Grey Moggie Greetings

Alphabet swap: B (buttons & books)

This time around for Alphabet Swap I went with a craft I’ve been doing for a while (mini books) and a new craft (crochet). When Kendra was here in January we had a conversation about books, particularly how she finds it hard to read non-school books as a full-time student. However, she graduates after the semester so she may have time to read books again soon.

I put together a little book where she can keep notes on the books she’ll read, and for now keep lists of books she wants to read later. I’ve had a subscription to The New Yorker for years now and I rarely throw away an issue. Before this last move, I neatly removed the covers from all of the issues and only the covers made it to the new place. I’ve been hoping for some inspiration as to what to do with them. A few of the covers were book and reading related so I used them for this book. The inside pages are graph paper and printouts of some of the photos from this fabulous tumblr blog (I Love Reading & Writing). The photos are backed with woodgrain patterned contact paper.

I also included a couple crocheted headbands with cute buttons. I got an amazing button stash on etsy a few weeks ago and knew they’d be part of the B project. I’ve been seeing these cute crocheted headbands all over the crafty blogs lately and there was a tutorial on Style School so I made some of my own to give to Kendra. (also a photo of Pony & me and some bookmarks I made.) I can’t wait to see her take on the letter B!

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!

that was a real weekend

Wow. I am feeling so rested and ready for this week. We biked around our new neighborhood on Saturday looking for good food options. We’ve found lots of fun restaurants in the two weeks we’ve been here, and South Mountain Creamery still delivers our milk, but a lot of the local farmers markets are closing for the winter. We wanted to find a place to get yummy local meat and bread and were so happy to find P & C market a short bike ride away. And for Italian meats, cheeses, olive oil and pasta, we’re now going to head to A. Litteri.

We got our kitchen up and running this weekend. There were lots of warm delicious smells wafting around the new house. Eric cooked a pork shoulder in the crockpot on Thursday and a saag paneer (with fresh cheese) on Sunday while I worked on some handmade gifts. I am a lucky woman! We also got the washer and dryer up and running: Eric is a lucky man. He has piles and piles of clean socks now :)

Did you have a relaxing weekend?

cannonball read | book 1::her fearful symmetry | audrey niffenegger

This morning I logged into gmail and saw this status from my friend Courtney: “Had a dream last night I was Jessica Wakefield and was slow dancing with a Miami Dolphins football player.  I never even liked Jessica - I was an Elizabeth fan!” I remembered I was an Elizabeth fan, too. She was more of a dreamer and a reader and I could totally relate to her. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, I apologize for the absence of the Sweet Valley twins in your past).

I felt the same way about Valentina at the start of Audrey Niffenegger’s new book, Her Fearful Symmetry. Valentina and her twin, Julia, live in the Chicago suburbs with their parents after leaving behind a string of colleges they tried out for a semester or two. They inherit their Aunt Elspeth’s flat in London and the book follows the twins and their neighbors in the house adjacent to Highgate Cemetery. Julia is aggressive and bossy with Valentina, and at first Valentina never stands up to her twin. A few chapters in, I realized I liked Valentina and her kindness, dreaminess, and interest in fashion so much more than the one-dimensional, bossy Julia. I was disappointed in Niffenegger for letting Julia’s character waft leading to my inability to relate to her. Then I turned the page. And there was the story from Julia’s point of view. Have you ever had a two-sided conversation with a book? I asked, “What should I know about Julia?” and the book said, “Well, let me tell you about her.” Beautiful.

Niffenegger also reached out to me by using feline imagery throughout the book. I am a total cat person (if you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you know that). The author brings a kitten into the lives of the twins in their London flat. Valentina tries to befriend and domesticate the cat, while Julia only interacts with the cat as a way to interact with her twin. I learned a lot about the twins in their relations to the cat, known as The Little Kitten of Death. Later, in a scene where one character, Jessica, comes out to her yard to witness an unfolding scene of mayhem among her grandchildren, Niffenegger describes the children’s reaction: “The children instantly stopped what they were doing and looked self-conscious, like cats that have fallen off something ungracefully and now sit licking themselves, pretending nothing has happened.” If you’ve ever lived with or loved a cat, you know exactly how those children looked. I have a feeling Niffenegger knows her audience is filled with cat people.

