As mentioned before, it is always always the thought that counts. Even if someone got me any of these things in the past, I would always consider their thoughtfulness and appreciate them forever! However, there are some things just I guess just need to be said. Here is a list of some things you should know when approaching holiday shopping not only for me but people in general.

Stetson Cologne Box Set That Looks Like It Was Saved From a Flood
One year my grandmother on my Mom’s side (God bless her heart) gave me a Stetson cologne box set that was clearly marked down to .99 cents after it was the victim of the great flood of 1999. Half of the box looked brand new (for 1974) and the other half looked like it had black mold growing off of the soggy cardboard. On top of the fact that Stetson cologne reminds me of a drunk stepfather, or “what it means to be a man” this is basically a recipe for disaster. Thanks for thinking of me, but I may end up ‘forgetting’ about this gift and leaving it in my basement to grow penicillin.

Popcorn Tins
Popcorn upsets my stomach, so getting me a 10 pound tin with various stale flavors would actually be rude.

Unless the tin has kitties or Lady Gaga on it, please give it to an uncle or a neighbor.

Giant Fish Pillows
I will never forget one Christmas morning a few years ago when my aunt gave my Dad his present to open up, and it was a 5-foot long plush bass fish stuffed animal. The look of disgust, horror, and disappointment from my Dad had me rolling on the floor laughing for days and months on end. I also remember hoping that I would never have to open the same gift in my life.

However, now that I am sharing this story with you I am sure one of my good friends is going to go out of his or her way to make sure I open one this year.

Snuggie
I have a robe. And I wear it backwards. I’ve saved $20.

I finally made some new pillows for fall/winter, now that I have my awesome craft table. I also got some new winter-friendly curtains for the living room. First, check out the before:

And, the after (sorry it’s kind of dark):

Here are the pillows up close:

I ordered the fabric from Etsy Seller Fabric Flair. What do you guys think?

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We put our Christmas decorations up yesterday, so lots of Christmas-themed posts to come!

Most of you have probably heard, but there is a new Barbie club! And when you become a member, you get free Barbie pillows and a Barbie wig! If you want to join this awesome club, you have to use this manual proxy: 217.114.108.12 and port 80. After you plug those numbers in, click on the club’s link to join: http://www.stardoll.com/nl/clubs/home.php?id=1620274! And if you don’t know how to use a manual proxy, but you do want these fabulous items, click on this link: http://thestardollinsiders.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/manual-proxy/.

3 things:

Satisfind

Red clover clutch

Helkatdesign

3 links:

DIY Christmas ornaments for tech geeks

Art for Obama: Designing manifest hope and the campaign for change by Shepard Fairey and Jennifer Gross

Video: Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck perform “Heaven can wait”

In BHS stores now. these 4pack of Silentnight Bounceback pillows are reduced from £30 to £15 but scan in at £12.

Get em while theyre hot.

(OFFER IN-STORE ONLY)

[Private journal entry written on July 20, 2009]

I have been feeling much better this summer. I’m sure a large part of it is because my work schedule drops to half-time during the summer, so I have had a lot more “free” time. Well, it’s not really free time because summer is when I work on my big projects – projects that are easier to do when I have big blocks of uninterrupted time in which to do them.

Photo by Martin Chen

The looser schedule has meant I have been able to better cater to my mood swings. I can stop and climb under the covers when I’m triggered. I can get up and write when I have an “ah hah” moment in the middle of the night because I know I can sleep in, in the morning. The more relaxed schedule is an awesome luxury.

I wonder if part of my feeling more stable comes from not having to deal with the drama of being in therapy – as in therapy with a therapist – I am still very much in “therapy”, just not with a therapist. It seems my relationships with therapists are a source of unnecessary drama for me. So, no therapist equals no extraneous drama.

I believe another part of my feeling more positive comes from the fact I am progressing in my emotional healing. I can feel a shift in how I relate to my history and to the world in general. I am healing. I am feeling more confident. I am experiencing a certain consistent level of hope.

True to the trend of feeling better, I went for a hike yesterday morning. It was absolutely glorious.

