überpaper

Zebra Pencils

2009-02-19T22:06:00.002-05:00

I've seen these cute pencils popping up everywhere this week. They are mechanical pencils that look like the traditional wood pencils.

iFunCamera

2009-02-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Testing out posting from my phone. How much fun could I have with this app?

Vital Valentines

2009-02-14T20:37:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged in almost a year and I don't know if I have any followers left, but I wanted to share the Valentines I made for my coworkers at Vital Design. Our colors are orange and grey and it was fun to work with something other than pink and red. I have a new iphone and I'm sure there is a blogger app that might make it easier for me to post more often....

chocolate rabbits

2008-03-18T16:03:00.003-04:00

This tee shirt cracks me up.

2008-03-14T23:19:00.002-04:00

I'm excited to share that our website went up today. I designed the layout and elements and the nice guys at Hatchling built it.

Mel-o-Yum!

2008-03-05T13:03:00.003-05:00

[image from mel-o.com]
I discovered Mel-O-Creme the other day in the organic section of the grocery store. It is a fruit and honey spread that comes in peach or raspberry and it is also available as a regular honey spread. I bought the peach flavor and it's delicious! Their website also suggests trying it with cream cheese.

Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra

2008-03-03T23:17:00.005-05:00

I'm putting in a plug for the March 30 concert for my orchestra since A) I designed the poster B) I'm in charge of publicity and C) it seems to be really easy to get hits through this blog for people searching for the PSO. We've had several months to prepare and it should be a great concert featuring Dvorak's New World Symphony!

Puerto Rico

2008-03-02T23:19:00.002-05:00

We returned on Friday from a trip to sunny and colorful San Juan. You can view some of my best photos here.

Puzzling

2008-02-18T20:58:00.005-05:00

[image from White Mountain Puzzles]
We spent Saturday night working on this fun and very detailed puzzle. They have many more states available here. There are several places included on the puzzle that I had never heard of, including the Polar Caves. It turns out that there are only caves and no polar bears, but it would be a fun day trip for the summer or fall. Take a virtual tour here. Oh, by the way, these are good puzzles with funky-shaped pieces—I can't stand it when they only have the basic shapes!

Out sick

2008-02-16T22:20:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't been posting, but I have the flu! I should be back soon....

Retro Fruit

2008-02-13T17:46:00.004-05:00

I found this cute fruit piece at a thrift store and painted the brown frame with Benjamin Moore's Pear Green. I got the idea to use these small paint sample pots for crafts from my dad who uses them to paint his model boats.

Hot Chocolate+Heart Marshmallows=Fun

2008-02-12T22:47:00.002-05:00

More from August...

2008-02-11T13:24:00.000-05:00

My friends adopted a baby girl this past summer, and I helped with the decorations for her welcome party. The theme of pink & brown & butterflies was incorporated into everything. One thing I made was this banner that we hung off the deck for the party, and then in her nursery. I had the idea in my head and I based it on this pattern I found from the DIY Network site. I was very happy with the results! Below are the favors with her very own logo.

Maine Caucus

2008-02-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

So, Maine is one of the few states that hold a caucus instead of a primary. Today was my first chance to experience this, and let me tell you, I will take a voting booth any day. In addition to being totally non-private, it was unorganized, took forever, and involved standing in line, sitting in a crowded (hot!) gymnasium, and manual counting. It all seems really biased against those who have to work, take care of children, or people like me who just want to vote and be done with it. I'm all for political discussion, but that's what the months before the primaries are for. There were only 2 people who were willing to stand up and say they were undecided, so it seemed more about bashing the other side than convincing your friends and neighbors to join a certain camp. I think the numbers speak for themselves: my town has a population of 10,000 people and around 550 people came to today's Democratic caucus and 32 (!) came to the Republican one held last weekend.

Tiny Art

2008-02-08T22:57:00.000-05:00

I had so much fun this evening at the Enormous Tiny Art Show III at Nahcotta. You can view all the pieces here. There was such a great variety and I'm hoping to go back and purchase something for my Small Wall of Art (partially pictured) I've been creating in the office.

Boots4Babes

2008-02-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

It's been too snowy and cloudy for photos here, so how about something from August? My mom knit these cute booties for a church sale, I made the tags, and the packaging is from Martha!

New Banner

2008-02-08T01:24:00.000-05:00

*For those of you using an RSS reader, I changed my banner. I wouldn't want you to miss out!*

Jewelry Trees

2008-02-07T18:20:00.001-05:00

I'm fascinated by the concept of jewelry trees like these. I like the look of the organic ones (like the upper left) the best.

