to a crafty friend

Not only is my friend Erin a crafting genius, she's also got an eye for finding adorable little gifts on etsy. We babysat for her 2 cute kids overnight a few weeks ago and of course she put together an over-the-top and unnecessary thank you gift. The gift basket included these adorable ceramic magnets from MudHutt. Even more impressive were these beaded wine charms that she made with her own two hands. I'm in love with the colors. Raise your hand if you think Erin needs to open her own etsy shop!

supplies!

Hope everyone enjoyed a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. The highlight of my weekend was definitely the 25% off everything sale at my local scrapbooking store, the ScrapbookNook in San Bruno. Since I don't make it there very often, I definitely took advantage and stocked up on some gorgeous supplies! I was soo elated to spot these pins by Fancy Pants. I've been hunting for cute pins for awhile, and these exceeded my expectations. Needless to say, I've been one happy crafter lately.

tres chick

My darling freshman-year of college roommate, Amanda, or Sparkle as I often affectionately refer to her, just paid us a Spring Break visit. Even if we didn't always agree on the way the world should work, we definitely see through the same eyes when it comes to what's cute in the world and how it should be decorated. She brought us these a*dorable chick dish towels as a housewarming gift. It was a complete delight to show her around S.F. and and share all of its most charming places.

wishes

Welcome February! I love, love, love this month. It's a month of warmth, love, delights, Valentine's Day and lots of Happy Birthdays in my world. In fact, my B*day is just a few days away, and I've got a few little wishes tucked away. Please know that my intention is not to drop hints, but rather to document my wildest birthday dreams. :)I'm very curious about the contents of this book. I caught wind of it while visiting Jen at the Cottage Nest today. It looks marvelous!! Embroidery is high on my list of skills to learn/master someday. I love the fresh, simple designs on the cover.I've also got my eyes on this nifty scrapbooking tool. The Zutter-Bind-It-All punches through tough materials like chip board and even CDs and then binds with metal rings. My imagination is buzzing with all of the cool journals, books, and mini scrapbooks I could make with this toy.
And last but certainly not least, I've been craving a pair of elegant drop pearl earrings. So classic, so perfect for dressing up or just plain looking cute.

tree skirt {of my dreams}

For 4 consecutive Christmases, I have put up a perfectly lovely tree that's forced to remain skirt-less. Why? Because I refuse to buy an ugly tree skirt, I have not had the gumption to make my own tree skirt, and I have yet to find a beautiful tree skirt. Today I think the search has finally ended. I am absolutely smitten by this Scandinavian-style Poinsettia cut-out skirt from Anthropologie. Of course, at $128 it's a big beyond my budget...So I'm praying prayers and crossing fingers that Anthropologie will pull through and save a little leftover love for me with after-Christmas clear outs come December 26th!

clever, clever girlie gift

What will designer Heather Bailey come up with next!? Her latest, Trash Ties, are seriously nifty hair pieces with some seriously convincing marketing. This would make a super hip, inexpensive gift for the trendster girlfriends in your life.

12 days

I've always been a fan of the 12 days of Christmas carol and today, I am a HUGE fan of these 12 Days of Christmas plates. How darling would they be for a holiday dinner party setting? Each plate is so unique and lovely.

muse

It's high time that I be more proactive about finding sewing classes that fit in with my schedule and budget. While googling around for more craft stores in San Francisco, I came across Muse, which was formally located in my neighborhood. To my dismay, the business has relocated to L.A. If you're lucky enough to live in SoCal, you should definitely check this place out. They offer mod + darling patterns and affordable, private sewing lessons. What more could a girl want? Ooh, and speaking of patterns, you need not live in L.A...You can order them online!

clean = happy

Recently, I discovered the delights of Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products. This stuff is eco-friendly, aromatherapeutic, and just plain good, hardworking soap for good, hardworking you. With scents from gingerbread to geranium, it brings slaving over a sink of dirty dishes a little closer to the spa.

