Wren's Nest

2010 - Day 2

I meant to get up early and charge into this day full of energy and vigor...well, it's noon and this is where I am still...in my jammies watching "He's Just not that Into You". Not exactly fitting into my plans of getting things done and being really busy this year...but I'm happy and I'm warm and comfy, so maybe this is just what I need to be doing right now. Later I'll get up and clean my studio and get moving on dealing with bookkeeping and shop stuff, but for now...I'm content to be just where I am, and that was one of my "resolutions" for the new year - being content.

I hope you're enjoying your 2nd day of 2010 and are content with wherever you are at the moment!!

PS. I'm also following through with another one of my plans for 2010 in working on my photography skills, for no other purpose than to get more enjoyment out of my camera and to see things around me with a new eye...inspired by my friend Jeanne, who invited me to play along with her on a 365 day photography adventure, I've started a little photography blog - no words, just pictures - one a day for a whole year. I hope you'll stop by and visit and maybe play along yourself. Happy New Year!

New Year Hopes

I am SO excited for 2010!! 2009 has had it's moments...some highs and some incredibly low lows. I learned so much this year, but  I am looking forward to the new year with hope and anticipation - I want to know where the story goes from here. There is a sense of excitement I haven't felt for a new year in a long time, maybe never before. Somehow January 1st brings to us a chance for a clean slate, new opportunities, new possibilities.  I feel like a child on the first day of school - ready to grow and to learn new things, explore new ideas,  meet new friends and nurture the friendships I'm lucky enough to already have.

I am just so excited and so happy to be looking forward and not back. It's time to celebrate. I have high hopes for 2010 and some dreams I'd like to work on making come true - I can already see some wonderful new things on the horizon. What I'd like most for the new year is to be content with where I am, who I am and what I'm doing and go from there -to take my time and enjoy the process as much as the end result.

I have made so many friends through this blog and I am so thankful for that! My New Years Wish for all of you is that you find your hopes and dreams coming true in 2010 and the peace that comes from just enjoying the journey! Happy New Year!

"Magic Winter Wish" taken 11/09 at Wendy Addison's Theater of Dreams Holiday Open House

A Christmas Peek

Just a little peek into our Christmas - some house decorations, our front door and our family room in the aftermath of gift opening! It's been a rather crazy week, so I'm off to enjoy a martini with my husband!!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours all the joys of this beautiful season! Merry Christmas!

A Day in the Fillmore

About every 4-6 weeks, I head into San Francisco to get my haircut and colored. It seems silly, I know, to go all that way just for your hair, but 1. I've been going to Monica off and on for about 17 years and 2. I LOVE San Francisco. I started going to Monica right after I got married, when I lived and worked in SF. I'm picky about my hair and so far, she's my girl!

Today John came in with me ('cause he doesn't get to the city enough...only every day, but he works South of Market and this is a completely different neighborhood). The hair salon is on Fillmore St., so he hung out at a coffee place while I did my thing, then we had an amazing lunch at a crepe place and walked around and visited Nest, one of the coolest shops ever!! I took some shots of the cute homes in the neighborhood all decked out for the holidays.

My dream of dreams is to move back to SF one day (after the kids are done with school) and live in one of the cute neighborhoods (I used to live in Russian Hill and John and I lived in the Marina) and to own a little boutique that I can walk to every day after getting my coffee - wearing fun sweaters (because it's almost always sort of cold there) and cute boots...doesn't THAT sound like a perfect life?? Seriously...I know we'll move back there someday, the boutique part, well, that will have to play itself out however it's supposed to, but I can dream!!

Enjoy the pictures!

This is where I get my hair cut...2412 Fillmore

 

This is Margaret O'Leary...SUCH beautiful clothes...

NEST - a beautiful, eclectic shop...John went back in and got me a little something for Christmas - I'll find out on Friday what it is!

Another Nest window

 

And some cute houses...

