game-time garage

WOW. ZERS.

have you seen this garage transformation?

INSANE, right?

our garage looks much like that before shot

(well, when not loaded with furniture to be refinished, a friend's topless jeep and the like...)

having a rad ping-pong party place might be inspiration enough to clean 'er out

come the first sign of spring.

snow day

remember as a kid, listening to the radio in bed, hoping your school's name would be on the list?

sledding in snowsuits pulled over pajamas

warming up with hot cocoa and fluff sandwiches on white bread (a snow day "white party" treat)

we had one of those days here last week.

bliss...

nellie went ballistic romping in the drifts like they were waves

our fish bird feeder and his mowak

of course, we had the adult version of shoveling and projects

but settling down in the evening with a freshly painted kitchen

is just about as blissful as sledding.

trust me.

...

and today

getting a 6am call

that school is off (again)

is just as exciting

when you're a teacher's wife.

no big projects planned

just catching up here

... so stay tuned!

tongue-in-cheek-chic

i am fully immersed in

The Dirty Life-

a story of a woman who left her life in New York City

when she fell in love with a man and their idea of starting a community-sustaining farm together.

i CANNOT put it down.

while certainly not as extreme, when i left NYC for Little Rhody, i traded my heels for clogs, take-out for made-from-scratch and now, too, wear my cashmere to bed.

and, i'm loving every minute of it.

however, i do think these totes would add the perfect amount of city style

to my weekly load of veggies at the farmer's market...

love.

everything about this...

via

to elise with love

remember the family baby shower

we threw for a california cousin late last summer?

i asked family members to each decorate a quilt square

which were strung up on a clothesline at the party

and then i incorporated them all

into a simple, sweet quilt

for

little miss elise!

we hope she will think of all her relatives on the beach of the east coast anxiously waiting to meet her!

the last of last year

before i officially move into the new year here

i need to play a little catch-up

a share some favorite christmas pictures

...

it really was SUCH a lovely holiday

filled with everything you dream about when you think of christmastime...

*decorating our home*

(with our first christmas tree together!)

*baking*

*crafting*

traditional cloves and orange smell SO good!

*celebrating with friends*

don't you love seeing other people's decorations!?! ...from a friend's xmas-eve eve party

and

*coming home to family*

my niece and nephew showing off their annual mamma-made christmas pjs. too.cute!

the MAC DADDY of all the holiday pictures.
grama reading the night before christmas to evan.
his face?
PRICELESS.

good daddy elf putting together anya's dollhouse the night before

and christmas dinner.
waldo-style
where the food always rocks your world.

oh, and 15" of
*snow*

especially lovely when enjoyed in fleece pants over waffles, smoothies and piping hot coffee.

i hope your holidays were just as memorable!
now, onto 2011!
xoxo

labor of love

this post is a long, long time coming.

two years to be exact.

i've finally finished my very first crochet project.

admittedly, i fell in love with and bought the yarn for this throw i'd seen at purl soho before i'd even learned to crochet.

... probably not the best of plans.

yes, i learned to crochet very quickly (thanks to my amazing teacher, Sandy!) and this project is an easy one.

but, it calls for a size 00 hook.

and pretty much the finest yarn you can buy for hand work.

awesome.

again, having not a clue, didn't cross my mind the amount of time it would take to make the 130 granny squares in this baby. and then hand sew them together. and then crochet around and around the outside edge.

yeeeeah.

anyhoo, i'm pretty proud of myself for sticking with it till the end and not tossing it aside for something with more instant gratification.

made for my mother-in-law, i was finally able to gift it to her for Christmas. and although the couch i originally picked the yarn to match, has since been reupholstered (oy!), i think she was quite pleased.

now looking for my next, short and sweet knit or crochet project.

suggestions?