casapinka

Crumbling Walls and Ivy

It's lovely watching the back of Casapinka turn green in the spring. Ivy is beginning to climb up the walls that snake through the grounds. There are many old pipes around, which used to carry steam from the house to the old stables. 

We even see the CasaCat, Scarlet, becoming majestic and courageous. Where she used to peek outside and reject an outing when we lived in town, she now constantly meows to go out and explore. We have foxes, possums, and a wild turkey walked out and grumbled at me as I got in my car last week. Casapinka is such an adventure these days!

Multicolored pedicure

I bowed out of lemonade stand minding yesterday to go get a Mother's Day pedicure. I found it intriguing that despite all the talons with gems, colored tips, cartoon designs, and rainbow colors lining the display counter,  they had never done a pedicure with five different polish colors. She took the polishes I selected and plunked them down out of order as I put my feet into the water.

"They're out of order now," I informed her. 

"You mean you're using all of them?" she was surprised.

"One on each toe." as I stared at the the Morticia Adams knockoffs behind her. I thought five polishes was self explanatory.

"Wow, this is a first. Hey David - look - she wants one polish on each toe!" 

The lemonade stand was a success and so was the pedicure. I normally hate when bloggers photograph their feet (especially standing pigeon toed!) but I just couldn't hold back. Husband laughed and gave me a hug when he saw it and Juniorette immediately wanted one. Goes so well with my Salt Water Sandals - at least in my little Casapinka world!

White Fur Beanbag

Husband gets very annoyed when I knit on our bed so I figured it was time to get some knitting furniture for the knitting room. At 2am this morning I ordered this small (36") white furry beanbag that resembles a sheepdog.  I find beanbags very comfortable and I like how portable they are. At my age, it's kind of ironic to order from PBTeen but at least I don't have to take it outside and follow it around with a plastic bag like real sheepdog owners do.

Pink Chandelier

 
I really love this chandelier. It's taking all the restraint in the world not to order it for the living room which currently has a very useful chandelier. It produces light. That being said, Mother's Day is around the corner.  From the French Bedroom Company.

I really enjoy a white room with pink. It's not so easy to keep a room looking like this with children (at least my children.) But I do have a painter coming for an estimate this week so you never know what might transpire here. We have a tall teak television armoire. I don't really want to paint it but with pine floors it's not going to look like this photo above. Perhaps my knitting room, which is next to the living room (and making us absent a dining room, much to Husband's chagrin) will have to have it's floor painted.

I also have a box of porcelain saucers from the flea market that are begging to be used somewhere. I think I got 100 saucers for $11.00. They are very pretty and definitely should be on display somewhere other than a box. Tomorrow I'll try to show you the most amazing coffee table ever found on Craigslist, collected by me in Boston using a friend's Chevy Yukon.  I love this image but I don't know where it comes from. Please tell me.

Gray Flowered Shower Curtain

This morning I finally hung our shower curtain. We've gone through many towels wiping water off the floor over the past few weeks after buying shower rods at Ikea that didn't work, followed by Husband buying a flimsy curtain rod and jamming it through the curtain liner (yes, I really did have to bite my tongue when he hung up the curtain rod.) For some reason he was unaware that there are special rods for shower curtains that handle small folks like Junior playing Tarzan. They are large and cylindrical rather than narrow and oval. Don't claim that I don't teach y'all nothing.

I think most showers in Ireland have doors, rather than curtains, at least the places where I lived, hence his curtain rod purchase. The shower curtain I bought is  a Rachel Ashwell curtain from Target and the cotton quality is fabulous. I hope that Husband likes the soft color (and appreciates my restraint!) I also hope he's not offended to see his matchstick curtain rod has been removed from the bathroom and laid to rest.

Crocheted Rug Blanket

My rug became a shawl the other day when the temperatures plummeted. This is just a quick post before I drop off the kiddos and then meet some other yarn fiends for a road trip to the mecca of fiber, Webs. Those of you who knit, pause and face Northampton. Namaste. 

Mod Knitted dress

"I'd like you to knit me this dress I designed," so said the 8 year old. I appreciate that she labelled it "dress" because subtlety is lost on me. 

