Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Sweet Sourdough and Bloggy Love

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Gorgeous blogger Annie Wilson of Poetic & Chic recently launched a business called Sourdough, which sells beautiful accessories handmade from vintage barkcloth through an Etsy shop. Annie sent me a Sleepytime Eye Mask in Scarlet Scroll. The mask is filled with lavender to help banish insomnia.

Sleepytime Eye Mask
Click photo to buy on Etsy.

It really does help when I commit to using it. The only problem is that I find it hard to give up my usual nighttime routine in order to sleep. A New York Times interview with cartoonist Roz Chast on Sunday made me realize that Chast is one of my proliferating soulmates. Chast said:

“I kind of tend to stay up late just about every night, anywhere from 12:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. I putter. I nurse old grudges. I fold origami while nursing old grudges. I think about the past. I wonder if there’s any grudges I should start.”

Yep, that pretty much sums what I’m up to when I’m not commenting on your blogs during the wee hours.

I was going to take a picture of myself wearing the mask, but I couldn’t resist the urge to photograph a barkcloth product on the dogs. I hope Annie forgives me eventually. Frankly, the photography session didn’t go very well. Every time I placed the mask on Henry, he got up and strolled off. I managed to pose the mask near Gigi.

Gigi and the beautiful eye mask.

Unfortunately, when I tried to put the mask over Gigi’s eyes, she growled … very quietly. What is the world coming to when dogs don’t appreciate a fragrant barkcloth product? Jebus. Usually Gigi only growls at my mother. But thanks again to Annie for sending me her gorgeous work. I recommend that you all check out her shop and refrain from putting any of her pieces on easily irritated animals.

I’d also like to thank Annie for vowing not to blog about last night’s CFDA awards. As I was reading the CFDA real-time tweets yesterday, I was thinking how much I dreaded reading about the event on, oh, three million blogs today. It’s not that I don’t want to know about the awards. It’s just that I hate post-event blogging overload, where you can’t escape the coverage and after the first 1,000 posts on the topic it starts to seem like no one has anything new to say. So thanks to anyone who is not writing about it, including:

Of course, now that I am saying this, I am a little embarrassed that I will be mentioning a past CFDA award on my Francis blog later this week. Stay tuned for that.

While I’m handing out all the appreciation, I should thank the bloggers who mentioned me yesterday. Three in one day! I was so proud.

I think there was someone else, too, who reminded me of my love for clown collars. Identify yourself, woman!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ohmigosh! You are too wonderful. I'm sure Gigi will appreciate the eyemask once she gives it a try. I love that quote from Roz Chast too – that's so me!

    Kisses to you, beautiful!!!
    xoxoxo

  3. So cute – I'm a sensory depravation girl when I sleep so I love a sleep mask.

  4. I'm not a big fan of the dark… therefore a mask is out of question.

    Gigi would have looked pretty amazing in it

  5. Ok, the only reason I am blogging about the CFDAs is to mention the vintage angle. Still love me?

  6. Wow, two mentions in one post! I like this I'll-scratch-your-blog-you'll-scratch-mine thing!

    And holy crap, I'm completely in love with that quote you posted. I reposted it on my Tumblr blog because yeah, it's the story of my life too. Forgiveness makes life boring! 🙂

  8. Hey Wendy! I didn't even know about the CFDA awards… had to click on the link to find out what it stood for. Doesn't that count for something 😉

  9. I'd just like to stay up late with you and nurse grudges. I'll even take up origami!

  11. I haven't been sleeping much myself lately. Maybe I should try a mask! And I love vintage barkcloth designs…

  12. I have a question about the mask: Does it dig into the side of your face if you sleep on your back? Cause if not, I might be investing.

  13. Awright! This may be the first time I've gotten kudos for NOT doing something … thanks, WendyB.

  14. Hey hey hey! I'm not writing about it! But I might unless you throw me a link!

    But probably not since I'm not very fashion savvy to begin with.

  15. I had a Gigi pekingese also! I could have used earplugs along with the mask cause she kept me up nights with her snoring ;D

  16. My sole comment on the CFDAs: wasn't it nice of Alexander Wang's parents to let him stay up late and get his award? (Seriously, what is he, like 16?)

  17. Maybe Gigi would mellow out, and stop growling after a sleep session with that mask.

    !

  18. Haha, staying up late and nursing grudges, a classic! and i'm still not blogging about CFDA, think I'll talk about a 34th Street Payless fire evacuation instead.

  19. Dogs really do not appreciate fashion as much as they should… it's kind of sad if you think about it.

  20. oh that is sooo sweet. your doggies just do not appreciate a good thing. : ) what is going on right?

  25. Thanks for the shout-out!

    The sleep mask is lovely. I brought mine to work with me today and plan to keep it in my filing cabinet for my post-work, pre-salsa naps on the office couches. 😉

  26. fancy eye mask! I've gotten used to sleeping with my british airways one on… not so fancy.
    xx-LJ from SOS!

  28. If you could get a picture of Gigi with the mask on, you could probably get past at least the first pass at stuffonmycat.com. I'm just saying.

    (No offense to Gigi. The ambiguity of her genus is very high fashion. She's quite modelesque.)

  29. Why did it never occur to me to start grudges in advance? I mean, the reality is that at some point most things are going to hack me off so why not get a jump on???

  30. I love using an eyemask when I travel. I have some from the airlines, but I feel funny about using a Virgin one when I'm flying another airline, etc. I received a fancy eyemask as a gift from a friend. I think these would make wonderful gifts. As for post-event blogging hazes: I'm with you. I tend not to post runway photos (unless they are in conjunction with something else) and celebrity photos. Just because I know other bloggers will be all over that, and after all, I am but a tiny little blog in an ocean of many.

  31. haha i agree with the anti post-event blogging stance youv'e taken. it does get quite repetitive. How much can one say about alexander wang's adorable shorts look? haha

    the sleep mask filled w/ lavender is a fantastic idea! an insomniac like myself NEEDS one of these.

  32. OK. it's 5 in the morning and I am commenting on blogs…bring me that mask now!

    *that dog is too cute!!

  33. I happened to link your Mary Queen of Scots jewelry to fit in with my post on Moy Castle. Hope that's ok.

  34. Oh dear. I posted about Gap's collection, which came out today, but not the actual award ceremony that just happened. Hope that's ok?? 🙂

  35. What is the CFDA?

    Ok, I'm kidding. LOL.

    And of course I serve you one. Whad'l'ya have?

  36. I've been rocking out with the insomnia lately. What a fabulous solution that could be to the problem.

  37. I confess, it was moi, re: clown collars 😀 Plus, in my defense, I didn't write about the CFDAs… just a few piccies from the red carpet; after all, I'm a red carpet harpie 😛

  39. How did I miss that Roz Chast interview?! My favorite NYer cartoonist.
    I met her years ago at a RISD talk and she was just as funny in person.

  41. shit! I wrote my entire comment and lost it! anyhow, the basis was basically Jill mentioned your blog but no link to it, found you anyway!!!
    ~leticia

  43. that mask is exactly what I am craving. I sleep with a mask everyday! I have several from Mary Green but they’re getting old. I went to buy a new one at Sleep in Wburg only to find out they closed! Now, I finally have an alternative!

    Plus vintage barkcloth – adore!!