missing [NY]

What to do when your spouse (Joshua) is away on a wonderful trip to New York- without you….

Here is what I did:

• Took a nap. In the middle of the bed. With all three pillows. (we have three pillows, I get one Josh takes the other two, and I often wake up with one less than what I started with…)
• Ate salad. Two of them. In one day!
• Wore my thrifted ‘brownie’ perfume, lots of it. If you were in my presence these past few days that would explain the delicious scent wafting off my body. Joshua doesn’t think his wife should smell like a dessert. Which is shocking considering his intense relationship with desserts…
• Read lots of Interior Design blogs (but I always am doing that)
• Did homework (but again, I am always doing this as well)
• Wore jeans to work! (this had nothing to do with Josh being gone)

So I guess that’s about it.

O yea. I also listened to a lot of Sufjan Stevens. It is not that Joshua is anti Sufjan, he’s not, he is, however, anti ‘Illinoise’, one of his albums. He doesn’t like the horns. i.e.:

p.s. you can pre-order the new Sufjan album in 5 days. sweet.

p.p.s. that youtube had nothing to do with the horns on Illinoise, but it is a catchy cover.

Urban Weeds

Portland OR. A photographer walks the streets taking photos of people who compose interesting, noteworthy, or beautiful combination’s with their clothing. I have it RSSed, and love getting a new outfit to ponder every day. Here are three past favorites. I like the silhouettes, textures, subtleties, and romance that these three photos exude. (and the bike!)

I also have a thing for specs.

So inspiring. I am ready for fall now, thank you. Ready to ride my bike on old tree lined paths.

Could something like this exist in Phoenix?

Old Song [Love]

Worms that are not worms [silk]

When a Bombyx mori and a mulberry tree love each other very much, they hook up and make adorable silk babies. Literally. The silk worm is a caterpillar that makes its silk cocoon when it attaches to a mulberry tree. Not a beech tree- that would make Tussah… (which doesn’t take dye very well, and won’t look as brilliant). There is quite a lovely story surrounding the discovery of this fiber.

Extracted from “The Story of Silk,” Martha Stewart Living, June, 1999

 “According to Confucius, five thousand years ago the Chinese Empress Xi Ling was having tea under a mulberry tree when a silkworm cocoon fell into her cup. As she fished it out, she noticed that it had begun to dissolve into a mesh of fine thread, marking the discovery of the fiber that would make China one of the greatest powers on earth.

Sericulture – the farming of silkworms and the production of silk – is a complex process, and its secrets once were jealously guarded by China’s royal household. So coddled were silkworms that silk farmers were obliged by law to whisper within earshot of the worms and to refrain from any mention of death. China’s emperors were fanatical in their control: Border guards checked departing travelers for silkworms or eggs, and smugglers were executed on the spot. No wonder since a nine ounce length of purple silk in the Middle Eastern city of Constantinople could cost the equivalent of $23,000.00!”

So silk. Parachutes were once made from silk, it has great ‘tensile strength’. I want an old silk parachute!

Interiors. Focus… Silk hates abrasion. Not the best for furniture one would want to use and live with. Silk also hates the sun. I’m thinking in Arizona,- not so much.

One very useful thing I learned from my textile class: silk is not really dry clean ONLY. It has existed long before the advent of a local dry cleaner. You can turn your garment inside out and gently hand wash. Voila.

Here is what silk can add to a room:

p.s.

I am a naughty student. This will publish from my space planning class, where furniture blocks can wait!

Josh [& his mild obsession]

When we were first married someone gifted us a digital camera. There are countless albums on Joshua’s computer of terribly boring pictures that we took of each other doing absolutely nothing, hundreds of them. How sweet we were. The other day Josh picked up the camera to take my picture and I was reminded of that first year together in our tiny apartment. When he turned the screen towards me to show me his snapshot, this is what I saw:

He loves watches. He bought me my watch, & he loves it. One of his mild preoccupations.

I like it too.

Litany [repetitions & responses]

To be said or sung, kneeling, standing, or in procession; before the
Eucharist or after the Collects of Morning or Evening Prayer; or
separately; especially in Lent and on Rogation days.

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Spirit, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us.

Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses
of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins.
Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast
redeemed with thy most precious blood, and by thy mercy
preserve us, for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.

From all evil and wickedness; from sin; from the crafts
and assaults of the devil; and from everlasting damnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.

Taken from the Online Book of Common Prayer.

I want to go to there…

Found another blog today- I love it already!

Due today was a crazy amount of homework for my fabrics class- pictures identifying different upholstery/trim/drapery types. (One of the pictures I used was from the aforementioned blog)

During my scouring of the interweb, there were a few photos that took my breath away.

taken from desiretoinspire.net

taken from desiretoinspire.net

taken from abundanceof.tumblr.com

To Do List:

• Have a house worth taking pictures of & post them on this blog.
• Find an old altar (Catholic preferably) and buy immediately.
• Find an old catalogue card holder, buy immediately.
• Mourn the Dewey Decimal System.
• & more homework.

The End.

Re-purposed…

I bought these pants at LC.

Two buttons were missing, the hem was undone- but they were $5 COH pants. it only took a bit of work to revitalize them.

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They were worn yesterday with a white blouse in an attempt to officially say ‘goodbye’  to summer.

Speaking of re-purposing, I liked the challenges and ideas I found today on these blogs:

&

Enjoy.

Happy day-that-ends-white-blouse-wearing-for-the-rest-of-the-season.

Lonny [mazagine*]

*magazine.

Who doesn’t love lonny?

They are free, online, and wonderful.

The August/September issue featured some interesting articles, well worth the read.

I loved the “Bohemian Allure” article that featured Scout Designs out of New York.

Bohemian and eclectic designs are very alluring to me, my eyes like interest, color, shape, and scale. My home is filled with objects I love but I am looking for more avenues to find interesting pieces.

Flea markets, maybe?

I just don’t know about the one in Phoenix— or Quartszite for that matter. Is Arizona known for its flea markets… will I be lost amongst the creepers? I’m looking into it.

I leave you with this quote from William Morris (arts & crafts founder!):

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

From the Book of Common Prayer.

Proper 17

Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of
all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name;
increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness;
and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

-taken from the Online Book of Common Prayer