New Bird On The Block No. 29 to infinity and beyond

I have not yet caught the IFC original series Portlandia, but my dad sent me the link to this NPR story on it, with specific instructions to “watch the bird video”. It is a hilarious parody of how a design trend can go awry. 

My poor little birdies, I still love them, even if they are doomed to become passé.

PS – It’s snowing. Again.

New Bird On The Block No. 28 chirps farewell to 2010

Seven Thirty. Collage on paper, 4″ x 4″, 06.10.10, by Randel Plowman

I have long coveted many pieces by Randel Plowman of A Collage A Day. Sadly they are usually scooped up by the time I click over to his site from an email or Google Reader. So I made haste when he announced his sale on orphaned collages (sale priced? with matting? and free shipping? sign me up!). I was shocked to see a few bird ones among the orphans. Of course my favorite was already sold by the time I clicked on it, but after a little digging I found the beauty above and made him mine. He arrived on Wednesday and is sitting in a place of honor on the curio cabinet, awaiting a frame.

With so many blogs and sites to read on the interwebz I am constantly thrilled and humbled that you are here. As we bid adieu to 2010 I wish you a New Year filled with all good things, and when you count your blessings and your friends, may you find you are “the richest man in town”.

Fall Swap Booty!

Wednesday was a tough day (actually the last 4 weeks have been tough, tons of work prepping for three big conferences coming in the next 5 weeks, lots of travel, ignoring everything and everyone except working and sleeping, blah blah blah (sorry BF, family, dear friends, cats, your blog, for being so neglectful)). A long 12-hour day at work, lots of big and little fires getting put out, no time for lunch, and then at the end of the day we find out Kelly the Fab Assistant (who recently got promoted so she is Assistant no more, yay!) had her car broken into in our parking lot, for the second time in two months. It was just a poopie day all around.

But then I got home and there was a big box waiting for me…

And inside were all kinds of amazing goodies from the lovely and talented Raina… my swap-ee in The Claw’s Fall Swap Party…

Many of them with a birdy theme – magnets, soap, napkins, makeup case… Hmmm, however did she know I like birdies?…  ;-)

And BTW Raina did you know two things I am mildly obsessed with are fancy soaps and cocktail napkins? Seriously, I have an entire drawer in the buffet solely for cocktail napkins. Thankfully I actually have people over for cocktails or it would seem like one of those weird hoarding things.

{Zoe approves of the pillow. Don’t let that “Village of The Damned” look fool you, she’s a real pussycat.}

Thank you, thank you, my lovely bloggy friend, for all the beautiful goodies!

My Swap recipient was Le Claw Sherri herself, and I sent her a box o’ Connecticut goodies, possibly committing a felony in the process.

New birds on the block No. 26, literally

These baby robins are living in the rhododendron bush in front of my parents' house. Aren't they cute?

I'm just worried that the nest is so low, it's like a buffet for a wandering cat....

{pics by my dad}

New bird on the block No. 25

Two of my favorite things: birds and purses! Swoony swoon swoon. This would look great with the new LBD I bought for Meg & Mo's wedding. Or gray wool pants and a black sweater. Or a tan linen dress in summer. Or jeans. Etc., etc. Swoony.

Love Bird Clutch by Noah, available here.

New bird on the block No. 24

{detail from Enchanted Forest collection by Wedding Paper Divas}

I'm helping Meg & Mo plan their wedding -- which is in just a few weeks -- and I swooned when I saw this birdie and his friends on the short list of invite designs. Happily he made the final cut.

No Bridezilla shenanigans or agonizing over details for months for these two, just a simple affair for a few dozen family and close friends at a wonderful restaurant downtown. Champagne, then the ceremony, then cocktails and eats. My kind of party!

New bird on the block No. 23 and a visit to the farmers market

{Wonderful hand-made soap from Susan Parks at Rich Valley Farm in Stafford Springs, CT. It has a fresh, spicy scent and rich, creamy feel thanks to all the goat milk from Scooter and Olive (pictured below) and their friends.}

On Sunday, Marie-Louise from Cottage Industries and I went to the Coventry Farmers Market, a festive and busy weekly organic extravaganza on the bucolic grounds of the historic Nathan Hale Homestead (as in "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country"). We tried not to gorge ourselves on the best kettle corn in the world (it even says "Caution! Highly addictive substance!" on the package), bought veggies, fresh blue-ribbon pickles, big bunches of dahlias and homemade fudge. We also visited with Heather of Beauty That Moves and Paula of The Beading Tree; Marie-Louise will be blogging about them and their gorgeous handmade wares sometime this week. I did buy one of Heather's stylish dog collars for my neighbor's golden doodle Boddington, and admired all her pretty bags and pouches made from modern and vintage fabrics -- you can see some in her Etsy shop.

