Stoop-Sale finds

Here in Brooklyn we don't have garages or yards (well, most of us don't) so we don't have yard sales or garage sales. But we do have stoops. So we do have stoop sales. I spotted these little gems at a sale 2 weekends ago and still can't get over that old ink packaging!


The gentleman I bought them from said they were his son's and that I should just tell him what I would pay for them. I got the whole lot for $3. Three. dollars. I've often eyed lino cutting tools at art supply stores but just can't stand buying the plastic kits they make now. Expect to see some lino prints coming soon!

And then there's this beauty... the couch J spotted on his way home from his Saturday morning bike ride. (it's a lot less orange and a lot more yellow in real-life.) Oh, and did I tell you? We moved. yes. again. For the last time in NYC. no more. But our place is bigger, cheaper and in the same 'hood. And quieter. We wake up to the sound of woodpeckers. I'm not kidding. Good-bye honking horns, we've moved to the country! (or at least that's what it feels like...)

Out of control.

Eventually I'll post something besides un-edited, shameless photos of the fall... Until then...





Really, you should enjoy it while you can... before you know it it's going to be a gloomy frozen tundra. Though it can be beautiful in it's own way (for about a week!) I rarely go take walks though the park to enjoy it!

Already missing October...

I hope everyone had a lovely Halloween, NYC Marathon, daylight savings time—weekend! whew!

Happy 23rd Birthday to my darling sister! (23!? I can't believe that's right!?) I hope it's a good one and we wish we were there! xo!

today

I wouldn't feel right ignoring today. My thoughts are with all New Yorkers, men & women in the military, and Americans—my heart goes out to you.

Back to School!

J gets kids at school today. No more long summer evenings just working on the apartment & hanging out with friends (or reading Moby Dick which still isn't quite finished!). Now the evenings will be spent calling parents & grading papers but that gives me time to work on some of my own side projects!

Good luck J, & to all of the teachers & students this year!

Part 1 of (hopefully more than 1!)

I've been doing my research, scouring the farmer's markets and NYC Greenmarkets... I've been reading and collecting recipes and tips. This year will be my first adventure into canning. My Grandma Decker's basement always had a rack of shelves under the stairs (& I'm sure much more than that when she was raising her 13 kids on a North Dakota farm!) with homemade sweet pickles, jellies, jams, and other delightful preserves that she or my Grandpa had grown.

I'm thinking that I'll be doing some of these summer squash & zucchini pickles (I'm notorious for hating traditional pickles.) Some more traditional spiced kirby pickles for J. Possibly some peaches and this recipe for spicy okra. My Aunt Connie has a Jalapeño jelly recipe that I'm trying to track down at the moment as well.

I've never tried anything like this before and I found the How-to section of Fresh Preserving to be the most helpful resource so far.

If you have any recipes or advice please do share. I need as much help as I can get!

*typography adapted from a recent article on Home Canning that I worked on for my day job.

The Welcome Wagon

We saw The Welcome Wagon play at The Bell House last night. They were awesome. I can't even say much else. I've searched for a good video on YouTube all morning but keep coming up short of something worth posting of them so instead I want to send you post haste to their myspace page to hear some of their music. I hope it brings some joy to your afternoon.

A little more illustration, because it's good for the soul!

While perusing Julia Guther's site (see last post) I came across this beauty. I'm a sucker for folk art, anything hand drawn, mountains, goats...yakks... I'll stop there for now but this illustration really caught my eye amidst all of her other really great work.

Seeing Guther's illustration made me think of this outdoor piece that made my heart skip-a-beat earlier today here. I love the colors they used, a little unexpected and reminecent of autmn. We're working on Halloween/fall photoshoots this week so mentally I'm being forced to change seasons a little sooner than I want to. Even though it's sweltering (I'm talking sweating while you sit still, breathing steam all night!) in our 4th floor walk-up apartment but I'm not quite ready for fall. This Texan can take the city's cement heat-bubble!

