life | i'd rather be doing

we stayed in a hotel each night during the reno and it was nice.
love decorating with color from martha.

hello, hello! do you remember me? i took an unexpected blogging break last week because i underestimated the total mayhem involved in demolishing a bathroom in a 800 square foot apartment. our bedrooms were locked up tight with our computer inside and there was so much dust and mess i thought it best to leave them alone.

well, within five days we went from demo to pretty bathroom, but the picture is not complete because we still don't have a sink. i'll show you what we did next week, but for now, our bathroom reminds me of a big sugar cube as it's all white and lacking our special touches. last week, i really missed you guys and was often thinking of places i'd rather be. spending time with any of these ladies would have been divine.

in alphabetical order -

• Sewing in Paris with //Between the Lines // 
• Recuperating in the garden with A Perfect Beginning
• Painting with A Print A Day
• Sketching lessons with  An Open [Sketch]book
• Learning about hockey with And The Flowers Pick Themselves
• Writing poetry with Another Lifetime 
• Doodling on her gorgeous porch with Artsyville
• Exploring new worlds with Bella Sinclair
• Making beautiful jewelry with Blue Moss
• Designing another new bathroom with Callie Grayson
• Picking Sweet Peas & visiting my niece Lucy with Candace Rose
• Making wonderful fabric with Cicada Daydream
• Designing pretty jewelry with Clementine
• Sewing cute fish with Darling Savage
• Finding great art with Design For Mankind
• Sketching in the big city with Dilly Dallas
• Painting wonderful views with Fifi Flowers
• Baking & sewing lessons with Gossamer Wings
• Looking at wedding photos with Hungry Girl Por Vida
• Going back to school with I am an age old tree
• Creating wonderful textiles with Inleaf 
• Playing with puppies at Julie King Art
• Practicing yoga with Kelly Loves Whales
• Enjoying the World Cup in person with L'Atelier
• Spending time on a farm with La Porte Rouge
• Making silhouettes with Le Papier Studio 
• Traveling and then traveling some more with Lenore Nevermore
• Making gorgeous floral arrangements with Little Pheasant
• Discovering the lovely in Hawaii with Lovely Clusters
• Finding vintage paper with Lovely Paper
• Listening to good music with Lyrical Journey
• Learning about collage with Megan Coyle
• Creating wonderful paintings with Michelle Brunner
• Making something yummy with Modern Renaissance 
• Making ceramics with My Mama's Table
• Getting to know a new friend at My Favorite Things
• Finding something pretty with One Crafty Fox 
• Enjoying a craft party in style at Painted Fish Studio
• Starting up the new press with Paper Schmaper
• Shopping for vintage with Please Sir
• Repurposing those vintage treasures with Poetic Home
• Finding wonderful things with Post Grad Hair Cut
• Enjoying the good life with Punctuation Mark
• Photographing my weekly objects with Reading My Tea Leaves
• Changing diapers with Red Otter
• Making an art quilt with Rotten Bananas
• Listening to the short stories of Seens From The Backs of My Eyelids
• Decorating with Simply Grove
• Learning about letterpress with Simplesong
• Sketching cats with Small Expectations
• Exploring the markets at Spain Daily
• Creating something new at The Craft Begins
• Crafting and exploring with Three Sneaky Bugs
• Taking a trip with Traveling Bug 
• Taking a tour with our cameras at Une Fleur Pour Toi
• Traveling from Canada to the UK with We Blog Artists
• Making decoupage and music with Wild Child
• Crafting jewelry with Your Destiny Is Stone Golden
• Finding new music and making gorgeous bouquets with {frolic!}

i must admit i'm finding it hard to get back to blogging. it kind of feels like jumping in on a double dutch. have a great week all - it's hot as blazes here!

xo, cindy

ps if you visit us, but don't comment, let me know and i'll add you to the list.

blog | learn & share

place : brooklyn botanic garden | lilac, maple, evergreen bonsai

hello, hello! in my last full post, i mentioned that the borders i add to our photos in photoshop can be time-consuming, but i really like them and so do you guys. i have templates, but each one has to be created as a separate jpeg resulting in two image files per photo.

