Gehring Road

bookish

Images seen here

I'm anxiously awaiting some beautiful new releases this week. Not only are the Jane Austen additions to the new Penguin Clothbound books designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith coming out, but they've also redesigned some beautiful covers through their Penguin Threads collection. These covers are designed and hand stitched before being printed as paperback copies. They're so beautiful and that Wizard of Oz has me thinking those colors would be beautiful as solids in a new quilt. Such detailed work and I can't wait to add these to my collection.

Rob is home today (late today) and I'm spending the dwindling hours of my much needed vacation piecing together my Echo quilt... slowly! I'm loving this leisurely pace to my days, and wishing vacation would hang on just a bit longer. The weather has been simply beautiful, we've been so lucky. I have quite a bit of work to do for school (grading research papers) and class (two final papers and a major project) so I'll likely be a bit quiet this week. Hope you are enjoying your days, wherever they find you. 

sewing... outside!

My car thermometer read 80 degrees at 10 am this morning... there was just something so lovely about today. After dropping Rob off for a short work trip (boo), I was able to stop at a quilt store for some fabric (yay). Kylie has a really, really difficult time when Rob is away she gets exceptionally clingy and just isn't herself... except when lounging on a wool blanket outside. I'm not sure what to say about wool blankets in 90 degree weather other than this dog likes to be warm... it makes me hot just looking at that photo of her... sigh.

Anyway, her pleading face at the door told me something sort of had to be done... I wanted to sew, she wanted Rob back and to take her depression outside where at least her optimal temperature could sooth her little soul. I dragged ironing board, cutting board, fabric and music outside and went to town. We're so lucky Rob's dad thought to put outlets outside on the patio.  I'm not sure why I haven't thought of cutting fabric outside before... the breeze was really lovely, the dog... mildly satiated (she's stops going to Rob's office to look for him after the first day or so) and I got in some crafty time. This will be a quilt for the couch (can you believe this is the first quilt I've made for our couch?) and entirely made from Lotta Jansdotter's Echo line. This outdoor cutting and crafting is going to be my thing, I can feel it. For someone who hates cutting fabric as I do, it was a pleasant little surprise.

Though the deck and table that my fabric was on is in desperate need of a power washing, I thought better... wasting precious cutting time washing furniture... no thank you! My ironing board is also in desperate need of a new cover and my toes are in desperate need of a pedicure... desperate. Maybe time for that later in the week... happy Monday friends. 

etsy finds :: the beginnings of a collection

 Bottle Opener Collection as seen in Country Living Magazine May 2012 Issue

Oh friends, I'm on vacation... though it doesn't exactly feel like vacation it is here none-the-less. I still have class and appointments and the dog to look after (Rob is off to Denver for work tomorrow) and grand plans for sewing (pajamaed sewing which I know is the best kind of sewing), but vacation it is. I love vacation, though we don't have plans to do anything out of the ordinary, that is just the vacation that I seem to need right now. Restful, rejuvinating vacation. And look at me blogging... I love vacation.

I spent some time today outside with the dog enjoying the glorious weather that wants to visit us this week (thank goodness) reading my issue of Country Living. This little indulgent reading in the sun time happened just before Kylie melted down when a dog had the temerity to walk down her street and just seconds before she ripped her too sharp claws into my side and stomach (we won't dwell on that) and just a few minutes before Rob seeing my slashed side said, "Oh my god, that looks awful"... Just before that I happened upon the Hanson's most beautiful bottle opener collection. I love it. Such a sweet and beautiful collection and their bravery in hanging things on the walls in their home is admirable (we've yet to hang anything since Rob painted... a while ago). So I prowled Etsy while contemplating if my encounter with Slash left me needing Neosporin or not and found some beauties... love these bottle openers!

Vintage Mermaid Bottle Opener from My 3 Chicks Etsy Shop

Brass Horse Bottle Opener by Lock the Gate Etsy Shop

Vintage Hand Brass Bottle Opener from Lisbon Story Etsy Shop

Owl Bottle Opener from Portugese Vintage Etsy Shop

Vintage Turn of the Century Cast Iron Nude Lady Bottle Opener from Broadway Treasure Hunt Etsy Shop

HMS Victory Anchor Bottle Opener from Portugese Vintage Etsy Shop 

Rare Antique Scissors Bottle Opener and Nutcracker from Yesterday's Silhouette Etsy Shop 

Vintage Bottle Opener Scotsman Irish Bottle Opener from STL Vintage Etsy Shop 

Vintage Cast Iron Cowboy Bottle Opener from Sweetrefrain Vintage Etsy Shop 

Vintage Owl on Brass Bottle Opener from Portugese Vintage Etsy Shop 

 

How lovely would those look on a wall in a kitchen or dining room. I'm thinking of surrounding some with a frame in our entryway. I also love this one seen at Pottery Barn. I think she might be the first in our little collection. All of this vintage shopping and prowling has me thinking of Brimfield. This year, I'm buying that shoe trolley! I know, I've been saying it year after year... this year as a little present for the massive amounts of work I've been doing and will be doing in June... it has to happen. I wonder what little bottle openers can be found in some of the cast iron tents. We shall see. Happy weekend to you!  