Shown Above
upper left: Little Birch Jewelry Stand
upper right: Bronze Empress Earring Tree
lower left: Pagoda Leaves Earring Tree
lower right: Manzanita Jewelry Tree

Shown Above
upper left: Petite Magnolia Jewelry Tree
upper right: Cherry Blossom Jewelry Tree
lower left: Metal Twig Jewelry Tree
lower right: Jewelry Tree

Anthropologie

2008-02-06T16:06:00.000-05:00

{images from anthropologie.com}
One of the places I love to go when I'm in other cities (most recently Boston) is Anthropologie. Right now, I am having coffee out of my new mug. I've seen these on several blogs, including here on design*sponge. I was especially happy that I liked the design on the "R" because sometimes you're stuck wishing your name started with a "P".

As much as I wanted the whole store, I only bought the mug and this egg caddy to A) look cute and B) separate my hard-boiled eggs from the raw ones. I've been on a hard-boiled egg kick lately.

FYI: They have a new membership program where you get free shipping when you buy online. I think you might have to sign up in the store.

Follow Your Heart

2008-02-05T18:13:00.000-05:00

This was my favorite Super Bowl Ad, but all the other females in the room were totally grossed out. Thoughts?

Remember This?

2008-02-01T21:02:00.000-05:00

I'm a winner! Take a look.

free songs!

2008-02-01T13:28:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of new posts, but I'm in Boston and will have some fun things to share when I get home!

In the meantime, did you know that iTunes always has a Free Single of the Week? On the store homepage, just scroll down to FREE ON iTunes in the middle of the page. I usually forget to check it myself, but a several months ago they had Love Song by Sara Bereilles and it became one of my favorite songs before I even realized I had downloaded it for free!

Fabric Art

2008-01-29T17:21:00.000-05:00

[image from marthastewart.com}

This looks like such a fun and easy project. Now I just need to find my staple gun.

The artist is Anna Maria Horner and she just happens to have beautiful fabric and more fabric art on her site.

Good Eatin'

2008-01-28T21:59:00.000-05:00

I'm sharing a couple tasty things I've made recently. These are not exactly good-looking photos, but they are the best I've got. Above is a salad with mixed greens, gorgonzola, raspberries, pears, pecans, and raspberry vinaigrette (huh, didn't know that spelling). Below is Orange Chicken with Potatoes from the January issue of Real Simple. I've been trying to use my slow cooker more often because it's easy, smells good all day, and yields lots of leftovers. I know I'll be ready for less-cooked food by spring, but we've got a few months of cold to go. Do you have any good recipes?

If you have an egg, apple or avocado slicer...

2008-01-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

I spotted this banana slicer at the grocery store this evening.

This one actually looks better and more like a banana:

While I can appreciate the clever design concept, it would take more effort to clean this than it takes to use a knife and wash that. It would be great for kids who want to make themselves breakfast at 6 am!

new & improved

2008-01-25T18:22:00.000-05:00

I started tweaking Nate's logo last night and I got sucked in until 4 am. I had never really refined the original one and it was bothering me for several reasons. The new version has smoother lines, but most importantly, it works at a much smaller size. I often find myself using just the type, but I think the whole thing will be more versatile now.

fd's Flickr Toys

2008-01-24T23:46:00.000-05:00

Thanks to suffix.abuse, I went over to fd's Flickr Toys and made some cool stuff:

Soup for Me

2008-01-23T16:55:00.000-05:00

[image from uncommongoods.com]

Before Christmas, I was eyeing this clever Soup and Sandwich Tray from Uncommon Goods. Yesterday, I was in the thrift store and they had just put out a a similar set of 2 yellow ones, but these were $3, not $30! And they are fun and yellow! I wasn't feeling well tonight, so I tested them out with chicken noodle soup and saltines and it almost made being sick sort of fun. The bowl has a little handle, so I am envisioning their future to include tea+scones or milk+cookies.

Things My Mom Made Me For Christmas, Part 2

2008-01-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

These socks are keeping me toasty and I can't believe how perfectly they fit me!

Sometimes I can't resist grocery store flowers

2008-01-21T15:26:00.000-05:00

It really makes it pop.

2008-01-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

This is our super fun PSA Essentials embosser. It's not so fun after stamping 135 letters, but the effect is beautiful. PSA only sells through retailers, but many stationery stores I've been in carry them (and similar ink stamps). I also found some at Expressionary and you can even send in your own design at Wilshire Graphic Press. Now I wish I'd done that! You can get a simple return address type at The Printers Ink.

Sunny Winter Saturday

2008-01-19T13:41:00.001-05:00

Things My Mom Made Me For Christmas, Part I

2008-01-18T17:29:00.000-05:00

She knit me this fingerless mittens that match my coat. They may seem weird, but they are really great (when it's above 20˚) because you can still drive, dig around in your purse, shop, and talk on the phone without taking them off. Love them!

How about some paper to go with that pen?

