got to work.
The verdict: over $160, including enough pennies that I had to buy a second bag of assorted coin rolls to package them up.
And now comes the fun of pondering what to do with that cash... I fear it will go into something unromantic like columns to support the sagging kitchen walls, but what all of those pennies brought to mind is the image I posted way back in January...
http://festiveyettasteful.blogspot.com/2009/01/flooring-of-future.html
So, what do you think I should do with my change?
I counted the coins at some point over the summer and had about $75. After my gigantic craft room re-organization, I found a bag full of pennies (why I had them, I'll never know), and added them to the growing number of jars on my bookshelf.
For some reason, this past weekend became the moment to do a big counting. I armed myself with coin rolls, settled myself in the glow of the Halloween tableau on my mantle (which the camera could not capture, you'll just have to come visit), and got to work.
The verdict: over $160, including enough pennies that I had to buy a second bag of assorted coin rolls to package them up.
And now comes the fun of pondering what to do with that cash... I fear it will go into something unromantic like columns to support the sagging kitchen walls, but what all of those pennies brought to mind is the image I posted way back in January...
http://festiveyettasteful.blogspot.com/2009/01/flooring-of-future.html
So, what do you think I should do with my change?
10/10/2009
What she looked like during the day...
Please notice that the curls artfully hide the burn mark on my forehead from a curling iron mishap...
10/07/2009
The dreaded short hair problem...
Well, the moment has almost arrived, the moment I've been growing my hair for for almost a year - the JASNA conference, at which I am teaching several dance workshops and leading the grand ball on Saturday night. Thanks to the skills of a certain Princess, I have a big, floofy purple ball gown and a Jane Austen-y day dress, re-fashioned out of one of my existing dresses. I have white tights. I have gloves. I have dance shoes. What I don't have is the appropriate hair for this event.
My hair is so medium at the moment. It's neither long nor short, blonde nor brown, straight nor curly. In short, impossible. But as it's easier to pretend to be JA with the current length than the usual length, onward I go.
Tomorrow morning, armed with hair clips, bobby pins, hair net, hair spray, and a curling iron, I will attempt to affect an artfully arranged mass of something that stays out of my face, yet looks at home to the masses of people attending the conference who are sure to know the difference.
Note to self: bring camera.
If the results are positive, you may even see them...
My hair is so medium at the moment. It's neither long nor short, blonde nor brown, straight nor curly. In short, impossible. But as it's easier to pretend to be JA with the current length than the usual length, onward I go.
Tomorrow morning, armed with hair clips, bobby pins, hair net, hair spray, and a curling iron, I will attempt to affect an artfully arranged mass of something that stays out of my face, yet looks at home to the masses of people attending the conference who are sure to know the difference.
Note to self: bring camera.
If the results are positive, you may even see them...
9/18/2009
Tea time accoutremonts...
From one of today's Design*Sponge posts:
From the tea accessories collection by Bodo Sperlien for Yauatcha Atelier. I don't even want to know what they cost...
From the tea accessories collection by Bodo Sperlien for Yauatcha Atelier. I don't even want to know what they cost...
9/15/2009
No, really, I do need this...
Think of the Jello Jigglers this would make...
From Sillycone Inc. via Kim Vallee.
A map of the best new way to get to camp:
From Transit Authority Figures. We just have to get them to publish the light rail map of camp...
From Sillycone Inc. via Kim Vallee.
A map of the best new way to get to camp:
From Transit Authority Figures. We just have to get them to publish the light rail map of camp...
8/25/2009
Wooden lace...
Okay, I have to figure out how to work one of these into my home decor:
Apartment Therapy featured a post on Indian screens last week. I immediately thought of blackwork patterns in cross stitch and love the combination of openness and pivacy the screens afford.
Maybe I can incorporate this into my backyard folly somehow...
Apartment Therapy featured a post on Indian screens last week. I immediately thought of blackwork patterns in cross stitch and love the combination of openness and pivacy the screens afford.
Maybe I can incorporate this into my backyard folly somehow...
8/24/2009
Treasured tines...
For some reason, probably having to do with my lifelong love of my mother's Spode dessert set, which we only dusted, but never used, I am attracted to tableware of all sorts, and especially tea accoutrements and interesting flatware. Several years ago now the Cooper Hewitt in New York ran a fabulous exhibit called, "Feeding Desire," which traced the history of eating utensils from 1500 to the present.
The exhibit was illuminating and reinforced my love of naturalistic silverware - Susie's twig utensils, and others like the piece pictured on the cover of the exhibit catalog, and the huge, Victorian sets where one place setting could possibly contain 50-100 pieces.
Then just last week Design*Sponge contained a post about forks! It reiterated much of what was in the Cooper Hewitt exhibit, but was a fun read.
The image above is from the post, a drawing by Julia Rothman that shows all of the forks you should have in your silver service.
I now have the urge to go to flea markets and antique stores and rummage for treasures in silver. And yes, in fact, I do want strawberry forks and bonbon spoons.
