Better too much than not enough.

My lovely friend Laurie gave me a wonderful gift to encourage my attempts to eat better as I run galloping into my late (!) 40's. A big basket of wonderful fruit and a little fruit of the vine. Yum! The hardest part was keeping the kids out of my gift. I will confess to lobbing some grapes at them to appease them... I find it fascinating that when someone else buys something as simple as an apple it tastes different. Because it is NOT the same apple that you might buy. My son was MOSt intrigued with the label on the orange that said "berry flavor". Why? How come? I must admit I had NO intellectual curiousity and simply ate them! I whipped up a large batch of fruit salsa as things ripened and know have a simple still life of pearandapple as I type this. Thanks Laur!

Ashleigh was out treasure shopping last week when she called me to tell me that she had her body thrown acoss an oak display cabinet that I just HAD to see. I went, I saw, I bought, I pondered the impossibility of fitting said cabinet into a Toyota Camry. I contemplated my "helper" needs and went from "oh, I can just grab a neighbor to help me" to " I don't know that thing is pretty heavy. And it is glass and hard wood.." "And we DO have to go up two dozen stairs to get it into the store, and". So I rounded up FOUR of my manly men neighbors and caravaned them all to said cabinet store with college basketball on the radio and sun on my face. The little ladies at the shop were tickled to death I was buying it for the shop and they were VERY impressed with all of my manly helpers. Well, said men were not impressed with my estimating ability when 2 of them picked it up and slid it into my truck without breathing hard. And the same two carried it neatly up the stairs. The other two just wondered why they were there! Talk about many hands make light work, more like , uh, none! Thanks guys. Sorry to drag you away from the game.

We've got lots of new goodies at Stifel and Capra. Barbara Kaufman-Levy just brought in half a dozen of her lovely glass and natural object mosaic mirrors. We just unpacked a snappy batch of vintage trench coats that should work really well with the April showers we are expecting. The shop is open tomorrow from 10 to 2. Stop by, I would love to see you-

The Luck of the Irish!

This entry was originally going to be titled "Beware the Ides of March". Friday one of my artists walked in and said " Are you aware that the stone is missing from your engagement ring?" After saying words that I won't repeat in front of my very elegant colleague, I reminded myself that that insurance exists for a reason and then girded myself for the inch by inch search of the shop that would need to ensue the next day. Imagine my delight when about noon time I got a call on the shop phone- "Stifel & Capra , this is Theresa speaking." "hello Mommy , this is your son". "Hello Son this is your mommy; what's new in your world?" "Well, Mommy I just found your diamond!" He was so proud I thought he was going to pop on the phone. And I was so relieved I thought I would cry. I had told my father the night before that however unrelentingly unromantic it sounded that I was sorry I didn't watch my ring fly down the gutter because I was so utterly exhausted that I couldn't bear the idea that I would have to take the energy and momentum to search the store inch by inch. (Because of course I was SURe it was at the store.) Imagine how impressed I was with my powers of observation that I had been at work for 5 hours with out noticing my solitaire was missing! So Apologies to Ira for my profanity and apologies to the people I have not called from Friday because I was too busy wallowing in my own sorrow!
On a lighter note, the rest of Saturday was grand, no rain, lots of new people popped into the shop. "How long have you been open? Since JULY? How come I have never noticed you before?" We are trying really hard NOT to be the best kept secret in Falls Church so the news is spreading. Slowly. But word of mouth is the best! ItT makes me very happy when people come in because a friend said that they just HAD to drop by....

I am heading to the shore with the kids to go treasure hunting. Will report back on Wednesday! Ashleigh will be at Stifel and Capra on Monday and Tuesday from 10 to 2. We are starting the big countdown for my husband's big hip replacement surgery on the 25th. Pray for strength and patience for all of us! And a Happy Saint Patrick's day to you and yours!

A MONUMENTAL field trip!

