For the Love

Textile...the mere words sends chills of joy down my spine!!! I really never had a chance at not being madly in love with textile. As a toddler my mother worked part-time at a fabric store and growing up her exuberance for the texture, color, pattern, and sensation of fabric are among my earliest memories. Now, my passion has given birth to my business. While shopping at Ikea with my mother-in-law I came across this treasure of a book, Love for Texiles and as a special treat, she purchased it for me. I have spent the past two weeks pouring over it and falling even more hopelessly in love with textiles and photography.

 The photography is beautiful; sun bathed, wistful, and romantic. Here is an example...

 There are simple DIYs that involve little or no sewing and would be a perfect addition to update a room or home! They are truly delightful. Quotes are mixed in and the entire effect of photography, fabrics, design, projects, and ideas are so inspiring! For $7.95, this might just be a perfect Christmas gift for someone special. Here is my favorite picture and quote in the book. I love the moment it captures and quote sums up my life...

"A real dream life should be full of love and laughter, tenderness and sunshine, homemade food and plenty of textiles. Patterns that shout or whisper, colors that grab or just touch. Soft fabrics that bring out the best in us."

Snip Snip

I will hold off on posting about Thanksgiving because with two families and two birthdays in the span of four days, our celebration is far from over!

Well, after four-and-a-half years, I chopped off twenty inches of my hair today!!! While there has been some controversy over Locks-of-Love, I still donate to them every time my hair grows long enough. I figure it is better to donate it than toss it in the garbage where there is no chance it will do any good. And since children with cancer are an issue that I see on a daily basis at work, it is close to my heart. After much combing and some help from my mom and aunt it was easy enough to hack off.

Then is was time for a little trip to my friend Kayla's House of Hair to let the professional fix the mess!!! Kayla is the best, no doubt about it. I have known her for years and traveled all over the world with her, and besides being an exceptional hair dresser, she has an infectious smile, heart of gold, voice like an angel, and amazing personality. Each time we visit I leave feeling inspired and refreshed and today...so did my hair!

 

 If you are in need of a wonderful cut, color, or hair treatment and can get to the Tacoma, WA area, give her a jingle (253.334.4175).

 Thanks so much Kayla, you are best, girl! XOXO!

PB-and-O

My mother left the house with an immaculate kitchen...this is what she came home to...

 Haha...oops! The past few days had been rough and baking is always the best medicine for my down moods. So, I made pumpkin whoopie pies, muffins, and grilled chicken yakisoba! Growing up, PBandJ sandwiches were my favorite food, but pumpkin-blueberry and oatmeal (PBandO) muffins may be my new favorite food!

 A co-worker of my mother's made this yummy recipe up...and it is truly heavenly. Here is how you can make your own!

Mix the following ingredients together:

• 1cup flour
• 1cup quick oats
• 1/2cup oat bran
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1tsp baking soda

Mix the following ingredients in another bowl:

• 1/2cup brown sugar
• 2Tbsp canola oil
• 1cup applesauce
• 1cup pumpkin
• 1 egg

Directions: Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Add 1 cup frozen blueberries and 1/2cup chopped walnuts (optional, I did not add them). Scoop into greased muffin tins or muffin paper cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 23 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if they are done. Cool for 15 minutes and take out of muffin tin.

These are so perfect on these chilly fall mornings! Enjoy!

Tidbits

It seems that with each day I age, the days get one hour shorter!!! Time is flying! We have continued to have a full and busy agenda in Seattle. Time with family and friends has been our highlight and we feel blessed to have wonderful people in our lives! Here is what we have been up to...

My mother-in-law is the queen of hosting the most incredible parties. I am constantly in awe and so inspired by her yummy food, decor vision, and selfless work! Last week she threw a party with Devin's high school friends. It was so beautiful and it was a perfect evening of munching, chatting, and drinking. How fun to catch up with so many old friends at once. Thank you MamaP, you are really the best, I want to be just like you when I grow up! ;0) Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take any pictures during the party, but here is sample of the decor and a few of the treats...

