Believe the Hype, Part 2

So I picked up the Malin + Goetz Peppermint Shampoo and I have to say that it's worth it's weight in gold.


Between this and the Cilantro Conditioner, my hair is stronger and healthier than I ever believed possible. We're talking Rapunzel strong. And it happened in just matter of days.

When I bought the shampoo, the salesgirl and I chatted a bit about the shocking difference in results between the Malin + Goetz hair products and other schmancier products. (I've used Kerastace for years.) And what she basically told me was that when you use Kerastace, you're paying for the name. It was a solid reminder that price point and brand recognition do not necessarily equal quality.

Fabric Stamping Admiration

I've spent this morning admiring the heck out of HomeSweet's beautiful hand stamped products.


Her results are truly inspiring. My screen printing has come a long way, but my fabric stamping skills are dreadful. I wish I could be a fly on the wall in her studio and pick up some tips!

Staycation

Much though I wish I didn't have to use the word "staycation", that's exactly what I had over the past few days. And what I learned is that I'm not so bad at cleaning, chores, etc as I thought I was. I'm actually pretty great at it when I have the time. Unfortunately, I have to take days off to have the time.

So I did the big Spring clean, purged a ton of stuff that we don't use and cooked and crafted my little heart out. For example, I finished making this little mouse:



And found a home foe this Shaker tray:


And finished little Julian's socks:

I even baked muffins and refrigerator pickles (documentation to follow). Sigh. I need more days off.

Feeling Better

Apologies for the lack of posts. I've had a rotten cold/bug for the last few days and was down for the count. But I'm feeling much better today and am really appreciating the unexpected sunshine Boston is getting.

Sweet BB brought me a peony and some ranunculus (my favorites) on Wednesday to cheer me up.

And during an ill advised bout of cabin fever, I lined the new blanket chest. Probably not the best thing to do when sick, but at least it's done.

Soaking Beans

So, this may sound a bit silly, but I've never cooked dried beans before. I've had a bag of great northern beans kicking around for a bit, so last night I measured out a cup of them to soak overnight, as an experiment. Except that I forgot about them this morning and skipped off to work without giving them a thought. Here they are last night:

I shudder to think what they'll look like when I get home. Apparently, they're losing their texture and structural integrity due to over soaking. Oh good.

On a brighter note, check out this apple shaped fireware that I picked up this weekend. I'm using it to store my garlic!

Blanket Chest

As promised, here's a shot of the new blanket chest. I'm still not sure that I like it at the foot of the bed.



Although it doesn't actually lock, it has a little key for a little, non-functional keyhole. I don't care that it's strictly decorative. I just love it.


And here's the little drawer on the bottom. If we keep it in the bedroom, I'll store pillowcases in here. If we ship it off to the dining room, I'll use it for napkin storage.

Pub Crawl Resulting in Antique Purchases

BB and I survived the James Cameron Pub Crawl on Friday (barely). BB was the Titanic and I went as the Unforgiving Sea. Needless to say, we had a s-l-o-w rest of the weekend. We ate more La Tur, watched the Nova/Syracuse game and strolled around Beacon Hill. We actually wound up picking up an early American blanket chest and litho of Harvard at Upstairs Downstairs Antiques on Charles St. It's a great place, with good product, good prices and a really helpful staff.

I'll post pictures of the blanket chest in its new home tomorrow. I'm trying to decide of it makes the bedroom look too crowded.