Monumental was the word for what I helped with on Tuesday. My son's school planned an ambitious field trip. The ENTIRE school went to the National Mall in DC, toured some monuments and then gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to sing patriotic songs. In tune. Amazing. The Park Service employees told us that they thought this was the first time this had occured in their memory. While the kids were assembling I told a bystander that I was really impressed with our school's principal that she pulled off such an ambitious plan. THEN the lady revealed that she was our principal's MOTHER!!!! Eek, good thing I was being nice!
After we disbanded and made our way to the park to eat our picnic lunches we came upon an impressive sight. A band of sailors in their dress blues silent drilling. The kids were surprisingly very attentive and clapped and cheered when the young men and women finished. The Navy crew was awfully nice and let the kids pepper them with questions and showed off their sidearms and service ribbons. Kindest of all was a commander with a chest full of service medals and a very impressive sword that he let the kids touch (ooooooo....) with the caveat that they stay away from the blade. "yes, it is sharp, yes, that is a real sword, yes, it could cut you, yes it is an official weapon." The sword was truly a work of art with beautifully forged iconography on the hilt and historic engraving. I was tickled by the coincidence of them being at the park right when we were eating and then I heard the Commander talking to half a dozen kids by name! So coincidence? I think not, but regardless it was really cool that we got to see them before we boarded the bus to get back to Haycock!

Wednesday was a blur of getting payroll out and updating the sale table. Today I have been busy rearranging Mary Moll's new spring items (if you missed her trunk show last weekend she is bringing more in tomorrow!) and deciding which items I like best. Stifel and Capra is open Friday and Saturday from 10 to 2 so pop in and see what is new. I am grumpy because it is supposed to be almost 70 degrees on Friday and then rain like heck on Saturday so if your soccer and baseball games get cancelled come by and visit; I'd love to see you!

First Friday is March 7th! from 5 to 8pm

I spent the day putting up LOTS of new art. Fresh new items from Jan Irene Miller, Klara Sever and Cathy Summers that really are fitting with my spring fever mood! A couple of my friends have commented that they are looking for the "big snow" because winter just isn't over until we get one but once the temperature climbs over 65 degrees for the first time I am aaaaallll done with winter! Of course the fact that the sun is shining brightly on all of my new jewels from my Eastern Shore trip only sweentens the view!

Tomorrow is the FIRSTFriday of March so that means we are open from 10 to 2 and then back open for our monthly Open House from 5 to 8. Along with some yummy munchies and beverages Mary Moll from Merry Stitches doing a trunk show with a broad array of home and handbag accessories, gift items and mommy essentials. There is parking across the street at city hall and in the rear of the building, so do stop in Friday night or on Saturday from 10am to 2pm.

Extended Hours on Saturday!

This Saturday is the first Saturday of the month so means special extended hours here at Stifel and Capra. March. Hopefully that means spring is around the corner. I certainly hope spring rears its pretty head this weekend as I will be on a buying trip down on the shore. Beth, Robin and Ashleigh will be here from 10 to 5 so come keep them company after you stop at the Farmer's Market!

We have lots of new art to see and some fun sales. The sale China Cabinet in the back is loaded with items. There is a wild range of items: everything from hand thrown pottery to vintage wedding cake toppers. Check it out.

All BIOLOGIQUE hand felted wool items (handbags, belts, slippers and posies) and hand knotted scarves are 50% off while supplies last. These are really fun. The artist takes wool roving and hand felts each item into its own unique shape. I put the sign up a minute ago and Jill just walked out with a tri tone grey handbag. Guess those sales signs work...

Hmmmm, Dawns on me that is it is probably NOT subliminal that I have two water painting on this post. Jane McElvany Coonce just brought them into the shop. Enjoy your weekend and I will show you what I have bought when I return!

Girly Chair - Before and After

Life got smoother in the afternoon! Sold a bunch of Girl scout cookies for my daughter's troop and sent directions to friends for my beach get a way this weekend. Yippee!

Here is a simple way to update the classic office chair for a girly girl. Dig through mountains of options of fabric in Theresa's explosion of a studio. Decide on a pristine white eyelet vintage valance to use as upholstery fabric. Trace the chair onto medium weight non-woven interfacing. ALlowing for a seam allowance, sew and test fit. With your fingers crossed. Praying you accounted properly for the angles. Cheer and sew up one of a kind fabric. Rejoice that it is so cute!

Enjoy your day!

Siamese balloons

Went to fill up my balloons this morning for the store front and found they were stuck together. Being the thrifty shopgirl I am I blew them up all stuck together and out the door they went! We will see how long they last in the viscious wind!

I had a great in studio day yesterday. Got two pieces framed and worked on another collage to submit to a call for art at Quilting Arts Magazine. www.quiltingarts.com They are looking for quilts that have incorporated paper into a small quilt. As I have always put paper and cloth in my mixed media pieces I thought it would be fun to submit. Of course the first one I did may not have enough paper in the background to follow the rules and the second one is a little too just plain brown, I think , maybe. We will see.