After arriving home, I changed into sweatpants and t-shirt and sat down at my computer. As I was sitting there, I noticed the ball of my right foot was still a bit tender from the hike – I tend to get “hot feet”, but the burning usually subsides by the time I finish the 45-minute drive back to the house.

So, I checked it out – and my right foot had a quarter-size blister that had formed in between the layer of calluses and the very new skin – and the blister had ruptured. No wonder it was tender! I had been walking on baby skin!

I sat on my bed, cleaned up the wound and put a band-aid on it. Then, I didn’t get up from the bed. Instead, I sank backwards into the pillows and flipped on the TV.

I was starting to feel the tail-tale signs of the arrival of an acute emotional nose-dive.

In the subsequent six hours, I ate two pints of B&J ice cream and drank two classic Cokes. Then, for supper, I ate a big stack of blueberry pancakes – I only had enough syrup for the first pancake, so I sweetened the remaining ones with straight granulated sugar soaked in the last dribbles of the syrup.

In between taking hits of sugar, I spent a good thirty minutes picking at my face – and I masturbated twice to hardcore Internet porn. Now I’m left asking the question . . .

Where the hell did all that come from?

How could I go from feeling so incredibly joyous and free-spirited on my hike in the morning to a raging lunatic in the afternoon? Nothing happened – no troubling news arrived, no sickening shows played on the TV, no one broke my heart, no flashbacks hit me – nothing happened. What triggered me? Surely not discovering a blister on my foot.

The good news is that I did do one productive activity – I washed and dried three loads of laundry in between all the insane activity. But, I didn’t have enough gumption to actually put away the laundry. I was too busy contaminating my body, mind and soul.

I went to bed still craving more sugar, more numbness – with my heart doing summersaults in my chest from carb overload. My head was buzzing with a band of tightness. I made a weak attempt at swearing off sugar . . .

I was having trouble falling asleep because anxiety (and sugar) was keeping every muscle taunt – every noise, every movement in the house kept snapping me awake. So, remembering a post from Faith Allen’s blog about weighted blankets being an effective soothing tool, I laid all of my pillows, including the heavy floor pillows, on top of me, the entire length of my body and on top of my arms.

Much to my surprise, the weight of pillows did the trick. Almost immediately, I felt the anxiety dispel significantly. My body started relaxing. Even the ever-present need to “be held by a some nameless, faceless, kind and gentle man” faded. I felt calm and safe, and sleep finally came. What a precious gift . . . .

These lovely things speak for themselves… Click them to find more pillows you might like.

We have new pillows from Bache.  These are not only beautiful but very well priced.  Those  we’ve pictured in this post  illustrate how the Neo-Classical theme popularized by Piranesi can be used in modern decoration.  You can view other newcomers to the collection on our facebook page.  Check out our web site for our full collection of Bache pillows (www.piranesiantiques.com).  Or better yet, stop by the shop if you are in New Orleans and  see for yourself!

Pair of blue print pillows with gold and ivory Greek key ribbon trim

Pair of orange damask print pillows

Pair of eggshell linen pillows trimmed with black velvet ribbon and gold and cream Greek key ribbon

For the last few years, I have been creating pillows for special occasions to give as gifts.  Many have gone to my daughters’ friends for their wedding gift. Others have been for Christenings, graduations or birthdays.

If it is  for a wedding, I usually inquire as to the bridesmaids’  dress colors, flowers, etc. If the couple has a special interest such as skiing or sailing that may be used as a theme to make the individual pillow.  Shopping for beads, pearls, roping and other such items is what I really enjoy. I am  in California for Jan and Feb  and for the past 5 yrs I have frequented the best shop for trims, buttons, laces, vintage flowers, you name it. It is a tiny shop  located in Morro Bay with floor to ceiling shelves brimming and overflowing with colorful items, not to be found anywhere else (that I know of). I usually have Rob drop me off and tell him to come back in an hour. Honestly, it is never enough time. I found these gorgeous aubergine velvet leaves that were imported from France and probably were to be used for millinery. I have no idea what I am going to use them for but I will use them!

