Ok, so I am hanging out on the couch at the shop on this sweltering Saturday. Everyone else is at the beach, apparently, because they sure aren't here!

Hmm, tap...tap.taptap tap....

So, hows-about I shower you with a little random?

Oh, yum. Trader Joe's dark chocolate-covered pretzels:

Dangerous, you can even tell by how they look like skulls!

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Got a few questions about these bracelets from the last post: (And my engagement ring is on the wrong finger because I still need to get it sized!)

I do have some left, and they are $18. If you nag me, you could probably get me to sell them to non-locals. I am just the worst about getting stuff out in a timely way, which is why I haven't put anything for sale online yet. I know, I should just do it. Now that I am at the shop 7 days a week, it would be easier to get into a routine of shipping stuff out.

The sayings I have left are : "Don't Settle For Less", "Redefine The Impossible" and "Discover. Explore. Dream."

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 A couple of months ago, my pal (new)Cindy and I were guests on her husband's radio show.

Sean has an awesome indie music program on WOMR called My Little Corner Of The World.  You can listen online every Wednesday morning from 6-9 am (EST). I had a blast being on the air, once I warmed up a bit. I got a bit sassy and silly. Shocking.

Loved the paint-splashed metal grate outside of the studio door:

And this little composition at the bottom of the steps:

I'll probably do the show again in the fall-- I'll be sure to let you know when so you can listen in.

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I'm turning 35 next Sunday! But it's going to be  4th of July weekend on The Cape, which means I'll pretty much just be at the shop! I hope to rustle up a bit of fun in the evening, though.

I totally didn't mean to get into this now but, as an introspective person, I can't help but reflect on the last year now that I'm thinking about my b-day.

What a year! (links take you to the posts) My first fabric line came out, I taped a tv show, I decided to open my little gift shop, my studio was featured in a national magazine (and got the cover!), I got engaged and I am writing a book! Dang!

And, as you know, there have been plenty of hard times underneath and on top of all of that amazing stuff. My usual struggle with depression, and  my brother's suicide in February...

You know how open I am here, but even beyond what I've shared with you, I have had a devastating personal loss in the last year, as well as 2  brutal professional disappointments in the last few months.  I have officially been whammied.  I am feeling pretty ok most of the time, but the losses of the last year do break my heart every day.

I am so so grateful  for and moved by all of your love and support. Every comment or email you send me is like a little bit of nourishment. I take it in and it helps me so much.

I am so lucky and happy to be engaged to my true love. He is a dream come true, a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy who makes me laugh every day.

I am  proud of myself for making it a point to develop new supportive friendships in 2009. I now have a new circle of wonderful women (local, even!) that I am in touch with all the time: people who value me, make time to see me, want and appreciate what I have to offer. And I have a handful of amazing friendships that I've had for years, that have endured and grown stronger.

>sigh<

In the next year, I will continue to heal  from the losses and grow these gorgeous friendships. I will overcome my professional disappointments, finish my book, and put out another fabric line.

And someday, I'll even get married. 

xoxoxoxo

so much love to you. yes, you.

m

Hey!

Is it really summer? Because it doesn't feel like summer.

I am ready for the heat, baby! Bring me the sun and fresh lemonade! Bring warm breezes and fireflies! (I did see some the other night!) Bring me bouquets of tiger lilies and baskets of tomatoes! Soon enough, I suppose. Ahhh, summer. I frigging love summer.

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So, I am at the shop now 7 days a week. Yes, literally I am at the shop 7 days a week. So I am often a tired little monkey, but I do love it and it feels like home.

(recycled tray clocks made by my honey, Stuart)

I love that I get lots of visitors ---  the fun comes to me now since I don't have a flexible schedule anymore! Girlfriends stopping by to hang out in the studio, blog readers making their way to the shop even though I haven't clearly made a part of the blog to direct people! (Must remedy that!) Dad popping in from time to time, old friends from high school, aunts and uncles, friends of friends. I love having a fun, comfortable place where people can  visit, where I can make new friends share inspiration. I am loving my little shop.

I have ordered tons of awesome new stuff for the store! Last week, I got  in some  new handmade soaps (made with beer! awesome for guy gifts and yummy smelling!), adorable organic baby rattles and gift sets, and gorgeous soy candles.(pics soon)  Oh, man. This is so much fun.

