Friday, June 17, 2011

Media-Shmedia




So, I ask myself: "what happened to this blog?" I think the answer is time... and facebook, mostly facebook. It's just easier, when things get busy, to write a quick line. But I assure you (are you out there?), I'm still here, sort of...

If you happen upon this little shot in the dark, meander on over to my other project, Heirloom, which is the professional counterpart to this personal blog. It's part shop, part design/copywriting/marketing services, all under one tidy "roof". And yes, Heirloom has its own facebook page, so be sure to "Like" it!

I've recently updated my shop with some original handmade jewelry designs that are fun and easy to wear, if I say so myself. Note: I haven't taken my simple studs off in some time. And check out these dangles! AND these bronze oval studs, which were recently featured in Etsy Finds: May's Hot Topics! Clearly, I've been having a lot of fun with my pseudo-cameo-doily-frame line! Finally, keep an eye out for some little creatures that will be making their way into the shop soon too.

I really enjoy talking in the first person(!), so this is not goodbye, but see you around here, there, and the web-o-sphere.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day!

Dad, Mom, Uncle Guy, Aunt Sandy
New Jersey, New York across the Hudson River
September 1976

To all the dad's out there, Happy Father's Day!

To my dad, thank you for all you've done and all you do.
Most of all, thank you for being uniquely you; the best dad a girl could ask for.

-Shnookums/Poopsie/Schnicklefritz

Monday, March 22, 2010

Meaning of Home

My Aunt Alma passed away recently. It was a sad time for the family, but also a time for us to come together and celebrate the life of a loved relative. I have an amazing family. I think it's easy to take that sentiment for granted, but I truly do have an amazing family. Their kindness, passions, and love have helped to form who I am and who I strive to be.

Aunts, uncles, cousins, and children have taken time out of their busy lives the past several weeks to be present and walk down memory lane together. Following my aunt's passing, several of us spent time at her home, which also used to be the home of my grandparents.

After my grandparents passed away several years ago, the once busy home became a quiet place for my aunt while she ventured out to family functions. Not having visited for several years, it was interesting to see how while nothing had really changed, everything seemed so different and small. When I visited on the day of her funeral, I was overwhelmed with its familiar scent. However, the typical everyday objects--magazines, clothing, kitchen implements--lay static where my aunt had left them before leaving her home. The same apple shaped cookie jar sat in the dining room, only it was empty and covered in a thin layer of dust. It was time to ready the house for sale.

Their home was always full of images of local flora and fauna, my grandmother's organ songs, beds dressed in linens trimmed with fine crocheted lace and afghans made by my grandmother, early pastel portraits created by my dad and uncle, and the scents of my grandmother's meals permeating the rooms. These are the things exposed to me at an early age that would influence who I was to become.

I suppose it seems natural that when it was time to clear out the house, I first found myself in the linen closet pulling out stacks of sweet smelling sheets, pillow cases, and embroidered finery. A sewing kit brimming with vintage buttons, spools of thread, in-process mending projects, and a lifetime supply of needles would come home with me for reinvention. Finally, my grandmothers Blue Willow china will find new life nourishing our guests the way it did for my family.

My fondest memories of my aunt and grandparents are synonymous with time spent at their home. I remember sitting on the porch feeding peanuts to the squirrels (from my fingertips), laughing with my older cousins, eating ourselves silly on holidays, loosing myself in the endless garden, playing with countless small animals my aunt kept for the children she taught, walking down to the park and into town, revealing the scenes on the china beneath my Sunday dinners, and spending the night sleeping on the softest sheets you'd ever dream of.

Since I don't have the opportunity to relive these memories with my aunt and grandparents, I am so grateful to have been able to recapture some priceless moments through their home and with my family. Now a few sentimental objects will help to create new memories of love, laughter, and home cooked meals with those whom I share my home with, and an ever welcome reminder of where I come from.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Sweet Summer


Summer is finally here in every way... outdoor parties with family and friends, blueberry picking, sunburns, trips to the beach, the fruits of garden labor, summer evenings, lightning bugs, mosquito bites, fresh foods, live outdoor music, and more. As always, there are many things to do as we work to improve our home and lives, but summertime fun is the sweet reward for completing big projects!


