Monday, February 28, 2011

cash

sheesh. budget crisis. i couldn't figure out for the life of me that with my careful budgeting, we were soo terribly scrapped by the end of this month. like wowsy wowserman scrapped.
then i remembered. a couple of weeks ago i had withdrawn 15 days worth of grocery money and had it in my pocket to stow away at the house later that evening. then, somehow, i lost it. send some positive money energy our way! this is silly and unfortunate.
more to come.
adieu,
lu

Saturday, February 26, 2011

bride & broom


as many of you have discovered upon reading my rather scattered exploits, i have widespread interests and inklings (some would even go so far as to say schizophrenic).
one thing i love (besides old-fashioned counting machines, architect's chairs and boltable table pencil sharpeners) are really good brooms. it sounds silly, i know, but try living with an under-achieving broom and tell me how you feel. nothing is quite so marvelously good as a quality sweeping accoutrement.
there are a kajillion broom makers on my favourite online market, etsy. but i found broomchick the other day and just fell in love with some of the brooms she has, so i thought i'd share it with y'all!
enjoy this gorgeous day!
adieu,
lu

Friday, February 25, 2011

an artist's dozen

i have finally gotten enough paper made that i can post the bundles on the shop! i'm totally cabbage-patching for my productivity right now. makes it hard to type. heh. anyway, i wanted to share my pretty paper with y'all because well...i'm tickled and i'm a little proud.
so, the paper is being sold by the bundle. our orleans apothecary artist's dozen and half-dozen (14 and 7 pages, respectively). we have discovered, quite by accident that the thicker pieces (pictured above) are awesome for watercolors, acrylics, paint markers, and ink as well as for arts & crafts and stationery.

so friends, please check out the shop, here and tell your friends!
adieu for now,
lu

Thursday, February 24, 2011

snappy

a snappy little ditty found courtesy of yes and yes.


adieu for now,
lu

single white feline

warning: it's a teeny bit naughty (not too bad), in case you have youngins around and/or are at work.


heh. bad kitteh. i love the bbc!
more to come!
adieu,
lu

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

she's around the corner


spring, that is. i was so tickled by the gorgeous weather today that after spending several hours outside, i came in and made a treasury on etsy celebrating it! bloom room. check it out!
~lu

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

good news & plums

there isn't really that much new going on with me personally this week. not yet anyway (it is only tuesday after all). i'm working on the shop a lot, trying to keep those wheels a-spinnin' and needing to make more paper. i have a feeling i will be spending the afternoon covered in paper pulp. not a bad way to spend it though, i must say.
on an unrelated note, the new optimist almanac project is a very rewarding one. it is also a little bit exhausting. do you know how hard one has to look to find ANY GOOD NEWS in the world?! it's almost like they print the bad stuff on purpose. like good things aren't newsworthy or something. *le sigh* there are a few other sites devoted to good news and i'll be reading ours and theirs until my news-gathering panic attack subsides.
heh. i digress.
the weather is beautiful. the sunshine is perfectly warm and welcoming. a giant cup of tea and a fresh plum are calling me and i have creative things to do. yay!
enjoy this beautiful day, friends!
~lu

new to you!

new items up at the shop!

barbary bo -a story of the barbary pirates. by reginald wright kauffman, 1929. pirates!!!
the short stories of james. t. farrell, 1943.
vintage bread box...groovy, no?

adieu for now!
~lu

Monday, February 21, 2011

good news

we have a new project!
so, i have mentioned before our shop, and shop blog: Orleans Apothecary. well, for a while now mr. n and i have discussed (sort of in jest) the concept of the Good News Daily. an idea stemming from a snippet of a favourite television show about creating a newspaper that only prints good news.
well, we needed to keep our positivity in check this weekend. we searched for the Good News Daily, thinking that we could start a blog with that name. alas, it was taken (and didn't do the trick) when we went a-lookin' for it the other day.
long story short, we decided to make our own online newspaper that's called: Optimist Almanac. it opened yesterday and if anyone wants a daily dose of good news, heartwarming stories and all-around positivity, then check it out. we'd love to see you.
have a beautiful day!
adieu for now,
lu

