oh, Domino

I'd been holding out hope that the groundswell of protest in blogland over the folding of Domino might bring it back (hey, it works for tv shows all the time, right?) But it looks like that probably won't happen. I'm trying to put aside the time to go through the website while it's still there and save all my favorite images. Here's a good article from the NYT about the fold. It finishes with a great quote from Cynthia Kling:

“It’s like that scene in ‘Dinner at Eight,’ ” she said, shrugging parka-clad shoulders, “the part when the husband comes home and tells his wife he’s lost his job. And she says something like, ‘Darling, that’s fabulous! All the best people are losing their jobs.’ ”

Feeding the Beast

...OR: Cassie goes to an Orchid Show.

And I thought I had a problem. Really, I've only just scratched the surface. 15, 16 orchids? Pshaw! This weekend, I gazed into the maw of serious orchid obsession. And what did I do? I bought three more plants.


The show was hosted by the Amherst Orchid Society. The lighting was atrocious (I apologize for the flagrant use of a flash in many of these pix, but it couldn't be helped. And more pix here.) Man, were there some crazy-ass plants there. Plus, if I ever decide I'm done with jewelry making (don't worry, it's not gonna happen), I'll sell orchids to frozen New Englanders in February. Seriously, it was like What recession? in there. But it was good to see people spending on something they loved.

And yes, I know orchids are, like, so 1996, but I don't care. I like them, so shut up. :)

Thomas Paul

I'm probably the only person in all of blogland who didn't know this—please forgive me if you saw these on D*S, like, 5 months ago—but Thomas Paul has come out with the most adorable totes and pouches. I love everything this guy does, but these babies just take the cake. And the prices are amazing--$20 for the pouches, $36 for the totes. Get 'em at Velocity Art and Design.

Bailey Doesn't Bark

Now, don't get all jealous and start hatin', but I got myself some of the new 23K gold line from Bailey Doesn't Bark. After seeing them in person in RJ's studio a few weeks ago (what a sweetheart she is!), I had to have some for my very own. So I got me the 4 Seasons cup set and the Roaches On My Cup and Saucer set (aka Decadent Cockroach) to keep the Ant spoon she so graciously gave me company. Happy Valentine's Day to me! I just love them. Thanks, RJ!

dare to dream

Today it's 50 degrees. There are puddles everywhere, melting snow and ice. I just returned from the woods wearing only a t-shirt (oh, and pants). Amazing. Dare I dream of an early spring? Last fall, I planted daffodil and tulip bulbs for the first time. Every day I smile, imagining how pretty the yard will be in April. But how wonderful would it be if it all came just a tad sooner? A girl can dream.

Walking Wardrobe

I'm such a sucker for a simple, well-designed bag in a pretty, versatile fabric. Walking Wardrobe's shop is a sweet little dream. I'm loving the color palette and the silhouettes of these great bags. But what really sets this shop apart for me is the scale graphic included in each listing—brilliant!

tall grasses

The new February Anthropologie catalog arrived over the weekend. These images made me yearn for summer in such a real, visceral way. The warmth of the sun on bare skin, the drone of crickets, the smell of hay in the fields. I want it all, now.

16 Things

So, weeks after being tagged by both Ginger and Melissa, I give you my 16 Things (I can just hear the collective sigh of anticipation)!

1) I have a Master's degree in procrastination. Writing this now? Yup, total procrastination. I'm on jewelry piece #4 of 10 that have to go out tomorrow, plus I have book jacket copy due for Random House that I haven't started--and that leads to...
2) I'm a professional book jacket copywriter. I read the book and then write the blurb on the book that tells you what its about. It's a pretty frickin' sweet job.
3) I really have no idea what to call the color of my eyes. Are they green? gray? blue-gray-green? I'm stumped. I should just get some color contacts and call it a day.
4) I have 16 orchids. LOVE orchids. Obsessed is probably more accurate.
5) I have a long scar below my lip from when I was 3. My parents liked to walk around all the houses in our neighborhood that were under construction (during the boom in Austin, TX). There was a large hole in the floor of one such house, covered with cardboard. I stepped on it and disappeared into the hole, hitting my mouth on the way down. Apparently you could see my teeth through the gash. ICK. Luckily there was a plastic surgeon on duty at the hospital, and my lips are so big most people don't notice a thin little scar. which leads to....
6) the boys all called me Sausage Lips in elementary school. little bastards.
7) I was the captain of my lacrosse team in high school. Which sounds impressive until I tell you...
8) there were 14 kids in my HS graduating class.
9) At college, I was supposed to play on both the lacrosse and soccer teams, but I hated the sorority-like attitude of my teammates, so I quit and joined the Squash team--even though I'd never even played it before. Turns out, squash is a fantastic game!
10) I had appendicitis 4 times before it was correctly diagnosed and I had my appendix removed. The first time I had it I went to the emergency room and the doctor told me it was gas--and then went out front for a smoke.
11) I'm Type 1 Diabetic--4-5 shots a day, baby!
12) I could probably eat a huge salad every day for dinner for the rest of my life and be totally happy. I love a good salad, and they're so versatile, so full of possibility.
13) I love to sing. Tra la la la la!
14) man, it's hard coming up with 16 things. how did you all do this?
15) I'm obsessed with Lost. Love it. Love the 'mythology', the sense of humor, the teasing and the coaxing and the speculation. Best show on tv, in a long while.
16) I don't know the multiplication tables at all. 7x8? no clue. 6x7? damned if I know. Sad, but true. ;)

So I'll tag:
Elise (midtownsky)
Liz (so*fierce)
RJ (BaileyDoesn'tBark)
Joy (she'll never see this!)
Carlyn (ditto!)
Tonya (she'll totally see this but never get a chance to do it!)