Is it just me, or it next to impossible to snap back into work mode this year? Maybe it’s because I took two weeks in a row off in December, but I just don’t feel like I’m fully present and engaged in what I need to be doing every day. I think the weather might be partly to blame—it’s been unseasonably mild in lower New York this year, and I constantly feel like it’s either late fall or early spring. I’m just sort of floating from one day to the next.

I did just have a really great weekend, though. Jen from Honey Kennedy came to stay at my house in Newburgh for three whole days, and we had a wonderful time. Jen is terribly sweet and funny and really, really nice to be around (just ask Fritz and Bruno, who fell deeply and madly in love with her), and I’m happy to have finally met her in person.

Aside from holding the very first semester of Anna’s School for Unicorns (a.k.a Photoshop classes), I also made us some very very thick and rich and spicy and almost too delicious hot cocoa using Vosges Aztec Elixer. And tofu scramble. And burnt kale chips. And reheated pizza. I’m pretty sure it was like going away to a fancy resort for Jen! (Or, um, not…)

I got my hair cut again, too. More of the same! I’ve been back to Mariko at Dlala Salon four times now since I got the best haircut ever 8 months ago, and that has to be a record for me in terms of frequency. Can I add that NOT ONCE have I taken a pair of manicure scissors to my bangs in a fit of midnight desperation since I started seeing Mariko? Her cuts look so good growing out that I don’t have to.

It’s pretty neat having LONG hair, too! I haven’t had this much hair since I was a freshman in high school, which was…um…23 years ago. I’m going to just let it keep growing. Now that I know about layers and deep parts and stuff, it’s nice to have waves and partial buzz cuts and long bangs.

On a side note, I just want to put this reminder out there: Much like paint is just paint, HAIR IS JUST HAIR. The great thing about it is that even if you do something stupid and it looks terrible, you can always just cut your hair short and eventually it’ll grow out. As a side bonus, you get to have a million different hairdos as it gets longer. If you want a fun haircut, get a fun haircut. It’s just hair.

Fritz turned four years old a few days ago. I can’t believe he’s four already! It seems like it was just yesterday that were were bringing home this insanely adorable, sleepy lump of fur. He was so cute! (And then he ate our sofa.) Fritzy is so good now. Yes, he has his moments when he does an ultra-annoying Chewbacca/seagull vocal impersonation for seemingly no reason at all and for lengths of time that are highly unnecessary, but he’s a total snuggle bug and just an all-around great dog. He’s also really warm and he likes to sleep under the covers at night, so our heating bill is less with him around. And he’s still really cute.

Oh, clothes! I found that nice triangle-print shirt at Target! The proportions really aren’t as weird as the photo on their website makes it look. It’s quite flattering, actually. And Martha has a the same one of course.

Yeah, that’s a new black + white iPhone case. I ordered one from Society6 because I’ve been thinking about selling some stuff through them and I wanted to know what the quality is like, and I’ll be honest…as cute as the illustration (by Dawn Gardner, whose work I love) on my new case is, the quality is really, really sub-par. I’ve had a capsule case from Uncommon since I got my phone in May (that’s the multicolored one in the top photo, designed by Marco Cibola), and I love it. The plastic is smooth, strong and durable; the edges are smooth and comfortable to hold; and the design is actually embedded in case. The case from Society6 is unbelievably flimsy, and you can literally scratch the printed image off with your fingernail. I fully expect it to look terrible in a couple of months. Both cases were about $40, and while that’s pretty steep for something so small and made out of plastic, it’s definitely way too much for the ones from Society6. Bummer! It’s definitely cute, though, so I’ll keep using it until it breaks.

UPDATE: Society6 contacted me after reading this post, and they have very kindly offered to send me a replacement case as they believe I may have been sent a defect. Fingers crossed that the new one is better. I’ll update this post when I receive it!

(Like I said, RAMBLY.)

Directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp
Written by Dean Fleischer-Camp + Jenny Slate
Starring Jenny Slate as “Marcel”

There’s also a Marcel picture book available. Yes, and an iPhone app. And also Daniel’s Halloween costume from last year.

MARCEL FOREVER!!!

