Pink Nails

I used to hate the way I looked with my nails painted. But then, in the winter of '08/'09, I discovered navy blue nail polish. I rocked it during the cold months this past winter as well, but when the spring rolled around the nail polish came off.

Until yesterday.

A bottle of pink quick-dry nail polish caught my eye (for some unknown reason it's called Penn Station). I'm surprised by how much I like it. I keep my nails really short, and these deep colors are good for that style. I feel so fancy now. And summery. 

(I didn't match my toes to my fingers; I chose my favorite orange-y color instead.)

Robin's Egg Blue

I submitted these two photos for last day of Poppytalk's Spring Colour Week.

As you probably know, I've got little cranes (and some bigger ones) floating around all over our apartment. I fold them whenever I have a scrap of paper around. It's nice to make something pretty out of what would otherwise be considered trash. I used real origami paper for this guy, though.

This bracelet was a Hanukkah gift from my aunt and uncle. It's a few years old at this point, and it's the only bracelet I ever wear. I might wear it for a few days or weeks at time, and then I put it back in it's pretty little box until I'm feeling bracelet-y again. Normally, bracelets aren't my thing, but this one never gets in my way and it's not too flashy for my simple taste.

I hope you have a lovely weekend. Will you be looking out for spring colors? It's just around the corner, you know. ★

Golden Necklace

Eric bought me a beautiful necklace for Hanukkah/Christmas. There are 100 little golden beads spaced out along the chain, and each one represents a wish. That's good, because I love making wishes.

My first wish? I'm so not telling! (If you tell, they never come true. Don't you know that?)

Happy Friday + happy weekend. What are your plans?

*Valentines are now available in my Etsy shop!

Orange + Gold + Purple

While I was home for the holidays I got to visit my friend and mentor, Viola. Not only did she cook a delicious dinner for my mom and me, she also gave me me a beautiful gift.

Would you just look at this notebook? It's handmade, and I believe the paper (for the pages and the cover) is salvaged from scraps that were going to be thrown away. The binding is particularly nice; when the book is open it lays flat, no matter which page your on. Cool, huh?

And it's orange. She knows me so well. ★

Toaster Faces

The other day I mentioned that my brother has two lasers. Well they can be fun even if we're not playing with the dog.

Max used them to make funny faces with the toaster. It's fun to find faces in inanimate objects. :)

*Don't forget to head over to Everything Little Miss for today's Lost in Thoughts. Tomorrow there will be a holiday gift guide on Everything Little Miss, so you might want to check that out too!

Mr. Z

One of my favorite things about spending time in North Adams is playing with my dog, Z.

My brother has two laser pointers and we entertained Z (and ourselves) for hours by making him chase red dots of light around the house. He's so funny. Just look at that face!

Little Devil

I'm getting excited! Halloween is just around the corner. Somebody give me a bag full of candy!

Speaking of Halloween, when I was in North Adams, my mom and I found a doggy devil costume at Good Will for like $3. You know we couldn't resist!

As soon as we got home I squeezed Z into it. It was a little snug, but totally awesome. He's a wiggly little guy, so it was hard to get a photo.

Isn't he funny?

Today's Lost In Thoughts is all about Halloween, so make sure to check it out and tell me about your Halloween traditions!

A Miniature

When I was little, I was dragged to visited The Clark Art in Williamstown more times than I can count. While I didn't always enjoy the museum, I did love the sculpture of the ballerina - Degas' Little Dancer - that sits in the center of one of the galleries; seeing it was always the high point of field trips. The original was wax, but there were 74 cast in bronze [source]; it's one of the bronzes that I've grown to appreciate.

My family has a miniature replica that sits on a windowsill in the dining room.

I took this picture while I was home a few weeks ago. The lighting was just right.

*New holiday cards in my Etsy shop. Crane mobiles too!

Away For A Week

I spent last week in North Adams with my parents and brother. I always work from home, so I was able to stick pretty close to my normal routine. Since my parents were working and my brother was at school, I didn't even miss out on family time. We spent time together after work, and I ate a lot of yummy food.

