Spring Thing

I got a bee in my bonnet and convinced Chad to let me throw a little last-minute shindig at the 1952 House. Unawares (and uninvited) our Spring Thing conflicted with two weddings amongst former coworkers, but we still had about twenty friends and neighbors stop by.

The cats were thoroughly annoyed by giving up their seats to guests, but otherwise we had fun.

No filter! Pretty sunlight streaming in the living room window.

A party is a great excuse for cucumber water.

All the best society scene-makers have glow necklaces and 

glow bracelets available for guests to don at evening parties.

Sit. Stay a while and blow some bubbles.

Springy colors are more important than flavors when considering which canned beverages to serve. Luckily the pink was berry and the orange was orange.

Made the Whoopie Pies from scratch and assembled the layer dip. 

No olives on my layer dip just like Joan Crawford didn't want any wire hangers!

One must light every possible candle in the house when entertaining.

The Whoopie Pies bear repeating. 

Vacation Ponderings

Chad and I weighed our financial goals against our vacation goals. Sadly the two are not mutually acquainted with reality. We need to get these three together at a party.

Our California coastal trip which included stops in Big Sur, the Winchester Mystery House and the Hearst Castle looked too expensive for the fun to cost ratio. (One guestimates the amount of fun to be had versus the amount of money and bother to be spent to reveal the fun to cost ratio.)

We also looked at Belize, concluding that we do not want to go during monsoon season, and don't want to wait for high season which we likely won't afford without dipping into the "emergency/don't touch it/forget it's there" fund. (Financial experts recommend that one keep six months of living expenses in savings at all times in case of unforeseen job loss or financial emergencies. This should not include retirement savings. Right. Sure. We're working on it.)

We opted for a luxurious staycation at the 1952 House this June. Amenities include: our own bed complete with fuzzy bed hogs in feline form, a fitness trainer in the form of one dog with a two-mile-a-day walking habit, our own kitchen stocked with a fine selection of items we like to eat and drink, access to our entire wardrobe (versus what could be stuffed into a suitcase), fresh organic tomatoes and basil from the on-site garden, full size grooming/personal care products and on-site laundry facility. Don't be jealous.

Spring Hath Sprung

This is what spring looks like at the 1952 House during an historic drought.

Oh Yeah, It Was Easter

A few years ago, I got all kinds of crafty and made this Easter card for Chad with cut papers and glue stick. (I suffered pretty bad insomnia, and needed quiet activities to fill my vampire hours.)

Each paper egg had a spring-themed, affectionate note, and could be removed from the paper basket. 

This year, however, I've got my insomnia more under control. Which means I don't have loads of time to channel my inner-over-achiever. Chad and I tried out an all natural egg-dyeing kit on our pasture-raised, organic eggs. Each egg had to be soaked for 20 minutes to get the vegetable-based dyes to set. Painter's tape fell off during the extended soak time. Crayon worked pretty well to mask out designs. Chad won the unspoken contest (we're both competitive, but hate to admit it) for best Easter eggs with the dark purple bunny and the "I love you" egg. I liked my purple zig-zag belted egg, but the others didn't turn out quite the way I hoped they would. I highly endorse the pasture-raised, organic eggs, but I'm going back to good old unnatural Paas egg dyeing kits next year. 

You Can Thank Me Later

Chad and I went to a show for musician Laura Mvula and her band tonight at the intimate venue, The Parish. She (and her band) transcend my humble description. If you ever have a chance to see her live, go. Get on over to your favorite music peddler and scoop up her tunes now.

*Amazon link*

*Waterloo Records link*

Here's the video for the first song of hers that I heard, and by which I was dazzled.

Sounds Like a Fun Job!

I fully admit that my job as a Visuals Associate & Home Stylist sounds fun. Just make products look pretty all day, right? Wrong. My job entails a lot of ladder carrying, ladder climbing and lifting of heavy shelves and furniture. I get mystery bruises, broken fingernails, snags in my clothing from sharp edges and cracked, raw skin on my hands. I also get a lot of "do you work here?" inquiries as I stand twelve feet up a ladder with heavy stuff in my arms or power tools whirring softly in my hands. I am usually tempted to reply, "No. I just like climbing ladders and using drills on the wall in random places." Instead, I slap on my best customer service smile, and either offer to call over a salesperson or say, "Give me just a moment to climb down and help you."

I styled some shelves with very loose corporate directive, which means I got to be a bit creative. Here are photos to prove it happened. I keep color stories together and highlight current products. Tah-dah.

I'm thankful to have a job that pays a (small) bit of money and allows a (tiny) bit of creativity, but make no mistake, it is not typically fun. The fun I have at work usually stems from joking with coworkers or the rare interaction with a customer who isn't afraid of color or pattern.