I know, Fritz is absurdly cute. It’s sick, really. The eyebrows, the underbite, the ruff, the fancy ankles…too much. Sigh.

I have to get some stuff done today. This is the first weekend in forever that I haven’t done any freelance work, and as nice as it was to sit around a bit yesterday, now I have to get moving!

TODAY:
• Laundry
• Vacuum
• Clean bathrooms and kitchen
• Rake leaves and clean up outside
• Goodwill (next weekend!)
• Grocery shopping
• Unpack the suitcase filled with random items that’s sitting in the hallway (next weekend!)
• Measure dining room wall to plan new bookshelves

Speaking of people getting stuff done, have you been over to Daniel’s blog lately? I seriously do not understand how he manages to do all of this stuff. I mean…I know Daniel. We hang out often, and never once have I seen him wearing a cape or lifting train cars, so I’m pretty sure he’s not a superhero, but somehow he’s managed to get done in just a few months what would take me a few years. Is it just the wonder of youth that makes him so efficient? Whatever it is, it’s impressive. He’s my power animal.

I came across these photo prints by Aled Lewis (his other illustration and design work is amazing, too!) a few days ago, and I can’t stop thinking about them. I love tiny animal figurines, and I extra-love making them have conversations with each other (no, really). I extra-extra-love that Lewis took it one step further and make these great little scenes with dialogue and everything. They have a Museum of Natural History diorama-like feel to them that I really dig.

Aled Lewis on inPRNT

I mean, you can really hear them, right? I feel sad for Rhinoceros, hanging his head in shame for evolving into a lesser beast than Triceratops. It’s not his fault! And poor Wooly Mammoth, he just wants to grow his hair out and hang with the cool kids. Moms just don’t get it.

When Jaime from Design Milk asked if I’d like to do an interview about Bruno and Fritz for her design-y dog blog Dog Milk, I couldn’t say YES fast enough! Evan and I both love talking about our furry little guys. Make sure you hop over to Dog Milk and take a look—I think it’s a fun read!

(Needless to say, we’ve since remembered a dozen or so additional nicknames that we left off of the list. And yes, we really do use them all! It’s a wonder either dog even knows his actual name.)

Thank you so much, Jaime!

Today as been quiet. We’re settled down with our supplies at the apartment and waiting for hurricane Irene—she’s just rain and wind right now, and hopefully that’s how she’ll stay. We slept in a bit (or at least I tried to—one foot out of the bed and I lost my spot!), visited with Mamma Biscuit and her dads, and indulged in some amazing vegan treats from our favorite bakery, Sweet Semosh.

Tonight is for getting caught up on Project Runway, watching old episodes of Cheers, eating leftover Chinese, and staying dry inside. I’m trying to fit in a little freelance work now, too, just in case we lose power tonight. And if we do, well—I’ll be making a lot of friendship bracelets tomorrow!

How cute are these pillows?! The moment Elisabeth Dunker (whose work graces many rooms in my house!) sent out an email announcing their addition to the Fine Little Day shop, I added them to my ever-growing list of pillows I love and desire.

Now that Fritz has stopped chewing on stuff (okay, mostly—every now and then he still enjoys a good tassel), I feel like it might be okay to buy a few nice pillows. I love pillows. I want a pillow on every chair, tons of them on the sofa, a bed covered with them—I basically want to live in a giant pillow. I could always get this, I guess:

Christiane Högner’s Cushionized Sofa is the stuff dreams are made of—literally. Can you even imagine tossing your body down on that thing at the end of a long day? It would be like tumbling into a marshmallow fantasy land of sleepytime goodness.

I want everything Donna Wilson has ever made, really, but her recent Nos Da Collection is my most favorite of all. The “licorice” cushion is so, so beautiful. I’ve been fantasizing about it for long time now, but just recently saw it in person for the first time—and now I covet it even more. And how can you not love the Blah Blah cushion?! Perfect for resting your head on while pretending to be engaged in a draggy phone conversation.

OMG, THIS PILLOW. This is one of those things I swear was made just for me. It’s cotton, it’s velvety, it’s got multi-level textures, it’s earthy-yet-graphic, there’s yellow involved, and…TRIANGLES. I love a good triangle. The Turbine pillow from CB2 is awesome, and I may or may not have already ordered one in a fit of glee.

