casapinka

Inspiration Journaling

I was perusing my inspiration journal yesterday morning, looking for some pretty colors to inform my next knitting project. I just love this bedroom with the Cabbages and Roses wallpaper. I could see Juniorette and me fighting over who gets to do her room like this when we find a house!

 

Inspiration journaling is a wonderful way to consolidate all of those magazines that are lying around (you should have a look under our bed!) What it does, really, is give you a concentrated version of a magazine designed by you with all of your very favorite things. You will NEVER get tired of looking at them! 

  This little swatch of plaid reminds me of the A-line Thakoon parka and Anthropologie shorts, both of which I love but are quite pricey. I think this will definitely influence an upcoming knitting design! When I started these journals a few years ago I had no idea that I liked flowers so much. They started showing up on every other page, as did mid century modern accents, bold Scandinavian prints, and shades of oatmeal and vanilla. Me? Oatmeal and vanilla? It's true. And encouraging quotations find their way in, as do snapshots and kid art. 

When starry skies were repeatedly showing up in my inspiration journal, I realized that I missed stargazing. I love the night sky. I downloaded Star Walk and have been fascinated by it. I love locating satellites. Makes for great spy stories with the kiddles.

And who would have thought a bright yellow silk curtain could be so darned perfect? I believe this image is from Living Etc - not positive, though.

 Inspiration journals are also a wonderful way to log recipes, plan a re-decoration of your house, or just help you to realize goals. Goals that are visualized are much more likely to be realized than if they remain in the cobwebs of your brain. Permanent Magenta and I will be giving a workshop on inspiration journaling this fall. If you're in Rhode Island or New England, I do hope you'll come. Watch this space for details, and have a wonderful weekend.! Xoxoo Pink

 

Reversible Shawl Pattern

My first self-published knitting pattern is finally up for sale on Ravelry! It's called the Blackburn Reversible Shawl and is fairly simple. I knitted it for a family friend in Ireland. She inspired Husband to go into medicine and we always have a lovely visit with her when we go back to Dublin. Anyway, she hasn't been feeling too chipper lately and I think if we can surround ourselves in something soft and warm, everything always feels a bit better. Same with a good night's sleep, isn't it? 

 

So much effort goes into creating a knitting pattern. Choosing the yarn and designing the pattern is so much fun. The knitting part is even better. Then writing it up - that's my tragic flaw. My face drops, my head hangs. It's tedious. I really want to do a good job and write a pattern with no errors (has that ever been done in the history of knitting?!) Not to mention trying to get nice photographs when you have small children getting stuck on top of jungle gyms. You may remember my Foiled Photo Shoot post.  Anyway, it's done. I'm happy. I think I can do it again! Now I can finally send the finished product off to Dr. Blackburn, the namesake of the shawl, just in time for the season change (yes - there is a season other than Rain in Ireland - it's called Cold and Damp!)

Art Markers

 Sometimes scraps meant for the trash have the most inspiration in them! This morning I was going through my inspiration journals when I found this. I don't know when I taped it in but I'm so glad that I did. It's just a picture of a bird and sample colors of my art markers that are fun for coloring. Most adults color, right?   I think I might even frame it, which will surely elicit squinted eyes from Husband as he wrestles with the dilemma of understanding vs. incredulity. Ah well, who understands what goes through the minds of creative souls, anyway? One woman's trash...

Crocheted welcome mat

A while back I was in Home Depot where I saw this marine rope in lots of colors and decided right then that I had to crochet a bath mat/welcome mat out of it. I used a gigantic hook and plenty of muscle. Nobody would wipe their feet on it, though, so I put it in the bathroom. 

Pink light Pink couch

Pink light 

Pink couch, gold mirrors

Blue Dollhouse

 

Rainbow wall 

Flowery plate 

Swirly ceining. 

Sweet cardigan

Today is a bit like this Casapinka post - all over the place. It's sunny. I have good friends. I have a a little family whom I adore. I'm seeing the Lion King in 3D tonight with them. I wish I could build us a house out of an Expedit bookshelf like they did above but in human size. I have collage stuff spread out in front of me on the bed. I tell myself I'll write up another knitting pattern today and put it up for sale. My living room is in a shambles. The cat litter needs changing. My kids had Dunkin' Donuts for a second breakfast this morning. Today I feel like I have a lot of room for improvement. I will hand it to myself, though. I've never sent Junior to school in a shirt like this. Today I'm setting this as the bar for motherhood which means, even with Dunkin Donuts as a second breakfast, I'm knocking it out of the ballpark. 

