short : sweet :: so pretty!

i love things that i can look at everyday and still find new details...kind like where's waldo, but prettier. 

print by Anna Emilia

short : sweet :: little lamby

love this print from pamela klaffke's etsy shop. She's got lots of beautiful (and eerie...just how i like them!) photography prints to look through!

stuffs : things :: post holiday gifts

forgot to give the flower lover in your life a little something-something? Design Sponge has a few ways to make up for it:

Image above: 1. Hunter Wellies, $125; 2. Jessie Steele Hostess Apron, $32.95; 3. A Luscious Thing “Blood Roses” Statement Necklace, $165; 4. The Botany of Desire (Michael Pollan), $9.96 5. Harry and David Scarlet and Candy-Cane Amaryllis, $49.95; 6. Flowers for the Home (Prudence Designs), $26.40; 7. Tuberose Candle (Diptyque Paris), $68; 8. Jonathan Adler “Happy Chic” Vases, $39.95; 9. IKEA Stockholm Vase, $34.99; 10. Marimekko Unikko Wallpaper, $149 and Martha Stewart Poppy Stickers $3.82; 11. Felco Pruners, $46.05

Find links at Design*Sponge http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/12/2010-gift-guides-for-flower-lovers.html#ixzz18fmEqX2y

If i'm the one you forgot a present for....i especially like #s 1, 3, and 6!

up : date :: almost fab

hehe, my sis sent me this link from gofugyourself, which i had actually just finished looking at myself! you know... it's the little guilty pleasures in life. personally, if miss k. bell had on some sort of summery brown or gold strap-y flats, i could dig on the dress.

le : sigh

a few of my fave natural wreaths to end the week with! Merry Merry!

top by Emily Thompson via Design Sponge

middle by Saipua

1 : 3 :: fabric wreaths (part 2)

more fun with fabric wreaths!

Ribbon! I could spend hours looking at this wreath...all the different types of ribbon are pretty mesmerizing. find it at Marthe28's etsy shop.

holy felted balls batman! of course my favorite would be the most expensive one...but look at it! it's fun and yet there's something quite sophisticated about the color combinations. i think this would be a year-round (hehe) wreath for me! from KittyJones's etsy shop.

hope you enjoyed this 2-part installment of fabric wreaths!

1 : 3 :: fabric wreaths (part 1)

I love the idea of a fabric wreath! You can use it year after year, it won't drop needles (though it won't smell as good), and you aren't trying to fool anyone with a tacky fake plastic wreath. Since i found so many fun ones, I have to split it up into 2 parts...so let's get started

how fun is this pom-pom wreath! i just want to snuggle up with it! via re-nest

this reminds me of the scrunchies i used to make in grade school! i love how full and colorful it is, and that it could be appropriate for basically any time of year. it could be a great diy if you have leftover or vintage fabric. from A Work of Heart SA's etsy shop.

for a simple, understated wreath, i am liking this one. perfect for your cottage or beach house. from Cat Nap Cottage's etsy shop.

then : now :: wreath history

Wreaths 101:


In Ancient Greece, the wreath was given to Olympic champions as a trophy of their accomplishments. Later, head wreaths signified royalty or social standing. Other wreaths were used for military status symbols. In religion, the wreath has had many meanings associated with it; its circular form offered meanings of everlasting life or family circle. When hung on a door, a wreath symbolizes a welcoming greeting. Braided wreaths either worn or displayed offered a symbol of unity, peace, and spiritual ties. Other meanings include growth, eternity, good will, and prosperity.


via wreathsgalore

So, ancient wreaths were typically laurel head wreaths like this:

Growing up catholic, it was always pretty exciting when the advent wreath showed up...it meant 4 weeks until christmas! if you want to learn about the symbolism of the advent wreath, here's a good site.

here is a very sweet advent calendar-wreath idea/how to:

via factory direct craft blog

and now-a-days you can have a door wreath for halloween!

via the green head

via martha

But since it is Christmas time, i figured i'd end with a lovely wreath and another cute advent calendar idea from Ali Edwards (a post from 2007, but pretty classic)

up : date :: wide world of wreaths week

ok, so i know in my little update last week i promised "wreaths, fashion, photography and other goodies," but in lieu of it being xmas week, i'm going to focus exclusively on wreaths! I love wreaths, though you wouldn't know it because i don't own one, and i sometimes grumble about making them at work. And like most things decorative, i am extremely picky about wreaths (maybe that's why i don't own one...still looking for the perfect one). I like them either completely wild or very graphic.

Today's wreath is mostly notsalgic for me...my mom always made something crafty for family/friends for christmas...one year it was pinecone reindeers, another year it was jingle bell necklaces, and one year she made tiny wreath ornaments out of sweet gum seed pods.

We always called them "sputniks" Anyhoo, here is a pretty amazing "sputnik" wreath ala martha:

via Shelter interior design's blog, which also has the "how-to" for this spiky wreath

le : sigh

i really like the idea of a yellow door. 

via remodelista

1 : 3 :: nesting dolls

with the holidays approaching i feel like im seeing nesting dolls all over the place! here are 3 of my fave incarnations of the nesting doll:

traditional matryoshka dolls as huge wall decals. personally, i would have put them right at the baseboard. 

hand painted/doodled dolls by David Waters

get your own blank nesting dolls!

stuffs : things :: nelson & lorraine

Kate just so happens to be a good friend and almost-neighbor of mine who just opened the sweetest vintage etsy shop called nelson & lorraine. Her shop went up a few weeks ago and she's already sold most of her stuff! She has such a great sense of style that mixes midcentury modern with natural simplicity and folky goodness to create all around awesomeness! Check out her blog here! yay for kate!

le : sigh

via saipua

to : do :: giant pussy willow!

got these pics from my amazing sister....not sure what NYC store they were from, but how much fun are they?! ping pong pussy willow!

