May 31, 2007

Finally Something Pretty!

I've been absent from writing while I contemplate where I want to go with my craft. I want to open a shop at Etsy, but I don't know whether I want to go in a crafty direction -- and if I do, what crafts in specific? -- or photography. So I've been spending lots of my time on the Etsy forums and taking photos. Next week I start classes again, but I hope the business will make me more active and not stressed.



I found a magnetic board at a Marshall's in New Jersey about a month ago for $14.99. It had a worn finish of white, but with wood color showing through. The image over the magnetic board was several vintage photos of people at a lake or pool (I forget now!), but it looked so mass produced and not my style. I'm kicking myself now for not taking a 'before' shot!



With a bit of sanding, fresh paint, and a new paper covering from Kate's Paperie, this is just the accessory I needed to get my new workspace going. That's all for now, I just wanted to share this!

May 19, 2007

Sickland

I have been so, so sick this week (and still am!) I've never been this sick before. On Wednesday I almost fainted in Duane Reade and that night my fever was 103.5. So, while I still haven't recovered I can't blog too much.

But, this weekend I had a visit to my family in Massachusetts and I came home with some post-birthday and freebie goodies. For my birthday, a garlic press and a potato masher, which I used last night to make guacamole. As freebies, I got two framed prints, took back two of my old wall hangings, and a few other things. One of the coolest freebies was the 80s Nikomat EL camera I took home, that was my dad's. I don't think I'll use it, but my vintage Duaflex II and Argus 75 came on Tuesday, so maybe I'll make a little shelf of my old cameras.

Well that's all for now, I hope I can get back into design-related posts soon and maybe even start organizing my table so I can craft and make an Etsy shop! How exciting.

May 11, 2007

What I've Been Up To

I am driving myself crazy with all the design changes I'm trying to make around the house! It recently hit me that I'm going back to school in just a few weeks and I began to worry that I did not have the right environment for studying. That, and I just have not yet found a sanctuary in my own apartment.

image source: WorldMarket.com

The biggest changes so far are in the bedroom. I bought another bookcase and we put them on either side of the bed, giving it sort of a built-in look. I'm still working on properly accessorizing the shelves. More importantly, I gave in and bought a duvet cover and a beautiful mirror from World Market. And let's not even get into how much I spent at Bed Bath & Beyond on sheets, shams, bed skirt, etc. (P.S. If you sign up for World Market's e-mail list, they give you a code for 10% off your next purchase!)

Now the parasols I spent so much time stressing over don't go, so they'll find a new home in the living room eventually. I am definitely considering buying some of Alicia Bock's through the viewfinder prints for over the bed. I was so inspired by her photos that today, (though I'm so far extremely disappointed by the slow speed of the seller) I bought two vintage cameras from eBay to try my hand at the vintage technique she uses, but it's going to require building a light blocker and even getting a macro lens for my camera.

Speaking of the living room, before I mentioned that I needed a good work environment, so I bought a simple white desk from Target (where else?) that should arrive in a few days. I looked on craigslist for so long to find a chic desk, but this ended up being the right size, look and price. Next on the list will be buying two pieces from the modular cube storage system as a new tv stand, and painting it, a la the modular coffee table featured in this month's Blueprint Magazine.

And that's really just the tip of the iceberg because there's still walls, walls, walls to cover, as well as setting up my desk area, getting storage, and my sewing machine back from my mom's house, wallpapering the cabinets, refinishing the table and chairs... I'm getting overwhelmed just thinking about it.

Finally, there's an entry over at Decor8 in response to an e-mail I sent Holly, asking her advice on Etsy shops. I'm thinking that once I get the apartment under control and once I get a feel for my course load, I can settle down and create. But that feels like it'll never come!

May 03, 2007

Annual Chelsea Stoop Sale

Just saw an ad on craigslist and also clickyourblock.com about the stoop sale. Residents sell books, clothes, household items, toys, etc. I love sales like this, I'll especially be looking for vintage finds and mirrors.

The Annual Chelsea Stoop Sale
May 19, 2007 (rain date May 20)
11am to 4pm
22nd St between 7th and 10th Aves

May 01, 2007

Mango Creamcicle Smoothie

photo: Alfonso Lima, stock.xchng, #661599

Speaking of warm weather, here's my recipe for a delicious mango smoothie. This recipe would also be great frozen as popcicles. You can use over-ripe mangos, like the ones I got today from the street stand for $1 each.

2 mangos
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Peel and dice mangos, freeze in a baggie. When frozen, re-dice mango if it has made one giant glob. Add mango, yogurt, orange juice, milk, sugar and honey to a blender. If mixture is too thick, add equal parts milk and orange juice until desired consistancy. Make sure that the sugar has a lot of time to blend in, or else it will be crunchy. Serve immediately!

Yields approximately 6 cups.