2008-01-17T18:10:00.000-05:00

[image from staples.com]

[image from russellandhazel.com]

href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_6iGST8Pfzrw/R4_nNv9Kf6I/AAAAAAAAAPc/ZydUZtVYql4/s1600-h/levenger.JPG"> [image from levenger.com]

A fresh notebook is such a great feeling. I'm always on the lookout for something unique and these are three of my favorites. At the top, Ampad Gold Fibre® Retro Memo Book from Staples. Also available in a larger size. I love the ivory paper. {Edit: Panic! I just happened to be at Staples after posting this and they have redesigned the label on the front of these notebooks. It's really quite a shame. The fun typewriter font has been replaced by three random ones and in place of the crown logo there is something nasty with a star. If you want one of the old ones, I suggest you run right out and dig to the bottom of the pile like I did. : ) }

In the middle, Composition Book from Russell+Hazel that comes in 5 fun colors.

And lastly, the Notabilia Notebook Set from Levenger that is available in a ruled or grid style. I use the grid style for sketching out comps. If you are really swanky and have the means or the desire to spend $100 on a notebook, the version with the leather cover may be for you!

If you have a cool favorite, please share!

Oh! I keep forgetting to mention that you'll want to get in on the new year of joint photo blog 3191. Last year, these 2 women did a Year of Mornings (and now it's going to be a book) and this year they are doing A Year of Evenings. Their work is beautiful and soo well-coordinated, even though I'm pretty sure it's not planned at all.

Happiness!

2008-01-15T21:54:00.000-05:00

Oh, I am so excited! This pen and I have a long history. I started using them in high school and we drifted along together in smooth writing bliss for several years. Then, without consulting me, Pilot decided to change the VBall into some fat, awkward unrecognizable incarnation of it's former beauty. Basically, it was horrible. BUT THEN. I move out East where it takes a few years to catch up (if ever) and I would randomly find them on clearance! I am down to one green, one purple, and one red, so today I ran a search online and there they were! Just sitting there. In a Staples warehouse. Waiting for my order. Why did I just think of this? The best part is that they have a new BeGreen pen that looks really similar that is 80% recycled. Thank you Pilot!

Wave Hello

2008-01-14T22:34:00.000-05:00

My sister introduced me to The 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic blog. I especially enjoyed the Favorite Items of 2007 Post where I learned about the Neutrogena Wave. I love this product! It's very affordable and it only took a day to see positive results! My skin is smoother, softer and clearer.

Happy Birthday, Nate!

2008-01-09T19:22:00.000-05:00

I bought this gift bag about 6 or 7 years ago at Papyrus. Because I thought it was so fabulous (and expensive) I decided that Nate and I must give each other birthday gifts in it every year. We've kept up so far, but I did have to add some new tissue paper this year.

Nate received a card from his uncle and inside was his actual birth announcement! I thought that was the coolest thing ever! People are more into scrapbooks now, but it kind of makes me want to hoard birth announcements and mail them back out in 30 years.

Primary Day

2008-01-08T18:29:00.000-05:00

I'm looking forward to watching the results of the NH primary roll in tonight. We are about 2 miles away from being able to participate like 4 years ago, but I'll see what the Maine Caucus is all about in February.

Check out this slideshow where a dad managed to get his 5 month old daughter photographed with almost every candidate. It demonstrates just how accessible they have been around here for the past several months and his commentary is pretty funny. We only went to one event since they are usually very crowded and you have to stand around waiting for the candidate to show up. My photo is not uploading, but it's not that great. The highlight was when Nate gave Hillary a toothbrush and they chatted about healthcare.

2008-01-06T21:52:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for anything with lots of compartments, but I was actually looking for something to put my makeup in when I found this organizer at Target. It makes sense that it would exist, but I'd never seen them before. It takes up a little space, but I figure it's probably better to store makeup in the dark, dry linen closet anyway.

Month-old News

2008-01-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

So, I think I was the last one to hear that Blueprint Magazine is folding, but I'm going to cry about it anyway. I just picked up the final issue and will be looking forward to the special publications from them that Martha has promised. I still cannot believe that there wasn't a big enough market for it. We love the internet, but we love magazines too!

New Year, New Calendars!

2008-01-05T00:40:00.001-05:00

My husband always uses a 2-year planner and it drives me crazy. I can barely hold out til October to get my hands on a new one. This year, my choice was this lime green one from Kinkos.

My favorite desk calendar is this letterpress & hand-painted beauty from ilee papergoods. You have to shop early snag one, but check out her shop for note cards.

The Gwen Frostic Mini Calendar has to be the best deal on the planet at just $3.00. These simple nature prints are available in cards, but I love the stickers the most.

Happy New Year

2008-01-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

I took this photo on New Year's Day during the snow storm. I love how the snow clung to everything from trees to cattails for a few hours.