(unbearably cute little lip glosses!)

Coming this week is a whole line of handbags, wallets, pouches etc made from Sugar Snap! The lovely (warning, music plays automatically on this link) Carissa Black makes them for me and she does a fabulous job. I cannot freaking wait to get them... should be tomorrow or Wednesday!

Also coming soon: wooden kids toys, adorable handmade silver jewelry with oms and peace signs on them,  canvas handbags and accessories with wicked cute animal prints.... hm, what else. A bunch more stuff which I will show you when it comes in. And I still have quite a few orders I need to place! yay!

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Another little mysterious note from the benevolent unicorn posse:

Aw! And this time, I didn't recognize the address!

Oh. my. god. So cute and sweet!

Is it weird that I actually find this comforting? Probably.

After a few minutes of sleuthing, I did find out who sent it- a twitter contact. I just love that someone who doesn't know me took the time to make this and send it to me through the mail. It makes my heart flutter every time I look at it. It really does. What can I say, I'm easily amused.

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Finally got a chance to hit a couple of yard sales the other day. As we got out of the car, I said to my honey, "I want a vintage baby stroller to diplay baby stuff at the shop."

I scored one for ten bucks at the second stop! Pictures to come.

........................................

And now for even more randomness:

-Been loving So You Think You Can Dance.

-Working on some new prints for yoga tops and pants

-I miss spending (literally) all weekend working in my garden like I have for several summers.

-I want some pie.

xo, melissa

Do you remember a million years ago (or so) I mentioned that I sewed some Sugar Snap pillows?

Well, I decided to finally post them, dog hair and all.

You're right, I didn't just use Sugar Snap.  I threw in a little home dec stuff, some old school Amy Butler and Tanya Whelan dots.

I've found that a little dog fur (courtesy of Zeus) adds that homespun touch. That's an expert tip from me to you. You're welcome.

Aw, who's cute? Zeus is!

Perhaps you noticed the pair of thrifted afghans on the couch? Love the color combination on those.

Oh yeah, that reminds me. In the Studios feature, there was a flowery afghan on one of the shelves that I keep getting questions about:

No, I didn't make it. Thrifted, again. And no, it's not for sale--- sorry!  I don't know anything about how to make it. If you have any info or a pattern, please pipe up in the comments!

Here is a closeup, hope that helps!

I haven't been thrifting or yard sale-ing in a while. I miss it.

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What are you up to?  Seen any good movies lately?

(warning! Links lead to automatic previews!) A few weeks ago, I watched What Happens In Vegas, which you would expect to suck, but it was actually very funny!

Tonight I am going to see The Hangover, which I've heard is hilarious. I must admit, I do like the ridiculous raunchy movies. Can't help it.

I also really wanna see The Year One. Hey, I've had a rough winter year few years, and I need all the laughs I can get.

xo,

m

Got a little piece of mail the other day:

hmmmm... what's this? Who's it from?

U.Nicorn? Unicorn? Hmm....,

If you are on twitter, you know how if you mention something about, say, weight loss- you will immediately get spammy followers that have some kind of weight loss miracle pill or something. Turns out if you say 'zombies', zombies will follow you, too. I don't know what they are selling, maybe a perfume called Undead to mask the horrifying, you know, living dead smell?

After zombies started following me on twitter, I thought: hmm.... I wonder if I say 'unicorns', will unicorns follow me? So for the past, oh, I don't know, 6 weeks or so, I have been mentioning unicorns  a few times a week in hopes that a magical beast would start following me on twitter. 

Nope, no luck. Unicorns haven't started following me on twitter yet.

But I did get this mysterious letter in the mail (strangely, U. Nicorn used  my friend Ryan's address):

OMFG! UNICORNS!!!

Yes!

So, they don't follow me on twitter, but they follow me in real life. Which, you'd have to agree,  is even better.

I keep the note pinned to the lamp on my work table in the studio, which makes my chuckle every time I see it:

Hope you have a magical day.

Peace, love and unicorns to you. Forever.

xo, m

Yes, it's true: there was a film crew here at the shop a couple of weeks ago.

I had to pull all my stuff away from the windows, so they could make the front of the building look like the 1920's. They were filming a movie called The Lightkeepers- starring Richard Dreyfus, Blythe Danner and Martin Sheen. I don't know when it will be out, but I'll be sure to let you know!

