Curiouser and Curiouser

In which I begin a sordid love affair with Paris Pastry Lab

I've been complaining lately, both to myself and out loud, that as I approach 30 it becomes more and more difficult to keep my weight in check.  I eat pretty well and I've been exercising more than ever--although my attempt at Indihop was short lived.  (Dude, that shit is hard!)

Well, it appears that I've been deceiving myself in the belief that  I'm just not into sweets,  because I nearly assaulted my postman the day he arrived with my box of Galipettes from Paris Pastry Lab.  I really bought them for Dino, who loves caramel, on the recommendation of my friends at Perideau Designs and Le Papier Studio.  I waited (not so patiently) for a little more than a week and when the blessed day of their arrival finally came I began to truly believe that all would be right with the world.

Each box contains a couple dozen or so of these little morsels of goodness.  I bought two boxes to justify the overseas shipping cost.  (Let's face it, I bought two boxes to justify that I'm turning 30 and having trouble keeping my weight in check because I have a newfound addiction to sweets.  The shipping cost is perfectly in line and I'm just looking for an excuse.)

I ate one straight out of the mailbox, so it was a little warm and extra melty.  The richness envelops your mouth as soon as it hits your tongue, but the little salty crystals are a surprise that doesn't reveal itself until you begin to chew.  Whether you eat these at room temp, or straight out of the fridge (which I prefer) they never, ever stick to your teeth.  They're never too hard or too soft.  And if you can control yourself long enough to examine one before you devour it, you will notice a beautiful perlescent sheen  which makes them as beautiful to look at as they are to eat.

I've judiciously shared my secret affair with those who have a palette sophisticated enough to appreciate them.  You can't just chomp them...you have to truly savor them.  Now, one whole box is gone.  I'm sure glad I got that second box!

Get your own here.  You can try pink peppercorn caramels, hazelnut chocolates or a sampler if you too are having trouble keeping your sweet tooth in check. You won't be disappointed!

Thrift Store Finds

Happy Saturday everyone!  Sun's out in Connecticut after a major washout yesterday.  Hope it holds out for my friend's wedding this afternoon.

Normally I don't blog on Saturday's, but it's kind of a perfect lazy day activity.  Dino and I slept in (9 o'clock is way late for us--well, at least for me!), drank tea, read magazines and now he's off at the wedding location setting up his sound gear for the evening.  I'm still in my PJ's and thought it'd be a good time to show you my finds from my favorite local consignment shop.

Olive's Armoire on Greenwood Ave. in Bethel is my new regular stop--she has a huge selection of really nicely maintained items with good quality names attached to them.  Lots of J.Crew, Banana Republic, Gap and Ann Taylor at a fraction of their prices when they were new.  I prefer to bring home the lesser known labels since it's less likely that someone else will be wearing it!

This week's stop sent me home with two Venetian glass mosaic pins--I admire pins like these everywhere I go and never get them until this time.  My granny has a few that I love to admire in her top dresser drawer--she doesn't wear them often but they are one of my favorite things of hers.  Years ago she had all of us grandkids (there are 8 of us, plus 10 great-grandies) write down a list of things we'd like to inherit from her "some day".  I put the pins down on my list.  (On a side note, you might remember my post about the glass chicken--another one of my favorite things from Granny.)  I also came home with this pair of white enamel clip on earrings--I might never wear them but there was something about them that I loved and for only $2 I wasn't going to leave them!

Tell me about your favorite place to find a bargain on old and new items.  What have you scored lately?

Handmade hits the mall!

 

I'm not much of a mall shopper, especially since I discovered Etsy a few years ago.  I avoid gift registries in favor of more thoughtful, handmade gifts, and I try to steer clear of major retailers so that I don't see myself steeped in the same trends as that brigade of 7th graders in the food court--it does seem that the mall caters to the teen/'tween crowd doesn't it?  (I do however frequent TJ Maxx for a good, cheap style find--well, I should say I used to, in fattier financial times.)