After an evening of partying the night before, my mother and sister-in-law and I headed out for morning mani/pedis. I decided to be daring and do my ring finger a different shade...so scandalous! I like it though.

Saturday night, thanks to some family friends, Devin and I bore the cold and went to our first University of Washington Husky football game of the season. It was brutally cold, but we were well bundled and had a wonderful time. We were very confused when the first bus pulled out as it was barely full....that is when we realized we are New Yorkers at heart now. The SEATS on the bus were full and in Seattle that means a full bus! Haha...we missed our crammed in, standing shoved against someone else, public transportation in NY! I have to say I could get used to an entire seat to myself though!!!

Sunday...well everyone knows what to do on Sunday!!! It was church, brunch and football...Perfect day! This picture is one of my very favorite. My in laws have always been so special to me and I feel beyond blessed to have such a wonderful family. I went from having one brother to a total of four brothers and four sisters, all whom I love dearly! The family room is where we all hang-out eating, laughing, chatting, crying, wrestling, napping, playing, and reminiscing. This photo captures all of the chaos and fun. Just lazy time with the most precious people! And yes, this is exactly what we all looked like all day long!!!

Today is Devin's first residency interview!!! Last night we had the dinner that proceeds each interview and then today he headed off looking as dapper as ever. He has such a way with people and his humble, confidence is charming; I am sure he is rockin' it! The interviews are making the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel for med school seem brighter and brighter. He has interviews this entire month so keep us in your thoughts and prayers, the results determine the next three years of our lives!

Thanks for tuning in! I am off to sew again as I spent yesterday baking, I will share the recipe tomorrow!

My Four Favorite 'F' Words

Lately, I have been challenged as I read some of my favorite blogs by how easily and freely people seem to share such deep and personal issues. I have always been an extremely private person with people that I do not know well and the thought of opening up that way, especially online, is quite terrifying. Yet I am constantly enthralled by their posts and find comfort in knowing that I am not alone in various struggles, let downs, disappointments, failures or questions. I started my blog with no idea of what I was doing and I am slowly learning. While the goal of Life's Little Clevers and Unexpected Endeavors has been to share my business process, ideas, recipes, DIYs, and life adventures I do believe it is time to add a new element. As with everything baby steps are the way to start and balance is always the goal.
Looking back on my posts, something is missing. I believe it is my heart and a bit of realness. Everything is shiny and polished as of course I get to choose what I share and what I do not. I do have a very happy, organized, OCD, and clean life, do not get me wrong, but somethings there are crazy messes all over my house just outside of the camera lens, and sometimes I set goals that I want to share but am scared of failure so I do not. There are journeys that I dare not share because if they do not pan-out then people would know I started something that did not workout....GASP! ;) What am I trying to say?...I just want to be more real, share the good, the bad, and the ugly all with a cherry on top...just because that is my style!
This all came to a head with this image that I saw when I entered my room to get ready for my run today. I snapped the photo and thought I should share what it meant to me...

The four most important things in life to me are my FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDS, and FITNESS!

