Pretty Things: Fall Favorites

The cold rain finally came and with it out went my motivation.  We leave tomorrow for a retreat in Charlottesville and I should be running around, doing laundry, packing and cleaning and preparing for our road trip. But here I am, snuggled up with a blanket on the couch waiting for the sun to come back. I also attribute the fact that I woke up this morning to make coffee and much to my horror, we were out of k-cups. Goodbye cruel world, kill me now. I'm not sure how I'll make it through the day let alone get anything done. Something I can do without coffee is make a list of all the pretty things I've been seeing for fall. I'm about ready to retire all my summer clothes and ready to stock up on blankets and boots to get me through this season as gracefully as possible.

1. Bandolino Calliope Riding boots 99.95

I love a good cognac colored boot. These have enough of a heel to feel fun and flirty but are short and solid enough to use every day.

1. Coeur Pullover-158

I love a good graphic print, but add the softness of cashmere and angora and I'm likely to never take off my new favorite sweater.

3. buttermilk biscuit cardigan-168

I'm channeling my inner 90s cable knit, grungy flower chid with this sweater. But it just looks so incredibly cozy, I can picture wearing this on the warmer days with a dress and boots and being perfectly fashionable and not completely freezing.

4. pumpkin stuffed with everything good

I have all sorts of sweet pumpkin recipes in my arsenal, the one thing I am missing is a savory pumpkin recipe that I would actually enjoy. Pumpkin is something I'd like to embrace for dinner but most of the recipes seem a little to exotic for my simple palate. This has bacon and cheese so there's really nothing more to talk about.

5. heirloom variety needle felt pumpkins-17.50

Needle felting is still one of those things I long to learn. With so many adorable, tiny little things to make, Fall is ever more the reason for me to learn how!

Etsy

Kim is a good friend of mine, a massage therapist, a doula and an amazing stand up comedian.

She's also one of the coolest people I know and has the best creative interpretation on things that I could ever imagine. 

So the other weekend Kim decided to come down at help me photograph for the etsy shop. She had a ton of great input and suggestions and was just in general a blast (as per usual).

I think other than my love for vintage and handmade, the etsy shop allows me great opportunities like this one, to just play dress up with a friend as an adult and have a legitimate reason to do so.

Anything that is a reason to play dress up sounds good to me!

Pieces of a day: Snow

1/2. It snowed Tuesday night and all day Wednesday.
3. A hungry bunny
4. I went exploring with my amazing neighbors, Kurt and Janessa and we ended up sledding down the big hill next to the pavillion. I haven't had that much fun falling on my butt since I was 9.
5. There's been a lot of cooking and baking going on. When you're confined to the inside, it's one of the best things to do.
6. New, handmade items in the etsy shop!


I've been quiet on the blog lately. But that isn't to say I haven't been working on it. Over the past several days I created a blog button, wrote some guest blog posts and am awaiting a few for this blog myself.  This is all thanks to Blaire. I met her at Allisons baby shower and she has been my blogging angel ever since, giving me tips and tricks and taking the time to teach me things she has learned. I couldn't thank her enough!

I've also been working a lot on the etsy shop. I'm creating driftwood pieces and having a ton of fun as I go. Mostly jewelry displays, accessory hooks and a few lamps but I'll be branching out sooner or later. The possibilities really are endless and I am so happy to be creating again. That last picture is actually one of my favorite pieces so far but I broke the end off it while overzealously hammering the mounting bracket on the back. whoops. I guess that one remains mine!

Soon I'll have an update on all the new items in the shop, some new recipes a couple spring crafts. In fact, I'm going to go start working on them now. I've got plenty of sunshine but we all know that it doesn't always last!

Pretty Things

Things I am loving right now are mainly house-related. Organizational items, furniture, cleaning supplies etc. I have a LOT to do by this weekend so that's my main focus at the moment.

However in my search for furniture and accessories I went to one of my favorite places for home decor, jewelry, and a plethora of pop culture and nerd-related stuffs that make me quite excited, FAB.com If you haven't been to fab yet, you are missing out. You really are.

Fabs mission is to help people with amazing design solutions which is precisely my goal. Every week they have a ton of new sales from different designers (single artists to big companies) and you can get some fantastic original and/or limited edition artwork for your home!

This week I sort of fell in love with these prints by Paper Sparrow. She has amazing music related and whimsical art prints for an equally amazing price. Some of my favorites are below!

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Sweet Dreams little one 11x14 $18. I don't have any children of my own but how darling would this print look above a crib in a nursery?

2. Narwhal's Aquarelle 11x14 $18 Being a redditor, I'm automatically connected to anything Narwhal or bacon related so this sweet print of a narwhal playing a banjo in the water is quite the perfect print.

3. Not All Who Wander are Lost 13x19 $23 I don't know if it's the hippie in me or feathers are just a thing now but I love these colorful avian things so much. Also a fan of the Tolkien quote, of course, but I really like the design aesthetic she used in the theme of the poster.

4. Arctic Fox 11x14 $18 The warm yellows and blues of this print give it such a great vintage vibe. I'd love to put this anywhere in my house but I think it would look particularly great in a living room or family room!

5. Climb Every Mountain 13x19 $23 This print is perfect since I climb (although not as much as I used to) It would also make a great gift for any of my climbing girls.

I know I'm supposed to be focusing on house things and furniture and paint and cleaning and keeping my budget down since I won't be working for a few weeks but I might just have to get a few of these beauties. It's not like it's a total random purchase, it is for the house after all! ; )

Pretty things

In the seemingly exact opposite direction of my last post, I'd like to share with you some items I really truly adore and are in my shopping list for 2013. 

