Weary, happy eyes

We've been busy over here organizing the linen closet, weeding through some old clothes, and emptying a bookcase we're eliminating to clear some space. The bedroom has become a staging ground for bags of clothing and books, but it feels good to rid the apartment of some clutter. And it was a good week to be indoors, with all that rain we had. I also made three bistro aprons a la Martha, using that amazingly luxurious French baker's linen she recommended oh so long ago (that price she gave for the linen: very outdated). I had so much fun folding and tucking the ribbons into place and pulling threads in order to turn the hems perfectly. I just love how they turned out; I may not ever take mine off. In fact, I just listed two of the aprons at my Etsy shop, if anyone else is interested.


But let's get to the interesting stuff: I wish you had come with me on Friday! I had to run to the trim stores, and my errand turned into a visual binge. M&J was virtually empty, so I had the racks of trim all to myself. What a treat to stand back and admire the rows of ribbon and cording, all without being jostled or feeling rushed to make a decision. Next stop was Tinsel Trading, which was all decked out to shoot the Christmas issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine. It looked just like something Alicia would style, with cute little vintage decorations arranged just perfectly inside an antique china cabinet. I wished I could have taken a photo of it myself, just to show you.


Speaking of Alicia, have you read her posts about Anthropologie and the article in the New York Times? I weirdly ended up in two Anthropologie shops on Friday. I needed to return a dress at the shop on Fifth Avenue, and who could resist stopping by the new Rockefeller Center store when I went to Kinokuniya? Rockefeller Center should now be high on the list of Important Crafter's Destinations in New York, with the Japanese bookstore and the new Anthropologie shop just across the plaza from each other. Put it right underneath Sullivan Street (Purl and Purl Patchwork) and 38th Street (see Tinsel Trading, above) on the priority list for your next visit.


So anyway, the visual treats continued: Kinokuniya has rearranged their craft book section and added lots of new titles. And the new Anthropologie flagship is enormous and beautifully done. They employ the most talented visual display people, don't you think? I love looking at the walls and windows in the store even more than I like looking at the merchandise itself. This location even has a sort of gallery space where an artist's work is displayed (the art is for sale, of course). Really, you must see it. I was completely overwhelmed by the scale of the store and by the number of ideas I got from my visit. Between the trim shops, the Japanese craft books, and two Anthropologie stores it felt almost like I had eaten too much Halloween candy. I should have gone home to read some annual reports or something, just to steady my breathing and heartrate again. (Incidentally, I do know how to read an annual report, but it's been a long time since I actually last did so.)

Oh, and this photo is for Alicia: my very own Peter Pan collar, very similar to hers. Mom made that dress for me and added the collar after I sketched my request. I loved that dress. Who knows why I looked so stressed in the photo; it was taken just after our college graduation ceremony, so maybe we were wondering what to do with our lives?

Ok, I'm off to do the dishes. In my new apron, of course.