I have not shared much about my faith on my blog because I do not like when I feel people are pushy about it so I have just left it out. However, it is something that I value deeply and is a part of everything that I do. With a busy schedule I have not had time to do as many Bible studies I would like and so being on vacation I picked up a book I heard about called A Beautiful Offering, on Casey Wiegand's blog. I am only a few chapters in but I am already enjoying the author's point of view and the meaning she volunteers. I will let you know what I think at the end!
My family and friends are the best, there is no explanation necessary! I love you all dearly, and my time away from New York has made me realize how much the east has become my home and how much I miss you all, even after a week!
Fitness is a constant balancing act for me: always has been, always will be. I am an "all-or-nothing" personality in every aspect of life and health and fitness is no exception. Ergo, throughout high school and college I worked out excessively and it became an unhealthy addiction. I saw the warning signs and decided that a healthy life was more important to me than being an unhealthy ideal of skinny and so I walked away from it all....running, weights, dance, hiking, soccer, training, etc. Once you travel down that road it has a lifelong game of being fit and active, while taking care of your body and being healthy.
After so much time away from intense exercise I have decided it is time to set boundaries but get back into shape. A few months ago I told Devin that I wanted to start running again. I started doing Pilate's about two years ago and totally love it, but I was not in the cardio vascular shape that I want to be in. The first day I decided to run three miles, a mere warm up in my previous running days, but a worthy goal in my huffing/puffing state. A half mile into it I was white-knuckling the sides of the treadmill and had intercostal retractions to rival any of my respiratory babies at work on a bad night!!! Discouraged I headed home and decided that I was no longer a runner.
My mindset has been to train and then blog about the marathon I am finally able to run. Blogging only after the fact to show the end result but none of the pain and struggle of the process. However, in a pursuit to be more real about my journey I thought I would share that I have finally given in and decided to do a little 5K while in Seattle. I am running every-other-day and slowly I have been able to add distance (and the ability to breath) to my runs! I am so scared I will end up not doing it and then look like a failure for everyone to see! I will post periodically on my progress and pursuits and hopefully can encourage others to take bite-sized goals too! My lovely work ladies...I am so excited to do the Diva Run with you next spring, thanks for your inspiration!
Whew I do not do this personal stuff very well, hopefully it will be easier!!! Thank you for reading!

New Line Sneak Peek

Yikes, two days of shopping put me two days behind on my promise the share this sneak peek with you! When will I ever learn?!
Without further adieu, here are the four fabric combinations that I am working on at present and will be available for purchase the beginning of 2013!!!

I am very excited to get these finished, photographed, and up for sale!

Business is in the Bag

Good Tuesday afternoon to you all!
We are safely in Seattle for a time and have been sending prayers and our love to NY and the east coast through the hurricane.
Devin is doing a few rotations in the Seattle area for med school, so I get a vacation from work and a chance to get caught up with all the JJTulum stuff that I have been pushing aside for the last few months...Eeeekkkk! Daily blog posts and some new DIYs and recipes is also in the plan. I will be working hard to start and finish the next line of bags we have coming out the beginning of next year! Packing an entire business across the country was no easy task.

A large duffel, a little creative packing, 62 pounds, and a fiasco of crazy repacking at the airport later we have JJTulum in Seattle and now the real work begins. Tune back tomorrow as I will be giving a sneak peek at four fabric combos that will be ready in January!!!

Azaya Blue Scarves

So today we headed down to the City to see the Azaya Blue trunk show at Henri Bendel that I posted about yesterday. Even though we have made the drive many times now, I still get so excited to drive through Times Square...like in my own car....like THE TIMES SQUARE! Haha...I am like a giddy little girl on her first trip to Disney World. And every time, without fail I have to take a picture out the windshield to make sure it is real.

We were able to see my sister-in-law and the designer of Azaya Blue's new scarf life, Nicole, and do some shopping! I was so happy with my new scarf, here is the link to the one I purchased, it is the second one from the left, but I have it in a light sand color. Not for sale on the website yet, but I do believe it will be soon.

I am working a bit of overtime tonight so we decided to pick up our pizza and sat at home in our Seahawks (that is Seattle's football team for those of your who may not know) jerseys and ate pizza and cheered. It was a wonderful day!

Azaya Blue in NYC

Hello all!
I am so excited, my sister-in-law and designer of Azaya Blue's scarf line, will be in town this week for a trunk show, at Henri Bendel on 5th Avenue (between 55th&56th) October 18-19! Her scarf line is gorgeous and is the perfect autumn accessory to spice up your wardrobe. She is a brilliant designer, savvy business woman, amazing mom, loving sister, and beautiful inside and out.

