Cheers to the NEW YEAR : perpetual calendars.

As the new year (quickly) approaches, I'm thinking of new year's resolutions to stay organized. I can get so wrapped up into product development and design in my studio that sometimes (embarassingly frequently) I forget what day it is...

solution = THE PERPETUAL CALENDAR (the ultimate GREEN date keeper, as long as you can find something you love and won't get tired of... and remember to "wind" each day.)

The following are some of my favorites:

Timor Desk Calendar
by Enzo Mari
$ 149.00 at nova68

Sukie Perpetual Calendar
By Darrell Gibbs and Julia Harding
$ 9.95 from chronicle books

Perpetual Calendar (1959)
by Enzo Mari
$ 160.00 available at hive modern



antique mahogany and brass desktop perpetual calendar
$ 225 at rubylane antiques



Antique Sterling Silver Perpetual Calendar
$ 575.00 at Tudor Rose Antiques

*N E W* FAVORITES - vestiges

I collect/save all of my grey hairs just waiting for a moment of high-art inspiration to strike...
I "heart" melanie bilenker: a fantastic jewelry artist with incredible craftsmanship who- inspired by the victorian use of lockets as keepsakes of remembrance-uses fine metals, pigment, resin/epoxy and hair to capture "quiet minutes, the mundane, the domestic, (and) ordinary moments."

MINT RING (2004) copyright melanie bilenker jewelry

A CHATELAINE FOR COLLECTING, RECORDING, AND REMEMBERING: FOR SOPHIE CALLE. (2005) copyright melanie bilenker jewelry

Remembering Childhood Holiday Crafts

Maya*made has a wonderful quick and easy tutorial over at her Blog on how to make a snowflake garland out of newspapers (because I seriously forgot how to make snowflakes!). I instead used just plain newsprint that I had left over from artschool (the thinner the paper, the easier it is to cut. PS: origami paper also works well: it's already in a square & comes in an endless array of colors and patterns.). After tracing and cutting out my snowflakes, I wanted an additional embellishment of glitter: I ironed, spray adhesived, and then dipped them in Martha Stewarts "carrara marble" fine glitter available at Michael's Craft Stores. ( slightly messy, but worth it.) I hung mine via mini brass safety pins from a vintage french lace garland across my mantel inter-dispersed with my collection of vintage teal and aqua glass ornaments.

HOLIDAY DRESSING

I am officially on ernst & thistle vacation time and am busy making the house (aka small, teeny-tiny victorian duplexed apartment) wintry & presentable for a few choice guests. Its my first time playing with "snow in a can" and I am not ashamed to say: I HEART it; I sprayed the magnolia branch, and snowflakes silhouettes onto the front door as well as a WELCOME exclamation with 3 inch hardware stencils above the entrance. When you don't get the real thing, all straight & narrow naturalist intentions aside, you make do with the, albeit artificial, alternative.