I wish I had some roots

Then I'd have a home base where all my old things would be permanently instead of everything being split between 2 continents, all haphazardly divided by mom & dad...

When I was about 10 and still living in California my dad went to an estate sale and came back with beautiful a old Russian lacquered hinged box for me. It was black, with a snow scene on the front. A couple in a troika pulled by a red horse. I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT IS!!

So I went in search of some. Ebay has some ridiculously expensive ones but Etsy has proven once again to be an awesome resource:

This one features a woman weaving.

This is a small container with flowers

Beautiful design - I'm looking for some more similar to the first one, with the detail and filigree at the edges. These look like they're a good size but they are actually TINY. The one I had was about 6 inches square. I desperately need jewelry organization so I'm looking at these and also some tiered vintage dessert trays.

Here are some other ideas...

Inlaid box from Syria

Antique bank box
This would also be a good container to put all my knitting needles.

Tiny Vessels, and not the DCFC song

Early American tripod bowl from VintageHomeRecycled on Etsy. The cutest candy bowl ever.

Wonderful handblown splash vase flaked in 24K gold. Splash-shlager? By JessieCGlass on Etsy.

Adorable set of vintage egg cups by polkadotHOME on Etsy. I might actually use these but they'd be so cute on a windowsill.

Set of Fire King glass custard cups from marianneclare on Etsy. So cute as prep bowls or to set pudding/panna cotta in.

Best for last - Koubi cups by ceramikb on Etsy. Earthy yet graceful - you can feel this already warming in your hand, no?

Mudstuff on Etsy

Siamese Mouse

Rhino Baby

Little Mouse/Tiny Mouse

Good Times/Bad Times Baby

Mudstuff was featured on Etsy's front page today. Honestly - if it weren't for the "Handpicked Items" I wouldn't be able to find half of the awesome shit I've seen. These little sculptures are all made of concrete and then stained by MUD in Seattle, WA.

Slightly creepy - I love every piece, especially the rhino baby and Siamese mice.

Oh damn...

Look what I found!

Awesome vintage racehorse toys from BROOKLYNrehab on Etsy. Remind me of those arcade games at carnivals and country fairs where you roll rubber balls into holes to make the horses bob towards the finish line...


Porcelain nuts and a trio of mini forest animals by kg + ab on Etsy. And also sometimes at the Brooklyn Flea! I love that these are completely white. They stand out. I especially love the little fox, with his tail sticking up!



Loch Ness monster on wheels, a heart factory, a cloud factory. By PearsonMaron on Etsy.

Son of a bitch!

These adorable miniature ceramic houses are made by thelittelreddoor on Etsy. I think I need a little row of these on my bookshelf, no? Totes precious against a golden yellow. Yes, I think so. Now to find mini ceramic animals.

Blarrrgh

New jewelry up at my Etsy site. Please check it out and pass it along to friends! Etsy is great if you know what you're looking for but I think most things get lost in the mess. So please, spread the word for me.

I had a horrible sinus infection that started Saturday. We're guessing it happened when Alex took the medicine cabinet out of the wall and a shitstorm of moldy, mildewy air started blowing into the apartment. I spent all day yesterday in bed asleep. Much better today although it feels like eagles clawed their way out of my lungs all night. Tattered airways. Awesome! The only good thing about it was that I used it as an excuse to eat spoonfuls of honey all day to stop the coughing.

ZOMG

These pillows by GoBuggyGo on Etsy! I cannot think of a more perfect addition to our home than these meat pillows. Educational too! I'm not keen on the "country" print of the fabric but these look simple enough. Or maybe they will do a custom order.

Awesomeness.

Last night in the old apartment. ALMOST all packed. I'm at the point now where I've said "F it," I will just move all the loose bits up little by little.

Watched Fritz Lang's Metropolis at BAM today with live band 3epkano doing the acompaniment. It was a pretty awesome experience - I've only seen the Giorgio Moroder version, with some of the film painted over in red-yellow-green-blue so the original compositions of the band were a little weird at first. The music was beautiful though and having a live band during the movie was a first for me. Question: Why does BAM keep their movie theaters at freezing temperature???