I love handmade soap and spent a good deal of time sniffing and savoring the delicious products at Susan Parks' booth. All her soaps are made with a goats milk or the hard-to-find egg yolk base, and use plenty of shea butter, soy and beeswax for silky rich lather.

{I'm a sucker for pretty packaging too, and all Susan's soaps are wrapped in white parchment with charming labels featuring unique and whimsical woodcuts.}

{Olive and Scooter were not at the farmers market but back at Rich Valley Farms enjoying the sunny day.}

{Top photo by me, all others from Susan's website}

New bird on the block No. 22

{Another Sweet Bird Tassel, by NestingPlace and available in her Etsy shop}

This may be the bird that breaks the camel's back, so to speak. When I first started these New Bird posts, it was a way that I could covet and enjoy all the little birdie things that catch my eye, without depleting my bank account. But this Sweet Bird Tassel, by Nesting Place, is divine, and may have to come and feather my nest. Nesting Place uses high end fringes, ribbons and trims to make "the prettiest things you'll never need." I love tassels and pipings and trims, they take your basic pillows, drapes, etc. to the next level. You can glam up the most humble Ikea linen curtains with ribbon trim or mini-tassels and an hour or so of straight sewing on the old Singer. And a tassel on a knob dresses up a door, dresser or sideboard nicely, while providing hours of enjoyment for the cat!

Many thanks to Julia at Hooked on Houses for leading me to The Nester's blog and subsequently her Etsy shop. If I buy all her tassels, I can blame Julia!

New bird on the blah-blah-block No. 21

{a lot of words, nothing to say, by corid}

I love this chatty bird, he reminds me of ME! I am always talking. I remember getting in trouble as early as kindergarten for too much talking (sorry Mrs. Massaro!). All my grammar school report cards said "Excellent work, talks too much in class".

You can buy a print of this birdy or some of his friends in Corid's Etsy shop. Thanks to Suzanne for introducing me to Corid via her blog S.HOPtalk.

New bird on the block Nos. 14 - 20 and then some

In an earlier post I mentioned that I had worked all weekend at Hopkins Vineyard, for their annual Barrel Tasting Festival. I used to work there every weekend about 8 years ago, and they always treated me like I was one of the family, so whenever they call and say they need a hand for a big event, I willingly trek the 50+ miles out to their end of the state and tie on the old apron. Working there -- even off and on -- gives me a renewed appreciation for those who make handcrafted products, run a family farm/wholesale/retail business, and deal with tourists on a regular basis. Remember that scene in Baby Boom where the posh New Yorkers come into the Vermont general store and marvel at the "trendy" flannel shirts and mason jars, condescend to the locals and then buy up all the homemade baby food? Yeah, that kind of thing really does happen. A lot.

In addition to the vineyard, tasting room, and wine bar, they have a retail shop where they sell so much more than just their (fantastic, award-winning) wine. Jams, sauces, cheeses, crackers, tea, candles, home goods, dishes, art, etc etc. Hilary (one of the owners) and Kathleen (the manager) have a wonderful eye for product trends and a keen sense of merchandising. Their attention to detail is fantastic, and they often incorporate flowers from the gardens surrounding the barn into their retail displays.

Imagine the heart palpitations that I had when I walked in and saw this little display:

Really, it was all I could do to keep myself from scooping it all into my trunk and taking off. I've lusted after the plates for a while, on Room Service Home. The salt and pepper shakers are adorable, and I did buy two of the copper bird votive holders (a tealight sits in the wire "nest").

It is hard to tell in this photo, but there is a free-form wire bird with a feather tail woven into this wire "cage".

This is my new favorite plant, a perennial that they are displaying like a house plant next to this antique lamp, Oxalis "Iron Cross". It looks like giant shamrocks with burgundy centers.

Upstairs in the anteroom of the wine bar is this lovely display of teas, incense, napkins, coasters and picnic-ware. Check out that silk umbrella!

Wouldn't an ice-cold mint julep taste great out of this thermos at your next picnic?

Sweet little owls on these Japanese tea cups.

More handmade pottery tea sets, tea tins and another great thermos. Lovely.