"Aqua collar? Couldn't we do aqua instead of teal?" so said the micro-managing mother who of course was shot down in a heartbeat.

Almost done - just the sleeves and collar to go. I'm such a sucker. I opted for easy, washable Cascade 220 and I have to say that I've never used banana yellow before. It's good to check something off the bucket list.

Cottages and Bungalows

Several months ago I helped style and take photos of my friend, Margaret's house for Cottages and Bungalows magazine. I was actually just there to meet Elyse from Tinkered Treasures and freeload off Margaret for one of her delicious lunches.

I joined in with the styling and happened to have my camera with me so I shot some pictures. Elyse sent them to her editor who liked them and asked to use some in the article. So, I went to have a fun time with some creative friends and ended up getting my pictures published. That was such a fun, unexpected way to spend a Wendesday!  

You might also remember these boots from a previous blog post :If you'd like to see the article that Elyse wrote, along with more of our photos, the magazine is available at drug stores, Target and Barnes and Noble. 

Crocheted Rug

I finished the giant crocheted rug yesterday. I spread it over our queen sized bed away from the cat who has claimed it as her own. It's big! The colors are incredibly vibrant -- too vibrant for our bedroom, I'm afraid. Husband actually likes the color that is on the wall - the color that came with the house. I think I tried to distract myself from it by also setting the rooster picture on the mantel temporarily. He didn't say anything but it was clear that it wasn't what he had in mind for his serene bedroom. It used to hang over our stove and is a bit greasy. Our bedroom will have to wait for a while for its makeover. 

It's also ixnay on installing shelves in the fireplace to hold my shoes. "Fireplaces are not for shoes!" Did you know that? Who made that rule? I'll tell you one thing with certainty - it wasn't a woman!

Spring Daffodils

My sweet eight year old girl picked these out of our wild secret garden this morning and brought them to me in the milk bottle vase, where I put them next to my bed. Talk about feeling like a lucky mom. 

Ha! You thought I was exaggerating? Wild doesn't begin to define it! The flower present was great preparation for ruffling and then kissing Junior's head in the kitchen afterwards, only to feel this enormous bump...and oh gross, yuck, talk about practicing calm so your kids won't pick up on your neuroses...it was a TICK that had been feeding on him for God knows how long. I shuffled out to the car in Pjs, shuddering with disgust, to get my tweezers (I pluck my eyebrows at red lights, don't you?) and tried to pull the sucker out. I'll leave out the details. I let him (Junior, not the tick) eat cereal in the living room and watch Beyblade which he thought was worth someone digging out half of his scalp with a sharp-tipped instrument. Meanwhile,  I'm behind him trying to hold down my breakfast and not go completely apeshit in the process. (It's not very zen but I don't like ticks. Not with a flower, not in the shower, they give me an itch and make me a bitch. I do not like pink ticks and ham.)

As a non-sequitur, I'm going to try and write up the patterns for the crocheted rug and Spumoni baby blanket (above) this week. If only ticks and fleas would stop interfering! Later today we are going to a Pawsox game because Juniorette is being honored for making the honor roll every term this year. It's a proud day when your kids excel despite you, isn't it? Fleas, ticks, mice in the walls, 3 centipedes, a possum and bunny (seen in the headlights last night), and a coyote rumored to eat cats. Welcome to Casapinka, the zoo and bug trap of the Northeast! 

Fleas! Collage

 I'm having a lot of trouble with joint pain and fatigue from Lyme Disease at the moment (which is from ticks, not fleas, so thank goodness for that!) When these bacteria get into your system and are left to fester for months they are difficult to eradicate and flares happen here and there. Hopefully the week will get better with a new round of antibiotics along with lots of fruits and veggies. Flea wise, too! 

I did manage to make  a collage which I'm calling "Fleas!" Allow me to further describe it as I think it will be quite therapeutic. 

Fleas! by Pink

Fleas! Bickering children. Itching! Boxes everywhere. My joints feel like they have ground glass in them. Every tickle on my arm and leg feels like a flea but it isn't.  Gotcha! I slap myself randomly to kill bugs that aren't there. Itch!  

