dear jenna

dear jenna lyons (president and creative director of j.crew)

i think you are brilliant.
i have thought that ever since you
joined j crew.

you inserted new life
into the brand.
my closet thanks you
and my son's closet thanks you.

when i received the new catalog
in the mail
and saw you with your darling son.
and his fabulous pink toes.

i did not gasp.
i did not think it was inappropriate.
i did not flinch.
and i did not think you were "gender bending".

i thought "great color."
i thought "great style."
i thought "what a great mom/son moment."
and i thought "look how happy he is."

after hearing the uproar
on the news this morning.
i say bravo!
bravo! bravo!

bravo for not conforming
to strict gender roles.
bravo for having a moment
with your son.

i am sure that you did not expect
the reaction that has occurred.
i don't think you were meaning to
make a political statement.
(but if you were, well played).

lets be honest,
the conversation that should be taking place
is not about the color of your son's toenails.
but rather the fact this country
is still very homophobic.

this makes me very sad for
my child
my country
and the generations to come.

thank you for pointing this out.
please keep being your
fabulous, creative self.

xoxo
luc

lighter

i did it.
i cut my hair.
and went blond.
so i am feeling lighter today.

when i was younger
a drastic change in my hair
meant that i was not
in a good emotional place.

but that was in my youth.
this change is nothing more
than a need for something
fresh
modern
edgy.

my hair was always
in a ponytail
and i felt frumpy.

besides i spend good money
on my hair.
too much for it to
always be in a ponytail.

lee, my hair guru
asked me a whole host
of questions
before agreeing to cut it.

he doesn't like making
drastic hair changes
on clients if the
change represents
anything more than
an updated look.

i passed the test
and my hair team
went to work.

its funny
how the entire salon
became fixated on my
change in hairstyle.

their was a unanimous
decision
that the change
was good.

what do you think?

bling

because a girl can never have to much bling.

Ipad Sleeve 

new friend

meet my new friend, oribe's dry texturizing hair spray.
i will admit i am a bit of a product junkie.
alright, a big product junkie.
and i can be a little two faced about my products.

but i will NOT be that way with this new friend.
why?
well, it is the best product ever.

you see, i only wash my hair once a week.
that's right.
every 7 days.
it is better for my hair.
it took a while to train it to go that long.

lee, my hair guru, always tells me
that my hair is in great shape.
because i don't
overwash it
over heat it and
abuse it.

but i will admit
that by day 6
my hair needs a cleaning.
enter oribe's dry texturizing spray.
genius.

i sprayed it
on the roots of my hair
on day 5.
and it soaked up all the oil.
gave my hair volume.
and texture.
i got more compliments
on my hair day 5, 6, 7
than when it was freshly
washed.

no lie.
its brilliant.
i love it.
and i will not forsake it
for another product.

how often do you wash you your hair?

the beans room..the details

here are the final decorating details of the bean's room. some items were gifts, some items i made, and some items were cooper's that we wanted the bean to have. i ordered fabric to match the bedding to make curtains and a pillow for the rocking chair. and no, i did not knit the car, santa left that under the xmas tree for the bean.

the beans room..the closet

i don't think this needs much explanation. the bean has an obscene amount of clothing. he takes after his mother and his pappous ( this is the greek word for grandfather, which is what we are calling my dad, just an fyi) . i will say that i have looked far and wide, thanks to the internet, to find clothes for him that are unique, different and donut scream baby.

bean's room... the artwork

here is your second peak into the bean's room. when i started thinking about how i wanted to transform the nursery, i knew i wanted to have the walls full of artwork. we did not have artwork on the walls for cooper, not sure why, and filling the walls with fun, whimsical art would help to make the space new and different. i spent alot of time online searching for the perfect prints. the goal was to find pieces that were kid friendly but sophisticated at the same time. prints that could grow with the bean.

the classic story of the tortoise and the hare with a modern twist by ink and wit

the giraffe ( seen here) and the snail (in the first picture) can be found here. and the "c is for chatterbox" print is from this great shop.

these two prints are from olli and lime, the place where i purchased the bedding. i couldn't resist these.

there is one more piece of artwork, perhaps my favorite, but i cant show you until the bean is born. it has his name on it, but i can tell you that it came from this shop.

and if you are observant, you will notice that i did give you the bean's initials. only 3 more weeks till you know his name.

