Early Gift

One week ago, I did not have Christmas cards and was working through the emotions of failing miserably at getting them done and out.  I was gonna let it go. . . even though we had had a wonderful summer photo session with my dear friend, and photographer extraordinaire Jenny, and even though she had said, "let me know if you want cards!", I just didn't know what I wanted or how to get through the concepting to the right idea for this year (and in time to get it out).  See, I L.O.V.E.D last years cards (I had very specific ideas) thanks to Jenny (photos and design) - for those of you on our list, it was the one with the graffiti tree and peace sign.  Super cute and apropos of the time and our feelings.  How was I gonna do something that meant as much as that one?  That expresses this year, and our hopes for next year. . . ???  Well, Jenny, being a master at both her craft (photography) and her business (Jenny Watts Photography), and also a person who knows her clients well, did it.  She just designed something, sent it to me, and said, "hey, you didn't ask for this, but if you like it, we can get them here in time".  DONE.  Genius.  She wasn't pushy, she just threw it out there, and bam, they were perfect.  I had my cards, and they were spot on.  Groovy font, beautiful message.  How'd she do that?  How'd she know?  Well, that's not for me to answer, I'm just happy she did.  And though some might be late, they are out there, and I love them and hope that they let others (including you guys!) know we are thinking about them during this holiday season (and loving our kid, and hopeful for the future).  Thanks Jenny.  You rock my face off. 

PS - more to come on Ms Watts and the JWP / Smmidge collaborations.

Feeling Inspired by. . .

Something my Baba always told me.  She got me, and loved me and had my back, no matter what.  I miss her and her ever-present, passionate 100% support.  That screamin' in the stands, "outta way to go!" kind.  No strings, no questions. 

My new shoes.

Doss in my new shoes.  What a muse.

The sparkling fruity delight, San Pellegrino Aranciata.  The Lemon is good too.

Merry Christmas week!  xoxo

Friday Tune: She & Him

My big declaration this week: I heart Zooey Deschanel.  She is total groove.  And I love her project with M. Ward, She & Him.  This is a really nice performance, and hello?  Love her dress and those bangs, too.  So Loretta. And during Christmas time, I love love love her rendition of "Baby it's Cold Outside" with Leon Redbone.  There is no video performance, so google it and get it in your Pandora or shuffle.  It's so good.

Happy Friday!  Happy Holidays!

Smmidge Gift Guide: Groovy Little Boys

Been obsessed with this little suitcase for over a year - and will all our traveling and Doss getting bigger, this year I'm making it happen.

We just gave Doss the Recycling Truck from Green Toys and he is so obsessed with it.  You can find the at Whole Earth Provisions - and they are (truly!) made in the USA and of recycled plastic.  They are also really cute  and good for boys and girls in my book!

Doss's obsession with cars continues.  And we are supporting it with this amazing parking garage.

Love these safari animals from giggle.com

Dinks introduced us to Pigeon and we LOVE these books! Find these and more here

Do you die, too, over that duckling drawing?

My sweet friend Keri gave Doss this awesome shirt from one of my favorite designers, Little Bean.  He looks so cute and will be stylin' in it all through the holidays! 

It's Christmassy at our House

This year, as it is every year, Christmas decorating is all about c-o-l-o-r.  Using, re-using, repurposing and making things merry, bright and festive - and a sort of nostalgia to it all, now that I look at it.  I don't mind that vintage, crafty feel.  Speaking of crafty - this wreath is a new creation and I'm loving it - felt circles (my fave!), a little greenery and brown satin bow.  I just love how playful it is, and how the brown satin brings some sophistication to its simplicity.  And what can I say - yall know everything in my life consists of these colors.  I'm still enjoying them. . . but you never know when I might make a zig to my own zag.  Perhaps there should be a new color palette next year?  We will see. . . 


Oh, and a quick happy birthday to our sweet (2 yr old) Doss!  And a Holiday remembrance to Uncle Foy, who shared this same birthdate, and LOVED to decorate for Christmas.  You are missed, Brother.

