knit or die

last night was the first time in way too long that I pulled out my knitting stuff. by stuff I mean 3 bags worth of needles, yarn, incomplete projects, scraps of paper with ideas sketched on them, etc. I love knitting, but I rarely complete anything because I have zero patience and so many other bullshit excuses. so, I look online for more inspiration and find these little doo-dads that make me want to pick up those needles faster than I can think (although excuse # 89 has just popped up, my supplies are in my daughters closet and she's napping).

wee one wednesday

i find such cute things for little ones and I feel like I gottah share. so hopefully if I keep up with this blog regularly this will become a weekly installment.

me and my obsession over fonts and letters for kids led me to these cute prints by bold and noble and sycamore street press

found this killer cloud shelf and reuse to wait til May or pay the big $$$ so I am gonna make my own. Hopefully you will also be inspired, or want to support Modern Dose and get one for your little one.

i totally want to make this image of a cute yet evil girl from aesthetic apparatus into a t shirt for my lil' Lucy...

found these cute illustrations from Amy Cartwright and am in love...

back in the blog game

ok, I just wasted time during two of Lucy's naps finding cool blogs, got me inspired to post more. I kinda slacked off there for a bit.

Last week I hosted a very cool bridal shower for my dear friend Andrea. It went well. I think I spent more time and money on the decorations then anything else. I altered my Ikea lamp with simple string and handmade confetti, pictured here.

I also made a few banners for the lovely soon to be Mrs. 

I can not wait for our trip down south for the wedding!

FABRIC -ringo?

I am desperately trying to find a few yards of his Alexander Henry fabric. It's called 'ringo' and so far I have seen t in three color combinations. I am looking for THIS color combo and can't find it anywhere! ok, so I found 1/4 yard on ebay for $22 which is ridiculous since I know other color combos got for about $15 a yard. If you can help me find it then you will get a prize!

soooooo inspiring

I saw a christmas video this guy (Jared Foster) did on another blog and just got completely sucked in to all the ones he had up. Besides the fact that his children are so amazing, his wife is beautiful, and his mini films have the best music and editing, it all made me so inspired. What a terrific way to document your family.

yeah, I'm a sucka for The Clash and halloween stuff, but check out his other ones too!

Halloween Highlights 2008 from Jared Foster on Vimeo.

workin' for peanuts

All I can say is holy shit... working for peanuts

ok, no I can say more. This person sells peanuts dressed up  for $25-$35 each. Do people buy them? if so, I am gonna start dressing up Zweibacks or dust bunnies and will be a millionare! This guy is my favorite though, his name is Harlan and he is a janitor by day and a singer an night.

a cookie snob's heaven

I am a cookie snob. they are perhaps my favorite treat and I am often guilty of eating way more than I ever should. For the most part I like the chewy kids of cookies but if there is a crispy florentine around I'd likely eat that too! I remember a s a kid I would get mad at Cookie Monster because he'd let so much of each cookie fly out of his mouth and he wouldn't savor the sweet treat he was trying to eat. Yes, I know now he was a puppet and can't swallow things, but as a kid I'd get so mad he was wasting perfectly good cookies!

For some reason I was watching Chronicle a few weeks ago and it was all about bakeries in the Boston area. Two they talked about were in Arlington. One, Quebrada I had been to. I like them, but not for their cookies -try their cakes & coffee instead- and second was Lakota Bakery, which I have walked and driven past hundreds of times but never been in. Thanks to the old bird on Chronicle (Mary Richardson -who's voice just sounds like fingers on a chalkboard to me) I found out it was a bakery dedicated to cookies. that's it. So it has been my obsession to make it in there. With my busy schedule and insane weather it's been hard but today I bundled Lucy up and we walked out into the bitter ass cold weather and went in. mmmmm the smell was seriously intoxicating. baked sugar and butter is the next best thing to the smell of wood, (see previous entry). 

