Bad Hausfrau

Ephemera Friday: Made in Spain

2012-02-24T13:56:00.000-05:00

My wonderful friend Claire gave me these amazing vintage postcards from Spain. Hopefully, you can see the texture in the scan. Each one is embroidered (!) so the women's traditional dresses really stand out and shine beautifully. I love them, don't you? Have a delightful weekend!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Art Journaling: Some Reading

2012-02-22T13:15:00.000-05:00

Hi friends,

I wanted to share with you some of my favorite art journaling books. These are all great for getting started with inspiration and generating ideas, as well as practical drawing, painting, collage, and mixed media techniques and book binding.

Nature Journals by L.K. Ludwig
Ludwig's other art journaling books Creative Wildfire and True Vision are also excellent, but this one is my favorite of hers. I love a naturalist's journal and adding ephemeral pieces of daily life into a journal, so I love how Ludwig gathers from the natural world to create her journals here. This book also provides a ton of interesting techniques that make use of natural phenomena and materials.

1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspiration by Dawn DeVries Sokol

This book is simply that, 1,000 journal pages (included with some prompts) photographed individually with very little text. It's a wonderful resource for visual inspiration and gives a sense of the vast possibilities with visual journals, no two alike.

The Decorated Journal:Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal pages by Gwen Diehn

Any of Gwen Diehn's books would be a great place to start with an art journaling practice. I love that they discuss the different kinds of journals and the place of journaling in history in addition to art techniques. This book has a useful guide to materials and goes over many different types of bindings.

What It Is by Lynda Barry

This amazing book isn't even really about visual journaling. It's about writing, and somewhat about images, but I include it because it is so inspirational. When I look at Barry's book, I know it's okay to be spontaneous with art, to draw badly, to have a unique style. She also gives a lot of exercises to get you started writing.

Evidence: The Art of Candy Jernigan

Talk about a love of ephemera! I received this book for Christmas and haven't even read it yet--just looked through the pictures--and already I am amazed by it. Jernigan's art is truly about documenting daily life through the objects with which we connect. A beautiful book for journalers, collectors, snoopers, travelers, hoarders, the obsessive-compulsive, and artists.

Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory

I've talked about this book before, but I mention it again because it is wonderfully inspirational for those who like to draw in their journals.

Also check out the magazines Art Journaling and Cloth Paper Scissors Pages. They come out several times a year and I can find them at my local Barnes & Nobel.

These are just some books I've enjoyed and I'm sure there are many more out there. If you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments so we can all check them out!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T08:25:00.001-05:00

to my valentine, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

Kisses,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: More than friend

2012-02-10T13:15:00.000-05:00

A sweet little vintage valentine.

And the verso.

Have a great weekend, my friends!

Toodles,

Frau S.

2012-02-09T15:46:00.000-05:00

Hi lovelies,

It's been a fairly uneventful day, but I really like the way this journal spread turned out, and I don't usually say that. In fact, I don't think I have ever said that. We'll see how I feel in the future, but today I'm happy!

Also, I went into the office this afternoon and saw that this was the wallpaper on my computer today. It made me smile.

Happy early Valentine's Day! This is a picture I took in Iceland.

So, I'll be back next week with some more regular programming. Oh and tomorrow some yummy Valentine-y ephemera for your sweethearts.

Kisses,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Ice Capades

2012-02-03T10:06:00.001-05:00

A good friday to you, friends!

Today I'm sharing with you the cover from a vintage Ice Capades program. It's a little worse for wear, but I still love it. It is feeling decidedly non-wintery around here, so it's a bit of icy goodness to remind us of winters gone by.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Inspiration is Everywhere

2012-01-30T13:46:00.001-05:00

In a nutshell, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

I love looking at this tiny diorama of a wedding inside a walnut shell. I think I have a thing for all things miniature. It also has good memories for me as I bought it during a really great trip to Mexico City with my now-husband.

Ephemera Friday: Postal!

2012-01-27T13:25:00.001-05:00

vintage stamps, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

Hi lovelies,

I'll admit I know nothing about stamps, but I just love the engraving and colors of this small selection of U.S. postage. I hope you enjoy! And don't forget to click through to download a high res file for your projects if you like.

Toodles,

Frau S.

I've heard of a rabbit in a hat, but...

2012-01-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

Hello my sweets!

I thought I'd share with you a little pressie for being MIA for so long. I've been busy, but haven't forgotten about you, and I have some ideas coming up for you blog friends. Please enjoy this cute little doggie in a hat. These illustrations were used as advertising in the late 1800s. It's authentic Victorian ephemera from my collection and if you click through to Flickr you can download the largest size in high res to use in your own projects. I'll also be posting another goodie for your projects on Ephemera Friday, so stay tuned.

Kisses,

Frau S.

I'm still here

2012-01-16T11:01:00.002-05:00

Hello lovely people,

Please excuse my unscheduled hiatus from blogging. Time has gotten away from me, but I will be back very soon with some goodies. Kisses,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Christmas Greetings

2011-12-23T09:29:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas my friends!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Working With Ephemera II: Choosing

2011-12-20T12:14:00.000-05:00

Hello lovely people of the Interwebs,

Technical difficulties made me late with last week's art journaling post, so this week I will post 2 PIPs instead of the one I had planned!

I want to share with you another spread in progress to show you how I select my ephemera. I did this one in another Full Tilt Boogie book. This one I made out of a ledger cover, so it has an oblong shape.

I started out with this surface--some white paper taped to watercolor paper on the left, and a page from a NASA booklet. I glued this black line graphic which I cut out from a magazine.

I drew some grey scratchy lines on the watercolor paper, but ended up covering it up. Now I'm trying to decide what kind of paper I want to paste onto the left page. I have pulled 3 black and white images based on their size. I usually start with size when choosing ephemera in my stash and then try some different pieces to see what looks best to me.

I choose this image of a satellite dish thing because it goes with the rocket thematically, but I also like that I'll be able to write on the black area with my white pen. I am considering balance and weight, contrast and color, but mainly it's an unconscious process.

At the same time I'm thinking about framing the rocket with this bit of vintage ledger paper that a friend on the web sent me. I don't usually l like everything to be from the same era, so now we have a mix of new, vintage, and antique.

Then I was thinking I could add numbers, sort of like a countdown to blast off kind of thing and I can also write about that. I got this incredible booklet free in the mail, I don't know from where, about an Eames font and it has tons of great images and type.

I decide to cut it into two parts and glue down 1-8.

I'm liking the way this looks now, so I add some masking tape, journaling, black lines, and a couple pieces of decorative scrapbook paper. I finish by stamping the date, but my date stamp is unreliable so the first try didn't come out well. Oh well, I'll just go buck wild with the date stamp until it's clean of ink.

This is from the journal I'm working in currently. Excuse the artificial lighting, but I was working at night. Here I've decided I want to use a large vintage photo from my stash. I'm deciding between these two:

The facing page is a little see-through window, so I need to take into consideration which picture looks better through the window. I decide on the little girl because its larger and more graphic.

Here's what that facing spread ends up looking like, by the way.

I have watercolor paper on the opposite, so I want to use some wet media with my collage this time. I just got this new stuff--the chevron stencil from Balzer Designs along with Distress Stain--so I use it to make a subtle background.

I add my girl photo with my trusty masking tape, a scrap of an illustrated dictionary, and a scrap of wallpaper. I'm just grabbing pieces now based on color and tearing them into the right sizes.

I add more paper scraps to frame the photograph and cover the frame with an old Nebraska highway map.

Finally, some journaling over the blank area of the photo and I stamp the date and time (sunrise). Done!

I always seem to set up the collage first and do the journaling, if any, after that. I usually consider a page done when I add the date.

I hope it is fun for you to see my process--I have so much fun making these things! Next week: Working with Ephemera III: Mixing Old and New

Toodles,

Frau S.

Holiday Ephemera

2011-12-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!

I wanted to share some ephemera with you last week, but my computer was not cooperating. So, instead of waiting for Friday, I give you this vintage greeting card. Tis the season!

I will be posting my next art journaling installment shortly. Toodles,

Frau S.

Inspiration is Everywhere

2011-12-14T11:16:00.001-05:00

magazine antiques, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

Magazines are so lovely and inspiring these days. I can always go to my beloved stacks for ideas.

Ephemera Friday: Buffalo Ammonia

2011-12-09T06:25:00.001-05:00

As in Buffalo, NY rather than ammonia made from buffalos.

Have a great weekend!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Working with Ephemera I: Pages in Process

2011-12-08T11:23:00.001-05:00

Hi lovely readers,

Today I thought I would share one of my journal spreads with you step-by-step to give you an idea of my process of collaging and journaling with vintage and new ephemera. I will be working in this journal for the next several examples. I learned how to make it in the marvelous class Full Tilt Boogie by ingenious Mary Ann Moss. The pages are made from a variety of new papers and vintage papers bound together into an antique photo album. This spread started on a Canadian train travel booklet page and a polka dot scrapbook paper.

I had already glued in these lens images and text from a vintage camera directions booklet and a few days later used the Homage sticker that I just got in the mail with something I bought. I knew I wanted to use a vintage person on the page, so I cut out this girl from an old Etude magazine from my pile of vintage magazines.

I was thinking this might be a mostly red and yellow page, so I liked the red tint to the photo. I'll probably use the boy in something else down the road, so I'll keep what's left of the cover. Yep, I cut right into it and glued the real thing into my book because these magazines are not rare or precious to me.