The exhibit was illuminating and reinforced my love of naturalistic silverware - Susie's twig utensils, and others like the piece pictured on the cover of the exhibit catalog, and the huge, Victorian sets where one place setting could possibly contain 50-100 pieces.
Then just last week Design*Sponge contained a post about forks! It reiterated much of what was in the Cooper Hewitt exhibit, but was a fun read.
The image above is from the post, a drawing by Julia Rothman that shows all of the forks you should have in your silver service.
I now have the urge to go to flea markets and antique stores and rummage for treasures in silver. And yes, in fact, I do want strawberry forks and bonbon spoons.
8/11/2009
8/05/2009
A dose of a different culture...
Last week a friend and I made an expedition to H Mart, a big Asian grocery chain with a Korean bent and a store not far from here. It's the kind of place that is simply overwhelming to the uninitiated, like me, who are not looking for anything in particular, but going more for the experience of it.
We began with produce, where things were mostly recognizable. At last, a source for baby bok choy! From there we wandered through the fish section, over to meat, and then up and down the grocery aisles. There were rows of noodles of all kinds, teas, standard western fare, which looked out of place, household items, and on and on. There was not one kind of sesame oil to choose from as there is in the local Pathmark, which makes shopping for it fast and eay, but a choice between brands and dark sesame oil, and black sesame oil and wild sesame oil. And then the section of dried seaweed, dried plants that I hoped were not for eating, but I think were, freeze-dried squid strips, etc. I had no idea how to choose between the varieties of noodles, so I chose none.
We came at last to the frozen food section where I was determined to take home some dumplings. But there again was the issue. I could read no list of ingredients and had a hard time choosing between one kind of meat dumpling and another. In the end I chose a few packages where I understood the preparation instructions and enjoyed them when I tasted them.
In the end I left H-Mart almost as overwhelmed as I walked in. I'm glad I went with a friend as we gave each other courage to try some things we otherwise never would have.
Would I go again? In a heartbeat. Now that I know what they have and what to expect, I can pretend to be a slightly more educated consumer.
And then there is that sesame candy that's been haunting my thoughts for a week now...
We began with produce, where things were mostly recognizable. At last, a source for baby bok choy! From there we wandered through the fish section, over to meat, and then up and down the grocery aisles. There were rows of noodles of all kinds, teas, standard western fare, which looked out of place, household items, and on and on. There was not one kind of sesame oil to choose from as there is in the local Pathmark, which makes shopping for it fast and eay, but a choice between brands and dark sesame oil, and black sesame oil and wild sesame oil. And then the section of dried seaweed, dried plants that I hoped were not for eating, but I think were, freeze-dried squid strips, etc. I had no idea how to choose between the varieties of noodles, so I chose none.
We came at last to the frozen food section where I was determined to take home some dumplings. But there again was the issue. I could read no list of ingredients and had a hard time choosing between one kind of meat dumpling and another. In the end I chose a few packages where I understood the preparation instructions and enjoyed them when I tasted them.
In the end I left H-Mart almost as overwhelmed as I walked in. I'm glad I went with a friend as we gave each other courage to try some things we otherwise never would have.
Would I go again? In a heartbeat. Now that I know what they have and what to expect, I can pretend to be a slightly more educated consumer.
And then there is that sesame candy that's been haunting my thoughts for a week now...
7/27/2009
The complete lack of moose...
So I go to Maine, almost desperate to see a real, live moose, and what did I see, a million moose items in tourist shops. What did I buy, none of it. I think all of the moose must be summering in northern Ontario.
But here's what every house needs - a living room moose: 
But here's what every house needs - a living room moose:
Image: Apartment Therapy
It's been a while...
Wow, it really has been a bit since I wrote anything. But I will merely pretend that it's been a day or two or five. Stick with me here.
My main distraction (or my Maine distraction):
Behold the view from the porch of the cabin off Indian Point in Maine. This was my home for a brief jaunt with the boys from the neighborhood. And yes, that is the ocean right outside the back door. It was amazing just to be there.
In many ways, going to Maine was like going to camp: bring your own linens, deal with mosquitoes, cool nights, forever-damp towels. I knew just what to pack, minus the zillion dance dresses. But it was so different being on a non-dance vacation without that structure of classes to go to (or to skip), meals served at specific times, and over a hundred people who want to do just what you want to do, when you want to do it. Is this what other people do all the time when they travel? Have to plan their days, meals, naps?
I would go back in a heartbeat, if my schedule permitted, and if I'm invited back. It will be better next time, as most things are, now that I know what to expect, where to go, and what it's like being with a different and small group for days.
Plan the trip around the local dances. It's the only way...
My main distraction (or my Maine distraction):
Behold the view from the porch of the cabin off Indian Point in Maine. This was my home for a brief jaunt with the boys from the neighborhood. And yes, that is the ocean right outside the back door. It was amazing just to be there.
