Emily

A dozen life goals I am striving for…

October 29, 2008 Emily

I’ve been overwhelmed with an urge for simplicity, to pare down and focus on the things that are really important. I wish my life wasn’t full of bull sh__tty distractions that keep me from doing the things my heart is yearning to do-create. I’m being driving by an art urge. There are some things in my life that are preventing me from taking a seat at my sewing table and letting my creativity flow. You know what I think is one of the things in my life that is robbing me of focus? I believe it’s clutter. My house isn’t insanely cluttered, but I am still shuffling and sorting through the possessions my mother in law owned that we now have and are debating on what to do with. I do have more things than I need. I want to purge my possessions. From now on, I’m only going to keep and maintain things in my home and closet that I truly love. Objects that make my heart happy are the only things which will endure under my roof. If they don’t make the grade, they will make the donation bag. Realistically, I don’t want to waste time in my life on things that I don’t care for. I believe I’m placing the blame for my inability to focus on clutter because as I sit and and try to create, it’s difficult to ignore the chaos around me. The thought of the garage so loaded, I can’t get 1 car in it bothers me. What’s important here? The cars should be in the garage, out of the winter elements, but instead, I have a bunch of CRAP loaded up in my garage that I don’t want. It consumes my thoughts. My husband is the bottleneck in my dilemma. If it were up to me, all this excess would have been long gone a long time ago. He hates to part with things.

For the future, I have adopted a new philosophy about objects and clothing. This new domestic ideology should ultimately, help me to save money. I will purchase less because I want less. An item will have to really knock my socks off to come home and live with me and take up my precious home space. I seriously have to ask myself “Do you really need it?” Can I live without this? ( of course I can.) Will this item have a positive affect on me or my life?

This new outlook leads me to these 12 life goals I’d like to adopt. These are entirely personal, and my husband isn’t even aware of them. I feel it’s best to keep these announcements to myself, so if I’m not successful, lest I hear “I knew you couldn’t do it!”

1. Spend less, much less.

2. Purge unwanted possessions and actually want less.

3. De-clutter my living space, garage and basement.

4. Drive less, stay home, save gas.

5. Walk the dog on a daily basis (this exercises me more than Lilly)

6. Cook more interesting meals for my family and eat healthier.

7. Write every day

8. Read, read, read.

9. Make art on a weekly basis.

10. Use up my fabrics and craft supplies before I buy more. By doing this, I purge excessive stash and spend less cash.

11. Live simpler with less. What is important is family, spirituality, friends, books, writing (blog), making art, comfort and contentment

12. Take control of my finances and be more responsible about money.

I once heard about these monks (I think they were Tibetan, but I can’t say for sure) who set fire to their dwellings every 7 years or so to rid themselves of their possessions. I believe this was to enable them to reduce their reliance on material things and give them the ability to begin anew, with nothing. Somehow this made them feel more at one with God, (at least that’s how I think they would feel.) This ritual kept things simple and sparce. It enabled them to have new beginnings without a lot of baggage. Sometimes I look around my basement or garage and think back to those monks. It makes me wish I had a match. I would almost welcome the chance to start over with the help of one little spark. (I would, however, not do this, I’m not crazy, nor am I an arsonist, but the Zen thing is very compelling to think about.) When I get this thought, I ask myself what would I do if I lost all my worldly stuff? If, afterwards, I got a new nest, how would I feather it? The possibility of it is secretly delicious to me. I do think I would be a bit of a minimalist. After all, I’ve already learned my lesson.

Ahh…so much for the easy way out.

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Something new for my kitchen…

October 27, 2008 Emily

Friday, on a whim, I stopped at IKEA and headed to my very favorite department, the “AS IS” room. I’m an absolute sucker for bargains, and if I find something cheap enough, I can always make it work, lol. I found this gorgeous kitchen table marked down from $299 to $179. While I’m standing there deciding and calling my husband asking him if he minds if I get the table, the sales guy comes up to me and whispers, “I’ll give you an extra 20% off if you buy it tonight.” Yeowza! That was just the gentle nudge I needed. “SOLD!” Best thing about it, there was no scratches whatsoever on this table. I’m still looking at it, shaking my head wondering why it was in the scratch and dent department.

In a terribly cold torrential rain storm the loader guy and I slid it in my van and I took it home to live with me. I like it because it doesn’t have a leaf. The table I had before this one sagged in the middle and the goofy legs were always askew and loose. This new table is ‘Pottery Barnish’ and I like that. I’m also leaning toward darker woods because I think they look richer. In lieu of chairs, we use these two very wide black Pottery Barn benches (I also got for a bargain!) and my husband just hates them. (He says they’re unclassy and make our house look like a barn) They work so well, though with kids. I like them, despite his hatred of them. Anyway, this table matches those two benches much better than our blond wood, saggy table.