2 for 1

i am not found of writing on onesies or bibs for wee ones. sayings like "grandma loves me" or "what happens at grandma's stays at grandmas'" or "mommy's little cutie" or "here comes trouble" or........ i could go on and on about the sayings that companies put on baby clothing and accessories that make me cringe. seriously, it make my skin crawl. just because babies are cute, small and snugly doesn't mean they cant have some style. i know some people like it or they wouldnt make them, but its not my thing.

that being said, i am very picky about what i buy for the bean, but don't feel bad for him, he has a plethora of clothes and will be a very well dressed child or at least while i have control over it. i was this way with cooper as well, but did let some things slide. this time, not so much.

as you know, i needed another project, so i decided to make some bibs for him. i am not ready to commit to another quilt. i do; however, have some ideas brewing in my head for a new quilt. and it seems that my brother would also like one. but for now, i am making bibs. they were simple enough and very quick to make up. and my brain started turning in the middle of the night of how i can make these my own and put them up in the shop. that is what i am working on today. better yet, i figured out how to install snaps, with a little help for precious husband.

this bib is my favorite of the bunch. it was made with a left over log cabin square from the bean's quilt. so you have a sneak peak of what his quilt will look like, or at least the fabric i used. it should be finished this week, so stay tuned...

walk in the park

i have been doing a lot of creating for others lately, and decided i needed to make a few things for myself. i am hoping that having something new to wear will help my mood. so i made list of things i want to make before the bean is born, some are small and some are more substantial. i saw the walk in the park hat and fell in love. its perfect for our sunday walks with the dogs.

i used one skein of the new cascade superwash 128 yarn. what a fabulous yarn! its soft, squishy, and knits up fast. i bought two skeins and only used one so i think i am going to take it back and make another hat in grey. i made it a little shorter in the length, mainly because i would have to use some, but not all of the second skein and i wasnt so sure if i would like the slouchy look on me. i am pleased with the results.

i am looking forward to some cooler weather and a walk in the park with my precious husband and dogs.

in print

remember this post?

well, the book pure knits is now officially in bookstores and knitting shops across the country. i was in barnes and noble today, and i have to admit that seeing the book on the shelf made my heart go pitter patter. seeing one's name and designs in print can make a girls head swell with pride. yahaira did a fabulous job putting the book together and i think it was well worth the wait!

the mary ellen camisole was named for my maternal grandmother, mary ellen who passed away in september of 2007. she was quite a woman! i know you would have loved her. she turned 80 in may of 2007 and i knit her a cashmere blanket for her gift. she was always cold. i attempted to use the purse stitch, but somehow, i changed it and liked the result. that stitch inspired this garment and i thought it was fitting to name it after my grandmother. in addition, this photo was waiting in my email inbox when i returned home from her funeral.

the dimple v-neck was inspired by one of my favorite stitches, the dimple stitch and my all time favorite yarn, blue sky alpacas alpaca silk. the result is a garment that has immense possibilities. this yarn is a dream to work with and comes in a magnificent array of colors and i love the texture the dimple stitch creates.

this was a great project to work on and its nice to see all the hours of work in print.

thanks for indulging me.......

at last

dear tulip bag.

at last, you arrived at my front door.
i coveted you for so many months before making the commitment.
looking everyday.
trying to find the perfect color.
when at last you appeared, pistachio.

i knew when i saw you, we were destined to be friends.
you are far more luxurious than i imagined.
perfectly soft leather.
small detailed stitching.
and a pocket for my old but beloved cell phone.

you are the perfect summer bag.
named for one of my favorite flowers.
and you are all mine.

welcome to your new home!