Hello friends!
A great big Happy New Year to you! I hope you had a wonderful holiday, filled with friends and family and maybe also a little sewing time.
I just realized that I’ve worn the same sweater for the past 10 days or so, which definitely means I’ve been either relaxing or very distracted. A little of both, really. (But don’t worry; I haven’t been wearing the same shirt under it this entire time!) S just got her first braces and we’re busy packing for her class ski trip to Andorra next week, plus we’re shooting the first of several photo shoots for the spring patterns this morning and I just finished sewing the samples yesterday afternoon. So I guess that’s my sartorial excuse. But we also got some time to relax, and I think I’m reading about eight different books at the same time, I’m so busy cramming as much relaxation into my free time as possible! Can you relate?
Speaking of books, Todd gave me this one for Christmas and I got all teary-eyed when I opened it. I’ve been feeling a little homesick for New York lately, but not for that cold weather! Stay warm, everyone.
Pinterest Picks
When January comes, do you look forward to New Year’s resolutions and starting the year with a clean slate? I mostly look forward to the limited color palettes of January, with light, clean colors like these.
I also look forward to January’s cozy textures, like these. (Isn’t that ombre sleeve wonderful?)
Speaking of texture, S and I are planning a cozy faux fur sweatshirt for her. If there is any leftover fabric it will definitely become a throw pillow or two.
My mom sewed S a really beautiful twin-sized version of the quilt from my Little Things to Sew book, and it looks so wonderful on the bed in her room–which is truly the best room in the house, right on the corner with inspiring views of Madrid from two sets of French doors. But I digress; what I really meant to say is that this orange-and-red quilt reminded me of the overlapping transparent colors in S’s quilt.
This dress and interior reminded me of SFGirl’s Wear This There series. The dress would look perfect in this interior, wouldn’t it? Makes me want to assemble shoes and accessories to match, but more pressing matters await.
Weekend Reading
Since a new year often inspires a new start, here is a collection of links to inspire you (and me):
- Looking for a good book? I love the book concierge.
- And if you need more book suggestions, 2017 gave us many to choose from.
- How to make salad. Because we could all use more salad in our lives, right? (And as long as we’re at it, how about soup?)
- I may have linked to this before, but it’s worth another look: an excellent stain treatment guide.
- I was just telling S about this the other day; no matter what your age, it’s important to feel comfortable being alone.
- I’ll be the first to tell you that being married to your business partner is Really Hard. But so is marriage, period. So I really liked this article. And this one about maintaining a healthy marriage with a weekly meeting.
- I told you we watch a lot of movies during the holidays, right? I also caught up on some TV-watching and absolutely loved The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Great story, very New York. And the fashion wasn’t too shabby either!
- Speaking of TV and fashion: season 2 of The Crown.
- To accomplish your resolutions, practice empathy and thankfulness. (We can all use a little more of both anyway, right?)
Oh, we have so many great posts lined up for you next week, I can hardly wait! Be sure to come back, or we can come to you if you sign up to have blog posts emailed to you. In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. We’re looking forward to the arrival of Three Kings Day tomorrow. Do they visit your house, too?
Thanks for your recommendations Liesl. I always look forward to this post. I too enjoyed The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Crown Season 2: the costumes for both were so good. I often admire 60’s fashions, particularly coats. I understand your homesickness, as I am missing my native California as this Arctic winter rages in New England. We also traveled around Scotland in the Fall and it was so wonderful that I am missing it too. I am going to sew the Lisette 6244 coat, with wool I bought in Edinburgh, very soon. My first real coat! Wish me luck.
Travel can be so inspiring, can’t it? I’m glad you enjoyed Scotland and can completely understand your CA homesick feelings. I hope you’ll show us how your coat turns out!
Yes, I am so inspired by travel: experiencing different cultures and landscapes changes your perspective. Scotland was incredibly peaceful and yet vibrant as well. I will share my Lisette coat on Instagram @lotuspeachblog when it’s finished.
Of course They do!
I’ve asked them to bring me some beautiful linens I saw in NY, I hope they could find what I wanted…
Happy New Year!
It sounds like the Magos are very intuitive, much like the Santa who comes to our house! xo
First of all, it’s 11 degrees Fahrenheit here in the Big Apple, -6 (-21 Celsius) with a wind-chill factor that is palpable. I ventured out to Whole Foods, every part of my body covered in wool and fleece and fleece and wool except for my eyes and the bridge of my nose, which hurt. Indulge in a little schadenfreude. And stop reading the Times. Solitude and stain removal and soup–where do you find these signifieds? I truly missed your links. Here’s my book recommendation to you: https://www.amazon.com/Poet-Spain-Federico-Garcia-Lorca/dp/1524733113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515210610&sr=8-1&keywords=lorca+spain
Yes, I don’t miss that cold weather! And I must admit to indulging in a little schadenfreude, but I’ll enjoy it much more once the insane crowds of people here in central Madrid go home again! It’s much like living on Times Square this time of year–virtually impossible to run errands, the people are packed so tight! Thanks for the book recommendation. I’m adding it to my list. xo