so, dave gave me a source explaining how to add borders to photos automatically in the blogger template, or within each post. i like the borders, but wanted to give a sense of shadow to match my other photos and found this source listing the different styles - i'm using outset.

now, i don't want to apply borders to the entire blog because it would look like there were doubles and my most special images will still get photoshop borders, so i'll do it within each post per image. pretty much, i cut and paste html code into the image source like this -

style="border:1px outset #e6e6e6; padding:7px;"

it's a little bit tricky and i have to use the new blogger editor, but i've been able to do it in the last few posts. the border looks a bit different from my other photos (maybe better?), but it takes less time and i have fewer computer files.

i hope that makes some sense and email me if you have any questions about posting within a blog post in blogger, only. i want to thank dave and all the other people who take the time to teach the rest of us what they know online - it is awesome. see you thursday with more learn & share! i think that will be the theme this week ;)!

xo, cindy

ps how about some new blues/rock/funk music from grace potter & the nocturnals?

blog | one more test

high line park : richard galpin’s viewing station

 

one more test! people on the internet are fantastic with sharing information! i hope to do it after all this fiddling around, too!

xo, cindy

blog | new tricks

high line park : photo taken of the above by looking through a small box

hello, hello! i'm just testing this photoshop-free frame format.

xo, cindy

blog | fiddling around

place : brooklyn botanic garden

hello, hello! well, i've been fiddling around with how to display my photos a lot this week. i like the way a frame finishes a photo, but it's time-consuming. i don't know about all the different layouts, either. i'm kind of feeling like our blog doesn't have a consistent look.

as a kid, i would not only color within the lines, i would outline them in black! i guess i like things to be just so, but it's restrictive and no fun. so, thank you very much for your nice comments no matter what i do. they always make me feel like a million bucks. enjoy your weekend! go make a mess. i will ;)!

xo, cindy

ps we all have a right to live our dreams, but please don't let me take it as far as the countess, oh yeah. money can't buy you class, but it can buy you a record producer and great make-up artist - she looks really good, but it's a singing competition - oops, wrong show - ha ha ;)!


japanese garden & anemones.


rose trellis times two.


the children's garden is so cool. love the fence and the giant bug.

pics : film from the country

sometimes, i don't realize i haven't loaded the film properly into my film camera. i take lots of photos with no results. it happened this week, although i did manage to get a few and figured out what i was doing wrong. but, big whoop! yesterday, i learned about angelia's lovely studio/craft space in virginia, which she lost in a fire. everything. so, erin is calling on all of us in the blogosphere to show some support for the handmade community by getting the word out about a fundraiser for $3,000 to help save the thread get back on its feet. we don't have a shop, but we do have a paypal account and have made a small donation = to a couple of cappuccinos. we won't miss the extra caffeine a bit.

have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

xo, cindy

life : summer = less

“Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”
- Henry James

maybe it has to do with lovely summer afternoons, but i was trying to maintain two blogs and it's too much for me as a blogger. what was i thinking? i had a plan for the other one, but i'm going to change the plan. i think it might also be hard for readers to keep up with two blogs from one person, unless each one is really distinct.

home is where the heart is and that is here, even though we might consider a name change. i'm not sure how 'handmade' fits in here as i came up with it when i started sewing and do more than that, now. not sure, but i do feel the need to re-arrange the furniture, a bit. hope that's ok? i've started with the front door (blog banner), but will continue to fiddle around. there are a few recent posts from the other blog i'd like to bring in here, but i won't do so all at once. hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xo, cindy

fun : summertime swap, my turn

Image by Hungry Girl Por Vida

Hi Everyone -

I received the most incredibly generous package from my partner in Nadia's Summertime Swap when I got home yesterday. It was sent by the wonderful Cindy* of Hungry Girl Por Vida and was chock full of the best things, including two CDs of new music that I already love! Cindy* always shares the best recipes on her blog, so I'm very lucky to receive her homemade raspberry meringue kisses.

She also included vanilla beans, which I've never bought for myself because they're always so expensive, edible lavender from Nevada, and some delicious nuts. Scott loves to play cards, so he gets the Reno, NV playing cards, but I get the handmade earrings. It's raining cats and dogs here, so I'll be taking photos as I use the things she sent if/when the sun comes out and will mention some of the new music in a future post.