{fresh}

It's a fresh new month...Time to share some of my favorite fresh finds on the wonderful world wide web:

• Gobs of lucious eye candy at the new face of design*sponge

• Check it out: Poppytalk handmade launched today!

• Another great resource to for the time-crunched crafter: Whipup

• October means that fall is officially here, Halloween will be over in a jiffy, and we can all start thinking about the real holidays and some serious family time. These mini wreaths already have me in the holiday spirit!

• And of course, a little birdie love {above} by Ann Wood.

crave san francisco

Attention girls: There has never been a better time to come & visit me in S.F.! Sweet Jeff just bought me this nifty book: CRAVE San Francisco, the complete girly guide to the city. LOVE IT! Organized by neighborhood, it's oozing with an insider's scoop on where to find all of the prettiest things in S.F. at of-the-moment local places: boutiques, spas, yoga, and stores full of yarns, shoes, gifts, ribbons, tea and cakes...the list goes on! Plus, the book highlights many of the successful, inspring female entrepreneurs behind the indulgent locations. CRAVE hit the shelves about a year ago, but it's still new and exciting to me! I think that this is a dazzling idea, because it supports community business and makes girls like me very happy indeed. So keep up the great work, local women retailers...I may be broke, but I'll never be bored again! Oh and great news: CRAVE has also published similar literature for the girly-girls located in Seattle and Vancouver!

{swell weddings} making it personal

There are limitless ways to personalize your wedding and create your most unforgettable, perfect day. One of my favorite places to find these personal touches is in the day's minutest details. If you don't know this already, you will know now, and I hope you never forget it: Martha Weddings is the quintessential resource for sweet, handmade wedding crafts. Truly, there is no better way to show your guests how much their presence means to you than to send them a handmade invitation, or set a handwritten place card at their setting for the reception.

Here are just a few of my favorite craft ideas from Martha's archives. DIY wedding projects do not have to be stressful or overly time-consuming. You can make them fun and memorable by gathering all of your 'maids together to form a favor-making-ribbon-tying assembly line or sitting your family down at the dining room table for an afternoon with scissors, glue, and place cards. Plus, there are so many great resources and (kits!) out there to help streamline the process.

And the best part is: Martha Stewart Weddings just got better! The magazine's editor, Darcy Miller, has officially started an adorable wedding blog, The Bride's Guide. It's such a fun place to find answers and the inside scoop to what my idol, I mean, this wedding expert is up to!

{swell weddings} something blue

If I could get married all over again (to Jeff, of course!), I would love to have a blue bird-themed wedding. Birds are popping up as design themes everywhere these days. I am such a fan; they are both darling and symbolic. I absolutely love the gorgeous letterpressed stationery by Lucky Paperie (bottom right). Also check out the charming robin egg tags from NaturalHistorie's Etsy shop (bottom center). How mod and stylish would it be to wear a feathery hairpiece from Tigerlilly (top right)? That tantalizing hydrangea ball bouquet is just for looks...as gorgeous as hydrangea blooms are, be forewarned that they are often expensive and difficult to keep looking fresh when out of season. Last, but certainly not least, a simple bird's nest with 3 bright robin's eggs would certainly make a sweet, simple, and unique reception centerpiece for any budget!

Oh and a quick P.S.! I just came across this magical springtime cake over at Martha Weddings. Isn't it just lovely?

busy bee

I just got home from work, realized I left my cell-phone there, polished off an entire carton of raspberries (D-lish), and oh yeah, my to-do list! Can you tell that my head is swirling!? It seems that our San Francisco bed & breakfast is in full swing: I am *so* excited because my parents and littlest, or should I say, youngest brother (he's 12--and officially taller and stronger...but don't tell him that!) are coming to visit this weekend! It will be so great to see them--I don't think I've ever gone this long without. Can you believe it's been 3 months already, since we moved to Cali? Anyway, it was such a sweet surprise & blessing that they could find time to come. Seriously, I was hoping that they would be able to come before next summer. It's going to be a quickie visit (3 days), so I'm trying my very hardest to plan ahead. For the next 24 hours, I am in travel agent/hostess mode...making schedules, lists, and getting this place whipped into shape! What are your plans for the long weekend? Whatever you have in store, make it delightful!

