so it begins

It's officially the busiest time of year. We did a little shopping this weekend, and here are a few items I picked up, along with a few that had me interested:




Everyday Food Mag: this month's issue has so many great ideas that I made sure to pick up a copy.
Malibu Necklace: Saw so many pretty necklaces like this one at j.crew.
Sweater: Picked up some great priced sweaters like this from GAP & Target for my husband.
Flannel Lined Jeans.
Winter Vest: I got this red winter vest & love it. So comfy.
Elf DVD: Finally got us a copy of Elf (along with other good movies under $4 at Target).
Cord Mini: Scored this cord mini on sale at j.crew - perfect for wearing with tights.
Merino Glittens: a soft blend of wool & cashmere and definitely on my wishlist.

(Wish I could share some of the gifts I found, but I don't want to spoil any surprises...)

thanksgiving weekend

photos: Real Simple

We won't be hosting any Thanksgiving dinner this year, but I love the idea of planning out the year's biggest meal, baking pies & cooking up a storm, setting a long table with endless plates, napkins, & silverware, and anticipating a house full of family & friends. For now we'll be enjoying those things back in our hometown, but hopefully someday in our own home. So, whether you'll be spending Thanksgiving as a host or guest, I hope you enjoy the holiday, and next up: Christmas!

For those playing host this year:
10 Tricks to a Trouble-Free Thanksgiving

thanksgiving inspiration

Here's a little Thanksgiving inspiration (a bit late as it's already the day before!). This past weekend while away in a cabin in the woods, it certainly put me in the mood to collect objects from nature to use for crafts. I like the natural tones in this collection of photos, as well as some of the ideas for using pine cones in unique ways.

"flower" napkin rings (using pinecones, tutorial here)


pear place setting (martha stewart)


metallic pinecone box (tutuorial here, martha stewart)

hello, mr. boddington

I recently discovered Mr. Boddington, an online shop filled with curious & charming paper goods, and it has completely won me over. If I wasn't already convinced by the creative designs, pretty lined envelopes, or letterpress goods, then the styling of the site & its witty charm ("the elusive Mr. Boddington...was born with deepest purple (aubergine) ink on his thumbs, quite literally") would have done it for me.



photos: Mr. Boddington found via Design is Mine

rifle paper co.

Loving the new website launch for Rifle Paper Co., where ready-made paper goods are now available! (The holiday section has some very cute goods for Christmas.)

mini cabin holiday

I'm taking off to spend the weekend with all of my sisters in-law at a cozy rented cabin. There will be no tv/internet/radio there, but there will be our own personal hot tub, kitchen for cooking up meals, & plenty of space to work on projects (mine will be Christmas cards...or just reading). So, here are a few cabin/holiday inspired items with that in mind...



Row 1: winter blanket (um, expensive), tiniest tree set ($20)
Row 2: carrie scarf ($195), alphabet stamp ($6)
Row 3: fair isle gloves (£29), sheepskin slippers (£49)
Row 4: sparkle socks ($30), timex military watch ($150)

It's hard to believe that after next weekend, Christmas season will be in full swing & winter on its way. Time to start getting more serious about Christmas gifts, especially the ones I plan to order online. These give me a good start - I needed an excuse to buy those sparkle socks.

gryphon - new york

I'm pretty smitten with the looks from Gryphon spring 2010 (discovered through wool and spool). The line is sophisticated and the pieces seem both feminine & comfy at the same time. And I just love that tiny purse with the over-the-shoulder strap.

images: fashionista found via wool and spool

going scandi

This year, for the holidays, I'm channeling my inner Scandinavian style. Using lots of natural colors, rustic-yet-cozy textures (like burlap, twine, wool), and mixing it all with the traditional green & red.

Row 1: Wreath ($9.99), Red Lantern ($6.99)
Row 2: Notebooks via Olivet ($9), Twine ($2.99)
Row 3: Cable-knit slipper-socks ($85), Scandi Tins ($18)
Row 4: Cable-knit beanie via Camp Comforts ($24.50), Pitcher/vase ($19.99)

afternoon break

I love quiet afternoon breaks. My latest snack obsession: oranges & chocolate dipped malt balls. Cannot get enough! I've also been enjoying the December catalog for J.Crew...





Meanwhile, I've been working on cleaning my studio and putting away remnants from the craft show. Back to organizing...

etsy love

Some of my recent favorites on Etsy...

vintage scarf blouse (Miss Modish)


noel accent pillow (Nesta Home)


vintage pot (The Vintage Bear Lair)


kitten print: Watching the Wheels (Little Gray Pixel)


print: Hands with Flowers (Clare Barboza)


plaid brooch (Stacey Winters)

martha, martha

A couple Martha-related things:
1) there's a holiday craft sale going on Saturday, December 5th in NYC, hosted by Martha Stewart Living, and if I were nearby I'd be there. I saw the details posted here.

2) I was recently given the Martha Stewart Craft Encyclopedia, and upon going through the entire book, I'm ready to do just about every craft under the sun. Really, if you have any interest in crafts, this should be on your bookshelf (and it won't be collecting dust).

show & speckles

Tonight we're getting ready for the show - it's tomorrow and I haven't had much time to prepare for it. It's a relatively small show and I'm honestly not sure if it's the best market for handmade items (it's mostly booths like Creative Memories, Pampered Chef, etc), but since our event planning company already participates, I couldn't resist making a booth for Hooray.



Meanwhile, I added these speckled cards, tags & gift wrap rolls to my line. They'll be available online soon. When I make them, it reminds me of decorating a gingerbread house. So fun. Have a happy weekend everyone.

holiday house

Ikea has a lot of interactive features on their website, and today I was looking up a product & found this holiday house. You can take a virtual tour of the house and see all of the festivities going on inside...






PS. Yesterday my friend Tiffany (whose husband is a Navy fighter pilot) wrote this piece related to Veteran's day, which I thought was very poignant, as it gave great perspective about the realities of a job like her husband's. It certainly made me want to hug my own veteran a little tighter, and be truly thankful for the sacrifices that all service men & women make - large or small.

clothbound penguin classics

These clothbound versions of literary classics are, in my opinion, divine. $20 each at Anthropologie - perfect Christmas gifts if you can part with them.

photos: anthropologie, found via pink street

berry light garland

This weekend I hope to start making the house more festive for the holidays. I was drawn to this garland that I saw on Olivet last week, and now hope to make it for our front porch.

martha's diy berry garland (found on olivet)



photos: martha, found via olivet

kraft paper labels

I saw these kraft paper labels (from TapeSwell) in Real Simple a couple months ago, & just found the magazine page I had torn out as a reminder. This is the best image of them I could find online from the company's web shop.



images: TapeSwell

wedding in paris

It feels like I've seen this Paris wedding before, but I rediscovered it yesterday on Elizabeth Messina's site (via this post), and it had me swooning all over again. Countryside in Paris, tiny stone chapel, outdoor dining under a canopy, rustic chandeliers, & stealing away for kisses under an umbrella. Just a little romantic.

photos: Elizabeth Messina