Oh, Eleanor....

Oh, Eleanor. You are so beautiful. This image of her by her husband, photographer Harry Callahan is one of my all time favorite images, ever. So iconic, so sweet and melancholic.

Yesterday, Eleanor Callahan past away at 95. Can you imagine what a legacy their family has in these photographs?  There are so many of her in their everyday life. I love this description she gave of what it was like being photographed by him...

Eleanor once said to me a wonderful comment about what it was like to be photographed by Callahan. She told me that she might be cooking or cleaning, doing something around the house and Harry would see a scene, interesting light that he thought looked beautiful or an arrangement of forms that he deeply appreciated. And he would say to Eleanor, "Take your clothes off." Eleanor's response to me was, "And that was that." via

This PBS article, Photographer Harry Callahan at 100, is a good read.

All images via

pssst... I've long had an affinity for photographer/muse images and even based my very first custom heart embroideries on some of these relationships. Harry & Eleanor are there, as well as June + Helmut Newton, Edith + Emmet Gowin,  Charis Wilson + Edward Weston. 

Just the tip, or I heart Andy Dwyer...

I have to confess that the Park & Rec fever didn't hit me till the second season when my friend Virginia let me know I was missing out. I pretty much immediately feel in love with the show.  All the characters are uniquely hilarious and P&R isms have made their way into my everyday talk, like "treat yo' self",  I call people and things a "Jerry" when I'm annoyed by them, and often sing "this is how you eat" at meal times. Aziz & Andy are favorites. It was probably all of Andy's band names that originally endeared me to him (and all the super goof smiley faces he makes)....

A.D. and the D Bags
The Andy Andy Andies
Andy Dwyer Experience
Angel Snack
Death of a Scam Artist
Department of Homeland Obscurity
Everything Rhymes with Orange
Fiveskin
Flames For Flames
Fourskin
God Hates Figs 
Hand Grill Suicide
Jet Black Pope
Just The Tip
Mouse Rat
Muscle Confusion
Ninja Dick
Nothing Rhymes with Blorange
Nothing Rhymes with Orange
Penis Pendulum
Possum Pendulum
Punch Face Champions
Puppy Pendulum
Rad Wagon
Razordick
Teddy Bear Suicide
Threeskin
Two Doors Down
Scarecrow Boat
& then "Fuck it we are 'Mouse Rat'!"

image via andyradical & band names via wiki

p.s Full disclosure, this post was inspired by my jealously of Lisa Butterworth, a very lucky lady!

p.s.s Please, please comment with a made up band name! Mine would be Dinosaur Arm Parade or Monkey Bars.

My lately....

1. The brightest star in my sky this week was Biggie Smalls, the first dog I've ever fostered**. He had some serious separation anxiety and needed lots of love and attention. Right when he was really settling in and even playing with Bug, he was adopted. It was harder than I thought, and I didn't think I'd get as attached as I did. Cried all Sunday when I took him to his new home...
2. Bug & Banjo for the first two days just stared at the new weird thing in the apartment (see video below). It was like their bond grew, as together they throughly considered this new being.
3. A new view for me- working by window light in the living room assembling embroidery kits.
4. Bug all up in my weekend project.
5. Seriously, how handsome is Biggie?
6. Nice Sunday night dinner with coffee cake and gong fu style tea.





More instagrams @miniaturerhino...

**Biggie came from Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue. They are a grassroots, volunteer run non-profit who save dogs slated for euthanasia. Most of their pups are from the south (Biggie is from SC), so there are lots of smaller dogs that you don't see in the NY shelter system, which usually has pit mixes. They get lots of new dogs all the time, so if you're in NY and want to foster or adopt, please check them out! 

Weekend project...

For the longest time I've wanted to make this and fiiiiinally, I did! We inherited an ugly potted plant from previous tenants and I've always hated the puke yellow color of the vase. I got the idea of covering the vase in vintage book papers that I've been collecting for awhile. Shout outs to Red Line Vintage for helping me hoard these papers, thank you!

So, to make this is really easy, a little messy, but so easy and fast. It's a perfect weekend project.....