Bob is at his pre-surgery consultation today down at Mt. Vernon Hospital. I know they do good work there I just wish it wasn't so inconvenient to get there! It's less than 30 miles but in DC that can take over an hour. ugh.

Boy I sound mighty perky and upbeat today don't I? I think it is all of the half formed plots, plans and projects I have going at the moment. That and the fact I started the morning by spilling coffee all over myself, dropped my camera lens while putting it away, stabbed myself while hanging art and that it took me 20 minutes to get my desk drawer unstuck this morning. Let's just say that I am being thwarted by inanimate objects this am! Hopefully the afternoon will go more smoothly.

Who are the O'Connors and why the chickens?

Personalization has always been the fashion in cocktail napkins among the genteel happy hour crowd but I did not know QUITE what to make of these unsullied dozen chicken napkins I discovered when I was treasure shopping the other day. Don't you wonder what the circumstances were that these were an appropriate gift? Prize winning poultry at a competition? World's best egg recipie contest? Somebody's nick name was "chick"? They are quite well done and on a lovely grade of linen as well. I guess some mysteries will never be solved.
My hubby sure knows how to pick 'em. Roses that is. Today is the twentieth and my ubiquitous red Valentine roses are looking as fresh as if they were cut yesterday. Bob normally scorns the red in favor of the peach roses he favored me with while we were courting but no Oceanas to be seen so the lovely red this year. A girlfriend tells me that I am lucky my husband knows not only the difference between roses but the actually date of Valentine's Day as well as my birthday and our anniversary too! She's right. I am lucky.

Speaking of lucky, my lovely friend A got too lucky for words the other day when she was driving down the road on trash night (yes, yes I take things off curbs too) when she spied an old fashioned trunk amid a mountain of house debris. Hearing her husband's "what do we need that for" voice in her head she nearly didn't stop but her treasure hunter instincts prevailed and she pulled over. Thr trunk was sturdy but nothing special. She lifted the lid and the trunk was crammed full of vintage and antique linens!!! (I'm trying very hard NOT to be bitter at this point in the story.) A lot of things were in fine shape but apparently "old" and "out of style" in the eye if the beholder so they landed on the curb. A few items were lovely but in shreds. "A" passed on a bagful of those lovely items for me to use in my collage work. Here is the piece I finished yesterday. The camisole was all hand sewn with fine stitching and the minute pleats. Even torn up I still think it is lovely. Kind of like I feel about my husband!

But the fire is sooooo delightful

How deep can one bank ashes in a fireplace before it becomes a health hazard? Not sure but will soon find out. Think the ashes in my fireplace are a good 4 inches deep. Where's that honey do list? The asthmathic one here is not the best one for that chore. But I do love my fires! A lot of folks are shocked that we use our firplace so often but I must say I think it is a habit. Once you get set up and started it is easy to put it in into your routine. It so peaceful and comforting. And there is no tv in the living room so we sit around and just read or talk or wax philasophic as a family. all good things. So how come I never feel that way about exercise so THAT could become a habit.


Bob has been very diligent in doing his stretching exercises and just got a new set. Presurgical one for his hip replacement. March 25th is now "the day". I am hoping that everything goes like clockwork and Bob can back to being "Bob the rehab star" and "Look mom , no cane" Bob and "waddaya know honey I am not in constant pain" Bob. Here's praying!

Here's my cute as a button niece with her birthday pillow (and her lovely mom as well!). Shame on me I didn't wrap her gift because I had it in the shop window at Stifel & Capra. Shameless self-promotion! On both my proud auntie self and my custom pillow self!

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny so stop by the farmer's market in Falls Church and come across the street for a cup of coffee and to see what is new. We are here from 10 to 2 tomorrow.

Fairfax County is experiencing a 2 hour delay

We had a nice steady day at the store on Saturday. Thank you to everyone who came out!
Sunday was a day of complete rest. I decided I was taking a "mental health day" and hanging out in my pj's for awhile. No "public appearances". I stayed home from everything. Church, shopping, neighbors, friends everything. What did I discover?
The concept doesn't work if there are 3 other people in the house and you have a doorbell and a telephone. Nice try. I did however get nine hours of sleep for I am SURE my family is profoundly grateful (if only because I wasn't nagging them about something when I was comatose!).


