Quirky Felt Furries

How darling are these tiny felt animal heads from Planet Fur? I would love a little collection of them hanging in my imaginary studio space, along with these!

Today is my boy's birthday. I made him his favorite coffee cake, full of butter and smothered in brown sugar. He's one happy boy this evening, which makes me smile :)

Found via Hank and Lucy

Saturday Style File: Week Two

I hope you are enjoying your (long) weekend so far :)

This week's featured outfit is actually what I wore to work on Monday. Dresses with turtle necks, opaque tights and tall boots have sort of become my unofficial uniform this season. It's a really great way to get more use out of warmer-weather dresses that would otherwise sit in my closet during the winter months.

I felt really put-together and professional, yet still fresh and fun; that's my ultimate goal when I dress for work :)

Favorite outfit this week:

- The gray jersey dress is from TJ Maxx. I always have great luck finding deals on simple dresses there. 

- The turtle neck is a plain dark gray style from Target. It's a favorite of mine for winter layering.

- The stretchy belt I found at Kohl's. It's perfect for giving shape to flowy dresses. I used it to cinch this dress for a wedding, and I LOVED the look.

- The locket is from Verabel. This fun piece dressed up the monochromatic outfit.

- Tall black boots are by BareTraps.  

This look was a warm, cozy and comfortable outfit to start the week!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :)

On Improvising

I'm a bit of a planner. I feel uneasy when things aren't mapped out clearly before me. By things I mean everything from the very small (the course of my day, what's for dinner), to the more significant (where I will be five years from now).

2011, for me, is going to be a test in letting go. I think every person, at some point in their life, reaches a really big crossroad. I'm talking about "ten-roads-converging-during-rush-hour" big. Major decisions must be made, the outcomes of which are entirely uncertain. Well, I am standing at that crossroad this year, scratching my head and wondering which path to take.

I could choose to analyze each choice, plan each step, all the while struggling to picture the future life it will lead me to. The planner in me says "Yes, this is logical!", but it's impossible to really know what is to come. At some point, don't you need to just let go and see how events unfold? Sometimes, isn't it best just to "wing it" and trust that everything will fall into place? No big decisions can be made without a leap of faith, on some level, because we just don't know what reality awaits us after the fact.

As I read this, I have to laugh at how mysterious I sound! Perhaps I'm being overly dramatic? I mean, we all go through periods of transition in our lives; We relocate, start new careers, meet new friends, find new hobbies, start families, travel to new places.

I see some of these changes in my future this year, and I think the excitement and possibility is getting the better of me :)

What major life changes have you experienced recently? Do you approach major decisions with your head, heart, or a combination of both? I would love to hear your thoughts!

P.S. This lovely print is part of a postcard set I purchased from Jen Collins of hellojenuine. Love it!

A Pretty Find, and Happy Friday

I have been obsessing over this sweet mirror from uncommon all afternoon. I am so smitten by it! I wouldn't mind doing a quick hair check in this cheery mirror before heading out the door. In my opinion, everything looks better with scalloped edges, including my own reflection :)

What are you up to this weekend? The boy and I have a fun date night planned for Saturday. Really, it's an excuse to dress up, go out and flirt a bit :) I'm also hoping to make some progress on a project I have in the works. I'm looking forward to sharing it soon!

Have a cozy, wonderful weekend!

Hideminy Ceramics & Snowed In

I am absolutely loving these beautiful, handmade ceramic pieces by Hideminy. The snow white color, combined with the feminine lace details - gorgeous. I would love a set of bowls, but I don't know if I could bring myself to use them!

Perhaps it's all of the snow we've had that is drawing me to simple, lovely white pieces like these. We had a blizzard in the Northeast last night. I woke up to find a very thick, fresh blanket of snow outside. I just love how clean the landscape looks covered in snow. Snow storms bring with them a quiet stillness that is indescribable if you haven't experienced it yourself. 

I'm just enjoying this lovely Snow Day, bundled inside drinking coffee and doing a bit of painting. What a wonderful way to extend the Christmas holiday a bit longer!

Whimsical Warmers

Aren't these slouchy winter hats by Dahlia Soleil adorable? I'm daydreaming about wearing one of them with a pretty dress, colorful tights and boots this winter. The yellow one with the sweet owl makes me want to dye my hair red again!

Dainty Jewelry

I'm always surprised by how varied my taste in certain things can be. Take jewelry, for instance; some days I want to wear the biggest, brightest, most "costumey" pieces I can find, and other days I crave the simplicity of dainty, feminine pieces. I definitely have multiple personalities when it comes to accessorizing!

These beautiful pieces by Upper Metal Class really appeal to me because they are so simple, feminine and classic. Pieces like these look beautiful against bare skin, and work amazingly well as accessories against bolder fabrics; a great choice when you want your jewelry to complement, but not complicate your overall look.

The warm tones of the metal really make these pieces so soft. LOVE!

{designer found here}

Loving: Verabel Lockets

Can I just say that I am SO excited for my Verabel locket to arrive! Seriously, I am in love with these vintage lockets, featuring the artwork of the fantastic Alyson Fox. I chose the "Origami" locket, above, but I just might have to go back for the "Color Study I" design! I can't wait to pair it with my new holiday dress and opaque tights for the winter wedding season...