I think I (like many people) am an artist trapped in the lifestyle and body of a responsible adult. Sounds like a fun job, huh?

Apprenticeship

In early March I began an apprenticeship with Christine Fail of Fail Jewelry. I love Christine's geometric meets organic clean design aesthetic. I'm being paid in experience and instruction (not money), learning to make cold-forged jewelry in sterling silver and gold-fill. Cold-forged means that the metal is shaped by hand or by tapping/pounding with a hammer versus melting and/or casting. My paws get a bit grubby with sterling and gold-fill dust after a day in the studio. I call this sparkly stuff under my nails glamour-dirt.

The ladies of Fail Studios are fun, inspiring and great company. They keep me from joining gangs (like the Junior League) or doing drugs (like drinking margaritas in the daytime). Click here to peruse Mira's portfolio.

Ladies in my life, if you have pierced ears, I think you can guess what you'll be getting for your next birthday or holiday gift.

There's a Good Reason

There's a good reason that vacation/tourist destinations have an "off-season". In the case of the trip that I came *this close* to impulsively booking on Expedia for a week in Belize in July with deep discounts, it's due to the extraordinary rainfall. Oh yeah, that's why parts of that region are called rainforest. Who wants to sit in a soggy tree house at the eco-resort and watch it rain buckets? Who wants to get ringworm and mosquito bites? What if you pay only half of the regular cost? Does that sweeten the deal? No?

There's a good reason I run things past Chad before acting on my crazy whims and impulses. He actually takes the time to read the full reviews, look at photos and check the weather patterns for that time of year.

I know we talked about going to Big Sur for hiking, resting and driving the California coast, but look at Belgium: Belgian chocolate, Belgian beer, Belgian fries, lovely old world architecture. Yeah, Belgium. Oh! I found a deal for Ireland too. Look! Here's a package tour to Scotland.

Wait. What?

Focus.

California coast.

We Went Some Places

On our (sometimes) annual trip to visit all ten of our nieces and nephews, we went some places in the Atlanta/Marietta, Georgia areas and in the Raleigh/Wake Forest, North Carolina areas.

Baseball and Soccer Practices

For security reasons (and laziness reasons on my part) no paparazzi allowed at youth sporting events. There was much watching, some sidelines monkey-in-the-middle playing and chewing of bubble gum, and only a small, pre-approved amount of cheering allowed. Adult spectators can be sooooooo embarrassing.

Dekalb Farmers Market

This is more of a world market grocery store than traditional farmers' market with many types of imported produce and specialty imported foods. We made huge to-go salads for lunch. (Sadly the dining area features windowless fluorescent lighting and cramped quarters.) 

Revolution Donuts

If I lived in Decatur, Georgia, I'd be on a steady diet of Dekalb Farmers Market salad bar and Revolution Donuts coffee and pastries. That's real raspberry in the pink glaze, and it is phenomenally delicious. 

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

Hello, pretty fountain. I love Chihuly glass art. Winter was still loitering at the gardens, but we loved taking the skywalk suspended bridge path among the treetops, seeing the humid house orchid environs, the rainforest greenhouse and some master-of-camouflage jungle frogs enclosures.

Later in North Carolina:

Furbish

I could live here happily ever after. Jamie Meares, the grand empress of Furbish, is who I want to be when I get it together and act like a fabulous grown up. Calling this place a store, or even a studio, is too diminutive. Furbish is an interiors design destination. 

The Pie Bird

So. Yummy. We had savory pies for "real food" lunch and amaze-cray sweet pies for dessert. Bananas in Pajamas and Crack Pie were my favorites on the sweet end. The welcoming atmosphere with sit and stay for a while vibe added to the overall wonderfulness.

Wake Forest Second Friday

In response to Raleigh's famous (really?) First Fridays, Wake Forest holds Second Fridays until 9:00 PM for early-bird-night-owls to explore boutiques and galleries along the main drag of Main Street.

DeHart Botanical Gardens

Again with the winter loitering. I qualify this as more of a nature hike with a creek running through it, than a traditional botanical garden at this point. Fun was had by all, even the thirteen year old among our group. Nature walloped me with an allergy attack later in the day. I see how you roll, Nature.

On a walk

Old Winston Salem

My mom requested a trip here for her birthday lunch at The Tavern. My sister's family took a short spin in a horse-drawn carriage. Uncle Chad gave piggy back rides in the square for nieces under thirty pounds.

Cranky with my (Imaginary) Housekeeper

Dear (Imaginary) Housekeeper,

Is it too much to ask that you make daily trips to Whole Foods and HEB to ensure that I have yummy berry, granola, yogurt parfaits (available at Whole Foods) and Diet Coke (not available at Whole Foods) for my breakfast? Where are the freshly made salads with quinoa for my lunch?