Yesterday I found myself at the mall because I wanted to see my favorite travel agent, Alfonso.  Last year when Dino and I were booking our honeymoon we waited in the lobby of the office and whispered to each other that we really did not want that older fella to wait on us.  What could he possibly know about a fun and youthful vacation spot?  We did meet with him though, and fortunately for us our book-cover-judginess was forgiving.  This guy knew everything there was to know about every resort at every corner of this green earth!  And we already know that our honeymoon was fantastic, so we became loyal supporters of that older fella!  Anyway, more on the proposed trip later--this post is already rambling!


While I waited my turn I reluctantly wandered around the mall, my second least favorite place--the first being the emergency room.  Nearby I saw a new-ish store called Lush.  I was so excited to see the handmade revolution infiltrating mass-retail!  What a cool place--it sold handmade cosmetics, hair and bath products with a focus on vegan/vegetarian ingredients, solid products to reduce package waste, and super-fun bios and descriptions highlighting the people behind each inventive product.

Though I didn't make any purchases yesterday, I had my eye on the solid shampoo bars--how easy would these be to travel with?  And I'm definitely going back to try one of these shower jellies.  Wouldn't your kids love one of those in the bath?


Lots of cool stuff all throughout the store, but most of all I'm just excited to see the shift in consumerism.  Unfortunately, around my beloved little town of Bethel I've been seeing lots of small-time shops and boutiques closing up.  I told the salesgirl at Lush, when I left that I really hope this store sticks around--she assured me that they're not going anywhere since they signed a 10-year commercial lease!  Go handmade!

What's new at Mew? Orchid Wedding Invitations

 

I'm at a stage in my business, about 1 1/2 years into it, where I'm starting to see referrals from past clients--this is one of the best parts about what I do.  I love hearing from someone new who came based on glowing reviews from a friend.  That's the case with these new Orchid Wedding Invitations   

A few months back I did a set of Nautical Wedding Invitations similar to these, for this new bride's friend out on Nantucket.  It sounds like the plan and style for these two weddings was totally different--these Orchid invites were designed for a Manhattan evening, affair with black tie attire requested.  The bride described some of the magnificent details to me, and it's all shaping up to be an eclectic mix of modern and minimalist shapes with rustic and organic touches.  Tricky to pull off, but my favorite decor style for sure.

These invitations are printed on 100% recycled matte ivory stock in brilliant hues of aubergine and emerald.  The tea length card is layered onto shimmering amethyst stock.  The bride chose an eco-friendly reply postcard to save paper and postage.  The entire suite, which also included directions cards for this couple, is being mailed in recycled kraft envelopes printed in coordinating aubergine ink.

Check out the Mew Studio to see more ideas for custom wedding invitations.

New Wedding Invitations and a Brief Business Evaluation

Lately, I've been trying to squeeze out a new design or idea in between everything that I have going on for my paying clients.  This new handmade wedding invitation set, pictured here, is actually a wedding gift for my dear friends.  The couple is tying the knot in October here in Connecticut, at the Spa at Norwich Inn.  They got engaged in December and things are moving rather quickly.

They went for a shimmery gold pocket fold, with navy ink and a metallic navy accent border.  The pocket holds three enclosures--Response Card, Directions Card and Accommodations Card.  They chose a stylish belly band printed on translucent vellum to close the pocket.  The entire suite will be mailed to guests in double Euro-Flap envelopes printed with a little detail from the invitation design.  The bride even ordered custom stamps to coordinate the ensemble.

A note on postage, while we're on the subject--this invitation suite, and similar pocketfold styles are typically a minimum of three ounces so you'll need extra postage.  Stamps.com is a great option because you can customize the stamp in the amount you need, rather than having to use multiple stamps that may or may not match.  Most post offices will recommend hand cancelling an envelope of this thickness--usually about 3/16".

I mentioned a brief business evaluation--I didn't dig in too deep this morning, but I quickly compared my book keeping spreadsheets from 2008 to current.  I'm very proud and excited to have surpassed my total number of weddings from last year, by the mid-way point of this year! Things are just going along swimmingly if I can say that without sounding boastful.  I'm seeing lots of repeat clients--brides who are coming back for their wedding details like placecards, programs and menus--as well as referrals from my loyal past clients.  This is the greatest feeling!