You'll need:
Newspaper or wax paper to cover your work surface
Vase to cover
Foam brush
Paper
Mod Podge

1. Clean the surface of the vase, and cover your work surface. 
2. With a foam brush saturate the surface of the vase (only where the paper will be placed) & the back of the paper with Mod Podge.  It's good to saturate the surface of both the vase and paper to help smooth out bubbles. Smooth with your fingers - you'll get glue all over your fingers! 
3. Work in sections, so the Mod Podge doesn't dry out. You might have to work with the vase upside down to cover the bottom part of the vase. 
4. Wrap papers around indents- the more saturated the paper is the easier it'll be to smooth around edges. 
5. I left the papers at the top of the vase standing (not tucked around the rim of the vase) to dry. Cut them later, after it dries.  
6. Once the papers are on, smooth on another thick layer of Mod Podge to seal the papers. 
7. Let it dry for a few hours or overnight. Once the papers are fully dried, cut the paper around the edge of the vase with an exacto blade. 

Let me know if you try something like this. Of course it doesn't have to be a vase it could be anything really...

Yay, for more making!

typewriter love...

I have such fondness for these clunky machines, and have been slowly collecting them. When I do my letter service I'm amazed by how new and novel a typewriter can be. Some, mostly children,  have never seen one before in real life. The appeal to me is definite sound & mark. There's no delete, so you have to really think about your text.

This video is all about the typewriter renaissance and features Brady & Kowalski, a great local (if you're in NY) source for beautiful vintage machines. Etsy always has great vintage finds too.

AND... how great is this how to paper typewriter project from Jacqueline Wagner!? It's sooo good! found via pinterest...

I found this type-a-tune at Brimfield... 

AND AND... this may be one of my all time faves ever ever, Bug hammin it up hard in a typewriter box. Can you believe that this was found in the trash and has a typewritten message taped to it "Good things come in small packages."? Perfect.

Hope these typewriters inspire you today!!

Instagram me....

I've become totally obsessed with instagram lately. When I have some time to kill, I like to check in on my feed and see what people are up to all over the world at that exact moment. It's fun to see a peak into peoples lives and the filters make the pictures so visually stunning.  I thought it'd be fun to share my past week in instagrams...

1. J got me the Thin Man box set for valentine's day. We've been making our way through the movies, which makes it feel like a fun extension of v-day. Everyday's the 14th!
2. Banjo vogue-ing! aka beggin for food. FEED ME!
3. We started meal planning, which has helped me to cook more. Here's a (vegan) hamburger pie on my eat your heart out plate.
4. This is my "Hey girl,...." pic. You add the rest, like "Hey girl, lets just stay in tonight and cuddle" or.....?
5. Embroidery thread heaven.
6. Apparently, anything is a cat bed in my casa.
7. Organized my entry way this weekend. Less clutter = more happy.
8. B & B, Brunch and Balderdash
9. I make stars. Lots & lots of embroidery kits being assembled this week.

You can find me @miniaturerhino and through followgram. Followgram is great for browsing instagram on your computer. Are you on instagram?

Montano Tortillas...

I'm planning to make breakfast for some friends this weekend and remembered this tortilla recipe my aunt taught me while I was home. It'd be great for a mexican style brunch menu, or really for any time. One of my favorite snacks is a warm tortilla and some butter. How often do you get homemade tortillas?! This is the way my grandmother taught my aunt, so I want to carry on the tradition and share with you too...

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 packet of yeast (or baking powder) + 1 ½ cups boiling water

1 Tbsp salt

1 cup boiling water (after dough is mixed)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Update 2.20.12 I tried the recipe above this weekend and the dough was too watery. I was so disappointed- I worked this out with my aunt (who knows it by heart, not measurements) and I wanted it to be just like hers, I had to add more flour, which made our doughy, tough tortillas. I'd decrease the water by about half for each portion of water above. Hope that helps! Let me know what works best for you...