Sunday, February 20, 2011

gratefuls

1. our seventh sale on Orleans Apothecary.
2. the hubbins. he makes me laugh all the time. it's rad.
3. always sunny in philadelphia.
4. the lovely warm but still cool pre-spring weather we've been having lately.
5. my really pretty wedding china. it's by simon pearce. we have the cavendish and corinth mixed together. i smile every time i use it.
6. my lil pup, seven. he's a cute little button.
7. gorgeous, peaceful sundays. perfection.

more to come!
adieu,
lu

Friday, February 18, 2011

and a little somefin from o.a.


and in case you haven't checked it out in a while, friends. the shop is looking really cute. we finally have up some of mr. n's artwork on my handmade paper too. yay! have a peek, if you so desire: Orleans Apothecary.

sunshine through my window




the sunlight through my bedroom window, tuesday morning. isn't it just lovely? so bright. you can't really tell from the picture but it had lit up the whole room in a really warm pinkish light (from the bark cloth window panels).
anyway, it's another gorgeous almost spring day in tallahoohoo; and though i love a good rainy day, i am enjoying all of the sunshine. i hope it doesn't last too too long though because the drought is getting a little ridiculous.

i hope today is lovely for you friends, and that you have a beautiful weekend as well!
more to come!
~lu

Thursday, February 17, 2011

project update

so far from my list of 29 things to do while i am 29, this is what hath been accomplished:

1. i've read two books and i'm on to the third. that's right. two books in a week. i'm proud of myself too.
2. i've been meditating every night, though i fell asleep mid-meditation one night this week.
3. i've been writing every day in my journal. no real witty insights or clever prose. i have a bit of a mental block in journal keeping. workin' on that.
4. i picked up a few supplies for the rag rug makin'. i thought it might be fun to make a rag basket too.
5. i have been creatively writing every day for a minimum of 7 minutes. i usually write a little longer than that because i'm enjoying it so much. that is a nice change. i have fallen in love with the little world i have been creating and keep diving further and further into it.

that's all i've gotten so far. i'm working on getting paper made for the handmade book but i keep making paper for art projects instead. heh. oh well!

more to come. adieu for now!
~lu

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

boring stuff and sunshine

i'm on a productive kick, thank goodness. i somehow managed to make twelve pieces of paper last night (have the sore shoulder to prove it). that takes care of two of the bundles we will be delivering to our first two artists for a shop project we are working on (yay!).
today i'm plowing through my to-do list at a respectable clip. i've been "at work" at the ole home office for 50 minutes and have already made advances in some of my more daunting tasks.
the rest of the morning will be devoted to the more physical tasks on my list. this is all very interesting to you all, i am sure. yawn.
but despite all of the rambling on of not-so-interesting life details, i do want to take a second to talk about the sun. that's right, the sun. the big swirling pretty tangerine in the sky. lately it has been a focal point for me (as has the moon, interestingly enough. but that's another post). all of mr. n's artwork have featured little swirling suns (they always do actually but, i've been noticing it more since we added them to the shop). the sunlight has been peeping in through my windows more lately. i reckon because of the changing of the seasons and all...but it sort of took me by surprise this week. it's usually pitch-black when we leave to take mr. n to work in the mornings. today it was a periwinkle blue dawn. lovely.
last night we took a stroll around a nearby "lake" as the sun was setting and it was just magnificent. today my office is striped in sunlight pouring in from the vertical blinds. yes, we have vertical blinds and yes, i am aware we do not live in the 1970's.
my tulips are blooming, my wheatgrass is tall, my clementine seeds are germinating and i'm feeling good.
nothing beats seasonal affective disorder like a little mid-february sunshine. it's just a beautiful, priceless thing.
adieu for now,
lu

