Spinach N Peace

Hood

2010-01-18T12:15:00.003-05:00

This is a hood I designed and crocheted. The pattern will soon be available on ravelry.

Weekend Project

2009-04-16T12:00:00.004-04:00

This past weekend I painted a piece of useless furniture that I had to repurpose it as an end table. It used to be the part of my desk that held a computer tower. I no longer have a desktop so I no longer had use for this piece.

I primed the cheap Ikea piece with an oil-based primer and then followed up with a cool cucumber colored paint. Ta-da!

Lavender

2009-04-15T19:44:00.007-04:00

I LOVE lavender. Purple is one of my least favorite colors, yet I love lavender. Not the color, but the plant. I have been threatening to buy a bunch of potted lavender for my apartment, but I wasn't sure it would survive. I did my research and have had the lavender for about 3 weeks and so far it is doing great. It has grown tremendously, which is hard to believe since they're just three little shrubs, but I swear they were much smaller when I bought them. Unfortunately, I am without BEFORE pictures.

Specifically, I bought English lavender because it does better during cold weather and the leaves smell even before the flowers bloom. If you put your nose up to the leaves you can smell a faint lavender scent.

It's supposed to bloom in late summer so maybe I will have some pictures to share soon that look more like this:

This was some of my inspiration for my lavender:

Bookcase

2009-01-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

Davey's generous grandparents gave us each a check for Christmas and insisted that we spend it on something we WANTED rather than bills. We WANTED a bookcase. So we went straight to the bank and cashed our check, took the cash to the furniture store and purchased our bookcase (at a 10% discount no less because we paid in cash). I then stained the raw wood to match the rest of our furniture.

Now the plan is to continue to get rid of books we don't absolutely love. There is no reason to keep books that we didn't love to death! It seems bad for my chi to keep something around that I didn't adore. So the only books on my bookshelves are 1. those that either Davey or I adored or 2. those that are waiting to be read. Right now, the waiting to be read pile seems larger than the adored pile.

There are tons of bookstores that will take used books. I personally love this online system called Bookmooch. You can list books you would like to get rid of. Every time someone "mooches" a book from you, you receive a point. You can then use your points to "mooch" books from others. You also get one point for every 10 books you list. I've been using it for almost a year now, and I really love it. I can feel good about purchasing new books knowing that they will likely be read by someone else instead of sitting on my bookshelf forever. I also receive tons of used books! It's a great, green method of reading.

Wedding

2009-01-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Elham and Eric got married on Sunday! It was a beautiful wedding incorporating both their cultures. Elham is Muslim, while Eric is Jewish. It was a great fusion of the two cultures. Enjoy the photos!

Dear Davey

2009-01-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

I love it when you grab me up off the couch and you make me dance in our living room. Sometimes I look down at the wood floor because I'm embarrassed, but usually I like to look into your eyes when we dance.

I love it when you ring the doorbell when you get home from work, even if you have your keys. I wipe my hands off if I'm cooking so that I can give you a big hug and kiss. I like it when you pull out a bunch of flowers from behind your back! But even when there are no flowers, I'm happy to see you.

I love it when you fill my humidifier with water, find my glasses, fill a glass of water, turn off all the lights and turn the heat on before we go to bed.

Obama

2009-01-20T12:13:00.003-05:00

I have a lot to write about since I was in Miami this past weekend--a bridal shower and a wedding. But, I can't ignore that today, Barack Obama was sworn in as the President of the United States.

When he was sworn in, there was some hesitation because he could not remember the line that Justice Roberts fed to him. If you watched it, you know what I'm referring to. And if you didn't watch it, you probably have no clue what I'm talking about because I have not adequately explained it, so get online and google "Obama swearing in" to watch it! Anyway, do you think the "mistake" was a good thing in that it showed that he's human. Or do you think it was a bad way to start the next 4 (maybe 8) years?

Finally, I was watching CNN and I heard an announcers say "All but one of the Supreme Court justices are attending" and then I went to turn the volume up because I was interested in who it was that was not attending and why, but instead I pressed the wrong button and by the time I returned to the correct channel, they were onto a new conversation. Does anyone know which Justice did not attend and why? This may make a good trivia question or hot conversation at a cocktail party.

One last note: Mozilla needs to include Barack Obama in its dictionary, because I keep thinking I misspelled our President's name!

Dear Winter

2009-01-15T10:00:00.002-05:00

Dear Winter,

I think it is time for you to hibernate. My toes just want to wiggle in flip-flops instead of being stuck in my Uggs all day. My hands want to swing freely by my sides as I walk outside instead of being stuffed in my pockets and mittens. Although it was fun at first to see my breath, it's long lost its novelty.

Wouldn't you love to play hard to get? Go away for a long, long time and then we will miss you and beg for you to come back.

Best,
Lauren

Anthropologie Craft Classes

2009-01-14T12:09:00.003-05:00

Has anyone heard about craft classes being held at Anthropologie? Rumors are spreading like wild fire about the mysterious opportunity to attend a craft class at Anthropologie. I've scoured the shop's website for more information, but there's no evidence on the website. Alas, this is the only thing I could find about the craft classesOne of my favorite bloggers, Decor8, blogged about them here.

Please leave me a comment if you have the scoop on these craft classes!

New cowl...

2009-01-14T10:00:00.002-05:00

I created a new cowl in a great orange rust color. It's a mobius cowl which means it has a twist in it. This helps give it structure. I didn't follow a pattern to create this puppy, I just worked on it until it looked how I wanted it to look. It is up for purchase in my etsy shop.

My Mirror

2009-01-12T15:55:00.003-05:00

One of our Christmas gifts was this beautiful mirror from my mother in law. It is enormous and has great clean, classic lines.