In addition to Julia and Valentina, their mother, Edie, and their aunt Elspeth, were also twins. They are twins who are so reliant on one another and so intertwined, which leads to the inability to lead singular lives. If you knew twins like Valentina and Julia in real life, they would seem strange. They sleep in the same bed, make all decisions together, dress alike even though they are in their early twenties, and have trouble dating because they don’t understand how boys or men will fit into their combined life. Niffenegger presents these behaviors in such a way that they come across as a bit scary and maybe unhealthy, but also beautiful and somewhat relatable. I remember thinking, “Oh, this is what it’s like to be a twin.” In her review over at Pajiba, Jennifer speaks to the author’s ability to make the “incredible seem absolutely believable.”  In her first book, Niffenegger makes her readers believe in time travel and understand what it might be like to love a time traveler. In this book, she made me believe in ghosts and the possibility that twins may each feel like one half of a whole, even though we non-twins see them as individuals.

As Jennifer writes in her review, the book takes some absurdly complicated turns in the last few chapters.  The book is never uninteresting, however, and the writing, the story, and the imagery make the book worth a read.  And if you want to get even more out of it, read Her Fearful Symmetry on a business trip like I did. There’s nothing like reading a good ghost story before bed and waking up in a dark, unfamiliar hotel room in the middle of the night.

Part of cannonball read. Next up: Zoology.

cannonball read

a few years ago i started reading movie reviews on pajiba. i thought the reviews were smart and funny even when they were mean. i started using the site for recommendations to fill the netflix queue. they started to post “comment diversions” recognizing that their audience was filled with people looking for an excuse to take a 5-minute break from cubicle work. one diversion involved switching your ipod to random and listing in the comments the first 5 songs that came up, no matter how embarassing. the post featured a photo of ashlee simpson. i put my ipod on random and among the decemberists, stars, and the beatles in my top 5 was an ashlee simpson song (that i secretly love). i got freaked out by the coincidence and closed out of the website…until the next time I needed a 5-minute break.

then, in 2007, they published a list of our generation’s best books, as chosen by pajiba readers. it was my first law school summer and i had been longing for books for months. i worked from home that summer so my schedule was flexible. i got a library card and read 10 books in 2 and a half months. i used the pajiba list as a starting point and had a truly enjoyable reading experience that summer.

starting now, pajiba is hosting cannonball read, a challenge to 100 readers to read 52 books in a year. there is a back story, but it’s not really mine to tell (and it’s kind of sad) so look it up on pajiba.com if you’re interested. look for a weekly book review here for the next year.

here are some books i wish i hadn't already read and could review because i loved them so much:

straight man…richard russo

the year of magical thinking…joan didion

the amazing adventures of kavelier + clay…michael chabon

moon palace…paul auster

the beautiful things that  heaven bears…dinaw mengestu

want to help? leave me a book suggestion in the comments.

books on books

If you are serious, or mildly curious, about bookbinding, you should take a peek at Esther Smith’s How To Make Books from Purgatory Pie Press. I checked this book out of the library over spring break, but I was unable to crack it open before I had to be back at school. Then I saw it on my friend, Jenny’s, bookshelf a few months ago and remembered that I really wanted to read it. I’ve had it from the library for about a week now and it’s definitely one I will purchase when my book budget bounces back.

It starts off with ideas for simple books like accordion books, pamphlets, and books you can make from a single sheet of paper. Later, it gets into beautiful stab binding and long stitch books. I haven’t even tried any of the techniques yet but have been completely captivated. I read it in bed before I fall asleep and I’ve even read it on Metro. It’s that’s good.

 
A little birdie I embroidered with supplies from a Sublime Stitching kit and an RVA pattern.

Speaking of what to do on Metro, I’ve also been embroidering while riding public transit.  And on airplanes. It’s wonderful to have a new hobby I can take (almost) anywhere. I’ve got Not Your Mama’s Stitching up next after How To Make Books and all the Sublime Stitching books on my wishlist. Along with hundreds of colors of embroidery floss. And many, many patterns from Sublime Stitching and Red Velvet Art.