One of the great things about working from my parents' house was the abundance of natural lighting. These bells were just begging to have their picture taken. Look at the rich hues.

But now I'm back in Boston! Today it was nice to work at my regular desk with all of my accessories right where they belong. But do you know what I missed more than my pencil holder and stapler? Eric. He's here, right where he belongs, too. Being home for a week was good for my soul, but it sure is good to be back.

Vermont Weekend

We spent the weekend in Vermont on an HBS Section retreat. What on Earth does that even mean? Let me try to explain. Eric is in the HBS graduating class of 2011. There are about 1000 people in his class. Those people are divided up into lettered sections (Eric is in Section B) of about 90 people each. The 90 people in each section attended classes together for a few hours every day.

The weekend retreat to VT was a trip with just Section B. It was an opportunity for the students to spend more time together outside of the classroom, and for partners (like me) to meet and get to know other students and partners. Most of the people in Eric's section are single, but there were about 20 partners who were able to make it this weekend (we heard somebody flew in from Paris!).

We left Boston around 4 on Friday afternoon, and I finished my work in the car. I think we checked into the Hawk Inn & Mountain Resort around 7:30 that night. The resort was a little weird because we stayed in condos that weren't really near each other. The main parties were in a house which was at least a mile drive from our house. Walking wasn't really an option because we were basically on a mountain, it was pitch black at night (no street lights), and it was raining (sometimes pouring).

It rained all day Saturday, so outdoor activities weren't very appealing, but we still filled the day. In the morning we went to a breakfast that was arranged for students with partners. That was very nice, and I enjoyed meeting people in a quiet, comfortable place (there was a very loud party on Friday night). Eric and I set out on our own after that to go to the Simon Pearce glass blowing facility. We watched them make a fancy martini glass and a decorative pear. It was sort of magical. Saturday afternoon we played board games and at night there was a BBQ for the whole group.

We left pretty early Sunday morning, and I took pictures during the drive because it had finally stopped raining. You can see more on flickr.

Q-tips

When Eric and I moved in together two years ago, I bought a q-tip jar. I'd always wanted one, because all the beautifully styled bathrooms in magazines seem to have them.

When it's time to refill the jar, I take my time aligning the q-tips so they fit in just right. Maybe it's obsessive, but I love the result.

My own glass q-tip jar. Sigh. :)

*Check out today's Lost In Thoughts!

A New Vase

My sister recently went to Alaska. She had a wonderful time and she definitely wants to return at some point. I'm super lucky, because she brought back a beautiful, blue glass vase for me.

Today I made some paper flowers, so the vase wouldn't be so lonesome. I had fun making them, and I was guided by a Zakka Life tutorial (via iDiY). If you want to make your own flowers, don't be afraid to try some variations (I did!). I also added old twisty ties as stems.

Moving Day In Boston

Ah. September 1st in Boston. Moving Day. Our apartment is situated right inbetween BU and BC, so September brings tons of new and returning students. But folks aren't just moving in, some have to move out. And that means that the sidewalks are littered with old furniture and the dumpsters are overflowing into the road.

Since we're staying put this year, I took my camera for a little walk.

It was quite the scene. There were bright orange stickers on every piece of furniture on the sidewalk warning people not to take said furniture for fear of bedbugs.

I saw VHS tapes and records, men carrying new couches and old, a girl watching two grown men struggle to move a huge TV, dressers, mattresses, cookie sheets, fouton frames, and the list goes on.

Of course there were moving vans galore, but I especially liked the Gentle Giant. They have an awesome phone number, too: 800-GIANT-MEN (too many numbers, right?)! Amazing.

Welcome to September.

[Don't forget to check out the new stuff at ELM.]

Before & After: Cabinet

I was sick and tired of looking at the faux wood finished cabinet in our office space, so I decided to do something about.