Devin and I will be there Thursday, October 18th in the evening to shop and then get our John's Pizza fix! Hope to see you there!

Vermont

IT IS AUTUMN!!!

So for some reason this year I have been quite resistant to the close of summer and beginning of fall. I am a warm-weather-girl through and through and so being I am always somber as I have to kiss my 85 degree days goodbye for the year. But this time around I have really put up a good fight! This past weekend Devin and I headed up to Vermont for a few days and all of the beautiful trees and fresh air, finally helped me cave and start to enjoy fall. After 267 pictures it was difficult to narrow them down. There a lot in this post, but assure you I really did cut out so many....

This is was part of amazing hotel room! We had a perfect view of the changing leaves on Mount Mansfield from the window and a cozy fireplace to stay warm in the mountains.

We did some sightseeing around Lake Champlain and shopping on Church Street in Burlington. Such an artsy area, we both could see ourselves living in a town like that someday!!!

American Flatbread is an organic, brick-oven, pizza restaurant in Burlington. I had read about how amazing it was and so we thought we would see for ourselves. I would HIGHLY recommend it. Although we laughed at that we had come from NY to get pizza in Vermont I have to say that it was the best pizza I have had...sorry NY!

We discovered that mustaches are very "in" right now...who would have guessed. We saw books, poster, T-shirts, toys, and even a cars with mustaches.

From the beginning of "Devin and Alejandra", Ben & Jerry's has been the pinnacle of our relationship. One Christmas my sister-in-law gave us a grocery store gift card. I was not sure what to think until reading the card and finding out she had bought us months and months worth of Ben & Jerry's for our home-dates!!! It was so much fun to visit the factory, it felt like coming home!

Stowe, VT was home-base and we are so happy we it was. The picturesque churches, barns, bridges, and horizons were breath-taking and serene.

On our last day we took the Auto Toll Road up to the top of Mount Mansfield and enjoyed seeing for hundreds of miles in every direction. You can see all over Vermont, Canada, New York, and Massachusetts. The changing leaves were worth every mile of the drive!

On our way home Devin saw this brook in the rear view mirror and flipped a U-turn so we could capture it. I think it sums up Vermont quite well, full of life yet peaceful and serene!

 Happy week to you all!

Oh Brother...

If I could compare my brother and myself to a body of water, I would be that bubbling brook that is bumping, jumping, and bouncing over rocks and trees at lighting speed and seems to be going in every different direction at once. They are the ones that go flying over ledges and make beautiful waterfalls only to crash and burn on rocks below. My brother is my opposite. He is the ocean, calm, predictable as the tide, rarely ruffled, even keel, and magnificent. Ten years separate us, he is ten years my junior and as time has passed the tides have shifted. Growing up he was always wanted to do whatever I did, go wherever I went and hang out with my friends. He looked up to me and I adored him more than anything. Now at over six feet tall and almost 18-years-old I literally look up to him! Daniel is a wonderful young man. Shy, quiet, kind, loyal, loving, and crazy smart! He plays baseball like a pro, holds a 4.0 going into his senior year of high school after taking nothing but AP and Honors classes, and he is still the best brother a sister could ask for! It is fair to say I want to be like him when I grow up! Before school started he was able to come out and spend almost two weeks with us, it was a blast! The main event was the Yankees vs. Red Sox game that our parents treated us to. Daniel has always been crazy about the Yankees and although I am the New Yorker it has taken him some work to convert me to a Yankees fan...