Although it looks vintage, this bookplate is actually a new card from a scrapbooking collection. I wanted to make it look like the girl was holding it. Probably should have cut out that left hand a little better, but who cares. So I glued the two pieces down together.

I cut this stocking ad out of a vintage playbill a while back but couldn't find a place for her. I thought she would be fun in this spread. I decided I could lose the text at the top of the ad and just cut out the girl and the logo. I also really wanted to keep the "buy war bonds" bit. In this case, I scanned the ad before I used it because I really liked the image and may want to use it again. However, I did cut out the image and glue the real thing onto the page.

I fiddled with her placement for a while. I normally like an image that is partially cut off like this one on the left to be anchored by the edge of a page or some other image. But I did not like the look of her too close to the bookplate because those images competed.

So I thought I could run a line of tape up the page and anchor her to that. I chose between the red and white masking tapes.

I used some of the red tape but didn't like it, so I put a piece of white over it. Oh well!

So, I wasn't crazy about this area so far, but I liked the leg against the camera lenses, so I glued her down.

I felt the images on that right page still needed some a anchoring, so I doodled a frame with my cheapo acrylic in red. I also drew some thin black lines on that image of the shore just because it was fun.

I extended the red paint a bit to the left page to keep the composition balanced, embellished the doodle with some Sharpie paint pens, and added some lines and journaling to the book plate.

Finally I added some journaling and stamped the date. And this is how the page looks now! I can't say it's one of my favorites I've ever done, but I'm pleased enough. Since I enjoyed the process, I'll consider it a success. I can always go back and change things later if I decide.

This was fun. I love sharing these pages with you! Thanks for stopping by and having a look.

Next week: Working with Ephemera II

Kisses,

Frau S.

inspiration is everywhere!

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hello pets,

I can hardly look at my set of Caran D'Ache crayons without wanting to sit down and use them. All those colors! Yum!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Art Journaling Materials: Beyond the Basics

2011-11-29T09:30:00.001-05:00

Hello lovely people of the Interwebs,

I'm back with more to say about art journaling supplies. Now we're starting to get into fun, splashy, messy stuff. Yay!

Color
I commonly use acrylic soft body paints by Liquitex or fluid acrylics by Golden. I also use a set of tube watercolor paints from Grumbacher and sometimes a kid's kit from the drugstore. I love using Caran d'Ache Neocolor pastels, which are water soluble so you can use them wet or dry. I also love colored markers and pencils. As far as brushes go, I use nice ones with my good paints or when I want a particular brushstroke, and cheap ones that come several to a bag from the craft store for everything else. I use foam brushes all the time for washes and mediums. I just purchased these Distress Stains and am really enjoying using them on watercolor paper. Fun new things are always coming out!

Gesso
Like acrylic medium, gesso creates a great surface for drawing and painting. You can read all about it in this useful post. Gesso is also great to use over printed materials that you are altering by toning down the original printing and allowing you to journal over it.

Tape
Masking tape is great for...um, masking. But I also love using it as a decorative element. Look around for colored masking tapes, duct tape, and beloved Japanese washi tape.

Stamps, Stickers, and Rub-Ons
These are great for dating your pages, giving them titles, and adding quick decorations to the page. I prefer to use StayzOn ink because it's permanent on any surface and dries fast. Craft stores and Etsy are great sources.

Punches and Cutters
You can use paper punches in various shapes and sizes in many different ways in your art journal. I have a small paper cutter that I use all the time to trim down ephemera and to create straight cuts. A hole punch or a Crop-A-Dile is a great tool for putting handmade journals together.

This is in no way a comprehensive list, but I think more of an overview of tools and materials I personally like. I think the key is not to rush out and buy a whole bunch of products. I've been amassing a supply of materials that work for me over many many years. Start with a few things and always work with what you love. If you're not enjoying of working with certain materials, try others--this is supposed to be fun!

Next week--Working with ephemera!

Have a great weekend. Kisses,

Frau S.

Inspiration is Everywhere!

2011-11-28T14:49:00.000-05:00

Hi lovelies,

I've decided to start another series here on the blog in which I'll share with you just one thing that is inspiring me in some small way. I'm starting off simple with a little visual inspiration. Some Jonathan Adler vases from home that were an engagement gift to me and my hub. I love the striped glazes and the bulbous forms. I'd love to paint them....

Hopefully, you will enjoy!

Frau S.

Art Journaling: Basic Materials

2011-11-25T12:01:00.000-05:00

Hello friends,

I hope you fellow Americans had an enjoyable Thanksgiving! Today I'll talk about art journaling materials. This will be the no-frills, low-budge rundown of what I consider some of the most useful tools and materials to create with in my visual journal.
When I started journaling I purchased very few new materials--just some blank sketchbooks, adhesives, and some stuff to write or draw with. I already had some very old acrylic paints, brushes, scissors, stapler, and some stamps. In my first journal, a Moleskine Square Kraft Cahier (I added the Eames decorations), I simply used a regular lead pencil, glue stick, stapler, and one roll of decorative tape. As I continued with this hobby, I phased in more tools as I honed my style and favorite techniques. For now, I'll show you some of my favorite basic materials.

Something to journal in
If you want to paint and paste things into your journal, and I think you do, Canson makes a perfectly good starter sketchbook with a hard black cover for around $15 and you can find it in any arts/crafts store. If you're going to be using wet media, such as paint, I recommend a good quality watercolor or mixed media book (even if you use acrylics, pastels, or if you're collaging) that will stand up to it and not bleed through. Look for 80lb and heavier. This is my favorite notebook. It's a Moleskine watercolor sketchbook in the A4 size. The paper is heavy and smooth. It's a little more at $20, but has a better binding and is more durable.

Something to journal with
What you got around the house? What you got around the office? Especially try whatever your office manager stocks in your work supply room! Free supplies!

Pens and pencils
My preference is to write with a black permanent felt-tip marker. It's a Sakura Pigma Graphic #1. It's archival, not too fine, and dries permanent. Whatever you like to write with, use that. Try a bunch of pens and see what works best for you. For drawing pencils I just use whatever's around--usually a plain ole #2--as well as a set of Berol Prismacolor colored pencils.

White pens
I finally found the perfect white ink pen for me! It's a Pentel Arts Sunburst Gel Medium and oh how I love it. A white pen is fun to use especially if you're pasting different color decorative papers into your journal and then writing over it.

Some color?
When I started art journaling I used an ancient watercolor set and the two or three tubes of acrylic paint in my junk drawer that were probably about 20 years old, because that's what I had. There is no end of fun art supplies to experiment with from crayons and inexpensive fluid acrylics to pastels and inks. I'll get into paint and other art materials more later because they're not a necessity. You can always start out with pens and pencils.

Stuff to stick in your journal
I love me some paper! Scavenge around and see how creative you can be. Mail is a great place to start. Old letters, postcards and greeting cards are lovely in a journal. Magazines are a collage staple. Also, don't count out junk mail. Some catalogs have beautiful photography.
Peek in the supply closet again--I love to use labels, tags, stickers, graph paper, date stamps, calendars and other office supplies! Plus, they're cheaper than art supplies. I'm sure you have some old wrapping paper and tissue paper lying around as well. And then there are the beautiful decorative papers available at art and paper stores. These usually come in 12"x12" squares for scrapbookers as well as in pads. Origami paper is also lovely and inexpensive.
You may want to use your own photographic images in your journal. I do this by printing them out on my ink jet printer at home onto matte photo paper. Unlike glossy photo paper, you can write or draw right over the matte paper without it smearing.

Left: a page from a catalog; Right: family photo scanned and printed on matte paper.

Something to cut that stuff out with
So if you're going to be collaging in your journal, you'll want some nice sharp scissors. I use Fiskars multi-purpose scissors and I love them. Never ever use fabric shears on paper if you intend to use them on fabric again. You may also find an X-acto knife useful with a cutting mat.

Something to stick that stuff in with
Glue stick
I use whatever plain old glue stick is the cheapest because I have not noticed any difference between various gluestick brands. I use whatever comes in a large pack and is cheap, typically Elmers or UHU. This is probably the one tool I use more than anything else.

Matte medium
I bought a giant bottle of Liquitex matte medium in college and I am still using it! This stuff is great for gluing down semi-transparent papers like tissue paper because it dries clear and then is a great surface for decorating over. Some people use this as their glue, but I find the glue sticks easier and less messy, and I can write over without waiting for it to dry. I do like to use this over old ephemera to give the page a little more strength, and I always use matte. The gloss or semi-gloss can cause the pages in your book to stick together. Mediums come in liquid or gel and Liquitex and Golden are the best brands, in my opinion.

Next week: Materials--Beyond the Basics

Toodles,

Frau S.

Thanksgiving Greetings!

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

It's not Friday, but I thought I'd share this ephemera with you a little early so you can enjoy in time for Thanksgiving. Have a lovely time, everyone!

Kisses,

Frau S.

ephemera friday: witchy woman

2011-11-18T10:11:00.001-05:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

Just a little vintage snapshot in my collection. I think it's a great autumn/winter image--looks like a woman in a witches hat sitting by a small christmas tree... odd but fun.

Toodles,

Frau s.

