a new spring?

Driving home from the bank yesterday morning, I was so excited to spot a lawn and garden shop with huge bags of peat moss sitting next to the store's entrance...

For one, it reminded me of my old elementary school art teacher. Her name was Mrs. Moss, and my brother and I used to joke around saying that her husband's name was probably Pete. (It seemed so hilarious back then. It really only deserves a smirk now, but oh, childhood!) Seeing those bags also reminded me that spring is coming! Though I have had such a pleasant first winter living in Philadelphia, I am so excited for spring, new growth, walking around outside again! The black, sludgy snow hasn't been very conducive for taking photos. And I've just been too wimpy to brave the outside cold.

I'd like to stop taking pictures of our cat for a little while. Being inside all the time, he's been the most interesting thing around...

He is cute though, isn't he?

Another thing that has me all excited about Spring is this dress from Anthropologie! It only has me excited in my dreams though... it's a bit pricey. But so perfect and springlike!

Doesn't it just make you want to have a garden party? So much to look forward to this coming season!

a wedding gift... shh!

Adam, a good friend of mine, is getting married the first weekend of March. As a wedding gift, I decided to make them a couple of home-made throw pillows to match the bedding that was listed on their registry. Hannah, his wife-to-be, has great taste and picked out this cute bedding...

It took a little bit of thought and a few trips to the fabric store, so I'm hoping that these end up working out for them...

After seeing them in pictures, I think they both need a little more stuffing, so that will be the project for tonight. It was fun (and a little scary) trying to come up with something specifically for someone else, so hopefully it'll work out.

As part of the wedding gift, they'll receive the pillows in a basket along with a bottle of wine from Honig, which is probably our favorite winery that we visited in Napa.

I hope they'll like it. (Don't worry... I don't think they'll see it on here beforehand. But, if so, hope you like it!) I'm so excited to make the trip out to Ohio in a few weeks to see them and my other far-away friends!

Home Things...

Finally, after months of not knowing what to do with one HUGE white wall in our living room, I found an idea! Actually, as of yesterday, I have two or three ideas... but wanted to share this one first.

From Pottery Barn, this interesting canvas:



Not our living room:

a picture...

Random's such a great test subject--he always looks beautiful and he poses so nicely for the camera...

A New Purse

For the past few days, I've been working on creating a new purse...

Taking these materials:

This is what I came up with:

Inside view:

It's not perfect, but I think it's REALLY cute. I'm learning quite a lot from just winging it and seeing what turns out. However, I'm discovering that I should probably learn how to read a pattern and see how things are actually supposed to be pieced together. I ran into a few little dilemmas of not knowing how to go about things best (specifically, sewing the lining into the outer shell). My solution worked--at least better than the first purse I made)--however, I know there has to be a better (and less risky) way of doing things.

But, for now, I'm happy to have learned a few things...and I have a cute new purse to show for it...