I just realized that I don’t own any cloth napkins. Any at all. These Love Letter Napkins seem like a good first set, simple yet unique. The letters were written by literary greats Emily Dickenson, Jack London, Mark Twain, and D.H. Lawrence. (via bltd)
Posted In house and home, kitchen
I love this photograph of Pete from sometime in the early ’80s. It’s how I remember him best, with no confused look in his eyes and a shock of wavy (though receding) hair. These were the days he spent teaching me how to hit a ball and appreciate underducks on the swings in the park behind our homes. The good ‘ol days, for sure.
Once again, three months has brought lots of change.
First and foremost, at the end of August we hired a daytime caregiver. Her name is Crystal and she’s 25 and contagiously bubbly, which puts Pete in a good mood of his own most days. She’s with him a little longer each day than I was, allowing all of us (me, my mom, and my stepdad) to go back to our full work routines. I spent the first three days of her employment with the two of them, hoping for a smooth adjustment. And on the third day when I explained to Pete that I would see him the next week instead of tomorrow he said, “If you gotta go, you gotta go!” A good sign if there ever was one.
Secondly, my mom closed up Pete’s Pennsylvania home early last month. After several trips back spent weeding out twenty year old receipts and other junk, it was time. Plenty of furniture was given away and his car was sold. Everything else was boxed up, loaded onto a moving truck, and sent into a storage unit here until we can root through it all. Of course Pete has no idea all of this has happened, though the only houses he asks about these days are boyhood homes.
I’ve gone back to freelance graphic design and blogging on my own time, instead of hurriedly in the evening hours. It’s good. And though I thought there would be a modicum of guilt attached to this moment, there really isn’t. I know that I did my best job helping Pete for as long as I could. And now it’s nice to visit for Sunday dinners instead of being the one telling him he can’t do something he wants.
So for now this will be the last Pete update. I cannot even begin to thank you all for your kind comments and emails and shared stories and words of wisdom. They mean more to me than you’ll even know. This site was never meant to be a story of the trials and tribulations of my life, but I’m so happy that when it took a tiny turn in that direction you were there as always.
Posted In my life
TOP: Gray Concrete Duckies
BOTTOM: Waterstone Succulents
Posted In accessories, create, house and home, Versus
I love the work of Quill and Fox, their illustrations always seem to make me smile. And so being the Halloween lover that I am, their Monster Postcards are right up my alley. These four creatures might be scary if they weren’t so adorable.
Confession time. I’ve flipped through more than my share of shelter books, but never taken the time to read them. The Things That Matter
The book is set up according to person instead of by chapter. It was pure serendipity that Barbara Hill’s converted dance hall home in Marfa, Texas was among them, as I’d just discovered and fell in love with it in a magazine about a week ago. Favorite living room ever. And over her kitchen sink there’s a sign proclaiming ‘Make Tacos Not War’. For real!
Berkus also opens up about his own home and life, parts of which honestly made me teary. He has such a way of relating to people and sharing their stories that I can’t help but think maybe this is the medium he was meant for. It’s definitely my favorite interiors book, and has earned a permanent place on my coffee table and given me loads of ideas about the things that really matter to me.
Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. The opinions are my own.
Posted In house and home, read upAs the holidays edge ever closer, the DIY gods smile down upon us ever often. Or such is the case so far this month. There have been more creative DIYs than I can keep track of, but these ten have stuck in my mind. Have you seen any great projects lately?
Click on the image to be take to the tutorial.
A striking before and after photographic series from Jon Shireman entitled Broken Flowers. The blooms were soaked in liquid nitrogen and then shattered, creating a diabolical contrast in beauty. (via Laughing Squid)
Posted In create, photography
A beautifully crafted collection of jars created by Ben Fleiss for LIEF, each a study in ceramic chemistry. For me, the contrasting rubber band is the icing on the cake. Or maybe it’s the color combinations. Or the speckles. Fine, it’s all of it.
Camp Brand‘s shop is chock full of the kind of apparel just begging for a fun day spent outdoors and around a campfire come nightfall. Messy hair, glasses, and thermoses are all welcome.
Posted In wear it
I think The All White American Flag is good stuff. For all of 2011 I had an American flag hanging on my living room wall just like the one above, but it never could shake that college dorm look to me. This. This is the stuff. (via design for mankind)
Posted In accessories, house and home