Do you have a favorite How-To book or a new hobby?  

finding inspiration at an art fair

After a trip to the farmers market on Saturday, I convinced Mr. Moggie to bike over to Arts on Foot with me.  Juried art fairs are great because someone has hand picked all of the artists and crafters so there’s no sifting through the bad to get to the good. At every single booth, I found something I adored.  In particular, I can’t wait to save up some spending money and get a bag from JennyJen42 and a sweater from The Devil Made Me Do It. My favorite booth, however, was the one set up by Moonlight Bindery.

 

photo from the moonlight bindery blog

I had run into some problems making a book of my own on Friday night and it made me appreciate beautiful, perfectly crafted books at a whole new level and all the hard work that goes into the process.  The challenges of Friday night could have led me to give up and think, “Bookmaking is too hard.” But seeing such beautiful books on Saturday inspired me to practicepracticepractice because beautiful books are worth it.

the book that came out of Friday night’s binding session

What artists or crafters inspire you to be better at your art or craft?

***I've decided to run a series on books over the next few days (weeks? until I run out, I guess). I'll share some of my favorite books to carry around, what supplies I bring with me on trips, some easy book-binding techniques, and what inspires my favorite pages.

Feel free to use any tip or technique I share on the blog in your own work. If you find a way to make it profitable, by all means, use it. If you really like an idea that I've shared, I'd love a link back to my blog or the post where I shared it; if you like lots of my ideas, consider adding me to your blogroll. If I share something that I didn't come up with myself, I will point you to the source; if I point you to another website or blog, please be considerate about how others want their work attributed.If you make something super neat using an idea from my blog, I'd love to see a photo of it! Thanks and enjoy.***

a few of my favorite things

At one of the shops we visited in Aix, there were beautiful dresses and skirts that were all designed by the same artist. I bought a gorgeous yellow skirt with handpainted detailing, and a one-of-a-kind printed dress with bright ribbons that Mr. Moggie chose. In the corner of the shop I spotted a shelf with some sweet handmade books. I got a simple cahier, with beautiful natural flecked pages and this amazing stitched book with a musical note cut out of the front cover. When I picked it up I noticed that under the stitching, the book artist had slipped a piece of sheet music so that the binding of the book is littered with musical notes. My face lit up and I looked over at the shopkeeper, who had the biggest knowing grin on her face, like she had been waiting and waiting for someone to notice that detail.

Later in Paris my friend, Amber, pointed me to a fun little shop near her apartment. She thought I would love it, and she was right. I found a couple more little cahiers there. One featured an illustrated map of Paris with the major sights collaged in, and one with adorable animal characters for each letter of the alphabet.

And while we’re on the topic of cute alphabet drawings, here’s a sheet of paper I picked up in Aix. And have you seen Emily Martin’s Black Apple alphabet poster? I snagged one a few weeks ago and it’s tucked away safely to be hung on the wall at our next apartment.  

What kinds of books inspire you to make books of your own?  

***I've decided to run a series on books over the next few days (weeks? until I run out, I guess). I'll share some of my favorite books to carry around, what supplies I bring with me on trips, some easy book-binding techniques, and what inspires my favorite pages.

Feel free to use any tip or technique I share on the blog in your own work. If you find a way to make it profitable, by all means, use it. If you really like an idea that I've shared, I'd love a link back to my blog or the post where I shared it; if you like lots of my ideas, consider adding me to your blogroll. If I share something that I didn't come up with myself, I will point you to the source; if I point you to another website or blog, please be considerate about how others want their work attributed.If you make something super neat using an idea from my blog, I'd love to see a photo of it! Thanks and enjoy.***

Reading for fun!

After I finish up with exams (so close, so close) I have a little over three weeks off before my bar exam prep class starts up. I have a few projects (some creative, some academic) whose loose ends need tying up, I'll be working part time, and graduation with all of its attendant parties falls within those three weeks, but I'm going to make some time for reading, too.

Here's a list of books I've picked up recently:

The Fun-Reading-Awaits-Me List
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
This is Water, by David Foster Wallace (capturing a commencement speech he delivered in 2005)
All Souls by Christine Schutt
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (just picked up the Pulitzer)
A Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

By the way, it's 90 degrees outside right now! Spring wouldn't just up and pass us by, would it? Summer isn't here yet, right? If so, I am in drastic need of a haircut because there is no way my split ends are going to stand up to summer humidity right now.

Also, I've been up since some really early hour this morning and went to bed at 3am. I think. These outlines are killing me. Anyway, the lack of sleep and the heat are getting to me and I need a nap. Back to outlines later...

