Thank you, Anthropologie!

February is my birthday month, and for reasons unbeknownst to me, I dread it every year. I can't explain it, every year, I resolve that I will attempt to love February - and though I am getting better at it, it's hard for me.
I try to make as small a deal out of my birthday (Leap Year, literally) when it does come around - as I can, so I hadn't been thinking about the month being my birth month until a sweet letter came in the mail today.
I'm serious, Anthropologie, you've got me pegged... I walk slowly by your windows every time I pass one of your stores, I carry your catalogs around in my sketchbook, I walk in for inspiration when I can... all of my birthday and Christmas money goes to special treats that I find in your store - and your Christmas wrapping finds ways to hang around my house all year. (did anyone else love the strands of cotton with tons of buttons sewn on them as ribbons this year?)... but today, you sent me the sweetest little letter in the midst of bills and other random items - with this lovely little fabric envelope inside and a coupon for a birthday discount this month. THANK YOU! I literally sighed - and I smiled - as if a store really could care about me - hey, I know how this world works, but I also know that someone in your ranks thought the extra money it would take to send this out was a genius. The inspiration continues.

I love it. Thanks for the birthday smile... 27 days early.

New charm shapes

We need to get these up on the site, but here's an image of our new Vintage Profile shapes (available in boy or girl) cute, huh?

Messy Monday

In the interest of being fair to all - one of my favorite bloggers, Ruby, has suggested and begun a Messy Monday post.  She's posted her big messes in her home, so we all can maybe take another look at the pedestal we place each other on, and remember that we're all just people.So here's my messiness... kid insanity in the living room (please note, though I have helped them clean up this mess already... it will be back later today)

... the serving bar in the dining room is a scary catchall for us

... the dishes at the sink?  they're done now, but we don't have a dishwasher - so they'll be back soon, too....  

oh, and the drawers hardly close to begin with! (they're original to our 1922 house)

the two scariest, scariest photos are of my studio/sewing room - where ridiculous amounts of fabric fall out of the lovely cabinet my parents gave me for said purpose, and the laundry basket next to my machines is full of scra

ps that I have projects in mind for.

Every once in a while I get to a place where the studio is so messy that even I (the Queen of the "creative mess") get freaked out and can't work. 

Oh, I forgot to get a photo of my desk in there... (ah, here it is)... awesome. no excuses. it's horrible. The inspiration wall is intended to be slighty crazy, but the desk.... oy vey.

Once I asked J why he was a little upset and seemed like he was "off" - he replied, "your office! I can't think straight when I know that room is over there, just that messy!"

So here you have it. I once wrote a list on this blog as to all the things I don't do well... 

Keeping a clean house? I give up.

(actually, I don't. I try every day, every week... I'm just not successful)