Brooklyn & Beacon Long Weekend

I took a 4 day weekend and for once it actually felt like it was neverending! I spent Thursday in Brooklyn and the rest of the time was spent up in Beacon getting tons o' work done.

While in Greenpoint I got this dress from Hayden-Harnett for 70% off. Yay!



You'll notice that I changed the banner of my blog, which was one of the many things I accomplished while watching 2 seasons of Greek. Have you seen Greek? I'm beyond addicted. Please watch it so we can talk about it.


This photo will make sense once you watch the show.

Friday night Abe and I decided to get out of the house and go bowling at Southern Dutchess Bowl. Best. Idea. Ever. Stepping into that bowling alley is like stepping into a time machine to the 1980's, which is exactly how I like my bowling alleys and roller skating rinks.




Abe in action.

Sunday I gave the local gym a whirl - it's a pretty awesome fitness center, but it's a 15 minute drive and I'm really not sure if it's worth joining considering I don't get home until 7:30pm. I just don't know if I'll go - ugh, I know I have to make myself go. Maybe I'll just join a gym in the city and go during the day. Isn't this the most interesting one-sided conversation ever?

Shop Update: Corduroy with Gold Stallions Poucho Bag

Fresh off the sewing machine: a chocolate brown, corduroy bag with print of two gold stallions.



Exterior pocket for quick access to lip gloss, iPod, or sunglasses.



Interior pocket with zipper to organize and protect your valuables.

Large interior is big enough to fit books, a pair of shoes, a sweater, or just your wallet, keys and phone.

Interior is lined with magenta brocade fabric.



Straps are sewn from faux leather (animal-free!)



Visit the shop at wickedmint.etsy.com

Shop Update: Linen Dish Towels

Fresh off the sewing machine: new dish towels for sale in the shop!



This over-sized linen dish/tea towel is ready to lend you a hand in the kitchen.

A ribbon is sewn into the hem so it can be hung from a hook.



The entire towel is printed with inky-lined plaid pattern in red, navy, periwinkle and cream.

The print reminds me of a house we used to stay in on Cape Cod. The entire bottom floor was red/white & blue and probably hadn't been touched since the 1960's.

Towel measurement approximately: 20" x 30"
100% cotton linen

Machine wash cold & dryer safe. The towel will become softer and more absorbent after a few uses.

Visit the shop at wickedmint.etsy.com

Adventures in Voice Over Acting

Yesterday, Colleen went to a voice over convention. I'm still not entirely clear on what happens at a voice over convention, but I do know that Colleen needs to be a voice over actor.

Anyway, she went to the convention and didn't know she was supposed to have headshots and a prepared script to read in front of agents. Everyone else had scripts from actual commercials, but with only 20 minutes before her audition she had no choice but to write her own commercial. So she quickly invented a product called Herpinol and wrote a script.

After the convention Colleen met up with me and Piper and we were dying over her day. Her script is pretty much the best thing ever. We couldn't stop reading it in front of the camera - and apparently the casting call requested only women with long, brown hair and bangs to audition. Here are the best reads of the night.*







Herpinol: take back the night you got herpes.

*Please note that none of us are making fun of having herpes and do not think having herpes is funny. Did you know that one in five Americans have genital herpes (yet at least 80 percent of those with herpes are unaware they have it)? To learn more about herpes please go to the CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/STDFact-herpes.htm

DIY: Office/Studio Makeover - Stage 1

This weekend I tackled my office/studio.

The previous owners had painted it a sea green color. Abe liked it, but I hated it so I repainted using Valspar brand paint and chose the color Creme Fraiche (soft white).

First thing to do was to organize the desk. We have so many cords and contraptions that it took over 1/4 of the surface space.



The previous home owners had left an Ikea shelf with wine rack in the basement. I installed that under the desk and moved everything electronic down below. It needs some more work, but it's a major improvement.



While cleaning up I found two empty Crystal Light canisters. Colleen had given me a housewarming gift wrapped in pretty paper and I saved it. I wrapped the canisters in the paper with a little Mod Podge.



I left the top on one of them and cut some holes so I can store my seam rippers - I'm always losing them.