On the way to yoga/meditation to help my painful joints, I stop at a gas station. I  put on the hand brake, go inside to pay, get a coffee and then can't find my car. Itch! Slap! Car, protesting its fossil fuel addiction, has rolled across the busy road, with the hand brake on, hitting the far curb and partially knocking off its bumper. Everyone stopping. Runaway car surrounded by people. Woman in pink slapping herself randomly crosses street and sheepishly claims car.  Drives the car home instead of to relaxing yoga. Scrape! Scrape! from the bumper. Itch! Slap! from the woman.

Enlightenment - Husband says not to worry. He duct taped the bumper back on when he ran into a curb last month. It's a weak point in the car, he tells me. Itch! Two toilets blocked up. Slap! I unblock the toilets myself. Husband up and goes to Dallas to present a paper. Leaves me with a roll of duct tape and a thumbs up. Slap! Itch! 

Pink and White Living Room

Well, the clandestine pink activity proved underwhelming. I loved the pink and white paint combination in the March 2011 House Beautiful which is dutifully recorded in my inspiration journal for times like these when one purchases a house with a dreadfully beige living room. I shouldn't really worry about painting the living room pink because House Beautiuful  tells me right on the cover that "it's sexy (and men love it!") 

Look: I had even recorded the color that was used! Man, I was proud of myself when I saw that.

I got a sample size of Pink Begonia from Benjamin Moore. I painted a coat of Simply White on top of the beige followed by the Pink Begonia to see how it looked. It was shocking pink! I held the magazine next to it - nowhere close. I wish I had taken a picture for you but I was a bit scared. Enough so that I had to paint over it before Husband got home lest certain other plans in the works (i.e. bodacious kitchen wallpaper from England)  be curtailed. I didn't trust the claims on the cover of House Beautiful quite that much. I dragged the kiddos back to Benjamin Moore and got the next paler shade on the card, despite it's dumb name, Newborn Pink. 

I put on two coats and I realize I should have primed but it's just lifeless, anyway. I want a happier pink, with less of a purplish undertone. Oh, and I thought I'd stick my nearly done crocheted rug in the middle of the picture to cheer things up. Three nights ago I ripped the entire thing out because I hated it. Now I love it, thank goodness.  It's happy! The Newborn Pink is not happy...I think it would rather be back in the uterus.

I'm quite pleased with the Simply White, though. In my inspiration journals, when decorators recommend their favorite whites, I record them. Dove White and Simply White by Benjamin Moore are repeatedly mentioned. It needs another coat but at least I know which white I'm going to use. Husband actually likes both of the colors. Yes, you read correctly!

We're still surrounded by beige until I head back to Benjamin Moore and pick a "pinker" light pink rather than a "purply" light pink. Also, Husband told me I couldn't paint the inside of the fireplace due to heat issues. We'll eventually have it hooked up to gas but it's capped off now. Is that true - I really can't paint that black area? He already told me I couldn't paint the brick or metal because of heat issues. Like, I'm going to buy that?  Plus, if he were really to do some soul searching, I imagine he'd find he really doesn't even want beige bricks. Honey, you're the one going out of town tomorrow and during school vacation, no less. I'm being left with a house full (ok, two) of insane children, microscopic fleas that are eating me alive and a box full of pink paint.  It's a safe bet the bricks won't be beige on your return. Plus, I feel bratty and entitled. If you'd have taken me to Dallas with you to stay at the "Uh, I'm not sure some hotel in Dallas" Four Seasons, leaving me to file my nails and watch free HBO while you went to your boring conference I might have left them beige. Funny how life unfurls, isn't it?

(The picture on the right is a portrait of me overseeing the painting of the fireplace bricks as rendered  by Juniorette.)

Flea Bites and Pink Flower Pots

I'd like to pretend that my mind has been focused solely on placing pink flower pots on my porch but life in Casapinka can currently be summed up in two words:

Flea Infestation. I hate them!  Why don't they bite Husband? They love me way too much. Let me emphasize that standing in line in Stop n' Shop with three flea bites on your right buttock with Junior right behind you, ready to tell everyone if you try to scratch them, is when it's very very hard to be a nice, compassionate parent. Junior would love nothing more than to scream out "Mommy's scratching her butt!" to everyone who will listen. I'm still puzzled how I produced that kid. Have a great weekend and check back in next week to see the result of my Clandestine Pink Paint Experiment which is happening tomorrow when Husband goes to work.