Deck

2007-08-12T15:55:00.000-04:00

I'm finally back! After a two-week period of being without my laptop (it was being repaired), I got out of the habit of blogging. The most excicitng thing that happened over the last month was that I had our deck redone. He power-washed all the brown paint off, took out the shower, painted the railings white and stained the floor a nice redwood color. I got an End of Summer deal on my new red umbrellas (ellas).

Tin Can Sally

2007-07-15T22:09:00.001-04:00

Check out my new kitchen switch plate from local artist Tin Can Sally. She takes vintage tins and creates these switch plates and outlet covers. What a great idea!

Here Moosie, Moosie!

2007-07-13T00:17:00.000-04:00

I have yet to see a moose, but I keep hoping. My friend e-mailed me this story and it only happened an hour away from here! I'm not sure where the story and photos originated, but I'm so glad they shared the experience. Read on:

I have never seen a newborn moose. This one was not even a half a mile from our house. The mother picked a small quiet neighborhood and had her baby in the front yard at 5:30 am. We were out bike riding when we came upon the pair. The lady across the street from this house told us she saw it being born. We saw them at 5:30 pm. So the little one was 12 hours old. What an awesome place we live in to see such a site!

Mail Bag

2007-07-11T23:30:00.001-04:00

The antique store I mentioned yesterday had a whole drawer full of old postcards that were so fun to paw through. I ended up with a dance card where Arthur is clearly the favorite, a postcard from 1921 encouraging Ethel to "keep those needles as long as she needs to", and a multiple-choice postcard with a sense of humor reminiscent of today's Knock Knock products.

Who's cool now?

2007-07-10T16:57:00.000-04:00

I've wanted one of these old fans forever, and I've unsuccessfully bid on a couple on eBay. We stopped a great antique shop this weekend, and this one was there waiting for me in all its turquoise cuteness!

Tall Ships

2007-07-09T22:48:00.000-04:00

There were four Tall Ships in town this past weekend. I have not stood in line to tour one yet, but I did go down to watch them leave the harbor. They met up with four more ships at the mouth of the river for the Tall Ships Challenge up to Halifax, Nova Scotia. These photos were submitted to the local newspaper. I took some, but they were much further away and foggy! If you're interested, there are more photos here.

Listen Up!

2007-07-08T00:06:00.000-04:00

Tonight one of my favorite bands, Over the Rhine, had a live webcast of their new cd, The Trumpet Child. I say cd, but it will also be availble in VINYL. I want an old record player just for that! So cool if you know their sound. It won't be released until August 21, so it was great to get a sneak preview of another great album. Afterwards, there was a live chat with band members/songwriters Karin and Linford. There were so many people firing off questions that it was hard to get noticed. We did manage to get a couple questions answered and right at the end I asked Linford if it was OK that I had named my cat after him. He said "Naming cats after me is fine." I wasn't sure if I should take that like there were multiple cats named Linford and he'd been asked this before and it was getting old OR if it was a "sure, not a problem." Alas, the problem of internet communication. Oh well, I feel better having asked permission. Check out their nifty website.

South Addison

2007-07-07T21:58:00.000-04:00

We spent the 4th of July and the weekend up in South Addison, Maine with friends, friends of friends, and three dogs. You can see that it is quite far up the coast and I overheard someone saying on the phone, "Imagine a place as remote as you can, and we are about 4 hours more remote than that." There were 18 people in total and we had a great time, despite the rain and fog. There were beach fires, lobster, and hilarious games of catch phrase. The house and barn are really old and it was fun just taking pictures of all the items still hanging around like they might get used at any moment. Thanks to Leanne for some of the photos!

Color Week : Friday : Blue & Purple

2007-07-06T21:38:00.000-04:00

Our foggy weekend in Maine:
Sunset in Mexico. I put off taking this shot until the last night we were there. Of course, people propped themselves up against those pillars and didn't leave until the sun went down. I like the way this guy looks, but others were not ideal models.
Mexico again.

Color Week : Thursday : Orange

2007-07-05T21:29:00.000-04:00

I took this last October and there seemed to be butterflies everywhere.
When people have hair this color, it's called red, but with cats it's orange.
Another shot from Mexico. I love all the colors, but I had to do some stratigic cropping to get the Hooters logo out of the background.

Color Week : Wednesday : Yellow

2007-07-04T21:22:00.000-04:00

I was away for a few days and I thought I'd have time to post the rest of my color week pictures before I left, but I forgot how long it takes to get out the door for a trip!

This was outside our hotel in Mexico in February:

And this was from my hibiscus plant last year:

Color Week : Tuesday : Green

2007-07-03T16:56:00.001-04:00

I love green and always have! Lime green and sage green are my favorites.