The rest of his trip we spent playing video games, hanging out in the park, eating, and playing our childhood favorites: Uno, Backgammon, etc. I am terrified of being hit in the face with any sort of ball. I was hit in the eye as a child and have a deep respect for round things flying through the air at my face! Daniel is patient and after 12 years or so I have become decent at his favorite pastime...wiffle ball. I approach it more like swatting a fly and figure if I hit the ball with the bat then the ball cannot hit me in the eye....I get a lot of hits! I did not find out until later than all of the curve balls are saved for his brother-in-law and I get the nice slow pitches down the middle....I did not tell him that I played easy on him with Guitar Hero! ;)

Our tio (uncle) lives in NYC and is one of Daniel's favorite people! Devin had not been able to meet Tio yet and so we all met in Time Square for some shopping, dinner, and dessert. What a perfect afternoon!

Being so far away from my family is the only thing I still dislike about New York. It is times like these that get me through! Daniel was the first boy to ever steal my heart and although Devin came along and swept me off my feet, Daniel will always be my number one guy! I love Brother, thanks for being you and thanks for coming to visit!

"Bean"-There-Done-That: Bronxville

Today I found myself in my rain jacket and boots sloshing around Bronxville, NY in search of bakery and coffee shop for my weekly coffee date with myself! Something about the rain makes me crave  warm treats and drinks, even when it is still 78 degrees outside!!! I found my treat at Topps Bakery. After much deliberation I settled on their crumb bun and was not disappointed. I found myself chatting with a fellow photography lover and blogger named Tiffany who works there and has a photography blog at simplysnapshots.wordpress.com, check it out, she is a sweetheart and budding photographer with an artistic eye.

 A few doors down I found the Slave to the Grind coffee shop. Unassuming from the exterior and truly beautiful on the interior. This is not your polished-up, spick-and-span spot. Cluttered, old, cramped, and chaotic behind the counter, it is a true "hole-in-the-wall" delight!!! It has character, history, and age which gives it its rough beauty. I loved the chairs with the cappuccino cup cut from the metal back (you can see them in the pictures below).

The clientele was quite diverse. Young, old, preppy, punk, grungy, and businessy all mixed together. A gentleman was completing the last bit of color on a very impressive comic drawing he was working on. Two ladies with amazing British accents sat across from each other chatting intently about the latest sale on handbags at Bloomingdale's. The staff was less than warm and fuzzy with no eye contact and little more than, "that will be $4", but hey we're in New York! As for the coffee it is not for the faint of heart. In the words of my mother, "It is strong enough to put hair on your chest." I tend to like my espresso strong so I managed fine but just consider yourself warned if you like a more mild cup-o-joe. After some studying I headed back to the car and though I am still lamenting over the end of summer I could not resist jumping in a puddle with my rubber boots! It was a good day!

Vintage Fleas

Labor Day weekend some dear friends of ours invited us to a large flea market with them about an hour and a half north of NYC. Getting up so early on a Sunday morning was slightly painful but the drive was beautiful, the company superb, and the treasures many! Devin and I headed home with a carful!

Here is a list of our new antiques:

·         A chair from the 1920s

·         Vintage cut glass and silver pitcher

·         A telegram from the 30s

·         A pair of old spectacles

·         Dr Livingston’s – Explorations and Adventures in the Wilds of Africa

·         French Novel – 1869

·         The Complete School Algebra – 1894

·         A Bible from 1854

·         One of the first designs of combination locks

·         An old safety pin

·         Three booklets of ration stamps from the World Wars

·         An antique fire iron

·         A Newspaper – The New York Tribune from 1882

·         A page from a botanical book (Already framed for another project!) – 1880

·         A book of needles

·         Old postcards

·         A lantern

·         A 5-gallon water jug in crate – complete with 5 dead mice inside!!!!

I was so excited and have enjoyed finding places for our newfound treasures in our home. The mice were much less welcome and I have yet to take the bottle out with a hose and some bleach…sigh. Here are some close-up pictures of what we found.

The name flea mart has always given me the willies, so I opted to name it the vintage tag sale. While chattering to my mom the day before, she mixed the two and told me to enjoy the "vintage fleas!" After all of the amazing finds I am hooked…YAY for vintage fleas!!!