Just like Doss's first Christmas last year (his first, first Christmas notwithstanding, as he was 2 weeks old and we didn't know where we were or how we got there at the time), we put his radio flyer (a gift from his aunt and uncle) on the front porch filled with greenery, trees, gifts and big colorful lights.  I just love it.

Voila!  The paper chains made such a cute tree!  I just love them.  So easy and so festive and nostalgic.  Makes me think of my sweet Baba everytime I look at them.

Last year I cut out a red felt tree skirt and this year I added the circle cut-outs and it looks really nice. . .like I, um, bought it at an actual store!  And that "M" is one I used on a present last year.  Um, maybe it's time to get some presents under the tree for this year, eh!?!  One thing at a time. . . :)

A side table with a glass bowl full of glitter balls (yay!), and a vintage tree that belonged to my grandmother.  

Gift Guide for Gals (um, who like things I like.)

Anthro's Tassel's Away Boots.  I must have them.

I was thinking about gift guides - we all wait for them with bated breath each year. . .right?  Waiting for the experts to tell us what we really need and want for Christmas this year.  I'm no fashion editor. . . but at the end of the day, all it is a list of things those highfalutin editors, well, like or want or need. That's it.  Just some (rather) arbitrary list they agree on in an office. . . though well informed, yes (they are at the center of the universe).  Or even (dare I say) influenced by advertisers paying the bills (I get it.  I get it.)? I thought - I have a list too. A Smmidge list. 

So, basically, if you are reading this blog or have read it in the past and even remotely related to it (to me, working mom, frustrated designer, wanna-be bohemian, yadda yadda), then you might like this list of fun "happy's", as I love each of these things. . . (and- ehem - not b/c they are advertising with me. I WISH!) I'm working on Doss and Ben's list too, so mens and kids Smmidge lists are on the way.

J Crew's Buffalo Check sleep shirt - but I want it as a tunic/dress.

I have an unveiled obsession with Emersonmade.  I know.  And this clutch is the latest element of my obsession.

This is from one of my fave ETSY shops, Kove.  Its called a Frilly Fringe.  Need I say more?

Gorgeous from (fellow Tech alum) Amanda Sterrett Jewelry

Mercury Glass Vases from West Elm.  I really love them.  Modern and classic.

I need a digital camera, but for that artsy fartsy friend who has everything - THIS Diana Mini from West Elm is perfection.  I want it too. :)

Smmidge Style: Earth-tone Over-drive

Do you ever come home from the store with, for example, some sweet pickles. . . only to realize you have, like, four other (unopened) jars of sweet pickles. . . ?  You just are in a pickle phase.  Clearly.  I love pickles (and olives and pickled okra and banana peppers. . .I digress).  So this happens alot (literally). . .and I also love a certain color mix as illustrated in the above brainstorm (and below in every other facet of my life) for a nursery I'm working on.  I found the stripe on the left and just could not get it out of my mind. . . I couldn't NOT use it. Now my sweet friend, for whom I'm working on this nursery, loves peach.  I have never had someone say so plainly, "I love peach".  I found that so refreshing. . . I have never fancied myself a peach-lover per se.  But as I explored peach, I found it to be paired with colors that are definitely in my comfort zone.  Turq, pink, brown, gray, orange, yellow, green. . .  love these colors and love them all together. . . maybe I'm a closeted peach lover!?  And apparently, I not only design nurseries in this scheme (Doss and my niece Lola both had variations of this - albeit very difference tones and applications), but I also put together outfits and make Christmas decorations in this same space (Christmas recap coming soon!). . . it is abundantly clear to me that I'm absolutely in earth-tone over-drive.  But I don't care!!! I heart these colors, and live in these colors.  I embrace this earth tone pickle phase. 

I'm seriously obsessed with this dress - got it at J Wilde in San Angelo (LOVE San Angelo) on our way back from Marfa and it is almost an exact match the stripe fabric I can't live without.

Here it is up close.  The stripes of my [current] dreams.  I found it at Dallas's Fabric Factory

This look is : (so comfortable!) Liz Claiborne (I'm serious! it's so cute) plaid jacket I swiped from my Mom; green tunic from Boden (that my Mom actually gave me!); dark navy Gap jeans from last year; pretty scarf from my MOL, Terry.

Paper chains we are using on our Christmas tree this year - by Ben and me - uh, in all my fave colors, of course!!

And, glitter balls (that's right) and boxwood wreaths (from the darling shop Downing Hill), to which I added my felt circles. . . all in my color comfort zone.  See how well they match my outfit!!

Was playing around with my logo and pipe cleaners. . . and low and behold - it is all in my pink, blue, green, yellow, orange zone. . . whew.  Do you think I need an intervention?

Diggin' Dirt

We went to Bishop Arts last weekend to do a little shopping and I finally had the chance to go into Dirt. We met Chris and Sonya - the groovy duo behind the inspired shop (I love that they live upstairs.  Hello? Dream).  Their event floral designs are gorgeous, but what I heart the most are her reclaimed wood boxes filled with succulents (with a background in set design - Sonya wields a drill to make them herself).  They are so chic.  And at terrific prices, they would make super-amazing gifts this holiday season.   Another must see/must-have - snuff bottles and tin cans with mini flower arrangements - a surprising hostess gift . . . and you want to be remembered for this.  I promise.

Doss enjoyed the carolers immensely.  Got right up in their business and started dancing.

It really was a lovely holiday season evening in Big D.  Look at that skyline! 

For Real Men

. . . who wear bow ties.  And real men - gentlemen - groovy men - wear bow ties of course.  These bow ties have style true gents will love.  I do too.  And the folks at Forage (check them out) and Somethings Hiding in Here (one of my fave fave fave blogs) are doing it and making it well. . .all of it - bow ties, boxes (I adore those damn boxes) blogs, and such.  

Livin' on the Cusp

I don't know about y'all, but I often feel like I'm on the cusp.  Like I'm "just about there". . . "just about to do it", "just about to make it", "almost hitting my stride".  I think some of it is just plainly the human experience. . . the syndrome of wanting what you don't have.  I fight that as best I can, and feel that this is a little deeper. . . like there is something else I'm meant to do, give, create, explore, be a part of. . . you know?  That is what Smmidge is about - doing what you do and finding your way.  For me now, it's about devoting more to this. . . the stuff that I understand and am good at and not fighting that (living with style IS important!).  Anyway - there have been some recent, uh, changes at my d-a-y-j-o-b that, ehem, make me think. . . "what am I doing (50-60 hrs/wk)?" (I know - risky statement).

So, in lieu of actual action, I just drive and rock out. (Hmmm.  Maybe this a problem. . .?) This time, the soundtrack to this breakdown (no - breakthrough.  Thanks Jerry Maguire) is Josh Rouse Country Mouse, City House.  An oldie but goodie.  There are so many tracks that I adore (Hollywood Bass Player and Domesticated Lovers) and that and make me feel so normally abnormal (a lovey feeling I might add.).  But this one - Sweetie - well, it is right here with me in my dreamy dream.  That oh-I'm-almost-there-I-can-just-taste-the-ideal-situation-and-I'm-ready state of mind (been there?). . . imagining my own life of bicycles and music and life with my family. Now, I'm a total-semi-cynic now (thank you Life) - so the jigs up.  I get that it is never perfect. . . but I'm a searcher.  I think there is more to it than this drive-corp-work-drive-sleep-fly-sleep-work-oh!-hello child-hello husband-ok, bye!.  Thank you Marfa.



You may not be here with me -  a tried and true 30-something, semi-cynic, but still dreamer-searcher type in mild breakdown mode (no.  breakthrough!  I almost forgot) - but I don't think it matters where you are in your journey. . . this song and entire album is worth a rock-out ride in the wagon. . . Plus, some of you are probably nerd-lovers like me (I married one rad nerd). . . right?  Josh's glasses and short sleeve button-down against that stark black background and stripped down production are just too much.  Love it.