Ahhhh . . . and Tweet!

I just got back from a totally amazing morning at Betty's Bath and Day Spa and I am blissed out to the point that some might think I am on drugs (so thanks, Mom, for the birthday present!).

It's probably better not to write too much in this state, so I thought I would share some amazing photographs from John&Fish in Taipei, Taiwan. They were kind enough to let me share some here, and their captures of birds are just amazing. You should really visit their page, though, because there are many more beautiful shots.

Alright. As I predicted, I'm rambling. Here are some more:

Flickr Favorites 11

1. robin egg blue entrance.JPG, 2. Untitled

Friday Finds: Canary Dress

If I had several hundred dollars to blow, it would be on this gorge canary yellow, silk chiffon dress by Holly Stadler. And I bet it would be worth every penny.

Printing By Hand by Lena Corwin

I've been debating a lot about learning how to silkscreen, as well as getting back into personal projects for myself and for our home rather than focusing so much on the shop. My dad bought me Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens by Lena Corwin for Christmas, and it includes lovely projects in a variety of printing methods.

So many craft books have either excellent instructions or inspiring, beautifully styled photos and projects. Printing By Hand has both, which is a large part of the reason I like it. While I have yet to try a project, I found Corwin's directions to be clear and full of helpful tips, and the photos of actual steps are just as beautifully photographed as the finished products. She also encloses copies of the artwork she used for each project, but also includes tips for your own experimentation.

Here is a picture of one project I want to try, the contact paper-stenciled dresser. What a fabulous way to pretty up some thrifted furniture. It would look so sweet in a nursery:

There are also some amazing screenprinted sheets, and a stenciled wall, and well, I could go on and on. The good thing is that Corwin also balances the book out with a lot of smaller, doable-in-a-weekend projects. If I try any soon, I will let you know how they go!

In All His Stinky Glory

This is just a quick note to say that after spending time creating the perfect mix of potting mix, lime, and organic fertilizer yesterday afternoon, and then carefully planting two rows of spinach and Swiss chard . . . I looked out into the backyard to see Chesney chowing down. His little beard was covered with dirt and he was in his absolute stinky glory. He probably would have jumped into the Earth Box and rolled around a bit if I had not caught him.

I guess I'm grateful we used organic fertilizer, because he didn't get sick at all. But sometimes I could strangle that dog. Eight years old, and he's still never outgrown the puppy stage.