This is from the day before shooting:

So far, they had only covered the parking lot with sand, and put up the flag swags (tee hee, that rhymes). I left this scene at 5:30 (ish) pm on a Wednesday.

This is what it looked like Thursday morning:

They did a great job!

Great vintage clothes, tons of rustic-type touches, signage.

And my favorite, gorgeous fresh produce! I got to eat a ton of the strawberries and blueberries after they were done with the scene, score! I also partook (?) of them in the form of blueberry pie and strawberry rhubarb pie made by my friend (New) Cindy. Damn, I wish I had some of that pie right now. I don't usually like blueberry pie, but this one was sooo good. Maybe because the blueberries were giant.

It is amazing to see what goes into a tiny little scene that will probably only be 30 seconds onscreen! Crazy amount of work and planning- the organization to get that all to come together, dang!

Here you can see all of the actors in the scene, the only one you'll know is Richard Dreyfus, in the  suit under the umbrella:

Yup, he looked, um... mature!

See the little Post Office sign above my door? My store actually used to be the post office! Really! I love that.

 Here are a bunch of the actors looking at me taking their picture:

I tried to get the Abe Lincoln guy to wave at me, but he didn't.

Here is a shot from inside the store, looking out at the porch where everyone was standing:

You can see the film they put on the windows to make them look frosted and some vintage ads in the window.

After the scene was done and we could open up shop,  it was a full day of people stopping by to see what the fuss was all about, crew members shopping. The location manager hung out for a couple hours in the studio with me and (New) Cindy (who had baked a batch of cookies for any crew members who stopped in!)

I hear he was cool and chatty, but I didn't meet Richard Dreyfus. But I did catch this shot of him posing on the steps with some schoolkids:

Good times here at Yummy Goods Corporate Offices, as we like to call it :o)

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Oh, and you'll be happy to know I have been exercising and eating well, like I said I would. I feel So. Much. Better. Already!

xo, m

Tomorrow is June 1, can you even believe it?

Since it's  a Monday and the first day of a new month, I might as well use it as the official start date for getting back on my eating well and exercising plan. All my comfort eating from the last few months has definitely caught up with me. I feel yucky. And my jeans don't fit, which makes me wicked crabby.

I'll go shopping either tonight or tomorrow morning and load up on some yummy fruit and veggies and my fave light snacks. I am actually looking forward to eating better, so I don't have to feel like crap all the time! And being more active always helps with the blues/stress. I'll do a bunch of walking and add in some jogging, weights and yoga. This time,  I'll have to be more vigilant about not falling into unhealthy habits when times get tough! Or at least, not letting it go on for months at a time, undoing a lot of hard work!

I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, how about some thrifted fabric from early spring?

Gasp. Trio of cheater cloth. Swoon.

Love the diamond one:

Blue squares:

 And my favorite, the hexagons:

A thrift store opened up just up the street from my house. Amazing, right? Sadly, no. I checked it out yesterday and it is one of the awful high priced ones with no clothes, just overpriced knicknacks. Not that I have anything against knicknacks, of course,  I just like my bricabrac to be cheap. Bummer. I'll give it another try in a month or so, but my hopes are not high for this place.

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Before I forget, let me mention a couple of people who I keep meaning to tell you about:

Please visit my dear friend Sue Blauner who is blogging about her experience with breast cancer treatment at Sue's Boob.

Also, Tim Brownson, a life coach with a wicked cute accent at A Daring Adventure.

There, now I can stop feeling guilty about that. Whew.

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Hm. It was nice and sunny when I sat down to write to you, but now it is all dark, blustery and stormesque. Huh.

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Lots of stuff has been going on around here, so stay tuned for some posts covering:

- a Richard Dreyfus movie being filmed on the steps of Yummy Goods

- recent sewing: some cute summer tops for myself

- Meredith's senior prom - including ten couples (that's couples, not kids! and their parents!) getting pics taken and picked up by the limobus at our house. ( See pics from last year's prom here.)

-  rearranged studio at Yummy Goods (video tour to come, eventually!)

and since I can't wait to show you, here are some gorgeous new shoes I bought a little while back:

Red. Patent Leather. 

