nyc | it snowed, a bit

hello, hello! hope you all had a wonderful holiday! ours was nice and there was a blizzard here monday in case you hadn't heard ;). we had just under two feet of snow and for reasons yet to be determined, it was chaos and still challenging for many.

cars, buses, ambulances, trains and snow plows were getting stuck in the snow and being abandoned. scott really wanted to get to work, but the only way that was going to happen is if he walked as my half of the car said no way.

one lucky thing is that the storm happened during winter break, which is great for kids and school bus drivers. so, we end 2010 with a bang in our town. if the bad guys ever figure out how to make it snow on command, we're done (more pics here). hope you have a happy & safe new year. see you in 2011!

xo, cindy

ps the new song rolling in the deep by adele is so good. it's about love gone wrong, but not hopeless -

throw your soul threw every open door
count your blessings to find what you look for
turn my sorrow into treasured gold
you pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow

heart break can come from many places other than romantic love and the best gift we can give ourselves in each case is to let go of the pain when the clock strikes twelve on january 1st, if not sooner. i'm going to try.

holiday | enjoy!

hello, hello! wishing you a wonderful holiday and hope all your dreams come true. from what we can tell you all have been very good this year :). thank you for visiting our little neck of the woods and making it extra-special!

xo, cindy + scott

ps this interview on npr talks about some unusual holiday traditions around the world. in sweden, people of all ages get really excited to watch a vintage donald duck movie on christmas day. in japan, people make reservations for kentucky fried chicken on christmas eve and another group feasts on a spread from mcdonalds! watching the yule log, homemade cookies and turkey sound pretty good in comparison :).

holiday | red + white

hello, hello! our holiday decorations are really simple this year and more about winter than christmas. frannie was made by ann wood and is dressed in an acorn hat & linen scarf for the cold. she's leaning on a vintage tiddlywinks container because she's had too much egg nog and can't stand up without some help ;).



the little embroidered stocking is from the new york botanical gift shop and hangs on our china cabinet.



my brother made the birdhouse long ago and i painted it white. the wooden bird ornament is from abc carpet & home and the embroidered clove-filled sachet a lucky score from wiksten.



the spool of thread wreath is from michael's and such a great idea!



the scandinavian-inspired martha stewart wrapping paper is also from michael's and the shanna murray gift tags are free in the november/december issue of rue magazine (page 60 or here). i also saw these tags yesterday from sharilyn and they are wonderful, too!

xo, cindy

ps have you seen the paper disco ball by laurie cinotto? so great!

pics | two views

fujifilm instax

hello, hello! i took the photo of the pepsi-cola sign in long island city last week during jen's visit and didn't think much of it, until she quickly convinced me otherwise. my brother always complained that photos with the sky blown-out weren't any good, but i'm starting to think he is wrong. the crane you see in the background had construction workers walking on it way up high and boy was it cold.

the stone sculptures named asaf and yo'ah by boaz vaadia were at the time warner center and fantastic - kind of ufo-ish. earlier this summer scott and i stumbled upon his studio in williamsburg and were just amazed by boaz's work. each layer is a hand carved piece of stone and stacked one on top of another with a little help from a threaded rod + glue. enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

ps the winner of the calendar+ giveaway is erika and i have one extra to send to anna. hurray, another excuse to go shopping! each calendar is hand cut and although i'm not able to print it on linen any longer, i can do so on matte photo paper. so, if anyone else wants to do some sort of trade, let me know. i'm going to be trying fine art paper next week and that might be very nice.

pps we had great news yesterday about charlie's early stage lung cancer. the doctor thought that after three radiation treatments he might be totally cured. good thing too because he was a brat this week and thisclose to getting an extended time-out ;)!

fun | calendar+ giveaway

hello, hello! i made a 2011 calendar using some of our favorite photos this year and would like to give one away. it's printed on a nice linen card stock and measures about 4" x 5". to sweeten the deal, i'll add a little something extra to the package depending on what i think the winner might like. all you have to do is leave a comment below before december 18th and we'll announce one winner on saturday. ho-ho-ho!

xo, cindy

collect | vintage letters

hello, hello! charlie brought out a photo album to show us some more of his wedding photos and i found these wonderful letters. they were written during the 1920s in czechoslavakia (currently, the czech republic) and mailed to new york city, america. although we don't understand a word of them, the handwriting is just lovely and could be quite interesting as the country established its independence in 1918 and the first president was elected in 1920.

one thing i do understand is that sending out our christmas cards would be much further along if i had such beautiful handwriting. excuses, excuses :).

xo, cindy

fun | sEwing your wild oats

fujifilm instax | jewish tailor garment district & ric rac in daytona trimming

hello, hello! lately, this is about as close as i've gotten to sewing, but all that ric rac does get me thinking - love THE ric rac. i've been out and about socializing in the city three times this week and really tired, which is good for scott because i'm less likely to drag him around to all the holiday markets i originally planned. well, not this morning anyway ;). enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

ps janelle monáe's fabulous video for tightrope is sure to energize anyone and i love those shoes + her hair!

