help

i am having one of those days. the world is against me.

credit cards, cable service, banks, phones, customer service, retail, all of them.

somebody save me.

best

dear bf,

when you asked me tonight what i wanted for dinner, and nothing sounded good to me, i knew we were in trouble.

a hungry sophie is not exactly a happy sophie.

an indecisive sophie is even worse.

but when you said, how about ihop? i perked up.

so we both had pancakes for dinner.

among a long list of things that i love about you, this is one of the best.

xoxo
sophie

happy

just when i was about to descend into panic...

good new year vibes save me once again.

blessed.

happy chinese new year - celebrate by bringing oranges to those you love, having noodles for long life, and trying moon cake because it is delicious and mysterious.

love love love.

celebrate

happy year of the ox to you + yours!

single

i just finished reading this book, and it was divine.

a total guilty pleasure, a beach read chick book, but it struck a chord with me.

i love being single. i also love being in a relationship (clearly). but i think this book does a great job of putting things in perspective, no matter which side of the fence you're on.



there are rules, but i think they are wonderful to remind you not to take everything so seriously.

the story is outrageous, but made me giggle. who says a book has to be realistic? i just like living vicariously through the lives of the single women in the book. i wasn't exactly wistful for those "good old days," but i didn't hate those days, either. i know this for sure: i would not have made it without my girlfriends.

the best thing about this book?

i fell in love with being in love, no matter how much it hurts or how much you have to lose.

headgear

i am in love with headbands lately.





how delicious and lovely. i am thinking paired with a dress for a nice evening.

patio

i have been addicted to fabrics lately. i think i decided on a laminated cotton in black and white so i can experiment with color on the table and elsewhere and not get sick of the chairs.

thanks for all your help -- kiss kiss!

so now i am into a vintage outdoor patio set that doesn't seem super comfortable but looks amazing! i realize that it fails the bf's test that way, but i am going to see what i can do about it.

i was out on our patio this morning thinking about how lucky i am that it is 70 degrees in arizona and i wish i could sit out there every morning, but we don't have any patio furniture. so sad. (sigh)



doesn't it look fun? maybe with some custom chair cushions in a fun yellow or turquoise oilcloth fabric? :) yes?!

found

ah-hem. excuse the bitter post yesterday.

today i am on a quest to find a fabric that i love for some dining chairs i found!

here are similar-style chairs:


a very nice lady (also a transplant from minnesota!) will reupholster them in a fabric of my choice! how fabulous.

i am looking at these:
























or gold, silver, black, or white "pleather" that i found for $13.99/yd.

what do you think? see anything you like?

hate

i hate technology today.

what is up with my f*&#^ing blackberry today? this stupid hourglass pops up every two seconds, no matter what program (text, call, etc.) i am using. also, i have not been able to access the internet for about a month now.

stupid productivity gadget my ass. i mean seriously, is this the wunderkind of electronic organization everybody is all excited about?

i feel like throwing it on the concrete and running over it with my car.

take that, f*&%ing blackberry.

ravioli

last night i tried a new butternut squash ravioli recipe.

it turned out okay. the recipe called for a mix of squash, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and parmesan in a bowl, placing the mix on a wonton wrap, covering with another wrap, thus making the "ravioli."

too soggy. have you ever had wonton soup? yeah. that kind of soggy.

so i had to fry them a little to give them a firm noodle texture. better. the butter sage drizzle was wonderful.

overall: easy, but intensive.

don't know if we will try this again.

the bf said they were good, but i don't know if he meant it. he is very encouraging of my cuisine exploration, and i feel like that tends to skew his opinion.

white

i love, love, love these decorative decanters.



i love decorating with white. and i've been looking for something other than vases to add dimension to our little nest. these are perfect!

ware

yesterday i made a deal with the bf:

i want to pick up the antique frame i found on craigslist and stop at a vintage shop. then we can do whatever you want*.

we found a fantastic 59-piece set of johnson brothers vintage organic dinnerware for $69. i coveted. the bf was all: if you want them, we will have to go through every piece to check for cracks and damage, and then we will offer $50, and if she says no you will have to walk away and come back and buy them without me.

whatever.

i think i got through examining four pieces when i just said, i think we should just buy 'em.

but the bf vetoed and wanted me to find the exact set online (!) and buy them new.

as if!

i desperately googled and ebay'd variations of "johnson brothers" and "snowhite" last night, to no avail. i finally found something while going through the latest west elm catalog:



similar. but not exact.

but the sets are expensive, and only come in sets of four. the original was close to a service for 10, and the little cups came with saucers. saucers! think of the possibilities!

oh dear bf, if only you got the hints i send you in my blog.

*whatever you want to the bf meant hiking at pinnacle peak, climbing to heights i was a bit nervous about, and resulting in a funny bone injury that left me incapacitated for several excruciating seconds.

tights

not since multiples (remember those?) have i been so curious about a wardrobe element.

can i pull them off? am i capable of wearing something that so ungracefully highlight my calves? i wonder where one draws the line for tops - of course nothing above the waistline, right? right?! i cannot leave my poor butt to fend for itself like that, all out in the open. ugh. i realize this post is long overdue, but i am not kate moss, and i do not believe for a second i would look chic in tights.

of course, i do have my moments. but no, i haven't come close. i just can't bring myself to do it.

after at least a year of soul-searching (this is serious, people!), i have come to this conclusion (with the help of a lovely designer at etsy):


no, my dear, they are definitely, horribly, not.

lamp

it is all coming together.

i can feel a shift in the air, people, and i like it!

check these out:


cute bedside lamps, yes?

+

i know that this too, shall pass.

and i will feel like myself again. i am trying to enjoy my time and relax. i want to focus on something meaningful. i want to do something. be positive.

i know i will get those things back someday.

i am very lucky.

the bf has been amazing. he has been working an awful lot, and he comes home tired almost everyday. yet he still finds time between walking through the door and crashing in bed to make me feel normal again. we will have some tea together. we will laugh.

that's how i know.

french

i am addicted to hgtv at the moment.

makes me want to spend even more money that i don't have. evil.

i am trying to beautify our apartment so we can have company over without people sitting on the floor. and hgtv just teases me with their $500 makeovers.

i am trying to find dining chairs to match our new table:


and i am in love with the louis xvi/french style of this chair:


too bad it is $420 per chair. ebay is of no help. with the cost of shipping and handling, i am restricted to local dealers.

aargh. beauty is so expensive.

2009

happy new year.

hope you are spending time with friends + family.

and perhaps the one you love the most.

after a lovely evening ringing in the new year in vegas, including dinner with friends at sensi, we squeezed down the strip and made our way back to our hotel. paused during the countdown for a new year's kiss.

tonight, a law & order marathon (when isn't there one?) and hot tea for two.

perfect.