If you ever find yourself in the Northwest corner of Connecticut, I do recommend putting Hopkins on your list of places to visit. And if it is during one of their festivals, look for me at the back register.

New bird on the block No. 13 has been tagged

{Blue Bird Gift Tags from Ashleybug's Etsy shop}

This tag is cute, cute, cute, and so cheerful. Now, on to the other tag, sent by my best friend ML, whose birthday is tomorrow!

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. (Unlike ML, I follow directions.) Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

1998 - I was freaking out at turning 31 (30 did not bother me, but for some reason 31 did). I was working as a corporate event planner and contract rep in the commercial natural gas industry (i.e. the kind of company that supplies Your Local Gas Co), and since this was in the pre-Enron days, I had a huge budget and carte blanche to spend it. I was living in Litchfield County in a 1921 Craftsman Colonial whose charm still outweighed her monstrous reno needs (remember the Haney Place on Green Acres?), with a (soon to be ex) husband, two beagles, three cats and possibly a ghost (according to my friend Josephine). I was lead alto in my church choir, was avidly quilting and crafting, and was driving a 1990 Volvo 240DL station wagon with 100K miles on it (and adding 70 more miles a day with my commute).

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

Well, I took the day off since I worked all weekend at my friend's winery (I will have a huge post about this, with great pix, come back later), so this will be my day today:

1. Clean apartment, as it hasn't been done since before I left for Chicago and Cape Cod.

2. Go to new Penzeys Spices store to stock up on saffron and curry and whatever else tickles my fancy, and get inspired about what to cook for my Birthday Dinner Party on Friday.

3. Buy and plant annuals and herbs for window boxes on balcony.

4. Read Board pre-meeting package for Condo Association meeting tonight (yeah, I am the Queen of Procrastination).

5. Have BF come over and fix whatever I screwed up on new HDTV that makes the HD channels have a big black border around them, effectively turning what should be a 42" widescreen picture into a 32" widescreen picture (yes, I measured).

3) Snacks I enjoy:

1. Cheese. Any kind of cheese. Goat cheese, cheddar cheese, brie, swiss. Melted, sliced, grilled, shredded on garlic toast and popped under the broiler. Mixed into mashed potatoes. Cream cheese with spicy chutney. Fondue. Gorgonzola crumbled in a salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Cold ricotta spooned on hot elbow macaroni with peas and caramelized onions in chicken broth. Um, I guess I've digressed from "snack" to "entree"...

2. Chocolate

3. Olives. I used to hate them because I had been exposed to only canned black olives and green salad olives with pimentos. Then I tried kalamata olives and I was hooked on all kinds of olives. I love them as a snack, in salad, on a cheese tray (see above), or skewered on a pick and bathing in a Ketel One martini, dry, up.

4. Cherries, which are just coming into season. Mmmmm....

5. Ice cream. Between this and the cheese if I ever become lactose intolerant it will be the end of me.

6. Wine. I know it is not a "snack" but I do enjoy it!

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Quit my job and open my own business. Take Italian lessons in Italy. Rent a villa there for a month and fly my family over to enjoy it with me. Donate more generously to the charities that I think can actually effect change rather than just employ lobbyists and pay their CEOs monstrous salaries. Hire a personal trainer. Take painting lessons. Buy a cottage on a lake (or possibly the ocean, can't decide). Invest.

5) Places I have lived:

in order:

Bridgeport, CT

Milford, CT

New Rochelle, NY (college)

Milford, CT

Plymouth, CT

Hartford, CT

I did work in Manhattan after college, but I took the train...

6) Who I'm tagging:

First, I am miffed that ML tagged LittleByrd and Mrs. French before I could, but my list is so long it was hard to pick just 5 or 6 anyway.

1. Robin at A Little Bird Told Me. She is an amazing young woman who has lived a lot of years in a short period of time. She writes beautifully and pairs her posts with lovely and unexpected photos, and has cultivated a wonderful circle of friends.

2. Diana at Please Sir. She has a great sense of style and I always love her finds, her photos, and her comments.

3. Debby at She Knits by the Seashore. I first met Debby in real life at a bike event - her husband and my dad are biking buddies (she also bikes). Then I re-met her via my blog and in subsequent emails we found out how much we had in common, especially with regards to books and movies (particularly those of the British variety). I'm not a knitter, but she is prolific so she is picking up my slack.

