today i'm loving... ishtar olivera

it's been a very difficult month and to finish it up... i'm sick again! hopefully, february will be a better month. anyways, today i wanted to share something cheery and lovely. 

today i'm loving ishtar olivera. her designs are so joyful they feel like a clean breeze, a smile, and a warm cup of tea. whether it be a hand carved stamp, an illustration, or a sweet photo, a visit to her blog always leaves me feeling a bit more light hearted. stop by her etsy shop too! 

     

    

thank you ishtar for letting me share your photos! 

today i'm loving... lilac saloon

hand cut felt heart confetti by lilac saloon

have a sweet and happy weekend!

yellow wallpaper handmade

today, i'm loving the pretty, vintage inspired designs at yellow wallpaper handmade.

lovely right? :)

found via papernstitch

away we go

off on another adventure. be back soon :)

bunny kite by naokosstoop

sweet etsy favs

some of my recent etsy favs. super sweet and full of happiness :)

winston and squeak - hilarycosgrove

laptop bag - bicycle and a bit of lace on linen - trackandfielddesigns

lion costume - dog halloween costume - lilyorkiefrufru

hello speech bubble hand carved rubber stamp - eatpraycreate

the photographer rabbit - teconlene

right as rain - small wall art hoop - pillipillihandmade

an ode to crayons

i've always loved crayons. crayolas in particular. the best schools years were the ones that started with a brand new yellow box filled with waxy, bright, crayons. i did my best to use my crayons evenly, rotating them so that they would stay pointy for as long as possible.

zodiac crayon carvings by diem chau

love in every color - 8x10 fine art photograph by shannonpix

to be honest, i think this old sesame street clip is what started my whole crayon love affair. this was by far my favorite sesame street video and i love it now just as much as i did when i was six.

i believe coloring (with crayons especially) is good for the soul. next time you're having a bad day, grab a box of crayons and a coloring book and scribble away. and please do color outside the lines if you'd like :)

PetitPlat

images by PetitPlat

someone needs to pick me up off the floor. i remember seeing PetitPlat's work on etsy a long time ago but i recently rediscovered her work when i saw a photo of a teeny cheese platter on must have cute. i definitely remember her fruity earrings, and the unbelievably realistic salmon, but oh my gosh i do not remember her baked goods! how are these not real?! to give you an idea of how tiny these masterpieces are, one of those bread baskets measures about one inch. PetitPlat, you truly are an artist and miniaturist extraordinaire.

a pretty pouch

when doing something creative, you should surround yourself with pretty and inspiring things.  the pouch that i kept my crochet hooks, scissors, and stitch markers was not pretty.  i think it was a makeup bag that came as a free gift in a department store.  so i asked lyn from florspace to whip up something inspiring for me.  isn't it sweet?  it's perfect and makes me so happy.  thanks lyn!  and be sure to check out florspace... so many pretty pouches and the quality is truly top notch.

mamau le petit monde

i love looking through illustrations and prints on etsy.  i was searching for a print to give to my sister as a housewarming gift when i found mamau le petit monde.  i love her work.  it's sweet, calming, dreamy, and just makes me so happy.   i wish i understood spanish because her blog looks just as lovely.

TWINS!

i'm going to be an auntie... of TWINS!!  my beloved sister is pregnant with two little rugrats  :)  i'm elated and can't wait to meet them.  i hope they like me.  i'm going crazy with curiosity wondering if they'll be boys, girls or better yet, one of each!  whether they're boys or girls, they're going to be bombarded with handmade toys.  i want to make them quilts, toys, mobiles, games... i'm so excited!  and of course i'm already searching through etsy for beautiful handmade items that i can spoil the little guys with.

Wooden Hedgehogs and Mushrooms by Imaginationkids

Forest Animals Squirrels Owl on a Oak Tree by styleywalls

 

 Korean Alphabet Quilt by EmiShimosato

 Organic Building Blocks by littlesaplingtoys

Gyoza Dinner by GoBuggy

and for the omma to be...

 

Omma Korean for Mother in Hangul Sterling Silver Pendant by nicholasandfelice

where do i live?

i love the fun, modern design of ork posters.  but which one should i get?  chicago, where my heart and childhood lives... or boston, the place i've made my home for the past 5 years?

images from ork posters

papercuts

not the painful kind. but the otherworldly, mind boggling kind. my first encounter with papercuts was when i stumbled upon papercutdiecut on etsy. i just kind of sputtered in disbelief for a few minutes, no joke. how how HOW can these possible be cut out of rice paper by human hands? i'm convinced that papercutdiecut is a fairy of some sort.

images from papercutdiecut. click on each photo to view their etsy listing.

and because i live in boston and because it simply rocks, i had to include this paper cut of the old boston city hall by papercutsbyjoe. i would never guess that this was a papercut! i can't imagine the thought process that must go into creating this out of a single sheet of paper and a craft blade. and one unexpected sneeze while cutting and it's game over.

image from papercutsbyjoe. click on the photo to view its etsy listing.

image from amazon

going along with all these beautiful works of paper art, i'm dying to read this book! i judge books by their covers and this one is so promising. i'm wishing and hoping that my library will order it soon. isn't it amazing how versatile paper is? and what's even more amazing is what the wonderfully creative people in this world can do with it.

squeak

i have a mouse. it's a cute mouse but it's a stranger mouse. while we were relaxing after dinner, i heard a noise in the kitchen. i peaked in to see a tiny mouse helping itself to a mushroom bit that was in the frying pan which i had left on the stove. not cool. see, my problem is that i like furry little things. i visit cuteoverload probably four times a day (oh shush you probably do it too). so i feel bad killing this mouse with a glue trap the size of a loaf of bread. if he could just sanitize himself before entering my apartment, i'd be fine with him visiting. unfortunately, i don't think mice carry purell with them. and what if he's a friend of waukegans?! how traumatizing would that be for her? although right now she doesn't seem too concerned... she's thundering around the apartment like a rhino looking for some more cords to chew.

photo from the house of mouse. anna makes the funniest little mice in the world.

even worse... what if he's a ron weasley mouse? then what would harry and hermione do without him?? i think i've lost it.

arrrrghhhh!

i think that halloween and fall really bring out the best in indie artists and crafters. halloween can be fun, cute and eerie all at the same time and it encourages your imagination to go wild. these days, i'm wondering if i should dress up for halloween... i haven't dressed up since college and it was a lazy costume. i've always wanted to really dress up. maybe a pirate?

shien lee pirate queen, handblocked, pirate hat by caribbeanrosepirate

pirate/tavern wench 2 piece costume by northwic

black feather eye patch by gothfoxdesigns (this shop carries adult items and photos for mature audiences only!)

black wedding elaborate jeweled all hallows eve choker by morticiasnow

underworld pirate queen - vintage violet purple and black enamel tribal french baroque chandelier earrings by bionicunicorn

gypsy and twink

have you met gypsy and twink? she uses such simple shapes to create beautiful pieces. i'd love to know where she gets her papers :) it's so sweet how the pieces snuggle into each other and how they're not whole without one another. home isn't home without my family.

2 birds, gold and red

word house with lady

blue house with tree

photos from gypsyandtwink