Speaking of triangles…yeah, I saved the best for last. It’s the holy grail of pillows—one made from Alexander Girard’s Checker Split fabric. Circa50 makes pillows from a variety of Girard fabrics, but Checker Split will always be my favorite-favorite. This pattern inspired the one on the sometimes-rug in my living room (I say “sometimes” because the dogs seem to have decided that every rug is a giant wee-wee pad, so actually it’s more like “no time-rug”…sigh), and I just love it so much. I’ve held off investing in a Girard pillow for a long time, though, because I just know that the second I turn my back, Fritz is going to chew off one of the corners.

Indeed, sometimes the dogs win. Maybe I need to have a private pillow sanctuary behind a dog gate. Oh, come on…who am I kidding?

Exactly, Fritz. Exactly.

For the past couple of months, I’ve had the pleasure of working with superhero vegan cookbook author (remember this review?) and Post Punk Kitchen founder Isa Chandra Moskowitz on the illustration and design work for a really awesome new endeavor she launched today, the Teal Cat Project.

The Teal Cat Project works like this: You donate $25, and in return, you get a Teal Cat tchotchke. 100% of your $25 then goes toward funding a cat rescue program. The first affiliated group is the NYC Feral Cat Initiative, who train and educate rescuers about trap-neuter-return (TNR) practices to keep feral cat populations in New York City under control.

The Teal Cats are really cute, and they’re upcycled from thrift-store finds that were donated to the cause. The current campaign will only last until the current batch of Teal Cats is all gone! When the ceramic kitty supply has been replenished, a new campaign to support a group in a different city will start up.

Check out the Teal Cat Project website, poke around a bit, and, if you’re able, buy a Teal Cat! There’s even an option to donate a bit of money without buying a tchotchke (or if you want to give a little extra). This is a great way to support a great kitty rescue group, and I hope you’ll consider chipping in.

You can follow the Teal Cat Project on Twitter and Facebook, too! Anything you can do to help spread the word is greatly appreciated. Meow!

Okay, enough about cameras and design and money and houses and STUFF. Sometimes you just need to watch a Mariachi band serenading a Beluga whale.

(And yes, I am putting this in the “four legs” category.)

I’m working on an awesome freelance project—which you’ll get to see very soon!—at home for the next few days, and that means I’m camped out on the sofa with an iced coffee (and a couple of cute puppies) at my side. Here are the four views I have from my “desk”. I like the last one best, of course.

I’ve blogged about Atlanta-based artist Jen Ray before (her “Siempre” print was on my wish list back in 2009, and more recently her “Toro” print made an appearance on the It List post I wrote for sfgirlbybay), but after opening my mailbox to the tiny treasures pictured above earlier today, I decided I really need to post about her more recent work.

So…the mug. It is completely awesome, yes? I sort of want to buy one for everyone I know. This one is mine, though, and I promise to do my best to live as Honey Badger does and just keep eating poisonous cobras even though it’s disgusting and they make me pass out. Or something like that. Jen has a whole series of Honey Badger mugs, and you should get one or five.

In case you’re not one of the 9,711,564 (and counting) people who have viewed this video and therefore have absolutely no idea what the phrase and illustration on the mug refer to, here you go. You’re welcome.

Product photos by Jen Ray // All pieces available in Jen’s Etsy shop, Corduroy

Next up, the clay animals! Oh my gosh, SO cute. I chose the Action Mole with Mint Mittens (I love moles), but there are plenty of others, too. This little guy is my spirit animal, and he’s already made a home for himself on my work table. I love having him there! The best thing about Jen’s work is that it’s friendly. Her illustration style, penmanship and renderings of animals are so open and warm, and everything she makes immediately feels like it could come and live with you and be a good friend.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure I want to buy everything in her shop!

Product photos by Jen Ray // All pieces available in Jen’s Etsy shop, Corduroy

Summertime in the Hudson Valley means more than just green mountains, winding rivers, antique fairs and crickets—it also means groundhogs, also known as woodchucks.

