In the past 8 years I have moved seven times. Seven. I guess I was restless. I started with my first ever apartment in Bedford Hills NY with who would end up my fiancee` at the time. Then to White Plains, NY then to a house that we bought together after getting married. Sadly, divorce split us up and I moved again to a new apartment--a tiny studio back in Bedford. And then back to the house in Carmel while waiting to sell it. And then back to a third apartment in Bedford. And now...here. My home.
I didn't realize how unsettled I had become and how much of an emotional toll that kind of wandering took on me. With so much moving I didn't amass many possessions. I didn't like holding onto anything for too long because I knew what a strain it would be to pack it up.
But now I feel settled. And in my new home where I've lived for two years I have a few items that have travelled with me from the beginning. Like this little sideboard. My mom found it at a tag sale, much worse for the wear. She brought it home and she and my dad worked to refinish it, strip and polish the hardwear and give it a fresh coat of paint inside and out. I think it may have cost $10.
It is one of my favorite things.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, October 12, 2007
Remember Shruti? Well, I kind of miss him, so I immortalized him in felt! Or, I guess I should say I ATTEMPTED to immortalize him. I've never tried needlefelting, but there are so many beautiful examples of it on Etsy, like this, this or this. Woolpets sells ready made kits with everything you need to make your own little pet. I broke two needles making Shruti. I definitely need practice, but this is definitely a fun, meditative craft. I'll keep you posted on my progress
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
A loyal customer indeed--what better promotion than this?
This is baby Bruno, the brand new, second son of my friend and fellow Etsian Michelle of CicadaStudio. Michelle is into the signs of the zodiac and since Bruno is a Leo, he needed this.
Look at those sweet, chunky arms! Don't you just want to squish him right up?
Thanks for making a cute baby to wear Mew goods, Michelle!
This is baby Bruno, the brand new, second son of my friend and fellow Etsian Michelle of CicadaStudio. Michelle is into the signs of the zodiac and since Bruno is a Leo, he needed this.
Look at those sweet, chunky arms! Don't you just want to squish him right up?
Thanks for making a cute baby to wear Mew goods, Michelle!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Shruti the tiny dinosaur
I found this guy while I was out walking...his shell was dry dry dry with a crusty layer of dirt. There was no water in sight. He was hardly any bigger than a quarter. I can't resist a tiny thing, so I picked the little feller up and carried him home...he tried to scramble a few times, but I promised him a strawberry if he behaved.
He's a baby snapping turtle--someday soon he'll be a giant meanie who might bite your foot off if he's hungry. I put him in a bucket with a touch of water and Dino and I drove him off to the wetlands preserve to give him a new home. I have no interest in keeping a turtle for a pet--especially one that will grow into a beastly dragon in a while!
Soon as we put him in the water he was getting along just "swimmingly". I named him Shruti--and I've been thinking about him all day. I hope I did the right thing.
He's a baby snapping turtle--someday soon he'll be a giant meanie who might bite your foot off if he's hungry. I put him in a bucket with a touch of water and Dino and I drove him off to the wetlands preserve to give him a new home. I have no interest in keeping a turtle for a pet--especially one that will grow into a beastly dragon in a while!
Soon as we put him in the water he was getting along just "swimmingly". I named him Shruti--and I've been thinking about him all day. I hope I did the right thing.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
You should have a holiday party...
Ask Martha Stewart or Rachael Ray for some easy hors d'oevres recipes, hang a few paper pom poms from the ceiling, and have a few cocktails before the guests arrive to keep your stress level at a minimum.
Oh, and use these invitations. Please don't send an e-vite. I will do all the work for you--you just have to seal the envelopes. Can you handle that? Trust me, it's better for both of us this way.
; )
Oh, and use these invitations. Please don't send an e-vite. I will do all the work for you--you just have to seal the envelopes. Can you handle that? Trust me, it's better for both of us this way.
; )
Monday, August 27, 2007
Home Improvements
Yeah, so you know HGTV? They're full of crap. It's nearly impossible...no, it IS impossible to complete any home improvement projects in two days or less. This heft project took us three full working weekends.
