I'm Not Gone

I've started up a new space. It's set to private right now and probably will be for a long time, if not for always. But, on the off-chance that I desire some company over there, please feel free to leave your email address in the comments here {or email it to me if you'd like it to stay private: themuseumcupboard@gmail.com}, and I will -- maybe one day soonish -- decide to invite my old friends over for a spot of tea and some conversation.

I miss you all and care for you immensely. I am amazed I have such lovely friends I've never formally met.

Sunday Night

Thank you for all of your kind thoughts and words. I miss you.

Life is mostly sweet and very full. I'm working on a few little projects for myself, and it feels nice to have some focus and silence. I'm still reading your blogs -- daily, even. My lack of commenting doesn't mean I'm far away.

Just popping in to let you know I've updated the shop with a few new {but old} items. More updates to follow as goods are sold.

I hope all is well.

...

I am drinking a glass of orange juice with a bit of lemon-lime seltzer thrown in for good measure. I wish I had chocolate somewhere in the cupboard. Gosh, I wish I had chocolate.

I need to be honest with you, dear readers. I'm thinking about closing this cupboard for a while. I don't know how long. I don't know if I'll reopen it and it will look and be different. Or if I'll close the doors for good and just work on it privately. Or if I'll jump ship altogether and start weaving baskets out of dental floss. Maybe a little break is all I need. I don't yet know. I really don't. I'm not sure this space is what I want it to be. I'm not sure it's what I envisioned {and I'm not sure it should be, necessarily}, and I think I've lost sight of something that felt urgent back in January, when I began. I've been reflecting on this for some time now, and reclaiming some privacy just feels like something I need and want to do. But I am incredibly sad, thinking of losing my connection to all of you, my kindred sparks around the world.

I am so sorry to disappoint. You have all been wonderful to me, really warm and really encouraging and really wonderful. Funny to think of loving people I've never actually met, but I do: I love you all. Please, bear with me while I figure this out.

I will be in touch, in some form or another.


I hope you can feel my giant hug.

Heartstrings

A mini kit is in the works!

I'm working on four of them, as we speak.
They'll be available in the shop
on or before Wednesday.

Thought I'd give you a little peek ...

For My EYES Only

This morning, I was having a bad dream just as I woke up. I don't like how bad dreams sort of stick to the rest of the day, making it difficult to remember what's real and what's not.

* * *

At this moment, I'm in between my two jobs, slurping coffee, trying to keep my eyes open, and browsing some edgy Etsy jewelry. Not jewelry for clothing, like yesterday's musings, but jewelry for the neck. Here's what I wish I'd dreamed about:

from Diament Designs

from Homako

from Laura Lombardi Jewelry

from Ball & Chain
{those are freshwater pearls and nuggets of pyrite!}

The Chain Gang

Two or so weeks ago, I got in trouble. Unknowingly, I was "out of uniform" at work, and I was told so by my supervisor.

!!!

When sporting jeans, I am required to wear a third piece -- a blazer or a cardigan are the only third piece options. Turns out, there's quite a difference between a cardigan and a sweater. Ah, the nuances in the English language! I'd selected a fern-green v-neck sweater, pullover style, to wear over a long burnout tee, not realizing that a sweater, without buttons or an open front, is not a viable third piece.

Sounds particular, I know. But I like my job. And I want to keep it. Plus, I own plenty of cardigans, so it's not at all inconvenient for me to dress within the code. However, not all cardigans have buttons {a shawl style, for instance}, which is fine for work, but sometimes I just really want the security and ease of a closed sweater.

Yesterday, I was over here, and was reminded of how much I adore sweater chains, or clasps, or clip guards ... whatever you call them. This, of course, led me to an Etsy search.

from Tin Hooves Vintage

from Luna Chica

from Hossyboy



from Past Enchantments

from Maggie's Vintage Market

The clip guard is a dainty vintage detail and a perfect alternative to buttoning up a cardigan that may look or feel best unbuttoned. Plus, it's essentially jewelry for your clothing, and who could say no to that?

Autumn: Might Not Be A Bad Idea, Part I

You'll notice {maybe, maybe not} I deleted my Lap {Dog} Of Luxury post from last week -- the one wherein I list four things I'd like to be able to one day buy for myself. That's because I'm interested in developing the idea into a small series here, in the cupboard. I want to be faithful to both practicality and the season, and I'd like to use this series to narrow my focus on something attainable and truly smart.

Meanwhile, whenever I add an item to the cupboard, I notice I either continue to lust after it just as strongly as before, or it ceases to have that magical effect. A pretty reliable litmus test, if you ask me. So, the benefits of the series are twofold: I get to dally in a not entirely hand-to-mouth existence by entertaining options within my {current and/or eventual} budget, and I allow myself the opportunity to consider what personal luxuries will really endure the test of time.

Okay, enough yakking.

First up: the driving moccasin. More specifically, the driving moccasin in a punchy, happy-go-lucky color, like autumn sun {appropriate, eh?}.

My feet dig driving moccasins. I know this to be true. Also, this type of shoe is classy, timeless, and a totally practical investment, considering my line of work and the number of hours I spend on my feet during the day. While some might say preppy, I say chic and I say it loudly. A more elegant alternative to my usual choice of autumn/winter footwear -- the cowboy boot -- the moccasin will hold up just as long and become just as much of a personal style trademark.