Do you not love these gold bee earrings by Anthropologie? Totally unique and inspiring me today.

crush

I can't even help it. I am head-over-heels, in love, obsessed with these gorgeous new pillows from Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic. (They would be absolutely perfect for filling those big, empty, bay windows in our apartment!) In fact, you could even dare to say that I follow her design religiously. Everything is so light, fresh, and downright girly in a good way. True confessions: 1. A few months ago, just for fun on a Friday night, cozy on my couch, I devoured one of her latest books The Shabby Chic Home, instead of tackling the infinite list of should-be-doings. 2. Since one of her delightful little boutiques is located just across the street from my work, you can bet that I regularly peruse there...which only fuels my obsession! 3. Here's hoping that either she releases similar pillows in her more affordable Simply Shabby Chic line at Target, or a Shabby Chic shopping spree falls from the sky so I can snatch these beauties up today!

happy crafters

We were busy little crafters yesterday! All week long, we scoured the thrift shops of S.F., looking for great fabrics and embellishments to achieve our sewing dreams. After all, Amy didn't check that 50lb old-school metal Singer for nothing! Finally on Saturday, we set to work and fumbled through the tedium of being novice sewers without moms handy when the machine groans and misbehaves. There is nothing more satisfying than snapping pics of the finished products and buzzing about how one day we will open an etsy shop of our very own!{This is the birdie apron that I made using 2 vintage pillow cases and an adorable little crocheted flower. Shhh...The pillowcase came with that cutesy scalloped edge, so no sewing miracle was performed on my part.}
Remember the Martha pattern I romanticized about making for mornings at the Farmers' Market? Well, dear Amy created this carefree summer tote for herself and it's reversible! Plus, she scored a matching knit picnic blanket from a thrift store yesterday. Perfection. :)

Last but not least, Amy had a treasured souvenir tank from her semester in Cambodia that shrunk and was doomed for the rag pile. But, she cut it out, combined it with a handsome button-down shirt, and made it into an adorable tote that might be mistaken for something bought at Urban Outfitters! Isn't she awesome?

creative space

This weekend I've been on a complete rampage to neatly organize all of my craft supplies in the scrapbook nook. It's always a challenge to 1. personalize a crafting space with general cuteness and design, 2. organize and maximize its efficiency with my favorite supplies within reach, 3. stick to a low-to-no budget, and 4. keep it that way!

That's when I turn to the experts:I don't know about you, but I am having some major jealousy issues with Heather Bailey's studio right now! Everything about this room is absolutely divine. I adore her use of color and elegant furnishings. It's a vicious cycle, really: Have a gorgeous inspirational creative space--then create more gorgeous inspirational things to share with the world. Thanks, Heather, for a peek into your studio. Sorry about the drool...

happy, happy weekend!

I simply adore my embroidered days-of-the-week dishtowels made by my grandma! In my opinion, every girl needs a crafty grandma and every girl needs a set of these to brighten her kitchen daily. In truth, I have two sets...One week of lovebirds (from my Grandma) and one week of teapots (from my Great Aunt). So fun! Hope that you have a relaxing, productive, recreational, and inspirational weekend.

find

Just wanted to share my Etsy find of the day! {For those of you unfamiliar with etsy, it's an incredible, enormous online craft fair featuring only the best and beautiful little shoppes.} Darling wristlets from pink lemonade boutique. Pink and black with a little sass, and a sweet little birdie to balance it all out!

paper repurposed

Just flipping through the August Martha. I am in love with these paper fortune tellers repurposed for a Sundae party. So simple and adorable!