Plum Stitches

spring cleaning

Ever get slightly obsessed with a scent and wanting your house to smell like it all the time?  Well, I'm having one of those moements with the smell of these two products.

Mrs. Meyer's Geranium Products

 

Method Clementine Products

 

a few gifts

I am making a bit of progress on the homemade gifts.  Trying to not over extend myself with them, in hopes that I will actually be able to make almost everyone a little something.

Pattern:  Very Warm Hat, The Opinionated Knitter, Elizabeth Zimmermann

Yarn:  Plymouth Suri Merino

Needle Size:  size 6 circular

Sizes:  one on the right is for a toddler, one on the left could be a child or an adult with a small head

Notes:  I like this pattern, it's a simple hat but reversible and very easy to make.

Pattern:  heavily improvised

Yarn:  fun fur of some sort, in my stash

Needle Size:  size 8 circular

Notes:  not much more to say about this, because I've made soooo many of them!

We had another crazy weekend of spending time with friends at various parties and now it's the middle of the week.  Last night we headed to the New York Botanical Garden's Train Show with neighborhood friends and their kids.  I've been wanting to go to this for several years now and it's just never worked out, so I'm happy that the tickets were purchased we went, despite how cold it was.

One of the nesting dolls that I ordered:

matryoshka dolls

My obsession this holiday season is with the matryoshka doll.  Actually, I've been obsessed with these little dolls for quite awhile, but this year I've seen them everywhere, from traditional to non-traditional themes.  My grandmother had a set, very similar to the first picture below.  I used to play with it constantly when I visited.

Some favorites I've seen in the midst of my holiday shopping.  I did buy two different ones for each little lady's stocking.

from Golden Cockerel

 

From CB2

from Perpetual Kid

from eCrater

 

festive fall decorations

I've been perusing the Web for inspiration for an upcoming outdoor Halloween party in the neighborhood, and for our house as well.  I should have known that all signs would  point to Martha Stewart, I'm sure partially because the photography is so inspirational!

A few of my faves from her Halloween Central...

Love these, but that glitter is such a mess!

 

vertical garden, take 2

Remember this, well my FIL whipped up the small box for me and a much larger one for the back of our house.  Just need to figure out transporting the larger one to our house. 

Plants for the box

In bloom, already.  It seems so early!

The haircut I gave our Hydrangea in the fall really seems to have revived it.  Little buds are covering the entire shrub.

I've spent the past two days trying to catch up and get organized for next week.  Monday is my surgery and I've been scrambling with my to-do list.  The biggest thing being cleaning up our guest room for my Mother, so she has a place to sleep.  It's become a dumping ground for clothing that Chloe and Phoebe have outgrown.  The good news is that I now have about 4 bags of clothing to split among friends and the Red Cross.  

And two pictures from our trip.  I love it when the light comes together with the photograph and little, if any, editing is required.  Of course, to be so young and wrinkle free with smooth skin also helps ;-)

blue or red?

I'm in search of new oilcloth for the seats of our vintage wrought iron table and can't decide which way to go, but I have narrowed it down to these two choices.  The old ones were a boring red check, but have have faded and I want something with a bit more zip.  Anyone have an opinion?

Here's what the table looks like:

And after five years of dreaming of cedar shed, we finally bit the bullet. (That's not me and not our backyard - pictures to come!)

find(s) of the week

This rod from Ikea is ingenious!  I've seen it on a few sites out there, like ohdeedoh and finally took the $14 plunge.

It's actually a curtain wire system called Dignitet.  (Everytime I say that name all I can think of is Owen Wilson's character in Bottle Rocket) 

The wire is adjustable, so you can customize it to the size of your wall.  If you don't have an Ikea near you, I'm pretty sure you can order it online.

And...drumroll...my favorite free find of the day, is the inside of this box from Piperlime!  The entire inside of the box is covered with these bright, cheery limes!

How cool is this?  I'm going to save it and use it for the little pink cardboard house I plan on constructing very soon.  I thought it might make cute shutters or something. 

find of the week

I saw this little kit a few weeks ago at AC Moore and bought it.  Good thing I did because I can't seem to find another one anywhere.  It's minature village scene with the 'ingredients' to make it yourself.  Super cute.  Might even be able to get Chloe to help me put it together.  There were a few other kits as well, but I can't seem to locate them anywhere online.  Boohoo.

Also, I'm a sucker for all of the marketing material from Terrain.  I love the Dogwoods on the bag.

terrain

We went on a bit of a field trip earlier in the week.  This place is so cool and inspiring!

The people from Anthropologie bought an established nursery and transformed it with their crafty spin on things. - Terrain at Styer's.  Apparently they were set to do this in several key markets, but then the ecomony tanked and expansion plans were squashed.

It's kind of a weird in-between season right now, so not a lot was out.  Still, I loved it and have so many ideas after the visit.

How sweet are the itty bitty pine cones on top of the pebbles? 

I just love the Magnolia leaves - their color and texture are my latest obsession.

pizzazz

Now that the weather is getting a little cooler, Chloe's in school for longer days and I'm in the house, I'm starting a mental checklist of things I want to get done inside.  Our house could really use a interior paint job.  We painted all the rooms when we moved in, but since then we've done lots of work.  Lots of work that's created dings and marks in the walls.   Oh, and also, the occasional coffee accident that  creates splash marks everywhere.   I'm sure no one but myself notices dings, marks and splashes, but they're really starting to bother me!   

Check out this cool tutorial over on Etsy about how to make a felt pillow with rosettes.  I love the orange, so festive and fall-ish.  I have a pile of felt left over from last Christmas that could finally be put to use...

Pattern:  Bold Banded Mittens, from Adorable Knits for Tots, by Zoe Mellor
Yarn: Needles: Size 8 circular

Size: 3-4 years

Notes:  These are a gift for one of Chloe's friends.  I think I might add a flower to the front of them to pump up the bling.  Those four year old girls are bananas about bling. 

If you happen to be a power knitter you could easily finish these in an evening.  Also, I skipped the stripes in the pattern.

I had an unusual (at least these days) creative burst yesterday and cut three pairs of pants for Phoebe from fabric in my stash.  I'm hoping to sew them up over the weekend.  I love the corduroy and am considering buying  a bit more to make a skirt for Chloe.