Rather than buy something new, I decided on a DIY upgrade. Saturday morning we headed to Home Depot and picked up the necessary supplies for my endeavor:

• paint (2 colors)
• paint brush
• steel wool
• knobs

I knew that Eric would being spending most of Sunday hovered over his computer and his latest batch of cases (his homework) for class, so I was happy to have a project. It should be no surprise that I took pictures as I worked:

I did all that with only 1 accident (spilled 1/2 a can of paint, but that's why I used the HUGE tarp, covered the couch with a sheet, and the TV area with an old towel). After letting the pain dry over night, I filled our cabinet back up this morning. Ta da:

I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's not perfect, though. I don't think the steel wool phase was as effective as I expected, and I'm guessing the paint will come off easily if scratched. We'll have to be careful, but I'm much happier with how the room looks and we didn't spend much money at all. I turned an existing piece of cheap-o furniture into something that looks (I think) a little more sophisticated and actually fits our tastes. Yay! I'm so pleased with myself. :)

Paper Dragon

I woke up this morning and decided to make something with my hands. It was a great way to focus my energy and start the day.

A few years ago I made a paper dragon for my mom (based on a picture I'd seen in a magazine ad, but of my own design). I wanted hers to be good, so I made a practice version first. I never got around to making a nicer one for myself, so that was this morning's project.

I chose yellow and gold to cheer myself up. My happy little dragon.

Don't forget to check out yesteday's Lost In Thoughts (if you missed it) and the new Bon Voyage card over at Everything Little Miss.

★ Happy Friday, happy weekend, and happy dragons! ★

Gloomy

Here's a picture to set the mood:

Last time I posted I was in denial, but it's time to face the facts; time to spill the beans. Our new camera? Yeah, I broke it Sunday morning. BROKE IT! We had it for less than a week. Smooth move, I know. I'm so mad at myself and so incredibly disappointed.

Want the back story? Okay, I'll tell you. Last Wednesday I saw a mouse in our kitchen. Then I found 3 little droppings (yes, I just wrote that) in the corner of the counter. How disgusting. I spent time Tursday, Friday, and Saturday checking our cabinets and looking for reasons for it to be there and giving the counters a good scrub down. (I found nothing, and must conclude that it was merely visiting from some other apartment in the building.)

Sunday morning I woke up bright and early. As I made my way to the couch I saw a little piece of debris, and I went to pick it up. It wasn't until I grabbed it that I realized it was some sort of centipede or something. ON THE COUCH! So I grabbed the new camera to take a picture so I could get rid of it before Eric woke up, but still show him what I'd found. After taking the picture, I put the camera on the couch; it was still on with the lens out.

Then I saw it. A mouse poop on the couch. I was so mad that I quickly spun around to go grab a tissue to dispose of the bug and the waste. My spin shifted the rug, which moved the sofa just enough to knock the camera onto the floor.

It fell about a foot and a half, in slow motion, onto the carpet. I saw it happen and I saw the edge of the lens hit the floor. Even so, I thought it's not possible for that little fall to have damaged it, and I continued on my mission to get the nasty things out of our apartment.

After the disposal was complete, I took a look at my camera, with nary a worry. Boy was I surprised when the lens wouldn't retract, but instead made a bad, mechanical noise and then a triple beep while displaying the message: "Lens error, restart camera." I was nearly in tears.

After doing some online research, it appears we'll have to replace the whole lens mechanism thingy. And it looks like it'll cost almost as much as we paid for the camera. So now the camera just sits there, lens out, mocking me. I'm not quite sure what action we'll be taking.

Silver lining: haven't seen any bugs or mice (or evidence of mice) since the incident Sunday morning.

[The photo was taken on our road trip in 2005.]

Canon Digital Elph

Before we went to San Francisco, we bought a Nikon point-and-shoot. We returned it when we got back, because it just wasn't living up to my expectations. Since then, we've been looking for a replacement.

When we went to the Red Sox Game, our friend Wally was using a Canon that I really liked. The next day I purchased the same camera, used, on Amazon. That night I got a disappointing email informing me that the camera had mistakenly been double-listed, and had actually been sold the day before. Grrr. I kept looking, but the other ones were out of my price range.

Then we were very busy with Eric's family for ten days and the hunt for a camera was put on hold. Last week we found one at a great price and Eric ordered it right away. Then we found out it was a bit of a scam (the battery wasn't included and was a very expensive addition), so we canceled the order. Geez Louise!

