Succulents, Pt. 1

One thing my family has learned over the years is that by having (naughty) cats, we've given up our right to have any kind of living plants inside the house.
Except!
Succulents.
I know some kitties like to eat cacti still (like Dana's cat, Calvin), but ours thankfully don't. Plus my mom is so amazing with her decorating that she can make absolutely anything look fantastic in our house. Right now I feel a little bit like I'm living by Walden Pond (although I doubt Thoreau had any (faux) cacti over there on the East Coast).




"Nature never did betray the heart that loved her." - Wordsworth.

 

"Cats often betray the heart that loves them. Unless the heart has food." - Kelly




Happy Monday!

--Kelly

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Drum roll please....... (that's what this title is, by the way. Not "brr" like "oh brr I'm cold.")

Today marks the official launch of:
The Wind in the Willows, a collection!

Woo hoo! I just posted a tiny little introduction this morning and I'll be updating it as often as I can! So, people, get excited.

Side-note: my sister is getting a tattoo today, so get ready for some pictures of that later.

Have a fabulous Thursday!

The Wind in the Willows

I have an obsession with the Wind in the Willows, it's true.



I've had a project in the works for awhile for all of my Wind in the Willows books I've been collecting (and by "project," I mean "blog"). I've got a few different ideas floating around in my head for showcasing the different features of each book, and I'll be adding to it as I collect more copies! I figured this will also be a way for you to keep an eye on me to make sure I don't become a hoarder. Ha-ha that's a joke...kind of.

And I CAN'T emphasize enough that if you haven't read it yet, you need to! Look for the new blog coming soon (like...seriously...soon...super soon...)!

-Kelly

Hi, It's Raining!

A little morning rain-time for us.





Here's what I love about rain: everything



Here's what I hate about rain: people who drive like idiots. Seriously. It's not snowing or even hailing. Let's drive the speed limit, people.



Happy February Rain Day! --Kelly

I Spy Something...Red

This post is going to be pretty picture heavy...but you've been warned! Sorry if it takes forever to load. But let me tell you...I just love pomegranates too much to edit this. MMM delicious!! 

At work we had a parent who brought us some pomegranates fresh from their backyard tree! There is just nothing better than fresh fruit, especially as the seasons are changing; it makes everything feel and taste crisp. So I, of course, ate one at work (I shared!) and then brought one home to eat on my day off. 

We took a little field trip outside before I ate him. (Woops)

How cute is he? He reminds me of "Where the Wild Things Are" with his crown.



Have I mentioned how much I love Fall?




These look like hillbilly teeth and I probably laughed to myself for about 10 minutes over them. (And yes, I tried them on in the mirror. Who wouldn't, really?)



I ate about half the seeds, then mashed the rest up, put them in the freezer, and about an hour later took them out and mixed them up with some soy ice cream. Can I use the word delicious again without sounding redundant?


Also on my day off...
Remember my elephant tease?
This is the dress!! I'm so happy it's finally chilly enough to wear long sleeves! At least in the morning.


What? Blurry? No. That's totally your eyes.

I bought these shoes for my Dennis outfit and I LOVE them with dresses!! (Have you noticed how ecstatic I am today with all the "!!!"? That's what you get for working with kids all the time). I'm really enjoying mixing up mens/womens wear these days. 

How do you feel about mixing menswear and womenswear? 

What are your favorite ways of mixing them together?

So what's up next for Pastiche? More Dennis pictures, pictures of the Monterey Bay Aquarium (!!), bundles of cat pictures,  and updates on the Wind and the Willows collection. This is really becoming a problem. Or is it? 

You can never have too many books, right?

Ghost of Halloweens Past. WooOOOoo...

I love Halloween!! I absolutely love dressing up. I've never been one to go out and buy a pre-made costume, so one of my favorite activities is searching around the house trying to find something that I can transform into a costume. Even when I was little, my mom made me a bunny and princess costume (those are 2 separate costumes. Not a bunny princess). I tried to find the adorable bunny one but failed. Nevertheless, here's the princess costume:

My mom MADE that entire thing!! I look like a miniature Renaissance man. Just keep looking. You'll see it. I also look a little bit like Michael Palin.

I have no idea where this is, but it seems worthy of being added to this Halloween post. This is my dad about 20 years ago. He looks exactly the same. Minus the high-waisted jeans and poofy Tom Hanks hair.

This is my brother as a pirate back in 1992. Totally rocking the high-tops. If only kids were that stylish these days... 

Last year, I went as a Maneater, Dana was a child standing in Time Out in the corner, and Jenn studied and made us dinner. It was wild.

This year, I decided to go as Dennis from the Mickey Mouse club. "Why Dennis?" you ask. I have short hair, so naturally I need to be a boy. The only hitch is that I have Minnie Mouse - not Mickey Mouse - ears. How do I fix that? Be Dennis. The Mickey Mouse Club member who ended up coming out years later. Done.  

These are fuzzily iPad photos. Once I get some real ones, I'll upload those. Look how confused poor Ducky is. 

While searching for these photos, I found some absolutely outrageous photos that I need to upload later.

Until then...
What are you going to be for Halloween? Do you buy your costume or make it yourself? 

(Like the emphasis I added there? Subtle)

Haircut and a brief feminist rant

Well, I did it. I hacked my hair off. And to top it off, bleached the heck out of it. Thankfully I have the queen of all hairdressers at my disposal so she kept me from looking like an idiot. Mostly. Save the expression on my face here.

I've wanted to cut my hair off for years, and finally doing it has wound up being a pretty interesting social experiment. Here's what I've noticed:

1. Most women think it's adorable.

2. Some men find it adorable. 

3. The men who don't find it adorable I've discovered to be the ones who like their women silent in the kitchen without any kind of independence or self-confidence.

4. Those same men are unbelievably rude and apparently think it's ok for them to say whatever pops into their pea brains.

5. My haircut has magically empowered me to tell those same men without any hesitation that they are unequivocally wrong about me looking like a boy.

Honestly? I'm proud of myself. 

I tend to take the path where I mutter things to myself, but don't actually tell anyone when they're being rude.

So if you feel like being a jerk, take it elsewhere. Because I simply won't stand for it. 

I just imagined myself saying that Marlene Dietrich, standing tall and proud in a hazy bar, smoking out of the side of my bright red lipsticked mouth.

But what's really important here?

Ducky obviously still doesn't give 2 figs about me. At least that hasn't changed.

First ever Etsy purchase!

I've finally done it! Made my first ever Etsy purchase.

Here's how it looked when it arrived:



How cute is this tissue paper? I already love getting packages in the mail, but having something arrive so delightfully wrapped was just magical.

Thank you, Becky, for being awesome. (And for using an ink that matches my nail polish)

And what was inside?

The Wind in the Willows! What else?!

I already have quite a few copies of the book, but this one is a short, illustrated children's book that simply foll0ws the first chapter. I've been considering getting a half-sleeve tattoo with something Wind-in-the-Willows-y, and these illustrations are just absolutely perfect.

Rat is so cute in his little beatnik 60's sweater! He's also my favorite character, just fyi.



Along a similar vein, I've begun a journey to collect as many versions of this book as possible. And once I get some free time, I'm going to create a tab on here to catalog the ones I've found. If you haven't yet read it, you really need to get on it. I'll leave you with what A.A. Milne has to say about it, and that, my dear friend, will be that.

"One does not argue about The Wind in the Willows. The young man gives it to the girl with whom he is in love, and if she does not like it, asks her to return his letters. The elder man tries it on his nephew, and alters his will accordingly. The book is a test of character. We can't criticize it, because it is criticizing us. As I wrote once: It is a Household Book; a book which everybody in the household loves, and quotes continually; a book which is read aloud to every new guest and is regarded as the touchstone of his worth. When you sit down to it, don't be so ridiculous as to suppose that you are sitting in judgment on my taste, or on the art of Kenneth Grahame. You are merely sitting in judgment on yourself. You may be worthy: I don't know. But it is you who are on trial."

Hospice of the East Bay--60's Sale

Sent to me from the Hospice of the East Bay email list:
(These guys are totes groovy. I'll probably be there both Sat. and Sun. afternoons. Lord knows I can't resist a good rave. Carnival. Whatever.)

Come enjoy our 60's Sale!!! Hospice of the East Bay Concord Thrift Store 5350 Clayton Road Free Raffle Prizes*Face Painting*Balloons*Tie Dye clothing Music!Music!Music! August 6th - 10:00am to 5:00pm August 7th - 12:00am to 5:00pm All 60's merchandise 60% off Sunday August 7th (Furniture excluded)

Midnight in Paris

I can't believe I haven't talked about this movie yet.
I've never really jumped onto the Woody Allen bandwagon--not on purpose--I just feel like his movies probably require some thought and most of the time when I'm watching a movie I'm not thought-ing. Thinking.

But when I heard about "Midnight in Paris" I really had no choice but to go see it in the theater. I completely agree with Owen Wilson's character Gil that Paris in the 20's must have been magic. I tend to be quite maudlin so I really related to the themes of the movie. ("Themes"? Really, Kelly? You miss writing papers for school that much?)

Anyway...I'm on the lookout for one of these tiny wristlet clutches. But it has to have a small chain or rope like this one. If you find one...don't be greedy and pass along the info please.

I don't know where this post will end up

Remember how I'm saving up for a dress form with my loose change?
Last count on April 4th, I had $3.64, 2 Canadian pennies, 2 $2 bills, and a 1979 silver dollar.
All the oddball change is the same, but as of right now, I'm up to $12.67! Amazing.
At this rate, I'll have my dress form by the time I'm 80.
Excellent.

Also, I bought a dress on sale at Urban Outfitters. It's adorable and makes me feel like Madeline. I would show you an actual picture, but it's sort of...see through. So I need to find a slip dress to go underneath it first. But for now, how cute are these elephants! I'm glad they get to go out with me whenever I wear this dress.
I've decided on the spot to name them Fjord and Hildegarde.
Good Scandinavian names for a good Dane like Peter Jensen.

Also, have you ever seen Peter Jensen's clothes??
I love love LOVE all the animals that he uses!

A sweater for you

A sweater for your beau

And some good old-fashioned nightmares for everyone!

God bless all my distant Scandinavian cousins.

Pincushion

I'm going to keep this brief. I now have a Pinterest! [located here]

Working more than I was, I really don't have the leisure time to blog quite so often as I would like, so Pinterest has been fantastic for just quick little links of things I love. I'm still trying to get into a good groove of writing on my time off, but I've yet to really nail down a workable schedule.

So for now...enjoy my Pinterest.

Lord knows I've been enjoying it.

[Yes, I did just have my "Good Looking Gents" board in mind when I said that, so yes that was a little bit creepy. But really...who are we kidding? I am a little bit on the creeper side. Honestly...who doesn't find this man attractive, though?]
OH! P.s. I get to go THRIFTING today!!!

Fourth of July! Pa-ckow!

*That was a FIREWORK sound, folks*

Who are we kidding?
I'm fairly lazy.

So it's the 4th of July, right? Pretty big day in the history of America. And I want to look cute. What says God Bless America better than a throwback to the good old pin-up days?
So I throw on this patriotic-inspired outfit, and make Josie take some backyard pictures of me before it gets too hot to resemble anything more attractive than a sweaty blob.
(Be prepared for some good old-fashioned narcissism. I'm also too lazy to edit these. Patriotic flowers in the background totally planned, btw.)


I was feeling pretty snarky at first. (aka beezy-like)


Then I started whining. I hate having my picture taking. I usually whine.


Then I got a little nutso.


And awkward (at least this one was on porpoise).


And finally got one semi-normal picture.


Then I went to a carnival/festival/celebration/hoopla (pictures to follow later), then a friends house where I totally bummed out on a BBQ to go home and change and take a nap.

Moral of the story: Kelly is a lazy bum.

To be continued.