Gaining some skeels

The pending move to Tampa has put me into to sewing overdrive here lately. Not so much because of my new found need to make curtains but because I an eager to develop my skills (or skeels, as they say on the street). Without an Emily here this summer to enjoy fashionable new clothes of the homemade variety, I decided to make gifts.
A few months ago, you may remember, I developed an obsession with the blog of one Ms. Ashley Johnston. I was inspired to make many of her projects but got around to only a few, one of which was the making of a seat belt cover to make Emily a little more comfortable during errands and whatnot. But what does that have to do with moving and gifts? Well, I've met some really great people here and, before I go, I wanted to tell them how much I appreciate the ways they taken care of me by giving them something that'll help them care for their kids. So:

The smaller ones are for the skinny double straps of a stroller or carseat while the bigger one is for the regular seatbelt of a big kid in a booster. See, nice and cushy:

I made this set for my replacement at the law office.  She is a precious woman who is just smitten with her two New York-based grandsons. I thought I did okay picking out fun boy material but when I showed Ben, the look on his face said it is a good thing we have a girl!

How to annoy me

Visit the U.S Attorney's office wearing scrub pants and a dirty t-shirt.

My first giveaway (of sorts)

Giveaways are apparently huge in the blogging world so I thought I'd get in on the action. Except...well, I don't have anything you guys want. Yet.  But do you know who does? The Etsy Street Team of my dreams: Etsy Wedding Team! Seriously, joining this Etsy team is one of my first year business goals for the business I have not yet told most of you about. But that's for another day.

Here is their giveaway button:

See by putting this here, I can give you a visual notification of their giveaway and I can enter it myself. And I tell you what, if I win, I promise to have my own give away.  One in which I make you something pretty (and never plain).

S is for Sarah

I love Sarah. She is among my oldest and best of friends.  I'm not sure if you can tell this about me, but I'm a little high strung. Hold the little and add a side of easily excited. Sarah is just so very very. You know?  Totally easy-going and happy-go-lucky. You could say she completes me, but that might be weird so we'll say she offsets me and call it good.

When I was in the mood to get my craft on, I decided to go to it with a purpose.  And that purpose was Sarah. I needed to make something pretty, but not flashy, with a good pop of color. And so...TaDah!

Turns out, she loves it! And it got to her just when she needed a big fat kick of cheerful.

On etymology

While packing I found an envelope post dated in February with the following scribbled on the back:

E: July sounds like jelly.
J: Yeah? What does August sound like?
E: A kind of wood.

I miss Emily so much.

A space of my very own

In roughly 20 days the chaos that is moving will commence.  I have something like a thousand things to think about. Plus, another thousand things I want to blog about.  I mean, I haven't had a chance to introduce you to The Commodore or tell you about my latest foils in cooking, and my advances in sewing, and all the fantastic books I've been reading. How is it life always gets in the way of good blog content about life? But, to be honest, I can only think about one thing: My. New. Office.

Ben and I have (tentatively) decided that one of the upstairs bedrooms will be designated as the Never A Plain Jane Space for the Production of Pure Delight. Or maybe we'll just call it Mommy's Craftroom. It will be a room of my own with a closet and window, real hardwood floors and space to house my sewing machine, computer, various stuffs from which to make things. I'm pretty stoked.  So while I should be considering whether I want to throw out my old running shoes or move them to Florida, taking pictures off the wall and puttying the holes, or finally doing a blog post on all the places and spaces I've enjoyed this past year in Virginia Beach, what I'm really thinking about is wall color, internet shopping for area rugs and task lighting, and getting caught up in looking at decor porn. And, since I have obviously already given in to my desires here, I thought I should include you in the fun. 

A short while ago I read this article about cool and warm colors on Apartment Therapy which says "cool colors are therefore best in private rooms where concentration, calmness and rest are most important, such as the bedroom, office, and nursery."   I thought about the space I'd be decorating (because, I can't seem to stop anyway) and I looked at the decor porn that inspires me (Botanical Brouhaha, Brooklyn Limestone, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, etc., etc.) and I decided cool colors would be best.

Maybe I should take a page from Mrs. Limestone's book and go with gray or blue-green walls. Benjamin Moore's Silver Sage?  Or I could pick something with more blue:

Coddington Design via Sketch 42 and The Reluctant Floridian

I love that chair. I also love this blue room from the sadly defunct Domino Magazine:

 That family tree mural/photo wall makes my heart stop. Or perhaps, start with the black and white right on the wall as seen in this photo:

from Mythology Vintage via Sketch 42.

It all makes sense, it feels totally me, and then. Then I see these curtains:

They're from Pottery Barn Kids. And they are pink (a warm color). With monkeys. But I love them.  Every time I see them I am totally smitten kitten and I want them. Can't you totally see them fluttering against my Silver Sage walls from shabby chic curtain rods and cinched with lovely sage or almond-colored tiebacks? The playful brown monkeys playing off a rich espresso-stained desk...

While I'd like to think I want a sophisticated room with classic colors that'll last me through several moves, I think we can all agree I am still a whimsical little girl. But, internet, I'm still open to your opinions.  What do you think?

How to Charm Me

Use the phrase "as the crow flies" when asking directions.  How cute are you!?