Color Week : Monday : Red & Pink

2007-07-02T18:04:00.000-04:00

Kayte at love forever has invited other bloggers to join her for "Color Week." Each day has an assigned color the idea is to post photos with the theme of the day. Today is red & pink.

Nubble Light

2007-07-01T16:18:00.001-04:00

Nubble Light is always on the list of places to take our out-of-town guests. It has a rich history, but my favorite story is that one of the keepers used to reel his children across to the mainland IN THE SUPPLY BUCKET every morning for school. A photo of the boy was published in the paper and the district commander soon put a stop to that. You can see the photo if you click here and scroll down a bit.

Drumroll Please

2007-06-30T12:10:00.000-04:00

And the winner is....

We have friends in town, so my posts are limited, but I'll be back soon!

Nice-etc—Congratulations! Send me your address at rachelkswansonATyahooDOTcom

My version of time-lapse photography

2007-06-27T21:25:00.000-04:00

Don't forget to enter The Contest in yesterday's post. Looks like your chances are pretty good right now. Trust me, the prizes will be fabulous.

Contest!

2007-06-26T21:26:00.000-04:00

I've noticed that many bloggers have contests and I want to join in the fun! All you have to do is leave a comment with a link (or just the url) to a blog, website, video, quiz, or other item you find personally interesting on the web. I will draw 1 winner randomly on Saturday and post it by noon EST. That person will receive a package of über goodies hand-picked for them. If I don't know the winner personally, I will leave an e-mail where you can send me your address, and I might ask you a few questions to help me out—if you're game.

I'll go first. I really like personality tests because it helps me relate better with others and understand myself more. Here's one I've taken recently:
personal DNA. I am a "faithful visionary" and I found the description to be pretty accurate.

IKEA

2007-06-25T22:14:00.001-04:00

These are my new cabinets from IKEA, Herman (left) and Alex. They are perfect for storing paper and art supplies and I'm feeling quite organized after staying up til 3 on Saturday. Well, organized in that room at least. Alex seems to be quite popular lately and I've seen him make appearances on decor8 and Treefall Design.

Cookie Sandwich

2007-06-24T23:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I saw gingersnap & lemon icing sandwiches at the bakery. I'd never seen that combination before and it sounded great, so I made my own cheater version! I used store-bought cookies and added lemon extract and yellow food coloring to plain frosting, and they were as good as I'd imagined.

Lemon & Lime Savers

2007-06-23T15:02:00.001-04:00

I am always finding little bags of half used lemons and limes in my refrigerator. This morning I thought I had come up with a great new product, but it already exists at Gourmac. I would have made them a little more fun, but I didn't think of it first. I was also wondering about a tomato keeper. Yep, those are at Kitchen Krafts along with the onion keeper. A quick search did not turn up any cucumber keepers!

Let's Play Before & After

2007-06-21T23:47:00.000-04:00

This makeover of the office in Nate's office took place a few months ago, but that was before my blog! I thought it was appropriate for several reasons.

1. I was working there today and I really enjoyed the sun coming in the open window and the equally sunny "hibiscus" color on the walls.
2. We sort of stopped half-way in painting the other rooms after it ate up several weekends, but today we had a professional start and I'm sure he will be done in no time. Then we can get new carpet, a new reception desk, move the bathroom.......ugh.
3. All of the furniture and storage containers are from my 1st and only IKEA trip, but I just made a date to go again tomorrow night with my friend, Cathryn, after a mango fried rice dinner.

You can click to enlarge the photos if you want to make sure it was "really that gross". Yes, that IS a shower and a washer—but it's nothing a giant curtain won't hide!

Off the Clock

2007-06-20T16:51:00.000-04:00

I'm not a fan of Starbucks in general, but I am into their Off The Clock cd. It's a compilation that features new artist that are/were (?) employees. My favorite is "The Fever" by The Young Immortals and you can listen here. It's summer pop-a-licious!

50 Nifty Things

2007-06-19T14:46:00.000-04:00

One of my aunts turned fifty this week and another aunt had the clever idea that we should all send her 50 little items, because she likes intricate and detailed things. Since she is a graphic designer, I sent this little set of printers blocks. The alphabet, numbers, punctuation, and a couple pieces of leading makes 50! I'm curious to find out what else she received.

Cutest Fridge Ev-er.

2007-06-18T15:01:00.001-04:00

Some people drool over stainless steel appliances, but I'm dreaming of this. AND it has the freezer on the bottom, which seems to me is the only sane way to do things. Check out all the pretty colors (and the stoves!) here at Elmira Stove Works and another version at Big Chill. Drool away!

Piscataqua River Brass

2007-06-17T16:13:00.001-04:00

These are logos I did for a new group in town. They have not chosen one yet, but I think I like the baroque feel of the top one. My prediction is that they'll pick #2.