Wait, it gets better:

Aw, yeah. T-straps, with ruffle, and double buckle. Yeah, baby.

And the base of the heel is nice and thick instead of a tiny little point,  so I can actually even walk in them - bonus!

Like I said on twitter when I first got them: I hate to be so stereotypical, but they really did brighten my mood when I bought them.

In case you need some, they are Steve Madden shoes and you can get them here for $89.00 (looks like size 7 only!)

But I got mine at Marshall's for $25, which might have something to do with why they make me smile so much.

What is making you smile these days?

xo,

m

Look at these cuties:

Got them at a thrift store a couple of months ago. I don't know where I will put them, but they were too unique to pass up, with these fifties-ish faces:

---Thought I would try to get back into the swing of blogging with some of my usual thrifty goodness.

---I'm still feeling pretty off.

---I'm brunette these days, mostly out of laziness. Buzzed my hair the other night and didn't feel like  bleaching it. Stuart came home and said, "Did you just get out of prison?" It made me laugh.

---Been discovering some great new cover songs on blip.fm. You can check out my picks here.

---Looking forward to checking out that new show Glee.

---So glad we are heading into summer and not winter.

--- Most of the leaves have popped around here, which makes my heart leap. The canopy of leaves over the roads feels like love.

---Itching to make myself some summer dresses and tops.

What are you up to?

xo,

m

2 a.m... Can't sleep.

As always, thank you for the incredible love, vulnerability and comfort you shared with me in the comments. What a treasure.

The weekend went as well as it could.

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I'd like to share a bit of  writing I did in January.

The task given: create an invocation to your muse. Ten minutes, no editing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Invocation to my muse, my creative spark

Snowflake, sparkle, dream-

I see you scurrying from the light

dancing into the shadow.

But please, with my whole searching heart I ask you,

I invite you: stay with me now.

I will listen to your tinkling chimes

I will hear your purring and I will pet your soft belly to hear it ever louder.

Shimmer in the daylight, enchant me under the stars, entice me in the depths of my

blanket-muffled dreams.

I am your willing audience

Your most devoted scribe.

Stay with me my glimmer, my smirk and wink- I am yours.

I will plant each image in a bed of paint and glitter.

I will water them with sweat, giddy laughter, and yes- heartbreak.

I will tend to them with my inky, dirt-covered hands.

Come to me- I will take care of you.

Rest your head in my lap and I will tease stories from your hair.

...................................

Though I'm not always crazy about my own writing ( damn that inner critic! ), I love reading this invocation because it reminds me of how vital my creativity is to my wellbeing. How much a part of me it is- it's my spunk,  my joy...my hope.

I encourage you to give this exercise a try- post on your own blog or keep it for yourself, whatever feels good. You could even do a spontaneous one in the comments if you like -  single sentence or a tangle of paragraphs. But of course, no pressure. 

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dang. now it's almost 3 a.m.

Getting up at 7 to walk for an hour with a friend. Trying to get back on track with working out. Gonna go to Trader Joe's to get some good food instead of living on bagels and Cap'n Crunch.

It's a start.

xo, m

Stopped and started a bunch of posts. Here's a bit I started 2 weeks ago:

hey, guess where i've been?

Hiding in bed and Freaking Out!

Yep. Been whammied by a bit of depression with a side order of anxiety. And a smattering of overwhelm and self doubt to keep it interesting.

Yeah, I know. There are so many great things going on. What gives?

See, depression doesn't really make sense, is the thing. You can't really reason with it. It doesn't care that I'm engaged and about to write a book. It just clubs me and drags me into a dark cave with no regard for the rest of my life. I hesitate to write about it because I figure with so many good things happening for me, no one wants to hear me complain.

But something sticks with me: Last fall at Quilt Market, I chatted with an acquaintance (and blog reader) who said she doesn't have depression or anxiety herself, but that she has people in her life that do. She told me that reading my blog helps her understand her friends who struggle like I do.  If writing about my experience helps demystify it for someone, or makes someone else feel less alone, well, then... I'll do it. Just please, don't hassle me about it. I don't want to be mad on top of depressed. Ok?

So, yeah. Been spending tons of time in bed, either sleeping or just staring at the wall. Eating like crazy. Still managing to work out a couple of times a week, somehow.