After dinner I went for a late night run. I know I have to move tomorrow but I am also trying to run twice a week and I missed the 2nd time. I would really love a cup of hot tea right now but stupid Keyspan turned off the gas!

Tea for one

I've been searching vintage tea cups on Etsy (surprise!) as I drink tea almost every day but have been using a giant coffee mug to drink out of. These are so pretty:

From the Nostalgia Shop, vintage. Also in pink, sold as a set.

From forestofice, vintage

From Leaf Design, vintage

Then I stumbled across Louche Lab, from Brooklyn. I must be psychic because a lot of things I am drawn to are made locally! Here are some of her pieces:

Seahorse and octopus tea cup set with saucers. P-p-p-precious!

Japanese style tea cups

Tapas plates with sea life

I love how simple they are and they look like watercolor paintings - my favorite medium for its versatility and transparency.

Home sweet floor

So I'm driving myself crazy with this move coming up. Not from the packing, but from design ideas! So bear with me, this will have an interior design slant of sorts for the next few months.

Here are my ideas so far...
For the bedroom & connected bathroom, I want the beach. A flax/khaki down comforter and apricot jersey bedding. Bright blue, peacock and yellow linens.


All bedding from The Company Store, where all my current linens are from. Very well made and they always have great sales.
I saw this pretty garland on Etsy by Sepia Art Studio...

...but then I realized I was basically going to be paying $25 for twine & rags. So I will make my own as I too have twine and beads and can get seashells for a buck or so via Etsy, my latest addiction.

I'm on the hunt for photos of surfers, the beach and underwater things. Also hollowed out sea urchin shells and things in shades of sea glass and sand. Since it will also be my work area I want it to be calming.

In the kitchen and dining area I'm thinking of a southwest theme with a little Dia de los Muertos thrown in:


This is from Gothic Cabinet Craft. I really wanted an old vintage farmhouse table but the prices were exorbitant. Add "reclaimed" to any piece of furniture and it automatically triples in price! The design is pretty typical which is why I would get it in the distressed green finish. We have space big enough for this which is exciting. No more eating in front of the TV! As for chairs we will pick those up as we go - they're easier to bring home from flea markets and mismatched ones are ok.


I have always loved these tissue banners. These are by Ay Mujer! on Etsy, handcut and she also does custom orders.


I like how the wood comes through. If you look at other photos you can see that it is on a house-shaped piece of wood with a tin roof that has scalloped edges. And the pink is a nice pale shade too! By Aeonia.


Another Etsy find, by DavidM9637. This will be great in the kitchen as a spice rack and place to hang my aprons.

As for dinnerware...
I'm finding a couple of sellers on eBay and Etsy who have small collections of these cheerful Marimekko dinner plates. They're being sold 2 and 3 at a time so I have to be patient and collect them all

I also love love love these Spin Art plates (called the Right Rounds) by Nuno Studio of Brooklyn! She does great work, like lavender plates with armadillos or white plates with turquoise line drawings of bivalves.

And that's just the beginning. Exciting but daunting at the same time!

Nesting

Just in time for the winter season, Alex linked me to this awesome, amazing Flickr set by hansigurumi who is an ace knitter. Mostly sea creatures, she sells patterns on her etsy shop. I can only hope to finish even the simplest one. Here are some of my favorites:

Jellyfish

Fugu (pufferfish, puffed and unpuffed)

Seahorses!

Nautilus :)

Today at Huckleberry Bar, Stevie Rose is having a jewelry trunk show. After that I will head up to Greenpoint to see Deb and friends at the studio sale at Bonbon Oiseau. More details on her blog - she's having a raffle where the proceeds will benefit the Food Bank of NY. Please check it out!

Etsy finds

Hand-carved geode rings from Zula Surfing Designs on Etsy. I adore these. When we were younger my brother and I were avid semi-precious stone collectors. This is a throwback to that time, and they also make fabulous, unique cocktail rings.

Etsy is a big pain in the ass to search through but when you find the real gems, it's a good good thing.