Dutch Baby

2007-06-16T16:06:00.000-04:00

Before you get too excited, Mom—I'm just describing our breakfast. For those of you who have never had a Dutch Baby, it's a puffy pancake (that quickly deflates) that is super tasty with lemon and powdered sugar. If you'd like the recipe, leave a comment and I'll post it.

Here's the recipe, as requested!

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature, beaten slightly
Pinch ground nutmeg (optional)

For top: fresh fruit, lemon and powdered sugar, whipped cream, sautéed fruit, etc.

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Melt butter in 10-in ovenproof skillet over medium heat, tilting pan to coat sides well. (If you don't have an over-proof skillet, you can melt butter in a pie pan in the oven. Don't let it cool, and add the rest of the ingredients. You may have to bake a couple extra minutes). Whisk milk, flour, sugar, eggs, and nutmeg. Pour into skillet. Cook one minute. Place skillet in oven and bake until pancake is puffed and golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Since it flattens out and becomes quite thin, this amount is really only enough for 2 people!

My Birthday Presents

2007-06-14T23:46:00.000-04:00

Here are most of the wonderful birthday presents I received—thank you to all my friends and family who sent them! They include a Charley Harper card and mug (sadly, he passed away on Sunday), summer plates with an ocean theme with matching sea star and seahorse dip bowls, cards to frame for the bedroom, bird accessories (also for the bedroom!) and earrings, a ring (not pictured) and a necklace! I have also purchased this Matte Stephens print with some money from Mom & Dad.

Envirosax

2007-06-13T22:16:00.000-04:00

I was actually excited to go grocery shopping with my new Environsax from Delight.com. I've been good lately about bringing reusable bags, but these are great because I can keep them in my purse and use them at any store—as long as I can stop them before my items are double plastic-bagged!

Happy Birthday, Stacey!

2007-06-12T15:11:00.000-04:00

Now that she's opened it, I can show what it is—Found Style by David and Amy Butler and a vintage letter organizer. I had the bookstore order it and they could only find a used copy. I said, "Well, I guess since it's a book about used things, I can't say no!"

Birthday in Boston

2007-06-11T17:20:00.001-04:00

For my birthday on Sunday we went down to Boston for the day. Our first stop was the South End Open Market. I always loved the Talbot Street Art Fair in Indianapolis AND it fell right around my birthday (and my sister's!). In fact, the day I was born, my mom had been there earlier in the day and she likes to tell me how hot it was. I get the idea that it was HOT.

Anyway, this was a small show, but there were many wonderful booths. I think I'm going to save my purchases and lovely birthday gifts for another post. I immediately recognized the paintings at one booth because I've seen them around town. They were from local artist Lainey Hunter who also lives in Kittery!

We headed up to Harvard Square and browsed the shops and enjoyed an amazing brunch buffet at Henrietta's Table.

Finally, we stopped at my all-time favorite store, paper*source. By that time, my feet were sore and it was time to catch the bus!

Market Square Day

2007-06-09T23:52:00.001-04:00

On Saturday we went to Market Square Day in Portsmouth. It's an annual street festival downtown. The weather was cloudy and I wasn't too impressed by the selection of vendors (not much art!) but the festival food, music and people watching were excellent.

I really enjoyed this group, whom I've been calling The Flintstone Drummers, but as it turns out, that isn't their name! They are actually called Foté and you can check them out here.

On to the food! Our first course was a sweet Italian sausage with peppers and onions and we washed that down with a Lime Rickey (basically Sprite with raspberry flavoring). We followed that artery-clogging sugar-fest with fried dough and Moxie. Yum! I was always a big fan of elephant ears in Indiana and I'm disappointed that everyone calls them "fried dough" here. How boring! According to Wikipedia, other names include whale tails and frying saucers. And Moxie is just gross. It seems like a cool vintage thing to drink and it's apparently the State Soda of Maine, but to me it tastes like bad root beer.

And lastly, Poncho Pink Socks wins the award for Best People Watching. He wasn't doing anything crazy, but I was reminded of The Dancing Festival Guy over on ljc's Rocha-chatter blog.

New Logo

2007-06-08T15:30:00.000-04:00

We are organizing a concerto competition for next year with my orchestra, so that called for special logo!

Fun with Multi-frames

2007-06-07T16:14:00.000-04:00

I love the multi-frame function on my camera. It shoots 9 frames in succession and is sort of like stills from a video. I think this group demonstrates the degree to which Linford loves grass!

PopArt

2007-06-06T23:23:00.000-04:00

These soda cap magnets (in a cute tin!) are my first attempt at a retail product and I hope to follow with more. I'm going to start out by selling them at a local coffee shop and I'll see if the owner of the paper store is interested since she has gift items like this. My next product I'm planning is a pack of note cards, but the designs are only in my head!

London 2012

2007-06-04T21:21:00.000-04:00

London unveiled their 2012 Olympic logo today and it has left the design community stunned and probably a good percentage of non-designers as well. If you can focus on the blindingly pink jagged segments long enough, you will see that they represent the numbers 2012. It is probably an unfortunate result of "design by committee" and it will only look that much worse in 5 years. I think it is even more surprising since their bid logo (below) was very classy and streamlined.

Good Grilling

2007-06-02T22:59:00.000-04:00

Tonight we had dinner with friends and made these Turkey Burgers with Grated Zucchini and Carrot from a Real Simple recipe, and they were delicious! You can find the recipe here and I added provolone on top. If you do grill them, like we did (cause they're burgers!), be sure to put down some foil or you will lose your dinner to the coals. After a near fatal start, I came to understand why the recipe says to cook them in a skillet.

We are still enjoying the fiddleheads, so we grilled those in my new grill basket that looks very similar to this one. It was actually my friend's grill basket because we were at their house, but I have the same one. Cathryn and I came across them for $5 at Target last night after talking about them for 2 years. I think what we got may technically be a grill wok, but that's even better! The packaging showed it with shrimp and all kinds of vegetables, so I'm looking forward to trying that.

Happy Birthday, Dad! (Do you even read this?)

Some things never change

2007-05-31T15:56:00.000-04:00

I haven't caught the "I feel old" bug yet, but it occurred to me last week that I've been using this same purple-flowered cloth to clean my violin for almost 24 years. I can't think of any other material possession that's been in my life so long that I still use! I have a pretty clear memory (that I confirmed with my mom) from one of my first violin lessons where my teacher pulled out a stack of all these neat old handkerchiefs and I got to choose one. I remember that it was a very hard decision and I didn't spend as long looking at them as I would have liked, but I'm still very happy with my choice! Perhaps it's time for a hand-wash?

Bedroom

2007-05-30T22:15:00.000-04:00

I'm finally getting around to doing something with our bedroom. I was originally going to do something with birds, but now it's more nature-in-general inspired with a neutral palette. The walls will probably be a light yellow/gold color. Here are some details of what I've done so far. The armoire is just a cheap one that I painted and added new silver hardware.

Welcome to my new office

2007-05-29T12:22:00.001-04:00

Actually, all those commercials with people working on a sunny rooftop or in a park are a joke. It is just too bright to see the screen unless you want to look like a freak with this on your computer:

I will have to save the deck time for the less bright evening hours. Notice all the ugly brown peeling paint? What kind of genius paints a deck? We say every year that it will be our summer project, but we are serious this time. Scraping doesn't really help, so we have resorted to a toxic chemical peel and we'll stain it after that.

Amaryllis

2007-05-28T21:35:00.001-04:00

I bought this amaryllis bulb for a dollar in October and then it got lost in a corner with some junk. I came across it again in April and the box said to plant between October and April, so I gave it a go. I did not expect it to grow, but it went crazy and some days I know I could see it sprouting up as I watched.

Lilacs

2007-05-25T17:57:00.000-04:00

I wish you all had smellivision so I could share the delicious lilac scent wafting through my house. I am so lucky to have a whole row of them! These two look like a butterfly, don't you think?

It's a sign!

2007-05-24T20:48:00.000-04:00

Nate's new sign went up today! I'm disappointed that the bracket on the left is trying to escape off the top. It was even with the other one on MY file. It isn't too obvious from the street, but I think I will still have them redo it. I hope they can just paint over that one section. Eventually we'd like a carved sign, but those are really expensive!

This is the full logo, which appears on the door.

Fun with Concrete

2007-05-23T11:56:00.000-04:00

When I was out in Washington, my aunt and I made these decorative garden blocks from a kit she had. Since the concrete takes a while to dry, I couldn't take mine home and she mailed it out to me. Thanks Ginny!

This jade plant has quite a history. It came from a cutting that my second (double!) cousin gave as favors at her wedding. The cutting was from a plant that my grandparents gave her parents as a wedding gift! I think I have that right....

More Weekend Photos

2007-05-21T23:34:00.000-04:00

It turned out to be a very rainy weekend overall, so I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to. We went out on this boat, the Mount Washington, on Friday night for an indoor ride. The Weirs Beach sign is just one of many fascinating sites here in New England that seems to be stuck in time. Alone they may not look like much, but even a short road trip off the main highway has so many interesting homes, vacation rentals, and stores that haven't changed in decades. It makes me oddly nostalgic for something I never experienced in the first place!

Lake W.

