swoon

I know it's cliche' these days to make over Anthropologie like they rule the world, but folks, I think I could drop dead in that shop and die a happy woman.

black magic

I love me a good antique store. I mean I really love it. However, antique stores are like Chinese restaurants. There are a billion of them and only a few good ones.  You have to hunt them out. It takes time and patience.

My mother-in-law discovered a gem. They have unique stuff. Not junk. Special, one-of-a-kind like items.

I hyperventilated a little when I spotted these shoes and saw that they were my size.  According to the owner of the shop, they were part of a whole ensemble but the dress and clutch went home with a women who wasn't a size eight. The shoes stayed right where they were, waiting for me.

They make me feel pretty and stylish and fancy, these shoes. I haven't worn them out yet, but I have worn them around the house, you know, when I need a little lift. Like when I do the dishes and such. No, I'm not kidding. Some times I wear them with my pajamas.

Isn't it funny how an item of clothing or an accessory can change the way you feel? For me, it's like music.  What I wear and listen to, determines how I feel at that time. It's like magic.  

I saw this head dress on Emma Lamb's blog. It is from ban.do.  It has sold (for $300 if you can believe that), so I think I will try to make one similar.

And now I just need somewhere to wear my sexy sling backs and feathered headband. Is it too over the top for church? Tell me true.

moselle: chapter the second

The rain came down in big gloppy drops and she saw no end in site.

The cab driver was middle eastern and smelled of curry and bitter tobacco. They didn't speak. She watched the drops slide down the window leaving snail trails. Her feet hurt more today than usual. The bills felt moist in her hands. She looked down at them and wondered how many miles they had traveled before landing in her possession.

Such an extravagance. A cab ride.

She paused before fitting the key into the lock. She put her ear to the door. She listened, but heard nothing.

Alas, her little finches were fast asleep, cuddled up on the far side of the perch leaving the apartment silent and uninviting. She opened the sealed note she had found slipped under her door and read it while she kicked off her shoes.

Miss Moselle,


Please note that all tenants are now required to personally transport their own trash to West side of the building. Fritz will no longer be making rounds to gather trash, he will, however, continue to collect glass milk and soda bottles.


As a courtesy to Mrs. Havenbell on the second floor, please do not ring the bell for entry past the hour of nine p.m.


Thank you,


Management

She sat on the chaise next to the window with her legs curled up underneath her.  The room was fairly stark. Decorating on a beginners salary would take time. The damask wall paper would have to wait.  But she had her birds and her chaise. And now she had a warm bowl of macaroni and cheese which was a guilty pleasure from her childhood.  

And it made her miss her mother. Her mother who painted every wall in their family home gold and adorned them with blue and white Delft plates.  Oh how she had hated her mother's style growing up. But now, well now she would give anything to spend a day in her mother's warm kitchen, watching her  prepare a banketstaaf, sipping peppermint tea.

And she realized something there in her empty apartment, on her chaise next to the window with the rain drops softly pattering.

Her mother's style is true. Never changing. Steady and welcoming. It radiated directly from the heart of a gentle woman with love to give.  

The empty bowl and spoon sat on the chaise. The finches were waking, stretching their wings. 

The Delft tea cups her mother had given her were located and given a new home on the mantle. 

And she felt a little closer to home, a little more comfortable in her own skin.

***********************

Need help creating a blog that has your true authentic style? We can help. 

Please visit Moselle Design Studios.

regarding moselle

"Style is the mind skating circles around itself as it moves forward" -Robert Frost

The man behind the desk asked her a simple question and yet her mind raced and stumbled and she wondered where to begin.

"Yes,and what is your personal sense of style Miss?"

"Well, I...I am, I mean I like, which is to say, I gravitate towards things, or rather, items, that say, well not "say" in a literal way but in a figurative way, that say well...this."

And she laid her well loved album gingerly on the desk and turned it to face the man.

"Miss Moselle?" he asked bewildered by this strange answer to his stock question.

"This is me, well not me, but everything I love. Photos and things I've collected over the years..." Her voice trailed off.

The man looked down at the album and tentatively opened the first page to a new world.

1. Untitled, 2. yellow, 3. if wishes were horses, 4. LULALAND, 5. books, 6. Untitled, 7. Swedish "slagbaenk", 8. WINDMILL, 9. version II, 10. Untitled, 11. 1800s Lettering Sketchbook, image 14, 12. vintagebird02, 13. Yale Joel for LIFE, 14. Untitled, 15. one letter - M, 16. card letter o, 17. Door detail, 18. E, 19. L, 20. L on a door, 21. E & ivy, 22. whidbey., 23. untitled, 24. untitled, 25. tim walker dip, 26. suitcases, 27. flapper - Ziegfeld Girl 4, 28. isabelle, 29. yellow door "Moss Norway", 30. knitted dress, 31. made some boxes, 32. undeniably, she felt cornered., 33. Untitled, 34. photo3, 35. art wall

Moselle Design

today i'm inspired

tales from bäkerloo

There is a huge benefit to living in San Diego and it isn't just the weather. Although, that has been glorious as of late. I took the above photo on Monday at our community pool. Yes folks, we're swimming down here. There's nothing like basking in the sun in February.