List du Jour 11.17.11

2011-11-17T08:30:00.001-05:00

1. Melinda Tidwell's amazing mixed media book-inspired flickr photostream.

2. Wit and Delight's new recipe posts. Love the dishes and the animated graphics!

3. I loved drawing along with Secret City when I was a kid. Thanks to Brown Paper Bag for reminding me of the show.

4. Kale chips! I didn't even know I liked kale. Here are some directions, although I recommend the super ruffly leaves rather than the flat ones shown.

5. An entertaining read...about poisons.

Getting Started with Art Journaling Series: Introduction

2011-11-15T08:01:00.000-05:00

Hello Dears,

Last week, the lovely Angela of the gorgeous blog 365 Small Details asked about tips on getting started with art journaling. I’ve been thinking about putting together a series of posts on art journals, so this was just the motivation I needed to get started! Thanks, Angela!

I haven’t been working in these journals for long, but it has quickly become my favorite way to express my artistic side and get those creative juices flowing. The lovely thing about visual journals is that anyone can do it. Really. If you’re into drawing, you can use your journal as a sketchbook. If you love to paint, you can paint in it. If you love paper, you can collage. If you’re a shutterbug, you can paste photos into yours. If you’re into calligraphy, you can play with typeface or write it all out. I could go on and on really. We’ll see how long this series becomes!

For me, art journaling was a great way to get back into art making. I’ve always been an art student—always taken drawing, painting, or photography classes. But in the last several years, that type of creating has taken a backseat to other projects. Keeping an art journal has been an easy, fun, low-pressure return to my artsy roots. I got into the habit of keeping a little notebook in my bag for jotting down notes, lists, and miscellany. I brought one of these notebooks with me when I took a study trip to New England. I like to think of it as my first visual journal since it became more than just my course notebook. In addition to notes and jottings, I included sketches, photographs, and paper ephemera collected from the trip. I loved it.

Soon afterwards I started following some art journaling blogs, bought a couple of books on the topic, and took some online classes to get started. The rest is history. I hope you will enjoy this series of upcoming posts on visual journaling, and if there's a topic you would like me to cover, please don't hesitate to let me know!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Coming up next week: A Guide to Materials--The Basics

Just some music I like

2011-11-09T07:47:00.001-05:00

Hi pretties,

I'm going to see this lovely lady tonight with my gal pals. Enjoy...

Toodles,

Frau S.

journal peek

2011-11-08T17:03:00.003-05:00

Hello my Dears,

I'm just about to finish a new visual journal--I'm mere pages away! So I thought I'd share a peek at a few pages with you. This is rapidly becoming my new favorite hobby.

Have a great week!
Toodles,

Frau S.

It's what's for lunch

2011-11-02T12:04:00.000-04:00

Hello sweets,

I was just making these cucumber boats and decided to take a quick photo. You see, I just got the new 4S and I'm taking it for a spin with Instagram, which I'm also new to. So far, so fun!

Have a great day everyone! Toodles,

Frau S.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:09:00.001-04:00

a merry halloween, originally uploaded by one woman's hands.

Hope it's a spooky one.

Kisses,
Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Man Food

2011-10-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

Brought to you by the Rice Council of America. Rice? Really? Also, check out those old-timey car prints on the dark wood paneled wall. So '70s!
Here's a recipe for you. Ladies, maybe you could prepare this for your next key party.

What do you think, men?

Toodles,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Bingo!

2011-10-07T14:02:00.000-04:00

This is the lid for a vintage box of Bingo I got very cheaply on Ebay. I initially got the set for the Bingo cards, which I include in my ephemera kits, but I am also loving this graphic from the design printed on the box. I'm thinking it would look pretty sweet printed onto some card stock, attached to cardboard, and made into a journal cover...hmm....

Have a great weekend!

Toodles,

Frau S.

My idea of fun!

2011-10-06T12:17:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,

Yesterday I finished up my Iceland travel journal/scrapbook.

I may have left out a couple pages, but you get the idea. Now I have a little memory book of a great trip.

Kisses,

Frau S.

Listen to this

2011-09-28T11:45:00.002-04:00

I just LOVE this mashup of Arcade Fire's "Sprawl II" with Blondie's "Heart of Glass!" Enjoy.

Toodles,

Frau S.

Iceland Uber Alles

2011-09-19T15:10:00.001-04:00

Hello friends,

We're settling back into our routine here at home. Back on Etsy. Back to the books. Rifling through my new vintage ephemera treasures from Iceland. I hit a flea market in Reykjavik, but the very best bargains I found were in this complete mess of a book shop in the main shopping district. I could not tell you the name, but you'd know it if you saw it. It's just piles and piles...everywhere!

But the Icelanders distrust anything too old, as you can tell by their architecture...

And their art.

Here is Reykjavik's most popular restaurant...yes, it's a hot dog stand! Yum....the secret is fried onions and remoulade in the fixins.

And from the ridiculous to the sublime--or perhaps the other way around--an amazing dessert we had one night at a restaurant called (I think) the Seafood Grill.

I enjoyed it so much I put it in my travel journal.

Along with other wonders like the many, many, many rocks we collected from the black sand beach, Reynisdrangur.

Now I am off to a laser hair removal appointment. There was a Groupon involved and I'm kind of afraid. Will report back soon!

Kisses,

Frau S.

I come home from the land of ice and snow

2011-09-17T21:22:00.001-04:00

Greetings from Iceland!

This is where I've been! Can you believe it? Iceland is a pretty amazing place. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely go. Iceland Air offers very affordable package deals with direct flights from the US along with hotel. Unfortunately, once in Reykjavik, everything is still pretty expensive despite their economy collapsing. No matter, if you can avoid taxis and fancy restaurants, you will do quite well!
And you can see amazing things like this Volcanic black sand beach!

And many many waterfalls with double rainbows all over the place.

Also there are glaciers.

A good time was had by all.

I'll be back with regularly scheduled content next week. Have a great weekend, pets.

Kisses,
Frau S.

List du Jour 9.5.11

2011-09-05T14:50:00.000-04:00

1. Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson

2. Bob Ross amigurumi on Craft. "Happy little trees!"

3. The art of Wayne White on Miss Moss.

4. Lentil Masala dip from Trader Joe's. (Sorry hummus, you've been replaced!)

5. The Kenos on primetime!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Truth in Advertising

2011-09-02T06:00:00.002-04:00

Hey ladies, this Acme beer is dietetically non-fattenening! Well, relatively... in comparison with other foods. I mean, it's non-fattening in comparison to say a chicken fried steak.

Just look at Leslie Brooks. Don't know who she is? Why, she's the ~~famous~~ beautiful motion picture actress! See, there's a picture. Isn't she beautiful?!

Always read the fine print. Have a great weekend!

Toodles,

Frau S.

2011-08-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hi Pets,

I was wandering around this cute neighborhood somewhat close to where we live and I came across a lovely community garden that I did not know was there. As luck would have it, I had my camera with me for once!

I love it when I've been by a place a hundred times but still discover something new.

Toodles,

Frau S.

Florence and Micro and Me

2011-08-29T12:00:00.002-04:00

Hi pretties!

Over the weekend I worked on a project for a friend that I have been putting off for way too long.

Some placemats and napkins. I may add a top stitch to the placemats. I don't know. What do you think? I hope she likes the fringe I did on the napkins, because it's not what we discussed, but when I saw the different threads I knew it had to be done. Hi Christina!

But wait, it gets better...

Shazaam! Reverse to faux bois! I can't take credit for the awesome fabric. My stylish friend picked them up in New York. There are no cool fabric stores in DC that sell anything close to this. Boo.

I hope your eyes are not crossing because I've photographed these on my ironing board, which is also turquoise and blue (the polka dots.) This is where I normally take pictures for the blog. Micro did not seem inclined to move, so I did.
(That's Florence under that pillowcase. Florence is my sewing machine. If I don't keep her covered, Gilly will interfere with her.)

A new thing I want to draw your attention to: I now have a link to my Amazon shop in the sidebar. I'll be putting up books and music and things that I've mentioned on the blog so you can find them to buy. I get some small credit if you do.

Have a great Monday. Kisses,

Frau S.

List du Jour 8.18.11

2011-08-18T06:00:00.003-04:00

1. Web Therapy. Makes me laugh.

2. Let the Great World Spin. Fed my fascination with pre-Giuliani NYC.

3. Skinny Girl Margarita. It's delish!

4. My new camera bag. It holds my DSLR with the lens attached (!) plus my Instax and regular purse stuff!

5. A daisy chain

Kisses,

Frau S.

Paper, paper, and more paper

2011-08-17T12:19:00.000-04:00

Hello there,

Since I showed you the outsides, I thought I'd share this mosaic of the visual journal spreads I've completed inside my Full Tilt Boogie books. They're all in my Flickr photostream.

Now moving on to other projects... I have some cute goodies to put up in the shop. Just completing the time consuming process of listing them all, but here is a preview.

(cat not included)

See you soon! Toodles,

Frau S.

Cute du Jour 8.12.11

2011-08-12T10:47:00.002-04:00

Gilly, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

I just had to share with you this shot of Gilly from last night. I was putting together a paper pack for my Etsy shop and she decided to come over and assist me. Under the two kitty paint-by-numbers, no less. Too perfect!

Have a great weekend, pretties!

Kisses,
Frau S.

Books, Books, and More Books...

2011-07-28T12:01:00.000-04:00

Hi lovely people of the Interwebs!

That enjoyable bookbinding and visual journaling class I told you about--Full Tilt Boogie by Mary Ann Moss is alas over, but I thought I'd share some of the books (I made 8 books! EIGHT!) and spreads I finished. I have had a blast working on these.