Since Davey is handy-man-challenged, we called our super to come put up this mammoth-sized mirror. He did it with no problem. And as soon as it was up I gasped with excitement at how large our apartment appeared! Now I want more mirrors!

The only downside is that I had a corner in my kitchen that was very difficult to see so I stuffed a bunch of my appliances boxes (blender, crockpot, etc) up there and now they are visible in the mirror when you are sitting on the couch...so that means I'm going to have to find a new place for those boxes (or eliminate them altogether).

Anyway, check out this photo I took of our new mirror (without the kitchen view):

And yes I realize I need to invest in some windex:)

More Christmas Gifts Reviewed...

2009-01-06T10:13:00.000-05:00

Today I'm going to explore some of the Christmas gifts I gave...

I purchased this gorgeous nest pendant from the lovely Galina of Designs by Galina. We gifted it to my fabulous grandmother in law who seemed to love it!

For my food-loving grandfather in law, we got a pound of fudge (which I expect has been consumed by now) from Shake Your Bon Bons. We could not resist the opportunity to try a pound of fudge ourselves (yes it was absolutely delicious).

Some Christmas gift reviews...

2009-01-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

I received some really great gifts for Christmas. There was clearly a lot of thought in all the gifts I received this year. I'm going to try to review them all little by little so stay tuned...

One of my favorite gifts this year was from my brother-in-law and sister-in-law--and I'm not just saying that because I know she is a regular reader of my blog! She got me this amazing soft, supple leather bag from CallieCo.

We had seen these bags at the Renegade Crafts Fair in Brooklyn and since that day in June (May?) I have not been able to stop thinking about the bag. In fact, I almost purchased it for my sister in law for her birthday!

So here I am sporting my new leather messenger bag:

Last winter glittens were everywhere! This winter, when I finally decided I was a glittens girl, I could not find them. Mother-in-law to the rescue! She found an adorable pair of black and white glittens at Jcrew. This is me modeling my brand new glittens (notice I am wearing my leather messenger in this pic:)

Christmas in Georgia

2009-01-01T17:15:00.019-05:00

I spent Christmas at my cousins' home in Watkinsville, Georgia. It was a full house. 2 dogs, a pair of ferrets, a cat, a bird, and 13 humans on 9 acres. Somehow, Davey and I ended up with a room to ourselves--just one of those perks of being married!

My seven year old cousin, Nathan, is well, seven years old. While we are still laughing at his potty jokes (most memorably, he wants to hold the world record in bathrooming), we had trouble keeping up with him. I gave him a project: to take a picture of every single person making a silly face. He did not fail me:

Davey calls the 9 acres summer camp, as it is complete with an ATV, a zipline and a lake!

It was certainly a memorable Christmas!

Winter

2008-12-29T10:00:00.004-05:00

This is only my second winter in NYC. Last winter we had one light snow so it was a shock when mid-December brought strong snow storms to the city! This is a photo of the view from my apartment.

And apparently not all birds go south for the winter.

Discovery!

2008-12-23T10:00:00.001-05:00

I discovered the camera on my computer and I spent about 15 minutes taking pictures of myself--vain huh? (You're so vain. I bet you think this song is about you...)

Here's what I got: WARNING: some are scarey:)

My New Computer

2008-12-22T10:00:00.001-05:00

The past few posts have been made on my brand new computer! My trusty old Dell finally kicked the bucket (that's something my dad would say since he recently saw The Bucket List. Now he's obsessed with his "bucket list" and is always telling me when he's crossed something off. I think he's starting a little early on his bucket list as he's only 61, but I think this obsession started when he retired.)

Back to my new computer! I got an Acer Aspire One. It's tiny. In fact I was really nervous when I first realized just how small it was. I read tons of reviews on this thing but never saw it in person. I saw comparable computers in person, but actually having this baby in my home next to my old computer gave me a mini-freak out. Then I spent like 20 minutes on it and realized that I'm very adaptable. Heck, I used my itouch (which is much smaller) for the week I was computerless and I survived! So now a few days into using it and I'm completely unconscious of the fact that it's small. I have to admit that it is really cute:) That's my new computer on the left:

And this is me, feet up, enjoying my new computer:

Look what I made!

2008-12-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

This cozy puppy is available in my etsy shop.

This may be my claim to fame as it appeared on the front page of etsy yesterday!

Santa Claus Everywhere

2008-12-18T10:00:00.003-05:00

Initially, I thought it was only in NYC, but then I found this and realized that Santa Clauses get together all over the US in drunken debauchery. This was my husband's perspective:

Check out these threads:

Henry

2008-12-17T00:33:00.002-05:00

I opened the door to my apartment the other day and a cat ran in. I thought it was a sign as I have been wanting a brown tabby like him for a while. Turns out the cat, Henry belonged to my neighbor. I returned him after he hung out in my apartment for about 10 minutes.

Hair Mayo???

2008-12-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Can anyone explain this one to me? I saw it on the shelves of Bed Bath and Beyond and had to take a picture...actually let me credit my lovely husband who was bored to death while I was trying to find my shampoo.

Winter PJs

2008-12-15T10:00:00.001-05:00

My husband bought me these cozy footsie pjs a few years ago. And since he loves to keep the apartment at frigid temperatures I've gotten good use out of them. Unfortunately, they aren't the sexiest threads, but Dave thinks I look cute:) And boy does it bring the little kid out in me. Sadly, there is no flap for when I have to go to the bathroom.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies

2008-12-12T13:06:00.005-05:00

I adore all things pumpkin. And while many people view pumpkin as a seasonal treat, I did not get my fill during Thanksgiving. I discovered this awesome recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and dove in! It is simple and tasty and my husband loved it!