Anyway, I bought a box of 12 assorted cookies and did not have a hard time picking out the ones I wanted (see the list of cookies online). I swear this baker was reading my mind when she thought these up. there are no (or very few) plain cookies, most are interesting combos that made my mouth water and stomach rumble.  I came home and could not resist taking a bight out of

 about 4 different cookies. so far I am very, very very VERY impressed and fear this could be my favorite new local shop. If you are in Arlington, MA go. if you are in the area it's totally worth the trip. the only bad thing, besides the calories is that they are cash or check only, which as you know is one of my many pet peeves.

As I said I am a cookie snob. I believe that I make the best cookies, or some of the best cookies.One of my all time best is the sugar cookie. Every holiday season I make batches and batches of these. sometimes just plain, but often I change them up a little (cardamom, orange, ginger, poppy, key lime, pommogranate, clove, etc.) I have never had a sugar cookie I liked better than my own. I have though, recently encountered one tha a very close second. They are from Sweet Tooth of the Tiger. 

ok, so Tracy (the founder) is a friend of mine and you may think I am trying to shamelessly plug her, but she does all those plugs (like a Bust magazine article and Martha Stewart nod etc) all on her own, and I am also sorry to say I do not give fiends any "in" on my favorites lists just because they are my friends. You gottah earn this shit just like everyone else! Anyway, she is an amazing baker, has great sugar cookies and you can now getthem in a super cute customized tin!

Bog chain stores usually are on my shit list but with me being broke I need to hit up a few every now and then. I don't like it but I do it. two chain stores I don't feel too guilty hitting up are Ikea and Whole foods and they also have yummy cookies that make my top 5. Ikea has their "kakor" and "kakor chokolat" that are cheap and yummy and Whole foods does this mmmmmm mmmmmm good cranberry oatmeal cookie that is divine!

Dancing Deer has the best molasses and clove soft and chewy cookie I have ever had. Their cherry almond ginger cookies are scrumptious!

The sweetest boy I ever dated used to bring me these great white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies that were oozing with butter (mmmmmmmm) and I never knew where he got them. I've long outgrown that flavor combo, but partially because I never found them to be as good as the ones he brought me. perhaps it was having a cookie delivered to work or home that made them that much more special? I'll never know.

I probably should add my favorite cookie recipe here at the end, but all mine are secretive and I cant give you someone else's because they are not as good as mine! So go buy some good ones from the above listed places, or get creative and make you own (and share them with me!). I will however leave you with this lovely tip... never, ever take out butter from an old heirloom recipe, no matter how repulsive it may seem, it's there to add the best flavor ever created.

i got wood for wood

I have no idea where or how this obsession with wood got started. I love it. I love the smell, the feel, the grains, versatility, everything. my obsession gets worse and worse every year. It's a little odd, I know. I'm still convinced that some day I will run off with a lumberjack and live in a barn, have a wood overdose and die a happy death. Knowing me though I'll be burned in some terrible fire, but let's move on to happier thoughts, shall we? 

This entry all started when I sprayed my living room with this great room spray I got ages ago. it's simply called Wood. I do not know the brand and the label has crumbled off so much from the oil and use. I'm sadly down to my last drop. I thought looking at other cool wood things would cheer me up, so here you go.......

plywood faux bois ring by Ball and Chain. there are a lot out there like this, but this, this is the 

one I love the most.

I love me some birch trees. they really remind me of the Lake in MN and the awesome forests there, great times, family, blah blah blah, so it's only natural I would go ga-ga over this

birch bark bracelet from Bettula. She has a cute logo, and other nice bark items up for sale (like delicate birch bark earrings)

I also like the live edge stuff, like this bowl from Timberturner. 

If only my house was neat 

enough so I could put it on my big matching bench by my front door. I'd love to put my keys in this sucker! I also fell in love with his winged bowl.

I like this driftwood mirror from Earthsticks. I have seen better ones in the past and have been collecting driftwood pieces for years

to make my own, but this is definitely a happy thing for a natural loving mid century collecting freak like myself.

This is a pretty cool cocoon sculpture from Isioma Azu.

If you know me you know that I love wood right? well I also hate, I mean HATE plastic. It sucks having a baby

 and trying to live by the no plastic rule, but this is a kick ass baby rattle out of wood by Rain King Woods. I'm a bit partial to this 

guys stuff 'cause he's the papa of a lil boy Lucy likes to play with, but his stuff is nice and won't break the bank to buy!