Kisses,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Dear Superman...

2011-07-15T11:46:00.001-04:00

to superman, 1939, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

I don't have the letter to go with this envelope, but I thought it was sweet so I'm sharing it with you. I imagine this was written by a little boy to his hero, Superman. A fan letter, perhaps. Oh and in case you were thinking Superman's at Action Comics on 408 Lexington Avenue, it's actually number 480!

Toodles,

Frau S.

List du Jour: 7.8.11

2011-07-08T08:43:00.000-04:00

1. So You Think You Can Dance
I just like this show so much. There. I have totally compromised my coolness. Don't worry about it, I didn't have any coolness anyway. One suggestion, if I may...more Robert from season 7.

2. Super 8
I saw this with my dad a few weeks ago. We both thought it was a fun movie.

3. The Larry Sanders Show
A good friend recommended this show to me. I marathon screened the entire series via Netflix streaming. It's hilarious!

4.The collage art of Dawn Gardner on the fantastic blog Not Paper.

5. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Halfway through and loving it!

Toodles,

Frau S.

In the Sun

2011-06-20T15:47:00.000-04:00

Hi pretties,

I hope you're having a great start to your week and had a lovely Father's Day weekend.

I wanted to let you know that I'm over on Natalie Malick's free (!) art journaling e-course In the Sun, where I've done a little guest post. I've shared some visual journal pages like the one below. Join us!

If you haven't been over to the In the Sun blog yet, you really should check it out. Natalie has posted all sorts of great journaling prompts and artsy ideas there. And it will be going on all summer long! Fun!

Kisses,

Frau S.

List du Jour: 6.13.11

2011-06-13T17:34:00.000-04:00

1. Scoutie Girl's post on paint-by-numbers.

(P.S. I currently have a paint-by-numbers for sale in the shop.)

2. My favorite childhood heroine is Anne of Green Gables. You too? Check out A Fashionable Frolic's post on LM Montgomery.

3. The Simpsons, as a font!

4. You probably have seen this already, but...

I mean, really!?

5. This library amazingness via le projet d'amour.

Toodles,

Frau S.

(Visual) Journal Peek

2011-06-03T12:37:00.000-04:00

Hi pretties,

I've been working in my Remains of the Day journal and it's so fun. Here's a peek:

Mary Ann Moss is coming out with another visual journal class next week and it looks really good! Anyone else going to take it?

Toodles,

Frau S.

Just an awesome song that I like

2011-05-29T10:46:00.000-04:00

Flea Market Finds Friday

2011-05-27T10:23:00.000-04:00

Hello good people of the interwebs!

Instead of Ephemera Friday today I'm going to do a Flea Market Friday because I got some good finds at the flea market last weekend. However, it won't be very steady feature on the blog because there aren't many good flea markets around the DC area (correct me if I'm wrong, locals!)

First, I got this thing! (Those brushes were sitting in there like that when I bought it.) If you have any idea what it is, please leave a comment. I'm assuming it is meant to be inverted and mounted on the wall. Something from a machine shop, perhaps. I am going to use it as storage on my worktable.

The elusive fake Federal-style convex mirror! I finally got one. And someone has already painted it for me! Hurrah! Yes, it's totally fake, but for $25 who cares?

And here's this cute little box of 12 greeting cards with 12 envelopes. I am guessing from the 1940s. I'm deciding whether I will use them or put them in the shop...

And my favorites--these three antique and vintage illustrated books. There's most of a 1924 children's encyclopedia, a small book of Eugene Field poems from 1907, and a Cozy Corner book called A Little Daughter of Liberty from 1899 and in great condition.

There are more pictures of the books in my Flickr. It makes me so happy when I find old books like these in this condition with great images at a great price because used book stores in DC and places like Eastern Market would be selling them for $20 or $30 each! Do you shop at flea markets? What are some of your favorites to go to? I'd love to know.

Toodles,

Frau S.

The Bachelorette: I'm Not a Dentist, But I Play One On TV Edition

2011-05-24T11:17:00.001-04:00

Someone in school training to become a dentist is called a "dental student." Not a "dentist." Just saying.

So, Ashley is the Bachelorette! Let's recap. Sad about blowing her chances with Brad. But back and better than ever. Brown hair. Ready for love. Interpretive dance interlude. Ok, you're caught up. Now on to the datetestants.

Where oh where to start? Is it just me or are there more corny gimmicks and more freaks on this season than ever before? I have several worst nightmares when it comes to guys. The conservative-meathead-jock-date-rapist-type, the frat-boy-investment-banker-date-rapist-type, the Strong Island/Boston-Guido/Irish-date-rapist-type, etc. You'll be pleased to know that all my worst nightmares are represented here. Several of the guys are just forgettable. It doesn't help that most of them look alike. Only a few stand out as good options to me.

First up, Ryan P., 31

Solar Energy Executive

Fresno, CA

Hobbies include jogging shirtless on the beach, making heart-shaped hand gestures.

This guy seems nice enough, but a little vanilla. He seems to have a good connection with Ashley, but I fear he might be a little too good to be true. I like that he started a solar energy company, but if all he can talk about is his job, I'm going to fall asleep.

Ames, 31
Portfolio Manager
New York
Hobbies include dining at Dorsia, applying exfoliating facial masks, polishing chainsaw collection.
"Hi, I'm Ames. I went to Yale. It's in Connecticut. Maybe you've heard of it." Shut up, Ames. By the way, nice loafers with no socks with dress pants. Where's your white baseball cap? Worst nightmare!

JP, 34

Construction Manager

New York

Hobbies include smiling, shopping at farmers markets.

How you doing? JP reminds me a little of cutie actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. No props or gimmicks, just smiles.

Ben C., 28
Lawyer
New Orleans
Hobbies include earnest piano playing, being passionate.
I forgot all about this guy until he brought out the Bob Dylan cue cards. I have to admit, that was pretty adorable.

Ben F., 28
Winemaker!
Sonoma, CA!
Hobbies include making wine!
Jackpot!

Bentley, 28
Salt Lake City, UT
(Legitimate) Businessman
Hobbies include compiling Ideal Wife Checklist.
I always laugh when they say someone's a "businessman." It sounds like something a little kid would say. Okay, Bentley is gooood lookin'! But as we'll find out, this is not going to be a good thing for poor Ashley. You see, Bentley was hoping for Emily. We see him being an ass in the preview package saying how he doesn't give a crap about Ashley while she lavishes kisses upon him. Oh no.
In her interview with superhost Chris Harrison, Ashley almost immediately outs Bentley as being on the show to promote his business (The "family fun center?" Um...ok.) but she's willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And she's hoping he's not so attractive. Uh, so sorry, Ashley.

Anthony, 28
Butcher
Wycoff, NJ
This guy's wearing a gold chain and that's all I have to say about that. Worst nightmare! However, there is a cute conversation between Anthony and his dad (also a butcher). "What if she doesn't eat meat?" "That's gonna be a hell of a conversation come the holidays. " Hee.

William, 30,
Cell phone salesman
Columbus, OH
Hobbies include Buster Keaton movies, not drinking.
Oh poor William's umbrella keeps going inside out. This is the funniest thing since slipping on a banana peel. This one seems sort of sweet and doesn't take himself too seriously.

After a quick word with Ashley, the limos arrive. The gimmicks commence.
Two creepy guys lift Ashley like a sack of potatoes and prance around with her. One creepy guy goes in to kiss her on the lips right off the bat. Lame rap. Lame poem. Lame handshake. Mask! Gimmicks everywhere!

Oh no. Here comes Tim, 35
Liquor Distributor
Massapequa, NY
It's always so painful to see the guy who's so nervous he can't speak. In retrospect, he is probably already drunk. Also he called her "breathtaking." Ouch.

Jeff, 35
Entrepreneur
St. Louis, MO
OK, the guy with the mask. Sillhouette man! I guess I was wrong about him being a celebrity. It's just some guy who wants to "take his face out of the game." I have no words. Whatever sound person chose the Phantom-esque music that keeps playing is a genius. The mask seems to really bother Tim a lot. It's hilarious.

Ben the winemaker who makes wine is here! He gives Ashley a glass of his own wine for a toast. Now this is a gimmick I like. He tells her he's a little bit nervous and brushed his teeth 8 times. Just what a dental student wants to hear. Awww.

Here comes Bentley, clearly looking disappointed to see Ashley. There are hearts in Ashley's eyes and we hear harps playing and birds tweeting. He has no gimmicks and barely says anything but clearly by the look on her face, Ashley's way into him.

And now for the cocktail party. Ashley has good conversations with Ryan, Ben, and Matt's mom. Oh no, here comes the requisite guitar playing dude...wait, he throws the guitar in the pool. That was kind of funny. I think we're all so very glad we don't have to hear any serenading tonight.

Ey! Oh! Tim is trashed. Security!

First impression rose? Jake! I mean, Ryan P.!

Also receiving roses:
Phantom gets the first rose!?
Constantine the flosser
Ben F. Yay!
Lucas the Texan
Steven aka Jason Schwartzman
Matt's mom
Nick
Chris D.
Ryan M., Chris Harrison superfan
Blake the Dentist
Mickey the kissing bandit
Ben C. Yay!
West
William the impressionist. Yay!
J.P. Cupcake. Yay!
Ames aka Wiffenpoof
Bentley (which we knew)

Out:
Boozy McGee
Anthony aka Vinnie Barbarino
Rob (who?)
Ashley-lifter Jon, who is crying. Get a grip buddy, you just met her!
Chris M.
Frank (who?)
Michael the guitar flinger

Here's who I'm liking: William, the Bens, and JP, perhaps Ryan P. My amateur producer notes: The previews are giving away way too much of the show. Loving the snarky music choices. Did you watch? What did you think?