In many ways, going to Maine was like going to camp: bring your own linens, deal with mosquitoes, cool nights, forever-damp towels. I knew just what to pack, minus the zillion dance dresses. But it was so different being on a non-dance vacation without that structure of classes to go to (or to skip), meals served at specific times, and over a hundred people who want to do just what you want to do, when you want to do it. Is this what other people do all the time when they travel? Have to plan their days, meals, naps?
I would go back in a heartbeat, if my schedule permitted, and if I'm invited back. It will be better next time, as most things are, now that I know what to expect, where to go, and what it's like being with a different and small group for days.
Plan the trip around the local dances. It's the only way...
7/09/2009
Bits & Pieces from the Blogs...
Just a few images that struck me from the catch-up blog-reading that built up while I was at camp...
Via the Martha Stewart blog, the Crafts Dept., this image reminded me of another favorite artist, Donald Evans, who also used rubber stamp postmarks over his images:
This tea set is ingenius! It's from Jason Neufeld, and I can't quite figure out where it's available.
If you can read the fine print beneath the picture, the dishes provide areas for honey and jam, and a raised surface to rest your toas on so it doesn't become soggy. And what's more, the cups are double-walled and have a hexagonal bottom so they fit perfectly onto the plate.
And finally, and image from Apartment Therapy:
A shelf like this one would be perfect for my kitchen window that looks, not out at the backyard, but out on the laundry room and its window on the backyard. It would be perfect to keep a teapot always handy...
Via the Martha Stewart blog, the Crafts Dept., this image reminded me of another favorite artist, Donald Evans, who also used rubber stamp postmarks over his images:
This tea set is ingenius! It's from Jason Neufeld, and I can't quite figure out where it's available.
If you can read the fine print beneath the picture, the dishes provide areas for honey and jam, and a raised surface to rest your toas on so it doesn't become soggy. And what's more, the cups are double-walled and have a hexagonal bottom so they fit perfectly onto the plate.
And finally, and image from Apartment Therapy:
A shelf like this one would be perfect for my kitchen window that looks, not out at the backyard, but out on the laundry room and its window on the backyard. It would be perfect to keep a teapot always handy...
7/08/2009
July 4th Weekend in the Woods...
Nothing can convey the sheer joy of a session at Pinewoods!
Photo by David Cornelius
We danced Morpeth Rant on Saturday night, and Corn Rigs on Sunday, and others here and there. Doing these traditional dances in this space with fabulous dancers all around reminded me of the first time I experienced what a great swing and change felt like, the first time we all danced Softly Good Tummas at E&A, lo these many years ago when the room went wild, the beauty of that many stars over the pond as seen from the water after the dance.
Camp is always a magical place. I can't wait to get back there.
Photo by David Cornelius
We danced Morpeth Rant on Saturday night, and Corn Rigs on Sunday, and others here and there. Doing these traditional dances in this space with fabulous dancers all around reminded me of the first time I experienced what a great swing and change felt like, the first time we all danced Softly Good Tummas at E&A, lo these many years ago when the room went wild, the beauty of that many stars over the pond as seen from the water after the dance.
Camp is always a magical place. I can't wait to get back there.
6/22/2009
Birthday presents for myself...
This weekend I indulged in some shopping. My excuse? Well, my birthday!
Here's what I came away with:
Not exactly en route, but as I was driving from Lynn to Amherst this weekend, I took a side journey to greater downtown Topsfield, MA, home of Absolutely Everything, a rubber stamp and scrapbooking store. I think that their selection was wide and fabulous, but it's a bit hard to know as we no longer have independent craft stores in this little village of Philadelphia. I indulged in some stamps from my favorite company, Stamper's Anonymous, a few other bits and pieces and especially, some acryllic blocks to use with unmounted, cling stamps. Yes, she's finally joining the modern era of stampers. Maybe it's good that I don't live near this shop...
My next stop was Brattleboro, VT, home to many cute shops including Dragonfly Drygoods, one of the few even remotely local distributors of Emma Bridgewater pottery. I do want everything in the Black Toast line, but I settled for the pieces above.
Okay, not related to my birthday or to recent shopping, but still undocumented purchases, these pieces are from the very retired Dansk Floating Leaves line. Ebay is my friend. The plate is one of a set of four dessert plates. Now will she dive in and get the sugar bowl??? I wonder if there's a teapot? Maybe these are things I don't need to know...
Here's what I came away with:
Not exactly en route, but as I was driving from Lynn to Amherst this weekend, I took a side journey to greater downtown Topsfield, MA, home of Absolutely Everything, a rubber stamp and scrapbooking store. I think that their selection was wide and fabulous, but it's a bit hard to know as we no longer have independent craft stores in this little village of Philadelphia. I indulged in some stamps from my favorite company, Stamper's Anonymous, a few other bits and pieces and especially, some acryllic blocks to use with unmounted, cling stamps. Yes, she's finally joining the modern era of stampers. Maybe it's good that I don't live near this shop...
My next stop was Brattleboro, VT, home to many cute shops including Dragonfly Drygoods, one of the few even remotely local distributors of Emma Bridgewater pottery. I do want everything in the Black Toast line, but I settled for the pieces above.
