Saturday, October 31, 2009

'tis the season to go a-hauntin' falalalala-lalalala!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! this is one of my favourite holidays and until last night, my usual excitement had waned.
but, now i have hocus pocus and charlie brown and the great pumpkin on a loop on the tv; and weeell, on my quest for the materials to make miss ade's and my costume this year (we are going as rorschach tests), i found a bunch of fabulous decorative things for major sale prices. i decorated my house for fall for $13!! love it!
thanks to ade's patience, the rorschach shirts turned out really great! so, the picture above is seven dressed as Max from where the wild things are; and the picture below is well...what do you see?

until next time pumpkins,

lu



Friday, October 30, 2009

shove a tissue up my nose and call it a day.

*achoo!* good mordig freds. 'tis friday ad ib id hour 36 of allergyfest '09. things i have learned from this little severe allergy attack:
1. turbo allergy medicine and long talks with your boss on the phone at 10 o'clock at night equals awkward. i felt like david hasselhoff in that video his daughter took of him drunkenly eating that burger. ew. except i was eating scalloped potatoes.
2. i can write a bitter haiku before coffee! cool, who knew?
a haiku:

my eyes are itchy
what am i allergic too?
oh yeah, florida.

more to come later. happy friday to all!
adieu,
lu

Thursday, October 29, 2009

recap

good morning friends! 'tis thursday and seven and i did our first mama/puppy workout at the lake this morning. he did pretty darn good even if it took us nearly 40 minutes to do 1.2 miles. little bud is pooped. he doesn't even have the energy to play with the ball this morning. but he did meet a lovely standard poodle who thought he was the bee's knees; and he did his best to pee on every pole, trash can, bench, and shrub at the lake, so he has already had a pretty big day. in fact, i'm concerned he's a little dehydrated after all that tinkling.
last night was a wonderful lazy/productive night. we carved our pumpkin (seven gave feedback from the couch while i carved the pumpkin actually), did two loads of laundry, watched practical magic twice (guilty pleasure alert), and tooled around on the interwebs. it was delightful. i am hoping for a similar night tonight as well.
i would rather not go out and do anything at all in the next few nights (even halloween). i have been in a really solitary place lately; but i have already committed to going to a halloween party so i will go and have fun. i think little bud may still be fast asleep by then.
adieu for now,
lu

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

spoiled rotten

my awesome pumpkin, my first to-be jack o' lantern at the funky little shack was, sadly rotten inside. but what did this little witch do? she made lemonade...or whatever the comparitive thing would be with a rotten pumpkin, and i carved it anyway! hahaha halloween gremlins! i win again!
i don't know why my jack o' lanterns always end up looking so friendly. i did try to make him look like jack skellington from nightmare before christmas. well, anyway... heeeeeere's jack!


for the history behind the mutilation of gourds on all hallows eve... www.history.com/content/halloween/the-jack-o-lantern/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern i love the history channel, don't you?!

can you say that again? into my good ear, please!

though i am in a better place today...i still need a little cheering up and inspirational ooomph to get me through the day. so i went looking for what everybody? that's right! quotes.
i am a little predictable. (say that five times fast)

To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says:"Leave no stone unturned." ~Edward Bulwer Lytton

Every artist was first an amateur. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

No great man ever complains of want of opportunities. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
(or woman, ralphie!)

The power of imagination makes us infinite. ~John Muir

First say to yourself what you would be;and then do what you have to do. ~Epictetus

pleasant nothingness

good morning friends! 'tis wednesday i think. halloween is just around the corner and i have a gourd on my balcony just asking for a new face.
i am in a slightly better place today for one very special reason. i get to be home by myself tonight. i have put off doing laundry for FAR too long and i have it separated into 7 bags on my bedroom floor. guess who needs to pick up a roll of quarters after work today? yeeeah...
seven and i have big plans for the next 24 hours. cleaning and laundry of course, the grocery store, the pumpkin carvin', then we are going to get up early and walk around lake ella together. this will be the first attempt at putting seven near a herd of fugly muscovy ducks but i am hoping that it will be successful.
in the meantime, i will be at work. i hope you guys all have a night of pleasant nothingness this evening as well.
much love!
lu