Toodles,

Frau S.

all images ab.com

Coming Up: The Bachelorette!

2011-05-21T19:06:00.004-04:00

abc.com

I recently received an important email from abc letting me know that the new season of The Bachelorette is coming up and that the bachelor datetestants have been announced online.

The publicists at abc must have heard about my blog. Please have their people call my people.

Watch this space! I'll be back Tuesday morning with my most popular feature. (I finally got blog analytics so I know that the Bachelor/Bachelorette posts have received the most hits. Yeah. Should I be doing more snarky TV recap posts?)

I highly suggest you go to ABC.com and check out the new crop of datetestants and tune in Monday night to see the horror (I assume) unfold. One of the guys is a silhouette! What does that mean? Is he a celebrity? Do we know any famous people called Jeff who have their own line of vodka and are known for hockey achievements? These two are the only hockey players I know...

... so I'm no help there. Whatever happens, we always have fun at the premiere!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Coldspot

2011-05-20T09:40:00.001-04:00

I probably should have saved this one for an unbearably hot summer day, but I didn't want to wait. This is an advertisement catalog for Sears' line of Coldspot Freezers.

The Coldspots were among the first home freezers produced in America in the late 1920s. Sears continued to produce these until 1976 when they began selling freezers under the name Kenmore.

So, question. Did anyone else out there have matching mother/daughter pinafore dresses? Just me? Okay.

TTFN,

Frau S.

Cute du Jour 5.19.11

2011-05-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

Hi lovelies,

I thought I'd just lay low for a while until the Blogger issues resolved. Hopefully, things are back to normal. I've missed you!

I've been doing some rearranging. Here's a peek:

We don't eat at our dining room table very often, so I've decided to make it a second workspace, full time. It's where I take all my product pictures and do my reading because the lighting is good. Also, kitties like to perch there where they can look out the window.

I got a couple yards of this cute oilcloth to keep the table clean when I'm painting--I never have enough newspaper around.

And I swapped out my 1820s Parisian fashion prints that need to be reframed for some paint-by-numbers goodness. I'm hoping I'll be productive here.

TTFN,

Frau S.

Just a Note

2011-05-12T13:43:00.000-04:00

To friends who were on my blog roll who may have noticed I no longer have a blog roll, I still love and follow you, and will be showing the love again soon! I'm trying to figure out how to do a menu of links across the top of my blog where I will have links to your sites. Also, if you have a button/badge code you would like to share, please feel free to let me know and I will use it. Coming soon!

Kisses,

Frau S.

List du Jour: 5.12.11

2011-05-12T08:49:00.000-04:00

1. Finally we got bikes! Now we can be like this couple. I am going today to find a cute helmet.

2. This post on beautiful artist signatures on the altered page. I never paid much attention before.

3. Looking at this beautiful photograph by my blog friend Margie. Spring is unfortunately already over here in Washington, so I'll enjoy it through her eyes/lens!

image latebloomersbuds's

4. I signed up for the Sketchbook Project. Thinking of joining? Do it!

5. Sean Bean on TV again.

Yes, this is the kind of show I watch. Hehe.

Toodles,

Frau S.

Just Something I Like: The Simpsons, Unanimated

2011-05-09T17:52:00.000-04:00

I had been looking for this. Thank you Lisa Simpson Book Club!

Come Home To The Simpsons from devilfish on Vimeo.

Notice that the Simpsons are European?

Toodles,

Frau S.

To the Mamas

2011-05-08T09:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

This is my mom in her twenties. Wasn't she fab?!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: Ticket to Ride

2011-05-06T10:45:00.001-04:00

Untitled, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

Hi lovelies,

I'm sharing with you today a few "passenger check" train ticket stubs from the Pullman Company. I just love the colors of these papers! This is something I'd like to collect more of since I have a bit of a family attachment to train history--my grandfather was a career railroad man who worked on the New York to Miami line train.

Have a great weekend, and thank you so much for reading! I appreciate you!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Feeling Literary

2011-05-03T23:22:00.000-04:00

Sweet dreams, pretties.

Kisses,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: That Bwessed Awangement

2011-04-29T07:00:00.002-04:00

Some people around here will be celebrating a very special marriage today... Ours!

That's right, five years ago today my DH and I tied the knot. Oh and there's also this couple in London getting married today too. An auspicious day! So, something a little different for Ephemera Friday this time. On to the paper! Our engagement party invitations.

Our wedding stationary--letterpress thank you card and envelope shown. I scanned this but the colors are a bit off. Should be greener.

And here's my portrait, by photographer Bill Holland.

Here's my mom (who was with us in spirit) on her own wedding day. Do you think we looked alike? I like to think so.

I don't know who these people are, but I like them. It's just a cute old snap from my collection.

You can also pick up some Kate and Wills royal wedding swag if you're feeling so inclined!

This tin by Kate Forrester is probably my favorite item of all. This plate is also lovely. I guess I am partial to silhouettes! The official stuff is actually rather pretty too. Did you know the Royal Family has a Flickr? I admit, I'll probably be checking it for updates...but not getting up at 4am.

Toodles,

Frau S.

Scrappy Goodness Up in Here

2011-04-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

Hello good people of the Interwebs!

Over the weekend I took Mary Ann Moss's Remains of the Day Online Class. I've been a longtime reader of Mary Ann's awesome blog, Dispatch From LA and a big fan of her travel journals and finally decided to check out the class. I cannot overstate how much I got out of it! If you have any interest in journaling and/or bookmaking I highly recommend you get the class. There's a sale on the archived class price for a couple more days, so go now!

Over the weekend I made this art journal using Mary Ann's method.

I used an old pair of pajamas as the main fabric for the book cover. I just realized the pajamas were from J.Crew which speaks to how old they must have been. When's the last time J.Crew came out with anything comfy and frumpy or in a print like that? Anyway, I also used some scraps I had in my stash and that old doily from my mother-in-law. I didn't buy a single thing for this class! Just used what I had around.

Then I decided to do another cover that was less scrappy, more my usual aesthetic. I haven't put the pages in this one yet. Still scavenging the ephemera collection, which is the funnest part.

And I thought I would make another one without the fabric cover. Or maybe I will add some fabric. We'll see. This is from a file folder I got from Target last year. Yes, it's a Liberty print! I die!

It seems there are some new scratches on the table that need addressing... Hmm.

Have a good day! Toodles,

Frau S.

Getting Messy/Craftsy

2011-04-25T16:52:00.000-04:00

Hello lovely people,

I came across a bunch of tutorials on the interwebs for using this cleanser Citra Solv to make decorative papers out of magazine pages and decided to give it a try. I bought my Citra Solv from Amazon and I used a bunch of New York Times Magazine pages. You cannot be too skimpy with the solvent, which makes this pretty messy with the ink getting everywhere, so I highly recommend doing this outside. (I may have stained our bathtub a tad doing this. Who can say?) You can learn more about the process here.

This is what happened when I really saturated the pages using a silicone brush.

I kind of like the grungy effect!

Here's what happened when I just brushed on some solvent here and there with a small sponge brush, keeping varying amounts of the photo intact.

I think I went back into the girl's face with the silicone brush here. And there is what happens when you try to pick up the page and get fingerprints all over it.

I was kicking myself when I found out about this because I just recently got rid of a bunch of National Geographics--those are supposed to work the best--but I tried a few other things (BTW, Toast catalog does not work) and found success with NYT. My guess would be Parade would also work. Have you tried this technique? I would love to see more results.

Toodles,

Frau S.

Ephemera Friday: You down with OPP?

2011-04-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

Other People's Post, that is. Yeah, you know me!

He he! Guilty! Well, here is the lovely letter I'm sharing with you today. (More on this Dr. Nervine business next week.)

I acquired a bunch of letters from around the turn of the 20th century that I absolutely adore. The one I'm sharing with you is from a girl named Lillie Taylor of Craig, Missouri to a Mrs. Allen of South Auburn, Nebraska written in 1907. In her letter Lillie thanks Mrs. Taylor for the useful graduation present and (hold onto your hats material culture enthusiasts!) lists all the other gifts she received!!

I love looking at other people's handwriting. Penmanship seems to be a lost art. Don't you find the handwriting from old letters and such to be so much more beautiful that most of what we see nowadays? Lillie's writing is not terribly neat but I like it.

By the way, this envelope is so teeny. Only about 3" x 4.5."

Have a great weekend, pets! Kisses,

Frau S.

A fun way to deal with magazine clutter

2011-04-20T10:07:00.000-04:00

Hi pretties,

So the other day I was procrastinating and decided to go through some old magazines I'd been hoarding, cut out my favorite images ("maniacally," according to DH), and paste them into a sketchbook to make a decorating idea book for myself. The best part was throwing away the magazines after I had mined them for the best content. (There are some magazines I'll never do this to, like my Domino collection, and I'm okay with that.)

Anyway, thought I'd share a few of the spreads with you this morning.

Most of the images are from Elle Decor, Better Homes and Gardens, and Style at Home. I don't mind cutting those up. Sorry guys!