1. Mix flour, salt and the yeast with boiling water.
2. Knead the dough throughly. 
3. When the dough is almost mixed make a indent in the dough and remaining boiling water and vegetable oil. Knead dough.
4. Cover and place the dough in a warm spot. Let sit for at least 10 min. Longer is better though.
5. Flour a rolling pin and cutting board. Make small balls from the dough and roll out into circles. Stretch the dough, like a pizza, into thin circular shapes.      
6. Cook on a comal (smooth griddle) or a pan until it the dough bubbles and then flip to cook opposite side. Bubbles are ok. I love big bubbly tortillas!

I'd love for you to try making these too, let me know how it goes ok?!

Type some love...

What could be more romantic than sending a type written love letter?

This Tuesday, Feb. 7th, I'll be setting up my Letter Writing Service at Etsy's head quarters in Dumbo for their first Etsy Hands-On event for Valentine's Day. We'll be typing up love letters on super cute stationery (heart shaped cards!) from 5 -8. You can also letter press a card and coasters with Sesame Press, and it's all free - thanks Etsy!  The event has received an overwhelming response and is now at capacity, but you can sign up to be on the waiting list here.

Are any of you coming? Say hi & type a love notes with me!

It's always a lot fun to set up the letter service. People love to use the typewriter and I give you a little lesson. The best part is all the ooey gooey, gross, lovey, sweet nothings people write to each other. It's great! I especially love what the kids write, like this note a boy wrote last summer in L.A....






























Hope I see you there!

Dear Valentine...

I'd be remiss not to mention my Valentine offerings, especially because the deadline to get yours is fast approaching, Saturday Feb. 4th!! My Message in a Bottle Letter Service is always popular– sweet, old school, not saccharine. Any orders placed after this date will ship Saturday Feb. 14th. I've got a bunch of new items, some just for valentines....

Secret Knots...

via mjt

"All of nature and it's awful vastness and incomprehensible complexity is in the end interrelated - worlds within worlds within worlds: the seen and the unseen - the physical and the immaterial are all connected - each exerting influence on the next - bound, as it were, by chains of analogy - magnetic chains. Every decision, every action mirrors, ripples, reflects and echoes throughout the whole of creation. The world is indeed bound with secret knots."

For some reason this quote has been bouncing around in my head. I dug through my old photo files to find the image below, that I took at the Museum of Jurasic Technology a few years back, so that I wouldn't forget. I hope that it may resonate with you too...

                             Hope you have a great weekend!!

The heart factory...

...is open! Can you believe that it's been almost a year since I've offered custom embroidery?! I'm just about finished with an epic project, so I thought it was time to reintroduce my Custom Heart Samplers. Right now I have two of my most popular color schemes in the shop and may introduce more later. I'm thinking of changing it up a bit - adding some new colors and editing the old ones. Annnnd, here's a new little Valentine Heart too.

Yay for little stitched hearts!

MR shop reopening // 1st post of the New Year...

First, I have to say that this is my first post of the new year! Happy New Year peeps, hope it's even better than the last one!

It's been awhile that the MR shop has been closed, so I missed the busiest season of the year. Totally o.k with that, but I do feel bad about letting anyone down who wanted to support my shop. I'm just so very grateful for the time I'm able to share with my family during a hard time. It means the world to me.

Soooo, the good news is– I'm ready to reopen the shop! I've missed it so. I'll be live this Monday, 1.16.2012 bright and early. My shop will be stocked with valentines cards, like the gold + gingham (!) ones above,  a special valentines embroidery, and for the first time in about a year Custom Heart Embroideries!!

The first post of the new year wouldn't be complete without a list of new goals. Goals feel much better to me than resolutions. I hope that committing them to paper and sharing (even if I'm slightly embarrassed to share them) holds me more accountable. Feel free to check in on me & I'll do the same if you wanna share some goals with me....

Bling in the New Year!!!

Hey, you know what would go really well with that classy, snazzy outfit you got on for New Years Eve?

THESE!....

Happy New Years Y'all!!!

Happy holidays to you...

Just wanted to wish you all happy holidays & a Merrrrry Christmas!!

Last minute DIY...

This year doesn't feel much like Christmas for me. The crazy bright California sun doesn't help. I think it's even lightening my hair! Winter, where are you?