Crocheted Living Room Rug

I don't have much of a plan for Casapinka's living room other than to get the beige off of the walls fairly soon. We don't have a rug, either but we do have an ugly couch. I hate all the chemicals sprayed on many of the rugs that are affordable, plus many are made in China. Since I can't yet get my dream Madeline Weinrib rug, not to mention that it would probably take too much of a beating with Junior going through his Launch Himself off the Couch While Doing Karate Stage, I decided to make my own rug. A Casapinka original!  

I found a bunch of bulky yarn in my stash during the move, so I've cobbled together a random creation of bright colors and a few neutrals, crocheted in a  circle.  I really like it so far.  It's happy!  Husband has not weighed in - he is, in fact, blissfully ignorant of what I'm making (phew) since it's not my most conservative creation. When we're all sitting on it in front of the fireplace playing Uno, hopefully he'll grow to love it. 

White paint, cute curtains and this rug will improve the look dramatically, don't you think?

Easter at Casapinka

Easter morning started off with the chaps finding buckets with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans in them. This was followed by an Easter egg hunt in our YARD. Yes, did I mention that we have a yard? Then,  Easter dinner at Casapinka was fabulous if for no other reason than we have a kitchen that fits a table inside it! There is enough light to take photos! During the move, I found this tablecloth that I bought at the Cath Kidston outlet (yes, you read that right -outlet!) in Ireland and I decided to use it. Thinking that threats to children on Easter are probably frowned upon, I gave each of them a placemat so they wouldn't christen the new tablecloth. Yes, those are the placemats that used to be our kitchen backsplash (see below.) From wall to table, it's all fair game.

 

Husband got to eat like a Big Boy sans place mat and he did very well. I, however, managed to spill peas and mashed potatoes on the tablecloth. I would have shown you the entire tablescape but the tablecloth massively needed to be ironed. Plus the wall is that ucky cream color (see previous post.)  I'm so confused that those are Ikea napkins, too. Ikea has gone a bit pink lately, and while some of it is wonderful, some just confuses me, like the Ikea execs got  Rachel Ashwell drunk on lingonberry cordial and told her to interpret Scandishabbya.

Early Morning Adventures

The chaps didn't have school today and their plan was to sleep in. Yes! Husband brought me coffee and cereal in bed and I embarked on a rug design for our living room - for the 10 minutes that all was quiet. There was no sleeping in for the small people, but there was rushed talking about hideouts and spying and then the door slammed. I heard shrieks and giggles and this is what I found when I looked out my window:

Yes, it's a bit of a drop and I held my breath as I watched them negotiate the long wall. At least it's quite wide.

I started my rug after instructing them that no running was aloud along the walls. I really doubt I have the power to keep them off all of those glorious stone ledges. There are other "off limits" places but too many rules and none will be followed. I'm already finding there are many more "rules" than at a tiny apartment but  it's so much better than astroturf and schnauzer poop!

Two hours later I called them in for some food and to head up to Ikea for shower rods and unfun stuff like that. Earlier in the week they were out of the pink planters if you can believe it. Hopefully, we get the internet today (I'm back at the old apartment to pick up our router) and will report no broken limbs over the long Easter/Passover weekend. Have a wonderful time, everyone!

Kitchen Wallpaper

Here is the wallpaper I fell head over heels for last week. I thought it would leave my mind but it hasn't. I don't know if it will darken the kitchen but it's just for the end wall around the window. I haven't shown it to Husband, probably because I'm afraid of medical implications on his cardiovascular system. It's from the Belle Rose line from Brian Yates and I'm going to order it when I'm done with this post. It's available from Tangled Tree Interiors in the UK.

The wall on the left is where I would put it, next to where the kitchen table now sits. Just a touch of brazen - like siren red lipstick in an otherwise black outfit Well, maybe not all black. We need other color in the kitchen - there is a refrigerator to paper, after all!

Perhaps pink gingham on the fridge. 

I'm definitely not a fan of the backsplash but at least it's fairly pale. I'll work on getting better photos of the kitchen. They have these yellow incandescent lights and the ceilings are so high they it's difficult for me to change the bulbs.