I'd love to know, how do you deal with magazine clutter?

Toodles,

Frau S.

Cute du Jour 4.18.11

2011-04-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here's our Gilly again. Both kitties are getting used to this new over-the-door cat climber DH got for them. They didn't seem very interested at first, but then we poured catnip on each step and they finally came around. Micro has only made it to the second floor, but our youngster Gilly likes to hang out on the penthouse level. Watching her come down from there the first time was not pretty. But now she seems quite comfortable climbing back down and jumping from the middle.

TTFN,

Frau S.

And the winner is...

2011-04-16T00:00:00.001-04:00

...Tumbleweed!

Congratulations, Tumbleweed. Please shoot me an email at badhausfrau at gmail dot com with your mailing address and I will send your spools of yummy baker's twine out to you. Thanks everyone and have a terrific weekend!

(I assigned each follower a number and randomly selected a number with this generator.)

Ephemera Friday: New-Type Syrup Sweet Enough To Do Things With!

2011-04-15T01:00:00.001-04:00

The second Ephemera Fridays installment is here and this one is a doozy! It's an advertising brochure for Sweetose corn syrup, a precurser to high-fructose corn syrup. Hey guys, it's really sweet!

Given all the controversy over high-fructose corn syrup and corn farming in the last several years, I thought the marketing of this product from 1947 was a pretty hilarious in its naivete. It's sweeter than sugar!! It's patented by scientists!!

Care for some frozen orange prune whip? Thousands of women have tried it and it gives a satisfying sweetness men and boys really like.

Here's a guy in a lab coat brandishing a test tube. Just what I want to see in conjunction with food.

"Certified untouched" photograph. Affidavit available on request! Looks almost good enough to eat, doesn't it?

I hope you enjoyed that. I also want to remind you of my little giveaway. It's not too late to start following this blog and be entered to win. I will be announcing the winner of these spools of baker's twine at midnight tonight EST!

Toodles,

Frau S.

List du Jour: 4.13.11

2011-04-13T10:50:00.000-04:00

1. I've mentioned it before, but Adele's album "21" is ah mazing. No skippers.

2. Watching (like a proud parent) the kitties learn to get to the top of the over-the-door climber DH got them.

3. Have you seen these things? I need one!

4. Are you as excited about this as I am? Check out Little Augury's post on Eaton Place style.

Watch the full episode. See more Masterpiece.

5. This book is pretty awesome so far. Coming soon to HBO. Reading quickly!

Have a lovely day! TTFN,

Frau S.

It's a Launch Party!

2011-04-11T11:24:00.000-04:00

Hello lovelies,

I have been taking part in the online workshop Indie Biz 3.0 and the course has just ended. As usual, the best part of the class was all the great women I met online. To cap off the workshop, a number of us are launching new shops, blogs, products, or giveaways to celebrate.

I'm hosting a giveaway of these lovely spools of bakers twine which are great for a million things from crafting to gift wrapping. You'll receive these four spools: yellow, hot pink, brown, and pale pink. They are so soft and pretty!

All you have to do to enter is follow this blog! If you're already following, you're automatically entered in the giveaway. I will pick a reader at random on Friday, so stay tuned.

While you're at it, check out these other awesome launch events! A couple of my faves: 11th Monkey, our wonderful organizer of this party, is launching an adorable new product you'll want to check out. Bonita Rose is giving away some amazing hand-painted fabrics. Check out the full list of happenings here.

Have a wonderful week! Kisses,

Frau S.

New Feature: Ephemera Fridays!

2011-04-08T06:00:00.002-04:00

Hello pretties,

I've decided to add a weekly feature here on the blog where I'll share with you a piece of ephemera from my collection. I really love paper and collage art and gathering these little pieces of the past (and their stories when I can) inspires me. Hope you'll enjoy the series!

Today I am sharing with you a really fun and bizarre cover from the dinner menu on the TS Bremen from the 1971 sailing. I love the vivid colors and the illustrations, but I find that chicken with the zipper really disturbing. And what is going on with that banana?! A strange little find, no?

The menu, printed on the reverse in both English and German, is completely normal and what you would expect to see (salads, fish and meats, ice cream, etc.) No tortured produce or turtle soup.

Digging around on the interwebs, I found this wiki image taken on the ship in the same year. Kind of scary!

And this information on a message board:

"Your" BREMEN is a fascinating ship with a rather chequered career. She was built in 1939 as PASTEUR for service from France to South America, but due to the outbreak of World War II never entered service, becoming a troopship under the management of Cunard-White Star. In 1945, after the end of the war, her management was transferred back to her French owners, and continued as a troopship, now carrying French troops to Indochina. After being laid-up in 1956, she was sold to Norddeutscher Lloyd who were left without a fleet after the end of the war. They rebuilt her completely as the new Atlantic liner BREMEN, and she entered service in 1959. She was a successful ship, but unfortunately NDL did not replace her original powerplant, and by the late 1960s she was becoming mechanically unreliable. NDL merged with Hapag in 1970 to form Hapag-Lloyd, and in 1971 the mechanically ageing BREMEN was sold to Chandris and renamed REGINA MAGNA.

Unfortunately, Chandris had no better luck with the ship's mechanicals than NDL had, and REGINA MAGNA was used only until 1974. Thereafter she became an accomodation ship at Jeddah for Filipino workers, called FILIPINAS SAUDI I. In 1980 she was sold for breaking up in Taiwan, and sank on her way to the breakers.

Stephen mentioned the present BREMEN - this is an entirely different ship, dating only to 1990. She was built as FRONTIER SPIRIT by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for a new company called Frontier Cruises, which was a joint venture amongst, among other companies, Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), Hapag-Lloyd, and Mitsubishi themselves. (NYK, the world's largest shipping company, were large players in the passenger market before WWII and in the late 1980s, they returned with a bang to the cruise industry, building the ultra-luxury ship ASUKA for the domestic market, and introducing Crystal Cruises and the joint-venture Frontier Cruises for the international market. ASUKA, CRYSTAL HARMONY, and FRONTIER SPIRIT were all built in Japan at Mitsubishi, though subsequent Crystal ships have been built at European yards.) Frontier Cruises aimed at the very high end of the expedition cruise market, and FRONTIER SPIRIT was the most luxurious ship ever built for expedition cruising. Unfortunately, unlike Crystal, Frontier Cruises was not a success and the ship passed on to former joint-venture partner Hapag-Lloyd who renamed her BREMEN. She continues with them today, with a principally German clientele, though in 2005 she will be chartered to a new US company called Expedition Leaders (http://www.expeditionleaders.com) and renamed LEADERS' DISCOVERER. She will continue to be operated by Hapag-Lloyd, and marketed by Hapag-Lloyd in the German market in addition to being marketed by Expedition Leaders in the US.

So the name BREMEN will once again be available - I would not be at all surprised to see it turn up on a new Hapag-Lloyd ship soon, as along with EUROPA it is probably the most prestigious name in Hapag-Lloyd's repertoire (this dates from 1929 when NDL's magnificent twins BREMEN and EUROPA smashed the Atlantic speed record and captured the Blue Riband from MAURETANIA which had held it for a whopping 22 years).

Can you imagine being a passenger on that ship, in that storm, and receiving that menu...pass the Dramamine!

Toodles,

Frau S.

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That voice!

2011-04-07T20:19:00.002-04:00

That is all. TTFN,

Frau S.

Oh, hello!

2011-04-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

I see it's been over a week since I last blogged and I just wanted to check in and say hi to you. Hi!

There are so many things I need and want to do. Spring is here and the weather is nice, to boot. I have real work to do (the kind I get paid for) and a million other things to do for the shop and some workshops I'm taking and a larger creative project I have in the works. Also, bad hausfrau that I am, I feel like I need to be somewhat organized before I can do any of it, but I'm totally in disarray! Half my stuff is in the office/man cave (I think I'm retreating from there, by the way) and the other half is in my makeshift studio in the dining room. There's just too much STUFF around here, so I think it's time for a Spring purge. It's the start of a new month and a new season. I want to make some changes and get organized. Wish me luck.

Kisses,

Frau S.

Project Peek

2011-03-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

Hello Peeps!

Remember this?

Well, here is a peek of what I made with those poor decapitated flowers. I call it my petite portable flower garden! This is part of a larger project I won't be ready to announce for quite a while, but I wanted to share with you this little keepsake so far. I combined elements to evoke a trip I took at least twice a year as a child. I love making little memory boxes like these!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Just a couple of things

2011-03-22T17:13:00.002-04:00

Hi all. I'm afraid I don't have much of a post in me today, after having put off blogging for longer than I should've. I think I am coming down with a cold. It's that change in the weather doing me in again... So, I'll just share a few things with you from other creatives on the interwebs and call it a day:

I enjoyed this post on Little Augury on Betty de Rothschild, especially the Ingres sketches of what's doin' under her dress.

I think Ali Edwards' Week In the Life albums are a great project for when 30 Days of Lists is over. (Only 8 left! Sad.)

I can't get enough of Mr. and Mrs. Globetrot's photos of this awesome, quirky pharmacy museum in Lviv, Ukraine. I am all about this place in so many ways! Speaking of which, remind me I must go to the Walters to see "Treasures of Heaven." Thanks to Morbid Anatomy's post on the exhibit, I'm definitely up for the trip to B'more!

via

Kisses,

Frau S.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Pretties!

