my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week.

1. this applesauce.

{for keeping me warm during a snowstorm}.

2. this snowy mum.

{for sticking it out}.

3. these curtains.

{because they're making me change my mind about lace}.

4. this carbon copy.

{because my sister cait got the other copy. i'm a sucker for snail mail. especially from mildred}.

5. these snapshots.

{because they're of my cousins. in brooklyn. 1910-ish}.

other things:
hurricane stories here and here.
these boots.
this {for big girls}.
these tears.
cute socks for manfriends.
and in case you missed it, hurricane relief.

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believe: hurricane relief

whales and ships and icebergs for hurricane relief

I couldn't bring myself to round up a make-believe post this week. Instead, here's a list of ways that you can contribute to rebuilding post-storm. Thinking of those who are displaced and without heat on this snowy November morning.

1. eat a cookie 2. open your home 3. take a class 4. go to a reading 5. buy a t-shirt 6. or a plant 7. volunteer 8. donate

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< two fifty: life in a tiny apartment.

Count your blessings.

I don't mean to belabor the point and I know that I've already written about keeping perspective, but last week's hurricane has left an enduring impression and now I'm worrying about tonight's impending storm.

I hate the electrical outlets in our apartment. They're grungy (despite cleaning) and spattered with paint and they were never properly installed. Whenever we unplug anything from one of them, there's a moment or two when it looks as though the whole thing will tear loose from the wall.

Last week, of course, was not a week (if ever there was one) to bemoan a few loose outlets. My sister and brother-in-law were out of power for much of the week and they trekked to our place by foot, and by cab when they could find one. Instead of the usual two in this tiny place, there were four of us. Each of us plugged in our computers and took full advantage of our still-working wi-fi to hunker down and keep up with deadlines and commitments. Believe me when I say none of us were complaining about the close quarters.

We've been incredibly lucky to come out of this storm unscathed. Susannah's photographs of the destruction in Rockaway are mind-boggling, to say nothing of all the other places and people along this seaboard still suffering.

I'm thinking it's a good time to take count of our blessings. Loose and functional electrical outlets among them. 

How about you guys? How are you faring? 

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the sill: the houseplant has arrived

In a tiny apartment, and just about anywhere, having a little greenery to liven up your home goes an incredibly long way. In these dark days post-storm and post-daylight savings time, I'm especially feeling the need for a little brightening inside these four walls.

The Sill is a Manhattan-based operation and the expert when it comes to understanding the power of a beautifully appointed houseplant. In their online shop, they stock a line of sturdy houseplants specially selected for easy care and adaptability to life in the big city.

The Sill's lineup arrives in style, hand-delivered to neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and housed in one-of-a-kind vessels made by local artists. The planters are so lovely they very nearly outshine their leafy tenants.

In case you weren't blessed with a green thumb of your own, The Sill's website can help you determine which plant might be best suited to your particular space (or, for the generous among us, which plant would be best suited to a friend's space) and their Plant Hunter blog supplies additional bits of wisdom and musings for the botanically curious. Never fear: every plant comes with a magnetic card offering reminders for how to care for your new charge.


The Marianne II was just launched yesterday (along with the bitty Eley in black), and it's the new darling in this tiny apartment. Its modest size makes it just right for a perch on our own sill. If I didn't know better, I'd think that artist Judy Jackson had designed the matte white planter just for me.

We're also positively tickled with our low-light-loving Zenas Dane. Don't let the photograph fool you, this corner is positively gloomy during the day, but this little lady is still going strong. We're guessing it's all the sunny yellow coming from the planter down below.

Bottom line: The Sill is the kind of small company that I'm honored to support. If you're thinking of making a plant purchase in the near future, act now. During the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, The Sill had to temporarily relocate their offices due to power outages in their Lower East Side headquarters, but they're back in action and ready to liven up this city's apartments.  Now through Thanksgiving (November 22, 2012), The Sill is offering a portion of profits to folks who have been hurt by the storm--20% of profits will go directly to The Mayor's Fund for hurricane relief. I hope you might be able to support them.

 

Materials for this post were generously provided by The Sill.

Reading My Tea Leaves is responsible for  the fangirl endorsement of their fine products.

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make your own fire cider.

As the weather takes a turn for the chillier side of things, it's nice to have a little something firey to warm things up and ward off germs. When I'm feeling under the weather, I like having natural cold remedies to rely on. All the better if I've made them myself. Rosemary Gladstar's fire cider has been a pantry staple for herbalists for years and I first learned to make it last year when I was still working at the farm. It was a cold-weather savior around this tiny apartment last winter, and we're hoping for a repeat this year.

The concoction packs an impressive punch and just preparing these hard-working ingredients will do wonders to clear your sinuses. Honestly, prepare yourself for some tears. You can change the exact proportions of ingredients depending on your personal taste, but I used these ingredients and proportions:

1 part chopped onion

1 part grated horseradish root (fresh is better, even if it takes searching a few markets to find it)

1 part peeled and diced ginger

1 part garlic

2 cayenne peppers

Enough apple cider vinegar to cover the herbs (I used about 20 oz of Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, my favorite)

After a month (or so) of letting everything sit pretty, strain (and discard!) all the herbs and add a few tablespoons of honey--enough to make the cider just a little bit sweet. 

Once it's steeped and strained, you can sip the stuff by the spoonful as a tonic to support immune function and ease winter cold symptoms.* When you need something a little smoother, mix it up with a bit of warm water and extra honey for a spicy tea. If you're feeling adventurous, throw a dash or two on your braising greens for a spicy treat.

*Suffice to say, I'm no doctor and I'm not making any claims to the contrary, but I do hope you'll consider making a little remedy of your own!

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my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week.

1. these purple hydrangea.
{because they were at my parents' house. and they were so beautiful before the storm}.

2. this park bench.

{because it did such a gallant job of sticking around through the worst of it in DUMBO}.

3. this candle.

{for cozy-ing up the joint. all my fingers crossed that those still without power get theirs restored soon. subways included}.

4. this bouquet.

{and the others that our neighborhood florist gave to james before the storm. those blue eyes get him just 'bout anything}.

5. these brownies.

{because when you have two extra "office mates" all week, it's awfully nice when they share their treats}.

other things:
these sweet cards.
this is gorgeous. this, too.
these for dress up.
thinking of oyster farmer friends.
neighborly posts here, here, and here.
nyc spots to volunteer.

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make-believe: vote.

1. states united

Don't make-believe vote. Really vote. If you live in these United States, cast your ballot on November 6. 

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