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You know when you’re not physically ill but, for whatever reason, you’re just not feeling so hot?   My mom’s response to complaints of these sorts of general feelings of malaise is always the same:  ”Take a shower – you’ll feel better!”  I like to think of it as her version of Gus Portokalos‘ “put some Windex on it!”

Anyhoo, I used to roll my eyes at this suggestion, but – as with many things in life – mom’s advice works nearly every time.  There’s something about literally washing away all the dirt and grime that figuratively makes me feel renewed.   Its amazing what a little hot water can do…

… hot water and my favorite bath goodies, that is!

St. Ives Energizing Citrus Body Wash (around $3.00)

Fruity and invigorating… This body wash by St. Ives not only gets me going in the morning but is mega-easy on the wallet.  Its also one of the more moisturizing gel body washes I’ve tried.  Added bonus?  All natural ingredients and no animal testing!

Skintimate Moisturizing Cream Shave (about $4.00)

My beef with normal shaving cream is that it’s too “poofy” and slippery – I always feel like I get too much and then it either clogs my razor or ends up as a slip-n-fall hazard on my shower floor.  This cream spreads on in a thin, ultra-moisturizing layer and clings to your skin as you shave.  No fuss, no mess!

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Christmas is over and I’m finally settling back into my normal routine. I loved being home and spending time with my family, but by the end of my 10 day stay I just wanted to be in my own bed, with my fridge full of the food that makes up my regular diet, no longer needing to dig through my suitcase every time I needed something to wear. I’ve created a list of the gifts we received so thank you notes can be sent out because if I don’t write it down I’ll forget who gave me what. Yes, I was a very lucky girl this year.

Not to choose favorites but… I’m going to tell you which is my favorite. It’s the gift that makes me smile every time I use it. I think it’s also the gift I can’t stop talking about because I threw it on to my wish list at the last second when my mom asked for ideas. A few things I wanted/needed this year? A toaster. LaraBars. Accessories to dress up my black stretchy maternity dresses. And oh yeah, a robe since I remember making my dad a bit uncomfortable while I walked around in my towel when my parents came to stay for the weekend at the beginning of December.

Yep, my favorite gift this year, out of all the wonderful things I was blessed to receive, is a robe. This robe to be exact.

Source

This isn’t just any robe. It’s the softest, most luxurious, dreamiest article of clothing I have ever slipped into. Wearing it feels like a visit to the spa and I find myself getting excited to step out of the shower each day and slip into it.Thanks mom, this was one of my favorite gifts ever from you.

What about you? What was your favorite Christmas gift this year?

P.S.-Isn’t the model posing this way ridiculous?

22 and 21 years ago I had the privilege of celebrating Thanksgiving with families in California who opened the doors of their houses and welcomed an English family through them. At not even 8 years old I wasn’t fully aware of how special that was or how much those simple acts of kindness would shape my future life.

20 years later… I look back at the welcome we had with extreme fondness. Particularly on my Mother’s behalf. It is only recently that I have begun to realise what she went through for our family, for her husband. It cannot have been easy relocating a 6 year old, a 3 year old and a baby half way round the world for my Dad’s job, but she did. She would be the first to admit that she gained an awful lot from the experience too, but the catalyst for the trip was to further my Dad’s career.

20 years later… I remember the kindness that people showed towards my family: the invitations, the blueberry muffins that appeared on our first morning in that strange rented house. And I have always sought to make our flat the place where friends, existing and new, are always welcome & to welcome new friends into my life. (which is perhaps in part why I love blogging so much & why I am always keen to meet my blogging pals in ‘real life’).

And so, 20 years later… Thanksgiving is still special to me. We don’t celebrate it as a country in England, obviously, so I don’t celebrate it with my family (although it would be wonderful to see them) but we often have a dinner with friends. Also, this year is our first married Thanksgiving celebration and I let him know how thankful I am that we are married and a family.

Other things that I am thankful for, aside from family, health and home, include the fact that opportunities are arising jobwise again, that I finally demonstrated willpower by NOT purchasing a heavily heavily reduced beautiful bronze leather Mulberry wallet at a sample sale & that I have learnt to be able to say no when I need to.

Small things, but big lessons.

How was your Thanksgiving?  What are you thankful for?

Let’s say, hypothetically speaking of course (cough, cough), that you were a complete idiot and lost your engagement ring.

Thankfully the insurance gods smiled down at you and accepted your claim. Now you have a pocket full of money and a shit ton of options as to what to do with it.

Would you…

A. Create an exact replica of your lost ring? Why?

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When I packed up for college – headed to North Carolina from Austin, Texas – I was looking forward to lots of things.  One of them (lame enough) was seasons!  Changing leaves and snowfall were foreign concepts to me, and I was thrilled to sport my meager winter wardrobe for months at a time, as opposed to three days out of the year.  Actually, “Boys in Sweaters” ranked pretty high up on the “Pros Column” when selecting Wake Forest University as my undergrad alma matter, if I remember correctly.