Okay, not related to my birthday or to recent shopping, but still undocumented purchases, these pieces are from the very retired Dansk Floating Leaves line. Ebay is my friend. The plate is one of a set of four dessert plates. Now will she dive in and get the sugar bowl??? I wonder if there's a teapot? Maybe these are things I don't need to know...
6/17/2009
Life in the big city, part whatever...
In which Joanna renews her driver's license...
In Pennsylvania you are required to renew your driver's license every four years, and unlike in some other states you have to get a new picture taken for your license each time. There is a two step process for the renewal: 1) When you get the renewal notice, pay your fee, and receive a camera card back in the mail, and, 2) Go have your picture taken at a PennDOT center to have the actual card issued. And in Pennsylvania your license expires the day after your birthday in the given year.
I received my renewal in April and had long since paid my money and gotten my camera card in the mail. And since the last time I went to get my picture taken for my license, it was all of a five minute procedure at a suburban office - literally, no waiting - I wasn't worried or in a hurry. Then suddenly it was the middle of June and time to get off the stick.
Four years ago, I got my licensed renewed and picture taken in Rosemont, where I was the only customer and where two clerks were arguing and vying to see who could take a better picture of me. I went out on a Wednesday night before the dance and I tought I would do the same thing this time. But being sensible, I decided to check on PennDOT's website to make sure the Rosemont office was still open late on Wednesdays. After 10-15 minutes of searching the website and trying, mostly failing, to find the simple list of PennDOT offices and their hours, I finally found the PDF in a non-intuitive section of the site and discovered that evening hours had been severely curtailed, not only in Rosemont, but at all of the offices, and that the only night any center was open late was Thursday. Guess who has plans this Thursday. And guess who will have an expired license if she waits until next Thursday. So, for better or for worse, I decided to brave a Center City office and rationalized this decision by telling myself it was relatively close to my office, I take a late lunch so the big crowds will have dissipated (incidentally, this theory never holds true at the post office either), and that it's just a picture, which should be a quick thing. Right.
I leave my office on 15th and Walnut just before 1:30pm, headed for the PennDOT office on 11th and Market. As I approach the address, things don't look promising. Buildings look vacant. Not good. Finally, I notice a small sign in one of the windows saying that this PennDOT location closed on May 30th and all business will now be conducted at the next closest office, some 5-ish blocks away on 8th and Arch. Now the clock is ticking.
I make it to 8th and Arch at about 1:45pm to discover a long line out the door. Figuring that the line is for people waiting to take a learner's permit test, I walk up to the door and peer in, but everyone I ask says there's just one line. While I figure it never occured to anyone else to ask if it was otherwise, I get in line and start calculating how long I can wait before I have to cry off so I can get back to work in time.
The line is the typical downtown scene: many younger folks getting permits now that school is out, mothers with small children in tow. Behind me a young woman waiting to submit a change-of-address form gets uppity when an elderly woman who has trouble walking is helped inside ahead of others (likely to sit down), even after two people tell her she can submit her address change online at any computer with internet access and not have to wait here at all. Still she remains on line, yelling about how unfair it all is.
Finally, really only a few minutes later, an employee comes outside and issues numbers to the three of us on the long line with camera cards. I rush in and am taken right away, answer three questions, and am allowed to select the best of three pictures. A minute later I'm back out the door, in plenty of time to walk back to work and hopefully forget about PennDOT for four more years.
In Pennsylvania you are required to renew your driver's license every four years, and unlike in some other states you have to get a new picture taken for your license each time. There is a two step process for the renewal: 1) When you get the renewal notice, pay your fee, and receive a camera card back in the mail, and, 2) Go have your picture taken at a PennDOT center to have the actual card issued. And in Pennsylvania your license expires the day after your birthday in the given year.
I received my renewal in April and had long since paid my money and gotten my camera card in the mail. And since the last time I went to get my picture taken for my license, it was all of a five minute procedure at a suburban office - literally, no waiting - I wasn't worried or in a hurry. Then suddenly it was the middle of June and time to get off the stick.
Four years ago, I got my licensed renewed and picture taken in Rosemont, where I was the only customer and where two clerks were arguing and vying to see who could take a better picture of me. I went out on a Wednesday night before the dance and I tought I would do the same thing this time. But being sensible, I decided to check on PennDOT's website to make sure the Rosemont office was still open late on Wednesdays. After 10-15 minutes of searching the website and trying, mostly failing, to find the simple list of PennDOT offices and their hours, I finally found the PDF in a non-intuitive section of the site and discovered that evening hours had been severely curtailed, not only in Rosemont, but at all of the offices, and that the only night any center was open late was Thursday. Guess who has plans this Thursday. And guess who will have an expired license if she waits until next Thursday. So, for better or for worse, I decided to brave a Center City office and rationalized this decision by telling myself it was relatively close to my office, I take a late lunch so the big crowds will have dissipated (incidentally, this theory never holds true at the post office either), and that it's just a picture, which should be a quick thing. Right.