1 box of spice cake mix
1 package of chocolate chips (I like the semi-sweet chips)
1 small can of pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350. Just mix everything together. Scoop out onto cookie sheet in whatever size you like your cookies and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until theyre your preferred consistency. Yummy!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2008-12-11T12:13:00.002-05:00

I think "Let it Snow" is my favorite Christmas Carol. Ironically, I don't particularly love snow. I guess I like to watch it from inside. So that line "How I hate going out in the storm" rings particularly true. At second thought, the entire song is about how you can stay cooped up inside during a snowstorm.

Anyway, since our small apartment has no place for a Christmas tree, we have our decoration tray.

Our two new additions to the decoration tray this year are the amber glass bird and the mother of pearl ball.

Our Midnight Walk

2008-12-10T16:23:00.004-05:00

Occasionally, my husband and I get cabin fever in the middle of the night and decide to go for a walk. Last night as we were walking by a Christmas Tree vendor we fell in love with the smell of fresh pine. Too bad we don't have space for a Christmas Tree in our apartment. Leave it up to my husband to snag us some loose pine branches! We felt like bandits in the night scooping up the loose pine branches even though I'm sure they would have been given to us freely if we'd have asked. I stuck them in some water and this morning when I stepped out of the bedroom, the smell of sweet pine made me smile.

How gorgeous is the light and glass reflection on the placemat?

Post-Thanksgiving Day Hike

2008-12-09T10:01:00.002-05:00

It is tradition that we go on a hike the day after Thanksgiving. After all that eating, no one resists the hike. We take turkey sandwiches to have as a picnic on the beach and then set off for our hike in the preserve.

My cousin threatened to go surfing, but he changed his mind when he realized the surf was weak and the water frigid.

This is my beautiful family on the railroad tracks. Dave (my husband) was taking the picture so he's not in it.

I fell in love with these orange mushrooms, but Dave suggested I not eat them:(
This armadillo ran away when he noticed I was trying to take his picture. Gotta be quicker!

And as the sun started to set and the air got cooler, I broke out the pashmina.

I miss my mommy

2008-12-08T10:00:00.002-05:00

One of the things I miss most about not being in Miami, is that I don’t get to spend time with my mom. My mom is one of my best friends. She knows how to push my buttons both good and bad.

Mommy, if I were with you today, I’d warm up your coffee, pour your no-pulp orange juice and heat your oatmeal (how you drink all that and don’t spend the rest of the day on the toilet, I don’t know). Then we would take our time getting dressed, first spending the morning in our PJs with glasses on. We’d make plans for lunch, but without time constraints. When our stomach pangs hit, we’d get in the car (I’d drive because I hate the way you drive) and we’d go somewhere and split an appetizer and entrée. You’d pay but you’d need my help figuring out the tip. Too bad I’m bad at math, but it usually ends up being fortunate for the server. Then we would go shopping. We’d hit TJMaxx and Marshalls where you’d spend at least 30 minutes scouring the purse section. You’d find the one high-end bag hidden behind the dumpy ones and then you’d give me first dibs on it if I wanted it. Then it would be time for a dessert snack. An ice cream cone would make you happy—coffee ice cream.

Turkish Food

2008-12-05T15:53:00.001-05:00

I LOVE Turkish food. I think it might be my favorite cuisine. This past summer my husband and I attended a Turkish Festival in Central Park. And boy did we pig out! Perhaps dinner tonight will be Turkish inspired!

Put yogurt on anything and I am one happy cookie!

Kebabs!!!!!!!!!!

Who knew there were so many types of baklava?

Valet

2008-12-04T10:00:00.003-05:00

Simple things make my husband happy. But he can also be VERY picky! He used to have a valet on his bedside table where he would put his phone and wallet when he came home. However, the cord to charge his phone would always slide down. In conversation with my brother, he realized there was a solution to this problem: a charging station, which is essentially a valet with a power strip inside. Problem solved--no more slipping and sliding cords with this awesome charging station from Bed Bath and Beyond!

And while we are looking at my husband's bedside table, check out the paint/stain job I did on it. We got the piece raw from Gothic Cabinets Crafts. It's actually not a bedside table, but my husband insisted he needed a massive piece for his side of the bed.

Aloe plant

2008-12-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

About a month ago when I was home in Miami, I picked a couple of pieces off my mom's aloe plant and put them in a ziplock bag in my luggage. When I got to NYC, I replanted the aloe in a small pot and am hoping that it takes root and grows into a big aloe plant. This is is how it looks today:

Thanksgiving Day Table Setting

2008-12-02T10:00:00.003-05:00

It's no surprise that the setting for our Thanksgiving Day feast was not our rinky card table. I was lucky enough to spend Thanksgiving in Cocoa, Florida, at my aunt and uncle's home.

My uncle decided he wanted a basketball hoop a few days before we arrived. A tree trunk had to be trimmed to make space for the hoop. The trimmed trunk thus became the Thanksgiving day centerpiece:

So here we are playing HORSE as a family. Yes, that is my mom wearing heeled loafers--she even played a game of basketball after HORSE wearing those babies! Check out the shocked expressions on our faces!

And this is my aunt's shot. Not perfect form, but it worked!
Surprisingly, we were all serviceable.

Original Painting for Sale

2008-12-01T11:07:00.002-05:00

I finally listed an original painting for sale
in my etsy shop. It is a set of two canvases that I painted with acrylic paint.

I intended to create an entirely abstract work of art based on a series of circles. Once I had finished painting I stood back and all I could see were breasts! My husband came home and said "cool you painted olives." So I titled the work "Olivia." What do you see?