It seems every year around this time I rediscover fresh, local warm-weather produce and my love of cooking; this year is no different. I’ve recently been inspired to try some new recipes, such as a no-knead bread and homemade butter. They are shamefully easy and there's nothing like a simple, delicious, and flavorful meal that has been made completely from scratch with fresh ingredients. It's soul food without a doubt. Up next: experiment with sprouting and discover what this area has to offer in local grains. Perhaps a 30 day Eat Local Challenge is on the horizon.


It seems all of my senses have been awakened after a cold winter and soggy spring. In addition to the flavors of summer, I’ve been sinking my fingers into the rich soil; lavishing in the sounds of buzzing bees, bird songs, frog chips, and fox calls; watching all the trees, shrubs, and flowers take turns presenting their unique qualities; while the scents of evolving blooms waft through the warm air. Even dirty hands and feet, the periodic itchy reaction to foe insects and poisonous plants, skunk spray, and fresh manure find their welcome role during this time.


Since moving from Baltimore to rural Pennsylvania two years ago (and starting this blog), seasons tend to affect me much more. We are not nestled inside, isolated from the elements, staring through insulated panes of glass at the outside world of fluffy white layers of snow or steaming summertime pavement. Instead, we trek through snow and rain to retrieve firewood, our main source of heat, and are well on our way to relying on the garden to sustain our bodies.


This is a conscious decision we've made to live life not easier, but more simply, and to be more in tuned with ourselves and the world around us. It's not an easy lifestyle, but a labor of love, and we are continually presented with the rewards of our hard work. In addition to feeling good about our decisions, we've cut our annual reliance on heating oil down by more than half, are working to maximize the yield from our garden in order to spend less at the grocery store, while entertaining other ways of saving $$ and reducing our carbon footprint.


My creative juices are also grateful for this way of life and for the summertime season. The daily patterns, forms, textures, and colors I encounter dance through my head and beg to be reinterpreted on paper, fabric, and in metal. I hope to share some of these projects with you, as I have been producing on a limited basis. Nevertheless, as you can imagine, the squeaky wheel gets the grease during this season of fun, flux, and abundance!

I hope you are enjoying all there is to partake in this summer!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day

Have a very Happy Mother's Day to all the hardworking, inspiring, loving mom's out there!

Although I don't get to spend today with you mom, I'm happy you have a nice sunny day to enjoy. I love you so much and look forward to seeing you soon! xoxo

Saturday, May 2, 2009

April Showers... Brought What?!

While I was occupied the last couple weeks (seriously, where did April go?), the yard and garden were busy doing what yards and gardens do. As usual, there are many garden projects in process such as planting, moving, and removal of all things large and small. It's easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about the limited seasonal windows. When I start to feel a little bogged down by all the projects, I find it recharges me to walk around and watch the progress of things, especially in the spring. Behold May flowers, "the march of the weeds," and some others that are moving along quite nicely... I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them. Have a great spring weekend!

The sunny side of the house: lilac, ostrich ferns, woodland strawberries, herbs, azalea

Strawberries and the soon to be cutting garden: sunflowers, cosmos, and sweet william

Lavender varieties


Seedlings...

Melon

Pumpkin and melon

Cucumber

Peppers

Trees and shrubs...


Dogwood
Apple

Pear

Blueberry

Azalea

Lilac

Other plants and flowers...
Ostrich Ferns

Concord Grapes
Phlox
Columbine

Bleeding Heart

Tulips

Wild violets

Thriving invasive's (at least they're pretty)...

Buttercup

Dandelion

Garlic growing along side many, many weeds