2011-03-17T10:10:00.000-04:00

He he! This is from a magnet that I purchased at the awesome Lower East Side Tenement Museum gift shop. Have a good day, Irish or not!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Before all this there was Television

2011-03-16T12:06:00.000-04:00

Heading out for a lunch date, so I'll just leave you with one of my favorite tunes today. An oldie but so goodie! Enjoy!

Toodles,

Frau S.

On cats and dogs

2011-03-14T13:54:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Animals (and people) are so awesome. Sometimes I forget. I was just reading about these local canine search and rescue teams being deployed to Japan by USAID. The same team located and extricated 16 survivors trapped under rubble from the earthquake in Haiti last year. These types of missions would not be possible without brave animals helping humans. A list of organizations accepting donations for supporting tsunami response in Japan is here.

I am still having fun with my listmaking for 30 Days of Lists. These are some of my new ones. I came up with a list of things that I love about our animals--the famous kitties Micro and Gilly.

1. 13/30, 2. 14/30, 3. 11/30, 4. 12/30, 5. 10/30, 6. 9/30

Have a good week. Kisses,

Frau S.

7 Dirty Secrets

2011-03-11T15:04:00.000-05:00

I was just tagged by the delightful Louana who writes the eleventh monkey blog to share 7 embarrassing secrets. Louana makes adorable felt creatures that she sells in her shop. Go check them out.

OK, so these are not particularly dirty, but definitely somewhat embarrassing. ~~Do you really think I'd put my truly dirty secrets on the interwebs?~~ I don't have any truly dirty secrets!

1. You know that PSA before the movies with the baby crying and the cell phone ringing that says "don't bring your own soundtrack?" The first time I heard it, it totally fooled me and I was like, "Who would bring a baby to the Fing Hours!?!" My friends made fun of me for a long time about that one. Oh and I was totally weeping at the end of The Hours. They laughed at me for that as well, as they should have.

2. I have a big crush on Justin Timberlake. Always have. Always will.

3. I really like bad food. Like McDonalds and Grey's Papaya. I know I shouldn't, but I just do. (I like good food too though.)

4. I have a blankie that I've slept with since I was little. DH doesn't mind. The blanket has a name--Bullie Jones.

5. I'm a magazine hoarder. Someone really needs to stop me.

6. I used to HATE cats until I got together with DH and fell in love with his. Now I'm a crazy cat frau.

7. I'm not sure how often you're supposed to get your car washed. Mine is 9 years old and I think I've had it washed 2 or 3 times.

Thanks Louana! This was fun. Readers, check out eleventh monkey here! Have a great weekend and stay safe, wherever you are.

Kisses,

Frau S.

Just Something I'm Working On

2011-03-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

Decapitating fake flowers!

This is for a project that I'm working on, and strangely, quite satisfying!

Have a good day everyone!

Toodles,

Frau S.

How About Some Music?

2011-03-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

I just love this. Enjoy!

Toodles,

Frau S.

Fun with Lists

2011-03-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

Hi pretties,

I've mentioned the fun project I'm taking part in over at 30 Days of Lists. It's a great approach to easy, low-pressure art journaling. And you know me and my love of lists...

Here's a glimpse of what I've assembled so far. You can see more on Flickr.

Toodles,

Frau S.

There must be a pea under my mattress

2011-03-04T16:04:00.002-05:00

Your friend Frau S. is feeling a little fragile today, if you know what I mean. As you may know, I have a chronic issue with neck pain which I sometimes resort to treating with home remedies (read: wine). An hour of yoga followed by a muscle relaxer and a hot bath would be much better for me, but wine is so delicious.

Sometimes I have one glass too many (It's such a fine line isn't it?) and I wake up in a wee bit o pain. Not a hangover, mind you--I really haven't had enough for that this time--but that the intended effect of relaxation has reversed itself and instead I've been clenching my jaw (or just slept "wrong") in the night, so now my back hurts too.

Check out these weird pillows the mister and I have been sleeping with for the past several nights. (Nobody's preggers--relax!) DH loves his, but I think mine is causing me to sleep wrong. So sad. I felt really good after the first night I used it. Maybe it is time for a new mattress. How long is a mattress supposed to last anyway?

Does anyone out there have a really comfortable bed and never wake up sore? Tell me about it please!

Have a great weekend! Kisses,

Frau S.

2011-03-01T17:00:00.000-05:00

1. This madness. The piles and piles of sweet cocaine is a nice touch, non?

image via the onion av club

2. More wonderful online magazines out today! Sweet Paul and Matchbook.

3. Miss Moss's mixtape. I want to go down to South Africa and make her my new best friend--we're obviously kindred spirits.

image miss moss

4. These great musician photos on Where the Lovely Things Are. I'm developing a serious Debbie Harry thing. She is just way too cute.

image via wherethelovelythingsare

5. Completed my 30 Days of Lists journal and first entry.

Toodles,

Frau S.

List du Jour: 2.28.11

2011-02-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

Hello! I hope you are having a nice start to your week.

1. Do you love lists and art journals? Of course, we all do! (If you are too young to get this reference, just don't tell me.) Join in 30 Days of Lists starting tomorrow! I'm going to. I will show you a picture of the booklet I made tomorrow. It's rainy and there's no available natural light today.

2. Dabble, another enjoyable new online magazine. Keep em coming, Canadia!

3. All you ever wanted to know about Cookie Puss via Mental Floss. (Again, if you are too young to remember Cookie Puss, just don't tell me. Or, go call USA-1000.)

4. My new paint-by-numbers purchase arrived! I loves itz! This one is from one of my favorite Etsy shops, Birdsnestsandpaper.

5. Speaking of Etsy, items from my shop were listed in a couple of clever treasuries: The Vintage Office and Rabbit Treats. Fun!

Toodles,

Frau S.

New Sewing-Themed Vintage Goods in the Shop

2011-02-26T15:35:00.000-05:00

Happy weekend, my pets! I've been busy with a few projects. Shop-related, fun-related, and work-related (still fun). It's good to be busy!

Do you sew? The latest upload to my Etsy shop includes a bunch of fun old vintage sewing goodies. Here are some of the highlights:

I have so many more things to get up in the shop and to share with you, but it's time consuming to manage the photos and organize the descriptions. I have the most adorable skinny vintage rick rack and tatted trim to put on spools, and other vintage finds to photograph. I do it all from the one good natural light source in the apartment where I have a window from about 10am-1pm. If it's sunny. I'm steadily working on it though, so watch this space! Have a great weekend everyone.

Toodles,

Frau S.

P.S. Are you excited about the Oscars? I've now seen and enjoyed a few of the contenders--Black Swan, True Grit, Inception, and the King's Speech. Are you rooting for anyone?

Tardy for the Party

2011-02-22T09:27:00.000-05:00

Hi my pets,

I'm sharing a Valentine's Day post with you, so I'm a tad behind schedule, but I had to show you this bit of pretty. This is the photo collage Margie at Latebloomerbuds's Blog made with the goodies she won from my giveaway! I just love it!

Latebloomerbuds

If you don't already follow Margie's blog, go check it out now. It is one of the most beautiful blogs out there!

Kisses,

Frau S.

One Step Forward, One Step Back, One Step Forward: Etsy's a Go!

2011-02-16T10:32:00.000-05:00

Good morning my dears!

Thank you so much to you all for your kind feedback on my meager progress on the workspace front. Although...full disclosure, people, this is what it's looking like today.

There's good news though! The reason it's looking a mess is because I have been working on my Etsy shop and now it is finally up!!!

I am still stocking the shelves (so check back again) but there are some goodies up and ready to ship now! Highlights include these vintage ephemera packs for scrapbooking, art journaling, any and all creative projects. I am so excited about these packs--there is SO much great stuff in them!

And this vintage lace trim on a wooden industrial spool. I love these vintage spools and I have lots more trim to put up in the shop over the next few days. These are so great for sewing projects and art collages/paper projects.

If you have a chance, I'd love it if you'd come by the shop and check it out. Let me know what you think!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

To my DH and all my dear blog friends. Have a wonderful day! XOXO

Kisses,

Frau S.

Je ne veux pas travailler non plus

2011-02-09T06:00:00.002-05:00

TTFN,

Frau S.

List du Jour: Fragrances

2011-02-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

I love beautiful fragrances, don't you? Some people say they hate perfume or they're allergic to it. I think it's just a matter of finding the right one. Sure, I hate old lady powdery perfume applied so liberally that your eyes water when you're trapped in an enclosed space, but who doesn't? If you're allergic, try a natural oil-based fragrance or solid perfume. Or just get the bodywash, deodorant, or lotion version of a scent you like.

1. Roses. I have been wearing the same perfume since the 6th grade: Paris by Yves Saint Laurent. That is what I wear most of the time and I love it. They often come out with variation that I've also loved like Paris in the Springtime and Parisienne. I think all the iterations of Paris are rose-based and I seem to be drawn to other rose-based fragrances like Gucci II. I'm lately enjoying Cannabis Rose by Fresh which is a bit spicier and warmer. (No, it doesn't smell like weed.)

2. Woody. Don't you feel like you want to switch to a warmer fragrance in the winter like something woodsy or musky and something like green tea or citrus in hot weather? So this is not really a perfume, but I love the fragrance of Diptyque Essence of John Galliano so much I'm including it. It comes in room spray and candle form, but I find this brand of candle has great fragrances but the wicks are always askew so they don't burn well, so I get the room spray which lasts a lot longer anyway. Then there is the perfume by Helmut Lang, which I don't think is made anymore (but you can search for it online). I can't describe this one, but my DH loves it and he is one of those "I hate perfume" types.

