Grey Moggie Press

Happy Birthday to me

Last year at this time, I was getting started on a year's worth of goals. For a while, I was keeping up with my list of 30 things to do while I was 30, and I was also keeping up with this little blog. Then lots of unexpected bits of life distracted me. Some of these bits were very, very good. We got a dog, Tick, who has kept us happy and active over the last 6 months. I started taking graphic design classes a couple nights a week. I took lots and lots of work trips in the fall. I'm helping a friend plan her wedding. I took on a new role at Pyramid Atlantic in which I do more teaching and more planning. We went to so. many. weddings.

One of those unexpected bits, however, has been much less than good. My father-in-law has been very, very ill for most of the year, an ordeal that started with a heart attack in late March. I can tell by looking back at photos and blog posts when it all began. Both became far less frequent. We visit E's parents more often than we did in the past and the holidays were different this year. We've had to use our adult wisdom and experience in the adult situations thrown our way.

I'm really happy with everything I learned while I was thirty and amazed at everything that fit into one year. I've never been all that eager to grow up, but I am thankful to have found a way to face the grown up world and its challenges in the past year. For the coming year, I think I'll continue to work on my list of goals from last year. Who says it can't be a "30 things to do in my thirties" list?

music monday: welcome back edition

I’ve missed this little online space. I’ve got tons of ideas and photos and stories i haven’t had the time or energy to share. For starters, my little family adopted a little (not so little) doggie in July. Her name is Tick, she’s now about 14 months old, we think she’s a boxer mix, and we know she has an endless supply of energy. And she is just the sweetest little furball.

I really want to find more time to post here in the coming weeks. For now, here's a "new" mix cd. "New" to this space but it's actually from May. Enjoy!

Let's Just Be Friends - May 2010

1. Starring :: Freelance Whales

2. Shadow People :: Dr. Dog

3. Lovers’ Carvings :: Bibio

4. Hide It Away :: Retribution Gospel Choir

5. Zebra :: Beach House

6. Valkyrie in the Roller Disco :: The New Pornographers

7. What’s In It For :: Avi Buffalo

8. Harvest Moon :: Pepper Rabbit

9. Living in Colour :: Frightened Rabbit

10. Terrible Love :: The National

11. Rill Rill :: Sleigh Bells

 



Alphabet Swap::C (coffee & cameras)

It feels good to be back! I missed my blog. Unexpected family stuff took both Eric & me out of town for a while and has taken up a bit of our time lately. Finally, we’re regaining balance and I decided it was time to get back to the blog, especially since I’m super excited to share what I sent to Kendra as part of the alphabet swap!

 Finding a theme for C was so easy. I knew I wanted to focus on coffee & cameras, two things Kendra and I adore. To start, I saved a cardboard coffee cozy from a trip to SOVA and used it to trace a pattern onto a piece of blue felt. Then, one afternoon while Eric & I watched The Hurt Locker I stitched a camera onto it, using Elsie’s embroidery pattern as inspiration. I sewed up the ends and voila: a camera coffee cozy!

Around the holidays, I saw a DIY gift idea on From Scratch for hot-chocolate-on-a-stick. When the weather is cold again, I’ll revisit the hot chocolate idea, but this time I just focused on the painted mug. I searched all over my neighborhood for porcelain paint and finally found it at Frager's, which is where I should have started the search. Again, I used Elsie’s embroidery pattern as a starting point and painted a Polaroid photo onto the mug.

I added a few extras to the package including a drawstring bag I sewed up without a pattern. I filled it with coffee Eric had just roasted* and some delicious chocolate from P & C Market. A chain of daisies, a vintage camera postcard, and my latest mix CD filled up the box and I sent it off. And now to get started on D…we are so far behind, but deadlines don’t really matter with this project :)

* If you’re in the DC area and want to learn how to roast coffee at home, Eric is teaching a roasting class at Hill’s Kitchen in May. It's not on the schedule yet, but keep an eye out for updates here.

Alphabet Swap::B (birds, bags, Bob, box, Belle & Sebastian, Brooklyn)

Alphabet swap continues! Last week I received a wonderful package filled with all things B from Kendra. First, there was a sweet little box covered in Belle & Sebastian lyrics (song: wrapped up in books). There are cute little birdies on the box and a sweet paper bag also adorned with an adorable bird.

Months ago, I sent Kendra a random package. I don’t remember exactly what was in it, but I included a page from a stash of old paper I had. It was the beginning of a story called The Joke on Bob. Kendra sent the start of the story back to me and included what she imagined would be the end of the story. The pages were bound with book twine.

Everything was bundled together in a Brooklyn Museum bag with a giant B on the front and a note on blue paper tied all the items together. Every time I get a new package from Kendra, I love this project even more.

thirty: two months in

The monthly update on how the year of 30 is going. Spring is coming, maybe even here, so let’s just focus on the positive. #1 Take one photo every day: I’ve been really good about taking photos every day. Look around this post! #3 Alphabet swap: Both B packages have arrived safely and we’re working on C. #6 Read more: I just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog and started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . #7 Cherry Blossom 10-miler: Training has been so much easier and even enjoyable since the snow melted.

