fun : cabin fever

album: sweet heart rodeo from dawn landes
she's a girl from kentucky who now lives in brooklyn

it's been snowing for two days and i haven't gone out. i'm getting a little bit stir crazy and hope we can go to the new york botanical garden on sunday to see the orchid show and the garden in the SNOW, or a movie. we still haven't seen avatar and i think we must be the last two. but first, scott has to get home tonight safe and sound. as always, thank you for visiting us and your sweet comments. hope you have a lovely weekend!

xo, cindy

ps i spent a lot of time photographing the above layout - one pencil, two pencils, pointing up, pointing down. oy! the wonderful letterpress card and pencils are from suann's shop, simplesong.

life : happy things

video : someday by rob thomas
for aimee, bella & pj who lost someone dear this week

we visited charlie last weekend and ran into one of his neighbors in the elevator. she told us he really missed helen and was looking forward to our visit. he told her about it three times and we felt so sad. but, once he started to talk about the people who hoard the food and talk too much at the senior center, the tears in our eyes disappeared because he was so funny. he's made a friend there and her name is helen. she's a nun :).



we brought him a nice lunch, his favorite key lime pie and scott helped pull together his tax papers. if you think doing your own taxes is crummy, try to help your elderly parent. while going through his folders he found this post and commented that it was so nice. by the end of the day he seemed 'happy' and sent us on our way - translation, dismissed us.



so, i was happy when asiye tagged me to come up with a list of things that make me happy because life is short and we should appreciate the simple things that make our days nice -

1. flowers, i know it's shocking.
   
2. music, especially new discoveries.
   
3. feeling well-rested, which is rare.
4. the sandwich scott makes me for lunch each day.
   
5. doing something creative, well.
6. a clean apartment, empty laundry hamper and no ironing.
7. italian food.
8. anything that makes me smile like your nice comments and the word darling (pronounced dahling).
   
9. hearing 'cutie, i'm home'.
10. hugs, hugs, hugs!
    

now, i'm supposed to pass this along to ten people and i'm happy to do it, but don't feel obligated y'all: candace, cassie, dawn, erin, joyce, julia, julie, meg, rachel and suzanne.

xo, cindy

ps usa vs. canada for the gold medal in women's hockey thursday night - yikes!

fun : socks & boots

video : haven't met you yet by michael bublé
for our canadian friends and scott who loves the supermarket

i love socks. argyle is my favorite and these happy socks are befitting their name. i'd love to put them into my new desert boots with the pretty windowpane lining and the marine aqua shoelaces from crewcuts. yes, i'm regressing, but why should the kids have all the fun? they're actually turquoise, the pantone color of the year.



military-style has also been shown during fall fashion week- yay! now, if only the snow would disappear because these babies are not going to be christened in the slush. how was your weekend? do tell.

xo, cindy

ps do not worry canadian hockey fans. miracles do happen. and, the canadian curling teams are in first place, eh ;)?

life : extreme sports

commercial : to their moms, they'll always be kids
this one makes me teary-eyed every time, especially the luger

hi folks! well, it seems i've been rendered useless this week. except for some laundry duty, i've turned into a couch potato. each afternoon instead of turning on the computer, i turn on the tv to watch my new favorite extreme sport - curling! i say extreme because i'm either on the edge of my seat hoping that stone/rock goes where it should or in a vegetative state due to the slow, methodical pace.

the guys from norway have the best argyle pants and i predict the next time you see curling, like in 2014 olympics, they all will be dressed quite fashionably - curling by ralph lauren or marc jacobs.

i did manage to pick up some tulips for the weekend, but i'm heading back to the sofa. did you see the skiing and those wipe-outs? whoa! brings back some unhappy memories for me for sure, although i was probably going a lot slower. enjoy your weekend! no wipe-outs!

xo, cindy

ps we're also looking forward to the new ricky gervais show tonight on hbo. more tv!