Book List

2008-11-27T10:00:00.006-05:00

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell- This is a coming of age book that takes place during the Cold War in England. Once I got passed all the British slang (bog, bog paper...), this book really meant a lot to me. Composed of vignettes that can stand alone, but together compose the enthralling tale of boy with a stammer, this is a book that touches all. I think everyone can identify with the main character. Somehow everyone in my book club loved the book--that rarely happens!

Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene-- Disclaimer: I have a soft spot in my heart for all things Graham Greene. This particular novel tells the story of a boring main character who gets swept away by his aunt to travel abroad with her. It's a story of crime, passion, and morality. Like most Greene, this book feels like you're watching a black and white movie--has a Casablanca feel to it.

Currently reading The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates for my book club. I'm not far enough into it to give any judgement, but I'd love to hear what you thought of it if you've read it.

Speaking of book club, check out my new mini journals which I use to take notes for my book club. I use the journal as a bookmark while I'm reading the book and take notes in it. Then I store the journal in the book once I'm done reading it. They are available for sale here.

Wintertime

2008-11-26T10:30:00.008-05:00

So apparently you can learn a lot from youtube (not just how to cut hair). I taught myself to crochet and I whipped up myself this nifty cowl neck in about 2 hours!

Then I had to make myself an even bigger one in a different color (please excuse the poopy face).

I used soft, warm apalca yarn for both.

Keeping with the winter theme, Edy's has a Limited Edition Eggnog icecream, which my wonderful husband picked up at the grocery store for me when I sent him out for odds and ends. It's pretty yummy:)

Savings...and a holiday table setting

2008-11-24T22:29:00.000-05:00

With the economy in its current state, we are constantly, here in the Kahn household, looking for ways to save money. My husband tries to avoid haircuts like the plague...mostly, because he's cheap. So I suggested I cut his hair and to my surprise he even went to the drugstore to purchase a pair of hair cutting scissors ($8--about $6 less than the cost of a haircut. Actually he walked to two different drugstores to save a $1).

I youtubed a bunch of haircutting tutorials and then got to work.

I made Davey pose for the before/after photos. He insisted that people always look unhappy in the before photos.

Before:

After:

Not too shabby for a self-taught first-timer huh?

And finally, I leave you with last night's table setting. I collect leaves every fall just because I can't resist. I dry them between book pages and then I use them for EVERYTHING until I run out. I add them to packages as embellishment, use them as gift tags and as centerpieces and place settings...

And then we ate buffalo wings with our fingers:) So yummy!

4 Table Settings

2008-11-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

I live in a small dingy apartment. My "dining room" table is really a card table. But sometimes I like to have a nice romantic dinner...or the ladies over for lunch. Nothing a table cloth and some flowers can't solve. Check out these table settings I put together with some stuff I happened to have.

Above: My boring chocolate brown table cloth. Lined up 4 aqua placemats from Bed Bath and Beyond as a table runner. The center piece was an engagement gift (thanks Madeleine and Brian!). It is actually an antique lemonade pitcher used in the South. I put some hydrangea in it (which somehow lasted for 2 weeks!). I used a wine bottle as a water pitcher. And there is nothing like a pair of crystal candle sticks to set the mood.

Above: A similar set up using the same centerpiece. This was the setup for my bookclub meeting. I used the wine bottles as orange juice pitchers and I used old receipts to label them.

Above: More simple and zenlike, I decided to set this table up with the place settings directly across from each other. There is something very romantic about sitting directly across from your love in candlelight. The centerpiece is a long glass tray with rocks and tea lights that usually graces the top of my tv stand.

Above: My favorite flower--the green calla lily, in a Tiffany bamboo crystal vase. Placemats from Bed Bath and Beyond. Tea light in crystal bowl. And when we sat down to eat I realized we had no glasses or utensils...silly me

More table settings to come...

Welcome back!

2008-11-22T21:33:00.019-05:00

After my brief hiatus I am back! And boy do I have lots of fun stuff for you in the coming days...

For now, I'm going to just post a few pics of my awesome hand-inked and hand-bound journals (they are available in my shop in my shop.)

First Hand-bound journal!

2008-08-12T14:14:00.002-04:00

I created my first hand-bound journal. I included a little bead embellishment and inked the cover. Check it out:

Book recommendation

2008-08-01T15:44:00.004-04:00

If you're looking for a book that will make you think then you have to go pick up Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely.

Essentially the book is about irrational behavior that we tend to repeat. There were many moments in the book that made me feel like a silly person. I laughed my way through most of the chapters. I highly recommend this easy read.

For a little taste of what this book has to offer check out Dan Ariely's blog.

Hand-beaded journals

2008-07-21T23:15:00.005-04:00

So I am taking it to the next level. By that I mean that I have hand-beaded my journals. I took simple Moleskine journals and just added beads. They are fun! Check them out:

They are available in my shop.

My latest journal and Dave's digital work

2008-07-15T18:43:00.006-04:00

I just listed a journal today in my shop. It is a new cover design of abstract flowers. I added two beads to the bookmark of this journal. I chose a round green bead and a flatter red bead. I figured the round echoed the shape of the flower and the flat echoed the shape of the leaves. Further, the red symbolized the flower petals, while the green symbolized the leaves and stems.

I also recently listed a piece of my husband's digital art. I like this piece a lot for it's vibrant colors.

New products

2008-07-14T15:57:00.005-04:00

So in working towards the flea market, I came up with some new items for my shop and I updated other items in my shop.

I finally created my beer-themed envelopes and I added labels to all my upcycled envelopes. I used 100% recycled Kraft labels on my envelopes, keeping in theme with the eco-friendliness. Check them out:

And of course, if you'd like to purchase them please visit my online shop.

Working hard toward the flea market tomorrow!

2008-07-12T15:41:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow I will be at the Brooklyn Flea Market in Fort Greene! I have worked all morning finishing up some inking of journals, beading bookmarks and organizing everything. Wish me good luck for tomorrow!

This is my latest journal design:

I'm sick

2008-07-09T14:11:00.005-04:00

I really don't like being sick. I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and it hasn't gotten any better. I even had a low fever yesterday. boo. The worst part about being sick is that I think back to everything I've done in the past week and wonder who is guilty of making me sick! I suspect everyone! I can remember every cough, sniffle or moan in the recent past and I blame absolutely everyone for my malaise!

My parents were here visiting for all of last week and we had a great time. I got to see the city through the eyes of a tourist, which is always enjoyable.

This coming Sunday I will be vending at the Brooklyn Flea Market (located on a lot at Lafayette and Vanderbilt Avenue in Fort Greene) as part of the New York Etsy Street Team. If you're near Brooklyn stop by! I have to get my stock up for the market so even though I'm sick, I can't exactly rest.

I spent all day yesterday inking and beading journals from bed. I worked on new cover designs for my journals and this is one of them:

Diary 2009

2008-07-08T18:22:00.005-04:00

I recently submitted my pages for Diary 2009, a project in which several artists sign up to design a page in an agenda for 2009. I was assigned two pages and of course like the procrastinator I am, I waited until the deadline to submit them. I'm happy with how they turned out. Check them out:

Second Custom Piece Done!

2008-06-30T14:57:00.005-04:00

I finished my second custom piece this weekend. It's waiting review and if approved, I will ship it off to its new home. I included the words from an Edwin McCain song on the painting as requested. This was the couple's first dance.

My work was featured!!!

2008-06-27T14:37:00.005-04:00

One of my pieces, Measurements: Waist, was featured in the etsy blog. I was really excited to see it featured, as it is part of a series that I listed a while ago and was started to crawl down in my shop list. This brought new attention to the series!

Project:Puppy Indie Craft Show

2008-06-26T10:05:00.003-04:00

The wonderful MsKittyFantastico informed me that on Sunday, July 13th, she, along with the Connecticut Etsy Street Team will be holding a crafts fair to benefit the sato dogs. Sato is a Puerto Rican slang term for street dogs. Puerto Rico suffers from a sato problem. Many of the satos are starving and die. Amigos de los Animales, helps provide kennels and adoption for these animals as well as education about neutering and spaying them. Money from the Project:Puppy Fundraiser will go to Amigos.

I donated a set of postcards to be raffled off. Raffle tickets are $1! For more information on the show click here.

Custom Painting II

2008-06-24T15:42:00.004-04:00

I am now working on a custom painting of Jen and Gaby's first dance. Check it out!

Upcycled Envelopes

2008-06-23T11:56:00.004-04:00

I just made these awesome envelopes out of magazines and catalogs. The first series is dedicated to one of my passions: shoes. I am embarking on a beer ad series and have already made two of those envelopes, but hope to make many more:)

Anyway, I'm still deciding whether I should sell them with plain white labels to address them. Should I include a sender label and a return address label? Should I already stick the label on the envelopes or let the buyer stick them on themselves?
Decisions...

Fuerza Bruta

2008-06-22T10:53:00.015-04:00

It was my birthday Wednesday, but I didn't really get to celebrate as Davey (my husband) had a sprained ankle for which he insisted on spending the day in the emergency room at the city's best mental hospital. Needless to say, it was very entertaining, from the chain gang, to the floor kissing patients, I was amused.

Luckily, Davey's ankle improved enough to take me to go see Fuerza Bruta Saturday night after a disgusting amount of Mac N Cheese at Smac (the Parisienne with brie and figs was my favorite) split between Davey his brother and sister-in-law.

Fuerza Bruta is really an amazing show. I would attempt to describe it to you, but it's really an indescribable experience. We all kind of took away a different meaning. The show kept me on my toes (literally as I was straining to see everything going on around me). And best of all: I got wet. It made me feel like a kid again. Or at least like a college kid when I knew I looked great even with my hair was wet and my makeup runny. (It's dark enough inside the theatre to not care).

The show keeps you constantly moving mixing with different parts of the crowd, the actors become part of the audience, and the audience becomes part of the action. Some of the action occurrs right in front of you, while some above you. It was an entirely stimulating experience. (I guess after I said I wasn't going to attempt to explain the show, I did. I could easily go up there and edit my former statement out, but then you wouldn't see my thought process and well, what fun would that be?)

With that I leave you with a few pictures from the show and a strong recommendation to go see it...NOW!

The unveiling of my first custom painting...

2008-06-19T19:37:00.003-04:00

Here it is in its completed state...

I'm already at work on my second custom piece, which I'm really excited about because I am using colors that I love. It is a painting of another dear friend's first dance using a warm color palette. Pictures of that to come...

Anniversary Gift

2008-06-17T12:31:00.004-04:00

So I left this uncanny print of Michael Scott from the Office on my husband's pillow for him to find when he came home from work yesterday. The oh so talented elloh of Etsy created this funny guy. She does tons of pop culture prints. I spent at least 15 mins looking through them at her booth at the Brooklyn Renegade Arts Fair this weekend.

We still haven't decided whether he's going to take it to his office or whether we will frame it in a cluster of other prints from artists on etsy here in our bedroom.

Charity Custom Dress

2008-06-16T10:38:00.005-04:00

Fifteen year old Eleigh Lecates passed away after a car accident on June 4, 2008. Moved by the Lecates family's loss, the talented Deconstructress is auctioning off a custom dress. 100% of the sale will be donated to the Lecates family.