#11 New Yorker Covers project: I’ve made one mini-book out of a New Yorker cover so far with plans for more. #16 Become more comfortable with Illustrator: what they say is true – teaching someone else is the best way to learn.

#22 Make 6 mix CDs: which works out to 1 every 2 months; first one is done! #23 Blog at least 10 times per month: I think I’ve been keeping up with that one even though we were without internet at home for a bit. What I’m hoping to report next month: Letters and cards will be sent to loved ones + Photos will be printed and framed + The etsy shop will return.

a new mix cd: the melting snow edition

The internet has not been gracing our home lately so the blog has been neglected. In better news, I’ve had time to scheme up my next mix CD, which is good because I have plans to make 6 of them this year. It feels like spring here in DC, finally, and this little playlist celebrates the warmth and inspriation that comes with the season of April flowers and May flowers. And maybe it also includes some of the songs that got me through the eeeennndddlleeeess days of snow and cold and ice and puddles and grey skies.

(I can't remember where I found that background image I used on the front cover. If you know please pass it along so I can credit it. Thanks!) Also, the text on the front cover is from the lyrics of Everybody, Come Outside, the Pomegranates song on my mix.

yay! crochet!

So maybe this blog features less letterpressing and more crocheting lately. I am itching to get printing again but I need to figure out where it fits into my no longer as flexible schedule. Crochet doesn’t take a lot of heavy machinery or lead type stored away in a studio 45 minutes away. Crochet takes yarn, a hook, and a pair of scissors and I can crochet in bed if I want. Here are some tips to help you get started if you want to jump into crochet.

Get yourself some cheap yarn. Play with it for a while. Practice some stitches. Make a couple granny squares. Once you’ve learned the basics, then spend a little more at your local yarn shop. Splurge on something super soft. Try a really thin fiber. Every time I visit the yarn shop I’m inspired to start a new project based on the yarn I find.

Try a variety of hooks. You’ll want to use different sized hooks for different gauges of yarn or to get a different outcome with the same yarn. I got these for $7.50 online.

Learn to read patterns. Follow a pattern. Be inspired by the holidays. Here’s a heart I crocheted using a pattern I found on Skip to my Lou just before Valentine’s Day. I didn’t know what a treble crochet was when I started, but there is a wealth of information out there and Google will help you find it.

Try stitching something without a pattern. See if it comes close to what you imagined, or if it’s even better than you dreamed. Side note: sometimes when I crochet before bed, I dream about stitches. That’s how I dreamt up the idea for this little cuff that I whipped up on the plane a couple weeks ago.

And remember, it is super easy to rip up a project without destroying your yarn – just pull the yarn and it all comes loose. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

Make something for yourself. I’ve been working on this granny square cowl in colors that I love with yarn that is super soft. It’s taking me a while, but I have an end goal in mind and that keeps me on track…and trying to finish it before it’s no longer cold enough for a cowl.

Make something for someone you love. Eric recently requested a scarf “with orange in it.” So I started work on this pattern.  It’s great because he checks in every day on the progress of his scarf, and I like his oohs and ahhs when I show him how much I’ve done.

thirty: one month in

One month into my thirties, I’m checking in to see how I’m doing on my goals for the year:

The things I’m doing well:  Taking photos every day (see photos), the alphabet swap (though I’m a bit behind schedule), and collecting printing blocks and type (I picked up a few scrolls and a gorgeous ampersand during my last trip to the flea market).

The things that I’m working on: Crocheting pretty cowls (I’ve got 6 granny squares crocheted for my first cowl, 2.5 have borders, and then they need to be joined), Mix cds (I’m working on the list of songs for the first one now), New Yorker cover art project (I’ve made something neat out of the first cover, but I can’t share it yet), learning how to use Illustrator (I’m cramming because I agreed to teach someone else how to use it…and she’s paying me – that’s one way to reach a goal).

The things I fear may never get done: Cherry Blossom 10-Miler (I’ve been sick so many times this season and that makes training really difficult, especially when there is nowhere to run because of all the snow), sew a pretty skirt (I’m still afraid of my sewing machine or mostly just afraid to break it).

The things I’m doing well, if I’m allowed to bend the rules: Sewing pretty headbands (I’ve been crocheting pretty headbands), read more books (I’m buying more books), Send a letter or card once a week (I’ve been participating in lots of swaps, alphabet and otherwise, and sending thank you cards), make notecards to keep on hand (haven’t been to the studio much lately but I did snag a few of my favorite cards from etsy. – these and these).

alphabet swap: A

Alphabet swap is off and running.

Aerros & Arrowplanes

I sent Kendra a package filled with blue paper airplanes strung on some blue yarn. And many paper arrows adorned with song lyrics about airplanes.

Age

My package from Kendra arrived on a day when I was home sick from work. I was feeling pretty miserable, but then the mail arrived. Not only did she send my first alphabet swap package, but also the Polaroid camera from my last post. Her package was based on the theme age, and she drew on conversations she’d had with other friends when they turned 30 to create age-inspired art on two mini canvases. They are beautiful and I can’t wait to find the perfect spot to hang them.  

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

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.