But people kept mentioning the rain.  ”Oh its rainy up there – pack your umbrella!”  ”Do you have a good raincoat?  North Carolina sees a lot of wet weather!”  Um, okay silly adults, I’m from Texas, remember?  I’ve been practicing tornado drills since kindergarten and survived some pretty severe thunderstorms… I’m pretty sure I can handle “the wet season.”  Bring it, North Carolina.

Yes, well.  By October, my foot was planted firmly in my mouth as rain – from drizzle to downpour – continued for days on end.  Some days, I felt like Forest Gump and Bubbah… hard rain, soft rain, sideways rain, upside-down rain – on and on and on!  And it was cold!  By Christmas-List-Making-Time, I was coveting the Northfaces that seemed standard fare for my South-Eastern classmates, and something nearly identical to this topped my wish-list.

Ever the practical shopper, my mom found a coat she claimed to be “the Northface’s twin!”  You won’t even know the difference, she promised.  I took the woman at her word… and subsequently walked around campus like this for several months a year for the next four years:

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ABCD Design is celebrating it’s SECOND Blog-i-versary on October 7th! I wanted to celebrate in a really big way as a thank you to all my lovely readers. When it comes to birthdays and anniversaries, what would you say is the best part? Yep, you got it. The presents! I figure when push comes to shove – what’s a blog-i-versary without prizes? I am super excited about the first ABCD Design gift because it is…

Since I design stationery for weddings, new babies and other big social events, I figured this milestone in life should be marked with a Bespoke Stationery giveaway! The winner will receive a completely bespoke personal stationery design by (yours truly) ABC Dragoo.

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photo by Zvone Lavric, Slovenia

I’ve been on the hunt for social calling cards. Before you say that I can buy them at my local corner store, I’m not looking for those kind of cards. I’m looking for what is also known as a visiting card. In Victorian times, they were were used when making introductions and home visits. They had their own set of rules and etiquette. It’s actually quite fascinating.  You can read about them here and here.

Essentially, social calling cards are just like business cards except they don’t “state your business”. They simply have your name and contact information. I am interested in them because frankly I’m tired of scribbling my name and personal email address for people. I could use my business cards, but there are instances where I’d like to give people my personal contact information and keep my business separate. Social calling cards are also useful while traveling. You can meet some wonderful people during your journeys and they make it very easy to exchange personal information. For Newlyweds, they are a great way to share your new name (if you went that route) and/or your new address. Because there are no rules for today’s social calling cards, they are great avenues of self-expression. These can be less serious than your business card.

Most calling cards have some, but not all of the following information:

• Name
• Phone Number
• Address
• Email address
• Blog or website address
• Twitter username
• Facebook or Myspace name (if it’s different than the one on the card)
• Instant message name
• Blackberry PIN

Here are some examples of social calling cards.

from Etsy Seller Armato Design

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I feel most privileged and honored to have been let in on the best-kept camping secret ever by a new friend of ours, and I’m so excited to share it with you now. Allow me to introduce…hobo eclairs!

So you take a broomstick (clean and unpainted, of course) and rub the end of it generously with a stick of butter. Then take a square of Pillsbury crescent dough (2 perforated triangles together) and wrap it around the end of the broomstick, making sure that the end is sealed. Roast it slowly over the campfire until it’s puffy and golden brown. Make sure you don’t get engrossed in conversation and let it burn!

Once it’s cooked, let it cool for a minute or so, then slide the cooked dough off the stick. Squirt a healthy dose of whipped cream inside, then drizzle (on top or inside) with chocolate syrup.

Brilliant, right?

Week #3 of my series on Etsy favorites was all about accessorizing your wardrobe… Week #4 is all about accessorizing your home!

Hijirik

I’ve sung the praises of Hirijik before but I’ll say it again: the “Live What You Love” letterpress post series is my favorite non-cheesy, gender-neutral art piece I’ve found!  We have the red in our living room and my computer background boasts the lime green at work!

Geninne

After seeing Geninne’s vibrant watercolor prints, I fell instantly in love.  An artist living in Mexico City, Geninne’s creations have both a vintage vibe with a bit of funk!  I’ve already determined that 4 of these little birdies are coming to roost in Dallas – I think they’ll look lovely framed in a foursome-square somewhere in our little cottage!

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I am addicted to the new generation of craft fairs that have been springing up. First, I wanted to inform Chicago EAD readers that the Chicago Renegade Craft Fair is coming up.

2009 Renegade Craft Fair in CHICAGO!

September 12 + 13 from 11am – 7pm, on Division St. between Damen + Paulina.

For the last couple of years, they have been hosting shows in Brooklyn, Chicago, and San Francisco. They were having their first show in L.A. I was ecstatic. It is very similar to Unique L.A., but is a little more established. They have a greater variety of vendors.

I sent an email to my craft afficionada friends inviting them to join me. Two of them decided to join me. It was the first day of the show. From what we could tell, the show seemed to have a great turnout.

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