Monday I spent all day in the studio. I finished my niece's personalized birthday pillow (I will post a pic once I have permission from her mama.) and designed, planned and executed an entire collage. I was so excited to start and finish something in the same day! Doesn't occur often in my life. For example Tuesday: I am not sure WHAT I actually accompished but I did do a little treasure hunting and shifted my family's "piles o' stuff" from one side of the house to the other. Tuesday night brought an ice storm so Wednesday morning brought school delays (of course!) and me chipping the side walk and stairs so Bob didn't have to feel like he was taking his life in his own hands by leaving the house!

We have set the date for Bob's hip replacement. March 18th. So keep your fingers crossed, say prayers for patience and healing and send some good juju our way as the date nears! Peace.

What kind of flower is that, anyway?

I have vowed to spend at least a few minutes a day "shopping" my studio downstairs. It is amazing the stuff I am pulling out! Wednesday night's search and rescue mission came up with this beautifully embroidered tablecloth that sadly had a hole and a couple of really gnarly stains on it. That didn't stop me from turning it into the pillow you see here at left. Looks "spring-ish", eh? The minute the temperature's climb over seventy once in the season I say "that's it all done with winter, on to spring!!!!" Of course my kids are still lobbying for to use all their snow days. Heck the teachers I know are doing the same thing!

I spent so much time on the computer today playing "Suzie Shopkeeper" at Stifel and Capra that I think I am about to seize up! I am looking forward to tomorrow (I'm open from 10 to 2) to chat up the Saturday shoppers from the Farmer's Market. We have LOTS of new stuff out. New linen, more jewelry from Ting and Pixie, and a new line of stained glass items from Conley's Glass. Jack and Bette Conley were in yesterday and brought a nice cross section of their products to display. It is a bright sunny day so they are really shining bright!
On the "what's up with Bob?" front he is scheduled to meet with his orthopaedic surgeon on Monday for a pre-surgery consult. Assuming that goes smoothly I suppose he will come home with a surgery date. Fingers crossed!

Talk about a motley crew!

Well, other than Super Tuesday, other than the one year anniversary of Bob's illness, yesterday was also Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, the day when we break out the good china and the good wine and serve cajun food and make a few select friends take goofy pictures before we feed them! Luckily our friends are patient. These folks were on the guest list from LAST year but we had to postpone until Bob was home. Happily Bob is home, the jambalaya never tasted as good and we are ready to move to the next step in his recuperation: a complete hip replacement. A scary concept but a necessary one if Bob is to walk with out pain. And booooyyy are we looking forward to that. It is hard to see someone you care about suffering and not being able to do much about it.

I was not shocked by Bob's emotions during this anniversary time. But I will say I was shocked by mine. Stress and waves of trauma washed over me as I sat on the couch Friday night thinking of how that was pretty much what I did for a month was move from hospital to couch to bed to chores to hospital... I still am grateful for all of the love, prayers and support we received and still receive. Thanks be to all. And pass the hot sauce.

"I thought when you opened your place there would be LESS stuff in the house..."

"Less stuff? Are you kidding?" Actually I kind of thought that there would be less stuff as well. But um, hasn't really happened that way. I find the best thing is if I go treasure hunting (estate sale, whatever) and head straight to the shop. But seeing how I am super mutil-taking mama I tend to shop on family voyages and things tend to get tangled up in each other as we try to shove everything into the back of the explorer! This first shot is our dining room being used as a staging area without me taking into consideration that I needed to serve birthday cake to eight people. oops.

Marina and Monica came into the store and I was shamed into actually sewing some new items out my mountainous pile of goodies back in my studio for when they come back this weekend. (You are coming back aren't you? I hope. Please.) Must say, had a lovely time designing and putting things together. If you don't count the 14 times I yelled through the heater vent to tell my kids to stop bickering with each other. Note to self: next time turn the radio up or close the vent.

These valentine pillows are actually NOT what I was working on this week, I made these up almost a year ago in January of '07 and found them when I went back into my studio 2 months later for the first time after Bob's illness. Hard to believe but it will be a year on Tuesday since my husband had to have his leg amputated after being in septic shock from strep throat and having fasciitis attack his leg. As you can imagine it has been a rough week emotionally around the Stifel household as we mentally relive the whole experience. I keep telling Bb I am still in the profoundly-grateful-he-is-still-walking-the-earth phase. Albeit he is walking on a blown hip and an artificial leg! He still looks good to me!

As Valentine's Day approaches may you appreciate love and beauty in whatever it's form. If you are feeling brave, venture out tonight for FIRSTFriday celebrations in Falls Church. Refreshments and fun here from 5 to8pm ! Tomorrow is my "long" day as it is the first Saturday of the month so the shop is open 10 to 5 on Saturday.