I leave my office on 15th and Walnut just before 1:30pm, headed for the PennDOT office on 11th and Market. As I approach the address, things don't look promising. Buildings look vacant. Not good. Finally, I notice a small sign in one of the windows saying that this PennDOT location closed on May 30th and all business will now be conducted at the next closest office, some 5-ish blocks away on 8th and Arch. Now the clock is ticking.
I make it to 8th and Arch at about 1:45pm to discover a long line out the door. Figuring that the line is for people waiting to take a learner's permit test, I walk up to the door and peer in, but everyone I ask says there's just one line. While I figure it never occured to anyone else to ask if it was otherwise, I get in line and start calculating how long I can wait before I have to cry off so I can get back to work in time.
The line is the typical downtown scene: many younger folks getting permits now that school is out, mothers with small children in tow. Behind me a young woman waiting to submit a change-of-address form gets uppity when an elderly woman who has trouble walking is helped inside ahead of others (likely to sit down), even after two people tell her she can submit her address change online at any computer with internet access and not have to wait here at all. Still she remains on line, yelling about how unfair it all is.
Finally, really only a few minutes later, an employee comes outside and issues numbers to the three of us on the long line with camera cards. I rush in and am taken right away, answer three questions, and am allowed to select the best of three pictures. A minute later I'm back out the door, in plenty of time to walk back to work and hopefully forget about PennDOT for four more years.
6/16/2009
I made it happen...
After all, it's nothing a trip to Ikea can't take care of...
Once upon a time you could walk into Ikea and buy these sturdy sets of drawers ready to go. Now you have to put them together, and they are not quite big enough and they are never quite square when you are finished, but they are, nevertheless, perfect in this setting. I now have a place for the miscellaneous things that need gathering, and a raised surface for the things I always need to hand - wipes for stamp cleaning, double-sided tape, exacto knife, without sacrificing usable desk surface. I love it already, only a day after final assembly. (And inevitably, stamps will end up in a decent portion of those drawers I'm guessing...)
And yes, the craft room will never be finished, but it's slowly getting into shape!
Once upon a time you could walk into Ikea and buy these sturdy sets of drawers ready to go. Now you have to put them together, and they are not quite big enough and they are never quite square when you are finished, but they are, nevertheless, perfect in this setting. I now have a place for the miscellaneous things that need gathering, and a raised surface for the things I always need to hand - wipes for stamp cleaning, double-sided tape, exacto knife, without sacrificing usable desk surface. I love it already, only a day after final assembly. (And inevitably, stamps will end up in a decent portion of those drawers I'm guessing...)
And yes, the craft room will never be finished, but it's slowly getting into shape!
6/09/2009
Someone else's story...
Sometimes I think the real purpose of many of the blogs I follow is to spread news around, not to post new and original ideas. This post will emulate that line of thinking...
Image: Kriss's Color Stripes. This image reminded me that I have a couple of shelves to put up in my craft room but haven't gotten around to doing so. I love this idea of an instant shelf/hutch that incorporates storage for small items. I could probably make this happen with some of my sets of stamp drawers from Ikea...
Next find: Are you ever in a cafe, trying to keep track of the time so that you don't over-steep your tea, but in danger of being distracted by whatever else is happening on your laptop? Well, now there's a website just for you (this thought from Teaspoon & Petals).
Well, two unoriginal ideas will have to suffice. Perhaps more to come from my house, garden, life when the miasma of this cold and current streak of weather lifts...
Image: Kriss's Color Stripes. This image reminded me that I have a couple of shelves to put up in my craft room but haven't gotten around to doing so. I love this idea of an instant shelf/hutch that incorporates storage for small items. I could probably make this happen with some of my sets of stamp drawers from Ikea...
Next find: Are you ever in a cafe, trying to keep track of the time so that you don't over-steep your tea, but in danger of being distracted by whatever else is happening on your laptop? Well, now there's a website just for you (this thought from Teaspoon & Petals).
Well, two unoriginal ideas will have to suffice. Perhaps more to come from my house, garden, life when the miasma of this cold and current streak of weather lifts...
6/03/2009
The strangeness of shoes...
Okay, this post is totally random...
In my bedroom tonight, I noticed 4 pairs of black shoes.
This in and of itself is not unusual. Clearly I wore them all in the not to distant past and kicked them off and didn't put the back where they live in an orderly way. This is also not unsusal.
Have you noticed something in common about each pair of shoes?
Yes, in every case, the left shoe was upright an the right shoe is over on its side. I'm sure this is full of meaning.
Discuss.
In my bedroom tonight, I noticed 4 pairs of black shoes.
This in and of itself is not unusual. Clearly I wore them all in the not to distant past and kicked them off and didn't put the back where they live in an orderly way. This is also not unsusal.
Have you noticed something in common about each pair of shoes?
Yes, in every case, the left shoe was upright an the right shoe is over on its side. I'm sure this is full of meaning.