Oh yeah, and another thing. Been thinking more about my brother lately. I suppose that probably has more to do with the depression than I realize. Pain has a way of coming out sideways, doesn't it?

There's a memorial coming up in a couple of weeks to spread Michael's ashes at Craigville Beach, per his request. Last weekend some bikers came into the shop on a beautiful day- they were out for a ride on their motorcycles  like he would have been on the first super-nice day of Spring. We were never close, so the reality of his suicide is abstract to me . We weren't in each other's lives even though we only lived a few miles away. My only brother, we would  easily go a year without seeing each other or speaking. He was really more like a distant cousin or uncle than a brother. There wasn't any tension or anything between us, just no connection at all. Our childhood was pretty intense, and he moved in with my dad when I was still just a little kid (he was 4 years older). After that, we never really spent any time together and remained strangers into adulthood. I would try to reach out from time to time, but it never came to anything. I did see him a couple of times this year- he came in to  Yummy Goods- I didn't even know he knew about it but he found my blog and came last November, I think. He visited  again, a few weeks before he killed himself.

I don't really know where I'm going with any of this. Just talking about it.

....................................................................

And now it's a couple weeks later. 12:05 a.m on Friday morning- the day before my brother's memorial. And I still don't know what more to say.

Here's a bit of writing I did a couple days after he killed himself. I wouldn't call it a poem, really. Just sitting outside in February and letting words come:

Chilly Breeze. Goosebumps.

Is that you making the windchimes serenade me? Probably not.

Are you  floating in relief above me, looking down on all of this? Probably not.

Are you going to protect and guide me now, from that other place? Probably not.

I am now as I was a few days ago--- Before you pulled the trigger. Before dad lost his only son.

I am alone. No myth to comfort me.

Not so sure about this 'god' stuff. Cringing at this 'universe' stuff.

What I do feel is love. Cold February breeze.

Dead crunching leaves, heart beating, hands writing.

Shoulders dropping away from the ears as I've learned to do. Noticing the breath.

Intoxicated by the colonies of moss - velvet, emerald.

I believe in the love I feel pulsing in me, flowing around me. I believe in the beauty I find in ivy's map of veins, the composition of rust and the collage on my brother's work jeans.

I believe in the warm kisses of the sun and in snowdrops and crocuses returning through a crust of snow.

I'll start here.

xo,

m

((( it's now a couple hours later and i'm editing this to add that I feel super vulnerable since posting. And so you don't worry,  I am feeling much less depressed since a couple of weeks ago when i wrote the first part! Still up and down, but not way low down like I was. What a relief! ok, that's all. bye now. xo)))

So, um, I have some more news.

I'm writing a book!

It's sewing project book with Wiley, who published Anna Maria's Seams To Me.

And you know what's neat? The book I'm doing will be a companion  to another by a fellow fabric designer and blogger (and friend!) Sandi Henderson of Portabello Pixie!

(What's this about a companion book? That just means that the books are, so far, a 2-part series with similar formatting and they will come out at the same time. )

So, um, yeah. I will be writing the book this sping and summer, just as we have our first real season at the shop. I'm going to be a busy little bee!

I am super excited and a little bit scared!

I know I am going to grow and learn so much from this project. I am psyched to dive in!

xo,

m

Oh, P.S.

Thank you so much for the engagement enthusiasm!

No: no date set.

It won't be a regular wedding anyways. I'm not that kind of girl. No big poufy dress for me, no wedding magazines, no bridesmaids, no save-the-date. I'm not planning, not calling around checking dates. Just smiling to myself when I think about my future husband. Just enjoying being engaged and looking at my sparkly ring and saying fiance. That's enough for me right now.

Actually, I nodded yes with tears streaming down my face:

Stuart, my sweetie of  7 years, proposed to me yesterday morning at The 40 Steps.

On one knee and everything. With a perfect vintage platinum ring. (It's so sparkly!)

Love that guy.

xo,

m

Good morning, loves.

Still feeling a bit off, but I haven't dissolved into tears yet today, so that's a decent start, right? :o) I will tell you, this cloudy sky is not helping. Come on, nature! Jeez!

If you were looking very closely at my photographs in Studios Magazine, you may recognize the beginnings of this little fella:

Just a fun little illo I did from an ink doodle. Scanned it in and added some color and lettering. See the Tendril print in the background?