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Orleans Apothecary original paper & artwork!

new original artwork up at the shop. Rain Dance.
~lu

morning person

another beautiful february morning. i enjoy my mornings so very much. i work on our online shop, my journal, my creative writing, the blogs, my plants and germinating seeds, and my important reading. it is a time all my own. by the time the afternoon rolls around i am focusing on looking for a job, paper-making for the shop, and the upcoming artists project we are doing. as well as cleaning our magically messy house and preparing for dinner. but mornings... sigh. mornings are so lovely. so peaceful. bright and happy.
adieu for now,
lu

Monday, February 14, 2011

dakota summer

new treasury on etsy. theme: north dakota in the summer.

~lu

lurve!

it's my favourite holiday. i love valentine's day!! it's never been about the romances for me. it was my mother's original due date (thanks to a freak full moon that set everyone in nashville into labour early, i came ahead of schedule by five days).
as long as i can remember, valentine's day has always been about love in general for me. for my friends, my family. this year i have a husband. which adds a cool new spin on my special day.
when i was a little girl i would get flowers from my dads and mom. plus a chocolatey treat.
i get whackadoodle excited about tulips and heart-shapes and chocolates and red & pink. it's just such a happy day to me.
what is better than a day dedicated to love? it's like thanksgiving in the sense that it's just so awesome to spend a whole day celebrating positive emotions. a whole day of thanks?! a whole day of love?! nice little reminders in what can be a deeply introspective time of year.
anyway, i'm excited to have my first married valentine's day. but the old valentine's traditions of yore (meaning the 28 years before this year) will be here happily as well. surprise valentine's for beloved friends. early morning "i love you's!" sent to phones across the nation. flowers for mom and dad.
and now a new tradition. well, i don't know if it's a tradition per se, but me and the mr. are making something amazing for valentine's day dinner. i'm stoked.
love to you all, friends! take a second to recognize all the love in your life. it's there. from a sweet pup that thinks you are the end-all be-all, to the friend that always seems to give you a ring on the telly right when you seem to need it.
feel the love!
adieu for now,
lu

Saturday, February 12, 2011

29 part deux

here is the second half of my list. it gets sillier.