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

lu's tues blues

today is a misty, rainy, dark day here in the sunshine state. it makes me want to make grilled sammiches and soup. well, i kind of want that every day.
i am feeling rather "under" today. i am not in a bad mood per se but very thinky. i am craving some time for my mind to spread out. perhaps i will make sure i take that time for myself this week. i need it.
my mind is white noise and a busy subway station. a million different thoughts buzzing around but i cannot seem to see or hear any one of them in particular.
hmmm...family night oughtta help tonight. i'll get a little food in my belly and some visiting in, but i can already tell i will be looking forward to crawling into my bed tonight.
well, 'til next time, kiddos!
lu

pour myself a cup of ambition

good morning friends. 'tis tuesday and i am not looking forward to going into work today. i overdid the laziness on my days off and now wish i had a day off to be productive. i reckon, that's what i will be doing on wednesday night.
i was punched in the gut by the urge to work on some career evolution stuff yesterday. and what did i see when i opened one of my favourite maggies this morning? an article and website devoted to that very idea. don't you love serendipity?
answer the questions at http://www.primarycolorassessment.com/ to find where your "strengths dovetail".
check out "condensed internships" that last days to weeks at http://www.vocationvacation.com/
or go to http://www.self.com/ and see some of the information they have on the subject.
here's to us today!
more later, lovelies!
lu

Sunday, October 25, 2009

something to remember- a very short story


It was one of those moments that he knew as it was happening; he would always look back on. The way the light was diffused by the oak leaves and Spanish moss; the deep chill in the air. She didn’t have a jacket so he let her wear his and he pretended that he wasn’t the least bit cold. He knew the jacket would smell like her later. Like almonds and the potions that ladies use.
This was her favourite weather. It reminded her of being a child. She sang folk songs and talked about old t.v. shows. Everything was bright and cold and seemingly new. She pulled the sleeves of his jacket over her hands and slipped her thumbs through the gap where the cuffs were buttoned. She kept feeling him look at her and she kept looking at the ground and the trees.
They walked together for hours.
Of course, years later, he would often repaint that day in his mind. Each time it became brighter, more colourful, more tactile; every sensory experience more intense. She often thought of it as well, when her life had become hectic and she could escape into the peaceful safety of that memory. Where they were always young, and feeling alive happened every day; a place where they are always walking together in the woods.


written by: l. carpenter 10/25/09

hello, my name is lulu and i am addicted to magazines.

good morning friends! 'tis sunday, the day of rest and little buddy and i have already been on our walk (albeit a rather shorter one than usual). it is now time for coffee, bacon, and raspberries...oh! and magazines!
there are two very specific addictions that my mother and i share. bookstores and magazines. oh! those shiny pages of promise; the comfort of our little typefaced worlds.
magazines are for us, like a little monthly brainstorm of awesome ideas and new recipes. as you may (or may not remember) i am STILL grieving the loss of Domino magazine last march. of all the things to disintegrate in this economy why OH WHY did it have to be Domino? i lament this sad fact at least once a week. *sigh*
i hit up two bookstores yesterday just because. i went home with two of my favourite maggies. Real Simple and Self. let me tell you a little something about decadence...staying in on a crisp autumn evening, pumpkin spice candles lit, funny movie on netflix, and two fabulous magazines to sift through.
it's the simple things right? guess who is rereading them this morning? yeeaaah...
enjoy your day, lovelies!
lu

Saturday, October 24, 2009

dream a little dream with me

i have a guilty pleasure to acknowledge. i love all things skymall & hammacher schlemmer.

i can honestly say i swipe them from planes every time i travel. i love the optimism of these catalogs. the promises they make. in reality i understand that 95% of this stuff is absolute crap that may or may not work but is mainly marketed toward people with a whole lot of money and waaaaaay too much time on their hands. but i cannot help but pretend i am one of those people sometimes. i like to daydream about how easy my imaginary life is with all these fabulous inventions at my disposal to make my breezy life just that tiny bit easier.

for example:

when the fortune 500 hubby is at work, and the kids are off at prep school, i would be taking leisurely strolls on my fabulous new england estate; stopping ever so often to spy the fauna of the area or perhaps an incoming yacht on my personal stretch of the atlantic ocean with this lovely walking stick with telescope.
and when i am sitting at the island of my 500 square foot kitchen in my exquisite beach front estate while my united colors of benneton model children are running around with their nanny/personal trainer and my professional chef is making me my 3 calorie gourmet dinner, i play with this; a digital rubiks cube. because life's too short for analog!