Discuss.
6/01/2009
Bits and Pieces
A few images from the last week:
In my opinion, the picture doesn't do this birthday card justice. It's simple, but cute, and I stole the idea fair and square from a magazine. It satisfies my love of grid patterns and embossed papers (embossed by my very own self).
I finally sorted through all of my fabric scraps, and discarded the two by nothing bits that weren't good for a thing. The remainders just fit into the eight bins I bought (from the Container Store, of course) which fit neatly on my top two shelves. It's hard to imagine how one that hardly sews can end up with fabric to fill eight bins, but there it is. And yes, there is more fabric in my trunk, but I'm afraid to look...
And finally, my rose bloomed over the weekend! I first thought it would be red, but the picture barely does justice to the dark fushia/pink. Dare I cut any blooms to adorn my house?? I need a cutting garden. Maybe next year...
In my opinion, the picture doesn't do this birthday card justice. It's simple, but cute, and I stole the idea fair and square from a magazine. It satisfies my love of grid patterns and embossed papers (embossed by my very own self).
I finally sorted through all of my fabric scraps, and discarded the two by nothing bits that weren't good for a thing. The remainders just fit into the eight bins I bought (from the Container Store, of course) which fit neatly on my top two shelves. It's hard to imagine how one that hardly sews can end up with fabric to fill eight bins, but there it is. And yes, there is more fabric in my trunk, but I'm afraid to look...
And finally, my rose bloomed over the weekend! I first thought it would be red, but the picture barely does justice to the dark fushia/pink. Dare I cut any blooms to adorn my house?? I need a cutting garden. Maybe next year...
5/26/2009
Frank!
Last week, Apartment Therapy posted a must-have item:
What could be more perfect? Lego and Falling Water. There's also a Guggenheim set. Where's Robie House. I'm sure that's next.
What could be more perfect? Lego and Falling Water. There's also a Guggenheim set. Where's Robie House. I'm sure that's next.
And one more...
Crazy! Yet another tea book - this one focusing on tea and tea-related customs in Europe (read, Western Europe), fittingly called:
5/18/2009
The two that got away and the four that didn't...
Somehow this weekend was a banner weekend for finding new tea books!
On Saturday I journeyed up to Doylestown to go to the Tile Festival at the Moravian Tileworks. Since the last time I spent any quality time in Doylestown, the persistant rain prevented any significant amount of strolling through town, after my tour of the festival, I parked the car and wandered for a while. Of course, it being me, I parked right in front of the independent book store in town, the Doylestown Bookshop, where I found three tea books:
Tea by Sarina Jacobson
Tea for You by Tracy Stern
Tea; the Essential Companion
Today after work, I spent some quality time in Border's and found yet another tea book: The True History of Tea by Victor B . Mair and Erling Hoh
Despite the riches listed above, at two shops I found two additional tea books, but did not purchase them because I was convinced I had them already. Time to update the tea book database. Time to figure out how to carry that list around without resorting to excess electronics (not possible, I imagine). And time to retrace my steps to find those books again, or simply look forward to the thrill of coming across them in some completely unexpected place.
On Saturday I journeyed up to Doylestown to go to the Tile Festival at the Moravian Tileworks. Since the last time I spent any quality time in Doylestown, the persistant rain prevented any significant amount of strolling through town, after my tour of the festival, I parked the car and wandered for a while. Of course, it being me, I parked right in front of the independent book store in town, the Doylestown Bookshop, where I found three tea books:
Tea by Sarina Jacobson
Tea for You by Tracy Stern
Tea; the Essential Companion
Today after work, I spent some quality time in Border's and found yet another tea book: The True History of Tea by Victor B . Mair and Erling Hoh
Despite the riches listed above, at two shops I found two additional tea books, but did not purchase them because I was convinced I had them already. Time to update the tea book database. Time to figure out how to carry that list around without resorting to excess electronics (not possible, I imagine). And time to retrace my steps to find those books again, or simply look forward to the thrill of coming across them in some completely unexpected place.
5/13/2009
On the shelf...
This idea from Design*Sponge struck my fancy today:
Simple and elegant, combining the best of my grandfather's shelf of screws and nuts and bolts with tea. But where can I put it?
Simple and elegant, combining the best of my grandfather's shelf of screws and nuts and bolts with tea. But where can I put it?
5/11/2009
Not dead...
That's me, and my garden...
Summer begins this week as far as I'm concerned. Free evenings to fill (okay, free evenings that are already filled), time to work on projects, crafts, house, social evenings... Time to marvel at the fact that I didn't kill all of the plants in my garden. In fact, some of them seem quite happy!
Last Thursday evening, after about 75 straight years of rain, the sun came out, and with it my camera to document what was there. The images below were taken then and this evening.
Last summer the City came and planted trees along my street. Since then, I've wondered what kind I have. Now that the tree is in leaf and in flower, I know! It's a crabapple. The blossoms just now are white and lovely. I think at some point, maybe in the fall, I will move the tree to the center of my lawn, and move the lilac that's there to the back (though I hate to hide it).
