Grey Moggie Press

it had been a while

I made a book this weekend! I guess I’ve done some simple books more recently, but I hadn’t broken out the pva and book linen in months. I’m so glad I finally did!

why didn't anyone tell me about yarn before now?

I tried knitting a few years ago. I think it’s a beautiful craft but I just never got the hang of it. More recently, however, I’ve fallen in love with yarn and I’m looking for lots of ways to use it.  You know, so I’ll have an excuse to buy it.

Inspired by all these pretty photos, I’m learning to crochet.

And these pom poms will be featured soon in a very special project.

It even looks wonderful simply wrapped around kraft paper packages. Yarn, I love you.

A [alphabet swap]

an A-themed package is on it’s way! more photos to come…

Thirty things to do while I'm Thirty

Birthday weekend (yes, it was a whole weekend) was amazing! It started off with a sweet lunch and cake and flowers with my office on Friday. Then Eric created the most beautiful spread of wine, cheese, and desserts for a party on Saturday night. I chose a dense, flourless chocolate cake with peanut butter icing; he baked it perfectly. You’d think a cake like that would be the centerpiece, but there was a whole display of bread and butter radishes. Three different varieties. With bread. And butter. And four different kinds of salt. I could eat radishes all day and all night, they make me so happy!

Sunday was for coffee, farmers market, dumplings and bubble tea for lunch, and then a drive to an adorable old schoolhouse where we spent the night. When I say “old” I mean 150 years old. That’s way old! Eric cooked up what we had found at the farmers market that morning while I cozied up in front of the fireplace with a glass of champagne and The New Yorker. Is there a better way to spend a rainy birthday? No, no there's not. 

We spent Monday exploring Charlottesville, VA. Two coffee shops, two vintage stores, one yarn store, three used book stores, and a delicious sushi dinner later, and I can confidently say that this was one of the best weekends and best birthdays ever. 

What a perfect way to kick off a year in which I want to accomplish so so so much!

Thirty Things to do While I’m Thirty

1:: Take one photo every day 2::Crochet pretty cowls 3::Alpahbet swap 4::Eat breakfast with Eric on weekdays 5::sew pretty headbands 6:: read 50 books more 7::Cherry Blossom 10-miler 8::Put stuff in my etsy shop 9::Sell at at least one craft fair 10::Photo shoot at Palace of Wonders 11::New Yorker covers project 12::Sew a skirt 13::NYC inspiration trip 14::Paint recipe art 15::(Re-)Learn calligraphy 16::Become more comfortable with Illustrator 17::Make at least one batch of macarons 18::Attend some combination of 5 yoga and/or dance classes 19::Send a letter or card once a week 20::Find vintage typewriter, suitcases, record player, polaroid, and/or sewing machine 21::Print & frame 4 photos each month 22::Make 6 mix CDs 23::Blog at least 10 times per month 24::Learn 5 new bookbinding methods 25::Seriously consider a new tattoo 26::Read and use The Printmaker’s Bible 27::Learn how to roast a chicken the way Eric does it 28::Collect printing blocks and type 29::Make notecards to keep on hand 30::Send holiday cards

a unicorn state of mind

During our family Christmas celebration there were several coffee and tea themed gifts. I received a tea box from Eric and tea from his parents, we roasted coffee for my parents and eric’s parents also gifted my family some coffee. I gave Eric a book about coffee and we gave his brother a coffee grinder. And I think I’m forgetting something now.

So when Kendra and I exchanged holiday gifts last week I wasn’t surprised to see another theme sprouting. This time: unicorns! I stitched her a unicorn bag and she gave me these ridiculously cute unicorn glasses. Yay for unexpected gift-giving themes!

thirty's on it's way

On Sunday I’ll turn 30. I’m really looking forward to it. My twenties were great and I’m satisfied with where they’ll be leaving me.