adieu for now,

lu

efficiency expert

good morning lovelies! 'tis saturday morning and i've been up for almost 3 hours already. walked the buddy, walked around the lake, went to the grocery store, went by the shop, now i'm making breakfast and enjoying a truly magnificent cup of coffee.
my horoscope keeps mentioning that i will be in this philosophical place for a while but that today in particular, my decision-making skills in all things pragmatic are a little fuzzy and to hold off on anything concrete. could it be more accurate?!
my head is a great big dust bunny today. something is in there but it's wafting around like styrofoam peanuts. if i were at work this would probably be an issue. but today i am off work and so proud of myself for getting so much done before 8:30 a.m.
i have learned since getting my first solo place, that i truly am a morning person. i love to watch the sun come up and tool around running errands. i especially love it now that it's so dark in the mornings. the sun wasn't up until 7:30, so i just reveled in the cold, breezy, dark morning. so fabulous!
i think one of the reasons my head is so fuzzy today is because i have been thinking about the past a lot lately. no particular reason, just reminiscing. i think it's probably the fall weather. it makes my senses come alive and triggers memories. so, that's where i am today, folks. sifting through the styrofoam peanuts in my head. maybe i'll find something cool...
enjoy this day, friends!
lu

Friday, October 23, 2009

ramble on

good morning friends! happy friday! i am rather excited that that actually means something to me this weekend for i am off saturday through monday! i am very much looking forward to lots of laundry (that i put off doing last night) and vacuuming, grocery stores, browsing through some thrift stores, washing a certain dirty little pup, and all round just enjoying the days off and the season. maybe senor mas and i could go to my favourite diner and a movie. hmmm...
i have been feeling the need to write lately, so i may just have to roll out the olivetti and hammer away at some ideas too.
i love the possibilities!
i had a rather angsty/existential day yesterday (a few days actually) and thankfully am feeling a little better today. caught up with some old friends on spacebook last night which was super fun. one girl lives in bangkok, another guy lives in massachusetts, another in savannah. it further fueled my fire for a relocation. my horoscope warned me i would be like this for about another month. woah.
hope you are having a beautiful day, lovelies!
lu

Thursday, October 22, 2009

li'l note

guten tag, friends. 'tis thursday and i am working toward the simple pleasure of having the evening free.
i have a little organizing to do and A LOT of laundry. so exciting, i know! but, i am focusing my tunnel vision on getting through the next 9 hours so that i can dance around the house, listening to some tom waits (whatever that means about the mood i am in) and reveling in the comforts of my funky little shack.
maybe i will get a little creative too.
hope your thursdays are lovely!
lu

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

chowder time!

well, tonight i made the first batch of the season. corn & sausage cheddar chowder, a take on a recipe from one of my mom's cookbooks.

ingredients:
1 cup chicken broth
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream style corn
1 can evaporated milk


1 package of turkey sausage (my preference, use what you like)
1/2 or so of a medium onion (your choice, i like vidalia)

a couple of large potatoes (used fingerlings this time with pretty darn good results) washed, skinned and cubed.


cook the taters in one pot while you caramelize the onions and brown the sausage in another pan.

once the taters are done, throw all of it into a big pot and sprinkle with basil. throw in a little cheddar if'n you want. the sharper the better! it's good the first night, it's exponentially better the next night, so this is one of those you could just make in advance and eat throughout the week. well...that's what i do. get some artisan bread from the bakery, one that's good for sopping. it's a great cold-weather snuggle & soppin' kind of food.
mmmmmm....mmmmmmmmmm!

enjoy my friends!
lu

gut check

what is normal? is there such a thing? are acceptable or tolerable considered to be equivalent gages for "normal"?
i know that i do things differently. i wear unusual outfits and have a fondness for feathered chapeaus. i talk in funny voices, and make up bizarre songs then sing them to my dog. i openly exist (meaning embarrassing and public failures are not foreign concepts to me).
all of this factored in with my background and what is considered "normal" can become blurry. in theory at least.
in reality, my gut tells me when something is not right. i can always tell by my gut. every time i ignore it, things go awry.
so here i am today, fighting with it once again. i am wanting to make something "normal" that simply is not.
*sigh* here we go again!
adieu for now, lovelies!
lu

