come over and see my new home at Mable & Rai.
i'm still working out the kinks, but stop by and say hi!
come over and see my new home at Mable & Rai.
i'm still working out the kinks, but stop by and say hi!
i am just shit at posting on this thing lately. so much so, that i downgraded to the free typepad version--hence the no muss no fuss appearance. i figure if i can get back into the swing of things, i'll get a fancy template or something, but until then here we are.
and here isn't such a bad place to be, really. last night, over a $2 can at our favorite neighborhood bar, ted and i were lamenting about how poor we are these days. i mean, we can pay the bills without breaking out the plastic, but we do a lot of, "when we have money we'll buy..." and the idea of group dinners where we know we'll have to split the bill even though we ordered side salads and water, sends us into an anxiety spiral. but when we really step back and put aside all the crap that goes with paycheck-to-paycheck living, life is good. we're happy and we're healthy and we're both pursuing careers that make us happy and we have a snuggly dog who loves us unconditionally. so, yeah, i can't buy that dress i want and ted and i stick to the $2 cans, but we know it probably won't be like this forever. this time in our lives--our early 30's, sans kids, in a city we love without a savings account--is a pretty great place to be.
anyone who knows me--truly knows me--knows that i have a deep and intense love of hall & oates. you heard me right. i said hall & oates. it all started our last year in iowa when ted's friend emailed him and said he was drumming for hall & oates on their tour. they were playing at a casino in riverside, iowa, and we could get on the list. we very well couldn't pass up a chance to go to the future birthplace of capitan james t. kirk and sit front row to watch legends perform, could we? after i lost $40 on slots in a record 20 mintues, we made our way outside to our seats where i proceeded to fall in love with the musical stylings of daryl hall and john oates.
here's a cover of one of my favorites by an amazing band, the bird and the bee.
yup. that's my raisin. this dog is only a year and a half old, but she acts like she's 15. she sleeps most of the day in the sunniest part of the apartment she can find, and when she's awake she's usually burying her bones in my fabric stash or behind our pillows. i love this little one.
the school year is back in full swing, and i'm finding that my stress level is considerably lower than in previous years. i hope i haven't jinxed myself by saying that, but i feel like i've got more time to spend with ted and friends and i feel good about this group of kids. i've got 2nd grade again this year, and while they are academically the lowest group i've had in years, the behavior is pretty great and they are really excited to learn. you really can't ask for more in a self-contained special education room in my opinion. my only worry is that there are new special education policies this year that are difficult to implement without feeling like you're doing a disservice to the kids. i'm sure i'll be talking more about this as the school year goes on, but it is definitely an interesting time to be a teacher.
but--it's saturday, so that means more coffee and blog reading and i just might finish that wiksten tank i started a month ago.
well i can officially cross off the last wedding to do after today (aside from actually writing and mailing these, i suppose). ted and i designed these thank you notes based on the mason jars we used at the wedding. the actual jar is from signage we created for the reception, and the rest of it was a breeze in illustrator.
the gocco was invaluable during the wedding prep. we made our save the dates, menus, and cocktail napkins with it. i'm actually packing it up and passing it along to a friend who is getting married in october so they can make their invitations.
*strawberry bourbon update* i strained the bourbon and there was enough to make two large cocktails. it was bright pink and delicious. it's pretty strong, actually, so one is all you need. i think i'll make an even larger batch and bring it upstate for labor day with ted's family. i imagine it will taste even better while i'm relaxing outside on an adirondack chair.
now that i no longer have endless wedding projects on my plate, i'm finding that i have way too much free time and nothing to do. it's almost like i'm paralyzed by the amount of time that i have on my hands, so i end up watching hulu and netflix for most of the day and then feeling bad about watching hulu and netflix for most of the day. one (of the many) shows i've been devouring is master chef. i can't get enough! i think it's because they are all home cooks, so it is extra exciting because i can convince myself that i could make all those dishes, too. i have been scoping out some pretty great food blogs looking for some inspiration, and stumbled upon a recipe for strawberry-infused minut juleps.
it's not exactly complicated gourmet cooking--well it isn't cooking at all, but it sure will be delicious!
remember this suitcase re-do? well, with the wedding approaching, i was looking for a place for guests to put cards, and thought about doing another one in red.
i started off with this small red number from etsy, and tore out the inside. this one had lots of chunks of hot glue mess holding it on, and the little tacks were rusted, so it was more of a challenge to get a nice clean slate to work with.
once the insides were removed, i used them as pattern pieces. lots of spray adhesive and a little sewing later, i'm happy with the finished product. i originally did this in white fabric with tiny red dots, but it just didn't look right so i ripped it all out and used vintage fabric from my stash.
i'm thinking i'll make a pennant sign that says cards, and string it on the inside top. next up, table decorations!