I SOOOOOO badly want this from Santa. the cutest little (faux) wood stump pincushion from My Imaginary Boyfriend. They have cute faux tree limb pillows too

Yes, these are all from Etsy. I will write more later but the baby is crying and so I must go.

the good bad and nasty of bazaar bizarre

today I finally dragged my ass down to Bazaar Bizarre. I stood in line for about 45 minutes while feeding Lucy a bottle and hangin' out with Lynn and Owen the time went by fast. the snow wasn't too bad, nor was the cold.

so the good.....

Wook Woodworking

Gamma Ray Bots

Figs and Ginger

Dirty Pillows

Whimsy Works

1Girl 1Boy

Pinecone + Chickadee

Twigs and Heather

and a few other's I can't remember or didn't get their cards. (this sentence should go under bad, because the website does not have the best listing & examples of what vendors were there.)

The bad...

so much crap. poorly made stuff, WAY overpriced stuff, stupid stuff, etc. I will not list these vendors as I do not wish them any ill publicity, they are still awesome for being creative and at least trying.

the nasty.....

somehow I got shit on and in my diaper bag. It was not Lucy's shit. I know it was not there when I got there, but it was when I reached in to get my wallet and pay. Thank god for a plethora of diaper wipes inches away and the sanitizing cycle on my washer. 

Personally I will skip the long lines, bad parking, $1 admission, over priced goods, insane crowds and go to Design Hive for my crafty shopping. Needless to say I was disappointed over-all.

I am too tired to add pix to this today, so go to the links and buy cool stuff (kick ass wood cross sections as jewelry, birch tree bark like bracelets and rings, robots from recyclables, nasty/dirty pillows that look sweet, and more)

Blythe dolls

I've never been too much of a doll person, even when I was a child, but I have to say I am quickly becoming obsessed with Blythe dolls.  

I think it's really cool that people make designer clothes for them like Blythe Kingdome

but what I really love even more are these great photos I found on etsy from futurwoman fotography

so I really hope these dolls make a come back and we can phase the new Bratz dolls out. these girls have WAY more class!

vintage cartoon fun

The Herculoids

Barapapa. -they make having a kid look way to easy

touche tourtle and dum dum

do you hanker for a hunk?

mr. magoooooooooooooooooo

Gary Gnu from the Great Space Coaster

top 4 cool etsy picks of the day:

a cute as hell cupcake stand from whitney smith.

how special does it make the cupcake 

feel? 

It's own little home 

under the dome

cute as hell

inside a bell. 

a knit dissected frog anyone? 

I just love how something kinda gross can be 

so pretty and sweet silk and wool intestines 

seem so palatable. 

this is made to order from  The Crafty Hedgehog

a very cute knitting tote by rainbowwirlz.

I love totes, and any better way to store and 

carry my numerous knitting projects around

so this is an obvious yum yum find of the day!

bad-ass gloves. from kallibur. 

yep, I wear clogs and other "suburban mom" stuff,

but with this winter chill comes my love for gloves

and these I find very cool. I want them.

Would I freak out some moms at the meet-ups? 

perhaps!

customizable banner necklace by Laurel Hill.I like all things customizable, but I think 

this would scar Lucy's face, if not permanently 

disfigure her if I ever wore it. 

plus what would I have it say?

today I would say 

"fuck you." or "i hate kid's music"

online photo albums, blogs etc.

While doing my cheese-ball holiday letter to enclose in my cards this season I realized I wanted to share our family pix with more people than on my Facebook and Myspace accounts.  found a good site (though not the most MAC friendly) where it's cheap.... free! www.myphotoalbum.com

I wish everyone I knew were on here so I could keep invading their pictorial journey.

If you would like to take a look at my albums click here.

I also realized that I needed to start a blog. I can show off my stupid researching, shopping, deal finding, design loving, etsy curating skills, plus rant and rave all at once. screw facebook, I have a blog!

ok, I know, I still love my facebook too. still contemplating deleting my myspace though.