I call my man "Monkey." I sometimes call his son that, too. But only because he is one.

I love cute nicknames. My mom calls me "Peachy." She also calls me "MBA" which isn't as cute, but they are my initials. And she calls me "MissyBeth", which I love. Yes, middle name = Beth. 

Where was I going with all this? Oh, yeah.

Studios Magazine: Just got my copies to sell at the shop! Locals, come on in! I'll be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 12-5.  If you are nice to me (I'm having a sensitive week, you know), I'll show you the studio in person so you can see how messy it is compared to when the pictures were taken.

.......................................................................................................

Last night, watched Twilight. Wow, that was good! Dang.

This weekend, going to watch Milk and going out to see I love You, Man. Oh, Paul Rudd, how I love you. Have you seen this clip of him dancing? Hilarious.

......................................................................................................

Talk to me about your nicknames, please?

What are you doing this weekend?

xo, m

Bah, I'm having an off day. You ever have those?

Just kind of ... overwhelmed, I guess. Life is good- all great stuff is happening, true.

But today I kind of needed a head-ectomy. Dammit, should have gone to that yoga class I blew off. Oh, well.

Thought I was doing a good thing by going out to browse to make myself feel better. Ended up leaving the store in tears!

I want to punch my hormones in the face.

>sigh<

Even resorted to comfort food, which I haven't been doing much lately. At least I haven't been doing it all the time. I have actually been eating pretty well most of the time. So that's a good thing, right? Right?

I really wanted homemade mac and cheese but I didn't have any handy. So it was grilled cheese. Eaten in bed.

While I'm feeling bad, I might as well get this off my chest: I feel like a jerk because I have about 30 emails that are in the 'respond to' folder and I just haven't. Please forgive me. I do really love the emails I receive, but just know that if you ask questions it will probably take a while for me to get back to you. Quite a while. I am the least organized person I know.

Bah, enough!

Let me show you something:

A painting I started last month. Wicked cheap watercolors on construction paper.

I showed it to my man and this is what he said:

"Princess Leia on a Sad Day. With Man Hands."

He's got a way with words.

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Have you noticed I've been posting more lately?

Do you prefer a big long post every week or more frequent shorter posts?

What are your comfort foods?

xo,

m

Yay!

Thanks for all the magazine love, yo. You guys are the sweetest.

Oh my god, I am so  full. Just got home from dinner from this great new restaurant on the Cape called Wicked. (website doesn't do it justice.) It's the kind of place I want to go next time I have something to celebrate. Like, maybe next week :o)

Watching American Idol and chillin' after a full day of working on my next fabric line. I am so psyched with how the designs and colorways are coming together!

Can you tolerate more thrift stuff? Am I getting boring?  I hope not.

Stuart wanted to pass these up, but for 5 bucks each, I couldn't let them go:

Behold, The Awesomeness:

Gorgeous decoupaged glass plate. You know, where the stuff is on the back of the plate? Of course, I even love how worn out it is. And the gold. Love the gold.

Pretty birdie:

Avon, baby! Milky glass, stylized design, gold eyes. Ah, jeez. Like I need more knick-knacks.

And this next score, yay! Did you have one of these like I did?

Now I have this and the barn. Just gotta find the treehouse. 

xo,

m

Pssst! Wanna see my magazine feature?

My studio on the cover of Cloth Paper Scissors STUDIOS magazine:

The 4 page spread:

Elsewhere, Sugar Snap makes an appearance. They used a desk in my shop as a backdrop for some product shots they needed for a column:

My shop on Cape Cod, Yummy Goods:

Not all of my pictures made it into the feature, like this 'before' shot of the studio in the back of the shop:

If you haven't seen it already, you can read the full 'before and during' post.

Here's the 'after' view of that back wall:

The bulletin boards: plain brown ones from Staples that I covered in my Tendril prints.

Next to a piece of found art, a rusty garden urn holds well-used paintbrushes:

Love that piece of wood I found in the garage. Love it.

Worktable, the display area under the glass:

A timeworn wicker rocking chair ($5!) draped with vintage patchwork is my go-to spot for a quick snack between customers:

The fabric shelves:

Notice the sewing shrine at the top? Gorgeous old Singer found at the swap shop at the dump!

