Kyle Anne makes a damn fine gorgeous, moody diamond ring. I’m not much of diamond girl, but these are an exception. Santa?

ps. I also love Alyson’s non-traditional diamond.

Futile Devices from karmaticoma on Vimeo.

(I apologize if you’re tired of hearing about Sufjan Stevens from me. Too bad, so sad.)

Over the weekend Billy and I put together a music video (unofficial of course) for Futile Devices. The video was an art piece he recently made, a short sci-fi Frankenstein-like apocalyptic love story shot on 16mm film, and we realized it fit perfectly with the theme of The Age Of Adz and with this song in particular. I think it’s rather beautiful and am really proud of William for this piece.

ps. the girl in the video is not me. also, is anyone besties with Sufjan? I’d love for it to land in his hands just to see it, nothing else:)

(click on the photos for possibly more info on flickr)

Things I am thankful for from these bits:
Five day weekends (not planned, I came down with something Tuesday night and took Wednesday off to get better before our flight)
Short flights
Ohio quiet
The fact that everything on your Thanksgiving plate can be placed together on your fork and into your mouth as one perfect harmonious bite
Generous, wonderful family
A new car to soon be our safe chariot across the states
Freaks & Geeks to wind the evenings down
Birthday boys
Birthday drinks, dinner & dessert
Birthday bacon
Astral Weeks on repeat
One last movie date with Lauren (Harry Potter)
A little bit of calm before the storm

Also: a reminder about the shop update heads up in case you missed it Saturday!

New necklaces will be in stock in the shop this Thursday, December 2nd, at 8pm EST. A preview of every necklace will be in the shop Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

I really pushed hard this time for this Fall/Winter collection to have more of a cohesive color pallet and aesthetic than previous updates, picking warm hues that remind me of the transition of the two seasons. I also made a small change to the classic friendship-style necklace by adding brass end caps – both for a more cohesive aesthetic with the crown sinnet style, and also added strength to the structure. A new style I made for this update, available in a limited quantity, are beautiful leather and vintage lucite necklaces that are a nod to this past summer’s Indian Summer necklaces. I’m really excited about every necklace in this update, and I hope you are too!

Check back later in the week for the preview of all the necklaces, or sign up for the mailing list for a reminder. This will be the last update until February or March when I can get my business set up again in LA.

All I have to say is how ridiculously sad I am that I couldn’t score tickets to one of Sufjan’s shows in NYC last weekend. Sigh. Also, Sufjan darling, if you need another dancing girl – I’m all yours. I might talk you out of that hat that reminds me of my days as a raver, but then again, you brought the spice to late night television, so who cares? It seems like you’re coming out of your quiet shell and I’m not one to stop you.

update: Juli shared the new music video for this song today! It’s intensely nuts, and I love it. I love this new Sufjan.

(click on the photos for possibly more information on flickr!)

While we didn’t leave the apartment much, I feel really good about this weekend mostly for the sheer volume of things we got done. I beat the odds of trying a new allergy medicine that knocked me off my ass, finished all the necklaces for the shop update, took all the photos for it, and managed to make two amazing meals. I even woke up at 9am and cleaned the fridge on Sunday. What? I also did something that felt super weird: I spent hours researching what car we should buy. Can I tell you how foreign that is? But I’m really good at researching things so I feel confident in my narrowed-down options (combined with Billy’s dad who actually know things about cars helping me.) Fist! Pump! (Sorry I’m going to use that phrase a lot lately, it accurately describes how I feel every time I accomplish something for the move.) Also exciting: our friends signed the lease on our current apartment this weekend! Yay getting our deposit back! (this is where I do another fist pump.)

p.s. historic vertical photo allowed in the bits here today. historic.

We’re going to Ohio for Thanksgiving Wed-Fri, so I’ll be skipping Friday Bits this week! Have a great Thanksgiving to all my American readers, and a wonderful week and weekend everyone!

I can feel the panic starting to take it up a notch in my bones. Today marks exactly one month until we leave (we’re leaving a week earlier now that the sublet we found is open then). I’m desperately trying to get my shit together and pack the least amount of boxes to ship without losing said shit, while at the same time trying to make necklaces for a shop update, while at the same time trying to say goodbye to New York by doing fun things, while at the same time trying to hang out with friends one last time, while at the same time starting to worry a lot about how Wendy will hold up for six days in the car and strange hotel rooms. I excel at the art of magically pulling things together at the last minute, but this time I wonder if my magic is a little low on the pixie dust.

So, I paint my nails metallic (wet ‘n wild – which I have not purchased since 7th grade, but is pretty great) and wear a new scent (OLO Nationale, found via Anabela, haven’t quite decided if it’s for me yet) to ready myself to be a new person in a new place who keeps her shit together with magic pixie dust (occasionally) like it ain’t no thang. Because I can. Because I have to. My eyes are on the prize though, and the promise of a fresh start and a new experience is like liquid gold through my veins right now. I will pack boxes like a champ! I will make necklaces like a maniac! I will have fun! I will be a good friend! Nothing could be worse for Wendy than what we rescued her from, girl has it good, cats are kind of dumb and forget things quickly!

Distractions:
I want these nails
A poster from Erin for our new place
A family portrait like this or these
Good stories
Dogs Don’t Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving

A shop update is going to be the first week of December (exact date still pending!) for those of you who have asked. Sorry that cuts it a bit close for Christmas. I think I have a pretty good reason, though…

Have a wonderful weekend!

ps. Sorry for using the S word three times. It was necessary for the story and I was raised by wolves.

Ladies and gentlemen, I found next year’s calendar. Beautiful design, astrology theme, and only $8 – how can you go wrong?

Thanks, Kelly.

Whenever something good happens, Billy and I have an impromptu dance party. I know it’s a Monday, but I thought maybe we could have a dance party just because life is good? Ready, set, go.

p.s. sorry I missed Music Monday last week! Does this dance party make up for it?

(click on the photos for possibly more information!)

A relatively unremarkable weekend full of getting lots of little things done, but an important lesson was learned: I sold half of my clothing of Buffalo Exchange on Saturday (a grueling process), which taught me how much CRAP I own. Most of it wasn’t worth more than a few bucks, and most of it I had only worn a few times. Never had the truth that I hoard clothing been more clear to me – that I buy fast fashion crap that I don’t even love and then bury it in my closet. Easier said than done, but with the Internet as my witness, I do believe I have my New Year’s resolution. More on that later, I haven’t quite put a ton of thought into it yet because I have bigger fish to fry!

On a more uplifting note (though I am actually pretty uplifted by that goal), thanks to the wonders of this blog, it looks like we’ll be subletting a sweet apartment in Venice when we get to LA. We are super pumped, and feel a little less stressed. Crossing our fingers now that our friends will be signing a lease soon to take over our current apartment! Then there will only be a couple things left to keep me up at night. Repeating my new motto constantly…

ps. I didn’t take a photo, but I made this carrot ginger soup this weekend and it was difficult to not eat the entire pot to myself. Healthy, too! Unlike certain other recipes that made me laugh. I’m looking at you, Ina Garten…