Latest and greatest etsy shop!

Ahhh Etsy! Isn't it great? It's where I've found lovely things sold by people that love handmade items and vintage finds as much as I do!
My wedding clutch was one of my first purchases, a beautiful silk and pearl beauty from the 50's.


My latest lovely find is this beautiful single cupcake sized glass cloche and milk glass plate, which I plan to use to display my future yummy baked goods! Isn't it just adorable?


I even got a couple of extra goodies in the box, these 2 really beautiful bookmarks/tags with ribbon. I have them here in our guest bedroom on my shabby-chic CL found nightstands.


The seller junktojoyshop is also having a giveaway on her blog!

So if you want to check out her wonderful items for sale at the etsy shop, and then visit her blog to to enter a chance (or 4) to win some fabulous giveaway items. I did!

Pouf Love

Poufs may not be new to you or me, although 2 of them are brand new to our home. I have been lusting over the many designs of decorative poufs that retailers have been selling for quite some time. Yesterday I got us our very own poufs.
What is a pouf? Its like a stool, or cushion that is very firm and upholstered. They are really pretty popular as most furniture shops have a version or more, I find the different style options the best part. You can find one to go with any decor.

I picked these two heavy flat weave rug style upholstered poufs, a cube and a flat square.
Best of all they are really functional and comfortable. We needed a softer surface to sit on by the fireplace. The floor just wasn't cutting it.





Our new poufs are from a locally owned independent retailer, the only name on the tag is "Roost" and that it is a Just woven cover and filled with 90% wool and 10% cotton. After googling them the closest I could find was using the search term "kilim pouf". Check them out here and here, & here.


Here are some other Poufs that I love.

This is one of my favorites, this flax and ivory cotton zig zag is just so perfect.

Calypso St. Barth


Furry Poufs are becoming popular I have seen these on a few sites. This sheep skin one would be so soft!

West Elm


Oh so wonderful for an outdoor setting or a sun room, these are made from woven Jute.

Pottery Barn


Patterns and solids have a classic look.

West Elm


Okay this is adorable and pretty much awesome. It speaks to the Alice in all of us. It would be so cute in a child's room.

Anthropologie




Leather is a great choice for a covered Pouf, its durable and cleans well. I think the metalics are really fun, but they come is all colors of the rainbow.

Jonathan Alder

Tonight's looking blue

Well that's a good thing around here actually.
I just got a knock on the door from Mr. UPS and here is my new floor mat for our laundry hall.
I love it of course, and if it doesn't look familiar to you the zig zag blue is something I am making into a theme, here and here are two examples of why I just had to have it.

Zig Zag Jaipuri from Calypso St. Barth





Blueberries whats better? Blueberry muffins are according to Mr. B.
So with the beautiful blueberries that were on sale at our local organic mart I whipped up 6 fresh blueberry muffins that he and I are enjoying tonight.





Its cold and gray out there lately, not too many blue skies these days so lets hope for more blue tomorrow and maybe even a little sun?

The Time has Come!

Check out the new clock, we pretty much love it! I have been on the look out for a clock for our home ever since we moved in. I had the space all picked out for 18 months, but I could not find one in the right size. I knew I wanted it to be wood and rustic, also large but it had to fit the wall.


So while I waited for Pottery barn to make a perfect clock for our home, like this but 4" smaller in diameter please.


Or this beauty that is a whopping 30" in diameter and that would make it about 7" too large to fit our wall.


So what did we do? We ordered it custom! This is our carved wine barrel clock, 23" diameter just our size. Its the perfect stain color, finish, and design too. Made out of the top of a used wine barrel, so its eco-friendly as a wine barrel is used only 3 times before it has to be discarded or made into something else.
But best of all its local, and supporting a local company is something I would rather do any day than buy from a large retailer like the Pottery Barn clocks above.
Oh it also goes along with our stave coat hook that I made last month out of a wine barrel, seen here.



Here is a close up of the 3 dimensional sunburst carving.


Check out their website.
ewoodart.com

NOVICA

If you haven't heard of NOVICA by now I am going to introduce it to you.
NOVICA is a webstore by the National Geographic company, they have beautiful handcrafted items from around the world. These talented artisans have a safe and wonderful way to get their crafts out to the world, it benefits them as well as the consumer who is supporting them while buying items that you just can't pick up locally.

Like these!
Today I got an email telling me these were once again available to purchase. They were out of them over 3 months ago but I signed up for an email notification once they had more in. They got in 6 sets and I just ordered 1 set for us.
They are a set of 6 beautifully hand blown dessert glasses in cobalt blue (what else) from Mexico. Shown here filled with delicious piña coladas! Yum. I plan to use these beauties for desserts mainly, ice creams (our favorite is McConnel'ls Coconut) , panna cotta, flan, who knows!

I can't wait to get them and display them in our glass cabinets.
I used a coupon code I found while searching the internet "NOVICA8494" for an order over $40.00 and saved $10.00!

A little retail therapy

It's been all work and no play for the two of us. Don't get me wrong, no complaints here, but it's nice to have a bit of a break. Yesterday I went with the girls on a little shopping evening off. We stopped at Pottery Barn, (my known weakness is home decor items), while there drooling over the fab outdoor summer items and the lamps, I saw these adorable authentic Mexican hand painted cups and saucers.


I needed them immediately.
I love the way they look in our glass door cabinet above our bright yellow backsplash.


They reminded me of our trip we took to Mexico a few years ago when we got engaged. It was the best trip either of us had ever been on. The food was so good, our breakfast every morning started with fantastic Mexican coffee with milk, fresh sweet baked breads, eggs to order with salsa, avocado, and the fruit plates, yum! We really need to go back.
These adorable cups will hopefully be used on relaxing mornings at home to sip our coffee leisurely, as if we were on vacation. That should hold us over until we have the time to go back.
December 2007


I can't wait for a slow cup of Café in these little cuties.