15. design & sew a pillow. you would think that plus sewing an outfit would fall into the same category, but no. pillow-making runs in my family. i consider it a totally different art form. by the time i turn 30 i should have enough throw pillows to confuse my house with jeannie's bottle in I Dream of Jeannie.
16. write a song & melody. i've been writing songs since i was knee-high to a pig's eye but pretty much gave it up after a while for different genres of writing. i feel i perhaps shouldn't have and need to try once again.
17. make something cool out of sculpey. it sounds so elementary; but for some reason, i'm intimidated by sculpting. don't know why. i want to do it but i've talked myself out of it like 20 times. worthless psychosomatic issues anyone? anyone?
18. commit to a real composting habit. i've half-assed it for years. no mas!
19. go with a shampoo alternative for one month. there are a kajillion homemade shampoo recipes and i have to choose one (or several), and commit to using them. i have possibly THE most finicky hair on the planet. in 29 years i haven't found a shampoo that does the trick. this is a wit's end commitment.
20. read 29 books. 29 books in 12 months. i think i can swing it. i also can't count the three i've already read since 1/1/11. i started my first two days ago.
21. learn how to cook fish three (3) different ways. for years i couldn't even eat fish other than raw salmon and raw tuna. that's it. i live on the gulf coast of florida for crying out loud!! the best seafood for miles!!! i've been a big fat chicken of the sea (puns are fun) when it comes to cooking it, so i have to find so delicious recipes that help break down my fear. and yes, i understand the ridiculous irony of being able to eat it raw but being too scared to cook it. that's why i have to do something about it. fear is oft completely irrational. or i am.
22. paint a still life. i used to do folky stuff and never took classes or anything. just painted for fun. but my great-grandmother was an accomplished pastels artist by like, 13. my grandmother never painted until a random acrylics class at her church and BAMMO she was naturally amazing at it. my mother has always dabbled in watercolours, acrylics and such. recently she has gotten into it major major big time. guess what? she's amazing at it. i've always been a fan of dutch still life paintings. something about the way the capture the rare allure of the quince. heh. i'm going to try to paint one this year. the family painting line cannot end with me, dammit. i refuse!
23. start learning french as well as brushing back up on spanish. i'm a natural at languages. i dream in spanish sometimes for goodness' sake. i've always wanted to learn french. i have a friend who speaks it fluently and spent time there this summer and when he has a chateau in the french countryside, i'm going to have to be able to get to it!
24. make cheese. i love cheese. i'm fascinated by the process. i want to make some this year.
25. design and make a piece of furniture. my maiden name is carpenter. i've always been keen on furniture design and dreamed of making it. i was really good in shop in 6th grade. why not?
26. try one (1) fashion trend i normally would say NO to. that cuts a large swath because i don't follow trends. i'm actually rather anti-trend. i wear it before it's popular, retire it while it's popular, then pull it back out when it has passed it's "trend" expiration date. i have to make myself try one this year. i think it will be fun.
27. i have bins of belongings. bins and bins. one of my goals during this 29th year is to condense it down to 5-7 bins of my lifelong journey. not my every day belongings (i'm not ready for that yet), but my childhood, things i've inherited etc. i may get crazy once i get started and reduce even more. that's what i'm hoping for at least.
28. okay. so...i've always wanted a wiglet. not a wig. i have two wigs (LOVE my wigs). but a wiglet. bangs, in particular. maryann faithfull, zooey deschenal, jane birken-y bangs. i have to procure and wear one this year.
29. learn to play an instrument. anything from the washboard, to the cello. something. i'm leaning toward the spoons.

stay tuned for the progess!
adieu for now!
~lu

bonjour!

this is what i woke up to this morning. i have a sweet man.


adieu,
lu

Friday, February 11, 2011

29

so, i read this blog, yes and yes, which i have linked to before (a few posts ago) and the writer has done this project: 32 things to do before turning 32.
i have decided to do a 29 things to do while i am 29 because it seemed like fun and i need a deadline sometimes to make any progress. most of them involve making very simple things. some are completely random. a few are to keep me on track and improve my natural abilities. a couple are just silly fun.
well, the entire project seems to be fun waitin' to happen anyway. fear-challenges. i love those. it's why i jumped out of a plane four years ago this weekend. to get over my fear of heights. it worked. it helped with a few other things as well. whenever i started to get weird about something since then, i would remind myself that i plummeted to earth from nearly 15,000 feet in the air and it was magnificent and beautiful.
soooo, here is the first half of things from my list. *i will be honest, i may tweak a few of them as better ideas come along* but this is the beginning of the list.

1. sew a spring/summer article of clothing. i'm leaning toward a sunddress but i've fallen in love with some scooter shorts on etsy and in this month's lucky magazine. sooo, who knows!
2. learn how to make my favourite treat from the chinese restaurant around the corner from the nest: gyoza. pork-filled steamed dumplings and a tangy, spicy, sweet sauce. yummmmms!
3. make a handmade book, pages and all.
4. can a fresh vegetable/fruit. i use to can with my meemaw in north carolina. i've been itching to do it again.
5. keep a journal for one year. i always give up a few weeks in but i have to make myself keep it up for one year. it seems important.
6. grow a medicinal herb garden.
7. make a rag rug.
8. meditate every day for one month (it will probably go longer, but i have to give myself a time frame).
9. refinish my amazing old dresser and mirror. i inherited it from a mischievous great-great uncle when i was 14. there were brass knuckles in the back of a drawer. i just love that. it has been moved to eight houses since then and looks like it has too. i'm thinking a creamy-taupe would be pretty.
10. shear a sheep. sounds insane, i know. but i love sheep and goats. i've oft dreamed of having them one day when we have a family homestead. my friend works on the farm and may be able to make this little dream a reality. i may even get to keep the wool! fun! i'm a nerd, i know.
11. write creatively every day for a minimum of 7 minutes. sharpen those skills.
12. needle-felt a 3D creature. i love needle-felting and haven't been able to do it for a month or two. i miss it!
13. invest in one quality article of clothing. a classic. something to keep forever. i'm a quality over quantity person anyway, but i'm also an immediate need outweighs the "keep looking til you find the right thing" gal. it's an impatience thing and a natural abhorrence of shopping thing. i have to bite the bullet and find something that i've always wanted and invest. it's one of the most intimidating things on my list, believe it or not.
14. master every move of the sun salutation OR perfect three yoga moves of choice.