2007-05-17T22:38:00.000-04:00

We are in Meredith, NH up on Lake Winnipesaukee for a couple days. Nate has a conference here every year and I tagged along this time. I am currently snuggled up in the most comfortable bed ever. It has six pillows and there are two extra in the drawer for some sort of comfort emergency that I can't fathom. Today was a little chilly and grey, but here are a couple nice shots.

Parcel

2007-05-16T22:26:00.000-04:00

I've never heard of Parcel handbags or their parent company, Loop, but I found this cool bag at TJMaxx and my research tells me it was quite a steal!

Tutti Frutti

2007-05-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

I made up this cocktail the other night with ingredients we had around. That did not include ice, so I used frozen fruit. It was delicious!

The Namesake

2007-05-14T13:21:00.000-04:00

This weekend we saw The Namesake. It was one of those rare times where I enjoyed the movie as much as the book and I recommend both! I especially loved the parts that were filmed in India. As well as she describes it in the book, it makes a huge difference to actually see it. I had no idea the Taj Mahal was SO white. I always thought of it as an off-white like the cover of the book, but that's probably because I've just seen many pictures of it at sunset where the building is reflecting all the colors.

Edit: This article turned up on Yahoo today about how air pollution is turning the Taj Mahal yellow.

Root Beer Floats

2007-05-13T21:10:00.000-04:00

Today was a great afternoon for root beer floats. I like any excuse to use my spoon straws! How cool are these? The handle is actually a straw! Form+Function all the way. Nate's mom brought them back from Denmark, but I also found them available here.

Yard Sales :: Week 2

2007-05-12T17:23:00.000-04:00

We had so much fun last week, that we went to more garage sales this morning! This time we did it right and got up early. Many of the ads warn against Early Birds, and one home-owner even said she had people show up at 6:30 am, but she made them wait until they opened at 8. I hope I'm never that crazy. We definitely cannot do this every week because I will end up with too much stuff. Today's finds include a pie cooling cabinet that is perfect for the entry way, a white chair, a beautiful old copy of A Girl of the Limberlost from 1909, 2 wooden boxes for craft supplies (the big one is handmade), spice jars with cork lids, enamel bowl, metal bucket, a little watering can, and 2 more bottles. Whew!

Peachy

2007-05-10T22:36:00.000-04:00

I've been experimenting with collage lately. It takes some trial and error, but I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out and the techniques I'm learning. I'll share more tomorrow.

It's fiddlehead season!

2007-05-09T12:20:00.000-04:00

I've been keeping my eye out for these tasty veggies and last night I was successful! I sautéed them in olive oil and garlic and then added salt & pepper, lemon juice and a little butter. The man at the local shop says he'll have them for a solid three weeks. I wonder how many times I can eat them in three weeks? Just to prove they are appropriately named, I've done a side-by-side comparison.

[I'm still annoyed about the colors of my photos. Now I realized that there are even huge differences between Safari and Firefox. Safari is much better.]

Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra

2007-05-08T10:58:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest poster I did for the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra. This should be a fun concert for us at the Rochester Opera House with pieces from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Exodus, Star Wars, Wizard of Oz and more that I can't remember! It's also for a great cause—part of the proceeds will benefit A Safe Place, the local domestic violence support center.

House Projects

2007-05-07T22:43:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we spent a lot of time working outsite. One of the projects was to replace the ugly plastic lights with these new solar ones. I love copper and we have a copper number "8" and hurricane lamp next to the door (I guess they didn't make it in the picture). Another fun project was to organize all the summer deck gear in the mudroom.

My Finds

2007-05-06T23:49:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we went to a few garage sales and these are the items that came home with me. I guess they call them yard sales here and you must pronounce that "yahd" sale. Some people even write that on the signs. Anyway, I wasn't having any luck until the last stop! My favorite is the ring holder. The original state and post-polish state are below.

I love sun

2007-05-05T22:40:00.000-04:00

Here are a couple shots I snapped in the park yesterday while I was enjoying the weather! The colors are not nearly as vibrant here as in the original files. Why is this? I'm not changing the quality, but maybe Blogger does. Anyone know? You can see the difference when you look at them in flickr. <-----

Mailbox

2007-05-04T19:09:00.000-04:00

The mailman was very good to me today. I got my new shoes that have been back-ordered for a month AND a collection of catalogues from the Emigre Foundry!

It's Official!

2007-05-02T14:14:00.000-04:00

I love Blueprint Magazine. I love a lot of magazines, but this is my new favorite. They've only had 4 issues so far. I was getting pretty anxious during the long haul between the first couple issues, but now they seem to be on a regular 2-month schedule. It's published by Martha Stewart, but definitely geared towards a younger readership. It's very well designed and I am in love with the font. Beyond that, it's smart-sounding and you can tell it's well-researched. They actually feature things you haven't seen in 10 other places. They also have a blog that's worth a read!