casapinka

Washi Tape

I received an email yesterday from someone asking me what washi tape was (referring to yesterday's post.) i do that from time to time - assume that everyone spends too many hours on Etsy, as I do, and knows what things such as dala horses, Paumes books and washi tape are.

 So, in case you don't know, washi is a Japanese decorative masking tape that comes in a million colors and can be used for all sorts of fun projects, none of which I've done. Photo from Torie Jayne.

You can wrap presents and hang photos on your wall with it. Photo from Pretty Tape's Etsy store and Better Living Through Design. I could put it over Junior's mouth and not look mean.

Or you could just admire it on your desk or use in scrapbooks. From ihanna's wonderful website. I've been a fan of hers for several years now and I encourage you to spend some time over there for creative inspiration. 

 

Bunting

I have bunting on the brain - can you tell? I find dala horses very cheerful for some reason. Love the bright red and white - great for the holiday season. From Jenny b allsort's Flickr stream. Maybe I'll get creative today with a little fabric bundle I bought in New York!

Maybe I'll crochet something to hang over the fireplace. So many different ways to make little buntings. From Littleteawagon's Etsy store.

Who doesn't love washi tape? From Make Handmade. I love the bursts of color. Have a hopeful Monday, everyone.

 

Thanksgiving in New York

Happy Black Friday, everyone. We are still in New York, having had an awesome Thanksgiving holiday. So nice to get out of Dodge when Husband had to work and we'd be stuck in a dark apartment eating microwave popcorn. We went to the Macy's parade but it certainly wasn't mundane. We were pickled in the subway with poor Junior at knee height. People around me grabbed the coffee and hot chocolates I was holding and helped to balance Junior, though, and he got a lot of pats on the head. 

When we came out of the subway we were in the middle of an insane crowd. It was terrible. I tried to get us to the street, not realizing you couldn't cross the barrier. I thought poor Junior could breathe there but we understandably induced the wrath of those who had claimed curbside spots at 4am. At this point Juniorette was crying and I asked a policeman to let us over the barrier so we could get back on the subway. Well, no way no how. He told the people around us to pipe down and found us FRONT ROW TICKET REQUIRED BLEACHER VIP SEATS on the other side of the street! When the Power Rangers came blazing down the strip, I yelled, " Hey Blue Ranger - here's you're biggest fan!" and pointed at shy Junior. He came over, lifted him up and started down the parade route with him! At the end we were all covered with confetti and had ear to ear smiles.

We walked through Central Park, got cotton candy then headed down to Pearl River where the first coffee tin up above fell into my bag. The kids loved the store, with the ceiling high waterfall and colorful knickknacks everywhere. We then spent 45 minutes in a pink store full of rhinestone costume jewelry. Juniorette and I got smart - we put Junior in the corner with his Clawzord Power Ranger and had a great girls time! She went to buy a pack of Silly Bandz and the owner gave them to her. Who says New Yorkers are grumpy?

At one point, back in our hotel (with free parking - so highly recommended) our entire lock and television needed to be removed and replaced (Junior. We blame Junior.) As a result, they told us to park as long as we like on checkout day - to enjoy Black Friday! Such generosity everywhere. For Thanksgiving dinner we jumped on the subway back downtown, where we ate Malaysian food at my fave place, Nyonya. The cab driver drove us 3 blocks and then said, "I not rip you off. Traffic is too bad - you should just walk from here, ok?" Ok, then. 

I know I won't be able to coerce Junior into ABC Carpet and Home ("NO MORE SHOPPING, GUYS!), so I think I'll try for Purl Soho since it's small and then onto the High Line so they can run around a bit. Juniorette has just donned her fuchsia dress and red and white polka dot tights - signaling that we're now ready to head off for the morning, so happy weekend to all of you. Tins from Lark.

Pink Sheep Coat

The kiddles and I are off to New York in the rain for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. For those in the USA, have a nice thanksgiving holiday and I'll see you back next week. Photo from the amazing Kristin Nicholas.

Heart Hat Design

From some simple sketches comes a real-live hat designed for Juniorette over the weekend.

Designing hats makes insomnia fun.

She requested a photo where she's reading her math book. More than the hat, though, I want her coat. I love her coat.  Daily, I contemplate if I could squeeze into the kids XL. Oh, and the Hello Kitty math book cover was without influence from me, I swear on a stack of pink Hello Kitty VW bugs.