The current bid is only $187.50! Deconstructress will work with the winning bidder to create whatever design the winner wants. Please check out the auction by clicking here. The auction ends June 23.

On another note, it is my 3 month wedding anniversary today. I got my husband a great little treat, but I'll save posting that until tomorrow since I haven't yet given it to him.

My Fountain

2008-06-12T22:43:00.004-04:00

Having grown up on a peninsula, I love the sound of water. That's why my husband got me a fountain for my birthday (my birthday is this coming Wednesday, but I was extra good this year so the gifts started flowing early).

We spent about 2 hours deciphering the Chinese translated instructions on putting the thing together. We almost gave up...twice. But we preservered. And now I have to pee every 10 minutes because of the constant sound of water running in my home. Ok, just kidding. Actually, that was a serious concern of ours when we were debating whether to get the fountain. But so far, no overactive bladder here.

Now I just need to figure out how to disguise the unsightly wires...

Bookmarks

2008-06-12T16:58:00.009-04:00

Today is my 1 month-aversary on Etsy. To date, I have 9 sales and more than 90 hearts. I'm really proud of the work I have done, but I know this is a constant endeavor so I need to keep coming up with new ideas. Currently, I am working on two bookmarks. One will be of my print Dancing and the other will be of my print Rooftop. I'm really excited about these and am looking forward to their reception.

My most recent addition to the store, my journals, have been selling like hotcakes! I got my first foreign sale, to the lovely Jasmin of United Kingdom!

Custom Work, Winner, and The Muse Factory!

2008-06-11T14:47:00.011-04:00

I am almost done with my first custom piece. It was more work than I expected, but I'm very happy with it and found the process very rewarding.

You can see the beginnings here .

Congratulations to Elizabeth, who won the contest for my postcards on Simply Sentimental's blog!

Finally, I wanted to let all my readers know that I have started a group blog with 5 other etsyans. We each have an assigned day to write and mine is Wednesday. Check it out here . I will post this evening about my latest venture, my journals.

Stressful Life Events

2008-06-10T10:08:00.004-04:00

There are several tiers of stressful life events. I'm not going to dedicate this post to the top tier, but instead to a particular stressful life event that falls into the second tier.

The second tier of stressful life events includes things like (1) moving, (2) the first time you babysit for more than one toddler, and (3) hanging picture frames. Usually, these events are accompanied by lots of cursing, frustration, and kicking or punching walls.

This weekend with much apprehension my husband and I hung 10 picture frames in our bedroom! It was not quite as stressful as it could have been, which proves that practice makes perfect. We have now hung things several times. This time around there was minimal cursing, suppressed frustration and no kicking or punching walls. The frustration was mostly in the form of deep deep sighs. And we are happy with the results.

Baseball

2008-06-09T12:01:00.006-04:00

My husband is HUGE baseball fan. I, myself, cannot stand the game. It is not action-packed enough, the players are not fit enough to distract me, and I'm terrified of being hit by a foul ball.

However, since I am the perfect wife, I went with my husband to a Yankees game yesterday. Apparently, it was a historic event since this is the last year Yankee stadium will be open. My husband is actually a Mets fan (and he wore a Mets hat to the Yankee game), but the historic significance of this season attracted him.

We stayed for the entire game, which luckily only lasted 9 innings. Who thought 9 was an appropriate amount of innings? 3 is plenty if you ask me. The Yankees won.

During the 9 innings that we sat about even with 3rd base, 5 foul balls darted towards us and were caught by people in our section. I froze every time. I kinda started to figure out that lefty batters tend to hit the ball towards my section so I would prepare myself, yet when the ball started coming towards me I couldn't move. Somehow, I managed not to get hit.

Although I'm not a huge fan of the beer bellied, crotch grabbing, tobacco spitting players, I do kinda have a mini-crush on Johnny Damon. He seems really nice, his beer belly isn't as big as most the other players, and he's got dreamy eyes (yes, I just used the word "dreamy"). However, he doesn't strike me as the smartest of baseball players. Good thing I just want to look at him and not talk to him. So I basically spent the 9 innings counting the minutes between Johnny Damon's at bats.

Heat Wave

2008-06-07T17:27:00.005-04:00

Man it is hot outside. Not only is it hot, but it is humid. Today, my husband and I went to a block party BBQ at a local park. We ate tons of good food and got some sun. Check out how messy it was...thank God for wetnaps!

My wedding coordinator, who just got back from her own wedding, just posted pictures of my wedding to her blog. Check out her blog .

I'm working on some new stuff for shop, plus I'm finishing up my first custom piece, so come back this week for sneak peaks!

Custom Work

2008-06-05T16:47:00.007-04:00

I got my first custom painting request. This is really exciting for me because it is for a couple I know and love. My friend, Stephanie, wanted to get her husband something really special for their first wedding anniversary. The first anniversary is the paper anniversary so she figured that a canvas is kinda like paper:)

She requested a painting of their first dance. I already started today as I was anxious. This is what I have so far. I'm also going to incorporate some lines from the song they danced to at their wedding: John Legend » Stay With You.

Treaty

2008-06-04T09:35:00.012-04:00

My husband has a stinky bear named Treaty. He has had Treaty since he was a baby. When I met Treaty four years ago he was already showing signs of age. He had some male pattern baldness. And he was a cyclops.

In February, my mother-in-law, discovered Treaty's long lost eye. My husband took it upon himself to perform surgery on Treaty so that he could see in 3D once again. My husband is not a licensed surgeon. He did not go to med school. But we could not afford to take Treaty to a "real" doctor. It is now more than 3 months post-surgery and Treaty is doing great. His vision is as a good as new.