(That last comment was a little gratuitous jab at my brother who loves warm weather and is currently living in heaps of snow.)

Anyway, back to the point I was trying to make before I started gloating. One of the really great things about San Diego is the plethora of great stylists. We have really, really good salons here with amazing stylists.

This is Hans.

Hans is my Johnathan. I started going to Hans about six months ago on the referral of a good friend. Hans is, well, Hans is completely too cool for even himself. Let me just tell you he calls his home his "batcave".


The truth is Hans is hee-lar-ious. He always has a juicy story to tell, names changed of course, and he is open and accepting of everyone. He is absolutely off his rocker crazy, but soooo much fun. And he is the hair guru.

I spent the afternoon with Hans yesterday. He saved me from my grey hairs that make me feel like a hag. He gave me back my rockin red attitude.



Just look at the sculpting he did on my mop. I tell ya, it makes me feel fancy. Well, at least until I twist it all up and out of my way. But right after I leave Hans, I feel like a hair model. It helps that he kisses you on the cheek before you step out into the sunshine with a slight breeze to ruffle your locks.

Here's some pics from my day at Bäkerloo.

Okay if you are thinking that this whole Hans experience costs a pretty penny, think again sister. Don't you know me at all? I am the Queen of Bargains, the Diva of Deals.

Well, sort of.

But, rest assured Hans is very reasonable and he gives complimentary trims to boot. Ahhhhh. I do love my Hans. He's like the boy girlfriend I never had.

If you live in the area and need to be glamorized, drop me an email. I may just give you his number.

because sally tomato said so

I can't believe that I've been at this for an entire year. I've written so much, given a fair amount of things away and complained a little. Here's to many more years of having my own daily soap box.

Do you have a favorite Suaviloquy post? I'd like to know which one it is. Leave it in the comments.

"I've got to do something about the way I look. I mean
a girl just can't go to Sing Sing with a green face." -Holly
Golightly

I mentioned not to long ago that I had found some ear plugs. I didn't want any old ugly orange ones like Sugar Daddy used to wear in law school. A girl like me needs fashion.

So I turned to the Queen of Fashion herself. Holly Golightly.

She never steers me wrong. I found the sweetest little tassel ear plugs around. And girls, they were only $6. You must check out JenGen's little shop on the web. Sally Tomato gives it two thumbs up.

I've been wearing them around annoying the living daylights out of my family. When they ask me to do something I just point to the tassels and mouth "I CAN'T HEAR YOU" and give a shrug.

You know me. I can't keep something this good all to myself. I have to share the love. I have five, yes five pairs of ear tassels in varying designs to give away. Leave a message and you will be in the drawing. And don't forget to tell me if you have a favorite post from 2008 if you had one. I will pick a winner on Wednesday. If you aren't lucky enough to win a pair, for heaven's sake, go to the website and buy some. They are only $6!

P.S. If you don't know who Sally Tomato is, I don't know why you are still reading this post. Go rent the movie already!

why i wear cowboy boots

There is a woman who lives in my community that is very highly respected. A few years ago I had occasion to be in contact with her on a daily basis. She was always extremely polite and professional. She had this way about her that was somehow condescending in a very backhanded way. When she said "Please come in" I heard "Shut up, sit down and if you get mud on my carpet I will stab you with the same knife that I used to cut the homemade brownies". So I was a little afraid of this woman and really very intimidated. I felt like a dog with a submissive urination problem. Every time I was around her I clinched every muscle and prayed I didn't soil her sofa.

And then, as these types of women tend to do, she pushed me just a little to far. She found my Achilles heel and she jabbed. She made me second guess my parenting. Even as the mother bear in me was rearing up, she knew just what to say to send me away with my tail between my legs. The whole thing was really quite pathetic.

One morning, as I was doing some shopping downtown and getting myself geared up to spend some time with this woman, a guy ten years my younger whistled at me. I had on old jeans and my cowboy boots. Now I'm all for women's lib and curbing sexual harassment, but I have to say, it felt pretty damn good. It reminded me who I am. I am not some spineless joke of a woman. My ancestors were pioneers, women of the Wild West. Women with guts and moxie. Tough gals. I went to that lady's house that day. I smiled nicely and spoke kind words. But I'm quite sure that what she heard was "Back off sister before I put these boots to good use." She has since subsided into the background of my life. I don't see her around a whole lot, but I am glad we tangled. It reminded me who I am.

I wear my boots all winter long. I wear them with jeans. I wear them with skirts. If you have never put on a pair of cowboy boots, give them a try. They may put a little hitch in your giddy up that will be just the thing you need.

Now, back to my regularly scheduled program of sweet words and nice thoughts.

trashy

Only wonderful things could come out of a studio like this. And they do.