For the grand finale, I took a 8 ft. piece of white molding and cut it in half. Using wood screws, I put the molding on the top and bottom of a 2'x4' sheet of pegboard. Then I hung the pegboard on the wall using pegboard spacers (you don't want it flush on the wall or the hooks won't fit).

I also reused a shelf the previous home owners had in the room, but I moved the location.



And finally, the fun part - organizing and enjoying my clean space!

Beacon Weekend

Saturday was spent with one of my best friends and her friends and family. There is sadness surrounding the circumstances, but there is also laughter and hugs and lots of love. XOXO.

There was also delicious food and good times with the Cat Paint app.



On Sunday, Abe and I went to DIA: Beacon for a members' tour of the new space for the Robert Ryman gallery. I don't know if you're familiar with his work, but it's mostly just different shades of white paint on square surfaces.



I have to admit that I think most of it was baloney art talk, but I did find the curator to be very interesting and knowledgeable. I would say that this gallery at DIA was always my least favorite, but after the talk I can appreciate the pieces.

Probably the best part of the whole tour was looking at all the hip, modern eye wear. At least 80% of the people in the room wore glasses. I'm thinking only 50% of those people had prescription lenses.

After the tour there was a small brunch. I ate 2 chocolate croissants. They were small!

Pawsgon, Take Me Away

If Paws realllllllly likes you, AND if your hair is a little greasy, AND if Paws is feeling especially kind and loving, then maybe you will be one of the lucky few to get a bath from him. He likes to bathe people when they are watching tv so he can creep up behind your head while you recline.

Abe got a bath tonight while eating tomato soup.



Then Abe brought out a very strange, but very cute, dessert plate for me and him to share while watching Millionaire Matchmaker.

Happy Birthday, Abe!!!!!

My little baby boyfriend turned 30 years old this weekend! Ahhhhhhh we're 30!!!! I wasn't able to get Abe a birthday cake so I just brought candles with me and kept sticking them into things.



First we went to Ulysses and had a drink and visited with Fitz.

Then we headed to Brooklyn and made our elves comfortable at our Brooklyn home a.k.a Piper's house.





With Piper and Colleen by our sides we made our way to The Richardson where lots of friends came by to celebrate.

Piper got sleepy so me and Colleen decided to get "energy drinks". It was a lemon drop shot that we sipped while toasted each other in rhyme.



Late night Abe and I walked back to Piper's house and I bought him chicken and french fries from Kennedy Fried Chicken - one of his Greenpoint faves.

Congratulations, Piper!!

It's official!! I am crazy excited for my bestie, Piper Weiss. She's gonna be a bona fide published author!

Her blog, My Mom, The Style Icon, is set to become a book from Chronicle in 2011.

We're all so freaking proud of her.

How to Help Haiti Earthquake Victims

Taken from NYDailyNews.com:

Disaster relief organizations are mobilizing to aid Haiti - and are asking or help. Funds are needed to provide enough safe water, temporary shelter and vital medical supplies.

UNICEF and Save the Children already have emergency teams in Haiti, and the Red Cross has released $200,000 in disaster funds.

You can donate to these groups:

- Text Yele. Wyclef Jean is urging donors to text 'Yele' to 501501 and make a $5 contribution to the relief effort over cell phone. Click here to get more information via Wyclef's Twitter page.

- Save the Children. Donate at savethechildren.org or make checks out to "Save the Children" and mail to: Save the Children Income Processing Department, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, Conn. 06880

- UNICEF. Go online to unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call (800) 4UNICEF.

- Red Cross. Go online to redcross.org and click Donate, or call (800) REDCROSS.

- Direct Relief International. Donate online at directrelief.org.

- Mercy Corp. Go online to mercycorps.org or mail checks to Haiti Earthquake Fund, Dept. NR, PO Box 2669, Portland, Ore. 97208 or call (888) 256-1900

To find information about friends and family in Haiti: The U.S. State Department set up a toll-free number to call for information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747.

The department said some callers may receive a recording because of heavy volume of calls.

The State Department has also set up links on its Web site to facilitate donations to disaster relief agencies.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/01/12/2010-01-12_haiti_earthquake_how_you_can_help.html#ixzz0cVmJd3YO

Skip the Email Once in a While

My friend Colleen and I had an idea for a greeting card company back in 2004. It never amounted to much, but we did enjoy calling business meetings, making lists, and discussing our future millions over beer at Sweet Ups (I think that explains why the business never took off).

Just as well, there are so many great stationary designers out there:















[from top: A Baby's Day by Andy Pratt Design, Thank You Times Square by Andy Pratt Design, Inappropriate for 8-Year Olds Birthday Card by Flytrap, What I Love About You by Flytrap, Lovey Cat by Kirsse Wilton, Set of 6 birthday cards by Electrofervor, Thank You in Many Languages by OrangeTwist]

Beacon Weekend

Abe and I went to the Beacon Farmers Market on waterfront Sunday morning. I got fresh eggs from Walnut Grove Farms - check out the colors! These are not from Key Foods, my friends.



The river was all iced over and making crazy cracking sounds.

Love Ya 4-Eva

On our first date, Abe and I went to dinner in the East Village and then walked over the Williamsburg Bridge. Four (eeek) years later, we celebrated our dating-versary by walking over the Poughkeepside Highland Railroad Bridge, and then hitting up dinner and a movie.



The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park (formerly the Poughkeepside Highland Railroad Bridge) just reopened as a pedestrian bridge in October 2009. It was freaking awesome, but it was also 10 degrees without the wind...and there is a lot of wind when you're standing above of the Hudson River.



Did I mention that we had dinner at the Red Lobster? It started off as a joke earlier in the day, but a few hours later we were sitting in a booth ordering the Admirals Feast and coconut shrimp. It was fun, but I think we realized that Brooklyn turned us into food snobs (thank goodness) and we're over the chain restaurant novelty.



I've never doubted how much Abe loves me, but after dinner he did something for me that not many men would do. He took me to see New Moon.

Happy Birthday, Brooke!

Since Brooke was in Amsterdam for her birthday, we had to celebrate with her a week later with dinner at Alexandria in the West Village.



Brooke's actual birthday is on New Year's Day so we had to bust out the champagne.

My Feet + LL Bean = BFF

Three or four years ago Santa brought me a pair of these LL Bean knit slipper socks. I freaking love them and have nearly worn them out.


These days I am finding that I need something a little more transitional. I don't turn on the heat in the kitchen because it is electric so the floors are freezing, but I'm also constantly running down into the basement and outside - my slipper socks don't like the snow and rusty nails.

I'm sticking with LL Bean and purchasing a pair of these puppies. The name of the slipper style? Wicked Good Moc Boots. How appropriate. I'm getting the men's version because they look like bunnies with the little shearling tail.


Mens Wicked Good Moc Boot


Womens Wicked Good Moccasin

Future Resident of my Dream Farm

I was just reading this article on NYTimes.com and learned of a breed of goat called the Tennessee fainting goat. It doesn't actually faint, but when startled it freezes and may loose muscle control and collapse.


photo taken from NYTimes.com /Mike Mergen for The New York Times

Look at that beard! So cute. And it faints like a woman in a 1950's horror movie when surprised by a monster...or a swear word.

Beacon Weekend: The Recovery

I was in zombie-mode after all the NYE festivities. My sister, her boyfriend, and his dog came for a visit Saturday night. That night, and most of the next day, we spent on the couch (all 5 of us) - taking turns to go into the kitchen and bring back more snacks, wine and Bloody Marys.




Wesley loooooves Abe. He kept wiggling over and squirming his way into Abe's arms.


Wes also loves Bloody Marys.


Wesley pretty much just loves all forms of attention.

I did manage to leave the house Sunday morning and take Wesley for a walk. That was a lot of fun even though it was 16 degrees.





Last night there was a marathon of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. It's not a good show (think 7th Heaven unsuccessfully trying to be 90120), but I consumed 4 hours of it and this morning found myself on the Facebook fan page for the show. Tonight is an all new episode. Will I watch it? The signs point to yes.