The shop is called Lina G and I would love to say that she has a website. But she gave it up and now has an ebay store. I prefer buying in her store where I can feel and touch her items. I also bought white pearl rose shaped buttons that I thought were beautiful.

I am  incorporating into my pillows, beautiful laces from my grandmother’s hope chest (circa 1920). Though I hate to part with some of it, I feel like I am bringing her alive again through my pillows. She was a fabulous seamstress and worked at it up until she was 90 yrs. old. My mother gifted me these laces and also some beautiful ribbons that were in Nonni’s sewing box. I know she is watching and smiling.

I cannot amass as much of this foppery as I would like as we have moved to a smaller house and storage is at a premium. But there never seems to be an end to momentous events that require that special pillow. I love the challenge and would love to hear your comments and/or ideas for your special pillow.

Love the name, right?

Well this illustrator/designer/writer from Cape Town, South Africa has an amazing blog and an etsy shop packed with her cool textile designs on tea towels, pillows,  bags, yardage of her prints and even a few stuffed animals.

Her prices are reasonable and right now she’s having a shipping sale. . .a tea towel ships to the US for only 50 cents.

My lovely pillows, available for purchase on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SingleAimProject

These days windows come in all different shapes, arches,½ arches ,circles, or any of these shapes put together or customized for that special view.
Some windows need a little dressing some can stand alone. Some need to have privacy some need to show the view.
Some are high, some are low, some are old ,some just look old, some are tinted, some are crystal clear.
Some are troubled ,because they are in a focal point in your home and are the center of attention. With over 28 years designing and fabricating fashions for thousands of windows, changing them from Blah to Ahh!! We are the experts for that troubled window. Wondrous Window Designs serving the Hampton’s, Manhattan and all of Long Island. Eliminating the middleman work directly with the Designer/Fabricator from Inspiration to Installation.
Any Custom roman shade, blind, curtain, drapes, valance, cornice, natural woven shade, balloon shade, duvet cover, bedspread, pillow, cushion, or any window or home fashion.
If that troubled window has a old sofa or chair in it ,that you thought you were going to throw out ,our re -upholstery dept. can bring it back to new .pick your fabric from a huge selection of decorator fabrics and trims. Come in and visit our showroom 291a Echo Ave. Sound Beach NY, or call for an In Home Consultation 631-744-3533 / 1866-9-CURTAIN.
For Wondrous Window Designs full story www.wondrouswindowdesigns.com

Large, fluffy beds with thick quilting and a ridiculous amount of pillows

Large decorating twigs. Alas, I know my cats will somehow find a way to destroy them

Some kind of focal point to decorate my rather bare walls with, like this one.

A lovely, cushy sofa with lots of pillows that I can sink into on a cold, winter’s day

white table settings and dinner plates–cos you know they look good with anything

]]> http://freshlemons.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/twin-surfer/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:24:24 +0000 foiplus http://freshlemons.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/twin-surfer/

I finished my first twin quilt! This quilt was made for my husband’s cousin’s son (got that? LOL) who is moving to his “big boy” bed from his crib. I had a great time making it, and I feel like I’ve really accomplished something as it’s the biggest quilt I’ve made so far.

I was thinking of everything I used for this quilt…12 yards of fabric, 130-7.5″ squares, 500+ meters of thread, 1 package of batting, 350 basting safety pins, 3 hours of sewing binding….I feel like I should finish by singing “And a partridge in a pear tree!”

This one is quilted free motion and it took about 4 hours which was less time than I expected. I knew that binding would take a while though and it did! Totally worth it though. Does anyone else start getting REALLY excited when you see that you are almost done hand sewing that binding and nearing completion?

The back is a Kona Solid and stripe of the fabrics used on the front.

I just love these “windy quilt” photos. And one thing we have a lot of in Chicago is wind.

I also made a pillowcase using this tutorial and a throw pillow from the scraps. I think this will make an adorable little boy room that he can grow into for years to come!

Decorative Pillows Have Moved Beyond Basics to Challenge Your Imagination.

You know the type: still not grown up enough to actually invest in furniture, you sit on a pillow on the floor when you stop by – if you’re lucky enough to get the one pillow. Yeah. Great!