And then again, nobody ever went wrong with a polka dot refrigerator, either. We have spent two nights in the house now and it feels like paradise! No more buyer's remorse. I'm at Starbucks now, using their free wifi but I'll try and update soon as painting and other ideas come to mind. Enjoy your week, everyone and feel free to weigh in with opinions and links! 

Pink Planters and Pink Ikat

Today the movers come at 9am to transfer our furniture to Nueva Casapinka. I have no idea when I'll have internet again so I've set up a few posts early. I admit I'm having too much fun checking out wallpaper and fabric books although I'm not sure what to do first.

The truth is that I have no idea how we'll use the new house, where we'll actually congregate and what will fit the "mood" of our new home. I adore this Ikat fabric from you know who (Designer's Guild, yet again.) I usually don't like pink and green together but for this I make an exception. That said, I think the first change I'll make to Casapinka is to buy two of these planters in bright pink so they can flank the front porch. 

You know, to mark my territory. Best to let the neighbors know early and communicate directly. The mailbox is next. I hope they make mailbox paint. 

Spumoni Baby Blanket

I'm almost done with this baby blanket pattern (they sell so well!) I bought the yarn and then could not make the colors fit together, right after I did the same thing with this other stinker. I do not want two stinkers in a row! After a month and restarting it nine times I settled for this pattern with different stitches, made out of organic cotton. 

I sat in my new knitting room yesterday as I waited for the insurance assessor to come and worked on the blanket.  In the process I discovered that the gas baseboard heat is the perfect temperature for resting cold feet. Not too hot, more gentle than a water bottle and right next to where I will have my knitting chair when I find one. That pleased me to no end. When I finish this I think I'll make a cardigan for Juniorette out of this. A little reward for making the honor roll three times in a row. Have a super weekend, friends!

Whose Room is Cuter?

This is a snap of my studio/knitting room in Casapinka. This is such a dream for me! There are books and things all over the floors since we have so little furniture moved in. It is adjacent to Husband's "library" with no real division, something we'll have to figure out. The two rooms couldn't be more different already - even before paint and curtains. The large bird painting was purchased from Mo last year and it's my favorite piece of art that I own.

I had to laugh when I compared the two rooms; just look at Husband's reading material! My room is full of sewing, cooking, art and design books that are nice and bright. We're definitely going to have to find a way to divide my room from the Serial Killer Library (refer to book at top of photo.) A few of you have emailed me and asked how the house purchase happened so quickly. We made an offer in early February with a 45 day closing but I was too afraid to say anything, lest it not go through. So, now we have until next Monday to move everything across town and then the real fun begins.

Polish Pajaki

We went out to the new Casapinka yesterday and it was much brighter than the day before. I feel very relieved about this and I picked up some paint samples from Benjamin Moore so I can get rid of the beige paint.  There are also no overhead lights in the entry way which is long and narrow. This contributes to the darkness as you enter the house. I thought it might be fun to hang a bright Polish pajak there, or a couple of them in succession.

 

They have been around on the web for a while and I've always loved them. It's also a nice way to introduce some international folk art into the house. The kidoodles can learn about Poland and where they are made which is a very colorful and artistic area of Poland.

If you look around the web you can see home made versions of the pajak (singular of pajaki)  but I don't think I have the patience to make one of them. It seems that the best place to buy one is from the Polish Art Center in Michigan. This would go a long way in brightening up a dark space, don't you think? 

 Images via What Possesd Me? and Lena Corwin

 

 

Welcome Mat

We rented a U-Haul yesterday and spent the afternoon shuttling stuff into the new house. It was cloudy and rainy, making the house dark, which upset me a little. A bit of buyer's remorse? I know once I get rid of the beige paint and the brown foyer, it will lighten up. It already seemed more cheerful when I put the welcome mat down as we locked the door and headed back to our apartment for the night. Husband had to mention that the message on the mat wasn't aimed at chickens or guinea hens. Dork.

A New Casapinka

I assume most of you know we've been looking for our dream house for a year now. Husband wanted a cookie cutter new construction where you look outside onto the same house next to you. I wanted something weird or at least different. We ended up with this stone and shingle home, surrounded by stone walls. Complete with crumbling stables, and two stone greenhouses that once had glass roofs, now filled with beer cans, stumps, and various other detritus.