BUT, I'm writing today to tell you that we've finally had success! Eric got this little baby on Ebay and it arrived last night:

I'm much more excited about this camera (Canon PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital Elph) than I was about the Nikon (CoolPix S220). There are many more setting options and there's an actual view finder (not just an LCD screen), which is awesome in the sun. It's roughly the same size as the Nikon, and that was my favorite feature of that camera. We haven't really given it a good try yet, but I'm sure you'll be seeing some of the results in upcoming posts!

Note: Eric starts the Analytics Program at HBS tomorrow and I started a new job* yesterday. Our lives are about to be very different and very busy. Wish us luck!

*I will continue to update this blog and work on new designs and custom work for Everything Little Miss.

Strybing Arboretum, Chinatown & A Surprise

Sunday morning Eric, Drew, and I headed to breakfast at La Boulange on Columbus Avenue in North Beach.

The three of us shared two pastries and a gigantic bowl of fruit, gourmet granola, yogurt, and honey. I don't know what type of yogurt (maybe greek?) was in that bowl, but believe me when I tell you it was magical! And the honey on top - swoon! It was a marvelous way to start our day.

After that we took a bus across town to Golden Gate Park. I really wanted to visit the Strybing Arboretum & Botanical Gardens (located in the park), so it was great that Drew and Eric were up for it.

I took around 200 photos while we were there, but I'll just share a few here.*

We had lunch nearby at San Tung Chinese Restaurant, because they have the best wings in the city (according to Drew). The food really was delicious, and most of the people in the restaurant seemed to be Chineese (seems like a good sign, right?). After lunch we went back to the gardens for a little bit before catching the bus back toward Drew's apartment.

On the way home we walked through Chinatown, just to check it out. We didn't buy anything, but it's a colorful place to pass through.

That evening we had leftovers and made some fresh coleslaw. Then the boys smoked cigars on Drew's roof (I only stayed for a few minutes because it was freezing).

We were supposed to catch the red-eye home on Sunday night, but our plans changed when Judy called to tell me that Kristen was unexpextedly coming to town Sunday night. I found out on Saturday afternoon, and we rescheduled our flights so that I'd have some time with one of my best friends. We haven't seen Kristen since her wedding, a year and a half ago. Her husband is in the air force, and he's stationed in Okinawa, Japan. They moved there just after the wedding. Originally we'd looked into spending a few days in CA and then going to Japan from there, but we just didn't have the money. Switching our departure date was much more affordable!

At about 9:15 I went to the airport with Bill and Judy to surprise Kristen. She was surprised, but very sleepy. I gave her the biggest hug. :)

*I'm working on an album that will include many more photos of flowers and of our trip in general. I'll let you know when it's ready and you can browse at your leisure.

Note: It's Thursday, so check out today's Lost In Thoughts over at Everything Little Miss!

New Camera

We finally gave in and bought a new point-and-shoot. It's a tad bittersweet, because I really love the old Minolta. Eric got it about 6 years ago (but I bet I've used it more than he has)! It's a great camera, but we never use it anymore because the pictures aren't as sharp as they used to be and the battery doesn't last very long. I'll miss it. We're not throwing it away (yet).

The new Nikon is just about the same width and depth as the Minolta, and that was one of the selling points for me. It's shorter than the old camera, too - perfect for stealth pictures. They didn't have the black one in stock, so we got purple. It's not too flashy, so I like it. We'll see how it goes!

(I used our Canon Digital Rebel to take the pictures.)

Newspaper Baskets

A few weeks ago I was inspired to make a basket out of old newspapers. I got a little carried away, and decided to try to make nesting baskets. It was successful, and I gave the first set to my sister as a birthday gift.

My mom liked them too, so yesterday I made these for her. I worked much faster this time around, because I had a good system. I used some glue to hold the first four strips of paper together. I also glued a strip around the top of each to finish them off nicely. Binder clips are my friends. The Wall Street Journal was my newspaper of choice, but I think any would work. These baskets are surprisingly sturdy, too. There's a tutorial here, if you're interested.

Happy weaving and happy weekend. Enjoy the sun!