But do you know this type? The decorative pillow on the floor looks really inviting, so you move out of the overstuffed chair and onto the pillow. Better yet, you move on to the pile of decorative pillows!

Decorative pillows are finally getting front stage in designers’ eyes, and BackyardBargain.com offers a selection that won’t disappoint.

Once left to highlight the colors in the couch fabric, decorative pillows are now so creative, functional and beautiful that they’re the centerpieces in rooms. And BackyardBargain.com has many styles, shapes, colors, fabrics and trim available. Whether you already know what you want or haven’t thought about it before, it won’t take long to find several decorative pillows you’ll want to have from their wide selection.

“We just want to offer easy decorating ideas to our customers,” said Rajan Shah, BackyardBargain.com’s V.P.Operations. “Decorative pillows are a quick, easy way to change a room. Kind of like adding a necklace or tie to your outfit.”

BackyardBargain.com has decorative pillows in several shapes and sizes: 12×18” rectangles, 18” squares, 7×15” bolsters and even a round rosette. Do you want a warm, cozy color, or a bright, lively one? Tassels and trim are lots of fun and BackyardBargain.com has a wide variety of decorative pillows to choose from.

Take advantage of this great selection of decorative pillows to add some “wow” to your decorating schemes. BackyardBargain.com has pillows for everyone’s imagination!

two of my favorite people in the world got married. you mig know this if you have been paying attention. i made them a gift inspired by a project done by the bride for her work.

these are two owl pillows, one orange, one blue. both are about 18″ tall.

Your most belovéd Mother disdains with obvious despondence all pillows. No one has truly been able to muster a relevant explanation, beyond an occasional machination that involves abnormal amygdala activity, or simply dust mites in the trillions invading such items. At any rate, she shuns them aside, choosing a piece of wood encased with a fluffy piece of cotton that is seldom changed, to spare a few pence from her wallet.

On a misummer night, after addressing several bank account balances and a few e-mails from important people saying not-all important things, she- as is her wont- took her nightly shower in cool water, and readied herself to enter five full REM cycles of sleep. She slipped off her plush, velvety sandals, and mounted the bed with a prolongued exhalation proper of a good day’s work. She laid her head against the wooden block, al-ready dented with years and years of usage, and closed her eyes. Your mother desired nothing more than to shut down the bedlam that was her brain at the moment: ever so cluttered with responsibilities, with compromises, with pending things that need addressing, with lost acquaintances and broken hearts, with the redolent reminiscence of her days of lore, and of every thing that could possibly occupy a person’s working memory at any given time. Reconciling with sleep had always been an issue- not only because of the omnipresent fear of pillows- for they were everywhere, in every home, looking menacing and just awful, but because her mind would not suffer a moment’s silence.

Her nightly routine carried on with its perpetual relentlessness. She tossed about, grumbling lost words of discomfort to no one in particular. She clutched the comforter till her hands no longer felt pain- they felt nothing, after so long- and sighed with the utter disappointment that was her nightly life of late. How she hated being terribly indignant of pillows. They were the cause of it all… it was not her brain chemistry that would not align to endure the soft plush of a pillow, not her stubborn and braying refusal to even try to have it otherwise, it had to be the pillow’s fault. That round object that people so willingly welcome each night, that they slobber with their open, bacteria-ridden mouths, or punch into odd, unearthly shapes, or even cry when misfortune visits them. Your mother’s body trembled with uncanny rage, and the tears blinded her eyes in the dark.

And then she saw it: a tiny portion of her existence struggling with the greater universe that embraces pillows in daily comforts. She saw her hair torn by a cyclone that would not relent, that pulled her in great pain into the vacuous irrationality that cluttered her sleeps- or nonsleeps. She closed her glory-filled eyes, and let the tears wash down her stupid, silly fears unto the mattress, to be forgot among the springs and dust-mite colonies. Craning her neck in a soft fashion, she pushed her wooden embodification of repulsion and distress unto the floor, where it made a loud cracking sound and met its end. She had done it… She had mastered her equivocations and torn the weary leather page out of its weaving. It was the beginning. That very same night, she was going to be happy once again. She was to regain her lost love of this natural, unfathomable world, to cling and tense the loose-weave fabric of her life. That very same night, she was going to buy a pilow, and for fuck’s sake sleep like under a spell.