Thank you so much for the thoughtful package, Cindy*! This swap is so nice because you make two new friends - Sheila + Cindy*!

xo, Cindy

PS My final photography class was great! People recognized the effort I put into the project more than I did and said very nice things about my work. My classmates had wonderful photos and I particularly admired those taken of people and at night. It's very good to see your photos actually printed and displayed to get a feel for your aesthetic. It's quite different than seeing them on a computer monitor.

fun : nadia's summertime swap

Hi Everyone -

I'm participating in a summertime swap over at Nadia's and supposed to post a photo of my package before mailing. The recipient is to remain a secret until she receives it, but here are the things I'm sending according to the guidelines -

* Maditi Postcards.

* Something's Hiding In Here Best Card purchased at Renegrade.

* Wren Handmade Fabric Flower Clips also from Renegrade.

* A few of my photos printed like these.

* Digital Lab summary because she recently purchased a DSLR.

* Quaint Summer Stories playlist, which includes these tracks -

1. Season Song : KaiserCartel
2. Younglife : Anberlin
3. You and Me : Bess Rogers
4. Becoming : The Brilliant Mistakes
5. The Fact Remains : Juliana Hatfield
6. Glorious : Captain
7. Steer : Missy Higgins
8. Fee Da Da Dee : The Guggenheim Grotto
9. Tinfoil Girl : Kathleen Smith
10. Strawberry Swing : Coldplay
11. This Tornado Loves You : Neko Case
12. My Shadow : Keane
13. Streets of Your Town : Ivy
14. Misread : Kings of Convenience
15. Falling In Love At a Coffee Shop : Landon Pigg
16. Here's Where the Story Ends : The Sundays
17. Transfiguration, No. 1 : M. Ward

I really enjoyed pulling together the playlist and hope she likes my choices. She's also recently celebrated a birthday - Happy Birthday!

xo, Cindy

Note 6.12.09: My swap was sent to sweet Sheila of Another Lifetime.

blog : pecannoot

Hi Everyone -

Jess has created a wonderful place for inspiration and love through her Pecannoot project. I was so happy when she agreed to post a photo of Scott's collection of Corgi cars, which remind us of childhood innocence and carefree fun. In light of recent events, the timing couldn't be better.

Thanks for all of your well wishes, especially for Scott's Mom. She's doing better each day and wants to go home. Sounds good to us. There's no place like it.

Have a wonderful day!

xo, Cindy

blog : happy birthday!

Magnolia Cupcakes : Pretty Little Things Card

Hi Everyone -

Well, this is no April Fools' Day joke, Quaint is celebrating its first birthday! Wow, that went fast and we honestly can't believe we're 12 months old. Since you all make it a lot of fun and give us so much, we're going to grant one lucky winner a wish - $25 US + $5 for shipping to spend as s/he wishes. Aren't the best presents those you actually want to receive? Here are some ideas for things we can get for you -

1. One of your favorites on Etsy.
2. Souvenirs NYC-style.
3. Music or book from Amazon.
4. Japanese craft book from Kinokuniya in NYC.
   
5. Donation in your name to your favorite charity.

Simply leave a comment mentioning something making you happy before April 5th and we'll pick a winner and announce it on April 6th. Really! We do reserve the right to decline any crazy wishes like things that are illegal, perishable, alive, heavy, large or if we just can't get it for you. Good luck!

xo, Cindy & Scott

PS Please join Cindy over on Poetic Home for some of her favorite vintage things. The group she selected is particularly special because they were all her Mom's.

blog : houseguest @ heart handmade

Ravenhill Vintage Doily Needlebook & Image

Hi Everyone -

I was ecstatic when Marichelle asked me to be a houseguest over on Heart Handmade and invite you to please join us for some favorite Scandinavian treasures.

xo, Cindy

PS I love how Marichelle pulls all of the images together!

giveaway : the winner is crowned!

I wasn't able to include the note cards because I don't have them, yet.

Hi Everyone -

Thanks so much for visiting us and your lovely comments relating to the Fifi Flowers + Quaint giveaway. A spin using trusty Random.org says that the winner of the note cards & photos is #5 -

Suzanne from An Open [Sketch]book
She said, "Oooh, please sign me up. Such a post of loveliness!"