Isn't it beautiful! It's even more beautiful than the picture let's on. This past weekend I was in Ann Arbor, MI, where it was prime lilac time. And we're not just talking bushes here, but groves of stunning purple flowers that you could just bury your head in and inhale. Mine will be like that soon (once it's a little taller).
I have a second lilac that was quite happy in a pot over the winter. I hope it will be just as happy in the backyard where I planted it. This one is a white lilac variety from Monticello. If it blooms, I'll post a picture.
Last year, Liz gave me a whole bunch of cuttings from things in her garden. The one I know made it is the azalea above. The one thing I didn't know until today was what color it was. As the photo doesn't quite show, it's a pale purple, with large flowers. I'm hoping it will grow and spread to fill that back corner of the yard. And finally...
Susie send me some renegade bulbs from the Netherlands that were specially treated to bloom this year. And what do you know, two of them did. This picture cannot do justice to the beautiful, dark purple blooms. I hope more of them come up next year!
But wait! There's still more. I have a Monticello Apothecary Rose in and leafing nicely. No idea what the bloom will look like, but stay tuned. And today, hidin under a clump of weeds, a hosta.
If I have time this weekend, I may find a few more things to pop in the ground. High on my list at the moment are these flowering shrubs: hydrangea, peonies, viburnum, lantana, and more roses!
Happy Spring!
Last Thursday evening, after about 75 straight years of rain, the sun came out, and with it my camera to document what was there. The images below were taken then and this evening.
Last summer the City came and planted trees along my street. Since then, I've wondered what kind I have. Now that the tree is in leaf and in flower, I know! It's a crabapple. The blossoms just now are white and lovely. I think at some point, maybe in the fall, I will move the tree to the center of my lawn, and move the lilac that's there to the back (though I hate to hide it).
Isn't it beautiful! It's even more beautiful than the picture let's on. This past weekend I was in Ann Arbor, MI, where it was prime lilac time. And we're not just talking bushes here, but groves of stunning purple flowers that you could just bury your head in and inhale. Mine will be like that soon (once it's a little taller).
I have a second lilac that was quite happy in a pot over the winter. I hope it will be just as happy in the backyard where I planted it. This one is a white lilac variety from Monticello. If it blooms, I'll post a picture.
Last year, Liz gave me a whole bunch of cuttings from things in her garden. The one I know made it is the azalea above. The one thing I didn't know until today was what color it was. As the photo doesn't quite show, it's a pale purple, with large flowers. I'm hoping it will grow and spread to fill that back corner of the yard. And finally...
Susie send me some renegade bulbs from the Netherlands that were specially treated to bloom this year. And what do you know, two of them did. This picture cannot do justice to the beautiful, dark purple blooms. I hope more of them come up next year!
But wait! There's still more. I have a Monticello Apothecary Rose in and leafing nicely. No idea what the bloom will look like, but stay tuned. And today, hidin under a clump of weeds, a hosta.
If I have time this weekend, I may find a few more things to pop in the ground. High on my list at the moment are these flowering shrubs: hydrangea, peonies, viburnum, lantana, and more roses!
Happy Spring!
4/27/2009
Aftermath...
One of the things about going to dance camps and weekends and festivals is that it's impossible to explain to anyone who wasn't there and who's never experienced it before what it was like - the intensity, whirlwind madness of it all, the non-stop reunions, the adrenylene highs that keep you going in spite of sleeplessness, inadequate caffiene and food intake, and aches in places you never knew you had.
This past weekend was Neffa, a fabulous festival in Mansfield, MA. It was all of the above and more.
(Picture by Robin Reid)
Today was a true day-after, similar to coming back to civilization after a week at dance camp. It feels odd that I didn't recognize people on the street and in the elevator like I did in the hallways of the school where Neffa happens. I wanted nothing more than to look at pictures of the festival, relive and rehash all of the moments, share stories, think about next year.
Reality will sink in after a few days, though I fear the next few home dances will fall a little flat in comparison. I will wash all of the dresses, finish unpacking before I repack it all for next weekend's adventure, and who knows, maybe even catch up on a little sleep.
This past weekend was Neffa, a fabulous festival in Mansfield, MA. It was all of the above and more.
(Picture by Robin Reid)Today was a true day-after, similar to coming back to civilization after a week at dance camp. It feels odd that I didn't recognize people on the street and in the elevator like I did in the hallways of the school where Neffa happens. I wanted nothing more than to look at pictures of the festival, relive and rehash all of the moments, share stories, think about next year.
Reality will sink in after a few days, though I fear the next few home dances will fall a little flat in comparison. I will wash all of the dresses, finish unpacking before I repack it all for next weekend's adventure, and who knows, maybe even catch up on a little sleep.
4/20/2009
Craft Room progress report
Warning - this post contains about a million pictures!
This past weekend I finally got some quality time at home, the last such weekend for about a month. I used the time to make progress on my craft room reorganization.