$143 bucks folks…what a bargain!

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Something New-Fine Art Friday

October 25, 2008 Emily

I have a new blog feature I’d like to begin and it’s called Fine Art Friday. Since I love art, I want to have a fun way to share some knowledge about art-possibly conduct an interview with a current artist, write some fun facts about famous artists or tell you about some interesting tidbit about a painting you might not know. It’ll be a weekly surprise. Be sure to check in every Friday. You never know what Fine Art Friday will bring!

This first Friday we celebrate Pablo Picasso’s birthday!

Happy Birthday Picasso!
October 25th, 1881

The Dream

His full name was “Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso”. (Wow, that’s one heck of a long name!) While living in Paris (1900), Pablo had lots of financial problems and he burned many of his paintings to stay warm. Besides his wife he had many mistresses. (Dirty rat!)Pablo loved to work with the candle light. His had his first exhibition at the age of thirteen. Want to know something? That painting I’m showing you above called, ‘The Dream’ is (was?)owned by a guy named Steve Wynn. He accidentally poked a hole through the multimillion dollar painting while showing his friends the portrait of Picasso’s mistress Marie-Therese Walter.

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This Halloween, go as Marie Antoinette!

October 23, 2008 Emily

Here’s a video on how to get her look.

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My conscious stream of thoughts are overwhelming me! 1st things 1st-Fashion!

October 22, 2008 Emily

Gosh, I might have to split this up into a few posts, just to enable you all to have a coffee break. I have an odd way of writing. I can have a dry spell for a month, where I haven’t a good thing write about, much less take up your time with boring drivel, writing half assed postes and after all, who does care about what I ate for lunch? Other times, I’ll feel all these interesting thoughts bubbling up to the surface of my consciousness, begin to erupt out of my pen, and demand to be written in a post for you all to read. And who knows, what I’m writing now might end up as mindless drivel and a waste of your time, but getting it out is something I feel compelled to do.

So here goes. I will start out with something superficial, specifically on the topic of womens’ wardrobes. A bit of background: I ran over to my library to pick up a copy of Marie Antoinette-The Journey (“sigh” yawn. I’m sorry, but history books, no matter how interesting the subject cause me to gaze over and lose interest almost immediately.) and while there, I spotted a copy of The O N L Y 127 Things You Need {a guide to life’s essentials}, and thought it would make splendid blog fodder, so I checked that out, too. I got home, shoved Marie Antoinette under a cushion and decided to instead cozy up on the sofa with 127 Things. I made a bee-line to the chapter on clothing. Yes, clothing is one of our basic needs. (A coat is always nice to have in the winter.) I’m particularily interested in this topic right now because I’m in the process of trying to figure out what looks good on me and what kinds of things I should and should not buy. I tend to purchase clothing items impulsively, especially tops and sweaters, only to get them home and regret I bagged them in the first place. Worse, usually the reason I buy tops, etc. is because they’re cheap and I figure, “What’s another one?” To me, this way of shopping for clothes is really juvenile, or should I say not very adult. I need to grow up. I’ve spent waaay too much money over the years on clothing I’ve donated to charity because I don’t even like the item anymore. I bought it thinking it would look great on me only to bring it home, try it on and find I look ridiculous in it.

The author writes about our basic clothing needs. What really is the essentials a woman needs, no more, no less? Interestingly, she included the opinions of several well known designers and what they believe are the items no woman should be with out. Everything else just takes up space. In reality, if you have a ton of clothes, generally, most of it doesn’t get worn. I, myself, have quite a bit in the tops department. I find I wear the usual 6 or 7 V-necks and the rest sit idly in my drawer, taking up space, collecting sachet scent. I find I don’t like prints that much, (but I still continue to buy them!) and I also don’t feel comfortable in bright colors. What I prefer, more than anything else is black. Not only does it look classic, slimming and goes great with everything, most of all, I find it looks stunning against my blond hair, so I tend to lean toward black anything. Foolishly, I do splurge on trendy tops and things that hit me at the moment, but sadly, end up on the junk pile.

127 Things says we shouldn’t wear anything we don’t love because otherwise, it just doesn’t make it worth the money we spend on the item. We should avoid gimmicky, novelty-type clothes that aren’t long lasting. If it’s going to be out of style next season, why purchase it? Also, the book suggests we purge our closets on a regular basis, and rid ourselves of excess clothing that we don’t wear. Clothes take up space, and if we havn’t worn it in 6 months, we’re never going to wear it. I read when Coco Chanel died back in 1971, she only had 3 outfits in her closet. (Ha! I’ll bet the day before she died, she purged her closet.)I’m sure those outfits were classic staples, that went the distance and were made from quality fabrics. In addition, a few months ago, I read an article about Jamie Lee Curtis in More Magazine. She was talking about turning 50 and how she was refining her life, living more simply and paring down her wardrobe. She figured out what she liked. Her closet palette consists of black, white and a touch of grey. How cool is that? I’m leaning in that direction, too, since we all know know my favorite clothing color is black. Which leads me to the next element of paring down and making wise choices. What should we have in our closets? I went through the lists of all the designers in this book and what they feel are the only clothing essentials women need. The list below is a cumulation of all the designers put together:

A black dress (maybe for a funeral?)

several white cotton shirts (yes! And several. The kind with 2 or 3% spandex are just perfect!)

