clean house...

{rust oil, vinegar, iris hantverk brushes, ikea towels, baking soda, galvanized bucket, beeswax furniture polish, a guide to green housekeeping}

{photos via old chum}

these next few days is operation clean house! i got this book when i was in nyc. and am totally smitten with all the simple ways to clean with household items! for 2011 i am going to try and swear off as many chemical cleaning products as possible. i am absolutely pitiful when it comes to practicing eco-mindfulness, and every little bit helps, right?

things that never go out of style...

{photos via i like nice things and coach}

i am in the process of gussying up for a cocktail party, the second of a series of FOUR this weekend! the lavish conference is this weekend and it is bringing plenty of social media and soirees... and sequins. lots o sequins. i also get to bring along a date, my new ladylike pocketbook i have fondly nicknamed, gladys. she's a real sophisticated broad, and i dig it.

the dresscode for tonight's fete is all black. why is it as soon as i'm given a dresscode, i want to break it? maybe if i looked as lovely as miss liv, i could rock a simple party dress and heels. girls who can shine without any additional bells and whistles(note her lack of accessories) amaze me.

girl crush: shae acopian detar

{scout magazine, a thought is the blossom, all photos and quotes by shae acopian detar}

little by little...

gradually pulling this home together, bit by bit.

i'm terrible though. i haven't even hung anything on the walls, other than my kitchen door. chalkboard paint is quite helpful when you don't own a calendar.

i'm mighty grateful i live so close to hastings garden center. i'm slowly, but surely greening my life. this little table is my flower/plant station.

ikea is great for silly things like wooden hangers, cheap dishtowels, and canning jars.

and my milk glass collection on the windowsill cheers up my kind of drab kitchen.

playing house is pretty fun. having the space to do so is also pretty wild.

flea market style...

one of my favorite simple pleasures is drinking hot chocolate and perusing the new monthlies at casa magazines, a local business i am always happy to support! by luck and by happenstance i stumbled upon a new insta-favorite... flea market style. hello little magazine, where have you been all my life???

the entire magazine is devoted to upcycling vintage finds and new uses for old things.

also included are snippets of history and care tips and tricks for your careworn treasures.

great. now i want to collect rose paintings. thank god i have gone on a total shopping hiatus( ahem, my husband had to reign in my wild junkin' addiction).

really wonderful glimpses into folks' homes. i fell in love with joe apodaca and jermonne swendell. their ironstone collection of dishes and pitchers... ummm, yes please! i'll have what they're having...

and anyone who has ever had the pleasure of visiting red chair antiques will love the glimpse into miss jocie sinauer's home( which was also featured on design sponge)! i emptied my pockets there when i visited this summer. impeccable, impeccable taste. if there was a train i could take to visit there every weekend, i would hop on it instantly!

selvedge, country living, and martha stewart are my staples, and now i will have to add this to the list! i find it incredibly encouraging to see new magazines popping up in this abysmal time in the editorial world. while i'm still mourning the loss of domino and blueprint, this little brightness gives me hope for the future. one day magazines will flourish again... fingers crossed.

secret hearts...

today i am grateful for...

our new shoe trolley, acquired from this lovely lady...

so i can organize my husband's shirts for him...

and embroider sweet nothings inside his shirt pockets, while he's at a coffee shop reading. little letters that only he can see.

shhhh... this is one of my valentine's day presents to him. thank god he doesn't read my blog. two down, twenty-something to go!

green cleaning...

today i am grateful for...

removing the last lingering holiday decorations. so long christmas tree and wreaths. farewell confetti and putz houses. bye bye festive garlands and snowflakes.

after sweeping up the mounds of pine needles and glitter, i whipped out some basic cleaning agents. baking soda. vinegar. coffee filters. and an old shoe polish toothbrush. easy peasy.

here is an old bottle belonging to ed's grandfather. over christmas vacation, we all drew numbers and got to go around in a circle and select treasures from his basement. we took this little guy home. it says "golden wedding". and it's a whiskey bottle. a little she, and a little him.

as a reward for my day of deep cleaning, eddie bought me flowers from my favorite park slope flower shop. this is an old enamel coffee percolator from my collection of enamelware. and i love me some ranunculus, especially these ladylike pink and white babies.

and a bundle of billy buttons. i wanted to try and plant some daffodil or amaryllis bulbs... but apparently it is too late in new york! everyone is just plain sold out. and no paperwhites to be seen either! oh well. maybe i will try and plant some heliotrope seeds...

i am hoping this clean sweep will make sticking to #19 on my list, a wee bit easier.

deck the halls...

today i am grateful for...

building a deliciously slow start to holiday decorations. today i am trimming the mantle in our bedroom. and drinking cider with cinnamon sticks. and listening to andy williams christmas carols and the vince guaraldi trio.

i have a very slapdash decorating style. i don't labor over the details. just gather bits and bobs, and add a healthy measure of glitter. glitter hides a multitude of sins, in my humble opinion.

our wreath smattered with wood buttons and a variety of shiny charms. and a red, spun cotton birdie.

i'm a sucker for ornaments that look like giant wilma flintstone pearls.

my new favorite holiday find was a set of paltz houses. i would happily display a whole little village of these bitty cardboard houses.

this spun cotton santa tickles me.

our stockings are hung by the chimney with care.

i'm excited to start new holiday traditions with my husband. many craft nights and bake-offs are about to ensue. i hope y'all are feelin' festive and partaking in some holiday cheer... and most importantly, what are your traditions that you celebrate during this time of year?

cold mornings...

today i am grateful for...

another slow start to the day. i love cold weather for its laziness. any excuse to savor my mornings with coffee, warm socks, and pretty dried flowers.

i really don't mind having dried flowers in the apartment. i love that i don't have to keep changing the water. cotton, sea holly, billy buttons, and pussy willows are pretty dear in bottles stashed all over.

my favorite pair of socks... well, more like stockings. they are comically big and thick as a sweater. these were a pretty funny find. no pun intended.

and i'm also so happy i found these duck boots from j crew. i fell in love with the peanut and cafe au lait color combination. and the shearling inside was a huge bonus. maybe eddie and i will go for a walk around the park later.

***side note... i was this close to buying a pair of hip-hoppy timberland boots. was feeling like touchin' on my ATL roots. but my husband begged me not to.

pockets of goodness...

today i am grateful for...

little bits that make me smile.

stalks of cotton readily available at neighboring bodegas. reminds me of georgia.

when eddie buys me flowers. brightens little corners of our home

an old paintbrush and a pair of mini dice.

tackling the blank walls of my tiny studio room.

oh, and reading the little house on the prairie book series.

short and sweet...

today i am grateful for...

my day off tomorrow.

the plan...

1. sleep unreasonably late.

2. decorate the walls of our apartment.

3. make apple cobbler for eddie (hopefully).

that's all. short and sweet.

brook farm general store...

thanks to miss holly at decor8 i now have a new shopping destination... brook farm general store. so many things i have had on my home wish list seem to be waiting for me at this darlin' little store in williamsburg. i wish my next day off would hurry and get here.

not to mention their blog and online shop are pretty yummy too!

hearth and home...

today i am grateful for...

darkness and light. silhouettes on walls. candles and the smell of a freshly struck match. practicing shadow puppets. creating vignettes in little nooks of my home. chamomile and lavender tea. a home-cooked meal. making collages on my bed with bits of scrap fabric and pressed flowers. my husband falling asleep on my shoulder.

having a clean home make you appreciate the small things.

*****and a box of juicy clementines and containers of pomegranate seeds*****