Friday, October 30, 2009

happy hallow's eve

i hope everyone has a fun halloween tomorrow! i have a few party invitations but dx is not really excited about dressing up... maybe i'll throw a sheet over his head and drag him out of the house. :)
here are a few things to check out if you plan on spending some cozy time indoors this weekend ::
more cute kitten pictures by me! {you can't resist!}
download the brand new parasol magazine here {it's free!}
darling engagement photos on snippet and ink
a very clever halloween costume for a boy in a wheelchair, liam
oh, and happy anniversary to j + a! {you know who you are}

photo by lifelovepaper

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

lovely little wedding

here's a little wedding story for you ::
my step brother just got married to the sweetest young lady on monday night. "a monday wedding?", you ask. well, tyler recently joined the army and just returned from boot camp. his lovely bride, laurel, put together a darling little ceremony/reception at the viewpoint inn, in corbett, oregon, upon his return.
a couple of weeks ago, i was asked to put together a little "wedding announcement" to pass out to guests instead of a formal wedding program. in army colors. i think i pulled it off quite nicely::

they really are the cutest darn couple. oh, and did i mention they are 19 years old? now, as much as i personally think that this is too young to get married, i was kind of awed to see the love and sincerity on their faces as they exchanged vows. it reminded me that love comes in many forms, at many ages, and the expression of love is sometimes the greatest gift we can give each other. i truly wish them both many years of happiness together.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

brrrr...

it's getting cold outside! thus, i will require the following for my winter wardrobe ::

cowl scarf by mickieandbetty

hat by YesJess


i would love to learn how to make these myself, but i only know the very basics of knit and crochet. which means, i can make a scarf. a very plain scarf. zzzzzzz.

Monday, October 26, 2009

postcard packs :: now on etsy!

remember the postcard contest i entered a couple of months ago? well, i was one of ten finalists that had my postcard design published and they are now available at the 'this is home' shop on etsy! the postcards are separated into two packs- my design {the russian dolls above} is in Postcard Pack 1.

all of the entries were so lovely and i am truly honored to have my design in the company of such talented artists and photographers!
see the contest entries and finalists at the this is home blog
yay!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

super colossal holiday sale!


wooo! I have been accepted to be a vendor at Crafty Wonderland's Super Colossal Holiday Sale on december 13th! it's gonna be huge. i'm currently working on a bunch of new product, so mark your calendars and i'll see you at the oregon convention center in december!
more details soon!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

olio united :: closing sale

it's so sad when local businesses close, especially ones that support independent art and fashion. but portland's olio united is having it's final sale. the good news is, everything is 50-75% off! but the goods are selling fast- here are some items still available as of friday morning pst ::


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

moth love

you simply must visit mothlove's website- not just to see the lovely harvest moon collection, but to watch this dreamy intro video ::

and of course, mothlove designer gretchen jones also has an etsy shop where you can find even more gorgeous hand-crafted pieces. If you're not convinced yet, read this excerpt from gretchen's shop announcement ::
"MothLove's earthy pieces reject the current state of synthetic production and reflect the traditional methods consumers once demanded... In a Lewis Carroll-esque twist, MothLove is inspired by different caterpillars (accessories) and moths (garments)."
and all pieces in the shop are listed in the section titled "Clothing as Your Cocoon". swoon. i just love that.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

the kitten story

meet the kittens...
duke, the leader

armando, the lover {sorry, i had the wrong picture up before- this is armando!}

olaf, the shy guy

tess, the girlie

and larry. he's just larry.

it's hard to tell by these photos, but on thursday these were feral kittens. here's their story :: my brother was asked to check on some kittens that his mother-in-law spotted at an abandoned house. he asked for my help and we headed over thinking that we would just scoop up a box of sweet kittens and drop them off at a shelter. haha, it wasn't quite that easy.

we checked with the neighbors and, sure enough, they were wild kitties and their mother hadn't been seen for weeks. so, we cornered them and i grabbed one. two words :: teeth and claws. now, i am a seasoned cat owner but it's true that i have been cat-free since the passing of my last kitty a few years ago. i didn't expect the, um, damage that my hands received from this tiny furball. ouch.

we got smart and left to get some gloves and even a net for the next four. we also grabbed some sardines and liver pate to try and lure them out.

about 4 hours later, we had four of five kittens. the last one was hiding in the ceiling between the 1st and 2nd floors of an adjacent building. we decided to let the little guy calm down and i would go, on my doctor's advice, to get a tetanus shot. ouch ouch.

almost two hours later, we returned for the last kitty. we could not leave this guy there all alone overnight. and he {or she} was a crafty little devil. but finally, my brother made the final catch and we had all five kittens.

when we got them back to my brother's house, they would not go near us. we put them in a fairly large cage and gave them food and water. at that point, i was getting concerned that these guys may not be adoptable. it's sad, but many shelters will not take kittens that are unsociable. they will simply put them down.

as you can see, these little cuties have made incredible progress in the last couple of days. my brother and his wife have been patiently getting them socialized and now almost all of them have lost their fear of humans. {and they really love jasper, the pup in the photos}. they will be able to find a good home in no time.
we could not tell them apart until we got them collars, but then we started to see their individual personalities emerge. as much as i want to take one {or two or three} home, my landlord says no cats. but my lease is up in four months. and then i'll have another kitten story to tell.