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

running late again

good morning friends! 'tis tuesday and i, of course, have slept late (love these cold, dark mornings) and burned the first attempt at breakfast. yet, life is good. i have a happy little puppy, a big ole cup of coffee and a senor mas buried somewhere in a mountain of blankets.
we had a creepy movie marathon last night that consisted of a bizarre jim henson muppet movie about russian faerie tales and the twilight zone movie with dan ackroyd (i am a ridiculously big fan of dan ackroyd).
what a hilarious evening. it's a good thing i laughed a lot last night because this is going to be a really long week.
oh! before i complain about work again let me tell you about the most ridiculously bad/awesome movie we watched the other night. A Promise Kept: The Oksana Baiul Story. it is sooooooo very bad that it makes showgirls look like a spielberg masterpiece and in and of itself could be a drinking game. i couldn't stop watching it. like a train wreck on ice. some kind of fabulous. alas, i haven't been able to find a clip to show you guys but if you are in tally and have cable like senor mas does, then it was on channel 256.
that's my gift to you, friends.
triple axel,
lu

Monday, October 19, 2009

pontificatin'

hola mondayers. it's well, monday, and i have been a rather busy worker bee. i am at the shop solo today (surprise surprise) and preparing for the hurricane that is decorating for christmas (since i plan on being unavailable the weekend the bosses plan to take this on).
this is day 2 of project "get the store in order" and i am rather proud of the progress i have made.
it is a little silly the sick gratification i get from organizing. so much so, that i am not nearly as bitter as i usually am when i get left to run the store without help.
i had a remarkably irritating woman in the store today asking me all sorts of questions about well...everything. personal, work-related, shopping questions etc. she kept listing cities i should try to move to amongst other things and my variety of hand-waved answers got me thinking about the concept of chronic discontent.
now, i am a pretty optimistic person most of the time but i can't say that i don't expect the worse in a lot of situations sometimes. i think that is my superstitious nature...prepare yourself for the worse because expectations are fickle beasts that go whichever way they choose (and i don't necessarily take disappointment well).
so here i am today. pricing christmas gifts two months ahead of time and pondering the great cobweb-laced pieces of furniture that decorate my brain.
am i really capable of doing these things i imagine? can i solidly stand behind every decision i make? is that why it is so hard for me to make decisions sometimes?
woah woah woah, there! i think i need a pastry. hope there is a lot less static in your brains today, kiddos!
adieu for now,
lu

Sunday, October 18, 2009

phone booth

good morning, friends! 'tis sunday. senor mas and i are having one of our marathon food/movie/chill days. so nice! the weather is still delightfully chilly. too chilly to ride on the stella, so says senor mas. oh well, maybe on my next day off.
today there are all kinds of things bobbing around in my head. mostly feelings of protectiveness. perhaps being an only child, i feel that my friends are mine and that no one else can have them but me. this is not an overwhelming feeling but it basically boils down to the fact that i get really protective over my friends if one of them gets wounded by someone else.
i am fairly logical person and realize also that no one belongs to me. but, in my little noggin, i put on my cape and leotard whenever someone insults or hurts the feelings of the people i love. not that i can do anything but be there for those i love. i'm no kung-fu master or jedi or anyone remotely threatening to anyone else. but, i still do my stretches and stand there with my hands on my hips surveying the skyline and waiting for the lu signal to go up in the sky.
just know friends of mine, even if i have to clark kent it, i still want to be superman for all y'all.
adieu for now,
lu

Saturday, October 17, 2009

viva octubre!

good saturday friends! i am still a tad under the weather but worked anyway today. i am glad to be home and snuggled up with my little man. the breezes are a blowin' here in tally and taunting us all with the concept of constant cool weather. though, alas it will most likely be in the 80's again here soon...i'm still going to pretend it will stay this way for as long as i possibly can.

tonight i am adding to the etsy store. i have been so slack in updating. i have all of these goodies just sitting around the house looking at me. so on the storefront tonight are the elf shoes i mentioned yesterday, and this awesome little sewing box i found. check it out if you get the time and feel free to email me any suggestions to make the store better (other than just spending more time working on it...because i know that deepdown inside already). www.tothineownselfbelu.etsy.com



enjoy this flippin' awesome fall weather!!! me? oh, i'm getting in my jamjams and watching movies with seven. adieu for now!

xoxo

lu

Friday, October 16, 2009

friday of champions

1. been home fighting the good fight (i.e. sleeping and watching movies on my computer) for 1 1/2 days. going a little stir crazy but just exhausted enough to sleep that away.