The kitchen was a horrendous shade of pickled wood before this...like a nasty pinkish tone. So in phase 1 of renovations we've painted and "distressed" the cabinets to give them that sassy Shabby Chic look.
As we were taking the doors off initially I mentioned, in passing, that it might be insightful of us to mark which doors came from where. But Dino, in his omnipotent confidence found that extranneous. Welllll...such lack of planning led to approximately 394 attempts at rehanging the doors in the right place. I'm no contractor, but once in a while I get a good idea.
Well, the hard part is over and now we have cabinets that we're too nervous about ruining to actually use. The Fantastic bottle is getting a lot of use as i go about chasing finger prints on the doors!
I'll keep you posted as phases 2 (a granite countertop later this month) and 3 (a pressed tin backsplash) progress.
The kitchen was a horrendous shade of pickled wood before this...like a nasty pinkish tone. So in phase 1 of renovations we've painted and "distressed" the cabinets to give them that sassy Shabby Chic look.
As we were taking the doors off initially I mentioned, in passing, that it might be insightful of us to mark which doors came from where. But Dino, in his omnipotent confidence found that extranneous. Welllll...such lack of planning led to approximately 394 attempts at rehanging the doors in the right place. I'm no contractor, but once in a while I get a good idea.
Well, the hard part is over and now we have cabinets that we're too nervous about ruining to actually use. The Fantastic bottle is getting a lot of use as i go about chasing finger prints on the doors!
I'll keep you posted as phases 2 (a granite countertop later this month) and 3 (a pressed tin backsplash) progress.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Oh the Gocco! Oh, oh, oh the Gocco! What fun I had. Thanks to my dear friend Heatherjeany over at Etsy (who's having a kitten of her own soon!) I got the hang of this little device and had a lot of fun playing. I did waste three white onesies trying to get things just so. I really like the way the blue looks on the turquoise top. Have babies, and then make them wear these.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Fa-fa-fa-fuh-reeee!
That's me singing and chanting the joy of the free-ness of this delightful find! They were throwing this sucker away at my office because they got some fancy schmancy new stuff. Well, I've been eyeing these in the Staples catalog--do you know how much they cost new? Well, neither do I exactly, but it's way more than FREE! Now, it's looking a bit pathetic at the moment with only three piles of paper in the slots, but I have a gigantic shipping due in tomorrow or Friday and I will organize the bejeevers out of it! Could you imagine the free-for-all if I could get my hands on one of those p-touch labeler gizmos?
I was twiddling away at my desk with a very specific idea in my head to design something with a fluffy dandelion. It was all figured out, and then that concept was pushed out of my tightly packed brain to make room for this one! I definitely can't keep too much information in there at a time. So instead of a soft, organic dandelion I ended up with these sharp, modern circles that have this weird undulating effect when you look at them--and that's withOUT mind-altering substances. They're a delcious orange color with a soft grey printed on shimmering silver paper. Buy them here. Do it.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Mew is spreading...
Be careful or you'll catch it! This hefty pile of goodies went out early Monday morning for shipping--some to Texas, some to North Carolina and even some to Australia! Every little sale I make via Etsy is such a treat! I love spreading the love! Won't you join me? Tell your friends, tell your sister, tell your boyfriend's sister. If you have time, you can even tell your boyfriend's sister's sister.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Dudes, the WTF Department has been busy!
Well I totally intended the "Updates from the WTF Department" to be a weekly thing, at most. But on my trip to Trader Joe's at lunch today I encountered so much weirdness that it really couldn't wait.
Trader Joe's, if you
don't know, is a kind of small, alterna-market. They have an artist who paints their signs and windows. Well, did I ever learn something about that artist today! LOOK at this picture of little Susie Q. and her mom on the mountaintop! Is it just me or does that knee look dangerously like a giant boner??? Yeah, I thought so. I pointed out my photo to the clerk and he said the artist "sneaks" in naughty images when she can get away with it! They actually had to REMOVE the one with the giant baguette poking northward out of a busy shopper's crotch!!! I got such a huge kick out of this that I felt I needed to share it with you all.