While you're at it, we need a new ironing board cover, so you can finish that ironing from the past two weeks. I admit it's a smidge silly that I want my jammie bottoms ironed, but they feel so much better when ironed, as do the pillow cases. Don't fuss about it. I know people who make their (real/not imaginary) housekeepers iron all the sheets for king-size beds.

You neglected to roll out the trash bin for collection, so I had to do it at 2:15 AM when I arrived home from work. I'm not sure the neighbors loved that noise. Also, there was no light snack awaiting my arrival home. How hard is it to have a little plate of cheese cubes, grapes and fresh berries with chilled cucumber water ready for my post-midnight munchies?

I'm shocked that you did not replace the dog's freshly laundered faux-fur blanket on the sofa last night before bedtime to keep her real fur from weaving into the cushions. I know I put a towel down for her, but she moved it.

I work hard, and I expect people in my (imaginary) employ to work hard also. Get it together.

Now run to Tacodeli and pick up my to-go order. You can take my car, but print an updated proof of insurance first. I don't want you getting a ticket. See? I'm always thinking of you. You should be so considerate to me.

Thanks,
Jenn

Thinking

I'm thinking I need this book:

I'm thinking I need to take a class at Spruce to learn to reupholster a chair:

I'm thinking I can pull off these camo chinos:

I'm thinking it's pretty cool to learn new skills at my apprenticeship with Christine Fail Jewelry:

What are you thinking lately? 

My Home Finishes Manifesto

1. Laminate does not belong on countertops. Or floors. Or anywhere.
2. Granite is over. It has been for a while. Deal.
3. Quartz is acceptable.
4. The right composite is also acceptable.
5. If the stove/oven aren't gas, then I'm not cooking/baking on/in it.
6. French door refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are divine.
7. Fiberglass is not an acceptable material for anything that involves plumbing.
8. Glass windows with metal frames or thick wood frames. No vinyl. None.
9. White subway tiles are timeless.
10. If you love it, then hey, you be you.

My Valentine Gave Me a Dragon

My Valentine knows what I like. I've been pining for this Jonathan Adler ceramic dragon for quite a while. The lovely is finally mine! Heartfelt thanks to Chad for indulging my dragon habit.

I put him on the bedroom dresser, so I can see him when I wake up each morning. Well, at least on the mornings I wake up after sunrise.

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In other "put a dragon on it" news, MINI designed a dragon-mobile. Follow *this link* for the other motorist-steered custom designs. Vote for the dragon. It's seriously my favorite one. 

MINI o' Mine

People at the MINI dealerships write MINI in all caps. Maybe to relay the mighty motors and precision handling under the little exterior. Maybe because MINIs are so exciting, that one must visually yell to herald it. Maybe because it just looks better from a graphic standpoint. Whatever the reason, I got my own MINI. I love it.

My MINI handles like a dream, is a joy to drive, gets great gas mileage, looks like a Tiffany box on wheels and yields a monthly payment less than my Mazda 3.

Speaking of my Mazda 3, Chad drives it now. Long story short, he is fine. No one else was involved. Chad wrecked his lovely orange MINI S Coupe. His MINI protected him like a shark cage. No more two-seater, sporty cars for Chad for a while. He has crossed off of his bucket list, "find the limits of a sports car."

All glibness aside, I'm so very thankful that Chad wasn't injured, that he didn't harm anyone else and that we have good insurance.

Five Coats for Three Doors

As previously complained about, I've been getting much fewer hours at work of late. After successfully catching up on sleep, reading and moisturizing, a bee in my bonnet suggested that I repaint the three exterior doors on the 1952 House from black to something more lively. I wanted a color to contrast the boring British Khaki shingle siding. (I never thought I'd live in a khaki house. I usually hate khaki and all the beige cousins, but that's an expenditure for another day.) Standing in the paint aisle of Lowe's, Chad gave his blessings for LaFonda Fireberry. It took five coats of Duramax semi-gloss to fully banish the black doors. I love it! I decorated with lots of warm reds and oranges in the house, so the red doors hint at, and provide transition to, the colors inside the 1952 House. 

Front Door

Side Door to Carport

Back Door to Deck

Radiant Orchid Cupcakes

Pantone's 2014 color of the year is radiant orchid. I had some purple sugar sprinkles in the cabinet (bought for what, I haven't a clue), and decided that they are radiant orchid. I'm so fashion forward that way. I had to bake something on which to sprinkle the radiant orchid sugars: vanilla cupcakes with vanilla cream frosting. The cupcakes made use of almond extract while the frosting used vanilla extract, whipping cream, butter and powdered sugar. The recipe tasted good, but I'd like to try the recipe again with fresh lemon zest and juice in place of the extracts. I wonder if lemon juice will make the whipping cream curdle. I'm trying out some frosting methods with my new piping bag and tips. Admittedly, some cupcakes looked better than others. 