There is a porch on each side of the home, a blind ending staircase in the bathroom, which the kids have deemed "Kiddo Headuarters." There are five non-working fireplaces (including one in our bedroom!) and a root beer tree. It appears there is a secret room under one of the greenhouses, which we discovered by poking through some soft earth. Perhaps a prohibition or underground railroad tunnel? A root cellar? It's all so magical and mysterious.

The new Casapinka is currently sporting boring historical colors and  beige throughout the downstairs. The master bedroom isn't too bad, though (see below.)  The bannister is painted dark brown. Cheap, new pine cabinets in the kitchen are begging for a change. The downstairs is waiting patiently for the loving application of a more vibrant palette.  

The ocean is 1/5 of a mile down the road! I think we have some fun design moments ahead of us, and a brand new exciting chapter to our lives. Husband wasn't too happy when I brought up Guinea Hen Husbandry at the attorney's office (guinea hens eat ticks, diminishing the risk of Lyme Disease), however, but that's a story for another post. What would a poignant moment (like buying a house) be without my panicking Husband with the idea of watchdog birds who roost 50 feet up a tree and shriek at the mail carrier?

Flowers

One thing I really love about being a mom is being given fistfuls of flowers in the spring. I love how kids can see weeds and think they're beautiful and come rushing over full of pride at their gifts. The other day the kiddos found some daffodils hiding behind a stone wall. There were also crocuses everywhere and I was presented with several gorgeous bouquets. 

Even Junior ,who is normally rather undelicate, stopped mid karate chop, dropped his imaginary spin sword (don't ask) and sweetly gave me this daff. They were so happy running around in the sunshine and Husband and I were happily in the moment watching them. It's great to have kids who still think you're cool, who turn to you to share their delight rather than away from you out of embarrassment. That'll happen soon enough, I'm told! I hope your Monday is going well and I hope to share some fun news with you later in the week!

Designer's Guild Boqueria

Mise, the author of Pretty Far West, the dignified blog on domesticity (as opposed to me, the author of the undignified blog on Pink Astroturf)  sent me a link to these Designer's Guild Boqueria cushions which she found on Ebay. Could they be more perfect for Juniorette? I love them so much. Mise is a personal cushion shopper now, which should be noted on Pretty Far West's logo. 

Terrific Wallpaper

Yesterday, I stopped into Adler's here in Providence. It's an old fashioned hardware store on one side and a Design Mothership on the other side. They have wallpaper and fabric from every company you can imagine. And they are the nicest, most helpful people you could ask for. You want to take some wallpaper books home with you? Nah, we don't need a credit card or ID, you look honest. 

I have reason to believe that we'll need wallpaper soon, so I started with my favorite which I just couldn't believe they carried.  I've always loved this Designer's Guild paper with the large pink blossoms. I showed it to Husband. "It's large," he reported. I, however, think Trisha Guild designed this pattern (Tokyo Dahlia) with me in mind. She can see into my soul, I'm fairly certain. 

I can't tell you how many books of fabrics and wallpaper there were in Adler's. I was in heaven. I think I'm babbling - I can't stop thinking about their showroom! When I asked the woman if she had any Eijffinger books she looked excited. She didn't try to fob me off with beige wallpaper or stupid wall stickers despite the fact that I was in pigtails and a jumper dress over jeans. She found all of her Eijffinger books and then suggested the Clarke & Clarke. This woman could read me! When I got home, I perused through the books I had and look what else I found!

This is by Clarke & Clarke and is called Hula Fuchsia. I didn't show this to Husband. Our conversation would have gone:

Pink: "Honey, look at this wallpaper! Isn't this GLORIOUS?"

Husband: "It's pink."

Better to save the discussion for something more interactive like our need for a working coffee maker or the censorship of Gary Trudeau. Decorating discussions with him aren't enlightening. But that guy - he likes to go to the ballet and he turns on the heated seat for me when we ride in his car. So, it's okay - I have you guys for wallpaper discourse. Clearly, this is the prototype home project you have ready to go. Husband leaves town for a week. His plane takes off (confirm this online) and up the wallpaper goes in the foyer or stairwell. A week later, Husband comes home to a nice meal, the kids stay at the Super 8 for the night and Stanno Tutti Bene.  This is an Ask for Forgiveness Rather than Permission project in case any of you brave souls embark on this and then blame me. It requires finesse and perhaps a trip to Victoria's Secret, especially if you complemented it with flocked black and white striped wallpaper, say below the chair rail. 