travel : staycation

video : new york, new york by ryan adams

let's pack a bag and take a short weekend trip. the only rules are: have fun, relax and don't buy anything that can't fit into the suitcase, which is almost full and weighs 25 lbs, but feels heavier.


head to uptown manhattan on the bus like so many tourists do. destination, the hotel wales.


located one block from museum mile and perfect for a visit to the metropolitan museum of art where we'll surely get lost once inside.


appreciate the secular and the sacred in the episcopal church of the heavenly rest, which has a cafe called the heavenly rest stop. my mom would sit outside this church and wait for my brother who would participate in tune-up races in central park before the marathon. she would have loved the cafe as she loved coffee.


stop and smell the roses.


find great works of art created through the centuries (inspired by us in past lives, perhaps?).


enjoy a sweet cupcake.


debate who is the stronger sex and gold vs. silver.


take a rest as museums can get tiring and overwhelming even if you've been there before.


discover flowers in all forms, especially since it is really cold outside.


share a kiss, so romantic.


look up to view the rooftops, but step a side to avoid getting knocked down.


take a nap and practice our form for ski-jumping, although we love watching snowboard cross - fun!


enjoy the pretty colors and nice sentiments.


take in the best skyline view from the central park reservoir. reflections on the water surrounding the ice remind me of christmas lights or lite-bright.


extend a nice gesture for someone who has her hands full and can't seem to keep that lace tied. it was nice, but there's nothing like sleeping in your own bed. head home with little more than some happy memories, which are weightless.

xo, cindy

ps sorry so long, but this will probably be all for this week. hope you had a nice weekend and enjoy a good week. it's snowing here, again!

life : happy love day!

song : better together by jack johnson

happy valentine's day, everyone! scott has big plans for us and is so proud of himself. should be interesting. we shall see. wishing you lots of extra hugs & kisses from those you love or just like, a lot. happy chinese new year (year of the tiger), first day of the olympics, and president's day here in the us!

xo, cindy

ps did you see this very cool virtual kaleidoscope? (via vsl)

pics : snow day

song : theme song from jaws, of course.
go ahead, listen to it and tell me you don't get nervous.

this is my worst nightmare. a landshark and there it is in snow. isn't it great! i'll never forget seeing the movie jaws as a kid. i was so scared the shark was swimming around my bed, even though it (the shark) was blown to bits ;). i'm just glad we played the theme song to star wars in the high school band, instead.


i heard on the news that just about every state in the usa may have snow, including hawaii. turns out the mountains have some snow on them and florida might get a couple of inches.



remember those markers i showed you a few weeks ago? so cool in the snow.


two versions of snowmen. i like the one on the right best, but he won't last long.



snow covered fences and benches are divine, but it's time to go for the snow. see you later today with a special valentine.

xo, cindy

life : it's spring, indoors

song : the high road by broken bells {free here}
new project between james mercer (the shins) & danger mouse.

we're having a snow storm today. a perpetual blizzard in nyc. but, it's warm inside and some flowers sure make it feel like spring in here. unfortunately, i'm off to trek to work today on the subway, which is elevated like a roller coaster. i'm really nervous about the conditions later today when it's time for us to come home. wish me luck & scott who is driving. we'll do the same. have a safe day!

xo, cindy

ps did you see paper schmaper's new bicycle letterpress card? it is adorable. we won't be riding any bicycle's today and worry if we even can since it's been so long. ;).

pics : bank as cathedral

song : let's get loud by jennifer lopez
it's monday, so pump it up!

sometimes, rooting for the underdog pays off, so thank you new orleans saints and congratulations! we're not big football fans, so we put our remote control to the test by switching from the super bowl to the puppy bowl to emma and back. we didn't see all the commercials, but loved those with betty white for snickers and parisian love by google. and, how cute was drew brees with his son baylen?