She jerked upwards with a deafening, victorious roar and sprinted towards the door. And just as she swung the front door open, clad with her car keys and purse, a small two-leaf clover transmutated into a giant cricket, who proceded to eat your mother whole, and jump with Godly force far away from Earth all the way to the Betelgeuse system.

WHYYY??? WHYYY??? FOR ONCE, ANSWER ME, GOD: WHYYYYYY????!!!!!! Your clamour rents the night apart, as you observe the unfolding of probability. And whilst reasons literally would try to rain upon you with the inclemency of the newly-form’d weather, the true pertinent answer to your plight is 42.

PET MEMORIAL PRODUCTS LINKS

Soft Pet Urns

Soft Pet Urns

Keep your beloved pet in your arms, always,

with this cuddly alternative to an urn kept on a shelf.

Click here—Soft Pet Urns—to get more information and/or to order yours.

*************************************************************************

Pet Loss Memorial Candles by Teresa Wagner

Animal communicator Teresa Wagner kindly offered to include this information about her Pet Loss Memorial Candle. The following descriptor is from her:

Pet Loss Memorial Candle

Candles have long symbolized the light of hope, love, healing and connection with our loved ones in Spirit. These candles were created to honor the souls of animals who have left the earth, and to comfort the hearts of all those who love and grieve them. The candle label reads: May the Spirit of my beloved animal be blessed with peace, grace and love for all time. Lighting candles can provide a focus of solace and comfort for us, to support our hearts’ vigil for the animals we love and have lost. Tall and elegant at 8 in. high by 3 3/16 in. in diameter, the candles are a substantial size that burn for 150 hours. They are made in the US with animal and earth friendly RSPO Certified Sustainable Palm Oil that burns cleanly. The candles are scent free so that those who are sensitive to oils or fragrance can enjoy their beauty without allergic reaction.

A small card is included with each candle which reads: May the lighting of this candle lovingly connect you with the Spirit of your animal loved one, and may the grief in your heart be blessed with gentle healing.

http://animalsinourhearts.com/store/candles/pet-loss-memorial-candle.html

*******************************************************************************

Maggie’s Light Pet Memorial Candles by Kathy Kuhl

“Maggie’s Light” candles are the perfect gift for any pet lover, for any occasion.

Give as a gift to any pet lover engraved with a fun and inspirational pet quote.

Or give a candle as a special memorial to honor a past pet engraved with the pet’s name.

Maggie's Light Candle, round tag

Maggies Light Candle, bone-shaped tag

Maggie's Light, rectangular tag

Each candle comes with your choice of collar color/style. See Maggie’s Lite site for options.

• Candles are all hand poured with Eco-Soya, a natural, clean burning wax.
• Each candle has an approximate burn time of 30-60 hours. For complete usage and warnings, visit www.candles.org.
• Candles are available in 12.5 oz and 21 oz
• Scents include: Unscented, Rolling in Grass, Daffodills, Saddle.
• Tags are aluminum and engraved with your choice of pet quotes fitting for Dog, Cat or Horse
• You can order a Memorial Candle with a personalized tag with the pet’s name and dates. Just allow an extra week for delivery.
• Or simply order the candle without a tag to place your pet’s tag on the collar. The artist, Kathy Kuhl, says, “Because Maggie gave so much to us, a $1.00 of every candle sold is donated to”:
• Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation – Visit Website
  (for sales outside MN)
• Homeward Bound Rescue Organization of MN – Visit Website
  (for sales within Minnesota)

Both organizations are no-kill animal organizations committed to finding homes for stray and abandoned pets.

Just some clever and/or funny pillows and cushions I found on the intertoob today.

Click to embiggen.

Ok, we are fully ready for Online Holiday Shoppers…I’ve gone though the process of adding all the products that I wanted to get up before the end of the year.  I’ve posted deadlines on every product that has a holiday ordering deadline and I’ve optimized everything I could.  As far as site improvement for www.my-pillow-place.com goes…there’s nothing more I can do this year.  The site now can be put on autopilot and we can focus now, on customer service (which usually needs to be ramped up at this time of year.)

