Sew-lusions of grandeur

I'm thinking about taking a sewing class. It's not a new idea... I remember thinking about it way back when I lived in New York... and again in Chicago... even going so far as to try to find a class. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find a sewing class. Home economics doesn't exist for the adult set, I guess. Maybe because we good girls should have taken Home Ec in junior high and high school when we were supposed to be learning about being good wives (I mean, 'cause come on-- even though my mother's generation liberated us, clearly the message wasn't passed down to the public education system who still offer Home Ec as a regular course selection). I took student government and AP classes like calculus and art history instead (of course)-- which I suppose was my way of turning my nose up at the domestic smothering that the public school system was trying to cram down my throat.

However, now that I'm older and a tad more level headed, I realize that some of those skills might have been good to learn... like sewing. I mean, how often do you need to sew a button back on a coat, or hem a pair of pants... or sew patches/badges on a shirt (okay, maybe not so much the latter, but believe it or not, I actually have had the need to do that and it was not, shall we say, an optimal outcome). Plus, I have very happy memories of my full-time working mom making our Halloween costumes; Of field trips to the fabric store to flip through patterns to find just the right costumes. And I'm not talking run-of-the-mill ghosts made out of bed sheets. I'm talking about proper, better than you'd ever buy in a store, costumes. Clowns, Spiders, Watermelon slices (Aloha); Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Princesses and, errr... Princesses (Me). They were fantastic! She also made beautiful dresses for special occasions-- holidays, school plays. It was the best. She is the best.

I've been thinking a lot about that; not only how it would be handy to do some repair work myself, but also actually be able to make something. Have you ever been in the situation where you have some event coming up and you have in your mind a picture of the perfect dress? Only you can't find anything to match what you've conjured up in your head? Imagine if you could just whip it up yourself?? I don't really have a passion for fashion in the haute couture kind of way. I do love me some Anthropologie and am a little obsessed with Rachel Zoe because she's bananas-- in every sense of the word (sorry couldn't resist). But a desire to design clothes? Not in the slightest. But lo and behold, a swift Internet search of sewing in Burnley turned up a 10-week adult education course at the local College. It seems a little excessive for my needs, but for 100 bucks (or pounds...) meaning 10 GBP per class, it's a pretty good deal. And if I do have a child one day, it would be pretty great if I could make their Halloween costumes from scratch and give them a memory that will always remind them of how much their mom loved them.

Perfection

Seriously? I love Etsy.

I've been looking for bookends forever but couldn't find anything I loved. I wanted something interesting and quirky, but beautiful and classy. Why didn't I think of Etsy first? A quick peruse (I wasn't even looking for bookends) and I came across these. How awesome are they? It's sand-filled burlap with a monogram stamp. And a bird to boot. Love, love, love. Now, if only shipping to flipping England didn't cost so much. Ah well-- put it away in my design file for the future.

The cupboard under the stairs

No Harry Potter room for us-- couldn't fit a bed in it if you tried. But given the teeny quarters we live in (with no storage space... have I mentioned that enough?), we are trying to maximize every good quality for what it's worth. High ceilings mean cabinets and bookshelves to the rafters. Oddly shaped alcoves get shelved and faced with interesting fabric as a door. Even the bed frame doubles as storage, with some fancy spring action that allows you to lift the foot up to reveal our linen closet. You have to be creative when you're dealing with 100 year old houses b.c. (before closets).

Under the stairs is the latest transformation. The refrigerator, washer and dryer were shoved underneath, but with things piled high on top, we weren't using the available space to the best of its ability. Not to mention it was both unsightly and super loud. I don't know why but washers and dryers in England are ridiculously loud. They may very well be the same decibel as the U.S., and really? What do I know-- I've only experienced them in a garage, basement or a separate laundry room. But all the same in such close quarters (here), if the washing machine was running, forget about watching TV. Even turned up all the way you literally couldn't hear anything.

Enter the ever-handy MRN. We started with some damp-proof and new plaster. Then a vent was fitted through the wall, under the stairs, to the exterior for the dryer. Next came the framing and boxing in to house the washer and dryer and create shelving followed by a new light (since the single bulb hanging from the ceiling really wasn't doing it for me; not to mention it kept burning through boxes and bags I was storing up there above the microwave... a teeny bit of a fire hazard). And finally? The piéce de résistance-- bespoke (English-ism meaning custom) doors to match our kitchen, made by hand by the talented MRN.

The awesomely crazy thing about the feat is that there is literally not a straight wall in this house. Partially to do with its age, although I suspect much of it to do with the cowboys who called themselves builders, it means lots and lots of extra work to make anything look right or doors to actually open. This project was no different, but sheer genius has prevailed. The result? Amazing cabinets that even have room for the vacuum (courtesy of yet another custom shelf) and a laundry basket. All hidden away by beautiful doors.