stay tuned for the other half!
adieu for now,
lu

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

the big day


today i am 29. i still feel that i exist on an incalculable plane. an age that transcends the ever-spinning life clock. that's not too surprising considering i have existed on such a bizarro plane most of my life.
this morning i woke up to a lovely (and hilariously cute) gift from my husband. a fridge full of my favourite sparkly water and yet another loving note. he's a great writer and oft puts me to shame (a blow to my ego i am learning to bare).
after dropping mr. n off at work, i scurried to the grocer and procured for myself a potted tulip, a bottle of cheap champagne, a sour cream donut, banana, a fashion magazine, and heart-shaped box of chocolates. the ultimate indulgences. i painted my nails while topping off the bottle o' bubbly. i took a bite of each chocolate until i found my favourite ones. i dreamed about designing, making, and wearing all of the keen fashions i ogled. i watched a girly movie. i had a couple of important phone conversations.
i once again, acknowledged my humanity and hormone-ity.
i have made it through nearly three decades of quite the life journey. all the while i have forged my own strange path. my innate openness hath been my downfall and my salvation. my intuition and ability to sincerely care have shown me countless times that life is insanely painful and insanely beautiful.
i have lost so much. i have gained so much more. every year i collect a day of the dead figurine on my birthday and have for almost a decade. a humourous and peaceful (and colourful!!) reminder that every year is a gift. not in a sappy way but in a profound and generous way.
life changes every damn second. it is a choice to hold on and enjoy the ride. the moment you try to anchor the ship of change from moving in the grand ole sea...well, then prepare to be in davey jones' locker. go with the flow. it takes you to strange new, beautiful (and scary) horizons. it's the most phenomenal journey ever known.
just sayin'...
well, the evening i was born, i stretched and arched nearly out of then nurse's arms. she said at the time: "that baby got grit". little did she know.
happy birthday to me!
~lu

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

greenhouse

this is my greenhouse.

i'm so happy with the work i've been doing at the nest lately. i'm not making any money but i can honestly say i haven't been happier with my creativity, production etc. than i am right now. mr. n and i have been feng shui-ing the house like mad. even making gua-specific art (which has been super duper fun!...pics to follow)! the ch'i is kickin' and i'm rather thrilled with it!

we are getting more organized, and energized. we are planning another yard sale (i think in march). bigger than the one in june. it will be our moving sale. our simplify sale. we are ready and the ideas are bubbling forth. it's really lovely and exciting.
more to come friends.
adieu,
lu

covered in paper pulp

i have also been making recycled paper lately. pages and pages of recycled paper. mr. n keeps swiping every dry sheet he can to draw on. i think i'm going to have to kick up production.
the picture at the top is of my very first successful piece of paper. yay me! the bottom picture is of two handmade valentines (illustrated by mr. n) inside "envelopes" tied with cotton string to two buttons. they were sent off for an etsy valentine/meals on wheels benefit. hope they get there in time!
adieu for now!
~lu

wheatgrass update


yaaay! my wheatgrass seeds germinated well enough, sprouted a little and are now happily blanketed in flower pots and shooting up toward the sky! it makes me very happy and i have to say i'm a little proud of myself.
i've also started germinating seeds for peppers, and clementines. exciting stuff. our shower window has become a greenhouse. it's all just so lovely.
more to come!
adieu,
lu

