My parents made an unexpected trip down this past weekend…a visit to drop off some furniture.
One piece that I have loved since I was a child.
A McDougall kitchen cabinet.

Oh how I love you bread drawer,

you built in flour sifter,
you pull out enamel kneading table,
and you roll down storage area…

The cabinet has so many lovely small details. Wire baskets, spice containers, the hardware. I love the utilitarian-ness of it all. It just functions so well even after 100 years. It is wild to think that I have something in my house over 100 years old. A real and tangible piece of history.

{the crane is for a project I am flirting with right now…} 

If for some reason you are living under a rock and don't know how I love port2port press cards you are in for a treat.
mav did a lovely limited edition art set for the design sponge store.
Her small details are as beautiful as the cards themselves.
A seperate card with the number stamped.

The black on the metallic colors is quite lovely.
knowing that she hand pressed all of the cards.
so much work behind the beauty.
I am constantly thrilled by what comes out of mav's studio. 
simply exquisite.

I think my favorite piece in the #1 card.
But really if you haven't orderd cards from the design sponge store you should.
As soon as they are gone you wont have anymore chances and these little pieces of ART are quite breathaking.
(and the price is a steal!)

Even the glassen envelope is signed.
Beautiful work mav.

I can't help myself but buy cards whenever mav has a new one.  I love her style. I love the recent 'house' cards. The images feel so unusual as a letterpress card, and at the same time they feel totally perfect. 

Sunday I went on a photo adventure with Anne…a trip to coney island (we are already planning the next one).
It was fantastic…it made me braver…brave enough to ask some cops if I could take a photo with my newest robot (she is finished but unnamed!).
Brave…thanks for that Anne. I love feeling bolder, braver.
I can't wait to see her outcome of the trip.
I have to wait since I still shoot film…tomorrow there will be photos.

I wanted anything of Karin's, and because sometimes I can be quite silly, I thought that I couldn't afford it. The numbers just looked so big. It literally wasn't until many months later that I found myself looking at them again and I thought: currency converter. And low and behold I could afford to buy something. Then I had a bigger dilemma to decide what I wanted (can't wait to see what happens with her new experiment!). I finally after much waffling decided on the tea and coffee beakers. I love them. I love they way they feel…and I am thrilled that I figured out the money. Oh such a silly silly girl!

Trixie trying to claim the box as her own.

I'll leave you with this photograph.
I am sure the chair was pulled out to the sidewalk to throw away. 
But what I saw was this lovely office chair under a big tree.  I was just imagining how someone would come out on their breaks during the day and read their current book…any other ideas?

lisa s's constant questioning is so engaging, and her art. I can't even begin to say how much I love her art. The apparent starkness of the imagery, with so much more when you look again.
I am particularly in love with her targets…her drawing a day inspired my painting for friday.

I got one of her new wearable creations…a t-shirt (literally taken from her back) and that beautiful necklace!

Thank you thank you!
Even her wrapping is exquisite.

Before Camilla left for her vacation I managed to get my hands on Roberto.
He is so SO cute!

The package had loads of tape…with a little note from camilla:
"you can never use too much tape"

Trixie was totally willing to play, but Roberto wasn't so sure.
I seperated them after that.

Thank you Camilla, I love Roberto and his cute little jersey!
Welcome back from your vacation.

Now I am a big fan of mav & arc…who wouldn't (no couldn't) be…
but mav's new card society is amazing.
She continues to inspire me in a huge and encompassing way.
I love that about her.
If you haven't joined, or are on the fence…you can totally get right on down (from the fence that is). 
I mean who wouldn't want such fantastic treats to come in the mail…
even trixie wants to be a part of it…

thank you mav… 

I got this lovely journal and a sampler pack ages ago.  It was a gift (so I couldn't show it off), but it has been given, so go check out erin's blog. Her journals are amazing, plus they can be used by lefties. She has a couple really beautiful journals and another sampler set in her shop right now…go fast.

I have to be the world's most horrible cell phone user!  The states of my cell phone:

*cell phone is off
*phone is charging, but off (makes my speakers wig out)
*charging and on, but at home when I am elsewhere
*phone has died and lives in my bag for days on end
*phone charges for a week, where I don't even look at it
*once in a very long while I am completely & totally surprised at myself when someone does call and I answer

I missed a visit by my favorite teacher…she was in nyc last week and I  noticed I had messages last night…arg!

Made by Friederike (with help from Sandra Monat!). He traveled all the way from Germany and the first thing I did was make him take a photo shoot on the roof of my building. Isn't he the cutest! And my view from the roof - how could I have missed the chance to take photos up here. Oh I am such a slacker. I already have plans for more photo shoots - a special one after I finish all the softies for the renegade show.

He was tuckered out after posing for photos, so he just slipped into my bag and we took the train home.  He sits with my growing collection of soft creations….

renegade update: 

I made a limit to how many softies I am making, I was driving myself crazy trying to figure it all out.

The penguins are ready to be stuffed
Inside out are also waiting for filling
Long birds have been cut out (might take them to sew on the plane)
Need to cut the bellies for the 'owls'
I am going to make some prints of my paintings - any must dos?
Need to get some containters for tuesdays - going to have solid perfume at the fair
Need bellies and eyes for the backdrop softies

(and lisa, punk is not dead)

My favorite mail has got to come from mav.

I can never do her amazing letterpress justice, and I can't tell you how excited I am about her upcoming card club membership.

You can buy her stuff here.  It only lasts as long as the limited print run.  I love that.  It lets you stay fresh. It also means that I am always getting something new in my mailbox in her hard brown envelopes. My heart does a little leap when I open my box and see her bright tape.  

My painting will be coming later today.(which makes it look like I did like five posts today - oh well) A friend of my boss is having a wedding at the studio this weekend and we have for the past three months been painting and cleaning like crazy, but it is down to the wire. So yesterday we numbered and found a home for all the new backdrops that are going into stock. 

And on a sewing note - for the first time ever in my life. I have finished a spool of thread. I mean before the first Plush You. I didn't even have thread in the house. And even though it is only the white, I am proud to say that I finished it, the spool is bare. So that means renegade is coming along nice. My goal is to get pretty close to done before I leave the country next friday. 

(also I updated my posts so if you missed anything….) 

Abby and I both grew up in the valley's of California and her imagery plays on some of those memories.  Like the  amazing water towers.  She just started a really sweet newsletter, so sign up!  Or go to her store where you can buy her creations for a steal!

Well something server related broke, so I lost all weeks posts and I don't backup myself (obviously)….I'll update this week's posts this weekend (I don't keep the ideas anywhere else, so it'll all be a little different. 

I had been talking about wonderful things in the mail and the above photo is my purchase from Hammer & Daisy. I love the name and my first ever zines from Gracia and Louise!  Crazy talented those two!!