At one point in my life I would have been afraid of "jinxing" a good streak.  But after reading and practicing the Law of Attraction I have learned how to usher good things into my life with a sense of tremendous gratitude, not entitlement.  Gratitude helps me remember how hard I have to work to be successful without living in fear of the bottom falling out any minute.  This type of fear or insecurity blocks good energy from coming to me, so I try to only focus on the positives on a moment to moment basis.  Every day of doing this work is a great day for me, lucky girl that I am!

Bird and Blossom Pocketfold Wedding Invitation

Here's what's new at Mew!  A pocketfold style wedding invitation  that evokes Victorian details in the lacey border, and a touch of whimsy with sweet birds and flowering blooms.  It's shown in a bold and modern color scheme of sunshine gold, brilliant fuschia and sophisticated black--but it's easy to change the colors to suit your theme.


Each pocketfold invitation includes three enclosures--just the response card is shown in the photo, but you may choose to include a travel, reception or accommodations card as well.


I think this would be just perfect for a spring or summer outdoor wedding with a vintage theme.  But replacing the flower with an acorn, or pine cone would take this right into the fall or winter as well.  Click to see this suite and more handmade wedding invitations at Mew Paper Arts.

Hilton Head Island, Wedding Invitation

Though this isn't the first time I've produced this nautical themed wedding invitation, it might be one of my favorite incarnations.  In fact, it's the third run in the past two months--the first was for a Nantucket wedding, the second at a country club in New Jersey, and this one in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

I love the color scheme that this couple chose, and the super-preppy vibe of the whole thing.  They live in Ohio, so this is actually a destination wedding for them.  As a bonus, and because I thought it really made the ensemble pop, I printed both the mailing and response envelopes with details from the invitation--the sailboat, and the compass.  No one will bypass this in their mail pile!

Thanks, Kevin and Jolie, for working with me on this project, and best wishes for a beautiful and memorable beachside wedding.

Loving Genevieve Gail's jewelry shop on Etsy

These treasure bird earrings have been in my Etsy favorites for a good long time.  When I saw Genevieve Gail's freekin' fabulous Bike Necklace on the front page today, I went back to her shop for a closer look, and as expected fell madly in love with everything in there.


In her own words, Genevieve describes her jewelry as "a mix between what you would find in your Grandma's jewelry box and a trendy Soho Boutique."  She uses handpainted, laser cut wood to create these intricate little vignettes that are a modern take on the classic cameo.  Besides jewelry, she also has a line of textiles for Windham Fabrics.

Aren't the product photos the best???  I'm loving  this unique collage approach of laying the necklace over a polaroid. 

After you've spent some time browsing the shop, go and check out Genevieve's blog for a look behind the scenes.

The "No-sun-a-zoic" Era

Now that we've entered a period in history widely referred to as the "No-sun-a-zoic Age", I'm turning into a bit of a vampire.  Wish my skin would sparkle like diamonds the way sexy young Edward Cullen's does!

In keeping with the theme of the times--grey, neutral, beige, white, blah, blah and blah, I've gathered a group of pretties that is anything but boring!  I'll be careful when reintroducing color into the picture so as not to damage anyone's oversensitive eyes.

1.  Lamp by Anthropologie
2.  Narcissus mirror also by Anthropologie
3.  Adirondack chair via Sundance
4.  Asymmetric one-piece by Sundance
5.  Bride photo via Martha Stewart
6.  Photo by Lori411 via Etsy
7.  Perfect Match pearls by Sundance

Tales of Brighter Days

Gather round friends--I'll tell you tales of brighter days...days when the world was lit by a glowing ball of warm, golden light.  We called it "the sun".  It shone down on all the people spreading joy and laughter and friendship where ever it fell.  Alas, the dreaded joy-stealer has taken over, and spread a heavy, grey blanket over all the land--well, at least the north eastern United States.  No warm, golden light can penetrate--only mushrooms and mosquito larvae can thrive.  Ah, sun...I remember you fondly and long for your triumphant return.


Well, even if you're totally soaked through and starting to get a little moldy, it's hard not to fall in love with these rainy-day, frame worthy art prints from Etsy.

Ceramic cups by VillarRealCeramics
Red Shoes print by KellyLasserre
Green Cloud by GollyBard
Girl in the rain by Blancucha
Blue Cloud by BrittHermann