Future Momo Jewelry

Beautiful books

I was lucky to receive some great books for birthday gifts this year.  The hands down favorite is Laduree: Sucre (the sweet recipes).  What eye candy! It came all boxed up and the cover is a soft velvety fabric.

It's been out for a couple of years, but I hadn't gotten around to getting it yet.

I also got the beautiful exhibition catalog for the Marie Antoinette exhibit Royal Treasures from the Louvre that was at the Legion of Honor.

And then Paris in Color by Nichole Robertson and a lovely annotated Brothers Grimm.  I love fairy tales and the annotations give nice supplemental information about variations on the stories and things like that.

 I first found out about Paris in Color from her Etsy shop. 
The book is laid out by color, of course and is so gorgeous. 

The illustrations in the Grimm book  are also inspirational...

And then a couple of garland sets and the Theatre of Dreams stationery set.  I had been really excited for the stationery because everything Wendy Addison does is beautiful. 

The set has letter paper, correspondence cards and stickers.  Although it's all gorgeous, I was disappointed by the quality of the paper  for both the set and the garlands.  But, I find that really thin paper is typical of Chronicle Books stationery. 

The Theatre of Dreams garland has a nice variety of fonts

And the Botanicals Garland had a few color options

Yeah, it's a lot of books and papery things, but I love it all!

Good books

I just finished reading a couple of interesting books.  The first was The Barbary Plague by Marilyn Chase.  Although the subject may be a bit on the morbid side, I found it an intriguing story of how they tried to suppress the plague in San Francisco at the turn of the century.  It was also interesting to read how the plague epidemic started in Chinatown and the race and cultural issues both sides had to deal with.  After the 1906 earthquake, the plague spread throughout the whole city and affected all neighborhoods and ethnicities.  I love reading about San Francisco history and luckily this book was written in a really easy to read and not too dry style.

On a lighter note, I also read French Women For All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano, who also wrote French Women Don't Get Fat.  Well, there's not too much to read, but there are some fun descriptions of how French women deal with each season, the clothes they wear, the food they eat, and just how to live well anytime of year.  Plus there are some yummy sounding recipes included for each season, which someday I will try to make.  I never read French Women Don't Get Fat, but I think I will have to go pick up a copy!

It's been a slow and uneventful couple of weeks otherwise.  I've been getting caught up on the latest seasons of True Blood and Weeds and thinking of fun ideas for new soaps.  I'm also choosing paint colors my walls and I am so excited that my mini redecorating plans are starting to come to fruition!  Hopefully in the next couple of weeks, I'll have pretty new walls and then after that comes new flooring!  I can't wait!

Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People book review

I received a copy of Office Yoga to review on CraftGossip.  Enjoy! 

Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People
by Darrin Zeer

Office Yoga: Simple Stretches for Busy People is a collection of simple yoga stretches designed for those who are desk-bound the majority of the day.  The stretches, as asanas as they are known in Sanskrit, will help not only physically, but will also help bring more calmness, ease, and focus into your daily work life.

Office Yoga provides asanas for your morning routine (”Morning Eye Openers”), through your return home (”Evening Balancers”).   The section at “At-the-Desk Relaxation” provides helpful tips for keeping your hands and wrists relaxed through Keyboard Calisthenics, as well as self-massage techniques and other relaxation methods.  The “Afternoon Invgorations” chapter gives some tips on perking up about the time that you are ready for that 3 p.m. coffee or chocolate!

Scattered throughout the book are helpful tips on diet and other tips on decreasing stress and increasing happiness.  Best of all, the contents include a Quick Help Guide for common workplace ailments like stiff neck and shoulders; eye strain; low energy; and sore lower backs so you can quickly find the stretches to help with your pain.

Find Office Yoga on Chronicle Books’ website, or your favorite bookshop.

See the original CraftGossip post here.

Dorm Decor: Remake Your Space with More than 35 Projects review

Dorm Decor: Remake Your Space with More than 35 Projects
by Theresa Gonzalez and Nicole Smith

Published by Chronicle Books
$19.95

I received a copy of the fabulous Dorm Decor from Chronicle Books recently to review on CraftGossip and was instantly excited by the fantastic projects inside.  Chronicle Books is well known for excellent designs and clear layouts of its books and Dorm Decor does not disappoint!  The fun, colorful projects are a great antidote to boring dorm rooms!

Dorm Decor is divided into five sections: Where you sleep; Where you dress; Where you study; Where you hang out; and Where you wash.  Each section has anywhere from five to eleven projects.  Some sample projects include a reversible duvet cover, monogram shams, hanging closet organizer, embroidery hoop photo mobile, fleece robe, and embellished towels.   Several of the projects have little to no sewing required for those not handy with a sewing machine.  The projects are cleverly divided into skill levels that are reminiscent of college courses, like 101 for Freshman and the easiest in skill level.

The book also gives suggestions on room arrangements, sewing basics, choosing fabrics and a fabric care guide, which is perfect for those new to being on their own and perhaps doing the laundry on their own for the first time.  There are also tips on ironing and a glossary on sewing terms for beginners.

Although the book is clearly geared toward college students living in a dorm room setting, some of the projects would also be great for those with a youthful, modern decor and skilled crafters who can adapt the projects to their own tastes and personal style.   The silhouette message board and tufted seat cushion are just two projects that anyone can adapt for suit their own style.

Pick up this book on Chronicle Books' own website, your favorite local bookstore, or Amazon.

See the CraftGossip review here.

I'm still alive!

I just got back from a short trip to Vancouver and came back with a cold and a sinus infection, so editing and posting my pictures is taking a bit longer than I had hoped!  It was a fun trip and a nice city and I am thinking about going back and visiting more of the surrounding area, like Whistler and Victoria.    Pictures coming soon!

On the trip, I read this great book

 

It's a young adult book, but a great, fun read.  I've been a fan of Neil Gaiman for years and this one didn't disappoint!