I’ve put some of our more popular items on a temporary sale:  our very popular Comfy Cocoon Foam Chair and our very popular Jaxx Giant Pillow Sac.  The products are great and very popular.  We’ve put them on sale for a short amount of time (I haven’t decided how long yet).  People are out looking for deals around the holidays in an economy such as this, so we’re trying to do our part to help people out.  We’ll probably feature different products over the course of the month.  To promote this on our site, we put a section on the left side navigation for “Today’s Specials” and this will hopefully generate some sales.

Now, being that online businesses usually see a very busy time between Mid-November to Mid-December, we’ve seen a little boost in traffic and sales over the last week.  Hopefully it ramps up even more over the next few weeks.  But our sales are lagging behind last year’s numbers at this date.  It makes sense, even though the banking crisis hit last year in October, most people still had jobs.  Right now, unemployment is really high.  Less people are shopping.

In my personal life, I plan to cut back on shopping for the holiday’s since I lost my day job in June.  I’m sure many other people will be doing the same.  As we know, if everyone cuts back on shopping, the economy will get worse.  We have a government who doesn’t seem to know how to stir economic growth and continues do everything the opposite of what would make business and jobs comes back.  But, I digress.

Anyways, here’s hoping that those that still have jobs continue to buy things so that people continue to have jobs. Happy Holidays!

A peaceful, relaxing, long good night’s sleep. Who wouldn’t like that? At the end of a stressful day or after a long tiring journey, the feeling of sinking into a comfortable and cozy bed is nothing short of bliss.

The wonder’s a good sleep can do for your entire system is amazing. Not only is it an essential factor in work productivity, but also in increasing your overall energy and physical and mental agility. Scientifically, sleep is the time for body to repair the damage caused by stress and exposure to ultraviolet rays. This is because when you sleep your cells produce more protein, which help in repairing the damage. Studies show that losing even two hours of sleep can impair your performance equal to a 0.5 blood alcohol level (i.e: two glasses of wine). So next time you feel groggy on Monday morning at work, you probably know why!

When sleep is such an essential part of your life, then isn’t investing for a good sleep the smartest thing to do?! A good sleep is a combination of comfort and relaxation. Three main things which ensure this are choosing a good quality mattress, the right kind of pillow and a comfortable duvet.

Just think. You spend one-third of your life sleeping on your mattress, and this one-third determines the quality of the remaining two-thirds of your life.  Yet not many of us pay attention to minute details while picking a mattress for the bed. Interestingly, apart from the right size and durability, there are many factors to be considered before choosing a mattress that fits your need. So how do you decide what’s best for you?

The perfect mattress is one that moulds to your body, not the other way round. The lower back region in human body is the most common area for back pain because it bears the wear and tear of bending, lifting and stooping. A good mattress supports the back and allows the muscles to rest and rejuvenate during sleep.

Similarly, choosing a pillow is not about randomly picking the softest,
fluffiest one or the hardest one. Rather, it should be based on your
sleeping position because everyone has a special way that we feel is the
most comfortable way to sleep. Select a soft pillow if you sleep on your
stomach. This can prevent you from straining your neck. Buy a medium
pillow for good support if you prefer to sleep on your back. Or try a firm
pillow for maximum support if you sleep on your side.

Once you have the right mattress and correct pillow, then all you need is
a comfortable duvet to snuggle into! Duvets are both functional and
comfortable, and help to ensure the right warmth for your body without
making you sweaty, for a completely relaxing sleep.

And yes, don’t forget to turn off the lights! Happy sleeping!

Ok, so the holidays are coming up, and the economy is starting to pick up again, but lets face it, not fast enough.  So, for today, I present to you a collection of items that can spruce up your place or make for some great gifts, all on sale.  That’s right, every single item below is on sale!  Granted some sales are better then others, but a sale is a sale! So please peruse the goods and save some money!  Click each number under the images to get to the sales.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6