Congratulations! Thanks again everyone, especially Ms. Fifi Flowers who came up with the idea! I hadn't printed any of my photos before and it really shows them in a whole new way. Collaborating has been an incredible experience and a highlight of blogging. I'd love to do it, again!

xo, Cindy

PS Later today we flip the coin and reveal some of the things around our place that might not be so pretty just to keep it real. Yikes!

blog : guest post @ destiny

Hi Everyone -

I was thrilled when Deb asked me to be a guest blogger over on Your Destiny Is Stone Golden while she is in Paris & Marrakesh. Please join us for a quick trip to the City of Light just in time for breakfast and some pretty pictures from Anne Vallayer-Coster, painter to the Court of Marie-Antoinette. Merci beaucoup!

xo, Cindy

PS If you haven't already done so, please leave a comment here by March 15th for the Fifi + Quaint giveaway.

giveaway : fifi flowers + quaint

Hi Everyone -

I'm so excited to show you the wonderful paintings Fifi Flowers created using my recent photos from the New York Botanical Garden. It's thrilling to think that my work inspired another artist and one that I admire so much. I love Fifi's work as it is so creative, lively and colorful.



Fifi suggested that we do a giveaway of 8 frameable note cards from her shop, which sounded great! As as added bonus, I'll include a 5" x 7"photo of each one, too. All you have to do is leave a comment by Sunday, March 15th and we'll announce the winner on Monday, March 16th.




If you haven't been to Fifi's place before, please have a visit and enjoy her trips to far off places in the most elegant-style and all things fashionable. You can also purchase the original paintings and others in her Painting Gallery and Etsy shop, which also includes wonderful stationery.



Good Luck! Thank you Fifi!



xo, Cindy

blog : lemonade luv gets a+

Hi Everyone -

Recently, sweet Julia of Red Otter nominated us for the LUV Award, lovely Charlotte of We Blog Artists nominated us for the Lemonade Award, and wonderful Yasmine of A Print A Day gave us an A+. We are so grateful and glad we don't have to get all dressed up to accept the awards and then have people criticize our fashion choices like the Oscars ;).

The nicest part about receiving awards is to then pass them along to some favorite blogs. I tried to choose those we have not nominated or mentioned before, and if you're reading this, consider yourself nominated, too.

1. An Open [Sketch]book
2. Artsyville
   
3. Bandelle
   
4. Good-Ness
5. Greenbeanbaby Art
   
6. Inleaf
7. (Into) the Fray
8. Kelly Loves Whales
9. L'Atelier
10. Lyrical Journey
    
11. Omami
12. Poetic Home
13. Pretty Good
14. SimplyGrove
15. Small Expectations
16. Treasuring
    

Thanks to everyone for being a part or our lives and your constant inspiration.

xo, Cindy

[Note : Choosing a list like this is painful, but it's nice to return the favor. So, anyone who leaves a comment will be added. There, I feel better.]

blog : guest post @ tartelette

Hi Everyone -

I was over the moon when Helen asked me to be a guest blogger over on Tartelette while she finishes up her first book on baking. Please join us for an English Sweet Tea just in time for Valentine's Day, or whenever you feel the need for a nice cup of tea. Cheers!

xo, Cindy

PS Hello to our new friends from Tartelette. I'm looking forward to getting to know you and visiting your blogs.

gratitude : just for you

two's company : three's a crowd : crowds are best

Hi All -

Although quaint handmade is an ad-free blog, this adorable Mastercard commercial summarizes how we feel about all of you who visit us. Thank you for sharing our little corner of the web. You are priceless. The little guy in the brown shirt gets us every time. Too cute.

xo, Cindy & Scott

blog : honey, i'm home!

Hi All -

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and support yesterday! To be quite frank, one day with two blogs had me ready for the funny farm. I don't think the blogosphere needs another one originating from this corner of the world, so I'll stay put right here. I did change the format a bit on quaint though. Nothing like a little re-organization to make things feel like new ;). There will likely be a bit more to come.

xo, Cindy

blog : something new?

Hi All -

I hope you had a lovely weekend! We stayed around our neck of the woods and it was very relaxing. Maybe it has to do with the change of season, but I'm thinking about something new and would love to hear your thoughts over here. Happy Autumn.

xo, Cindy