beautiful clutter

i always have to bring my camera when i stop by my favorite portland boutique, flutter. there are so many treasures to see, i'm always certain to get some great shots. here are a few of them ::

and yes, this great big kitty resides here... and seems to quite like it.

also check out jena's flutter pics on the modish blog

and

my previous photo tour of flutter here

you can even shop flutter online! www.flutterclutter.com

dreamcats

i love cats. and i love dreamy photos. so when i discovered the dreamcats photo blog, which showcases nothing but dreamy pictures of cats, i submitted some of my own to their flickr group. lo and behold, two of them have been chosen for posting so far!

this one

and this one

if you're new to this blog and wondering how i ever had the pleasure of caring for 5 baby kittens, read this post. and to see more kitten photos, visit my flickr page.

dreamcats found via modish blog

leighmade

my oh-so-talented friend jenny has a new etsy shop! welcome to leighmade :: where jenny turns leather scraps + stainless steel flasks into a fashion accessory.

she has come up with some pretty inventive ways of keeping the leather cover snug against the metal- aren't these cross-tie backs so cute?

she adds beautiful stitching to most of the leather pieces and sometimes fun little buttons too.

these flasks feature snap-closure backs. the metal works perfectly with the leather, don't you think?

jenny is taking orders now, so visit leighmade on etsy before the holiday rush!

a baby shower

yesterday i hosted my sister's baby shower and it was great! i was so busy being hostess, i didn't have time to take many photos, but here are a few detail shots- you'll see that the main color was green, and i used a lot of it ::

i set out small glassine bags for guests to fill with green apple flavored candies.

i also printed up little note cards for guests to write a sweet message or piece of baby advice for the first-time parents :: these match the invitations i made for the shower as well. the note cards were then pinned to a bulletin board covered in green gingham fabric.

the little carousel is from the "animal parade" collection by meri-meri, a fabulous little paper goods shop that specializes in themed partyware & stationary {where i also bought the cupcake toppers & baking cups}.

the shower was a huge success and my sister was very happy. and the best part- i'm going to have a little nephew in november! yay! first-time auntie!

photos by me

vintage photo friday

i love looking at vintage photographs :: they appear to tell a story- a different story for each set of eyes laid upon them. and it's also interesting {and fun} to get a sense of the style & fashion of the day.

so, for the next several fridays, i will be sharing vintage photos of my family right here on the blog. these portraits are of my grandmother, circa late 1940's. these were taken in germany, right after WWII, an era during which my grandmother and her family experienced many hardships. in these photos, however, she looks happy :: i imagine she had just met my grandfather and was a young german woman in love with an american soldier. ah, how romantic.

more vintage photos next friday! have a wonderful weekend!

re-re-design

gah. i've re-designed my blog header... um, again. the last one just looked too busy and cluttered and seemed to detract from the blog content, which is what blogs are really all about, right? i only had it up for a few days, but just wasn't feeling it ::

i did get a lot of compliments on the macaron header, which was up for quite awhile ::

so i took another stab at the blog header :: yes? better? not better? too pink? i have a feeling i'm going to be at this for awhile. i may just bring back the macarons but i'd like to experiment a bit first. feedback is more than appreciated. :) thanks!

i have a confession to make :: i don't really wear jewelry. i have some jewelry, but only a handful of pieces that i wear on special occasions, such as social events & such. every so often, i come across a piece that i must have. then, and only then, do i let myself make a jewelry purchase.

this is a piece that i bought last week and i love it!! this is the "seeds jewelry : short necklace" made by amazon art on etsy.

not only is it gorgeous and colorful, it's made entirely from natural products of the amazon forests of brazil. my necklace is crafted from color-stained acai seeds & tucum ligature, which are {respectively} turned into beads and string by indigenous people of the area. amazon art uses fair trade principles to purchase it's supplies, which makes me feel great about owning this piece.

visit amazon art on etsy and discover some wonderful, natural wearable art! ships from uk.

happy autumn equinox!

i love fall. i love watching leaves turn to rusty hues & flutter to the ground, i love the scent of impending rain in the air, and i especially love blackberry pie, which i will be making later today. yay for autumn!

photo by me

a new look

how do you like my new layout? just playin' around with photoshop and blogger a bit. i just spent hours on this, blah. i am tired.

see you tomorrow for a special autumn equinox photo!

xo, havilah

another vintage find!

i bought this little antique mini-file a few weeks ago and it turned out to be the perfect solution for sorting & storing paper samples for my wedding shop paper + pinafore. and it's darn cute.

oh! and check back here soon because i will soon be celebrating my 100th sale at the paper + pinafore shop! i plan to have a fun little giveaway, so i'll keep you posted!

confetti paper garlands

by kristinamarie on etsy

little byrd vintage

you all know i love everything vintage. and lucky me, i just found a beautiful vintage shop on etsy called "little byrd vintage"- and it just happens to be local! (yay, portland!)

this shop is also a perfect example of really good product photography :: natural lighting, intelligent staging :: most of the products are shown as they would be used in a home- a vase with flowers, a chalkboard with writing, an old frame with photos.

see what i mean?

visit little byrd vintage on etsy

fresh from the market :: part two

see all of my farmer's market photos on my flickr page

fresh from the market :: part one

some photos from the weekend trip to the local farmer's market!

more pics tomorrow!