Aw, Snap:

Vintage enamel bowls are perfect for storing cut  fabric and supplies:

Scored at yard sales and thrift stores, rusty muffin tins store and display semiprecious gemstone beads:

(Which reminds me, I want to make myself some giant ornate necklaces soon.)

The computer desk:

Thrifted glass urn ($4!) holds the fabric scraps I can't bear to part with.

Metal cabinet doors turned into magnet board:

See me and my sweetiepie? He's the best.

When your studio is featured, they request a picture of you in the space. I can't bear those awkward 'look-at-me-pretending-to-work-while-I'm-being-photographed' pictures, so I submitted this picture of me being silly:

Yes, that sweater again.

Favorite books and essential tools mingle with treasured knick-knacks on a wall of open shelving organized by color rather than reason:

For the photoshoot of the cover, they removed more than half of that stuff from the shelves! Clearly, they know what they are doing, because on the cover the shelves still look quite full.

Thrifted tins and tiny old doll make up a vignette a l'orange:

That's pretty much it!

Soon, I'll share some photos of things I've done in the studio since these pictures were taken.

Locals, I should have copies of the magazine for the shop by the end of this week! I will let you know when they arrive. If you aren't local, you can order it here.

xo,

m

Good morning.

Trying to wake up. Thought I'd say hello!

How about some more recent thrifty goodness? Ok, if you insist.

Love these white planter baskets- and the shape of that blue one:

More in blue, handmade cathedral windows pillow:

 Well, I suppose saying 'handmade' is redundant, right?

the time it must take to make those!

Ooh, look at this tiny planter:

And I would wager that  it was made pre-Orla.

I always grab writing books when I see them. I do love the words.

Randomly opened and photographed pages, funny:

Love that, "A thing of watery salt."

"Extracting sunbeams" - nice.  I need to do that on this gray March morning! We got some flipping snow last night! "Extraordinarily, sweat" - I'll be doing that on the treadmill right after I finish this post. That will warm me up.

By the way? My set for the photos? A roll of wrapping paper on the wrong side, draped over a coffee table and chair back - next to a sunny window. Oooh, fancy.

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This post was lacking color.

Here are some paintings in progress.

The house I grew up in and some cloudy shapes:

I have been wanting to do a whole series based around my childhood home. I think it's time. Sometime this year.

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I have 2 magazine features to share with you! the Studios issue, of course, and Fabric Trends for Quilters  which did a lovely Sugar Snap piece. I will take pics this week to show you.

Also- I am pretty sure that my episode (#13) of Quilting Arts TV airs this week on PBS! Someone, please confirm- I cannot for the life of me find the listing.

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I am dreaming of hot weather, summery skirts and lemonade. Can't wait to feel warm dirt under my feet in the garden.

Ah, but what can I enjoy now? Taking note of every daffodil I see emerging with green fingers. Noticing and celebrating each shrub in bud. Wholeheartedly relishing in each gift of blue sky.

Extracting sunbeams.

xo,

m

Hi there, sweet friends.

About a month ago  I went on a little trip off-Cape for a meeting and as a bonus I planned a meet up with fellow bloggers Mimi Kirchner and Tracey Lowenstein. They have each made appearances here at YummyGoods: I met Mimi last spring at the Boston Handmade Marketplace in Somerville and I posted about a lovely gift Tracey had sent me last year.

We met up at Mimi's house, where would love to spend hours photographing every little thing! After a yummy lunch out, Mimi took us on a field trip to a rusty fence that she said made her think of me every time she passed it! (I love that.)

All three of us whipping out our cameras sparked a brainwave in Tracey, "How about we all post our pics on our blogs and see how we each photograph the same thing!"

Off we went, each snapping away.

Love this one:

See how the tendrils of iron frame the crispy leaves and velvety moss? nummy.

You can see Mimi's pics at her blog Doll and Tracey's at her blog Paper Dolls For Boys.

Because they are backlit, these pictures don't really show how rusty the fence is- I mean you can see the texture, but it truly has a lot  of rust color as well.

Like this:

And across the street was this lovely little number:

Blogger meetups are fun.

A longtime reader of Yummy Goods (thank you, T!), Tracey really has a feel for what I love. Look at what she presented to me at Mimi's:

Yeah, baby! Another religious  statue to add to my collection!

