{scissor variations}

little + happy = best of day

It is the smallest things that put a skip in your step, that bring a quiet smile to your face and make you feel like you had the best day ever.

 

• Listening to Wilco + Tom Waits on the same radio station within a 20 minute time frame while out doing errands

• Talking with a far-away customer and laughing about differences, he said “zee”, I said “zed”.

• Having the same customer who happened to be from

  Kentucky

  tell me I “had a lovely accent”…..

• Cooking a pot of homemade carrot cheddar soup for Friday night dinner

• Writing letters.

  Actual letters that will go into a mailbox.

  And putting real stamps on them.

• Talking with my 6 year old nephew on the phone about suggestions for a great movie night: popcorn, pretzels and soda pop. Also you should have pizza-with only donair sauce, no toppings and no cheese.

My small but beautiful mess (one of many) as it sits on my desk.

Yesterday the mess wasn’t putting a smile on my face.

But this isn't about yesterday.

 

Several years ago when my husband and I were visiting with Sally and her family, one evening as we were all sitting together in their family room,

Sally said, "Okay, Best of day"

...and each of us shared a best of day experience.

I thought this was a great thing to do and something I have never forgotten.

 

So, as you can see today was a day filled with several "smallest, best of day" experiences.

 

What was your best of day?

 

 

rhymes with independent

While attending university I held an odd assortment of jobs throughout the years, one of which was doing the bookwork for an upscale Italian Design Furnishings store. The space was also shared by a fellow named “Sleepy”, who sold high end stereos and equipment.

The “stereo corner” was located across the showroom and Sleepy had a chair strategically placed outside of his little “listening” room where he could sit when customer traffic was slow.

 

The showroom was located away from direct foot traffic and the clientele generally made a special trip to visit the showroom. It was often quiet and lent itself to Sleepy and I having conversations during the mid afternoon lull of the workday.

 

When two people do not know one another well, idle chatter often becomes common place and on this particular day we had advanced beyond the weather to movies.

Sleepy asked if I watched many movies and I told him that I watched a fair number of films, almost exclusively attending the local independent movie houses.

This progressed to genres of movies.

At one point during the discussion I said “In general I preferred 'foreign' films".

 

Sleepy suggested I try the corner store a half block away, where we often went for a mid-day coffee or juice run. I said, “Oh they don’t look like the kind of place that would carry those movies”.

He then proceeded to tell me that he just returned a GARBAGE BAG FULL of movies and that they lent them out for extended periods of time.

 

It started to sound interesting. I asked if he had any recommendations.

“Oh sure”, he said.

He then proceeded to list some recently returned movies.

 

I sat and listened.

 

For fear of embarrassing myself and embarrassing him, I could say nothing.

It was a moment when without him realizing, I knew him a little better.

 

From across the room my “foreign films” sounded to him like “porn films”.

{....go ahead, say "foreign"quickly}

 

I still almost exclusively attend local independent theatre houses.

I’ve rephrased the response to the question as, “I mostly watch independent films”.

 

Independent doesn’t rhyme with anything.

 

 

 

A few independent movies I’ve enjoyed ….

Delicatessen- bed springs, the butcher and “mild” myopia

ANYTHING by Pedro Almodovar

 

My Life as a Dog—A sweet, sweet story--perhaps the first foreign film I watched

Run Lola Run

 

Life is Sweet—so depressing its funny

Leolo – Quebec produces some incredible and amazing films

Bon Cop, Bad Cop- another  Quebec production

Tampopo-noodles, noodles and more noodles

Baraka—this incredible movie has no dialogue and is a breathtaking view of the world, simply beautiful.

Cinema Paradiso

Cinnamon Hearts, Pink M & M’s & Cotton Draw String Bags

 

 

...gathering up

 

...prettying up

 

...and filling up.

 

A very relaxing and satisfying evening making treat bags to send off in the mail.

5 am Scones

This recipe from Ina Garten appears in a few of her books –it is always the same basic dry ingredients ---with a changing of the “add-ins”.

  

I love these scones, but admit I hate rolling + patting out the dough, which is why I only make them every 6 months or so and only in batches (make the mess all at once, I say) and freeze them.

The recipe makes a large batch and even with a heavier mixer, like a Kitchen Aid the dough can be challenging. I often will put the dry ingredients in my food processor and cut the butter in. I then put this mixture into the bowl of the standing mixer add the wet ingredients and the add-ins at the same time, as you do not want to over mix.

This morning’s variations included:

mixed berry + grated orange rind (pictured)

dark chocolate chunks + grated orange rind

aged cheddar + fresh dill

slivered almond + lemon zest

 

Variation for next time: Starting time

Sally a la {shopping} Carte

Beautifully re-designed  + a swanky new multi-tasking shopping cart at my friend Sally's website :

....ever wonder what Sally's studio really looks like?

Yes, you may have seen it in a magazine or two ( or 3 or 4), but you have never really seen it, until you are there.

Twirling this way and that.

Eyes darting.

Hands reaching out.

Peering closer to see what that really is in that jar.

Deciding what first to examine closer...

~vintage this and that, ephemera, incredible treasures, chandeliers, swaths of curtains...even the elevator is a nod to days gone by.

Want a closer look?

She has her workshop schedule posted on her site

--I say it is never too early to start planning a field trip.

 

Sweet Crafting...

  

      

...now available in the shop

Slow + Mindful

I’ll be honest-- our Christmas tree is still standing.

 

We put it up late this year (for us)--not until Christmas eve.

We usually take it down the day after New Year’s, but for some reason this year the “taking down of Christmas” has been slow. I don’t mind seeing the tree nestled in the front window, quiet and still, even as we approach the second week of January.

I took photos of the ornaments this year as they hung on the tree.

I am starting to realize that details are sometimes slipping as I talk to sisters on the phone to confirm that this sister made that ornament and the other sister made the others.

Perhaps it is a symptom of age, perhaps a symptom of the times we are in.

I want to slow everything down.

 

....and be more mindful

 

 

Grubby Container Love

I have a fondness for "the container"--something meant to hold something.

Or something meant to hold certain things.

Or something that was meant to hold certain things at a certain time, but now holds other certain things.

I found this rusty old metal parts drawer unit in an antique mall.

I loved the fonts on the drawer

...i loved the color not-so-much.

but, i did indeed love the price--$6.00

 

....you guessed it, i'm still organizing

Twirling Rubber

Something I like to do is to have custom rubber stamps made with wooden handles for labeling items in my office as well as for personalizing gifts.

I think it is a really personal gift to have younger children print their names and have the stamp shop make it into a stamp for them. 

This year for birthdays we are giving book plates, canvas book totes, signature rubber stamps and of course, books.

Organized Twirling

{the organizing continues}

Vintage alignment

{ vintage alka seltzer bottles in a vintage seed store wall display }