My space. My rules.

Although this isn't exactly our problem in the kitchen, I thought Hannah Rosin's article was an interesting take on the phenomena of men in the kitchen. I'm not sure if all this is news. The idea of men defining themselves as chefs and women defining themselves as cooks doesn't seem to be all that groundbreaking. Nevertheless, she alluded to a few Wooten heroes... although perhaps not as heroes.

(I must confess I'm the one who hovers and checks his work in our house. I'm the kitchen diva. I got seriously annoyed last night when he wasn't folding a paper towel right. There was dramatic sighing and toe tapping involved.)

Paris Pictures and Prosciutto

I stumbled across the blog Ms. Adventures in Italy this morning and this really wonderful post. Check out her pictures. I loved every single one, each for a different reason.

Also, if you like pig from Parma, you might find her post on this interesting. I did.

Lonny Images to Love

Wallpaper to spite Carter ;)




Fun metallic-etched journal


The prettiest bra ever?



Mason Gray beauty to be tucked away for inspiration later



Too cool T

Newsies

I was mildly obsessed with the musical Newsies when I was in... high school. I knew the characters. I knew the songs. I might have known the dances. Shut up.

It came to mind again a few weeks ago when Carter used some turn of phrase. It must have been when we were going to NYC or just back or something b/c I began to shout the line (spoken by Vinny of Doogie Howser) when he says "That's what so great about New York!" and then promptly slaps the table. (I could be wrong, but I think it's just before the famous number "I'm the King of New York.") Naturally, I revived this phrase and accompanying gesture and began applying it as often as possible. I do it in my New York accent, and as everyone knows, I have a real talent for accents and imitation. I am regularly asked to do my remarkable Harry Potter rendition.

Anyway, all this to come around to the point that I'm hawking a publication of great esteem in this post. The December Lonny is available now, so get the lead out, don't be a scabber, and don't forget Santa Fe. That doesn't even make sense. I know. I just wanted to indulge in a little Newsies nostalgia.

Get your fix:

Seize the Day

Santa Fe

Carrying the Banner

King of New York

Query

What should I get for my 6 year old second cousin for Christmas? He likes sports, and I like spending less than $15 for children's gifts.

As someone who doesn't have kids and who is not yet acclimated to the cacophony that surrounds kids, I also have an issue with toys that require batteries. I don't like loud, persistent noises. Why do they (the toys not the kids) all make noises? What if I go visit them, and he's playing with my toy? I don't want to have to listen to it squalling. I like to give blocks and baseballs and books as gifts. That way it's a gift to everyone.

Should I just go to Academy and be done with it? I need to go anyway for other fatherly gifts. Oh, the dread of driving on Bryant Irvin and parking in the cold and shuffling around under florescent lights in my work shoes and searching everywhere for something and finally asking a clerk for help and gettting distracted by all their cute coordinating workout clothes and realizing I go to the gym in stretched out yoga pants and a paint-splattered "Everman Cheerleading" sweatshirt and then feeling like a fat slob and then seriously considering buying a basketball goal to put on the garage and then laughing at that ridiculous idea and then wondering why I'm still in Academy and why don't I just go home because I hate that place. Who doesn't dread going to Academy?

Well, I guess my dad loves it. Of course. It's like going to Forever 21 for my dad. (I'm assuming.) Cabella's would be like going to Anthropologie for him, but Academy, that's more comparable to Forever 21 or Target's clothes department. The first is probably more exciting for us in that we can actually walk out with some loot, but the second, we're probably just looking and finding inspiration. Or spending a gift card. I just had this vision of a split screen with me dancing through Anthropologie and then wrapping up in pink velvet curtains on one side and my dad running through Cabella's and wrapping up in a smelly camo tarp on the other side. I feel like that idea is the stuff of commercials, but it is hilarious to me right now.

I actually feel like I've only gotten my dad three types of gifts my entire life: ties, Cabella's gift cards, and donations to charitable organizations. I had about a decade of ties when I was young. Then about a decade of Cabella's, and now we're moving into charitable donations.

I find man gifts to be impossible.

Bar Carts

We're turning our vintage tea trolley into what I've been lovingly calling a bar cart because bar carts seem to be everywhere lately. They do seem to be the most portable and versatile pieces of furniture ever. Check out the post by Habitually Chic who has collected bar cart images from Lonny, Veranda, Domino and apparently everywhere else in the world. The one above is my favorite, but I'm a sucker for bamboo.

In the Garage

We have been getting busy with a few of our auction pieces. We have a chair that we're trying to reinvent as something like this. Don't you love white caning?


and a dresser that was recently reborn in something similar to Lost Oasis by Pratt & Lambert.




Images borrowed from my hero, Little Green Notebook.

We've spoken to Chiffonier on Camp Bowie about placing some of our pieces and rumor has it we're in talks with Stella's on Bluebonnet Circle as well. Nothing's decided yet, but hopefully, I'll post soon where we end up settling.