1 : 3 :: cabbage!

i've used broccoli in a bridal, and we use kale a lot at the shop for arrangements. So here are 3 cabbage bouquets that are as easy as it gets. 

step 1: buy cabbage 

step 2: hold onto your cabbage

step 3: walk down aisle

via Nibs

up : date :: all's fair in crafts and arts

here are some booth pics from the Holiday Handmade Market here in bloomington! it was a few weekends ago, but for not doing craft fairs hardly ever, i thought i macgyvered together a nice little setup. I covered large boxes that our flowers get delivered in with red tablecloth...this made it really easy to use pushpins to display my prints and mini arts (note: no art was harmed in doing this!). i think the oriental runner really pulled it all together. 

thanks to everyone who came out! 

le : sigh

short : sweet :: Gobble Gobble

Happy Turkey Day! 

learn how to give a turkey high five here!

1 : 3 :: cornucopias

ok, cornucopias are possibly the cheesiest thanksgiving decor! case in point:

But i think there is hope for the cornucopia. First some interesting wikipedia background:

In Greek mythology, Amalthea was a goat who raised Zeus on her breast milk, in a cave, on Mount Ida of Crete. Her horn was accidentally broken off by Zeus while playing together. The god Zeus, in remorse, gave her back her horn with supernatural powers, which would give whoever possessed it whatever they wished for. The original depictions were of the goat's horn filled with fruits and flowers: deities, especially Fortuna, were depicted with the horn of plenty. The cornucopia was also a symbol for a woman's fertility. ....In modern depictions, the cornucopia is typically a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with various kinds of festive fruit and vegetables. In North America, the cornucopia has come to be associated with Thanksgiving and the harvest....The horn of plenty is used on body art and at Christmas, as it is a symbol of fertility, fortune and abundance. Some evangelical Christians warn against wearing the symbol, or the similar Italian horn symbol of male fertility, saying it is actually demon-infested or unlucky, and equating it to the "little horn", a figure described in the Christian Bible sometimes considered to be the Antichrist.

Now onto a few cornucopias that are all right by me!

the edible coruncopia! mmmm berries.

the modern coruncopia! mmmm simple.

the tasteful traditional cornucopia! mmmm martha.

stuffs : things :: thanksgiving

I am loving this fall fabric flower garland from Pretty Swell. i think it would be pretty on a wall, a door, a table, or draped on a chandelier! 

up : date :: my favorite holiday!

Thanksgiving is by far my fave holiday. It's based on (hopefully) good food, good friends/family, and good feelings of thanks. Never mind that the pilgrim/indian backstory might be a bit shady...and turkey has a tendency to end up dry...and people ruin sweet potatoes with marshmallows. My feeling is that hopefully you have at least one of the 3 (food, friends/fam, thanks)...and if you do, you have something to celebrate! I am super thankful (that's 1!) this year to be having thanksgiving in Chicago with both my fam and my in-laws (that's 2!!). Dinner will be at the in-laws' and the hubs and i are hoping to contribute a few dishes...maybe mussels...maybe gluten-free coconut cream pie...maybe sausage stuffed acorn squash...maybe grain-free rosemary pecan cookies. (that's 3!!!)

i am one lucky lady.

le : sigh

do you have memories of the perfect cup of hot cocoa? was it made with a powder mix? syrup? melted chocolate? with water? milk? on the stove? in the microwave. My childhood hot cocoa was milk with hershey's syrup heated in the microwave. with two large marshmallows. you had to make sure the mallows didn't explode, and you'd always have a bit of a chewy-crusty mallow rim on your mug. Of course it always tasted best after some snow fort building or sledding!
These days my cups of cocoa usually include a shot of baileys or are powdered mixes when im out camping. I might just have to make a cup Mom's way to sip on some sweet memories!

then : now :: green tea

So this is not as much then:now as it might be before:after. Anyhoo, it's all about green tea! from the plant to the dried loose leaves, to the tea bag and finally to the beautiful tea flowers via Cook Almost Anything. Maybe i would drink more green tea if my tea balls burst into gorgeous flowers when i brewed them. probably not, but i have been trying to make a conscious effort to drink at least a few cups daily. Green tea has a crazy amount of antioxidants and has been shown to be helpful especially for people with RA. drink up people!

stuffs : things :: coffee and tea

I think this week will be devoted to my favorite hot drinks. I am sitting in a coffee shop presently and am inspired by my americano with a half pump of cinnamon and a splash of half and half. It is so delicious. i love the americano...not as milky as the latte and when the coffee shop you are in has terrible drip coffee, it works out quite well. I've also been trying to more drink green tea...more on that later this week!
In the meantime, i came across these sweet little botanical mugs at Barker and Stonehouse:

up : date :: the streep!

Last week we were able to make arrangements for a few big events. One of them was for a dinner at which Meryl Streep and Jane Pauly were in attendance! Since we were creating the arrangements we were given tickets to "An Evening of Conversation with Meryl Streep and Jane Pauley." It was so great! Meryl was everything you'd hope she'd be and it all felt very honest and casual. Anyhoo, check out andrea's posts over at her blog about the event flowers!
part one
part two