Charley Harper Coloring Book

I've been a little MIA lately but I'm trying to remember to take time to enjoy the city in the summer rather than sit behind the computer for 15+ hours a day. We've been doing a lot things in the new apt as well, it's starting to come together. Slowly but surely.

Today we took a little office-adventure to Kate's Paperie and I found a Charley Harper coloring book. I just couldn't say no. Now the dilemna is do I color in it, keep it to look at, frame them... send it to one of my friends with a kids as a gift? Now I'm thinking I should have picked up a few...

getting away

J & I are going "out of town" to a little place on Long Island this weekend to celebrate a little milestone in our lives. Think: hammock, ocean, jacuzzi, grass, beach, books, sand, outdoor shower, lake & wine. ahhh.

July has been something close to madness but it is our life & I love it, have a lovely weekend.

*photos taken last weekend on the Williamsburg Waterfront... I love those crazy boat-planes!

just a peek!

Some "work in progress" shots of the new apartment.

J get's all of the credit for the painting of the grey shelves and 98% of the grunt-work on everything else...including shlepping heavy furniture on his shoulders from across the 'hood all by himself! Thanks J!

Williamsburg Waterfront

We saw the Dirty Projectors play yesterday. Man, those girls can do some crazy things with their voices!

Got some great deals on vintage furniture this weekend but it was so nice to get out of the ever-evolving new apartment yesterday evening for a fun date-night in Williamsburg with J! (excuse my run-on)

Happy Monday, back to the grindstone!

Fans, in the sky!

A few shots of wacky fans strung on wire at a Bastille Day street fair last weekend in Brooklyn. We're getting settled in the new apartment and as always, it's a process! Will post a few pictures eventually.
Have a beautiful weekend!

catch up!

26. That's how many days it rained in NYC in June. Portland, eat your heart out. These were taken on the roof our last night at our first Brooklyn apt. I thought the sky was showing off for us, our last sunset with such amazing views of the city!


I'm about a week behind on life since we rushed out of town last week. So even though we've been in the new apartment for a little over a week it only feels like about 3 days...

*these photos lost a lot of color when I uploaded them... if you can believe! Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions about how I can avoid that?

moving: part II

We're up to our knees in boxes. J's finishing his last week of his first year as a teacher (I can't believe it!). And I'm releasing another issue of the magazine tomorrow. A little stressed, we are. Here are a few more pretty photos from around the web for my new apartment inspiration...

J loves the art on the wall // I love the table.

Literally cannot get over this fireplace (no fireplace in the new apt, I just love this one!) & love the arrows hanging on the wall.

Have I ever mentioned J's record collection? He's obsessive & as he's out-grown his milk crates I'm trying to think of a better solution that can show them off a little more. again, via d*s.

Lastly, yes, this is a shop in Portland. But I'm obsessed with the utilitarian/clean/functional way the space is laid out.

We're moving!

Next weekend we're moving across the 'hood. No big thing (not like last time!). Ever since we signed on the new place I've been nervous since we weren't supposed to move until August I hadn't mentally prepared myself to move out of our first home together. The small studio that we've grown to love. It took work but it's a totally livable spot and we've both grown and changed a lot in the last year in that one room.



Enough with the sentimental musings...We started boxing a few things last night and I can't wait to get in to the new space and paint, get a couch & have dinner parties!

*shots from around the web in my home inspiration folder on my desktop.

sneak-peek!

I've cryptically mentioned "projects in the works" & "new work to come..." in the past. Well, friends... I can't release some of them yet but here's a little teaser of of what's been going on in the studio of Paper City Design.



More photos with details to come (I promise).

Swoon

Oh man, as a huge fan of street art this is beautiful!

for the love of boats

A few shots from boats this weekend.
Above, Governors Island Ferry, and below, Frying Pan restaurant in Chelsea.




*the original shots were blurry (boats sway you know)... but with the help of my trusty Poladroid they're much better now! And a correction to my pervious post on the whereabouts of my Polaroid camera... lost. Left in Mississippi after the wedding but no one has seen it. total bummer.

Jazz-Age Lawn Party

We went. It was so much fun to see everyone dressed up & dancing! Ah, New York in the summer...