This day was good

That paper sale was serious. A box of 100 arturo flat cards: $5. Unbelievable! After the happy paper moment, it was too early to hop on the metro to head to the studio so i stopped for some frozen yogurt and ate it in the park. I got to the studio just in time to sit down for afternoon tea with other volunteers and some of the Pyramid staff and I spent the afternoon sorting type, which turned out to be incredibly relaxing. Then I came home and popped in the yoga DVD for a little stretching session with eoin finn. A tasty dinner of leftover homemade pizza and a chocolate truffle (also homemade by Mr. Moggie) and I'm actually sleepy at an appropriate time with a whole stack of library books staring from the nightstand. *Contented sigh*

I leave you with a screen grab of this awesome Etsy treasury. Good night!

Woot!

I made it through November and I blogged every day! Yay me!! Now, I'm in full blown final exam hibernation mode. I will come out of hibernation to get a few hours of sleep each day, for well-balanced meals until my appetite devolves into just a desire to eat Doritos and drink Mountain Dew as quickly as possible, for a few hours at the studio tomorrow to finish up some custom orders, for a few minutes each day to update my December book, and to celebrate Mr. Moggie's birthday next Saturday.

Last week, when I was still allowed to procrastinate with fun, silly things, I took a trip to Paper Source with a sweet friend who was visiting. She wanted holiday card supplies; I wanted labels. I walked out with labels, and also a few pretty sheets of paper, some new rubber stamps, and some free note cards they were giving away with purchases. There were 10 note cards and I've used them all to catch up on my correspondence project.

One evening last week, when I was still recovering from the off-and-on cold and was too sick to do homework, but not tired enough for bed, I worked on this Curbly project. It was super easy, but a bit time consuming to cut out all of the teardrops. I think my cutouts could have been a little (or much) larger, therefore requiring fewer to fill up the page, and that would have saved some time. I'm going to pick up some frames when I'm on break in a few weeks and hang these colorful designs on the wall above Mr. Moggie's dresser. There used to be a constant pile of clothes on the dresser hiding the now-blank wall. I'm hoping to put something in place before the pile makes a comeback!

I've got big plans for the few weeks I have off between exams and the start of spring semester (my last!!!).  (1) I'd like to take a look at this book, Printing by Hand, read Outliers, Bridge of Sighs, and Shakespeare's Kitchen. Then, I'm hoping to learn a bit more about our soon-to-be First Lady.  (2) I want to come up with a plan for making the holidays handmade and festive (for next year). These paper ornaments and this leaf garland seem like good places to start. I'll also be working on some goods for a collaborative snark pack of greetings, some new gift tags for the shop, and some custom invitations. (3) And then, I want to peruse these fun etsy shops for rubber stamps, handmade maps, and paper goods. (4) I also want to spend a day wandering around Second Story Books , a few mornings at the farmers' market with Mr. Moggie, and a few hours skating in the sculpture garden.

Thanks for making it through NaBloPoMo with me.  Stay tuned in December for updates on the December book, and the inverse relationship between my stress level as compared to the likelihood I will shower every day. It won't be pretty but it will be fun!

Friday Favorites: Winning Edition

It snowed today. I think. I looked out the window while I was making lunch and saw a pile of white stuff falling down. A minute later, I looked out again: nothing, save for some clouds and naked tree branches. Maybe that glimpse of falling snow was just the universe playing a trick on my eyes. Regardless of whether there was, in fact, snowfall in northern Virginia today, it's icicle- igloo-wool sweater-ice skate cold out there.

So here's what's keeping me warm today:

all photos from the charliemotel etsy shop.

I mentioned this shop earlier this week, but I couldn't resist posting about it again. Here are three items that say: "warm me up coffee cup." The shop contains cards, pins, and a writing set. Absoultely darling!

images from french paper, wordle, and uppercase

I wish I could remember where I came across French Paper this week, but I'm glad that I did. If you're looking for a large selection of pretty paper on the web, it's the place for you.  But, if you're looking for something that can turn the words from your website into a pretty graphic, go to Wordle.net. It can be a big time trap for those of us who like type, but I imagine it can captivate lots of other folks as well. And then, if you're looking for a fun package of type-related goodies, Uppercase has got you covered. I saw these delightful little packages featured on Coveiter earlier today.