4. Stacy at La Boudoir, and not just because I won a prize on her blog. Mostly because I think she will have some interesting answers to this tag, but after her trip to London & Paris I think she will have some really interesting answers to this tag, specifically Question 4 (that being said, Stacy if you do this tag you have to clarify the answers that are L&P inspired!).

5. Julie at Hooked on Houses, because I just found her blog and it is a great way for me to fulfill my need for voyeurism (of the "looking at other people's houses" variety) and want to share the joy.

6. My Mom, aka "Mumsie" in my comments, because she is wise and fabulous and one of my best friends. She doesn't have a blog but she likes to answer questions like these, so I will post her answers as a guest blog.

New birds on the block Nos. 11 and 12

{Robin's Egg Soaps by Gianna Rose, available at PT Bunny & Co.}

While technically not birds (yet) these egg soaps are adorable and smell great. They also come in a sweet little lotus bowl or an apothecary jar. I bought the jar version last year at a boutique in Roscoe Village (Chicago) while visiting my friend Julie. The jar had an unfortunate run in with one of my cats, so I now display them in an empty Bath & Bodyworks candle jar (recycling!).

{Nest Key Keeper from Room Service Home}

I like the mix of metal and wood, but I wonder if it would look as cute with my big black plastic car key/alarm and my jumble of office and home keys as it does with these vintage skeleton keys...

New birds on the block Nos. 9 and 10

{Birdie Mobile by spindesigns}

Mrs. French was loving this pretty mobile today, and it just so happened I was looking for some new birdies to post. I love the simplicity of silhouettes, and this design has simultaneously captured the whimsy of a vintage design with the spareness of a modern look. Plus there is some assembly required, so you get to feel crafty, like you made it yourself (well, if you happened to have some museum mat board and a laser cutter lying around). You can pick it up at SpinDesigns' Etsy shop.

{Michelle Jank dress, photo from Courtoture.com}

All Things Bright And Beautiful is another daily haunt, and she was obviously feeling my bird vibe today, as she posted this and other dresses by Australian designer Michelle Jank. A true flight of fancy, no?

New bird on the block No. 8

{Luella Bartley "Robin" shirt for Tonic}

Now here is a birdie who looks good and does good too. Do-good e-tailer TONIC has teamed up with British designer Luella Bartley to launch a limited-edition line of organic tees, each of which benefit a different global cause. When walking to school, the last thing a kid needs to worry about is his or her feet. Along with Friends of Paradis des Indiens, TONIC is helping provide shoes to 2,500 children in Haiti to help them get to school and learn academic subjects and skills such as carpentry, sewing, weaving, agriculture and reforestation. Each t-shirt is an organic cotton and bamboo fiber 70/30 blend and provides 1 pair of shoes to a child in Abricots, Haiti.

New bird on the block No. 7

{Little Bird Screenprinted flat notes by sarahparrott825}

Here is a sweet little bird on a thistle, waiting to send greetings and salutations hither and yon. You can buy him and some of his friends at Sarah Parrott's Etsy shop, Things Are Better With A Parrott.

New bird on the block No. 6

{bird tile by Cursive}

Because every birdie needs a doily! A little modern, a touch of vintage, and as useful as it is pretty. Perfect.

New birds on the block Nos. 4 & 5

I keep finding more lovely birdie items out there and if I keep adding to my (virtual) collection it could get out of hand. But then there is the sunny side - if I start cataloging them who knows how many fab finds could feather this nest?

{from A Collage A Day}

Randel Plowman is a new fave, his collages are like snapshots of three or four random things going through your mind at once, but in a calm, not chaotic, way. He features a lot of birds in his work, as well illustrations from vintage advertisements, and a couple of things that look like sample pages from my 10th grade algebra textbook.

Here is a dainty hankie to keep in your purse, hand embroidered by stichado and available in her Etsy shop. It is almost too pretty to wipe your nose on, but just think of all the tissues you will keep out of the landfill.

The early bird

{photo from Spunky Sprout}

With a name like "Robin", I have a penchant for bird-related things. Every year for Christmas my dad used to buy me a robin-themed ornament. When I moved out and decorated my first Christmas tree with all those ornaments, the tree had a decidedly robin's egg blue theme, which I have added to over the years. The rug above is from a children's decor company, but I think it would look fabulous in my bedroom.

{photo from Decor Green}

And I love the crewel work on this pillow.





Whitney Smith's pottery has clean lines and gorgeous colors, but I love the simplicity of this white bowl with three wee birds perched on its rim.