Field Trip: Tender Buttons

Tender Buttons, an upper east side institution, is an emporium devoted to vintage buttons. Rows of cardboard boxes line the walls containing buttons, each one carefully organized by color, motif, and material.

Matters of the Heart

To hearts that beat in sync. Happy Valentine's Day!

A Personal Record

I kept a diary every year as a child but when I would read back on past entries I'd cringe in embarrassment thinking "I wrote that??"…So in 8th grade a friend gave me the idea of a pictorial diary. That medium worked really well for me and so it stuck.

This daily ritual is going on 17 years now. I never thought I would continue keeping a diary into my adulthood, but each year I've felt compelled to continue recording the events of my days... some trivial, some pivotal, and some just the meals I ate.

I used to not be very picky with which diary I used, until I came across the French Country Diary. Its provençal fabrics lured me in and after becoming acquainted with the format and quality, I haven't used any other in 10 years. 2011 started off a little different however.  Despite several attempts I couldn't find the diary anywhere and was afraid that my long tradition would finally come to an end.

Ron encouraged me to contact the author of the diary, Linda Dannenberg. Feeling discouraged, I reluctantly emailed her. I didn't expect a reply considering her website stated in bold letters "THE FRENCH COUNTRY DIARY 2011 IS NOW SOLD OUT!" I made a note that I worked at Fishs Eddy to add a little more dimension to my desperate email. Two days later at work, I was told there was a woman on the sales floor asking for me. I ran downstairs to meet Linda who had unexpectedly found herself in the Flatiron district that day.

After a conversation about our serendipitous meeting and a flurry of emails, she sent me a copy of the 2011 French Country Diary-- and in return I sent her a gift of my Floorplan plates. I have some catch up to do, but I'm relieved I don't have to break my record.

Working Out

It's taken some time since the move to set up a new work space-- but alas, it's done. I no longer have an alcove to call my own, but I've transformed the corner of our bedroom into an area to sew/ make prints/ draw/ wrap gifts/ get inspired...

I was able to use the same desk by removing the legs and propping the top on two 6-drawer units from IKEA- instantly doubling the storage space while keeping everything very compact. Putting the shelf up unified the space as a separate work area and gave me some more room for display, as did the over-sized bulletin board.  In between projects everything is tucked away and out of site so I can approach my work area like a blank canvas-- vacant, full of potential, and up for anything when I feel the urge to create.

The serigraph of the nude was printed by my mom in college, circa 1972. I just love it.

Forcing Spring

At this point in February it seems like Spring can't come soon enough. Dreary skies, slushy sidewalks and yet more snow in the forecast. On the upside, without the balcony to tend to my houseplants are getting a little more love and attention from me. They remind me that spring is really just around the corner... and I'm encouraging the optimistic sentiment by forcing paperwhite bulbs indoors. The bright green shoots make me so happy that I'm willing to overlook their pungent scent.