i thought these photos of what was the gorgeous williamsburgh savings bank built in 1927 suited the saints. it's more like a cathedral than a bank, although some might view a bank as a cathedral - gordon gekko(?).


for the next few weeks the brooklyn flea is being held in this building and we went recently not so much for vintage shopping, but to see it.



in addition to the amazing marble and mosaics, i was so impressed by the intricate lighting, although it was quite dark inside. more about ambiance than task.


the big snow storm forecasted for nyc fizzled out this weekend, but not before dumping two feet of snow on southern new jersey, maryland and virginia - whoa. we were lucky this time, but there's another one on the horizon. enjoy your week!

xo, cindy

life : frozen in time

song : great companion by landon pigg
this song always reminds me of the loss of a pet.

thank you so much for your sweet words here and over at the lovelies awards! i'm so glad (relieved) to receive some votes :). you can also nominate your favorite blogs/shops over there and i'm going to select a few to include myself. we're expecting a snow storm tonight and i just hope we don't end up like poor rocky who is still in our freezer and probably always will be. he had the prettiest blue eyes and still does, sort of.

have a great weekend, everyone. may the best team win the superbowl and bring on the olympics only a week away!

xo, cindy

wow : the lovelies award

the lovelies awards have been created by dear rachel of lovely clusters to highlight favorite blogs/shops and i'm really excited to tell you that quaint handmade was nominated for photography! it is so encouraging, you have no idea. i completely understand now what people mean when the say 'they're just happy to be nominated'. if you have a moment, it would be loverly if you could cast a vote for us. thanks, everyone!

xo, cindy

love : ted's poem

song : can i stay by ray lamontagne

as previously mentioned, i'm very excited about valentine's day this year and although i don't read much poetry, i do love the book valentines by poet ted kooser. here's a poem for you -

tracks
using a cobbler's shoe last
i found one summer at a yard sale.
and the heavy leather uppers
from cast-off boots, a jigsaw,
some wood, an awl and thread,
and a few evenings sitting alone
thinking of you, i have fashioned
a pair of red valentine shoes
with heart-shaped wooden heels.
look for my tracks on your doorstep
where i stood with sore feet
through the evening, too timid to knock.

so tender and dear. i have two other poems by ted here and here. enjoy your day!

xo, cindy

ps the fairie is from the magpie and wardrobe.

fun : i won!

video(s) : winter winds by mumford & sons.
i love country winston (brown coat) who plays a mean banjo.

hope you all had a nice weekend! cassie of clementine bestowed upon me the kreativ blogger award last week and it's pretty great. so, here are seven things you might not know about me, although it was hard as i'm such an open book ;) -

1. we don't own a microwave or dishwasher. there's just no room for them in our kitchen, so we are patient and wash the dishes ourselves.
2. sometimes, i listen to my i-pod while watching tv, including american idol.
   
3. i have a really hard time making a decision. i blame it on being a libra, but it's probably more to do with a fear of making the wrong one.
4. when our fish rocky died a couple of years ago, we couldn't stand the idea of flushing him down the toilet. burying him in the ground seemed bizarre. instead, we put him in a small container with some water and froze him (less bizarre?). we thought we were so crazy, but apparently many people do the same thing.
5. even if i'm in my pjs all day, i'll be sure to shower and get fixed up before scott gets home.
   
6. until i get to know you, i'm very shy in person. email and the internet have definitely been my saviors when it comes to meeting new people.
7. i'm determined (stubborn) when i set my mind to doing something like getting that darn egg to look like a darn heart and taste darn good - see here.
   

ok, enough about me. how about seven unknown things from krissy, jamie, ms. line, meg, michelle, pascale & shari? you are now at least one time kreative blog award winners, so come on up and keep in mind that the band is warming up to take us to a commercial. enjoy your week!

xo, cindy

ps we made shrimp and corn chowder with fennel from a recipe in real simple magazine this weekend and it was delicious. the fennel adds such a nice flavor.