bricolagelife

shop update: vintage bernstock/speirs hat

bernstock/speirs circa 1989... in the shop! 

i'm sewing like a fiend today on a very important project, but enjoy this lovely shop update (and link to the creative duo who made this hat) while i work away :)

shop update: little ida bohatta xmas prints

 

 

i know. it's not even halloween yet and believe me - i'm not one who likes to push the season. but this is etsy, an international marketplace, and lots of people like to get their holiday shopping done early to beat the rush and crush of wrapping and shipping. so, ho-ho-ho! i will be stocking the virtual shelves at daisy chain vintage with charming xmas treasures in the days and weeks ahead.

i adore these sweet little christmas images. ida bohatta's tender feelings about the season are evident in each detail. printed in the 1930s on a seven color press that no longer exists, these rare dainty cards are available in limited quantities. what wonderful gifts they would be for a beloved teacher, a neighbor, a godchild, a dear friend... or anyone who collects christmas ephemera or children's book illustration artwork. they are perfectly lovely in a little frame to be displayed and loved for many christmases to come.

enjoy shopping from home in your pjs... there are only eight and a half weeks until xmas!

see what i see: golden autumn in polaroids

 

 

found photos :: bobs for everyone!

it's friday again and time to take a look at another found photo from my collection.  

this one is particularly apropos because i am having my own mop chopped this very day. it is my first professional haircut in sixteen months and as i consider my options i wonder if it is time for a change. i think i've worn every possible variety of bob over the course of my many years of altered hair styles. realizing that the bob has become my security blanket makes me think it might be time for a crew cut. or perhaps something slightly less severe...

i also am aware of a buzz of anxiety deep in my chest every time i think of the impending appointment. i have no fear of having my hair cut. lee ann is a pro and always exceeds my expectations. it is the prospect of sitting in front of a mirror for a solid hour that sends shivers up my spine. it's just cruel, really. maybe i can talk her into spinning me around like nick arrojo did on what not to wear... it can't hurt to ask :)

mini road trip: milwaukee art museum

 

 

 

 

milwaukee art museum

 

alterra coffeehouse

a very good day. 

big flavors: dutch baby and a side of bacon

i was just thinking last night about giving comfort.  everyone needs it sometimes and everyone needs a different kind.  i'm the sort of person who wants to fork over just the right dose of comfort when someone i care for needs some.  is it big warm hug, a cup of tea, a safe place to land, a good laugh or a sympathetic ear that's called for?  i don't always know for sure but i do what i can.  

when i found myself in need of a little comfort today i ended up in an old familiar place i hadn't been to in years.  the long curved counter with the row of swiveling stools, the smell of coffee brewing and the gleam of the harvest gold vinyl upholstery calmed me the moment we walked thru the door.

we shared a side order of bacon and two styles of pancakes.  the coffee (with real cream) tasted exactly as i remembered it.  the magic of melting butter with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a spoonful of blackberry preserves worked as well as it used to.

 

it seems that every so often the right form of comfort presents itself at just the right moment.  even when you weren't asking for it.  the frustrations, anxieties and thwarted intentions melt away as someone you love passes you one of their potato pancakes and reaches across the table for a bit of the giant popover on your plate.

 

works for me.

dutch baby

potato pancakes

making stuff: fairly new collages

chocolate mousse cowl

 

an orchid and a headful of curls

 

suit made of skyline

oh, monday.  it is not yet 11am and it is already looking like it's going to be one of those days. frustration at every turn.  ugh.

so i leave you with a few recent collages.  

and this, which always raises my spirits.  and i can't get it out of my head.

thinking about... apple pie

 

 

first we think about apples.  then we discuss them.  then we buy a few, taste them, (photograph them) talk some more about that pie we intend to make.  it's on our minds.  and it should be in our oven some time next week.

tis the season :)

all about apples

they're good for you

apple pie

apple crisp

apple tart

found photos :: hanging

you know they thought this was hilarious.

see more fun found photos here.

making stuff: that endless to-do list

my to-do list for the next few days includes completing an embroidery project, beginning a new one, shooting holiday treasures for my vintage etsy shop, ordering new prints for my other etsy shop and purchasing fabric for a slipcover i will then cut out and sew for a friend.  i'll be sneaking in some physical therapy for my knee and back, an early morning trip to a nearby rummage sale, frozen pizza night with my guy and a stroll around a girlfriend's neighborhood as well.

i've already printed and cut a pile of new stickers and labels for my shipping department and it's not even one o'clock yet :)

last night i loved seeing jane sassaman's quilts in the tree studios building (thanks lb).

hope you have lots of fun stuff planned for your weekend, too!