3. Musk. I normally am not a fan of musk, but I adore Kiehl's Original Musk. It is dead sexy. Get the oil if you can instead of the spray because it is a potent little guy and just a dab behind the ears will really do the job. (Remember the good old days when you would go into Kiehl's and they would give you tons of enormous samples? Once I wanted a sample of something and they were out of it so they gave me a full sized bottle for free! Now they just give you the little one-use packets. Bah.)

4. Green Tea. My favorite for summer is Green Tea from L'Occitane. It's very light and has a citrusy smell. There are other fancier green teas, but I think this one is the best and it is relatively cheap.

5. Oldies But Goodies. I occasionally pull one of these out when I'm in the mood for something different: Dior J'adore, Tresor, Alfred Sung, and Fracas.

I would love to know what some of your favorites are?

Toodles,

Frau S.

Outtake

2011-02-07T13:21:00.001-05:00

Gilly product shoot, originally uploaded by Bad Hausfrau.

We're working on my to-be-launched-soon Etsy shop this week. My colleague Gilly of course has to jump in and make some adjustments to the product photography. WHAT a micromanager!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Random Kittiness

2011-02-03T09:23:00.000-05:00

Hello pretties,

Behold my newest paint-by-numbers acquisition. Kitties! I am so excited to have found this. I can often find horses, but cat paintings seem to be rarer. You can see a bit of Micro in the background as she was giving the new kitties the once over.

There is just something so wrong about this picture.

Micro loves these Temptations treats, and I usually get them in the chicken or fish flavor, but I got her a big multi-pack box for Christmas. Not that I think either of our cats could actually take a tuna or even a chicken in real life, but this is really just too far. Not to worry though, I checked the ingredients and there doesn't appear to be any actual beef in the product. Enh?

Ciao ciao,

Frau S.

List du Jour: 2.2.11

2011-02-02T06:00:00.002-05:00

1. Google Art Project. Have you seen this?! It's like Google Earth inside museums. So cool.

2. This house in Rue magazine. What I love so much about it is the owners have chosen to leave most of the original woodwork alone but have still managed to make their home look cool and contemporary. People with old houses or apartments, please think twice before whitewashing your trim or (especially) painting your antique and vintage furniture. In most cases (though not all) it detracts from the beauty and the value of the piece/home. Respect the wood!

images via frommetoyou

3. Reading

4. Just some props to Qua Spa which was probably the highlight of my trip to Vegas. Green tea steam room! Vichy showers! Arctic ice room! Yes that is snow falling! Can you tell I enjoyed this? (This is not me.)

image caesars palace

5. Listening to some Robyn. Her voice sounds just like Kate Bush's to me...but with a funky beat!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Workspace in Progress

2011-02-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

Hello lovely readers,

As you know I've been working to get my workspace under control for a while now. Snow days are a good time for purging and decluttering. It's a work in progress. My desk had become a landing pad for all kinds of miscelaneous clutter that I didn't have storage for. Since I really need that surface for cutting and sewing, I'm trying to go over and under with the storage. Sticking those two Ikea storage bag things on the wall is a great help. I keep some camera stuff (Diana lenses, film) in one, and the other one is stuff I don't know where else to put--business cards and junk.

I have my sad little bulletin board, but I'm going to just tape stuff up to the wall going forward because, who cares?! I love the little birdie calendar. It's a free download at Creature Comforts.

I'm going to put my tools and things in these glass vases left over from my wedding because I am one of those who needs to see everything I have out in the open. I got the idea from the amazing Leslie at A Creative Mint. I love that lucite tape dispenser so much. I need to get like 10 more of those.

I have this little rolling cart under the desk to store more supplies and whatnots.

We got two of these hutches on sale from The Container Store for on top of our desks. "Going vertical!" my husband says. I just finished sewing together that storage box with some of my favorite fabric left over from my shoe thing. It is so badly constructed, but again, who cares!? I got some more boxes like this from Target because I can just throw stuff in there and put it on a shelf and appear to be neat. There's another free calendar download from My Owl Barn.

Well, that's about it for my workspace today. As I say, it is an ongoing ~~struggle~~ process. Gilly is glad to have more room to stretch out. Still hoping for that glamorous AFTER photo shoot to come soon! (And yes that's an old skirt I'm using as a cover for my sewing machine.)

TTFN,

Frau S.

Happy Monday and a Winner

2011-01-31T09:16:00.000-05:00

Good morning lovelies. I hope everyone had a great weekend. The winner of Valentine's giveaway is Margie of Late Bloomer Buds! Congratulations Margie!

Just drop me an email with your mailing address and I will send your goodies. Enjoy!

Kisses,

Frau S.

Who me?

2011-01-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

I recently received a Stylish Blogger award from Angela, the lovely writer of 365 Small Details, which I enjoy reading daily. Yay!

When I started writing this blog I had no readers. I mean NONE. I never even told my friends and family that I was writing it and I wasn't sure I wanted them to ever look at it. It was just something creative I was doing in my spare time for myself. I've gradually become confident enough to put some of my thoughts, projects, and favorite things out into the ether. I'm even kind of proud of it sometimes. I can honestly say that what I've received back in return has been more than worth it. It means so much to me to see the number of readers and followers gradually increase and even more when you comment on my posts. I had no idea when I started this thing in a moment of boredom that I would meet so many fantastic people and kindred spirits, let alone make friends through my blog! It truly has been and continues to be such a pleasure!

In order to receive the award you complete the following:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
Dear Anglea, thank you! This really means a lot to me. It is the first award I have received and it's feels so good to know that you enjoy what I'm doing here. There are so many phenomenal blogs out there and I'm just carving out my own little humble space, so it's really amazing to be singled out. So click on over to 365 Small Details for some beautiful inspiration!

2. Share 7 things about yourself.
I only have one continent left to travel to (South America) not counting Antarctica.
My kitties' real names are Pollux and Gilly, but we mostly call them Micro and Nano.
I'm collecting vintage paint-by-numbers.
If I were an animal I would be an owl.
I like my coffee with milk and Splenda.
I was a vegetarian for 6 years.
I think I could live on a diet of oysters on the half shell and champagne.

3. Award recently discovered great bloggers.
No Monsters in My Bed
Happy Homemaker UK
Craven Home
D.S. Brennan Photography
Just About Anywhere

Go check out these creative ladies. You won't be sorry.

4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award! Spread the love!

Kisses, Frau S.

List du Jour: 1.28.11

2011-01-28T11:12:00.000-05:00

Have a happy weekend!

1. When/if I have a child I will be all over these blogs.

2. Headbands now work with my new bobbed 'do. I need to make this. And not to keep yapping about my haircut, but I want to pass this along: If you get a haircut of 8 inches or more you can send the hair here to donate for cancer patient wigs. I just sent mine!

3. Something about Richard Pearse's art really resonates with me.

via my love for you is a stampede of horses

4. This succulent orange themed wedding.

via poppytalk

5. This Flickr set of Victorian trade cards.

Don't forget to enter the paper garland giveaway here!

Toodles,

Frau S.

List du Jour: Valentines and Giveaway!

2011-01-27T14:28:00.004-05:00

Hi pretties,

Herewith something a little different today! I've been seeing cute ideas for Valentine's Day all over the interwebs. In my list today I'll share some of them with you as well as something from me...

1. I love this tutorial for a gumball necklace! There are lots of other adorable Valentine DIYs for little girls (or big girls who are young at heart) here.

via creature comforts

2. I thought this was a pretty cute and unique idea for a DIY valentine that's not too lovey froo froo. Maybe for the man in your life? You can find tons of patent illustrations here on Google.

image craftzine

3. Here's a super cute idea for some craftsy Valentine's decor from How About Orange.

image how about orange

4. Guilty Pleasure alert! Why not watch a sappy romance? Get one in your queue now and you'll have it in plenty of time. Some of my favorites:

The Notebook

Sense and Sensibility

Moonstruck

Pride and Prejudice

image colombia pictures 1995

5. Or spring for some pink bubbly and red velvet cupcakes? Just an idea.

BUT WAIT, there's more!

So, I have a couple of these little sweet and sassy paper garlands that I made. They are mixed card stock with red thread and approximately 12 feet long. I'll be giving one (with other little V'Day surprises) away in time for Valentine's Day festivities. Just leave a comment sharing your favorite Valentines idea or favorite thing about Valentine's Day, or just to say hi, by 10pm EST on Sunday and I will select a winner at random on Monday!

Kisses,

Frau S.

List du Jour 1.26.11

2011-01-26T20:16:00.000-05:00

Goodnight lovelies,

1. Is this not the cutest knit collar thing? I need to make it, but the kit's too expensive.

via craftzine

2. This magazine.

3. Bookstore cats are back!

via mental floss

4. This conference.

5. This lecture tomorrow night (if it will stop snowing.)

Toodles,

Frau S.

Home Again Home Again

2011-01-25T12:41:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

It feels good to be home. We spent a week away in Las Vegas. Hub was at a meeting and I tagged along and managed to keep myself amused. I'm not much of a gambler (although I did manage to win $25) but I enjoyed the good weather (reading poolside), shows (Cirque), shopping (nicest H&M I've ever seen), and restaurants (gelato everywhere!). I kept up with my 365 project...

Have a great day, pretties.
Kisses,

Frau S.