The Maladroit Wife

Handkerchiefs are a weird thing.  I get that they’re green, and that maybe disposable tissues didn’t always exist.  But unless you’re using them to roll up your jewelry for traveling… GROSS.  There’s nothing worse than someone using their hanky and putting it back. in. their. POCKET. So… you can imagine my inner conflict at making […]

I recently acquired an accidentally amazing vintage sewing machine.  My mother in law found it in some lady’s basement, and they figured it was just “old,” but it turned out to be “vintage.”  Very Important Distinction.  According to the serial number and manual, it’s from the late ’40s.  It’s from before the age of excess, […]

Champagne!  Brie!  French fries!  French wine, particularly pinot noir!  French bread!  French seams on my jeans!  Escargot!  Wait, that’s kind of gross.  If you’ve had it, then you really understand the conflict of how gross it is, and how much butter it’s drowned in.  It’s tough. But the champion of all things Française, the French […]

I’ve got the day off today.  No special occasion, just needed to use the time before I lose it.  Oh, and my house is in desperate need of attention.  I’m going to clean the laundry room.  You think that’s redundant?  Laundry rooms are specifically FOR cleaning, so they should not themselves need to be cleaned?  […]

You know those guys that stand on the corner and want to talk to you about the environment when you’re racing back to work after grabbing a 32-ounce depth charge because you’ve got a meeting in 12 seconds and there’s no way you’re going to get through it easily?  Well, they are on my corner.  […]

I love vintage stuff.  I love kitchen stuff.  I spent several hours this weekend at antique stores very specifically not buying loads of vintage Pyrex with SUCH happy daisies all over it.  I did not buy any Russel Wright platters.  Or butter dishes.  Or ashtrays – I don’t know what it is, I love them.  […]

“Stop This World” is a great little number by one Diana Krall.  Did you know she’s married to Elvis Costello?  So much good music.  I probably heard this song for the first time 7 or 8 years ago, and I think about it a lot.  I don’t really know what any of the words are […]

I’m learning about computers.  Thanks for visiting me at my new spot!  I’ve got almost everything set the way I want it, so now I can get back to updating you all on my faaaascinating life. What’s new, you ask?  Well, a handful of attempts at home improvement.  Stripping some woodwork only to find out […]

I’m a great wife because I cook for my husband.  I’m not so great because dinner hits the table around 10:30pm.  Points for effort? I know this isn’t when I normally talk about my attempts at frugality, but it coincides so nicely this weekend with my attempts in the kitchen that I really can’t avoid […]

I think I’ve mentioned before that my husband is a planner.  I, on the other hand, am not.  I think it stems from my inability to make a decision. These are at once strengths and weaknesses.  Take this weekend… we have options! There’s a BBQ shindig at an old college friend’s place.  We’d know a […]