Among famous groundhogs of the northeastern United States, most everyone already knows Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck (full name Charles G. Hogg), but I’d like to introduce you to a lesser-known celebrity groundhog: Newburgh Haggis.

First spotted by Evan in the summer of 2008, Haggis has made a very nice home for himself (herself? I’m not going to check) in our garden, devouring numerous vegetable and herb plants straight down to the root. He’s raised children under the deck, created a tunnel system to rival the NYC subway, and dutifully “relocated” (i.e. dug up and left for dead) several plants according to his own landscaping sensibilities.

In other words, he’s a member of the family. Sometimes he has friends Scarface and Fatback over, but mostly he’s a solo ‘hog. We’ve accepted the path of destruction he leaves in his wake, and we welcome his arrival every year.

Moments after the photo above was taken, the sweet potato plants pictured were reduced to tiny stumps, of course, but at least Haggis got a nice meal out of it, right? Sure, he’s trouble. But he has such a cute face.

I was supposed to take this entire week off from work, but things didn’t really pan out that way…so I’m just off for one day instead. I’m spending today with Fritz and Bruno, eating popcorn with malt salt, getting some freelance work* taken care of, and hopefully going for a long walk in Fort Tryon park, provided I can convince F&B that it’s not all that cold outside.

Following a tip from Nubby Twiglet, I picked up a bottle of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri nail polish in Mint Sprint. It’s a little more blue-green than it looks in the photo—very springy and bright! I did my fingernails, too, but my hands are bad models.

*Yes, it still counts as a “day off” if I’m doing freelance work. At least for now it does. And yes, I’m actively looking for more freelance work, so if you need your blog redesigned or a snappy cover for your book, I’m your girl.

Cute, isn’t he? No, he’s RIDICULOUSLY ADORABLE. That’s my old friend Oliver, the last of 20 pet rats that have been part of my life. He died in late 2003. He was quite a character—a hairless rat with Dumbo-style ears, a white blaze on his forehead, curly whiskers, and mismatched eyes (one red, one black). I miss having pet rats. They really are like tiny dogs, disposition-wise.

My to-do list this weekend is limited to a few odds and ends around the city apartment that I’ve been meaning to take care of for a while now but never seem to have the time, along with the usual errands and such. I only wish the weather were a little nicer. We had a few spring-ish days for a while, but for the past week it’s been quite cold again. There was even a bout of snow and hail a few days ago!

SATURDAY:
• change lightbulb in bathroom
• re-mount smoke detector
• grocery shopping
• clean apartment
• buy wood for the top of the fauxdenza
• manicure/pedicure
• freelance work

Okay, yeah, I cheated. I made a list of things I’ve already done today just so I can cross stuff and feel satisfied. Please, like you’ve never done that!

SUNDAY:
• laundry
• figure out whether to stain or oil the wood on the fauxdenza
• freelance work
• watch a movie
• freelance work
• freelance work
• go to bed at a decent time

There is only one thing on my to-do list for today, and it does not involve sitting in a patch of sunshine on my favorite chair over by the window.

SUNDAY TO-DO:
• Finish cleaning the house

But since I like to over-complicate and procrastinate, let’s break it down room by room…

KITCHEN:
• Clean on top of fridge and cabinets
• Organize cabinets, drawers and pantry
• Clean freezer
• Vacuum & mop
• Clean windows (inside)

DINING ROOM:
• Put away the giant pile of folded clothes that’s been sitting on the dining table for the past month
• Iron those stupid pillowcases, already, and sew on that button
• Find the right spot for the Kubus candleholder

DOWNSTAIRS HALLWAY:
• Put away all of the piles of stuff lurking everywhere
• Clean out that basket next to the trash can
• Clean and re-seal the marble top on the credenza
• Vacuum

UPSTAIRS HALLWAY:
• Bring the painting supplies down to the basement
• Vaccum

OFFICE:
• Deal with that bag of “miscellaneous items” that’s been sitting under the desk for the past year
• Take measurements for a rug
• Figure out what we need to do to turn the room into a comfortable music studio for Evan
• Yes, you guessed it, vacuum

GUEST BEDROOM:
• Put the clean sheets back on the bed
• Change the bulb in the ceiling light
• Vacuum