Black pencil skirt (don’t wear them)

A-line skirt (Maybe)

Cardigan in a color (good, good)

Black turtleneck (love them although they say people with round faces should avoid them…thats me. Heck, I use them to hide…see my banner.)

Black pants with no pleats. (my yoga pants are my staple)

Brown flat front pants (I’ve got flat front cords)

Jeans that fit (is there such a thing when it comes to plus sized women?)

Trench coat (a bit mysterious and can be sexy, too!)

Winter coat

A selection of tees and tanks in various colors. (no problem!)

—-

I do love wearing something snappy and eye catching that makes me memorable to the folks who see me. To achieve this, I don’t have to buy trendy, colorful clothing that I’ll probably end up zinging in the donation box. A way I can achieve this is to express my personality through accessories. I can wear any of clothes in the above list with an artsy, colorful scarf or some bold, colorful jewelry that frames my face and brings attention to my eyes. Accessories can help everyone’s ‘classic’ wardrobes go farther. Also, no one will notice if you have the same black pants on 2 days in a row. That’s the thing about black. How many times can you wear your plaid pants before eyebrows raise?

This closet philosophy isn’t for everyone, I realize that. But it is something to think about. Personally, I’m looking for ways to simplify my life, spend less and be more stylish in the process. I love crispy white cotton shirts with black pants and jeans. This list is a minimalist’s approach to closet control, but in these times of excess, minimalism is sounding pretty good to me. One thing that is great about adopting this list is it can take the craziness out of shopping. Too many choices can be stressful, not enjoyable. I find myself breaking out in a cold sweat when I go into a paint store and see all the paint chips I need to look over in order to choose a color for my kitchen. I’d be happier if I had 12 colors to choose from, instead of 1200. The same applies to clothing. Less choice, but wise ones make more effective wardrobes and less stressful lives. Einstein was known to have the same 10 shirts, vests and pants in the same color. He didn’t want to think about what he was going to wear each morning, he just wanted to get dressed. His method eliminated the decision making for him. This is an extreme example, but you can understand why he simplified so drastically. He had much more important things to think about such as the Theory of Relativity.

In these days of a shaky economy, why spend precious money on clothing we don’t need? I think this list is a way to have a great wardrobe without having to spend a lot of money. And, if you are inclined to shop at second-hand clothing stores, these items can be found pretty easily and for a fraction of the cost of new pieces.

I’m off to purge my closets and drawers. I have so much stuff I hardly wear and some of it is piled on my dressers because I haven’t enough drawer space to accomodate it all. I really do find myself wearing the same things all the time. If I just kept the clothing I love and rid myself of the rest, I’d have less laundry, more room in my drawers and no mess on top of the dressers. I’d have more money in my wallet, too. I need to keep blinders on when walking past the clothing departments when I shop. I find myself looking for new items when I really don’t need anything. It’s just fun to accumulate, I suppose. But that has to stop. I’m tired of keeping the Goodwill supplied. I already have every one of the items listed. I just need to take a hard look at my closet and edit out the crap so I can focus on the meaningful stuff.

How about you?

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OMG! Lookie this!

October 21, 2008 Emily

See that! Up there^!!

That’s my banner in the new issue of ARTFUL BLOGGING! My banner was one of just a few that made it to the “Banners We Love” section of the magazine!
I’m so excited and honored.

If you are a new visitor to my blog, welcome! There’s many new things in store for this blog…I have some ideas for some new, fun things to write about. Please check back often!

Thank you Artful Blogging Magazine for this honor. I’m humbled-truly I am.

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Brocante in Connecticut

October 21, 2008 Emily

Here’s a vintage santa from the 1940’s that I found in a booth right at the very end of the market. The poor guy looks like he’s been through the war. I was so taken with him, I had to ask the lady, “How much for that Santa?” She was hoping to rid herself of him, so she says, “5 bucks!” I say, “Sold!” I stuffed him in my appropriately colored red sling bag and start thinking about how cute he’ll look by my Christmas tree this year. He needs some TLC, however. His suit is a bit tattered and his face needs a good washing, as you can see. He kind of reminds me of the Travelocity knome.

My daughter shopping for the perfect piece of jewelry…

Nope, she didn’t find it here….

Or here….

This doll is now mine….

Or here….