2. can't believe i'm sick for the premiere of where the wild things are. senor mas and i have been looking forward to this since april. we're going to have to go this weekend no matter what!



3. thai food. thank the heavens for lemongrass, cashew chicken, and dumplings on a night like tonight (and for senor mas who went and picked it up for me...i'm too sickly and stinky to be in public).



4. it's cool out!!! finally!!! it's in the upper 50's low 60's which is a feat in october in tally. so wonderful! here come the open windows and doors (and pneumonia)!



5. here's a little sneak peak at one of the goodies soon to be up on etsy. my fabulous super bazaar (get it?) moroccon/egyptian/elf shoes that i found whilst thrifting about one day. i'm pretty sure they are handmade too. love these little weird pointy shoes. hope someone does too (for halloween maybe!).




i hope your fridays are infinitely better dear friends! i promise more items of note in the future.
adieu for now,
lu

Thursday, October 15, 2009

jueves. i wish thursday didn't sound like eggs.


good morning friends! thursday it is. tired i am. immune system must use the force and go into intergalactic battle.


i've had a few successes that have nothing to do with the ickies i feel today.


1. i made my first ever crockpot chili last night and it was AMAZING.


2. i had a friend over to share said chili and got lots of visiting in.


3. i bought my step-dad a rad (if not a little indulgent) gift for christmas. i paid a little over what i wanted to, but it is from the forties and pretty darn cool. he's really hard to get presents for!


4. i slept for nine hours (told you i didn't feel good) and though, having weird and adventurous dreams isn't a success...it sure was amusing.


5. i am remaining as optimistic as possible and making note of a few very important things. captain vague i know, but that's just how it be!
enjoy your thursday, lovelies.
xoxo
lu

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

the impossible shirt now made possible

to anyone that doesn't check my facebook page (and who wouldn't want to do that?!); here is the picture i posted of the solution to my impossible shirt query. thanks to several awesome suggestions and a brand-spankin' new pair of fabulous leather boots, this case is now closed.

thanks guys!

slowly findin' the groove again


good morning lovelies! 'tis wednesday and i had a night filled with crazy, if not interesting dreams.

in one i was friends with zooey deschenal and was trying to find a way to tell her that her boyfriend was a jerk (not the guy she just married in real life). in another i was a former child star (used to be on roseanne) and elton john was dressed as her for halloween in a black and red sequined outfit and i was in overalls saying "i have never loved sequins as much as i do right now, elton."

i woke up laughing. which was awesome but i was supposed to get up at 5:30 this morning to go walking with a friend of mine. want to know what happened? i took a 1/3 of tylenol pm last night. one-third! and was zonked out. woke up at 5:30 already dressed in my workout clothes (otherwise there was NO way i would have gone), slipped on my socks and nearly ran into the wall. had to text her and say loopty-lu wouldn't be making it. frown. but we have rescheduled and all is right. slept late, i'm making breakfast, have a sweet little pup by my side, and a blessed hour left before i have to go to the shop.

i hope you dreams and your days are beautiful!

xo

lu
p.s. that up there? that's the hashbrown scramble with mushrooms, broccoli, and tomatoes from sunrise cafe in savannah, ga. some kind of yummy! and yes i photographed my breakfast.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

back in the shack


i took the evening off of all things social to help myself regroup from the vacation; or more accurately to regroup from the housesitting > vacation > bear of a catch-up day at work.

here i am, at the funky little shack... giddy beyond belief, listening to pandora, hanging up clothes, checking emails, loading pictures. what a fabulous night!

somehow seven got funnier and cuter since i left for my trip because when i came home i was thisclose to putting him in a baby bjourn and taking him to work with me (which i always say i'll do and one of these days i will! don't tempt me further).