Images from Design Sponge, Romo, Woonideen, David Giles Photography, Garimpandofrida, Desire to Inspire, Chignonue

 

I told my therapist about you

I've always wanted this in my foyer. What a great way to make people chuckle nervously as you take their coats and offer them a drink.

 

Colorful chair

I have enough yarn that I could make  a million of these and never run out. What a cool idea. Via All the Mountains.

Flower present

Last week Juniorette told me she had a little something for me, then fished into the depths of her school bag. Out came a banana peel, a salad spinner, four odd socks, a couple of notebooks, all my lipsticks from the past 3 years which had been missing, and a blowtorch minus the propane tank. At the very bottom was this beautiful lavendery pink flower edged in purple, illegally picked from the school yard. She handed it to me with the most earnest and proud expression on her face, telling me she had missed me at recess. It's a bit out of focus which well represents its adventurous journey from playground to Casapinka. A sweet end to the week - I hope you enjoy your couple of days off, everyone!

House With White Brick

I like white brick.

I like weathered non-red brick as well.

I especially like white brick with aqua, which is not in this picture but I thought it was pretty, anyway. From Carma.

This house just came up for sale. Husband is out of town and I doubt it has his snooker room, but it has such a pretty white brick space.  The floors, butter colored walls and cabinets are not my cup of tea but nothing  a trip to Home Depot couldn't recitfy.

And a beaded chandelier

It has a lovely backyard as well, don't you think? Maybe I should go look at it while Husband is away. If he came home and I had bought us a house it might just ease his mind and bring a big smile of relief to his face. This is a bigger decision that wallpapering a fridge, though. As spontaneous and confident with my fun ideas as I am, Husband isn't always on board with them. Have I ever mentioned that? I also think he might take issue with the painted brick. In his mind brick ought never be painted - even that tiled-on brick of seventies backsplash fame! 

Photos from My Ideal Home, Birch and Bird and Style Files.

Grace Magazine and Target Missoni Madness

Yesterday was busy. I collected sick Junior (Faker! There wasn't a sick bone in his body when I got to him. He claimed he just wanted to spend the day "With you, my bestest mommy" as he stared lovingly at Sponge Bob and his cup of 7-up.) As a reward, I dragged my unsick child to 3 Targets to partake in Missoniotion. Of course, somehow I realized at 1pm that it was September 13 and I had failed to be at the opening of my local Target. I know, it's a terrible excuse but don't worry, I didn't fail you guys!

 I arrived at Target very late but with a lot of optimism, thinking nobody in New England, aside from me, wants to wear fuchsia chevrons on her butt. Wrong! And oh my, after working on a budget last week I blew it yesterday. Ooops. I think I'll return a couple of things before Husband realizes what occurred. More on that later when I will show you a Casapinka original, created from two Missoni baby blankets, some butter and a roll of dental floss. You see? Optimism will take you far, turning matchsticks into trees! I tried to explain this Pink Missoni Original to Husband, using specifics and demonstrating with the garments in question, but I drew a blank. "Can't you just pretend to be excited?" I pleaded as I held up a cacophony of chevrons in pink, green and brown. "Well, I've just never heard of Missoni."  Right. Sigh. Next.

Did you get anything in the Missoni madness? Do tell! If you're patient this morning you can get the black and white bike on their website for $399. It only took me 5 minutes to get on. Alterntively, you can get the bike here for $950.  Sadly, the pink sweater dress I was dying for was sold out.

As if that wasn't enough great fun for the day, I also received these photos from Grace Magazine, a Chinese lifestyle and fashion magazine. They did an interview with me a few months back and it was just published. It says:  This is Pink, she's very creative and Husband should realize that knitting coats for trees and making fabric wreaths are a super use of a medical education. One day they'll make her millions! Also, he should buy the next house Pink loves, especially if it's backed by the Design Cognoscenti (meaning y'all), which at last survey would not support the purchase of a McMansion.