 

natural egg dyes for easter

We had such a fun time yesterday using Martha's recipes to dye our eggs with items found in the kitchen. I love how they came out... as the colors unfolded it became really exciting! We used tumeric (the gold and yellows), yellow onion skins (the orange and terracotaa colored ones), coffee (the pale brown ones), and red cabbage (the blues!). Martha calls for making the dyes first, so we did that using mostly water and vinegar. The house smelled lovely boiling that cabbage in vingegar water let me tell you, but that teal makes it totally worth it. Some of the eggs are then boiled in the dye (this makes for a more saturated color) while others are hard boild first (Rob's specialty) then soaked in room temp dyes for a certain amount of time. I loved this!

 

The onion skins were by far the biggest surprise... the oranges they produced in the eggs was amazing. We had red onions on hand and I will definitely try them next time. Lesson learned with the tumeric... it was everywhere (first it boiled over, then it stained our counters at each turn... not fun, a little cleanser and some Bar Keepers friend on the stains on our stainless steel pots... yes, it stained stainless steel... and all was well). Happy Easter, friends. Did you dye eggs? Here are our recipes, they'll be hanging out in the How Tos if you're looking for them:

circus-y and some current loves

Windham's Shelburne Circus Fabrics found here

A month is too long, isn't it? But it has been a month (almost) away from this space as my life resembles that three ring circus pictured above more often than not. Minus the elephants, thankfully. Anyway, Happy April, happy equinox, happy Spring if it's found you! We've had it around these parts since February. We're allowed to gloat about that, remember the deck last February? Ha! That was something. Really all I'm thinking of right now is completing this work in front of me and getting back to a more centered and creative way of life. I'm in the homestretch with one class and have just signed myself up for a few summer classes. We'll celebrate August 4th! Until then, I thank those of you who have emailed and commented asking how things are going. They're and we're well... but I miss sewing and having free time to do so desperately. My picture a day pledge for this year just really isn't going to happen, and realistically, I'm fine with that... next year. I am on Twitter and Pinterest (they're perfect quick pop-ins for me when I have a few minutes before classes or at the end of the day). I'm still getting used to Twitter, and sometimes feel a little fish-out-of-water with it and the conversations that happen so if you are on, I'd love to know. Pinterest continues to inspire me. Here are some recent finds!

(image credits from 1. Colorful Wall Design Sponge 2. Gingham Love Atlantic Pacific 3.Keyhole Dress Old Navy 4. Those green chairs La Maison D'Anna G 5. Chicoppee by Denyse Schmidt Sew Mama Sew 6. Benchwright Buffet Pottery Barn 7. Raskog Trolley Ikea 8. Shelburne Circus Fabric 2Girls Fabrics 9. Sticker Shock Enducing Coach Felicia Leather Slim Duffle Purse Page)

little changes

Besides getting a new banner for Spring (I'm fully jumping the gun here as the forecast calls for 70 on Friday...) my blog underwent a few changes today. If you stopped in and saw things a little strange, here's why... I tend to jump in head first, making changes while learning how. Today I learned how to (finally!) center my new banner and eeked out a few more pixals... I've been feeling like the content on this little read has been a bit cozy and so I played around with a more spread out feel. I also learned how to use buttons...

 

 

... feel free to find me (and say hi!) on Pinterest, Flickr, Twitter and Facebook. And you can now pin/tweet/like things on the blog at the footer...

 

 

... good things on the horizon indeed. Here's hoping you enjoy these new little features and that it allows me to touch base with you new and different ways! Happy Sunday...

spring stack

I don't always love the start of Daylight Savings Time... that hour of sleep lost (or that we never had in the first place depending on how you look at it) always seems to throw me for a few days, I'm a baby sensitive when it comes to sleep! But what I do love is the change in seasons. The daffodils are peaking out (they have been since those crazy 65 degree days in February and January) and it is always this time of year that I begin to think longingly of those warm summer months. If you've been around this space long enough you know I teach and I'm a baby sensitive when it comes to my summer. Those long days of doing everything or nothing without the reminder of a fairly aggressive bell is so lovely. It's around this time that it dawns on me that this really is the homestretch. And though I try to take every day as it comes, this year has been different. I find myself waiting for the last few months (and classes!) to wrap up... with all the promise that that ending really means to my life. That lovely Charley Harper calendar I picked up at Christmas tells me just a few short months and summer it will be. Though this summer is going to be a bit different with classes and coursework, I'm feeling the need to be done. I have a choice ahead of me that involves a schedule that really isn't such great timing with the end of the year with school... I'll be taking (for the last two weeks of school) two classes (which meet Monday and Wednesday, Tuesday and Thursday respectively) an hour away from school and an hour and a half away from my loves and my bed. A little daunting. That does allow me to finish up my degree this summer, and to be done with classes a little earlier than I expected. We're weighing the options and thinking it through... 

