Under a Blue Moon

Decor, cooking, organization, all the pretty things

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Philately

I’m probably not the usual stamp collector because I collect to use.  I love either adding a funky old stamp to a current forever stamp or I’ll use a bunch of older, un-canceled older stamps that add up to our current first class stamp rate.

I have curated (cringe word, I know….) a number of Etsy sellers that I rely on to buy an assortment of stamps.

The planets must be aligned in such a way that paper is a prominent method of communication because I am sure into it lately.  All the card making, the letter writing, the stamp collecting.  I’m really feeling it at the moment.

You know I love a decorative envelope.  Which I am fairly certain my post office is NOT a big fan.   Even if I just address an envelope I like to embellish it with pretty stamps.

Okay that’s an obvious one – but can you recognize the other recipients of my fictional letter writing?

I tend to use my vintage stamps as decoration and as along as I have a forever stamp on the envelope I know my letters will get to their intended recipients.  I have a favorite Etsy seller that sells her stamps in bundles and you will get five letters worth of postage in your order (provided you are in the US and are mailing to a US address).  All stamps perfectly coordinated with each other.

I like buying batches based on color or theme.  Then I can mix and match my own.  Each stamp is like a little work of art.

Another great resource is the US Postal Service.  My local post office doesn’t always have a great selection of stamps to purchase but you can order them online.   I have an assortment of Forever stamps on hand to cover the actual postage and I’ll coordinate with vintage stamps.

Okay try to figure out that one without Googling.  I’ll give you a couple of hints:  Robin.  Thomas.  Mustache (okay.  That just gave it away).

I fully admit I bought the circus stamp to send to my clown phobic friend.  Before you chastise me just know he would have no problem sending me a letter with a butterfly stamp on it.

Here is my list of favorite Etsy sellers for stamps:

And of course check out your local post office or US Postal Service Online.

Bookmarks

I got a little carried away.

Once you get started making these bookmarks you can’t seem to stop.  They are so simple and charming (semi-pun intended…).

I used an assortment of fabrics, ribbons, lace and embellishments.  Some of the embellishments came from the craft store (bead department) and others were the lone earring, its mate long missing.  You know as soon as I take an earring apart its mate comes out of hiding.  Happens all the time.

When using fabric I bonded two pieces together with some fusible interfacing and then cut it the width and length I wanted.

You can buy the end crimps at a craft store like Joanns or Michael’s but the widths are limited.  I think they are really intended for making chokers which are fairly narrow.  I ended up buying an assortment off of Amazon.  I like the various widths and finishes in the kit I bought.

You don’t need any kind of special tool to use them.  Just a pair of pliers to clamp them shut.  I slightly clamped one end then moved to the middle and clamped a little more and then the other end to get it started then I went back over each area with the pliers.  That kept the fabric or ribbon in place and kept the crimp from bending or denting.

There’s not much else to say about them.   I think they would be a nice addition when gifting a book to someone.  Or just to have on display if you have stacks of books laying around.  Because who doesn’t have that?

Andrea Filed Under: Crafts

Friday

 Untitled, 2. Untitled, 3. For all the Sentimental Reasons, 4. buff orpingtons like kids

Happiest of Fridays to you!  I made it through week three of the new job!  I’m still loving it and I’m starting to get my footing.  I’m on a very interesting training project and it is starting to ramp up a bit.  The first couple weeks definitely felt like I was still onboarding but this week I’m feel like I’m finally earning my keep.   I feel so fortunate to have landed in this position.  I felt that way about my last position too and feared nothing would ever feel quite as perfect as that.  I was on a fantastic team and we are all still in close contact even a year after being disbanded.  We just had a big barbecue at my old boss’s house a week ago.

Well this new team feels very promising as well.  The work is very interesting and everyone is very friendly and welcoming.  I was actually invited to have lunch with a group of people at the “Game of Thrones” table!  No swordy thrones but it was like being invited to the popular kids table for lunch.

I will say that it is a bit exhausting and I have to thank you for being patient with my sporadic and less than scintillating content lately.  I hope to hit my stride in a month or so and come up with a new blogging routine that works with my new schedule.   I come home from work now and my poor mushy brain can’t come up with anything interesting to blog about.  I can barely manage to shower for that matter.