Oh, but it didn't end there. While mindlessly browsing the fruit and giving the white nectarines a squeeze I encountered THIS sassy fella! Oh, that's right, he's a fella, not a lady! Though I bet you chicks wish you had a set of gams like this guy! Yeah. Those are platform peep-toe wedge heels he's sporting.
Ummmm....WTF???
Well I totally intended the "Updates from the WTF Department" to be a weekly thing, at most. But on my trip to Trader Joe's at lunch today I encountered so much weirdness that it really couldn't wait.
Trader Joe's, if you
don't know, is a kind of small, alterna-market. They have an artist who paints their signs and windows. Well, did I ever learn something about that artist today! LOOK at this picture of little Susie Q. and her mom on the mountaintop! Is it just me or does that knee look dangerously like a giant boner??? Yeah, I thought so. I pointed out my photo to the clerk and he said the artist "sneaks" in naughty images when she can get away with it! They actually had to REMOVE the one with the giant baguette poking northward out of a busy shopper's crotch!!! I got such a huge kick out of this that I felt I needed to share it with you all.
Oh, but it didn't end there. While mindlessly browsing the fruit and giving the white nectarines a squeeze I encountered THIS sassy fella! Oh, that's right, he's a fella, not a lady! Though I bet you chicks wish you had a set of gams like this guy! Yeah. Those are platform peep-toe wedge heels he's sporting.
Ummmm....WTF???
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Look What's New at Mew!
Whoa. I kind of forgot that it would be a good idea to keep designing new things. I got stuck on custom orders and went back to yoga and got very distracted! But I'm back, and I made something new for you! I'm pretty sure you all might need a set of these darling notecards with your name on them--or your friend's name. Or if you're feeling good, your boss's name. I'm just sayin'--get a set. The cuteness is unbearable!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
A brief message from the "WTF? department"
In case you're ever in any kind of trouble with your pickles--be it the jar, the juice, the contents, worry not...because now you can get "real help in real time" at pickles.com
Just remember to have the package when calling.
Ummm, are you kidding me?
Just remember to have the package when calling.
Ummm, are you kidding me?
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A Sneak Peek, just for you, loyal readers!
I was almost tempted to say "loyal reader" and address this to my mom, but thanks to M. Lee's daily blog role call I've gotten many more readers. So thanks for that, Mariss!
I'm busy in the studio developing a new Mew holiday line...every day a new idea kind of squirts out. Unfortunately, most of the time, the squirting comes out in the
midst of an important work meeting when I can't get the illos down on paper. I sneak off whenever I can and jot my ideas down--I hope if I'm out one day no one has to go through my notes at my cubicle!
Enjoy the preview...more is coming. These are not posted in my Etsy shop just yet. In fact, I'm going to ask you all to give me your feedback--when will you begin thinking about holiday shopping? And sending holiday cards? And don't give me that "Oh, I'm lucky if I can get the gifts wrapped, let alone the cards sent" bit...I'm onto you! That's why I started early--so there will 
be NO excuse not to touch base with your aunt's third cousin's veterinarian's twin mother's brother in law this Holiday Season!I'm pretending I'm right here...
Instead of in a 5x8 foot cell covered in fabric that could undoubtedly be reused as ace bandages. No, it's not REAL jail, but it's my cubicle at work--close enough. It's grey, gloomy, rainy and humid. Harumph.
This photo was taken last year in early September on Nauset Light Beach on Cape Cod. The kids and families had all gone back to school and the beach was deserted. Stormy weather had just blown through and made the waves aggressive and picturesque. It was a playground for the seals!
Perhaps we'll return this year...
This photo was taken last year in early September on Nauset Light Beach on Cape Cod. The kids and families had all gone back to school and the beach was deserted. Stormy weather had just blown through and made the waves aggressive and picturesque. It was a playground for the seals!
Perhaps we'll return this year...
Monday, July 16, 2007
I'm pretty sure I just joined a cult!
