happy weekend...

hopefully you're relaxing at home today. i'll be spending the day with some of my favorite gentlemen and then doing some christmas tree hunting and decorating with A in the evening. wherever you are, and whatever you're doing...i hope it's lovely.

[photo credit: ditte isager. check out her website for some wonderfully inspirational work]

happy thankgiving...

i hope you have a blessed thanksgiving this year. despite everything that seems to be plaguing us lately, there is still so much to be thankful for. i found this little snippet in glamour. a simple reminder to be thankful for yourself and all of your possibilities...

cherish your solitude.
take trains by yourself to places
you have never been. sleep
out alone under the stars. learn
how to drive a stick shift.
go so far away that you stop being
afraid of not coming
back. say no when you don't
want to do something.
say yes if your instincts are
strong, even if everyone around
you disagrees. decide
whether you want to be liked
or admired. decide if fitting
in is more important than
finding out what you're
doing here. believe in kissing.
- eve ensler
"i am an emotional creature"

house beautiful [december oh-nine]...

i'm pretty sure i loved every room of this house, featured in the newest house beautiful. see all of the fabulous photos and details here.

designer: jill brinson
photography: simon upton
what i love: everything. but especially those bookcases.

designer: jill brinson
photography: simon upton
what i love: the contrast of black and white/grey is perfect.

designer: jill brinson
photography: simon upton
what i love: helllloooo windows...

tree of life...

i saw this some time ago on oh so beautiful paper, but i couldn't resist posting it here. it's just so lovely. even more so when you know the time spent to make it. read more here.

new [and old] finds...

i had some time to kill last week and stopped in one of my favorite antique malls, where i unexpectedly found this little beauty...


it is an old chocolate tin i've repurposed for some of my crafting supplies...

and last but not least. the best buy of the millennium. i found it at a liquidation sale but was completely heartbroken when i realized it definitely wouldn't fit in my car. i cut my losses and moved on, but later that afternoon, my sweet daddy offered to take me back and see if it was still there. it must have been fate, because there she sat, just waiting for me. and she was only $4.

diy...flower necklace

well here it is...my first real sewing diy project and i'm so excited to share it with you! for the longest time i've lusted after the beautiful floral statement necklaces [often seen here], but couldn't justify spending tons of money on one. so, using the ruffled headband directions from rachel at heart of light, i made this little beauty for ashley's birthday.
to make your own, just follow the directions below [remember you can enlarge the print by double-clicking on each photo].

materials needed...
30" ribbon for the necklace [satin or grosgrain works well]
1/4 yard thin fabric for the flowers [i used thin china silk; you won't use this much, but you'll just have extra.]
thread to match your fabric
sewing needle
scissors
ruler

happy weekend...

thank goodness it's thursday! i hope you have many lovely things planned for the weekend...i'll be crafting, shopping, cooking up a storm, and celebrating A and i's six year anniversary [with pizza and lots of ice cream].

i do have one fun link to share before i go though. if you love portraits [old or new], take a moment to check out the national portrait gallery website. you can find all sorts of famous and infamous subjects and get prints for incredibly reasonable prices. one i'll have to have...the classic jane austen pencil sketch.

anyway, come back next week for some fabulous new decorating finds and a diy project i'm very proud of...

[photo and the pretty dress found at ouma]

retro fun...

add some to your kitchen with these.