Aren’t these saucers just lovely?

Rebecca searching for treasures…

Pink glass-how beautiful!

This is turkey art!

I can’t resist shabby set ups!

Is this how Rachel Ashwell finds things?

The red raggedy purse and assorted aprons would be mine…

I loved this photo and was contemplating purchasing it. But didn’t.

I love the blue dress and the blue glassware together…

I had fun capturing myself in mirrors…

Humor me here…

very cool!

If I were a Texan I might have considered taking this biggun’ home on the plane.

I absolutely couldn’t resist these saucers.

I didn’t even think of buying this reading angel, but now that I see the photo, I wish I had.

Posing in the pumpkin patch with a prop

How fun is this? It came from a vintage drive in….remember those playgrounds where the kids played during the movie?

A bit over a week ago, Rebecca, Caroline and I sleepily piled in Rebecca’s Pathfinder and headed for an hour long drive to Connecticut to shop the Pink Elephant Flea Market in New Milford. It was so beautiful! The ride up was absolutely scenic -rolling hillsides of beautiul fall foilage and bright sunshine. I was so in the mood for this flea market. After being in NYC with the crowds and dirty air, going to Connecticut was refreshing and spacious and it felt good just to take in the fresh air. The weather was picture perfect, probably upper 60’s with bright sunshine. It couldn’t have been finer!

This time, I took the photos because I was trying to capture the things I love to look at when I browse flea markets. I really believe you can spend a walletful of money at souvineer shops but nothing makes a better, true souvineer than flea market finds in the city or town you are visiting. This is the real stuff used by the locals. I really feel the treasures to behold are the ones you find in places like this.

See something you’d like to have?

brocante

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More scenes from NYC…

October 18, 2008 Emily

Brooklyn Bridge

A tug boat goes under the Brooklyn Bridge

This church is just across the street from where the World Trade Center stood. Miraculously, nothing was harmed in the grave yard or on the church except one lone sycamore tree that stood. It was as if God has his hand over it and kept it safe.

Notice the date this woman died-September 11th, 1796

Very old tombstones from the 1700’s manage to barely stay standing in spots.

As promised, I am putting up more photos from our trip to NYC. The first photos are from onr of Martha Stewart’s favorite stores-M&J Trimmings. This store is a veritable dreamland of ribbons, trims, beads and buttons. There’s so much stuff to choose from. We didn’t buy anything because it’s a bit overwhelming to be in there. Also, we didn’t come in with anything specific to buy, we just stopped in to browse. It was pretty, though! (and pricey!)

One of my favorite photos taken by my daughter is the ‘Tombstone Sparrow’. She photographed this cute little guy in the graveyard of the church right across the street from Ground Zero. There are some other photos of the old tombstones and the church in the distance. This chuch is so old, George Washington worshipped here. They still have his pew sectioned off. Inside the church are displays of memorials left by people to honor the dead from the 9/11 tragedy.

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My little French beret…

October 16, 2008 Emily

I have always wanted to wear a beret in the winter. No, I’m not a hat person that would wear one at all times, but I’ve always wanted one for cold weather. I think my head is too big or something, because they never seem to fit me. When we were shopping in NYC at H&M I found a knit beret that fits me so good! I just had to get one in black (of course) and also in teal. I wanted to show you my new beret! Vive la NYC!

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Scenes from the City-Mother and Daughter take Manhattan!

October 16, 2008 Emily

Caroline and Myself preparing to take Manhattan…..

Well, not exactly, lol! We did spend a few days walking around, exploring and taking in the sites. We had a lovely time staying with Rebecca at her home in Queens. She is a great hostess and made us feel so at home. She picked us up at the Long Island airport and she and her husband drove us back when it was time to leave. We had so much fun hitting the thrift shops on the way back to her house. We also hit a fabulous flea market in Connecticut. The weather was absolutely perfect-sunshine, cool, autumn breezes and hillsides of trees proudly displaying their colorful foilage.

I took so many photos, I’d like to beak it up and post them over the course of a few days and by theme so you can enjoy them in small bites.

I think I’d like to start with photos of one of my favorite things about Manhattan-the flower stands outside the corner shops. These are absolutely lovely and my daughter was so good to spot them and snap glorious photos of them each time we encountered one.

There’s no place like New York, but also, there’s no place like home!

Yeah, yeah, we know…it’s the fashion capital, hence Project Runway!

I was so taken with this huge advertisement on the side of a brick building. What the heck is the message here? Quit the crack habit and throw it in the sewers so the the rats can eat it? I don’t know, but I love the illustration all the same.

One of the stops on our subway ride.

The very old, weathered lions that guard the NYC public library.

Just next door, Bryant Park. This is the outside of the library, covered in ivy. This is a beautiful, happy place to sit and have a quick rest, or read a book. It’s right in the center of all the hussle bussle.