love forever

Get Better Bunny

If you've read this blog for any amount of time, you know about Potato, my rabbit companion (of nine years!), crafty helper and all-around muse. My little bun is getting older and hasn't been feeling so well. It's so hard for me to comprehend, but he's an old man- he still has such a baby face and weighs just two pounds. Please keep my litle bundle of cuteness in your thoughts. He needs some good wishes out there.

Thankful

We spent our holiday in Virginia with the Mr's sister and husband and their two children. Their three year old daughter is my little partner in crime from the moment I get their 'till the second I leave. I don't have my own kids, or much desire to ever have my own kids but I love children despite (or because of?) this. I have been gearing up for cool aunt-hood since I was a teenager, when I first saw Auntie Mame. I've always wanted to be that aunt, the one who comes with presents and spends hours playing make believe and someday, when my niece is old enough I will be the aunt that invites her to stay for the weekend, takes her to museums and out for fancy dinners, and introduces her to my eccentric artsy friends.
We came home last night full of thanks and delicious food.
This has been a year of major lows for me, and I am thankful to come out on the other side, stronger happier and a better person. I am thankful for where I am right now and it's hard to ask for anything more.
For all who celebrate, I hope you had a restful, peaceful Thanksgiving!

Wanderlust: Three Days in Providence, RI

I've talked about my intense wanderlust instinct before. It's definitely a bit of a grass-is-always-greener syndrome- I spend three days in a cute town, city or hamlet and I instantly want to move there. But I swear, I could actually live in Providence for reals. When Squam friends Elizabeth and Christine invited me to spend a few days in their adobable city, I jumped at the chance.

Providence rolled out the perfect fall weekend for me with crisp sunny days walking through leaf strewn sidewalks and lazy brunches nibbling on pastries and drinking tea. Elizabeth and Christine were perfect hosts- that just right combination of lots to do and see but no hurry to do it in.



On Friday I hopped the train (I love train rides don't you?) from NYC and got into Providence very late but luckily Christine's house has a separate entrance so I snuck in to find a gigantic king size bed piled with pillows just for me and note telling me that there were homemade muffins and butternut squash soup in the fridge. What is this magical place? My personal heaven?












Saturday we walked all over the city, stopping for a delicious, local and somehow still inexpensive lunch at the art collective space AS220. My favorite part of the day (and possibly the month) was a visit to the Edna Lawrence Nature Lab, part of RISD but open to the public. Artists of all kinds can peruse the thousands of specimens, rocks, shells, feathers and animals there and then sketch, sculpt and paint them at the giant tables there. I think I could go there every day. They also had a beautiful exhibit about the geometry of plant life and nature. Just the kind of nerdiness that I go for.







We had dinner at La Laiterie, another local type retaurant. I had steak with mushroom gnocci and sunchoke fondant. It made my head explode with happiness.











Sunday started off with the aforementioned lazy brunch at Elizabeth's beautiful light filled house (and her vey own mini- Nature Lab). Seriously Providence, why are you hogging all the sun? I like my house fine but let's be real, it is a dark South Philly cave. After that we took another walk, did some shopping, followed by dinner at Christine's (why didn't I take pics of here house too? Dang!) and dessert at Pastiche.

And Sunday I took a walk with Elizabeth then headed home. Even the adorably cute train station had good food: I got myself a grilled cheese on sourdough bread from the local bakery with avocado and bacon. Take that Penn Station.

Good eats and pretty scenery aside, the best part of the trip was the talking. You know when you are with people that just get you, regardless of how short or long they've known you and the conversation is just effortless? I came home inspired and happy, ready to start lots of new projects and dream lots of big things.

Layer Cake Necklace- Chen Chen and Kai Williams

Oh my goodness, this necklace is like a slice of pure amazing craziness. I hate to covet objects but could we just make one little exception here?

These necklaces are made from scraps in artist Chen Chen and Kai William's  studio, soaked in urethane and then wrapped around wood to make a big awesome log of colorful wonderfulness. Then they cut the log into slices and coat in resin. Available in the Sight Unseen shop.

Miep Jukkema: Photographer

This week I am loving the feminine frippery, the over-the-top sticky sweet girliness of these photos of these photos by Miep Jukkema.