I do actually have plans for this weekend though.  Surprise surprise.  My niece is getting married next year and asked if I would come wedding dress shopping with her and her bridesmaids on Sunday.  Her mother, my younger sister, passed away four years ago (how can that even be…) and I only hope that I can be an adequate stand in for her.   I am so proud of my niece.  Despite the fact life threw her the most incredible obstacles she managed to finish college, land a prestigious job and maintain a positive attitude.  It is her time to shine and I’m so happy I get to be a part of it.

I haven’t done anything the least bit crafty or creative the last few weeks but I’m hoping once I settle in I’ll get back into the swing of things.

I hope you have a splendid weekend!!

Andrea Filed Under: Musings

House Plants

house plants

I did a little house plant (is house plant one word or two?  Houseplant?) maintenance this weekend so I thought I would share some pictures.  I’ve acquired a few new ones and had a few casualties.  Sorry String of Pearls.  I promise never to buy another one of you since it never ends well.

I have managed to keep my Pilea Peperomiodes (Chinese Money Plant) alive.  It has actually grown and has little babies popping up!

I gave all of the plants a bath (except for the African Violets, who protest violently when I accidentally get them wet).  Our house is ridiculously dusty because we live on a fairly busy street and we like to have the window open a lot.  I either put them in the sink and give them a spray down or, if they are too big, I give them a good dusting and wipe down the leaves with a damp paper towel.

My newest plants are a Ficus repens (Green Creeping Fig) and a Hypoestes phyllostachya (Polka dot or freckle face plant).  The Hypoestes was a dicey choice because I don’t have a great history with them either.   In an effort to give it a better chance I’ve put it near my little plant humidifier.

Isn’t this cute?  I can’t remember where I got it but I think it is adorable.  Most of the plants in my office are under a heating vent so I like to run the humidifier for them when the heat is running.  It’s also nice for those super hot days we get in the Summer.  The only thing I don’t care for is it has a light at the base that rotates between neon pink, purple, blue and green.  I wish it would just have a white light or no light.  The light does shut off after a while though.  I just kept waiting for the light to fade to white to snap a picture.

I had to give up on having a Boston fern in the house.  I just can’t keep up with the watering and misting.  So I’ve put it outside under a hanging fuchsia that is on a drip system.  The water runs through the hanging basket and waters/drips on the fern.  I’m hoping it is happier there.

A question for my fellow house plant lovers – do you regularly feed your plants?  I feed mine whenever I water them.  I use Eleanor’s VF-11 plant food.  You can use it every time you water and also as a foliar spray.  I’m just wondering if there is anything else out there that people have had success with.

I do love having lots of house plants.

Andrea Filed Under: Garden, House

July Favorites

This is my first monthly favorite post!  It may evolve as I figure out exactly how and what I want to present.  These are all things I have tried/bought/seen and love.

I am going to try to group things in categories but the categories may change from month to month.  This whole blog is ever evolving so we are just going to go with the flow.

Beauty:

  1.  Lemony Fluttery cuticle cream   2.  Orly Breathable nail polish in Kiss Me I’m Kind   3.  Crystal nail file

I’ve been making a concentrated effort to take better care of my nails.  I’ve flirted with doing my own gel manicures (which I like but is labor intensive and maybe not so healthy for your nails), a misguided and totally one-off episode of glue on nails (looked great, wreaked havoc…) and just leaving them bare.  I finally just cut them all short, started pushing my cuticles back properly and only file them with a glass nail file.  I’m also treating them to a nightly slathering of Lush cuticle cream which is divine.  Pricey but goes a super long way so the tub should last me a year at least.  I’m also loving my glass nail files which I bought only for the packaging.  I’m sure most glass nail files work the same.  And finally I’m using a nail polish that claims to be good for your nails.  So far I don’t have any complaints and I love the sheer pink “your nails but better” look I get with the shade “Kiss Me I’m Kind.”

Home:

GORGEOUS Scandinavian home

 

My favorite kind of kitchen remodel – when they stay true to the era and heart of the home.

 

Lovely 1930’s cottage

I’m all about the sunny and bright, yet soft colors.  While I love the 30’s Texas cottage, the Scandinavian house is the most appealing to me.  I love all the white, muted greys, wood and, of course, the plants.  I could definitely live that way.

I’m just finishing up my second week at the new job and every day I love it more.  I’m working with an incredible team.  Everyone is so helpful and encouraging and the energy is so positive.  I am looking forward to the weekend, though.  Just to give my brain a rest.

We don’t have plans, by design.  I’m just trying to get used to my new normal.  I hope you have a splendid weekend, whether it be relaxing or embarking on some kind of adventure.

Andrea Filed Under: Musings