Aqua Dining Room

This Sunday we happened upon an open house. Built in 1780, it had the wide plank floors that Husband hates because they look OLD, a number of smaller sized rooms, tons of fireplaces, and lots of sunlight. As you walk in, on the right is a room bursting with sunlight (and a fireplace!) that Husband declared my knitting room. We don't need a formal living room to sit and collect dust so a knitting room would be a dream. As I walked into the dining room, this photo came to mind. It's strange, even Husband found the wide plank floors beguiling because they were done "right" whatever that means. I've never seen Husband actually like a house from this period, as "It's Old" to him is like "You got my engagement ring at Wal-Mart" to us. We probably won't buy the house but we felt very encouraged and upbeat after seeing it. We had just come from looking at a very dark tudor house that no amount of paint could have cheered up; it was as if Anne Boleyn had met her fate there. 

Swingy Poncho Pattern

This is my latest knitting pattern. It's being test knit starting this weekend from knitters who live in places like Minnesota, Arizona and Singapore! Isn't that cool? When I put it up on the test knitting site I had no idea I would get such enthusiastic responses so I'm very grateful. It'll be available in a S/M/L size and an XL/XXL/3X size. And no, the Martha Stewart Kitchen color is not one of my favorites but dang it if my Madelinetosh addiction didn't get me, and it was the only Madelinetosh Chunky color in the store with enough skeins to make this! And guess what - it's reversible. This is not your father's Oldsmobile, y'all!

Here's me sharing a private joke with a leaf. I hate looking at the camera so I picked up this leaf and said to Husband, "Does this look dumb?" And he said, "Yes, it looks totally dumb." and I'm laughing because I then wittily replied, "We'll you're totally dumb." We have such intellectual repartee at Casapinka.

Lemon yellow necklace

When we buy our house (stop laughing) I think I'll base my knitting room on this necklace. It's inconceivable that a necklace could be much better than this. It's like that song I sing to my kids - If all of the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops...

Like this chandelier and  kitchen.  No faux yellowy/orange Tuscan interpretations slapped up in a Shaker Heights tudor, just plain ol' Lemonhead candy on the quilts, walls or cabinets. Goes so well with pink and white!

 

Fabric Necklace

Monday night I was cold. So, so cold. Remember from yesterday's post that we don't have heat and I am the most cold intolerant person in the world. So, I put on my new PJs and a scarf and got out my sewing machine. Also remember from last week I was lamenting my lack of creativity? When I feel like this it's as though a part of me is missing. I'm kind of a train wreck, aren't I? (asked with hopeful laughter.) Anyway, I found linen scraps, scraped the icicles off of them, then sewed some together. I stitched tiny fabric scraps on top of them, connecting them all with some vintage beads from a defunct crucifix factory.

So, now I feel creative again, even when, at 7:34 this morning, I'm trying to take this ridiculous photo while people are swarming around me, "We need to go! i don't have my sweatshirt! Can you get me the number for Cox Communications?" and then the ultimate, "The car won't start." (like, what am I, Handy Manny?) But I did go out and start it, doggone it. Did I mention Husband's brother is here from Ireland enjoying our heatless apartment? I am zen, I am calm, I am creative. And I bet this living room ,which is just so lovely and matches my necklace, is heated.  From Dear World, You're Pretty.

New White Eames Lounger and Ottoman

A while back I was complaining that the Eames lounger only came in black and darned if Herman Miller didn't listen to me.  In my vision of our new house, this chair sits in front of  an enormous glass window (like in all the pictures in pretty magazines) giving us a view of the other gross newly constructed vinyl sided houses without landscaping that face each other awaiting a trip to the house gallows in 50 years  a lovely valley or a small plot of land. Perhaps a little white garage with a studio up top.

 

There is a pretty fair isle blanket in pink, lavender and cream, which exists only in my mind, and is used to cover my legs while I poetically knit to the view before me. This Designers Guild Daisy Patch blanket will also do nicely, in case you're looking for a premature housewarming gift. Perhaps that is akin to giving a baby present to those attempting to get pregnant: Best not done lest it be your fault we live in a heatless apartment forever (reference forthcoming.) It's so great to blame others! 

What am I carrying on about? Our boiler died this Friday and our landlord is considering converting to gas heating which means we'll have NO HEAT for a week. I'm typing this from under my covers, in these flannel PJs - sweetly bought for me by Husband and kids this weekend - with an electric heater in my face. What better motivation to settle on a house? Just do it, Pink - let him get his new construction and you can join the neighborhood association and have people over to enjoy your black granite and cherry kitchen that contains a fireplace with a 64 inch tv mounted above it. Be a sport!