It’s Tuesday, which means by definition I can no longer have the Monday blahs! I spent part of the day cleaning the grout on our bathroom floor. Funny how doing such a mundane task can help you to feel better. In the afternoon, I decided to finally organize our button/yarn stash. You know the packets you get with a new item of clothing? My previous system consisted of rubber-banding them together and shoving them into a drawer, hoping that I’d never need them. Of course, Martha suggested in a recent issue of her magazine that business card inserts would make terrific organizers. Of course, she’s right. See the photo above for an example of my handiwork. Suffice to say, I realized in organizing that I have quite the collection of J.Crew cardigans.
Sorry that it took so many months for me to see the light, Martha.
Update: Robin Sherwood’s StyleNews is now live. Love the Mer glasses – they belong outdoors.
How do you cure the Monday blahs? I’ve got a bad case of them: still have allergies, still haven’t followed through on the home improvement docket, and woe is me. On the upside:
- It’s the Stationery Show this week, and I’m looking forward to peeks of what’s new. Just anticipating Paper + Cup’s work collection (file folders and such) makes me happy.
- Sally Shim, who has such a charming blog, is updating her Etsy shop at 11am pst with new stationery. Should be worth a look (and a buy).
- I just raced through a funny book – Bright Lights, Big Ass (yes that’s the title) by Jen Lancaster. Even better than her first, and a quick read that I couldn’t put down. Jen’s blog, Jennsylvania, is a good introduction to the workings of her mind.
- I finally finished watching Stranger Than Fiction. A slow watch that I was ambivalent about finishing. Happily, it’s going back to Netflix today. Looking forward to what’s next in the queue – it can’t be as boring! Though if you need something to help you fall asleep, by all means, rent it!
Signing off for now. I’m still tired. See you tomorrow.
Bits of frost are sprinkled across the rooftops this morning. Not unheard of for May, but still unusual. I’m glad I ddin’t plant the geraniums and sweet potato vine just yet. The vine started to wilt from the cold yesterday: I brought it inside to warm up, and it’s much improved.
This week’s Five:
- bitter & sweet
- watercolor
- Bee Seen via explore
- fragile galaxy ditto
- peony
Enjoy your weekend: the Stationery Show starts in NYC this Sunday. I’m eager to see what’s new via blogs and freshly updated websites. I’ll be sharing the best of what’s out there as it rolls in. See you Monday.
What do you wear when you fear looking like mutton dressed as lamb? And when does mutton-hood start: 40? 45? 50+? Cathy Horyn writes about this dilemma in today’s NYTimes Style section. Older, Better, but Harder to Dress indeed. I stilck to a uniform of sorts: lots of tees, cardigans, and cute skirts or jeans. Very serviceable, but not on trend, unless the trend is tees and cardigans. :) Incorporating this look (#3) would be fun, but I fear that the camisole would give off that “is she pregnant?” look that is not desirable. I fantasize that it would be easier if I lived in New York, LA, or even Boston, where the shopping options are better. Case in point: I wanted this Miu Miu skirt badly this spring (an on-trend addition to the uniform). Net-a-Porter was sold out, so I phoned the Miu Miu boutiques in New York and LA. New York couldn’t help me, and oddly, the LA store never answered the phone during business hours. (After hours, it was no problem to reach voice mail.) Guess the uniform will remain, and keep my eye out for fun accessories!
Summer: what doe it mean to you? Whether it’s cooking on the grill, popsicles, baseball, going to the beach/pool, or doing absolutely nothing, if you love summer, you’ll love Summer, a new book by Suzanne Brown. The photography is superb, and the book features a myriad of ways to celebrate the season. From picnics to s’mores to identifying cloud types (something you dan do while you’re doing nothing) the book also contains plenty of recipes, including yummy frozen drinks. Even I fell in love with this book, and I do not care for temperatures over 85.
Summer has a companion website (where you can find out how convert cricket chirping to temperature, among other things). There is a planned Summerologist webstore, too. Delight in the season that is all-too-short in Chicago. (Winter, however, seems to linger.)