Although I am sticking with my budgets and trying to maintain some self control, these are all items that are not only pretty but functional and useful for my etsy business. 

It just so happens that they are adorable as well. ; )


1. Macbook Air Notebook

This is the big one so I'll start large. Like I stated before, using Shauns laptop for all my blogging, editing, emailing, etsy shop updating etc. gets old fast. My laptop is technically 5 years old now and almost considered vintage (but totally not in a cute way). I should probably be more interested in a Pro due to all the things you can do with it but it's big, bulky and heavier than the air.  I'm not delving into any heavy duty photoshop editing (right now) so as it stands, this seems like a nice option for me. Also, they range from $999-$1499 and that price definitely seems doable for me! Macbook air



2. Green Canvas Camera Bag w/ Shoulder Strap

 Another item I want but do not need that is oh so pretty and very very functional.  I do currently have a camera bag, the one that came with the kit that Shaun bought me with my camera for Christmas. But it is simply functional. It's not neccesarily something I want to carry around town with me while I snap pictures. This? This I would take everywhere. I would take it places I don't even intend to take pictures of just simply because of how adorable it is. This would completely 86 the need for a purse as I can carry my iphone, keys, lipgloss, lenses, notebook and possibly even a laptop within it. How perfect is it? Also, it's on etsy and my goal has been to shop local or handmade as much as possible.  Even if I could not fit a laptop or my big bulky notebook I could always get a small tote or messenger bag for that stuff such as  this one. Or this adorable one. Or this classy one. Or perhaps any of the other ones in the 250 pages of etsy search results! Anyways, I'm getting a bit carried away. The original bag in question is $72 and there are a variety of colors available. I really like the rugged, military look of this one. Plus if I ever go on an African safari I think I'd blend right in.



3. Dalahast Loungers

Ok. I don't need this...at all. But How perfect are they to lounge around in on a snowy day, editing photos, blogging and taking pictures for the etsy shop? Can I somehow code these as a business expense? No? Ok, fair enough. Anthropologie   $39.95



4. 100 parcel gift tags

Ok. Back to business. These gift tags from knot & bow etsy shop would be great to add to clothing and shoes in the shop. Plus a perfect addition to gifts, which I am trying to do more of (creating) this year. She also has ridiculously adorable heart stickers in a variety of colors that I might have to snag as well. $19 for a pack of 100

5. Notebooks

Here we have about a bazillion options. I was going to order one online that really fit my needs but being ever the impatient one I didn't wait to do my research and impulse bought a pretty cute one from walmart. I still think I'll need another one so I've compiled a short list of some of the ones I am digging on etsy right now. So here beings the list.

1. "My New Business" Moleskin notebook-if this doesn't scream perfect for my shop, I don't know what does. This is the perfect size for a little carry along journal I can keep in my bag and note little details on items I am purchasing or selling or even little random ideas that come to mind. $7.43.

2. Einstein mini notebook and pencil set-"Logic will get you from A-Z, imagination will get you everywhere". Although I'm pretty sure the quote is "A-B" it's still an adorable little notebook, perfect for big ideas that I can dream up while sitting in a park having a picnic looking at the different animals in the clouds. $8.

3. Vintage Map Covered Composition Book-There is just something about maps that I absolutely adore. These composition books are no different. Also, I love an upcycled item! $8.

4. Mark Twain Quote Journal-"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Such a beautiful, inspirational quote from one of the greatest. This notebook is beautiful and functional and I love that it's a spiral notebook, it greatly helps my left-handedness! $16.

 I suppose this list got a tad bit out of hand. But I promise to note make any purchases until I've earned it, and I have maintained my goals for 2013.

happy wish listing!

 

Pieces of a Day-Dads House

Pictures from Saturday. Friday night we had an awesome girls night at Erin's house, who is also such a spectacular hostess. I unfortunately developed a killer headache and was unable to climb the awesome rock wall her and Ben built in the garage but I stayed long enough to watch The Beauty and the Beast, paint Beans nails, snap some photos and snuggle on the couch with Bella, Erin's awesome dog. Since I felt so crappy I headed home late Friday night and woke up late on Saturday morning with the same blasted headache.  I took some aspirin and got to snapping some etsy photos. 

I ended up taking a decent amount of pictures, taking measurements, organizing and cleaning some of the beloved items I had been hoarding and refusing to list since I secretly wanted to keep them for myself. I also ended up snapping a few photos around the house of my dads dog, Sophie, the fluffiest, craziest, loviest little puppy you will ever meet and some snippets of my really terribly messy room. 

Enjoy!

 

1/2/3-Small snippets of my messy room, dresser top with clutter, other dresser with my ever growing milk glass collection. My bed with a poster of the borobudur temple in Bali that I someday want to visit.
4/5/6/7/8-etsy items, tiny mouse with giant ears, iron candlesticks, vintage dress, vintage corduroy coat, amazing tooled leather purse I don't want to let go of.
9-Sophie asking what I was doing snapping photos and not rubbing her belly
10-pizza with fresh oregano from the garden
11-a mix of refrigerator magnets from me and my 9 year old brother
12-my dads nautical themed clock, barometer and key hook wall
13/14/15/16/17-Sophie, the great pizza beggar.
18.19-the shelf which holds part of my vintage pyrex collection. It's gotten sort of...out of hand
20-old records and a picture of me and my boo
21-vintage Christmas reindeer decor that has yet to be shoved into the attic
22-A little snippet of my room, next to my bed that I get to see every morning when I wake up. Photo set of my best friend Kristi, little brochacho and me. Handmade wreath and a picture of my boo and the bunny. Also a dollar store mirror I spray painted pink when I was going through a phase of spray painting everything I owned.


I hope your Saturday was as uneventful and productive as mine!

~Rachel