In the midst of these decisions that need to be made and soon, a little stack of spring arrived... and I wanted to tear into it and sew a simple square patchwork quilt together the second I pulled it out of the carefully packaged envelope from Fat Quarter Shop. I showed restraint and got other work done instead... maybe with a little bit of pie, but who's keeping track? I'm loving those spring-ish and happy colors. They're reminding me of the beginnings and endings of things... the beginning of spring in earnest, summer and it's bittersweetness this year, and even 2 am on November 4th. Possibly someone is lacking a little sleep! Anyway, a very happy weekend friends, I hope you are enjoying all that is in the moment, but also feeling the excitement of things on the horizon! 

etsy finds... seeing red and pink

Red Shades to Pink Vintage Wooden Spools from Found for You Supplies Etsy Shop 

I'm loving color right now... from colored jeans (aparently I have successfully blocked the Z.Cavaricci memories from my youth and am willing to try again...) to colorful fabric arrivals (oh, it's been a good, good mail week my friends... and the good is that Rob is in Seattle to miss it all!). I plan on sewing some today... maybe another granny square. That would of course require an extrication from the bed. I'm feeling a little underwater and I don't even have class this week. Stress at work combined with a stressful decision regarding summer classes is making me... a bit exhausted. So today, I'm seeing red, and pinks, and salmons... but in a good way. Here's what I've been finding...

 Big Red/Orange Vintage O'Cedar Tin in French from Abby in France Etsy Shop 

Spring No 2 Archival Print from Amber Alexander Etsy Shop 

Vintage Red Long Safety Deposit Box from The Corner Store BK Etsy Shop

Vintage French Red and White Ribbon in Display Box from Abby in Franch Etsy Shop (disclaimer, this makes a very beautiful gift for anyone with a birthday in May... ahem)

Vintage 1950s GE Pedestal Clock from The Boutiful Bird Etsy Shop

French Ladies Art Vintage Print from Stardust Art Etsy Shop

Red Vintage Enamelware Milk Can from Freuden Des Lebens Etsy Shop

Lace on Pink Laptop Bag from Track and Field Designs Etsy Shop

French Vintage Baby High Chair from La Pomme Etsy Shop

French Antique Ink Pad from The Hope Tree Etsy Shop

Wood 7up Crates from Vintage Lancaster Etsy Shop

 

I'm off to pad around the loft a bit today... hopefully some sewing will happen. Wishing you the most lovely and relaxing weekend! 

playing catch up

Beautiful Moon/Planet Alignment captured by Rob

The stars aligned this week (they really did, did you see it?) and I had a chance to get some things done besides course work. It was magical. Let's play catch up, shall we?

it snowed... finally! I was almost missing it... almost... but glad it caused very few problems

Rob made the.most.amazing.dessert.ever... and because I didn't successfully double my weight after gorging on it this week, he's making it again before he leaves for Seattle tomorrow... I tell you, I'm lucky... and in need of a good run... Here's the recipe... it's ok, eat it all and then come running with me...

we also ate tons of brussel sprouts... I love them roasted...

I cut my finger (badly) making dinner (ha! I don't often cook, and there's why, but the stars aligned you see). You're shocked that it wasn't with my rotary cutter, I know, I am too... it was remarkably close to an old rotary cutter incident scar...I'm fine and it has healed... already...

Lady Mary came to visit... I found her here... she came beautifully wrapped (of course she did)...

... I also treated myself to this beautiful little printer drawer from Etsy... I'm filling it with vintage silk spools and hanging it in the loft... I'll keep you appraised of it's progress... pretty slow right now, but kind of perfect...

I bought these tiny bits of new fabric in my new favorite colors... that poor lonely granny... oh well, soon... I did notice I had a shocking lack of peach in my stash, so I used it as an excuse to buy fabric... how those golds and that beautiful orange also landed in the cart is beyond me... I have little control... see above notes on dessert...

... I organized (well, kind of) my scrap bins... it was freeing... and a little frightening... must not save every little piece and must find a scrappy project (maybe this one?) for them soon...when sewing is an option...

 ... and this sweet lady has been making us laugh and keeping me grounded... I miss the lack of stress and work, looking forward to time with this little bean when grad classes are not in the back of my mind...

Semester is nearly done... I'm tasting the end as near more and more. April 4th is done-day for one class, May 5th for another... so, so close! Though we've had some snow lately I'm feeling the pull of those Spring days... they're getting closer and it feels very good... for so many reasons. Rob is off to Seattle for a few weeks, which is always difficult, but he has some non-work related adventures planned which makes me happy. His return is yet another thing I'm looking forward to... in the meantime, head down, balance, and breathe. Happy weekend to you! 

these days

I've been enjoying the most lovely few days... off from work, surrounded by love and things I love, this has been a much needed and perfect little break. I'm feeling a bit ahead of the game in terms of class work, which is such a rare feeling, and I allowed myself some time to rest, and some time to sew! Those granny squares I had been anxious to begin are finally underway. They are super quick and just the thing I need right now. I'm loving the process of making them. Just one mustard, peach, orange and grey square done so far, but my mind is spinning with color possibilities. My granny progress can be found here. Another day off tomorrow and then it's back to work on Wednesday, but a refreshed and rested return this time. I hope you are enjoying this week and finding ways to enjoy all that is around you!