The {punchy, happy-go-lucky} driving moccasin for autumn? Might not be a bad idea.

{Photo from jcrew.com}

Back To School: The Working Woman's Edition

Just in time for back-to-school season, I've gotten a bit of a promotion at work. So far, this promotion involves lots of important papers with information I'll need to refer to many times over the course of the next few months.

I must say, the two handiest tools I've incorporated into my routine are two tools I already owned. In the name of sharing a good thing, I'd like to introduce you to:

Moleskine 12 Months Monthly Notebook

A bit skeptical of the whole Moleskine scene, I put off test-driving this planner for as long as I could. But, following one too many one-month stands with weekly {and daily!} planners, I met my match in the month-at-a-glance variety. I realized I'm someone who needs always to see the bigger picture when it comes to planning and visualizing. I'm sold on this middle size, too -- not a pocket planner {too tough to write in}, and not a full-on notebook {makes me feel like I'm carrying a rollbook}, my Moleskine of choice measures in at 5 x 8.25 ... just right! A note to the wise: If you wait until November or December to make this purchase, you'll be sorely disappointed. Moleskine plannerse sell out fast and early!

Russell + Hazel Mini Binder

Originally selected as a potential planner {see above for information regarding one-month stands}, this fierce hot pink number finally revealed she never wanted to be a datebook. Turns out, when stocked with mini sheet protectors {wherein I store said important papers}, she happily transforms into the perfect handbook for the specifics of my promotion and title change.

Hurray for form and function, and back-to-school not-shopping!

Spot On

This Ali Ro top is everything I'd ever want in a floral silk blouse.


{Photo from Bluefly}

How Helen Got Her Groove Back

This past week, I've started and deleted three different posts. Why? Because none of them felt very me or very museum cupboardy. I don't even know what that means, but my constant dissatisfaction has made it impossible to post with the same frequency as before.

Where did my museum mojo gojo?

Anyway, here I am, done with a long work shift, coming down with a nasty cough, eating copious amounts of Parmesan risotto {yes, I cooked yesterday!}, and trying to reconnect.

So, on a scale of one to ten, how strange is it that there's a huge part of me hankering for this ring?

Glossy Research

I'm kicking off this fashion interlude with some bits I've pulled from my style archives. The kind of research that involves my sitting down at eleven o'clock last night, flipping through all the clippings I've collected for outfit inspiration. It's interesting, because, as I studied each page, I knew exactly what I'd loved about it and exactly why I'd saved the look for future reference. And, last night, I found that I still adored the ensembles I'd adored months and years ago!

The following images represent some of my autumn sensibilities. These channel my favorite silhouettes, colors, and patterns, as well as several looks I'm hoping to try come fall. Please note, I do not have a scanner, so the image quality may be below par. Click on each for a clearer sense of what I'm proposing.

{Images 1 - 4 from Lucky Magazine; image 5 from In Style Makeover}

Late Summer

I'm so inspired by this photo from Lucky Magazine's fabulous site. I'm going gaga over that slouchy, drapey jacket and its amethyst color. Also, it helps that the woman has gorgeously tousled hair, doesn't it?

Wearing Layers

Friends, you are wonderful. Your replies are incredibly helpful and encouraging, and have made me realize I'll think about that painting forever if I don't snap it up while I can. A masked reader called The Night Url has mysteriously suggested parental support in the snapping up of the painting ... so, there's that to consider ;)

I am behind on blogging, and I'm feeling it. I get this little twinge of sadness when I don't visit this space every day, and I'd like to remedy that, though it's difficult when all I've been doing is working and I feel a little out-of-sorts, creatively speaking. The slow arrival of fall always makes my mind whirl with fashion-related excitement, and I think I've been feeling a bit reluctant about indulging too much in that aspect, here in the cupboard. I don't want this to become a blog solely about clothes {though there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!}, because that's not how I originally envisioned this space. But, I love clothes! And self-expression through fashion is a huge part of my private life {and my job}! Dear readers, would you mind so terribly much if we veered into that territory for just a little while? I won't get carried away, I promise. We are, after all, nearing the season of new shoes and wardrobe updates, though I'm not so interested in buying and consuming as I am in using what I already have in new and fun ways. Really, I just want to make a little more room for fashion in my cupboard.

I must go -- it's time to get dressed!

Hard To Get

Oh! While thrifting this afternoon, I found a painting that I absolutely adore!

I didn't buy it. It was one hundred sixty-five dollars. Which is nothing for a piece of art ... but quite a lot of something for a gal with two jobs as it is. But, I'm really itching to build an entire room around it -- I liked the colors and the mood that much.

Back when I lived in Baltimore, a wool Pakistani rug stole my heart. It was a lot of money for me. I bought it anyway, and sat on it every night, eating nothing but cheapo soup. That rug cozies the floor of my current cupboard ... and I still love it and have used it as the central color story here.

What I'm saying is this: It's those big-ticket items that get me every time. I'm okay passing up most of the smaller things I admire in shops, but it's the one-of-a-kind, loftier-priced items that I see as investments ... in my personal style, in my future cupboard, in my contentedness with my home ... and the price tag doesn't seem to matter as much because I figure I'll do what I need to do to get by.

So, friends, do I venture back out and buy the piece? Or, do I save the one-sixty-five for a couple pieces of fall clothing I've been eyeing?