This paper is also from Clarke & Clarke and is called Globetrotter Pink. I think it would be sweet on a wall in Juniorette's room. She, however, has told me her room is going to be aqua and pink, designed by her (ahem) so this probably won't fly. I hope you enjoyed this wallpaper tour because there will be many more  if all goes as hoped!

Young Love

This is a snapshot of our extensive winter garden at Casapinka. Ikea flowers in Ragu jars with fake snow and rainwater to keep those flowers alive. Last night while snuggling, Junior whispered to me in that hot breath stage whisper that shoots though one ear, penetrates the brain and goes out the other ear with a little bit of spit mixed in, "Mommy! Should I bring Sofia some flowers?" Sofia is his girlfriend.

 "Why do you want to do that?"

"Because I love her!" So elated and earnest. So innocent.

"And it's romantic too, right Mommy?"

So this morning, 5 year old Junior, along with Foo Foo and Juniorette, picked plastic flowers out of a spaghetti jar for Sofia. The ride to school was without punching or the shoving of Power Rangers into his sister's face. If you didn't know him, you might say he was pensive. After Sofia received them, she came up to me with her scraped face (playground face-plant) and said, "Tank you for gwowing the flowers." 

"You're welcome, honey. I grew them at Ikea." Young love. Spring is in the air, don't you worry.

Stinker projects

This morning I'm going to share my latest "stinker" with you. It's important that people know that this designing stuff is hard! Stinkers are what I call those designs that don't really fit my aesthetic. The Michael Kors equivalent of "What was she thinking?" Now, I know some people might knit this - you crazy cat ladies out there - but normally I'd die before putting this on Casapinka.

Being an artist is difficult. We are a sensitive breed and stinkers can send us into the basement of despair for months. We had an idea and spent money. It just wasn't executed the way we expected. So, know this. I managed to get off my patukis (as the kiddos call it) and I'm now knitting a blanket in the prettiest pale organic cottons. There are no cats on it. I'm trying again and hopefully it won't be a stinker. 

As I contemplated my stinker, my knitting remorse lifted this morning when I saw that MADELINE WEINRIB, my TEXTILE ARTIST HEROINE, with an atelier at ABC Carpet and Home and a new showroom in the Flatiron district, is now following me on Pinterest! I'm sure she's had some stinkers in her day. I'm still saving up for her runner which I'm going to frame, as it's too precious for shoes to trod on. Oh, and we just might have some exciting news on the home front very soon. And for the record, we have one cat, not 257, and I'm not a crazy cat lady - I only knit like one.

Decoylab

I really like these clocks from Decoylab. I like how she mixes modern materials with wood. I wish I knew how to do things like this. Right now I'm knitting a baby blanket with owls on it. I just finished a terrible blanket with lots of cats. I'll have to write the pattern up since some people will like it but it's difficult when you don't want your own design on your website! That's the artistic life, I guess...for every good design, there is a stinker or two or three. Accepting this and carrying on is most of the battle!

Margaret Owen paints a snow globe

Last Christmas Juniorette made this glittery bird snow globe. For some reason Margaret of Permanent Magenta decided to paint it. I think it's so pretty! Margaret is becoming a bit of a Wunderkind. She's featured in this month's Romantic Homes magazine, where Elyse of Tinkered Treasures wrote an article about her. She has numerous shows lined up and is off on Friday to teach watercolor painting at Maryam of Marrakesh's Peacock Pavilions in Morocco. 

 I'm so excited for her - she's like the jet-setting artist who paints beautiful things that I always wanted to be. I'm kind of in awe of her! She's going to boil me an egg later this morning and maybe she'll have a zit or dirty hair so the awe will come down a notch and we can talk about normal things. I fear I'll be trailing her around like a puppy dog, my knitting dragging behind.  Anthropologie, I want Margaret's art on your plates! And all of you guys might want to buy a Margaret original before she becomes untouchable!