Item of the Week! 02.28.11

this week's item is...the trio necklace in blue chalcedony and pearl!  I love the combination of colors, the blues with the bright white of the pearl...this would be a perfect "something blue" for a wedding party!!

any order placed that contains this necklace until Sunday, March 6th will receive free shipping*!



*shipping cost will be refunded after the purchase :)

Favorite Etsy Shop - Fisk & Fern

another one of my new friends, from the BMAC show in August, was Laura of Fisk & Fern...I instantly fell in love with her cute illustrations, and all the ways you could give, display and wear them!

who wouldn't love to cook breakfast wearing this adorable Bacon Monster Apron??

and now that I am officially a resident of Pigtown, these cards would be perfect for sending a note to friends :)

these erasers are too cute to use!  I think I'd just sit them on my desk and stare at them!!

her shop tagline says "silly and strange paper and homegoods"...guess I'm silly and strange too, because I love it all!! :)

Saturday's Photo

some of the adorable girls in my class, "hula hooping" last week on a really warm February day!

Honeysuckle - Etsy treasury

come check out this lovely treasury that I'm in, featuring all items in Pantone's color of the year, Honeysuckle!

Put a Bird on it!

had to post the video that goes along with Friday Finds...

"put a bird on it" skit from Portlandia

Friday Finds - put a bird on it!

inspired by the show Portlandia, and one of their sketches about how putting the image of a bird on something makes it "crafty" I bring you, friday finds on Etsy...

Otis the Owl Pillow by BEST's JennyJen42

birds on a scarf by Victrola Design

birds on a leather journal by In Blue

 

birdie bobbie pins by BEST's The Small Craft Advisory

rooster tea towels by BEST's Fuzzy Mug

and you can see this cute little bird pendant at my shop :)

5 places I'd like to own a vacation home

1. a cabin in Vermont
2. San Diego, California
3. Iceland
4. a really cool, but small apartment in New York City
5. a beach house in Naples, Florida



*one of the wonderful ladies I met at the BMAC wholesale show last year has a blog where she keeps just list of lists...so she's inspired me to make some of my own...thanks MaryAnne!!

What I'm Working on - the fiction project

since I have just about 2 1/2 months until it's due, I thought I'd share a little of the brainstorming that I've been doing for my "Happy Thoughts" book that will be touring the country as part of the fiction project...

I of course made a list in one of my idea books...see photo below...but here are a few of the contenders to make it into the book!

*color combinations
     *rootbeer floats
*rain at night
     *tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches
*family traditions
     *pens of every color
*SNOW
     *giving yourself a manicure

now I get to write about them, draw some sketches to go with them, and bring it all to life!  it's very exciting...but of course the crazy in me wants to make detailed sketches before touching the pages of my Moleskine  journal...so much pressure!!  blank pages are so full of promise, but also so terrifying at the same time!

March for the Animals

it's hard to believe that it's been almost 7 years since I went to the adoption day at Petsmart for the Maryland SPCA and picked out my furry friends...it's hard to remember a time before they were with me, and even though the early morning wake-ups can be annoying, the unconditional love makes up for it :)

so when it comes time to give back, the SPCA always has a special place in my heart :)  and on March 12th, while I'm working away taking the Praxis exam (eek) my BEST friends will be out walking in Druid Hill Park supporting this great organization! 

if you'd like to help, click here to make a donation!!

tutorial - chalkboard frames!

I'm always looking for cute arts and crafts to make with kids, now that I'm an after school teacher, and aspiring full time teacher...so when I came across this idea, it seemed just the thing that my kids could handle, and would really enjoy!

they always love to paint, and what better then to make their own chalkboard!? 

another awesome idea, courtesy of Real Simple:

What you need:
Frame
Chalkboard Paint 
Chalk
Newspaper

1. Place frame on newspaper in a well-ventilated area. Paint frame and let it dry.
2. Pop in a favorite photo. Using the chalk, write your special message.

this of course was featured around Valentine's day, but doesn't have to be limited to that...you can find many colors of paint, and customize to any holiday!  also, you can just paint other wooden surfaces, to make your own mini chalkboards!  kids can practice their letters and numbers, erase and start again!!

Item of the Week! 02.21.11

this week's item is....the glitter barrettes in ice blue!  one of my newer designs, these are that perfect sparkly touch to spruce up any outfit!  they come on a black barrette clip- and you get a set of two :)

any order placed that contains this necklace until Sunday, February 27th will receive free shipping*!



*shipping cost will be refunded after the purchase :)

Favorite Etsy Shop - HuiYi Tan

through the magic of Etsy Circles, I was recently introduced to this shop, and instantly fell in love!  the jewelry in this shop is so unique, and quirky...with the materials used ranging from silver, to enamel, pearls, and even colored pencils...yes you heard me right!



these are just some of the designs you can find made from colored pencils- necklaces and earrings!

and what about zippers for earrings?

or a cute set of weather inspired earrings, handmade in sterling silver?

this shop just makes me smile, everything is so colorful!  head on over and check out HiuYi Tan for yourself!!

for the OCD in all of us

I LOVE to organize things...and if they can be color coordinated, even better!  I found this image on my friend Juliet's tumblr site, and tracked it back to another blog, Things Organized Neatly...I could waste a lot of time on this site...

but look...look at the wall-o-colored pencils?!  squeeeeeeeeee!!

Saturday's Photo

since the weather seems to be getting warmer here...it reminds me of the weather we had last new years eve in South Carolina...here's the view from out the back of my parents house!

Friday Finds - good enough to eat!