Friday, October 16, 2009

when life gives you kittens...

wow. this has been an amazing week. i haven't been posting because i've been so darn busy tending to this little brood ::
if you read monday's post, you saw that my brother lost his dear pet dog last weekend. and then on thursday, just by chance, he and i were asked to rescue some kittens that someone saw at an abandoned house. i will tell the whole amazing story this weekend {involving a net, some sardines, and a tetanus shot-ouch} and post more photos, but i need to get some rest today!

life can certainly be surprising :: losing a good friend and gaining five new ones, all in one week. call it a blessing or "gift from the universe" or what-have-you. i think it's pretty neat.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

i was featured!

if you haven't heard of the lovely new blog found paper co., you must check it out! blogger xenia {i love that name!} was so kind to feature my shop on a recent post ::

{my workspace}
found paper co. is quite an up-and-coming little blog and i am honored to be picked for an interview! visit the blog here :: www.foundpaperco.blogspot.com

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

the sweetest little friends

my posting today is a little different, but probably more poignant than my usual posts. it's about pets- those warm cuddly creatures that invade our lives and pull at our heartstrings.

and unfortunately they, like every living creature, eventually pass away. the photo above is of my brother's dogs- the little girl on the right passed this last weekend. for anyone that has ever loved and lost a pet, the grief can be enormous- it's really like losing a family member. this is something i have been through a couple of times and i can imagine that most people have also had to face at some point in their lives. but i'm so thankful that these little creatures were a part of my life, however brief.
so, i dedicate this post to all the lovely pets of all the world. because of the love they give, the comfort they bring, and the sweetest little friends they make.
rest in peace lottie. you will be missed.

Friday, October 9, 2009

early autumn blooms

here are a few pics i took recently of some lovely fall flowers. thankfully, it's supposed to be a nice weekend in portland. sunny, but definitely getting colder.

i will be selling my wares this sunday at the most famous crafty wonderland. my friend sam also has a booth for her business yellow line studio- it's going to be fun! i'm working on some more re-fashioned army bags {pics to follow}, so we'll see how it goes. i guess it's kind of nice that the weather is turning colder :: it makes me want to stay inside and sew. :)
have a wonderful weekend all!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

claire la faye

i am totally ga-ga for etsy seller claire la faye's ruffled tops and dresses. i guess i'm in a girly kind of mood today :: pearls, lace, bows... so pretty.


visit claire la faye's shop here
and her pretty little website here

a bit of luxury

so many pretty things in this image- but my favorite is the wallpaper.

image from vogue paris via sighs and whispers

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

it's your world, i'm just a squirrel


i love squirrels! they are so cuddly cute with their puffy tails and beady little eyes. i was on a morning walk a couple weeks ago and was lucky enough to snap these photos of the little devils. stocking up for winter, of course. and the other usual mischief, no doubt.



these are two squirrels playing together. although it kind of looks like one really long squirrel.

this is my favorite. i like to think this is mr. squirrel's morning greeting, "hallo there! have a most wonderful day!". but it looks more like he's wishing that human would go away so he could collect his winter stores with a little peace and quiet. probably the latter. {it's okay, i still love you mr. squirrel! xo}

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

i am not a model

and i have the pictures to prove it!

so, i saw this dress on modcloth a few weeks ago and, you know that feeling when you instantly fall in love with a piece of clothing and your heart swoons and the angels sing and other such things? that's how i felt about this dress. i love the neckline, love the drape, love the buttons down one side. so, i thought i should model it as soon as it arrived. well, dx was not around so i set up the tripod and set the timer on the camera and here are your un-professional results.

notice how white my legs look? they're like, glowing. oh, and look at the shoes too. i bought those at a vintage store for $8. i call them my "cinderella shoes".

i'm a model in real life, can you tell by my original poses? {not really, i'm just a big dork}
but i do love the dress. although i think i might replace the buttons with something pretty like pale yellow or vintage pink. and now, of course, i need to find an occasion to wear it...

giveaway winner!

a big thanks to all you lovely ladies who entered my giveaway contest! the winner is Ana Alegria.
and more good news, i made my first 'paper + pinafore' sale yesterday! i sold a "xo bicycle" greeting card. hooray for etsy buyers!

Monday, October 5, 2009

last day for giveaway!

you can still win these 5 greeting cards {all hand-glittered + complete with kraft paper envelope} by visiting my last post and commenting on my new wedding invitations!





giveaway ends tonight {monday} at midnight pacific time, so good luck!