To keep my mind busy I've been making lots lately– knitting, embroidering, even some cross stitch, and now... bows! I really like making gifts, baked goods, or supporting handmade, but this year really was a holiday fail.  At least I made these super tute bows for my cousins. This easy bow project with templates came from Leafy Treetops. I like that they can easily slip onto a headband, hair clip, or even a skinny belt!

Had to share all these amazing gift tag printables & last minute DIY gifts from Creature Comforts, and all these great ideas for last minute gifts from Julie (aka Your Secret Admiral). The "cross stitch mug" is my favorite.

Are you guys making any gifts?! Let me live vicariously through you...

DIY Gift Tags...

I've been receiving a bunch of links from this post I did last year, so I thought it'd be nice to repost this simple DIY tutorial. I designed these cute gift tags for an in store event with Kate's Paperie, and the original post will link you to the downloadable template with all the designs and instructions. I hope these are a fun, easy project to make for the holidays.... Enjoy!

 Free template here  and original post with instructions here. 

Happy holidays....

Let's meet at Squam Lake...

Something very exciting to share: I'll be teaching at Squam Art Workshops next June!  My class will be making this customizable embroidered monogram piece....

SAW is a lakeside art retreat on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. I went last year and was so inspired by all the creativity and passionate makers around me. (Here's a post I really enjoyed writing about the experience + my flickr pics.) 

I'm looking forward to this and trying to convince either my mom or boyfriend to come with me, so we could get our own little cabin. Yes, cabins on the lake and just chilly enough to sit by the fire at night! Then, make all day...

The new SAW site is really pretty and I'm so jealous of anyone going to the retreat in Italy, especially if you're taking the photography class with Nikole Herriott! Her work + images are amazing. Oh, and I'm hoping to meet Ann Wood there! Eks, I love her little creatures and dream boats...

So, let's meet at Squam! OK? Ok.

i'm on the instagrams...

This is my grandfather, who has quite a collection of really old photobooth pictures, my favorite kind of old photograph...

I finally can join in the instagram party. Since I got an early Christmas gift (an iphone for me!) I've been facetiming with my boo in NY and taking pictures.  Best gift! I don't know half of the little functions on it, or even how to link you to follow me (?), but it's lot of fun to mess about with. Must admit I resisted the instagram, but after clicking on so many of my friends images via twitter I wanted to play too...

I'm @miniaturerhino on twitter if you wanna see more pictures of pictures, pretty light and little things like this....

p.s so happy to see a shout out for my boyfriend's work on The Shiny Squirrel in a post "A Few Things I Love" picked by an amazing blog (words, words, words) Even Cleveland . I so want to join her book club...

Sorrow & joy...

"When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight." — Khalil Gibran

Struggling for words here. What to share and what to keep? I'll say that there is deep sorrow within my family right now. We are losing a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother, our matriarch.

I've never experienced something like this before, hospice. It hurts like an ache, sometimes dull and then sharp and throbbing pain. I might find myself standing in line at a store and then realize I'm sobbing. But we still laugh about silly things and enjoy our time together. So it goes. It feels right to be where I am, at home and surrounded by family and all these memories....

(click the images for more. I tried to add a little more backstory about each image on flickr too.)

faves = raves OR make it a handmade holiday

Stupid puns are fun... But seriously, it's the truth.  I just had the bestest mail day recently.  In one day I received two presents. Both were items that I had favorited on Etsy. I knew exactly what they were and even who made them. It's the best surprise to get nice things in the mail unexpectedly....

I got this rad scarf by Kelsey of Last Prize. I'm loving her stuff so much & may just have bought more stuff just as soon as I got this package...

and it's pretty cool to see exactly how my scarf was made....

LAST PRIZE PRINTS from THISmotion.com on Vimeo.

AND I received this Peg And Awl Chalkboard Tablet. I love their work and am so happy to have another P&A piece in my casa...

So, moral of the story Etsy has amazing treasures, and you should make your own Etsy wish list, share it with your peoples and get what you want this holiday season! I totally believe in Etsy, the makers behind the shops and I love supporting handmade...