Bunting.

.. I NEED to make some of this. The bare brick wall in my apartment that is screaming for some fun.

Loving: Embroidery

joettamaue

kngo

verityunmondoaparte

Embroidery and I are having a moment. Every time I visit Etsy, I find myself hearting every embroidered object I come across! I'm especially loving these finds. It's such a sweet and pretty art form, don't you think?

Feeling Blue

I've begun to notice a pattern in my outfit selections lately. Since the beginning of the summer, I have really been drawn to a monochromatic look, which is funny to me because I really love color. Many of my outfits have been largely once color, usually in the blue family. To keep things fun, I've been adding small pops of color; a yellow flat here, a fabric floral pin there...

This recent development is sort of a mystery to me, since color is so lovely! It has been a natural, subconscious shift, so I am just sort of going with it. Perhaps this is why I was so drawn to this sweet little piece from Etsy seller merriweathercouncil. I snatched it up as soon as I saw it! It's a largely monochromatic piece, with the smallest pops of color adding a bit of extra visual interest. 

I'm looking for the perfect place to put this as we speak!

Have you had any great Etsy finds lately? 

Oh, Hello Friday!

I cannot get over this image from honeytree; I'm so drawn to it! Aren't the colors gorgeous? 

Welcome weekend, I am so glad you have arrived! It has been a bit of a challenging week for me, and I'm ready to unwind. On the agenda for the weekend:

- Making baked oatmeal for my "fancy" Saturday morning breakfast (quickly becoming a lovely weekend tradition).

- A cozy movie night with my boy, complete with snacks, pajamas (for me!) and our two kitties.

- Cleaning out the contents of the fridge for a batch warm chicken rice soup.

- Squeezing in some quiet creative time.

- A long walk to relax and enjoy the wonderful Fall weather we are having!

I hope the weekend provides you all with at least a moment to relax and enjoy the changing seasons..

Etsy Cuteness

How adorable is this little trinket box I snatched up from Etsy seller VintageEye? I plan to house some of my jewelry in it. How endlessly sweet will this look on top of a dresser!

In other news, this weekend I decided to paint my nightstand a fun shade of "banana". The table was originally a really dark shade of wood, and it has been a real chore applying coat after coat of paint to cover it! Clearly I am a novice furniture painter, since applying a primer didn't occur to me until after I had already completed several coats. However, I am encouraged that it will all come together in the end. Hopefully I will have a picture to share soon!

I'm feeling crafty tonight, so I'm off to play! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  

Etsy Find: Suili

How wonderful are these artful little blooms from Suili? I would love a few clusters to scatter around my home in dainty glass bud vases. The best part is that these little lovelies will always look fresh; they are crocheted, after all!

Little Pretties from Elephantine

I adore the simple, elegant designs from Elephantine. How cute would these be with a simple white tee?

Cute Etsy Find: Pretty Random Objects

How endlessly adorable are these planters from pretty random objects? I would love to get one of these for my new office at work. These little lovelies would surely add a light-hearted tone to the space.

On an unrelated note, I just purchased a scanner! I am looking forward to having much better quality uploads of my art projects to share with you! It has been a bit of a nightmare shooting my projects with a digital camera..

Summer Scene

Nothing says summer to me like this photograph from bomobob. It's impossible not to smile when you see an image like this. I immediately think of cotton candy, craft tables and freshly squeezed lemonade!

Little Lovelies

Don't you find it interesting how you can become so immediately attached to an object? Every once in a while I will stumble upon something that I absolutely must have; I feel an irrational need to acquire it as soon as humanly possible.

I found these gorgeous vintage earrings on Etsy, and I just knew I HAD to have them. I rarely wear earrings, but I was convinced that these would change my ways. I snatched up the mint version about a month ago. The seller, michvanetta, was impossibly sweet and the earrings were everything I had hoped for. I wore them daily for several weeks. I bought the canary pair about a week ago and just received them in the mail! I have been rotating between these little lovelies and the yellow pom earrings I made a few months ago.

Sometimes you just know when it's meant to be...

Wee Snack Packs and Birthday Baking

Full disclosure: I am a really, really big "snacker".

On any given day, I will have three to five snacks (at least). So, imagine my elation when I found these adorable little snack packs by downhomeamy! I take munchies with me everywhere I go, and these darling little snack totes will look much cuter than a lame plastic Ziploc as I pull one out of my bag to snack in class, at work, the movies (shhhh!) etc. etc. etc.

They are so cute, it's too hard to choose just one!

This weekend is my dear friend's birthday. So, that means a lot of baking today! I am making this fabulous bread (a staple in our home), along with these lemon cloud cookies I discovered on the blog of my new girl crush. I plan to pair the cookies with some nice tea and the bread with an interesting cheese. I hope to share the finished product with you tomorrow. I am horrible about taking pictures, though, so fingers crossed..

What are your plans for this beautiful, sunny (in the Northeast at least) weekend?

Playing with Food

{PetitPlat}

I'm a real sucker for food-themed objects (especially sweets!), and I love anything comically disproportionate to its actual size. So, you can imagine how much I love these little lovelies! The cupcakes and tarts are earrings, the croissants are hairpins, and the bread is just for fun. Too cute!