I am not without plans for the year. When a few of my friends turned 30 earlier this year, I made them each a 30 Things to Do While I’m 30 book. Last week I put one together for myself. I still have a few spaces left to reach 30 and I’m taking these last few days to make sure I’m not forgetting something.  I’ll share the list once it’s final…probably on Sunday.

letterpress + pink

Just a little update to share what’s been going on in my printing world. I’m working on a lyrics poster and I brought in some friends to help me set type this week. It was the first time Eric had seen me print and I think he’s gained a new appreciation for the art.

It was mostly an educational/test print session so we used fun magenta ink. I want to make a million of these cards with the fancy lady on them. Perhaps some new personal stationery is in order.

i love my neighborhood

We’ve been at our little house on Rosedale for a little over two months now and we couldn’t love it more. Well, maybe if we had a dishwasher, but otherwise it’s perfection. When we first considered this neighborhood over the summer we realized we might see our friends a bit less frequently since it’s a bit out of the way. It was the most difficult part of the decision when we found a spot we loved.

In the end, we’ve seen our friends so much more in the new place. With lots of room for cooking and entertaining and with exciting nightlife just a couple blocks away, this house has hosted more friends and family in two months than our last apartment had in three years.

Here’s to even more ridiculous times with loved ones in the new year and beyond.

the year in music (according to me)

"You can tell when someone makes a lot of mix cds. I have the same blank cd tower on my desk.” That’s what Kendra said as she was packing up to go back to Austin by way of Philly yesterday. We talked music a lot while she was here this week. We both missed some important music this year (Kendra: Phoenix & Amy Millan; me: Lady Gaga & The Avett Brothers). Then I tried to come up with my favorite albums of 2009.

This list is so totally unscientific. These albums/compilations are those that blew me away and first came to mind when I tried to pick my nine favorites (only those released in 2009, not those I discovered in 2009). I think that’s a perfectly adequate way to do a year-end review. 

TOP 9 in OH NINE

manners::passion pit

fantasies::metric

middle cyclone::neko case

masters of the burial::amy millan

technicolor health::harlem shakes

wolfgang amadeus phoenix::phoenix

dead man’s bones

grrr…::bishop allen

dark was the night

my husband is the coolest

I’m going back in time a bit with this one, but on Christmas Day Eric made me smile so much. First, he got me a gift certificate for Style School, an online crafting class I am so excited to start (January 10 – yay!). He also gave me a special little tea box. He made it himself with a cardboard box he found in our house, an old shirt of his, and many, many staples. He traced some printed letters from one of my favorite typefaces (awesome, right?). He made the “M” by joining 2 “A”s and the “I” by joining 2 “T”s. He knows how much handmade gifts mean to me and went out on a limb putting this present together for me. I loved it!

 

Inside he placed a selection of teas (from my own tea stash in the cupboard – haha) and a few band-aids. When I asked him why the band-aids, he explained that he used an awful lot of staples and he wasn’t sure if they might cause injury. He is a keeper. And so is my adorable tea box. Thanks, honey!

Yay, K! (and A, and B, and C, and...)

My friend, Kendra, is in town for the week. She used to live in this neighborhood a few years ago so we have plans to see what’s changed since then and visit some old favorites. And I start the new job. So it’s an exciting week!

Kendra and I have a fun project we’re working on together in 2010. We’re doing an alphabet swap. She’s lived in Austin for the last year and a half and in that time we’ve been pretty solid pen pals, both with snail mail and email. I credit her partly with getting me through studying for the bar exam; I would email rants and complaints about my summer and she would email back about her wonderful internship in Geneva. A few weeks ago when I was spending late nights getting ready for my first craft fair and she was writing grad school papers, we’d keep each other motivated over email to stay up working just. one. more. hour.

(a postcard in a fun mail package from Kendra)

Right. The alphabet swap. I read something somewhere about an alphabet swap, and I have no idea what it is, but we made up our own version. Every other week we’ll send each other little packages based on a letter of the alphabet. During the first two weeks of 2010 we’ll exchange letter-“A”-themed parcels, then “B,” and so on throughout the year. Yay indeed.