I came across this first set of candles, and they were so cute- like little cupcakes...and then I discovered that they indeed, had a sweet, sugary smell, topped off with sprinkles!  the little multi-colored dot sprinkles, that are my very favorite!

adorable Cupcake candles by Mireio

 

since we had dessert first, how about some sushi for dinner?  a taste I'm still acquiring, but these candles are really cute!  you can get a sushi candle sample pack from Double Brush.

and to finish up, a nice warm mug of chai...candle by Honeysuckles Candles.

personal intervention...nail polish

hi, my name is Lauren, and I'm addicted to nail polish...

it's true, one of my favorite things to do on a Sunday night, is to give myself a nice little manicure...just something to make my hands feel pretty, and to start the week on a good note...I obviously can't afford to have my nails done, and quite frankly, the process of having someone else file my nails gives me chills just thinking about it...but anyway...

I have a nice collection of nail polish- but lately I've been getting emails from Sephora, and they have these adorable mini nail polish sets...so you can try lots of colors without buying a whole big bottle!  and now, they even have colors inspired by Glee, one of my very favorite shows...

I'm a sucker for color combinations, and these are some of my most recent favorites...

one of my awesome Christmas presents?  this mega mini nail polish set!

What I'm Working on - first floor revamp

when I first moved out of Canton, and into good old Pigtown...I was pretty sure that it was going to be a temporary situation...I never thought we'd still be on this block, in this tiny rowhouse, but alas here we are...and my need for change has once again reared its ugly head...so since we can't really do much in the way of re-organizing any of the rooms in the house (read: the furniture really only fits in one way) I did think long and hard about how to make better use of the first floor...

we have a kitchen table that usually gets piled up with "stuff" and not actually eaten at...and now that I have lots of studying to do, and just work in general, it would be nice to have a place to spread out if I needed...

also, in the solution of The Great Cat Territory Wars of 819...some new couch covers have been attained...here's hoping they solve part of our problem...

and lastly, the kitchen is now pretty much storage, but the room feels a lot bigger with the table out of it...since it might actually get used where it is now, I think it's a good move...now to decide if getting a better storage system for the kitchen is worth it...in the interest of how long we potentially will still live here, I think it might be time to hit up Ikea...

 

oh, and to get stuff hung up on the walls...time to make it feel more like home :)

*disclaimer* home will always be NJ still...no matter what :)

heart shaped candies!!

and no, I don't mean those conversation hearts...I found, heart shaped Junior Mints!!  one of my favorite candies to begin with, but as I was running through the grocery store yesterday, they caught my eye...so I bought two boxes...as a gift to myself :)

tutorial - pom poms!

my wonderful and crafty friend Kollen of Design by Night posted this awesome tutorial on her blog- and it took me back to college, when my room mate Kait and I were big knitters...so naturally, we used our yarn to make fun pillows- essentially these pom-poms in a MUCH larger size...but I wanted to share with all of you, because Kolleen is the queen of tutorials, and these are just too much fun, not to make!!

happy crafting :)

for the step-by-step instructions with awesome pictures, click here!

Happy Birthday to Lizzzzzz!

my Hokie, Zeta sister, and room mate in college, but most of all, my very good friend...hope you have a wonderful 29th birthday!!  can't wait to plan our next visit!!

here's a really old photo!  back from junior year...

Item of the Week! 02.14.11

this week's featured item is...the LOVE earrings!  these pretty coin pearls would make a perfect (okay, but a little late) gift for Valentine's day, or a birthday, or just because...simple and elegant, they would be great for a bride as well!

any order placed that contains this necklace until Sunday, February 20th will receive free shipping*!

*shipping cost will be refunded after the purchase :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

this awesome illustration is by Carolyn Sewell...her cool typographic illustrations can be found on her flikr site!

Favorite Etsy Shop - Diffraction Fiber

another Etsy shop that I've had "favorited" for quite a while, is Diffraction Fiber- maker of pillows for any and everybody!  these quirky designs spread the gamut from food to computer keys to many other kinds of nostalgia...and best of all?  they're made from eco-friendly materials!!

how could you not love these whimsical pillows?!  my personal favorite, is the peanut butter and jelly- not only a favorite lunch of mine, but also they do make quite a cute couple :)

 

but that's not where the cuteness ends...check out some of my other favorites from this shop below!

a pillow that looks like bacon?  yum!

a fortune cookie...now I want Chinese food...

or a super silly spilled ketchup packet pillow

I'm blushing :)

a big thanks to Christen of Love, Elaine...a friend and fellow Etsy seller, who featured one of my necklaces on her Valentine's gift list! 

you can check it out on her blog...go on over and follow it!!

if you remember, I just had a lot of her goodies on my blog on Sunday, in the favorite shops feature...so don't just stand there...go find some handmade goodness for your love for Valentine's day - she's got gifts, ready to ship and can custom make items too!!

Saturday's Photo

Jack-in-the-tub

Friday Finds - Honeysuckle

inspired by Pantone's Color of the Year, Honeysuckle...I give you this week's Friday Finds on Etsy!

a cute girly bird by Vintage Green Limited

more vintage, with a glass ring by Wired Whimsy

a set of 5 cute cupcake cards by Sugar Paperie

Snowflake print by Capture the Heart

and even something by yours truly...the City Earrings, in Swarovski Crystal

another cute Valentine's Day craft

what's better then a handmade card?  just about nothing!  here's another fun way to make some Valentine's crafts with kids, or let's face it...this would be fun for adults too!  so here are two ideas to get your card-making juices flowing!

What you need:
Pipe Cleaners
Thick Paper Stock
Buttons
Hot Glue Gun
Pinking Shears

Love Card 

1. Form shape of each letter with the pipe cleaners. Glue onto the paper.
2. Using the pinking shears, create a decorative edge.

Heart Card 

1. Place buttons on card stock making the shape of a heart.
2. Secure buttons to the paper with glue.

this tutorial can be found here!