On Satruday morning, after a quick run to Cherry Hill to pick up the last piece of my shelving system from the container store, I got to work making the craft room ready. I moved bookcases, crates, filing cabinets, etc. A bunch of things took up temporary residence in the hallway.
By early afternoon, the future shelving area was clear and ready for what I thought would be the simple job of hanging the single track that all of the shelving hangs from. Silly me...
Because I don't have a lot of experience hanging things that need to be really level unsupervised. I asked a friend to come and help me with that bit. While I waited for his arrival, I put together the drawer frames. One of the beauties of this Elfa system is that it goes together easily. What I like even more though is that the instuctions included with each component are very explicit and easy to follow.
Well, the drawere frames were the easy part of the day... I chose to hang the shelves on an outer wall of my house. No problem, said the nice lady from the Container Store who sold me the screws and anchors for plaster walls (which seemed really strong and sturdy). Problem. The screws are 3". The gap between the plaster and the outside brick is about 2". So, off we went to the hardware store to find shorter screws. Then we couldn't get the fancy anchors all the way in. So we tried different anchors I had in the house. Almost, but now they're not as happy or secure with the screws. We try a few more things. In the end, I made a second trip to Cherry Hill and purchased the screws and anchors meant for dry wall. They're still as strong, but shorter, and therefore, perfect. By about 10:30pm, the top track was up!
I had this notion that I would go to bed as soon as the top track was up, but no, not possible. I started putting up the brackets...
...and the shelves. I liked this spacing, but discovered I didn't leave enough room for the drawer units to fit below. I waited until Sunday to reconfigure.
I spent quality time on the ladder Sunday morning working on shelf spacing. This is what I settled on.
Next, I completed the drawer units and put them in place. As an added bonus, the drawer legs fit neatly over the radiator pipe and don't interfere with the phone jack that's near the floor.
Almost immediately I began filling the drawers. It's so great to have the space to be organized!!!
By the time I stopped working on it tonight, the upper shelves were filled with my fabric (greatly in need of sorting and perhaps storage in bins), and most of the drawers were filled. Imagine, I have a drawer full of nothing else but ribbon! I took advantage of one of the extra shelf brackets to hang ebroidery hoops from (where did I get that many hoops?)
Over the next many days, I hope to keep working on this. Even if I only unpack a few things at a time, that will be enough to keep the momentum going. Stay tuned for more posts as the sorting/rediscovery of stuff I'd forgotten about process continues!
This past weekend I finally got some quality time at home, the last such weekend for about a month. I used the time to make progress on my craft room reorganization.
On Satruday morning, after a quick run to Cherry Hill to pick up the last piece of my shelving system from the container store, I got to work making the craft room ready. I moved bookcases, crates, filing cabinets, etc. A bunch of things took up temporary residence in the hallway.
By early afternoon, the future shelving area was clear and ready for what I thought would be the simple job of hanging the single track that all of the shelving hangs from. Silly me...
Because I don't have a lot of experience hanging things that need to be really level unsupervised. I asked a friend to come and help me with that bit. While I waited for his arrival, I put together the drawer frames. One of the beauties of this Elfa system is that it goes together easily. What I like even more though is that the instuctions included with each component are very explicit and easy to follow.
Well, the drawere frames were the easy part of the day... I chose to hang the shelves on an outer wall of my house. No problem, said the nice lady from the Container Store who sold me the screws and anchors for plaster walls (which seemed really strong and sturdy). Problem. The screws are 3". The gap between the plaster and the outside brick is about 2". So, off we went to the hardware store to find shorter screws. Then we couldn't get the fancy anchors all the way in. So we tried different anchors I had in the house. Almost, but now they're not as happy or secure with the screws. We try a few more things. In the end, I made a second trip to Cherry Hill and purchased the screws and anchors meant for dry wall. They're still as strong, but shorter, and therefore, perfect. By about 10:30pm, the top track was up!
I had this notion that I would go to bed as soon as the top track was up, but no, not possible. I started putting up the brackets...
...and the shelves. I liked this spacing, but discovered I didn't leave enough room for the drawer units to fit below. I waited until Sunday to reconfigure.
I spent quality time on the ladder Sunday morning working on shelf spacing. This is what I settled on.
Next, I completed the drawer units and put them in place. As an added bonus, the drawer legs fit neatly over the radiator pipe and don't interfere with the phone jack that's near the floor.
Almost immediately I began filling the drawers. It's so great to have the space to be organized!!!
By the time I stopped working on it tonight, the upper shelves were filled with my fabric (greatly in need of sorting and perhaps storage in bins), and most of the drawers were filled. Imagine, I have a drawer full of nothing else but ribbon! I took advantage of one of the extra shelf brackets to hang ebroidery hoops from (where did I get that many hoops?)
Over the next many days, I hope to keep working on this. Even if I only unpack a few things at a time, that will be enough to keep the momentum going. Stay tuned for more posts as the sorting/rediscovery of stuff I'd forgotten about process continues!
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