A few months ago I ran across Heather Baily's site. I instantly feel in love with Trash Ties and I ordered a set of small and large. They are really great for a girl like me who, most days, has exactly 23 seconds to do something with my hair. I'm a big proponent of the bun. Buns are the saving grace of working women. Back and up is the only way to go when you are welding a jewelry torch or wrestling small children during church. Thing is, I'm not really the slick, manicured bun type of gal. I'm more of the messy, funky type so Trash Ties are perfect for me.

Yeah, I like to trash it up every now and then.

Go to Heather's site and check out the other great stuff she is doing. Then come back and leave a comment to be in the drawing for Trash Ties. A winner will be randomly chosen on Monday.

a couture cubical

A team of researchers explored the link between flowers and life satisfaction in a 10-month study of participants' behavioral and emotional responses to receiving flowers. The results show that flowers are a natural and healthful moderator of moods.

"What's most exciting about this study is that it challenges established scientific beliefs about how people can manage their day-to-day moods in a healthy and natural way," said Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Rutgers and lead researcher on the study.

I have been told, by a few choice and dear people, that I can be a teensy bit moody. Bless their soles. I don't know if any of the tens of people that read this blog noticed, but last week, I was a little down. This morning when I arrived at my work space (a.k.a. the kitchen) the first thing I noticed was the flowers I had bought myself yesterday. This is a little present I give myself every week. A $10 bouquet from the market. I didn't buy any flowers last week. I think that seeing the flowers helped boost my spirits and set the tone for the rest of the day.

Here I am, at my work space (the tidy one) in my uniform. Photography credits must go to one five year old boy who, after many tries didn't get me actually looking at the camera, but who, nevertheless gave a valiant effort. I am happy to claim the kitchen island as my personal work space, if only I could get people to take a number when they want something.

I'd just like to put in a little plug for beautifying you life. If you can't buy flowers, grow them. If you can't grow them, steal the neighbors. I think it is vital to surround yourself with things that inspire you. If you're not a flower girl, get some fruit or art, or gosh, I don't know, a great cupcake or a fabulous pair of shoes, and put them on your desk. I would go so far as to tack up damask wall paper in my cubical. Do whatever you can get away with, your moods will thank me.

34

Today is my birthday. I really don't feel 34, more like 27 or 26. Thirty years ago and thousands of miles away I posed for this photo in my backyard. My father had just started to dabble in photography and his two daughters, Irish twins at only eleven months apart, were one of his favorite subjects. I'm the one on the right with lighter hair and an impish grin.

I had a magical childhood that I can only hope to recreate for my own children. It's a work in progress.

I have glimpses of magic in the quiet moments with Thomas. Today, as I sat working on a pair of earrings, we had a long discussion/debate on how pill bugs sleep. These are the things that are important to a four-year-old.

I wonder as I look at this photo what was important to me then? Thirty years later, I'm sure the things I value have changed, but it is still the small minutiae of life.

These are a few of my favorite things:

The sound of Thomas laughing

The sun on my bare shoulders and a cold drink in my hand

Getting under fresh clean sheets

M&M's first thing in the morning

Rocking a baby to sleep

Eating Sushi with my husband

Long runs on sunny days

Shopping with my sisters

A streak free kitchen sink

Laying under a Christmas tree

A really good flee market

A secret stash of gummy bears

Picking out plants for our yard

Watching Finn yawn and stretch in the morning

Guffawing with my girlfriends

Fireworks on the beach

Redbull

Except for a small episode this morning that involved laying on the bed to get my jeans buttoned with the peanut gallery (namely one small boy and his dog) cheering me on, this has been a good birthday. I finished these earrings, which I am rather proud of. I think they are romantic.

My Blue Heaven Earrings

design sunday

Xenia Taler

Partners Xenia Taler and Steven Koblinsky work from their Toronto studio to create these great tiles. Xenia designs the tiles while Steven crafts the clay and glazes. They have been working together since 1996. The tiles are pressed in molds made of wood, or extruded. Glazes are mixed from scratch. All the tiles are decorated by hand.

I love how these tiles almost have a Scandinavian look to them. I have been looking around my house for the perfect place to hang one.

"We hope that one day, a long, long time from now, your children fight mercilessly over the wonderful tiles you had so wisely purchased."

-Xenia Taler

compromise

I honestly try to be a fun mom. I take Thom to Disneyland and Lego Land. I buy play dough and finger paints. I even bought him some Incredibles pajamas and I really hate characters on clothing. It's not easy when our style sense clashes on a daily basis.

But I had to draw the line when he wanted "John Deer" fabric. I just couldn't bring myself to, not only buy it at $8 a yard, but then spend time sewing it into a blanket. So we compromised.

Thank heaven for "surfer" style.

I used "minky" fabric on the back. It is soooo incredibly soft, but let me tell ya, it's a b. to sew with. The fish, name and surfboard are all embroidered. I wonder how long it will take him to spill grape juice on it.