pics | change the view

hello, hello! for some reason, i decided long ago that the best source of natural light in our apartment was in a tiny corner of our bedroom. but, after replacing the green balloon shades with sheers in our living room, it turns out the light in there is much better, which is good because i have a lot of things i want to photograph. i'm using the same set-up, but the light seems more white and is available longer.

the one draw back is that i can't just throw myself down on the bed when i'm frustrated like mari in the babies documentary. oh well, there's always the floor :)!

xo, cindy

ps have you seen the photography on rollei life? it's just lovely.

craft | martha's holiday sale

hello, hello! as mentioned, i met up with julia of red otter on saturday and we went to martha stewart's holiday craft sale. there are two things i don't do well when i'm with people other than scott - shop & take photos of the sights. julia has a sweet new baby and all i kept thinking was don't let anything happen to william's mom! but, julia's photos of the day are terrific - see here. it was really wonderful to meet her in person and get caught up in the enthusiasm of a first time visitor to the city.

there was a perpetual line at the craft show and just about every place else we went (crazy!), but i did manage to get a very cool moravian star made using a nyc subway map & wax by michigan winter, a wonderful heart floral print by rifle paper co. and a cameo made of resin by shawn powers. last year i picked up the antique basalt creamer from bower antiques and tucked in a musical version of my butterfly garland for the photo. it seems i gravitate towards black during martha's craft shows. i guess i really am a new yorker!

xo, cindy

ps some other things that also looked wonderful were - original paintings from kiki and polly, softies by sian keegan, embroideries by coral & tusk, and holiday ornaments by la la laurie (should have bought one, but couldn't decide which to choose).

fun | W O R D up ...

canon powershot + fujifilm instax | kate spade

hello, hello! the recipient of the W O R D giveaway is nicole of three by sea who loves blue. jen of painted fish studio will be contacting her for mailing information and congratulations! thanks for sharing your favorite colors (blue was the most popular followed by gray, which is my current fav) and to the jens, aka polaroid sisters, for the wonderful book.

i'm going to be spending the day with julia of red otter who is taking the train from philadelphia to nyc for her first trip here. visiting martha stewart's craft sale is at the top of the list along with seeing some holiday windows, rockefeller center and a magnolia cupcake or two. enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

ps loving the band summer fiction i learned about on the chance site. the video for chandeliers is so sharp as is chance. oh, and the band, which is actually one guy, is from philadelphia. what a coincidence!

art | moma

hello, hello! recently, we saw counter space: design + the modern kitchen on exhibit at the the museum of modern art and it was pretty cool. we loved all the kitchen-inspired art and gadgets, especially the frankfurt kitchen designed by margarete schütte-lihotzky for german public housing estates after world war 1. very small by today's standards at around 6' x 9', the kitchen incorporates wonderful space-saving features and feels very modern. some people thought it was cold, but i thought it was fabulous and will be putting it into my inspiration file for our own kitchen remodel, someday.

the photo by mac adams seems to have been taken with scott mind because he loves toast. each night he makes a couple of slices to take to work the next day, but the photo kind of makes me wonder what's really going on in the kitchen. although the tea cup is similar to one of mine, the girl is not similar to me, ever. but, i do love butter and as a kid remember taking a bite out of a stick of it - ewww! i suppose scott's the bread and i'm the butter. butter makes it better. mystery solved and i'll stop there. you're welcome ;).

xo, cindy

ps don't forget to enter our W O R D giveaway before saturday, 12.4.10, over here.

craft | W O R D giveaway

hello, hello! the handmade community is not short of wonderful artists who are blessed with a perfect combination of talent in art & business. i first connected with jen of painted fish studio through aimee's blog artsyville and couldn't be happier. i've been lucky to meet jen in person a few times during her visits to new york and she really gets me thinking about the possibilities.

jen's wonderful handmade prints, journals, cards and magnets are available in her shop (sale this week) and she has just self-published a book of polaroids from her two-year collaboration with another fabulous jen of scissors paper glue. the book is called W O R D and available through their site and amazon.

now, the good news for you guys is that the jens have offered a copy to give away right here and you will love this book. just leave a comment telling us your favorite color before 12.4.10 and we'll announce one winner on saturday (be sure to include an email address so we can contact you). good luck!

xo, cindy

ps it's not about me, but you'll see one of my butterfly garlands in the book ;)! how cool is that? word.

fun | deal 'em

i'm a winner and have proof!

hello, hello! family gatherings usually involve playing crazy eights at some point. scott's family loves to play cards while mine goes along with it to be polite. well, we start out that way because before you know it our competitive spirits come out and it's us against them (war!). beating charlie is always high on the list (he breaks our chops!) followed by scott (he 'makes' us play!). so, imagine my delight when i won with my brother in second. yes, thanksgiving gave us a lot to be thankful for - simple pleasures, plus some good grub, too ;). hope yours was great and enjoy the weekend!

xo, cindy

ps on tuesday we'll be having a fabulous giveaway just in time for the holidays. i'll not say a w o r d about it yet, but here's a hint!