despite the stress that my horoscope warned me of in regard to work today (which i didn't read until 3/4 of the day had passed and yes, it was once again eerily accurate); i am happy. i am beyond delighted to be home and unpacked. i haven't relaxed properly at home since september 19th! no more of that, friends. this ole hermit is glad to be back in her pretty little shell.

well, lovelies, i missed writing to you every day. that may be silly but it's nice that there is a big hypothetical diary-like ear at my disposal. ew. that could have been described better i think.

adieu for now, friends!

lu
p.s. this is the picture i took of chapel hill at dusk on saturday night.

she's baaaaaack!


alright friends, i'm back! i actually got back sunday afternoon but have been so out of it that i haven't written anything. so, quick summary:

1. the cowboy junkies show was rad and i got to hang out with a couple of them for a brief, but cool skinny minute.

2. durham makes me want to hurl but chapel hill and carrboro are really fun places to visit.

3. i spent more money than i allotted for this trip but took home some gems (including a new pair of delicious boots).

4. Nana's has the most delicious eggplant ratatouille this side of the mississip.

5. it is a crying shame that we don't have autumn like everyone else does. it was so good for my psyche to stroll through the historic districts (in a jacket!) while leaves twirled around me.

6. driving home 11 hours straight solo can make a girl a little loopy!

more to come, because homegirl has some photos to share!

xoxo

lu

Thursday, October 8, 2009

countdown!

in six hours i will be en route to savannah, georgia thus beginning my long-awaited vacation. come to find out there is a possibility i will get to see cowboy junkies in carrboro if i play my cards right. i'm creating quite the long list of places i MUST go to and am getting rather excited about my adventure.
i have to admit, i'm a little sad not to share it with anyone (senor mas in particular because autumn road trips are our thing) but being an only child, i have no qualms about solo-ing it all weekend long.
i reckon i'm not alone really, not when i have jane honda. she's got new shoes, new brakes, just got the ole superlube treatment, and is relatively clean too. i love the road trip prep.
seven is off with his dad. i am a tad pathetic when it comes to leaving seven for any reason. my little behbeh. i miss him already!! i even took a picture of him this morning so i can look at it when i miss him. ridiculous. i know.
well, friends, for now that is it. any last minute suggestions for the trip, let me know. i am going to try to get online at some point this weekend and post if i can.
wish me luck!
pleasant energy is being sent to you courtesy of lulu and jane honda!
adieu for now, friends!
lu

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

the impossible shirt

okay...so i have a girlie question. more accurately, a fashion question. i have a new addition to my wardrobe and it has all my colours, is soft & cozy, and long (midthigh-length t-shirt tunic). one problem...i have NO frickin' clue what or how to wear it and not look wide or short or lumpy. a few weeks ago someone did a call & response blog for a fashion quandary similar to mine.
i am sending the same quandary out there to y'all...help me figure out how to wear this impossibly comfortable shirt!

home & away

well, la-tee-da! seven and i are back at the funky little shack fixing breakfast and coffee and playing ball. it feels so good to be home. even though the place is a little bit of a wreck, it's still mine. kind of like my psyche...
today is wednesday. i will hit the ground running in a little over an hour work nonstop for 8 hours, and then fall up the stairs to my abode and prepare for my weekend vacation that starts tomorrow at 5:30!
i am a little scared to do this trip by myself, even though i've driven on dozens of looooong trips before all by my lonesome, just never for a solo vacation. it's going to be an adventure and i think it will be a lot of fun. i need to do some more research before i go so i'm not wandering around totally unprepared.
so far i've only researched vintage shops and bookstores because, well, i have a sickness when it comes to those two things.
restaurants i never worry about because you just watch where the local license plates are parked and that almost always indicates the best food. my bosses, however, have pulled a string or two to get me dinner at two restaurants (owned by one of the bosses' stepbrother). i'm excited about that. i could eat my way through just about any city and i pretty much have.
i'm most looking forward to drinking coffee in the morning and people watching, though. i'll be thinking lots of thinky thoughts that will most likely make it into a post or two.
i hope your day is lovely!
adieu for now,
lu

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

day 17!