This is my husband's documentation of the surgery:

"Today I performed heavy surgery on my lifelong friend. As you can see in the first picture Treaty is laying all alone with only one eye."

"In the second picture he is waving goodbye, perhaps for the last time in case something goes wrong, under the heavy operating table lighting."

"In the third picture you will notice that the surgery was a complete success. Treaty now has two healthy and functional eyes once again. He says he is 'simply thrilled, but tired.'"

On another note, I am being featured in a blog. You can win my postcards by going to: Simply Sentimental's blog and following the contest rules!

Blister Solution!

2008-06-03T11:17:00.001-04:00

Maybe, I have sensitive feet, but I rarely break-in a pair of shoes without suffering. This past winter I had a blister so big and painful that I could not walk. I will spare you the details.

I walk a lot as I live in NYC. I'm car-less, not a huge fan of the stench in the subway, too poor for cabs and need the exercise. Thus I am in constant search for a solution to my blisters. My latest and most successful remedy is Blister Block:

This baby looks like a mini-stick of deodorant. You rub the "deodorant" all over spots where you anticipate your shoes rubbing and it prevents a blister! It really works. However when I'm out all day and on my feet in a new pair of shoes, I have to reapply it. Good thing the little stick is small enough to carry around in my purse. Another downside is that you have to be able to predict where your shoes are going to cause blisters. This takes a lot of experience and observation. The second I feel any rubbing I pull off my shoes and apply Blister Block. You have to be really disciplined about it. It only works as a preventative and it not so helpful once a blister has formed.

Coming soon...

2008-06-01T22:59:00.001-04:00

So I'm pretty sure I am going to add a set to my shop. It will include two 5x7s. One will be the photograph, Rooftop. The second will be the print of my painting by the same name. I'm thinking of selling them both together for $20. I'm pretty excited because both of these items have tons of views and hearts in my shop.

Job Interview Questions

2008-05-31T01:37:00.002-04:00

There are a host of silly reoccurring job interview questions that I have come across. I always sit there in my uncomfortable suit trying to answer them, filtering out all the answers I really want to give. So in honor of all my readers seeking employment, I am embarking on a series of posts dedicated to answering those job interview questions. So here goes my real answer unedited (ok, not totally unedited, but much less filtered than when I'm wearing panty hose):

1. If you could invite 5 guests to your dinner party who would they be and why?

a. John Irving. I have an intellectual crush on him (Does my husband know? Now he does as he happens to be a loyal Spinach blog reader)

b. Carmindy from What Not to Wear. She's cute. She's nice. She's got good makeup tips. Who can't use some makeup tips?

c. Jimi Hendrix. I just want to touch his hands. And listen to him sing. And play the guitar. And...(that's where the filtering kicks in.)

d. Audrey Hepburn (in her late 20's). I'd show her a picture of me dressed up as Holly Golightly for Halloween. And of course she would tell me that I am the spitting image of her. I'd probably spend the whole night practicing my posture and trying to make my neck as long as hers.

e. Hitler (before the Holocaust). I'd poison him in the first course foregoing the entire Holocaust. Yes, I have seen Back to the Future and boo on you for asking.

So there. It would be a lovely dinner party. I would be dressed impecably. The food would please everyone (I obviously wouldn't cook it) and it would be held somewhere other my small apartment which has no proper dining table. Everyone (with the exception of Hitler who is dead after the first course anyway) speaks English and will have something to contribute.

Measurements: A Series

2008-05-26T11:33:00.000-04:00

These two paintings are part of a series. Overall, the two pieces represent the pressures from society on women to be beautiful. I think this pressure transcends most societies.

This work was cathartic for me. I think with each passing year, I have come to terms with my body. I have been told that this is normal. I myself have struggled with body image issues, as I think most women do at some point in their lives.

The first, Measurements: Bust, depicts the pressure women have to have perky, perfect breasts. The explosion of breast enhancement surgery is just one example of this pressure. The second piece, Measurements: Waist, emphasizes the pressures to be thin.

Check them out in my store: http://spinachNpeace.etsy.com

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2008-05-25T11:49:00.000-04:00

It is Memorial Day Weekend. I am working. Long hours.

I moved to New York City this past September. So I'm still getting used to culture and habits of the city. It seems that everyone leaves the city for Memorial Day weekend! The city is a ghost town. Except for Fleet Week!

My first taste of Fleet Week was when I saw that episode of Sex and the City, where Carrie Bradshaw (yes, I must use first AND last name), almost hooked up with the guy with the sexy New Orleans accent, but her loyalty to her city abruptly ended the near encounter. I wasn't sure that Fleet Week was actually a real event. I thought that it had been made-up for the purposes of the show...until...

Two Memorial Day's ago I came to the city with my friends because hotels were offering amazing deals (little did we know the weather would be miserable and the city a ghost town). The one consolation we had was Fleet Week! We were really excited about living Carrie Bradshaw's life. None of us hooked up with any sailors, but the sitings made us giddy.

I'm not a huge fan of the uniforms. I know there are many women who melt at the sight of a man in uniform, but I am not one of them. Why do they wear those uniform everywhere they go even when off-duty?

Anyway, the Sex and the City movie is here! Who's seen it? Who has plans to see it?

My Husband, the Artist

2008-05-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

This piece was created by my husband a few years ago. We love it so much that it has been our wallpaper on our laptop for a long time. People in law school used to come up to him and ask where he got the image from and were shocked when he told them that he created it. When I look at it long enough I see a big fish. Anyone else see my fish? Can you see anything in it?

Postcards are ready!