Can you tell I'm excited??

damp course treatment and new plaster































lovely light bulb













yes-- sooooo attractive...













boxed in and getting tidier (new refrigerator... the teeny one broke... thank goodness)
















new doors going in, pre-sanding and painting



































painted and beautiful, color matched to kitchen cabinets

















and another bonus-- a place to hide keys and (finally) hang my key ring key (that i love). oh-- and get things off the front of the refrigerator (which MRN hates).

Paper Snob

I'm not sure from where this love originated, exactly... perhaps it started with stationery because even as a child I loved to write letters... and it then branched out to include every which kind. I have a big box of notecards, paper, cards of every size, color and shape; envelopes, paper and templates to create custom envelope liners... and all the acoutremonts to go with it (fountain pens, ballpoint pens, inky pens, pencils, stamps, and more). I still use a paper planner-- even though I've had a palm pilot and now iPhone, there's something eternally satisfying to putting pen to paper. I have lots of fancy notebooks, which are are a combination of my oldest (miquelrius) and newest (russel+hazel) obsessions.
Russel+Hazel I owe to my sister (or, curse my sister for?). They are "office products for the soul." When I found out I was going to move to working at home full time, I wanted to make my home office an extension of me, not of my work... so beautiful paper and supplies were a must. I'm still getting there, but it's coming along. R+H has a genius binder system that offers the nostalgia of back to school days (yes, I was a nerd who looked forward to back to school-- as much for the friends and books as for the school supplies), but with a chic and sophisticated twist that's certainly not kid-like. The beautiful patterns and mix-and-match paper, dividers, post-it notes and other tools, as well as accessories like file boxes and folders and more give endless choice to make your office effortlessly stylish. I'm still outfitting mine and the biggest disappointment is that R+H doesn't retail in England, and they don't ship internationally either. So I have to covet from afar and when I go to the U.S., have things shipped to my location to hand carry back here. *Sigh.* Even the price of paper keeps going up.

My sis gave me the ultimate R+H planner recently-- their wedding book. I finally broke it out and threw away my ratty old plastic binder for this beautiful gem. It's so pretty I don't want to ruin it by writing in it. Haha-- but I will. Vendors are going to think I'm nuts when I walk in with this thing, but my friends and family won't be too surprised... I'm nothing if not organized-- at least, on the surface! Now I'm prepared to actually start planning the wedding! (it's about time, right??)

Shoe Love

Since moving to England I've been REALLY good about shoes... as in, I've only bought one pair (for my birthday present to myself... because you should always get a birthday present for yourself; after all, who knows you better?), and they were out of sheer necessity-- I replaced a pair of boots that were killing my feet for a splurge; but they are good for both work and play (and more importantly, my feet). But generally speaking, I've resisted my shoe urges primarily due to lack of space (and compulsion to curb superfluous spending in general). But no storage for shoes has been my greatest irk (alright, alright-- a bit melodramatic, but hey, what's life without a little superficial melodrama).

However, this week saw the end to my self-imposed shoe famine. I've been coveting a pair of Poetic License shoes since last fall, but managed to resist until this week when I saw they had gone on sale. And what's better than buying shoes than buying shoes on sale?! While it's a London company, I actually discovered PL at Nordstrom in Chicago. I fell in love with their quirky, flirty, retro-inspired designs, in fun colors and styles. My favorite in my "collection" are a pair of red, mid-heel patent leather with brown side stitching, a brown wooden heel and little peep holes on the face with a leather tassle bow for a little bit of fun. They're perfect for adding a little character to boring business suits. (And as an aside, their packaging is brilliant... and I'm nothing if not a sucker for good design. Yes-- the "box" is indeed also a bag. Clever.)

But these may soon be knocked out by my new purchase... again, practical because they can be used for work and play (well, perhaps a stretch for the office, but I do like to spice up my work wardrobe with fun shoes...). The ballerina "toe shoe" front, rich suede and stain bow accenting a keyhole opening on the face is stylish but practical for colder climates. And the platform heel is entirely foot friendly-- because while I do love shoes, I am not a "pain for fashion" type girl. They must be comfortable-- and walkable. Meaning, I can walk at least a mile in them without killing myself (and seeing as I'm naturally clumsy, these type of heels are much more "maikib-friendly").

You can find PL in the US at the following retailers: Nordstrom, Piperlime, and if you're in Chicago, at Lori's on Armitage. I'm sure a google search will reveal a lot more retailers, but these are my favorite for interesting shoes.

Ahhh... shoe love....

Wayfarer Gets a Makeover!

Thanks to my wonderful sis who gifted me a custom blog design, and the amazing Lyndsay who designed this masterpiece, Wannabe Wayfarer has gotten a face lift! It's just the kick that I needed to get re-energized and inspired for blogging in the new year. Thank you Aloha and Lyndsay!!