Shelf

We're using this picture as a bit of inspiration. I expect I'll put some cut glass, milk glass and hobnail glass pieces up there, but I need some (lots) of color. I love the monochromatic look that Bosworth Hodemaker has created, but it's just not me. So... after looking at yesterday's beauuuuutiful fabric prints, I'm thinking thoughts of plates and fabrics and any pretty things I can put my grubby little hands on! I'm on the prowl!

traditional kitchen design by seattle architect Bosworth Hoedemaker

No more Zaner-Bloser?

I can distinctly remember practicing looping in elementary school. I was so excited to learn how to write in cursive. We learned using the Zaner-Bloser method, and I loved being able to write like grown ups. I read this article today, and I feel a little sad. I have students who can't write in cursive... much less read in cursive. I can get the writing struggle. I mean, I can hardly solve equations with only one variable. I can't get that it's hard to read in cursive. That escapes me.

After giving the SAT and watching those kids struggle to write a few sentences in cursive, I guess this article is true. Sad times.

5th and State Giveaway

There are a few (Todd would say a gracious few) blogs that I frequent just about every single day. Sometimes I stray away from those to check out blogs that they frequent. 5th and State is one of those blogs. It's at the top of Eddie Ross' favorites, and that says a ton to me. Unlike Todd, I don't have one particular style. I just like pretty things. She's offering a home exterior restyling giveaway, and I'm going to enter. It can't hurt, right? I'm working on my entry now...

New Finds

I have a long-standing love affair with gift shops. I worked in a series of related shops in my hometown during high school and college, and I feel like I have to have a relationship with a local shop in order to really feel at home. When we first moved to Southampton, we actually stayed at a B&B in Winchester while we sorted out our housing arrangements. I'm actually not sure if we found The Hambledon on that first visit or not, but my love for it has increased tenfold in the many years that I've been gone. I love everything about the shop, but I mostly love that it fostered my love for Cath Kidston. I'm not so much of a Shabby Chic kind of girl, but for some reason, I love Cath's prints. Love. And The Hambledon introduced us to one another. When my sister heads home to Southampton she's good about feeding the Cath-loving monster with a piece or two, but I just haven't been able to satisfy my need from here... until now. I just discovered the cutest, cutest, cutest fabric site I've seen lately. Heather Bailey, I love your prints! Love. I think it doesn't hurt that I'm ready for spring, but I'm even more ready for some fabrics from her store!

I mean, these ARE our kitchen colors... Hmm... Could there be another UPS package coming my way?

Took a Whole Lot of Trying...

As long as we're living, it's you and me baby. There ain't nothing wrong with thaaaaat.

And there's nothing wrong with feeling great about getting this far along! I am loving unpacking everything and knowing that I don't need to save the packing materials. I love knowing that my china is in a mostly permanent location!

And we thought we were making great progress here. And we were. Little did we know in July that we'd be living with these cabinets for as long as we did, but they were certainly built well. Really built well. Thank goodness for the sledgehammer and sawzall. I really wouldn't've minded a little extra cash for some shopping, but I guess the tools have really be useful. At least more useful than I'd care to admit.

To the East Side...

Well, it's not a deeeluxe apartment in the skyyyy, but it's definitely our home in progress.

Looking at this picture reminds me of just how far we've come in less than a year. Sometimes it's hard for us to see that we've done much until we go through these pictures. Here's our sink around August.