what's up kids? we are chuggin' along through the week at a nice clip, eh? it is a stormy tuesday here.
today is my last official day housesitting and i, despite being rather tired today, could not be happier to trodge through the rain if it means i get to go to my house tonight (after family dinner of course).
yesterday was somewhat of a challenge, i have to admit. i was, for lack of a better term, a bitch on wheels. it wasn't because of anything in particular but stress had a big hand in it. stress and disorganization. alas, that was yesterday; today is today!!!
i haven't gotten any pictures of my new goodies for the shop yet because of being in transition. the camera is packed, the goodies are packed, the laptop is at the funky little shack. hey, that rhymed. cool.
needless to say, i will be photographing said goodies this week. i am excited to put them up on etsy. i haven't added anything in a month!
oh well, i am feeling pretty good today and i hope that you are having a wonderful rainy day as well.
adieu for now,
lu

Monday, October 5, 2009

i can't think of a clever title today

good morning! 'tis monday. it is a rainy autumn day here and i am so near to being done with housesitting that all i can do is daydream about all i am going to do on the one night i will be back there this week.
that's right. i move back in this week, then turn around and leave on thursday afternoon for my big vacation! i have booked a couple of nights in durham, north carolina and will be spending the upcoming weekend checking out the city as well as chapel hill and carrboro.
although i am a little nervous about spending the whole weekend in a strange city (or three), i am very excited because i love traveling and going to new and different places.
as for everything else, i am having a happy and creative/inspiring month thus far. i am a little grumpy today though i am not exactly sure why (probably hormones once again). every customer is annoying the you know what out of me and i would like to be at home crossing things off of my to-do list.
oh well. gotta make that money, you know?!
adieu for now, friends...more interesting tidbits to come later (i hope).

Saturday, October 3, 2009

sabado dinero

i went a little nuts today. i went to yard sales, goodwill, hades (otherwise known as the mall), and our local art park downtown.
i spent some money.
i found the most amazing things for the etsy store (if i don't keep them all for myself!) and some much needed clothing items (t-shirts for fun, corduroy jacket and belts for practicality).
throw in a feathered hat and a framed bette midler album and i officially retire the credit card before it starts weeping and begging me to freeze it.
this is what saturdays are for, right? i've been missing out! stay tuned to see the goodies i got when i post them to the shop...
now, i'm relaxing; watching 9 to 5 and about to enjoy a magnificent glass of wine.
i hope your saturday has been lovely as well (if not more fiscally responsible).
adieu for now, friends!
lu

Friday, October 2, 2009

you ain't seen nuthin'...

good morning octoberites! another beautiful day, another gorgeous cup of coffee. aaaahhhhh. (not to be confused with AAAAAHHHH!)
i tried a new culinary project last night with mixed results (and just realized i never took a picture of it to post, darnit!). i made corn muffins with cream cheese/honey "frosting", a dried apricot soaked in wine and sauteed with crispy bacon crumbled on top.
this one has a lot of facets that could go awry. unfortunately, the easiest part, the corn muffin, i didn't quite get right!
so for the next attempt i have to get my corn muffins (hee hee) more moist and delicious, then i'll master the cream cheese "frosting" and reconsider the fruit. alone the apricot was delicious but it may be too much going on. i don't know, i'm not known for external simplicity...so the apricot may stay.
i hope you guys could follow that, my coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet and i surely need it.
have a spectacular friday, friends!
adieu,
lu

Thursday, October 1, 2009

who could ask for anything more?

IT'S FALL!!!! sort of... happy first day of october and thank the heavens it is wonderfully in the 60's today (unfortunate high of 85 but i'm refusing to actually accept that)!

i am mulling over the projects i would like to accomplish this month. i have some fantastic craft books that i feel like sifting through.

here's a few ideas i'm thinking of right now (subject to change because well, i'm me!)

1. making recycled paper bowls.

2. making felt slippers/moccasins.

3. i have been inspired by an artist on etsy (surprise) who makes wreaths out of yarn and fabric. http://www.knockknocking.etsy.com/ $50
i don't want to rip off her idea, but i want to do a lulu version of this. i have so much fabric in my house and broken bits and baubles. some left-of-center wreaths may be just what the psyche ordered! hey, it's worth a shot, right? and isn't this fabulous?!?

4. i have a photographic project in mind for a few people on my christmas list...

*autum is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower* ~albert camus

happy day to you and yours!