2008-05-21T17:19:00.000-04:00

I finally got my postcards ready for sale. I got really great envelopes that are made of 100% recycled Kraft brown bags. They look great next to the postcards! They are listed and ready for sale. Right now I am selling them in a group of 9:

3 Bride

3 Groom

3 She Yin Yang

Check out the listing at: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11953031

Photo Additions to my Etsy Store

2008-05-20T14:52:00.000-04:00

I just added a few photographs to my Etsy stores. They are all photos that my husband took while we were in Cape Town, South Africa.

They are available in 5x7 for now.

I will be adding more daily along with my artwork. Please check them out at http://www.spinachnpeace.etsy.com/

Roof Top

2008-05-18T19:29:00.000-04:00

Inspired by a photograph Dave took while we were in Cape Town, South Africa, this is the most popular piece in my shop. It has the most views and the most hearts.

While in Cape Town, we stayed in the neighborhood of De Waterkant, which is right on the water. The buildings are all brightly colored and likely inspired by the beautiful coastline. This is the view from our rooftop in Cape Town. I hope to revisit the beautiful country of South Africa again.

Two month anniversary

2008-05-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

Today is my two-month wedding anniversary! Everyone keeps saying, "two months already? Doesn't it feel like just yesterday you were getting married?" I feel pressured to say yes, it's passed by so quickly, but the truth is that it seems like we've been married forever. My wedding seems so distant. It seems so long ago that we were sweating in the Miami heat while we took this picture.

Books

2008-05-14T10:31:00.000-04:00

I just want to share some books I've read recently and really enjoyed:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Road by Cormac McArthy
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

I recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns to all women. It is a powerful novel with themes of identity that I think all women can relate to. My husband read it as well and really enjoyed it.

I recently reread Middlesex for a book club meeting and I enjoyed it as much the second time as the first. It is a complex story about a girl who becomes a man. The author somehow had me relating to the main character.

The Road. What can I say about this book except that I haven't completely digested it yet. I read it in a couple of days, but the book is still haunting me.

I read Eva Luna in Spanish, but from reading Allende's other books in English, I doubt this surreal tale gets lost in translation.

Currently reading: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Next to read: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

And finally, I leave you with a picture of my favorite reading spot in my apartment. I have a date with this chair at about 1pm everyday as the sun shines on it.

Spinach N Peace Explained

2008-05-13T11:51:00.001-04:00

Why did I name my blog and store Spinach N Peace? I guess I should have anticipated this question. The answer is as simple as "I like spinach and I like peace." Yup, that's it!

I like spinach so much that I'm going to share one of my favorite spinach recipes with you:

Spinach Drink:
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 tbsp of your favorite jam
1/4 cup of orange juice
1 apple

Mix the above ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

This drink is sooo refreshing! I know it doesn't sound good (and it doesn't look that good either which is why this post is picture-less), but it truly is delicious!

I like peace so much that I'm sharing it always with you! Peace be with you all!

My shop is open!!!

2008-05-12T15:56:00.000-04:00

I finally got my etsy shop open. I don't know how many of you are familiar with etsy, but it is this awesome forum where people can buy and sell handmade things. This is the link to my shop: http://SpinachNPeace.etsy.com

I am currently offering buy one get one free to my first 10 buyers. So if you see something you like act quickly:)

I encourage you to browse around etsy as there are SO MANY awesome sellers there. If you have an etsy account, don't forget to add me as your favorite (heart me!). Thanks!

Dancing

2008-05-12T12:04:00.001-04:00

This is an older piece of mine. It was perhaps the color inspiration for my most recent series (Bride, Groom and She Yin Yang). I had very little trouble painting the female, as I am apparently much more familiar with the female shape than the male, but I needed Dave to pose for the male figure. Check out those calves!

Notice the softness in the female figure as paralleled by the flowers and the stiffness and support offered by the male figure as paralleled by the tree trunk.

I think this is Dave's favorite piece. I'm sure it's because he thinks he inspired it...maybe he did.

She Yin Yang

2008-05-07T10:01:00.001-04:00

This is the third piece in my series. As far as content, this piece does not belong in my series, but color-wise it is a match. This piece was inspired by my brother's most recent tattoo. His tattoo is of a yin yang, but a much more literal yin yang than mine. These two girls are not twins, but they are both beautiful. Which one is the good side of the yin yang and which one is the bad? Looks can be deceiving.

Groom

2008-05-05T12:51:00.001-04:00

This is the bride's counterpart. I painted him after the bride. I was really nervous because I've never painted a man in such detail before! I modeled him after my husband, Dave, with a few changes. He is most recognizable in this piece, by his pronounced chin.

I'm sure you're wondering why he has no clothes on. Well, when I married Dave, I married him--not the material things he comes with. I thought stripping him down was a way to express that.

This piece along with the bride are hanging in my living room. I told Dave that they would face each other when we are happy (hopefully most of the time) and I would put them facing apart when we fight (hopefully rarely).

There is one more piece in this series to come...

Bride

2008-05-04T14:31:00.000-04:00

When I got back to NYC from my wedding, I was inspired to put my experience into art. This is exactly how I felt as I was getting married--completely at peace. It was a happy time, but more than anything it was a really peaceful time. I didn't want to paint a stereotypical bride. Instead, I chose to make her less literal--no veil.

In fact, if it weren't for my mom, I probably would not have worn a veil myself at my wedding! I seriously thought my mom was going to start crying when I suggested that I wanted to omit the veil. I then suggested a bird cage veil and she told me it looked like chicken wire. I finally committed fully, and had a full-length cathedral mantilla style veil!

I guess this painting is my inner desire to eliminate the veil!