BIG BEDROOM:
• Make some kind of decision about what to do with the two unused dressers that are STILL sitting in there waiting to either be refinished or given away
• Put the aforementioned ironed pillowcases back on the pillows
• Yeah, vacuum

DRESSING ROOM:
• Figure out what’s going to Goodwill, and put it all in bags
• Put everything else away, including extra sheets
• Vacuum

Okay, so, it’s noon right now. Do you think I can get this done by 4:00PM? I’m going to give it my best. I think if I stay away from the computer and don’t get obsessive about over-organizing (this is always my downfall—I get way too thorough with boxes and drawers, etc., and never make any progress), I can have a truly clean house by late afternoon. I’ve been really bad about cleaning lately (probably because I’ve been spending so much time down in the basement), and living in a state of total disorder and dust is really starting to make me a little crazy.

EDIT: Well, it’s just about 8:00PM and I’m still not done, so I guess I really have no idea how long anything takes. I can’t believe I spent my entire Sunday cleaning, and I still didn’t finish. Sad…

GUESS WHO HAS A BRAND NEW BLOG?

That’s right, it’s everyone’s favorite toothless pug, Mamma Biscuit!!

Mamma Biscuit has previously been featured on D16 posing as Anna Wintour, doing an impromptu fashion shoot with me, and enjoying a snowy NYC day.

Now you can visit Mamma Biscuit every day on her new blog, Desperately Seeking Mamma Biscuit. WOOF!

A good friend of mine is in a pickle, and she needs to find good homes for her two beloved cats very, very quickly. She had advance arrangements lined up knowing that she was going to have to say goodbye, but they’ve suddenly fallen through with next to no notice—and she’s now very sad and very worried about what will happen to her kitties…on top of the heartbreak she’s already feeling by having to give them up.

Cricket will be five years old on April 20th. He can do tricks on command like sitting and standing up to beg!

Demmy (short for Demyan Mogwai) is a chatterbox and a couch potato, and she’ll be three on June 23rd.

Both kitties are sweet, snuggly and affectionate, love to nibble on oranges, and enjoy chasing around laser pen dots. They’ve both been fixed, and they stay indoors—though both Cricket and Demmy will wear harnesses and leashes for warm afternoons on the porch.

Cricket and Demmy currently live in Danbury, Connecticut (about two hours from NYC). They need to be in a new home by no later than Saturday, February 26th—one week from today. This is an urgent situation!

Can you help to give one or both of the cats a new, loving home? Do you know someone else who would be able to? Contact me if you have any questions or would like to adopt Cricket or Demmy…or both of them!

Please share this post and my email address with anyone you think may be able to help. Thank you!

UPDATE: Cricket and Demmy have found new homes in Pittsburgh, PA! Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who emailed, reposted, retweeted, and otherwise shared their story. I’m SO relieved that this story has a happy ending. Yay for kitties! Yay for adoption!

Fritz was very uncooperative when I tried to go in for his close-up. I guess sometimes you just need to sleep in peace.

As I predicted, I awoke this morning to a wintry scene of edges rounded with white, trees laced with soft puffs of snow, and, this being NYC, the less-romantic sight of salty, muddy slush down the center of the roads.

Looking at the trees and rock formations bordering Fort Tryon Park, though, you’d never know this is Manhattan.

Click the photos if you’d like to see more detail.

Midtown is another story, though! By the time I got to work, there was barely anything left of the 19″ of snow we got last night. I’ve only seen midtown buried in snow a few times in my life (I think the last was five years ago)—it’s amazing how quickly the city hauls it all away (okay, not always).

I know it’s not the popular thing to say around these parts right now, but geez…I love snow. I said it around this time last year, and I’ll say it again: I never get tired of snow. It always gives me that cozy, safe feeling of being protected and warm when I’m inside, and part of nature when I’m outside. I loathe hot weather, so I try to savor this time of year as much as I can. (Guess what? We’re getting more this weekend, too!)

Photo of Tommy and Mamma Biscuit by John Vairo Jr.

See that? Mamma Biscuit loves the snow, too! Fritz and Bruno are less sure…they’re more content to stay under the covers drinking tea and watching “Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp” reruns.