In other news, after working full-time without full-time benefits for approximately eight months at my retail visuals job, my scheduled work hours drastically reduced the past six weeks, typically working only five to fourteen hours per week. The past two weeks, I've been scheduled zero hours with two or three on-call shifts. On-call shifts irritate me greatly. Workers are obligated to call the store two hours before their scheduled on-call shifts to see if they are actually working or not. It's a way for employers to reserve an employee's time (or hold your time hostage as I like to say) without paying employees for that time and without guaranteeing any work during that time. My immediate supervisor (bless her!) took pity on me, and verbally gave me a five hour shift for this week. 

It's near impossible to keep track of sales, promotions and policy changes at my retail employer when I'm only working five hours per week. Consequently, I also feel next to zero engagement or ownership in that job when I'm only there five hours per week.

Part of me thinks I should enjoy these reduced hour work weeks, because it leaves more time to bake, read, exercise, do chores and take tiling classes at the Home Depot. (I took a kitchen and bathroom tiling class Sunday. The teacher said I'm a natural.) Part of me sees the economic reality of working more hours per week if Chad and I ever want to take another vacation and/or want to pay off the mortgage early. Both of which we definitely want to do. 

Stay tuned for probable job search hijinks in the near future.

But It's Not February Yet

It's tempting to leave the Christmas decorations up all winter to brighten up gloomy days. All good things must come to an end, or risk losing their specialness. Until we meet again, holiday decorations, enjoy the newly organized and freshly cleaned shed.

Let's Talk About Socks

When a Bangladesh clothing factory roof collapsed in 2012 killing more than 1100 people, I could no longer justify purchases from low cost clothing retailers. Plus I grew weary of the semi-disposable nature of disintegrating knits and fraying polyesters. After abandoning bargain brands that likely pose high costs to humanity, Chad implored me with a slight edge of desperation to his voice, "where am I supposed to get basics like socks?" After the tiniest bit of research, I have a few good answers.

Bombas Socks not only sport great design and quality, but also donate one pair of socks to people in need for each pair of socks sold.  Chad received a pair of ankle socks and mid-calf socks from Bombas in his latest Birchbox. The socks are a perfect thickness, soft and shaped well. I wish-listed the grey eight pack for women. I love the pops of color and the bee emblem. I also love that the sock engineers got rid of the seam bump most socks have that typically lines up with my pinkie toe and makes blisters.

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Nice Laundry sells multi-packs of color coordinated and pattern coordinated socks. Nice Laundry also offers a luxurious-sounding "sock drawer makeover" of eighteen new pairs of socks for $99. Customers can request a mailing envelope from Nice Laundry to recycle old socks at a textile mill: still usable socks go to people in need while rattier socks get turned into insulation.  The founders of Nice Laundry work directly with their South Korean factory and don't advertise much to minimize overhead costs. My only complaint with these socks is that they are more tailored to men's sizes. I have small feet. These won't work for me, but will be great for Chad.

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Zkano Socks are made in Alabama from sustainable organic cotton. Zkano offers oodles of options for good looking socks in many sizes and styles. I love the story about the origin of Zkano socks. I love the photos of the socks. I love the website. I'm about to order a pair or twelve.

Get going and shop for some socks in good conscience!

Major Achievement of 2013

1000 piece puzzle 

pure imagination

Chihuly glass

In November 2012 Chad and I went to an amazing Chihuly glass installation at the Dallas Arboretum. It wasn't until September 2013, that I actually started the puzzle I bought there. Then I didn't touch it for a few months. With only one day left in 2013, Chad and I finally finished the most difficult puzzle we've ever done. 

Yep. It's a non-stop party at the 1952 House.

We Made Merry

We had a relaxing, quiet Christmas at the 1952 House. (Just what I wanted/needed as a retail visuals minion who worked Christmas Eve and at 6:00 AM the day after Christmas/today.) We opened lots of nice presents. We talked on the phone to family members. We texted friends. I baked cookies, which Chad loved, but I opine need a little tweaking. 

In typical 1952 House Christmas fashion, we decked the dog with bows. Janie loved it! (Or quite possibly she is totally over it, and it was never her favorite tradition.)

We also put a bow from a gift on Kenji, but it made her fall over and growl. (Yes, she is a cat. Yes, she growls.) The bow came off of Kenji before a Kodak moment could happen.

Hope your Christmas was sane, enjoyable, safe and comfortable.