3 Reasons Why You Need To Be Listening to the Decemberists Right Now

1. Their Artwork has been turned into embroidery patterns.

Straight from the master's mouth... Embroidery Goddess Jenny Hart, creator of Sublime Stitching, posted this recently on her blog:

"Do you like The Decemberists? Do you like embroidering? Then, I bet you would like embroidering The Decemberists. What the heck do I mean? I mean, the band asked me to create limited-edition, custom embroidery kits and patterns with wondrous illustrations by Carson Ellis. Alas, you can't buy these kits direct from me. I handed the precious lot over to the band, who are currently selling them at their shows while on tour. Don't look at me, I don't have them here! Go see The Decemberists!"

2. The lead singer's sister is a fantastic writer.

Colin Meloy is a self-proclaimed poet and former English Major. He writes beautifully poignant and evocative lyrics, many of which start out as poems. His sister, Maile Meloy, writer of Liars and Saints, is a successful, published author.

Again, I'm just going to do this the easy way, and refer to a more authentic source. " Maile Meloy was born in Helena, Montana, in 1972. Her stories have been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, The Ontario Review, Witness, and Best New American Voices 2000, and she won the 2001 Aga Khan Prize for best story in The Paris Review. Half in Love received the 2003 PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction and the 2003 Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. " (from Ploughshares Literary Journal)

So, yeah, read her novels. They're freakin' great. And anyone who has such a prolific sister, gets a vote in my book.

3. Their music is downright awesome. Just listen to it.

Self-Portrait Challenge- Domestic Glam

Here's my glam shot, in keeping with this month's theme. In truth, I'm actually just in a heather colored wife-beater, taking a break from doing the dishes. But hey! I saw it as an opportunity to lean up against a shiny stainless steel fridge, totally glam in my opinion, and snap a few shots. I even put on a shiny blue bracelet that Keith bought for me at a Tibetan Boutique in Brooklyn, Pema . And for those of you who know me, I very rarely wear any makeup. But in keeping with the glam motif, I smeared on a little Burt's Beeswax rhubarb colored lip tint. So, I guess it came full circle... rhubarb in a kitchen.

An Old Find

Birth Announcement Project

Okay, so I'm working on an embroidery piece that's 22 years in the making. It's actually a birth announcement for my 22 year old brother. How is this possible, you might ask?


I guess when my mother was pregnant with Brian, she was working on a piece to hang in the nursery. We're talking vintage, totally eighties, complete with a teddy bear and a sort of spooky clown. I can actually remember her working on the piece, sitting on the couch-- the messy tangle of colored thread hanging off her round belly. I would check her progress every now and again, and as any curious four year old, would take my fingers and gently rub them over the French knots and cut loops.

Apparently, she came so close to finishing the piece (it's complete except for the ball on the clown's hat, and the frame), but once Brian was born, she was too busy to finish it.

Now that I'm living at home again, I have a chance to root through some of my mom's old things: unfinished projects, vintage skirt hemmers, fabrics...

I came across the birth announcement and thought I might finish it and frame it so that I can give to Bri on his next birthday, which will be in January. I think the sentimentality of the gesture will be wonderful, as my mother passed away when he was only 12. Even if it only sits in a box, it will be his.

And speaking of old finds...



I found this embroidered piece that my mom made for me when I was a baby. Yeah, that's a unicorn. A little corny I know, but it's actually quite beautiful, and far better than anything I could do at this stage in the game.



Just look at the detail that went into this! My mom was a true perfectionist and an amazing, crafty lady. She sewed, gardened, wove baskets, and was an amazing cook to boot! The best teacher I ever had, even though it was her job. She taught second grade for twenty years before she passed away. And a little part of me knows that I have chosen to go into teaching because she really inspired me. Okay, enough reminiscing.

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

1/2 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced thinly
1-2 plum tomatoes, depending on size, sliced thinly
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chiffonade, save 3 or 4 leaves whole for garnish
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Arrange sliced tomatoes and cheese on a plate. Either alternate or combine in pairs. Add shredded basil to each pair and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with basil leaves.

Beautiful Days in Autumn

The weather was beautiful today, so I thought I might take a few quick shots in the front yard. In Connecticut we're fortunate enough to get those beautiful, bold colors in the fall foliage. But, I'm sure you've all seen a million pictures of the quintessential New England foliage. So, I thought I'd take a look at some less obvious candidates.

This is the Japanese Maple that sits right outside the family room windows. It's older than I am. My grandparents gave it to my mom and dad as a house warming present when the built the house in 1974. It started out as a little sapling, and now it's over 20 feet tall. The red leaves are amazing when the sun hits them.

This is just the standard female holly bush, with its bright red berries. I just liked the contrast between the red and green.

And this little gem is a Japanese Burberry that Keith and I planted over the summer. It has the most amazing red and purple leaves that develop from younger green leaves. And I didn't even expect the red berries to come out this year, but they just started popping up once the weather got colder. I love this little bush.

Ta-Dah! Finished Knits

I'm really happy to finally post a picture of these lovely legwarmers I just finished knitting for my friend, Laura's birthday (even though they're a bit late)! She still lives in NYC, and for those of you who don't know, it gets mighty damn cold there in the winter. I used a pattern that I found on Glampyre Knits designed by the lovely Stefanie. I was a bit nervous as this was the first wearable project I've ever knitted and it was the first time I had ever followed a "pattern." Here are some photos of Stefanie's handiwork from her website.

Vive la Musique de Roche!

Marie Antoinette The Soundtrack

Okay, okay, so I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've been listening to the Marie Antoinette soundtrack for the past three hours.  It's fantastic.  Sofia Coppola, who also directed The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, knows how to pick 'em.  Songs, that is.  The track list contains indie favorites such as The Strokes, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Gang of Four, Aphex Twin, New Order, and, of course, Air.  What would a Sofia Coppola film be without Air? 

Here's the full lineup:

Disc 1
1. "Hong Kong Garden" - Siouxsie & The Banshees
2. "Aphrodisiac" - Bow Wow Wow
3. "What Ever Happened" - The Strokes
4. "Pulling Our Weight" - The Radio Dept.
5. "Ceremony" - New Order
6. "Natural's Not In It" - Gang of Four
7. "I Want Candy (Kevin Shields Remix)" - Bow Wow Wow
8. "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" - Adam & The Ants
9. "Concerto in G" * - Antonio Vivaldi / Reitzell
10. "The Melody Of A Fallen Tree" - Windsor For The Derby
11. "I Don't Like It Like This" - The Radio Dept.
12. "Plainsong" - The Cure

Disc 2
1. "Intro Versailles"* - Reitzell / Beggs
2. "Jynweythek Ylow" - Aphex Twin
3. "Opus 17" - Dustin O'Halloran
4. "Il Secondo Giorno (Instrumental)" - Air
5. "Keen On Boys" - The Radio Dept.
6. "Opus 23" *- Dustin O'Halloran
7. "Les Baricades Misterieuses"* - Francois Couperin / Reitzell
8. "Fools Rush In (Kevin Shields Remix)" - Bow Wow Wow
9. "Avril 14th" - Aphex Twin
10. "K. 213" * - Domenico Scarlatti / Reitzell
11. "Tommib Help Buss" - Squarepusher
12. "Tristes Apprets.." - Jean Philippe Rameau / W. Christie
13. "Opus 36"*- Dustin O'Halloran
14. "All Cat's Are Grey" - The Cure

 

Marie Antoinette (movie website)