 

 

 

 

Lady Madonna

The Madonna, St. Mary, the Virigin Mary - whatever you want to call her, has always played a big role in my life. I grew up very Catholic - I loved all things Mary and still do. When I was little, thinking about Mary gave me a measure of comfort in my rather complicated childhood. I love statues of her, images of her - I went to St. Mary's Church growing up (and got married there), St. Mary's College for school and now we live in different St. Mary's parish (though, I confess, we don't really go to mass). You all know I love to collect old religious items - rosaries and santos and milagros and whatever else I find.

So now, I'm lucky enough to have the lovely Teresa Sheeley creating these Madonna pillow covers exclusively for my shop Dreams of France. You CANNOT get this image on pillow covers anywhere else...There are two different images and two different style pillows - they are bleached burlap (so, a beautiful creamy color) with muslin backing and the ruffled pillow has a muslin ruffle. They are such beautiful images - I love them so much. I think they would be amazing in a home during the holidays especially, but I'll have mine out all year. I currently only have one of each in stock, but I'll have more shortly...and you can even have free shipping on them.  Since today is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (believe me, as a kid, I was in church EVERY SINGLE holy day - so I know!!) - a perfect day to show off these lovelies!! I hope you like them as much as I do!

The pillow on the left is the ruffled version and on the right, plain, no ruffle. They measure 16"x16".

 

...and the winner is...

Miss Tracey from French Larkspur who has a beautiful blog and shop - #17 in the random number generator!! Yay Tracey - I hope you'll enjoy it!

Thank you for all of your lovely comments! I have a really beautiful new item to share with you tomorrow, so stay tuned!! I am so excited!!

A Holiday Treat

Since I'm having so much fun making these stockings- I thought I'd have a little give-away and share the love. So, if you'd like this burlap and linen stocking with vintage buttons (there's only one of these since this is all the white linen I have right now). Please leave a comment if you'd like to be included in the drawing and if you want to mention the giveaway on your blog or facebook or whatever, let me know and you'll get your name in a 2nd time. I'll draw names Monday night...good luck!!

 

Don't forget - there are also other stockings available in the shop...and more to come!

Just in time for the holidays...

I've FINALLY updated the shop...I'm so excited -  there are some new lovelies and some old favorites have been restocked (not everything, but as always, if you see something you MUST have, please just let me know and I will do my absolute BEST to get it for you!!). Also, don't forget our beautiful exclusive Beth Quinn designs - jewelry makes such a great holiday gift!

Some new linen and burlap Christmas stockings - homemade by yours truly - these are SO fun to make and if you would like one made special - just let me know and I'd be happy to create one just for you!

 

Some NEW pillow cover designs...

NEW tea towel designs...

 

and a NEW take on some OLD favorites...

 

Enjoy ~ have a great Thursday!!

In a second

I've been thinking about this post for a couple of days now. Thinking so much about life and how it can be altered in a second. Things happen...and there becomes the day before and the day after and life will never be the same.  A family in our community has suffered a huge loss - the day after Thanksgiving the dad was killed in a sailing accident.   I can't imagine...I can't imagine the pain and hurt they're feeling. We have an amazing community around our little school and people come together when things like this happen (and unfortunately, as far as Collin's little class goes, we've been through this a couple of times before), but all the comfort, food, car pools and support can never help enough, can never ease the hurt that comes from losing your husband and knowing he won't see your children grow up, from losing your dad at an early age and having to reach milestones without him there to see you. The realization that all I want as a parent is to see how the story unfolds for my children - to know they grow up to be good people who are happy and loved and safe and that I have to have faith that I will see it (along with my sweet husband).

I'm rambling, I know. I don't really know how to express what I'm feeling. I tear up everytime I pass the home of this family (which is about 4 times a day). I think what I want to explain to my children is not about death, it's about life. It's about living every single day, it's about telling everyone that matters to you that they do, it's about having no regrets, about living a life that you're happy with at the end of the day - that you were a good person, who loved and was loved back because it can really all change in a second.