Oh, Tracey. Thank you so so much.

Oooh, kind of some Joan Crawford eyebrows, there:

You know how I love taking the closeups.

I love my new statue so much! It's the tallest one in the collection. Funny, I just found the shortest one a couple of weeks ago:

For a dollar! Aw, yeah. Don't they look cute together?

This one, like some of my others,  has real fabric attached- so odd!

And I love that the metallic paint on the crown gets all verdigris:

Yum. Love these statues.

And love meeting up with blogger friends.

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This week:

Workout music : Vampire Weekend and The Killers. (ha ha, funny names together!)

Can't stop listening to: Adele, especially her version of Make You Feel My Love. beautiful.

Working on: My next fabric line!

xo,

m

Well, hey there!

Ahhh, sunny day again today.

I haven't been sleeping well the last couple of nights. Last night, I had that 'filet-o-fish' commercial stuck in my head. At least I was entertained.

Wanna have a look-see at some new secondhand scores?

Of course you do.

Vintage home dec plus brown linen blend:

Supercute oldschool quilting fabric (love the colors):

 Awesome blush-bud bias binding (aw, yeah) and pink teeny-weeny baby rickrack:

Love that gold plastic bow. Love it.

Oooh, what's this?:

Some kind of beaded netting?

oooh! a vintage collar!

Luckily I have a vintage-sized neck.

I'll need to clean it and repair the closure, but hopefully it will be sturdy enough to take some wear!

Some spring-colored ginghams and a cute floral:

Isn't this perfect? Gold, salmon, teal, chocolate... >sigh<

I have so many posts I want to write! Lots more thrift scores, a gorgeous bag someone made for me out of Sugar Snap, some rust photos from a recent visit with some fellow bloggers, a stirring pile of art I found in the street, a project I have in mind using denim in a way that is not horrifying...all coming up.

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Thank you, still and again, for your continued love and support regarding my brother's death. I have to admit, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed about responding to the cards and emails- so please give me some time. I am so touched by your caring. I feel blessed by it.

My good friend Katie brought me some homemade bread and strawberry-rhubarb jam the other day. Oh my god, yum. I , um, well, I ate the entire loaf in 3 days. By. My. Self. So good! It was Light Wheat from the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day book. (thank you , sweetie! xo)

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Some random questions for you:

Are you watching American Idol like I am?

Reading anything good?

Music recommendations?

Do you work out?

When do you feel most creative?

xo, m

Someday it will be spring. I promise. For real. It will even be summer someday.

I just wrote and deleted a big complainy paragraph about cold weather so I'm just gonna leave it at this: Thank god it's sunny today, you guys.

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And now for the announcement we've all been waiting for: the Sugar Snap (plus) Giveaway Winner!

Out of 809 comments on the post  (plus 3 that were emailed to me), the randomly chosen number is 108.

The 108th comment was left by the lovely (I'm sure) Dawn Horton, who said ,"Hi Melissa! I've been reading your blog for at least 9 months.........I love it! Congrats on your mag cover."

Congratulations, Dawn! I can't wait to see what you will make with this bundle! You will show me, right?

Now I just gotta get myself to send it out in a reasonable time frame :o)

Thank you so much, everyone who commented for a chance to win. Giveaways are so much fun- I will have to do them more often. Maybe a drawing or painting next?

xo,

m

hey, you guys.

spent all day in the studio yesterday.

i'm trying to get back on track with some exciting stuff i have going on. can't wait to share it with you when it's official!

i'm working on a bunch of design-y/illustration type things but yesterday i  mostly just played to loosen up. 

That's usually the work i like best- my weird, non-commercial doodley drawings:

just messing around with color and pattern, expressions. always experimenting.

nope, they're not 'pretty', but i love 'em.

oink.

oh, speaking of oink, i have been eating yucky (yummy, but makes-me-feel-yucky) food again and skipping workouts. gearing up to rededicate to the healthy things i do which help me feel strong, peaceful and creative.

yep, i am most creative when i am eating great and getting lots of cardio! i think it's working off the physical stress that allows the ideas to flow. plus the peace i feel when i eat well allows me to do work without judging it- which is essential.

they can't all be gems.

today i'm off to an estate sale followed by a power walk with a friend. then to the studio. if i get any goodies or make any, i'll show you .

xo, m