Thursday, February 3, 2011

the buddy

this is the little face i see every morning, noon, and night. he is my little fella. my youngin. my alien/cat/pup/woodland creature/coyote/crooner.
my little curious, hilarious dumpling.
every day when i'm at work at the computer, he plays with his rope. i often get distracted and get down on the floor with him to play tug of war. he doesn't get along with everybody. he's a mama's boy. it was just us two for a long time. but, he's my lil sweetpea and he's a darn good boy. his name is seven and he is a virgo.




Wednesday, February 2, 2011

mushroom agnolotti in white wine sauce

i keep mentioning all the yummy food i have been preparing but haven't been posting the images of them.
last night i made mushroom agnolotti pasta in a white wine sauce. sauces are new to me. last night's was good, albeit a little tangy for the pasta in my opinion. the mister was complimenting (complimentary makes him sound as if he was free) as per usual, so i'm never quite sure if it was THAT good or not.
i think the white wine sauce would be better with chicken. well, this is one of my many experiments. it was yummy and fed two people for $6 (if you include the asparagus i made as a side, $8.50).
adieu,
lu
fresh basil, dried. gift from my beloved michael.
white wine sauce, en route.

seed project

i come from a family of gardeners. i am not one. my great-grandmother and grandmother had awe-inspiring, church flower show award-winning yards filled with azaleas, pears, roses, blueberries, and a gazillion blooming bulbs at any given moment. my mother and step-dad joined in on the game a few years ago. hibiscus, hyndrangeas, nasturtiums, annuals, perennials. it's all quite lovely but i have never had the gift of gardening. i have killed cast iron plants. they aren't supposed to die. hence the cast iron.
but the past two years i have been craving green. the concept of oxygen being made in my house and happy frothy fronds extending from the soil to the sky (or ceiling in my case) just brings me joy.
as i mentioned in my previous two posts, i spent a little time at the nursery in town on saturday and picked up two seed packets. i'm not a flower person as much as i'm vegetable/fruit/herby kind of gal. so i picked up heirloom carrot seeds and wheatgrass seeds. i figured i would supplement my agave, fern, and round-leafed plant (i don't know it's name but it resides in my prosperity section at the nest) family with a rather easy wheatgrass-growing project. the carrots i'm intimidated by, but here are the photos of the seed-germination task i have begun to tackle. it's terribly fun.
stay tuned for more updates on this. i noticed today that their little sprouts are starting to poke out of the seeds, so i will take more photos and upload them. i hope that isn't too boring!
adieu,
lu





ferns & moss & sunshines & birdbaths


any of you who followed last year, know that ireally enjoyed my photo project and have been missing the process since my beloved laptop died in september. well, it's taken a while, but i'm finally getting back into the swing of things with the mister's laptop. heh. he is very patient with the fact that i'm totally bogarting his mac. score.

the above image is the gorgeous sunshiney morning we spent at native nurseries in tallahassee.

i have a soft spot for ferns. i think they are really friendly-looking and curly and always in pretty greens.
a cool take on a fountain/bird bath that is simple a water structure pouring over two moss and fern covered stones onto the ground that has been dug out slightly (about two inches deep or so) and sprinkled with pebbles. it looks so natural. i just adore it.
cheers friends!
~lu

flora


i accidentally took a few days off. sorry friends! i have been such a cadet this week that three days sped past me without my even noticing it.

regardless of my spaceyness, i have been a busy bee. so for the next few posts, i will be sharing photos of my antics.

saturday the mister and i spent a delightful hour or so supporting my favourite nursery in town. native nurseries. there i purchased seeds for a project that will be featured in a later post. i also took some lovely pictures. it was such a nice afternoon. a little break in a busy busy weekend. this picture and a few in forthcoming posts are from that fabulous sunny morning.
enjoy!
adieu for now,
lu