words to live by - map wall art!

i'm pretty obsessed with 30 rock. i want to be best friends with liz lemon. better yet, tina fey. we could be best friends. we could!

this project is definitely lemon inspired. "i want to go to there" is usually uttered not re: a place, but (as joselyn so aptly put it) re: jon hamm. and i honestly couldn't agree more. still, the quote looks nice on a map, so here's some super cheap fairly fun wall art:

did i mention travel is among my other obsessions? 

you should obsess too:

valentimes

i had the hardest time finding a valentine to make this year. i nearly went out and bought something cute and letterpress, but then i saw this. tea? in a card? yes please. thanks again, ds, for saving me some money.

inside left:

all wrapped up:

instead of muslin i used those flat cone-shaped coffee filters. i'm not sure they'll mail well, hopefully there's minimal mistreatment/tearing/exploding etc.. i would much prefer muslin, but my stash is all currently devoted to a duvet project (more on that tragedy later). the tea is super tasty and from a tea place down the block. i think the rose petal is a nice touch for saint v's big day.

once i wrap my head around how to glue a doily to craft paper without getting glue everywhere, friends can expect something oversized and ridiculous (because that's what i want sent to me, ahem).

happy saint valentine's!

mail call - stenciled bag

every time i leave the office to get the mail, i wish i had a bag. we usually have a pile of outgoing letters and even more incoming. the p.o. box is usually stuffed with catalogs and magazines, and i tend to drop ten things before i get back to my car. and i usually misplace the box key. i've been known to take it home for a long weekend every once in a while, wash it in my jeans, etc... well, no more! behold, the mail bag:

i made it with a super easy stenciling method.

here's the how-to:

the case of the missing wooden earring

i bought these earrings last summer while on a road trip with a friend. they're made of redwood and have what must be a nonstandard sized post - because the backs are impossible to replace, everything is too big. needless to say, i lost one and haven't been able to wear them everyday. pretty heartbreaking.

to remedy the situation, i've made a few new pairs. they're not redwood, but i think i might prefer the fine grain douglas fir look. and they could always be stained...

here's the how-to: