Hiving Out

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

O, Canada

I love Canada. The people, the landscape, the laws, the cities, the national anthem. If I ever finally get fed up with U.S. policy, I'm so going Canadian. Vancouver is one of my favorite cities, home to one of the the best vacations I ever took with my now husband (then studly boyfriend) in our free-wheelin' kidless days. We stayed in a pretty little cottage with an outdoor hot tub, went snowtubing and shopping and exploring and cross country skiing at night, an evening which I've probably romanticized since in my memory it was both snowing and a full moon, which just doesn't make sense. Anyway, that's how it felt. And in the middle of the ski trail, there sat a snow-covered fairy tale log cabin with happy glowing windows and a big fireplace where we stopped to drink cocoa. Then we finished our ski, and I plowed face first into a snowbank. Yes, I know. Dreamy.

Anyway, this is all to say, I love the Olympics. And I'm happy that they are in Vancouver this year.

I am rooting for the city, hoping that, ultimately, Vancouver will be remembered as a successful host of the games. I've seen a whole lot of Olympic coverage since Friday night's opening ceremonies, and despite a few widely publicized mishaps and mistakes, there have been some wonderful moments.

There were, for instance, sections of the opening ceremony that I found stunning. I was most impressed by director David Atkins's use of hundreds of projectors to create beautiful visual effects, like the moment I've posted below, when the stadium floor turned into an arctic sea with three-dimensional whales swimming beneath it:

I'm also an ardent fan of Joni Mitchell, whose latest recorded (and brilliant) version of "Both Sides Now" played background to a segment honoring Canada's prairies. I admit, the segment itself was slightly hokey, but Joni Mitchell can make any moment heartfelt.

And then, of course, I'm a sucker for the medal ceremonies, and the Bob Costas interviews, and the human interest segments on the athletes. I loved watching Canada receive the first gold medal won on Canadian soil, and I felt the joy of the Chinese figure skaters who, both in their THIRTIES (the fogies), came out of retirement to win their first gold medal on Monday night.

I'm not an outspoken patriot, not a huge sports fan, but there's something about the Olympics, isn't there? Somehow, it makes me tear up at national anthems and become fiercely loyal to athletes I've never heard of.

I'd say I wish the games happened every year, but that would ruin the magic. Call me a sentimental fool, but that's what the Olympics are to me: sparkly, sniffly, human magic.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

for our Lorelei

Yes, indeed, today is Lorelei's birthday and if it were up to her - there would be no mention of it. Therefore, in honor of her birthday and because I'm such a good friend - I'm only going to wish her a happy birthday!

There will be no writing as to what kind of incredibly supportive and generous person Lorelei is and that if I didn't have her to talk to almost every day - I'd surely be lost. There won't be mention of how she fills that role for her family too and so many of her friends (I won't even ask her friend Joan to confirm this - I won't do it!). There will be no rambling on and on about LL's wicked sense of humor, her gorgeous family, or her talents as an artist. There will be no sharing of LL stories that reveal her youthful addiction to both shoulder pads and turtlenecks (I refuse to talk of her dickey collection! That's all in the past now!) or reveal her secretly sentimental tastes (Dan Fogelberg, Seventeenth Summer, a shoebox full of notes from high school - I will not betray her with those kind of details!). Yeah, yeah, yeah - it may be her dedication that actually keeps this darn blog running and her humor and taste that makes it fun, but - whatever - she hates hearing this that kind of stuff and so I've gotta respect that.

So happy birthday, Lorelei! Hope it's a great one, but thanks for ruining it for me and keeping this post from getting all gushy and stuff... :)

{image via These are a few of my favourite things...}

Monday, February 15, 2010

an idea

Image courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com

I saw this image on apartment therapy and it got me thinking how happy it would make me to see a cabinet like this filled with white porcelain sitting here in my house. I love that it has glass doors to protect the items from dust and curious children's hands and that it is not a brown wood tone or white (of course I am relatively sure I would not love the price tag). On the site folks suggested some alternative cabinets and then I had my heart set on this:

Norden cabinet courtesy of IKEA

I figured I could paint it with Winter Solstice and fill it with things like these.....

Image courtesy of nadinejoory.com

Image courtesy of google.com

Image courtesy of fruitflypie via Etsy

Wapa tealights courtesy of elephantine

Isabella Abramson bowl courtesy of thing-of-beauty.com

Bird vase courtesy of whitneysmith via Etsy

I may just have to give this idea a try.....

Friday, February 12, 2010

"To make a perfect heart you take a sheet / of red construction paper..."

"A Perfect Heart"

To make a perfect heart you take a sheet
of red construction paper of the type
that's rough as a cat's tongue, fold it once,
and crease it really hard, so it feels
as if your thumb might light up like a match,

then you choose your scissors from the box. I like
those safety scissors with the sticky blades
and the rubber grips that pinch a little skin
as you snip along. They make you careful,
just as you should be, cutting out a heart

for someone you love. Don't worry that your curve
won't make a valentine; it will. Rely
on chewing on your lip and symmetry
to guide your hand along with special art.
And there it is at last: a heart, a heart!

by Ted Kooser (published in his collection, Valentines)

{image via cafemom}

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

pretty little cages

So I think I mentioned my sister is getting married this year (Yay!). In addition to being thrilled for her, it also means I get to pour over all the pretty details of a wedding again without any of the pressure to make decisions (Yay again!).

The latest thing we are talking about, and loving, are birdcage veils. I really hope she decides to wear one. The are the perfect mix of modern and vintage and there are so many gorgeous versions.

{All images courtesy of google}

Collections

Vintage mid-century matchbooks, A Collection A Day, Day 36

I have long been a collector of little nothings. At the top of my closet, under a pile of old sweaters, there is a hinged wooden box holding many of them: little rubber balls, various coins (including three plastic coins commemorating the 1988 Olympics, which I got from boxes of Corn Flakes), keys to places I don't live anymore, too-old-to-use spools of thread, ticket stubs from favorite movies and concerts and...bullfights (ok, there's only one of those).

So I'm in love with the new blog A Collection a Day, which I stumbled upon I'm-not- sure-where and which is now popping up all over the place. It documents a fascinating project by San Francisco artist and illustrator Lisa Cogdon, who describes the blog as follows:

"This is a blog documenting a project that will span exactly one year, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. On each of those 365 days, I will photograph or draw (and occasionally paint) one collection. Most of the collections are real and exist in my home or studio; those I will photograph. Some are imagined; those I will draw or (occasionally) paint."

How I love Lisa's collections. They inspire me to expand my own collecting beyond sentimental nothings, to indulge my tendency to hold on to all the little things that please me.

Vintage flash cards, A Collection A Day, Day 33

Tiny vintage plastic charms and figurines , A Collection A Day, Day 35

Sea urchins , A Collection A Day, Day 29

Pine cones , A Collection A Day, Day 23

Mugs , A Collection A Day, Day 14

*All images by Lisa Cogdon, posted with her permission

Monday, February 8, 2010

a hint of spring...

Just for a little bit today it felt like this was very, very near to happening....

{via it's mary ruffle}

Friday, February 5, 2010

Thanks to the JK

I have a friend well on her way to creating a most stylish pad. I am always envious of her great finds and how she scores fantastic linens, art, and accessories. One day , after these horribly messy toddler years, I will try my hand at style again....until then, I will live vicariously through her. Recently she told me of a dinner party where the wall art caught her eye. The hostess sent her the site, keepcalmgallery.com, for the prints and she forwarded it along to me. Since we moved into our house (now three years ago!) I have been in a state of flux when it comes to wall art. I just can't commit, but I love seeing the different things out there. Keepcalmgallery.com definitely has some great stuff to offer- could my naked walls finally get some sprucing?

{Images courtesy of keepcalmgallery}

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Thursday, a Norman Rockwell toy chest, and Etsy

canvas print of Norman Rockwell's "Marbles" via misslieze

Yesterday would have been Norman Rockwell's 116th birthday. So in his honor I thought I'd try fill a toy chest inspired by his aesthetic. With bright and simple toys, classic games, and the smallest of finds - this treasure trove of mid-century nostalgia was such a pleasure to put together...

To begin, you'd need one beautiful box: