Hidden In France

A very Californian Christmas

I'm putting my frowny Christmas face on hold for a minute. Thank you Isa, the hike in the gorgeous Santa Monica mountains, the California warmth, bright blue sky and funny gossips helped, as did Excedrin Migraine, the one and only.

 

(New slipcover on my ikea couch, ladies!  White coat of paint on the coffe table, a kite found for $12 at cost plus and voila my new décor.)

 

This afternoon I guiltily unpacked my teeny-tiny tree from its box in the garage.  I don't have ornaments so I made a few with whatever I had on hands and had tons of guilty fun doing it.

Yes my friends, this year again is another botched attempt at reconciling Christmas and Hanukkah in my head and feeling guilty in two religions.  

I laugh at this... our dog manages to be in every picture but I don't see it until later. Maybe she was signaling to me that the broom was also going to be in the picture. Ah!

I made those with silk paper and styrofoam...call me Martha. And was careful to put the menora and the tree in separate rooms so that they don't have to look at each other.

My husband is not with us for Christmas. No sweat off his back as he does not wring his hands over religious holiday identity as I do... and has the nerve to be out of state working on a documentary of poverty in America, thus totaly robbing me of my right to feel sorry for myself at Christmas time. Grrr.

I wish you all a happy, merry, holy everything lovely.

Textile animals

The perfect pet perhaps? No shedding, no dandruff, no farts bad enough to make you run out of the room screaming. Food bill: zero and you get to recycle those old pjs.

Those textile animals are for sale in the loveliest shop you ever saw in West Sussex Pretty Scruffy (some of them available on BigCartel)  All of this via the beautiful Kickcan and Conkers.

 

On a personal note:  how am I supposed to concentrate when this is going on in the background?

 

I bet those textile dogs don't dream as big and loud as mine :)

Meltdown alert

First art, then angst if you have the patience.

I luuurve this... the artist is Jennifer Mercede and you can buy her work on Etsy 

ha! I really enjoyed posting such a looong image :))

Fantastic!

So fun!!!

had such a weird week, people.... which led me today to take my first yoga class in a year.  Badly needed. My spine is in rigor mortis over here. When i want to look to the right I have to bring the whole body with it, feet and all.

Here are a few things that took place in the last week, not in order of importance.

I bought everything to furnish an apartment in Portland where my family will be commuting for the next four months.  I mapped out everything, noted all the weirdo Swedish names and bought everything down to the potato peeler, trash cans, beds and bedding at Ikea.  It was all purchased on Saturday and it was delivered in another state the next day. Merci Ikea Portland, you rock! The budget was under $2500. When the production is over we will donate it all to a woman shelter. It feels so much better than renting furniture, and we won't be basking on Formaldehyde. 

I hosted a dinner party that same saturday but first had the meltdown of the century. My eyes were puffier than my gougères.

I had a huge fight (a mezza voce one which in a way was hilarious looking back on it) with a librarian when I returned my library books.  This was a week ago and the books are now MISSING! Do you think it is possible retaliation? Could people do these kinds of things?  In fact they do. That asshole better not mess with me.  YOU DO NOT MESS WITH ME...  or else i cry really really loud. (i'm known to do that)

And on Sunday my husband left for Portland so now it's just me and my boy at home. I do not like :((((

Voila my friends.  Once again I have demonstrated a total lack of sang froid in the face of change and medium-to-low adversity. The plan is to handle it better next time.

 

winner of the giveaway

The winner of the giveaway of Isabelle Bryer's art I hosted here is... drumroll...

Jenny LLoyd !!!!*

Congratulations Jenny... who happens to be an artist herself. Here is her website,  and here is a little window into her beautiful art:

Hmm... I wonder why she would like Isabelle Bryer's art?! ....and want to win something like this:

Make sure to subscribe to Isabelle Bryer's blog and sign up to receive her emails because she will have more giveaways in the future and has a promotion going right now on Etsy. 

**i'm mighty proud of my color effects.  I'm totally an artist too!  (not)