thanks | to the ladies

hello, hello! we recently saw the wonderful movie made in dagenham about the 1968 strike at the ford plant in the uk staring sally hawkins (love her!). with a singular goal for equal pay, 187 women sewing machinists walked out ultimately bringing all ford manufacturing in the country to a standstill (40,000 employees) and leading the equal pay act 1970. the movie is very similar to the terrific norma rae and a great example of what can be accomplished with some grit & moxie.

i'm thankful for the women before us who have paved the way for new opportunities & fairness. see you saturday and enjoy your thanksgiving to all who celebrate. we're always thankful you visit our little corner of the woods.

xo, cindy

ps the photos were taken in the soho shabby chic store - i love the inspiration board. rachell ashwell's company (another brit) had some financial woes last year, but worked them out and is thankfully back in the game. more store pics here, including some flirty prom dresses.

craft | pretty things

hello, hello! living in nyc is great because when people we've met through blogging visit we can sometimes connect in person. michelle of blue moss and her husband, scott, visited over the summer and it was terrific to meet them. if you can judge people by the company they keep, then we'll take it because scott and michelle are really nice and she is so talented.

my love of vintage is no secret and michelle makes the most wonderful jewelry using unusual vintage elements from keys to watch straps. when my scott saw the bracelet michelle sent for my birthday, he said it was perfect because i love bracelets and it was so delicate. her handmade journal using vintage papers is also perfect because i'm often reluctant to actually write in a journal for fear of messing it up, which i usually do, and this one contains removable pages so write away i shall. happy tuesday!

xo, cindy

garden | a painterly touch

fujifilm instax | new york botanical garden

hello, hello! one thing i like about the fujifilm photos is that sometimes the images look like paintings. one of my favorite painters is winston churchill. his work has a wonderful painterly quality and i suppose his mantra issued during ww2 - “never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” - can also be applied to creating art. enjoy your weekend!

xo, cindy

ps as some of you have already noticed, i've been playing around with a blog re-design using a template called the 'simple' layout, which is far from it! i've also been experimenting over here. what do you think?

garden | fall colors

we visited the new york botanical garden this saturday to see the fall foliage. it was a golden day as joyce would say.



a tree was in the shape & colors of the sun and there were roses in the middle of november in the northeast!



majestic redwood trees planted in the 1950s were favorites and thank you mother nature for the prop styling ;). it was a good day!

xo, cindy

craft | special treasures

hello, hello! one of the wonderful aspects of the handmade community is being able to have special pieces made just for you. an added benefit comes when they are crafted by special friends.

the collage was created by dawn of lovely paper for our recent wedding anniversary and i love looking at it over my desk each day. i told her about some of the things we enjoy and i think she captured our relationship beautifully, including the little dog that currently resides in our imaginations.

the gorgeous album was handmade by julia of red otter who is very special to us. she frequently sends notes to charlie and i've loved her journals for quite a while. i was hoping to have one to accommodate my best photographs, so we collaborated on the pattern & colors and i love it. special commissions are no longer just for wealthy art patrons, they are available to regular folks, too. enjoy the day!

xo, cindy

nyc | get on track

fujifilm instax | cool cars in the veterans day parade.

hello, hello! i'm going to attempt to maintain a regular schedule on our blog with posts on saturday, tuesday and thursday. that's all i know, so far ;). happy weekend, again!

xo, cindy

life | simplify

fujifilm instax | union square farmer's market

hello, hello! juggling two cameras to take lots of photos like i did last weekend (and often) equals one camera too many. i read a post on seth godin's terrific blog this week about doing more vs. doing better and i think better sounds good. i'm challenging myself from this point on to try to take his advice. happy weekend!

xo, cindy

ps i previously mentioned a band from iceland called for a minor reflection and they have a free download of their wonderful new song dansi dans available here.

life | veterans day

hello, hello! spending the day with our favorite veteran who we think is tops. thank you to all veterans near & far, this day is for you!

xo, cindy

ps notice how charlie seems to be protecting his 'package' during his little nap while watching football? he'd be better off protecting the china cabinet cause that's where i snoop around ;).

nyc | marathon

fujifilm instax | nyc marathon

hello, hello! we didn't really have any special plans this weekend, but ended up having a lot of fun with an unexpected visit to the 2010 nyc marathon from a fabulous vantage point in long island city. we were pretty quiet at first, but when we noticed people had their names written on their shirts we cheered until we were hoarse.

i'm really glad we didn't have to look for anyone in this race because it's stressful when they don't seem to come or you miss them (my brother was in the race like 9 times or was it 11?). it's about 1 pm and this kid was giving high-fives, but the runners were starting to look kind of tired. notice his shirt ...

right behind mr. high five was this young rock band - ntor (noxious total overdose of reality). they were really FANtastic and the runners loved them. sorry to the bass player who was killing it, but i had to edit you out of the photo because there was groupy (mom/manager?) next to you ruining my shot. hey, i'm an artist, too ;).

it was pretty cold and we were beat. cheering takes energy, so we hopped in our ride to head home with a police escort. blogarazzi! not really - the car probably belongs to the band or will some day ;). more like we hopped on the subway and headed home. hope you had a fun weekend.

xo, cindy