I bought a Gocco. What got into me? I can't read Japanese for one so how the HECK am I gonna know how to use it??? Heatherjeeeeeeany...hellllp meh!
Well, truthfully, everyone in the world of Etsy keeps singing the praises of this jaunty little device so I wanted to give it a shot myself. I have every intention of using it to print some of my favorite Mew characters on fabric. I'm not so sure that I'll ever be using it efficiently enough to do my stationery with it.
But a gal's gotta have an adventure in her life time so what the hey, right?
I bought a Gocco. What got into me? I can't read Japanese for one so how the HECK am I gonna know how to use it??? Heatherjeeeeeeany...hellllp meh!
Well, truthfully, everyone in the world of Etsy keeps singing the praises of this jaunty little device so I wanted to give it a shot myself. I have every intention of using it to print some of my favorite Mew characters on fabric. I'm not so sure that I'll ever be using it efficiently enough to do my stationery with it.
But a gal's gotta have an adventure in her life time so what the hey, right?
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Seriously. I HAVE to go back to Yoga.
As usual, I overslept for work today, but in the early morning I had kind of fomulated my outfit for the day in my head. so I could just leap out of bed into my clothes and out the door basically. Yeah, well...it didn't go so well this morning.
I tried on three--that's right, I said three--different pairs of pants this morning before settling on this raggedy pair from years ago. Those other three that fit me so beautifully earlier this year gave me a camel toe SO BAD I swore could have picked things UP with it!
Sorry if that was too much information. But do you kind of know where I'm coming from? Trying to grow Mew Paper Arts took me out of the yoga studio...and now i have to just stop making excuses and get my butt back in gear.
I tried on three--that's right, I said three--different pairs of pants this morning before settling on this raggedy pair from years ago. Those other three that fit me so beautifully earlier this year gave me a camel toe SO BAD I swore could have picked things UP with it!
Sorry if that was too much information. But do you kind of know where I'm coming from? Trying to grow Mew Paper Arts took me out of the yoga studio...and now i have to just stop making excuses and get my butt back in gear.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
I never leave a market empty-handed...
Well, this past weekend's open market in Providence was lean on sales, but certainly not on excitement! Five minutes into my set up, I was smashed on the head by the display from the booth behind me! Yowser. Poor Marie from Galvinized Headwear felt horrible...we milked her sympathy all day, even though the worst of it was just a goose egg! She sent me home with one of her original handmade headbands to cover it! I made some other fun trades alo
ng the way too. I got this funky bottle of "Roasted Ghosts" and those darling mermaid tags from Darlene of Ursula and Olive in exchange for a pack of Sassy Girl Notecards. And from Melissa of Hobo Camp Crafts (a die hard Harry Potter freak) I got the world's cutest felt scrap birdie pin. She took a pack of book notecards because she said they reminded her of her beloved Hogwart's! Believe it or not, even a stationery designer herself sometimes picks up a card...and I scooped up these two from Pish Posh Design. The luscious scent of black vanilla soap from My Urban Kitchen fills my linen closet.
But best of all...this sweet little bunny necklace. The girls of Mooka & Looka were right beside me and brand new to the market and to selling at all. I saw the bunny first thing and wanted it for myself--Dino's nickname for me is Bunny...how fitting! But by mid day it was gone--sold to someone with a deeper wallet than me. Boo. Later that night when I got into bed and pulled back the covers, there was a tiny kraft paper box with a familiar stamp on it...and inside was the bunny!What a guy, What a guy!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Very soon you'll be able to find some of the Mew Paper Arts collection here at The Wanderlust Boutique. Wanderlust is the brainchild of two fun and funky sisters who were bitten by the travel bug. Meg and Meilani run Wanderlust out of sunny San Diego, Califor-nye-ay. Besides my stationery, you can find delicious jewelry, home accents, bath and body products and more unique goodies from all around the world.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
I'll be back at the Providence Open Market this coming Saturday, June 30th. If you're in the area, stop on by--you won't be disappointed by all the delicious handmade goodness at every booth!
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