my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week.

1. this curlicue pumpkin.
{because it's just enough for getting in the spirit.}

2. this dried echinacea pod.
{taken home from a little wildflower adventure last weekend.}

3. this tea tree oil.

{for steams. head cold, be gone.}

4. this kale.

{for brightening up my window box.}

5. these brussels sprouts.

{for being so falls'.}

other things:
bonbons.
vessels.
pancakes.
comfort.

things by me in other places:
the great debate.
coddled houseplants.
spooky.
root basket.
pumpkin soup.

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two fifty: life in a tiny apartment.

Choose white sheets.

Not all tiny apartments have tiny sleeping lofts, but some do, and even if yours doesn't, unless you sleep on a futon or a murphy bed, there's no way that your bed doesn't loom large in your space. How's that for double negatives? Keeping your bed neat and tidy goes almost without saying (though of course, I do say it in Tip #24); but a recent switch to white bed sheets has been the real game changer in our tiny nook.

I've been putting off buying new sheets because I hold out hope against hope that one day we might one day soon live in a space large enough to host a queen-sized bed. But now that it's going on 2.5 years in this tiny apartment, I broke down and bought an inexpensive set of whites to serve in the interim.

And, "Ahhhhhh!" The angels are singing.

Background: We started out with a set of bright yellows, but they didn't really match anything else and the bottom sheet ripped down the middle rendering them useless. Then came a set of baby blues. The bottom sheet of this duo turned a mysterious three shades lighter than the top sheet in the wash, and I felt like I was walking into a college boy's dorm room every time I scrambled to the top of the ladder. Not good. Finally, there were dark greys. An apparent run-in with bleach turned those into a set of Halloween-inspired sheets, all flecked in orange. Festive!

So: white. Surely I'll complain about James's drool rings before too long, but for now, white's the clear winner.

What about you? What's dressing your beds lately?

Tiny Apartment Survival Tips #1 - 81.

PS. More on that bit of greenery, right here.

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my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week.

1. these tights.

{because they're a bit of a splurge but they're really the best.}

2. this jacket.

{same one as last year, just as perfect this time around.}

3. this apple peeler.
{because of apple sauce (and hand pies).}

4. this gratin.

{with a side of garlicky kale.}

5. this photo.

{because shooting with someone else in the room makes things considerably easier.}

other things:
this good news.
a time for sweaters.
two tones.
pants like these.

things by me in other places:
cheesy comfort food.
an orchid pot for style mavens.

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secret: i never take medicine.

Well, sometimes I do. But not usually. I don't know why, really. Stubbornness, probably. An overblown belief in willpower, definitely. But even if I can be reluctant to pop Tylenol for a headache, I'm a big proponent of embracing natural remedies. Medicine of my own making.

Last week, I brewed a big batch of elderberry syrup to get me through flu season. I've sworn by the immunity-boosting concoction for the past three winters and this year, I made more than ever. Germs, you don't stand a chance. I've got spoonfuls of sweet, elderberry goodness to keep the doctor away all season long. Not to knock my own Fire Cider recipe, but elderberry syrup laps that spicy concoction in the flavor department. No need to hold your nose while downing this stuff. If you're like me, you'll have to stop yourself from drizzling the whole bottle onto a sundae. Mmmm.

If you'd like to make your own, the full recipe is on Gardenista.

And as always, I'm curious. What are you favorite immunity-boosters during flu season? Any fellow elderberry devotees out there?

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neighborhood musings.

It was a weekend for long walks around the neighborhood and Sunday afternoon movies and making salsa verde with last week's tomatillos. Last weekend we searched for bits of autumn, and this weekend it hit us smack in the nose. I've photographed this brownstone for each of the three falls that we've lived here, but I think that this instagram that I snapped yesterday might be my favorite photograph of it yet.

In case you missed it, more musings on the neighborhood right here.

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my week in objects (lately).

five little things that made my week.

1. this big leaf.

{because it's not precisely my style, but it's kept good company.}

2. this paperclip.

{perfect for hanging a print.}

3. this diamond mist euphorbia.

{for making a fall comeback.}

4. this sack of apples.

{because you can never have too many.}

5. this bowl of tomatillos.

{because of course i haven't gotten to cooking them yet, but they're still hanging on.}


other things:
sweet words.
collections.
field art.
for a bigger space, one day.
yikes.

things by me in other places:
thoughts on aspirational living.
elderberry syrup for flu-prevention.
class notes.
a perfect potting shed.
my temporary houseplant.
big trees, inside.

ps. we're running a reader survey on gardenista. if any of you guys are readers, i'd love to hear your thoughts.

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two fifty: life in a tiny apartment.

How to host a baby in a tiny apartment.

First of all: this post is not be confused with the one-day post of how to have a baby in a tiny apartment. Hold your horses, etc. But as a relatively newly minted aunt, I've had to think a bit about making the old apartment just a touch baby friendly. When babies are tiny things themselves, small apartments don't much matter. But with smiles and laughs and other signs of adorable life, there comes scooting and crawling and a perpetual need to stand up. Ah, mobility.

There's no room for baby corralling equipment within these four walls, so we've needed to be more inventive. Three tips:

1. Provide plenty of "toys."No need to stock the apartment with a set of baby toys: honey sticks, wooden spoons, and rubber spatulas provide whole minutes of distraction.

2. Pad the floor. Woolly blankets spread on the floor make for cozy spots for wriggling and bouncing and otherwise being "on-the-go." Bonus points for being "water" resistant.

3. Embrace the hallway. If bébé gets a little restless, the hallway offers a nice break. Who knew that banisters could be so mesmerizing?

For more bright ideas: Tiny Apartment Survival Tips 1-80.

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