images from S.Stein, geekologie, and Made By Hank

For now, most days I carry my books around in a backpack. At the top of my list of anticipated life changes post graduation in May is no longer having to be a person who carries a backpack. I have seen cute handbags everywhere lately. For example, the olive and parsley project tote from S. Stein Designs would be perfect for carrying ink and paper to and from the letterpress studio. My iPod, cell phone, magazines, and non-heavy fun books could go anywhere with me in that cute ruffly bag from Made By Hank. Unfortunately handbags have gotten so pricey. Perhaps I could try what one guy did and pay my bills with a drawing of a spider. It didn't work for him; maybe banks would prefer letterpress? Seriously, check out the story here.

images from folding trees, pajiba, and nestprettythings

Folding trees had a 2-part tutorial on creating these sweet paper flowers this week. I tried my hand at it while watching Top Chef on Wednesday night, and they're not super difficult, though somewhat time consuming. If you're not a knitter (and I'm not, though I'd like to be) and you're looking for a relaxing craft to do while watching tv or a movie, these folded flowers might be the way to go.  The Time Traveler's Wife might be a good movie to watch while folding, given the role of paper arts in the book. However, it might be a while before it hits the big screen. I remember seeing the release date as December 2008 some time ago, but I have yet to see a trailer and now there is no official release date listed. Pajiba has a review of the wonderful book here. And if you're not so crafty but want some pretty handmade items, pick up goodies made by Tamar Schechner at NestPrettyThings.

 
images from Design for Mankind, Small Magazine, and Mew Paper Arts

Finally, check out this cool image from Andre Jordan I saw on Design for Mankind this week. If that's not enough, the new issue of Small Magazine is available online. Emily Martin from The Black Apple is a contributor. Then, tell your friends all about it on this sweet farm girl stationery from Mew Paper Arts.

One more thing: The winner of the Grey Moggie EtsyGreetings Carnival package, as chosen by the Random Number Generator is: Go Amie, who had the 24th comment. Amie, I'll be in touch to get your mailing address so I can send your Grey Moggie package to you!!

If you didn't win, fear not. I'm donating a few items to another giveaway taking place in early December. I'll keep you posted.  Or check out the Grey Moggie shop!!

Books to add to my "someday I will read these" list

Now that I have absolutely no time for reading unless I'm reading about Income Tax, Trusts & Estates, Business Associations, or Copyrights, I've found lots of other books I want to read.


All photos from Goodreads.

I just picked up How to be Useful from the library today.  It has some useful tips like: Be smart, but not too smart; Don't say snarky things about your coworkers; Pick up a broom if the janitor calls in sick; and Don't walk in the door with wet hair. It's a pretty fun read for this type of book, and I think it's good for me to be thinking about the workplace since soon I will be booted from my warm academic cocoon and have to fly into a cubicle once again. Le sigh.

I've been hearing lots of buzz about Outliers and really want to grab it for the holiday break. I haven't read any of Gladwell's other books, but they're all on my to-read list. Maybe this will be the one I finally sit down and jump into.I just Gladwell's on the Rachel Maddow show tonight and now his book is even higher on my list.

Finally, I started reading Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant last winter and absolutely loved what I was able to read. Eventually, I had to return it to the library. Alone in the Kitchen is a collection of essays by lots of great writers about the wonderful and curious experience of eating alone. I really want to get back to it and read the rest of this charming book.  Perhaps Mr. Moggie will see this post and decide that it should be in my Christmas stocking!

 

December book pages

Finally. Photos of the pages from my December book. Interspersed with some of my current favorite things.

Arrested Development, the movie? It might actually happen!

Mark your calendars. A craft fair at Rock and Roll Hotel. If you're crafty and want a table, they might still be available.

Deb from Smitten Kitchen shares her tips for cooking large in a space that's small.

Tell a Lie: Cool photos from an artist who "decided to flip this lie on its head and use a camera to mimic common Photoshop effects." Very neat.

Handmade Hellos: what Grey Moggie (the blogger, not the feline) wants for Christmas.

Cast your vote again! This time for your favorite Etsy holiday greeting card.

I've been listening to a lot of Girl Talk lately. Name your own price and download his latest "album" here.

Moving on

from all the books I had to read during the school year, to all the books I want to read this summer!