Tikoli Tea Towels

I love these Tikoli tea towels!  It’s always fun to have patterned textiles to add a bit of color throughout your house.  Design Milk is having a give-a-way!  Or go ahead and purchase them here.

Happy Thanksgiving

I’m thankful for family.

I want Wednesday – Indiana Glass Hen

I am a sucker for nostalgia.  My mom has had the same mixing bowl for as long as I can remember (the olive green pyrex one with the 60s inspired flower pattern!).  I love it so much that my sister ended up getting me my own at a garage sale for my birthday a few years ago!  I definitely have a certain attachment to select objects my family and friends own.

The latest item I have been wanting is my own version of the glass hen my Grandma has at her house.  Usually filled with candy and such, she has the amber colored dish – but I was excited to find that it is made in green (among other colors) as well.  Now the dilemma is whether to get the green one (half nostalgia) or the amber one (full nostalgia!).

They seem to be readily available by searching e-bay and in internet searching I have turned up this info about them and this other store to purchase them through.  I think this one is going on my Christmas list!

Rayskin

One of the great things about working at a studio space in Sherman Mills is seeing what all the other creative people around us are doing!  Rayskin is a local studio that hand makes gorgeous skateboards and surfboards and inlays designs laser cut from wood veneer.  I’m so amazed by the amount of detail and craftsmanship that goes into each board!  Take a look at the photos here that document making a surfboard!  Amazing!

{now Maker USA}

Thanksgiving Crafts

I was browsing marthastewart.com today for some holiday craft inspiration.  I figured I would share the projects that interested me the most.  Many of them are not Thanksgiving specific and can be used throughout the year!

Harvest Napkin Ties, Ribbon Napkin Rings, Beaded Napkin Rings, Basket-Weave Place Cards, Glowing Hurricane Glasses, No-Stitch Cross-Stitch

Keep Calm and Carry On

I have seen this poster everywhere (or so it seems) for the past 6 months or so.  Frankly, I was sick of it and didn’t know what the big deal was.  I understood that it was a nice saying and such – but it wasn’t until looking it up today that I realized there was more significance than just promoting a nice saying.  It turns out this is a poster that was produced in Britain during WWII that was never officially distributed.  You can read the story here and here – and purchase here – image here.  Like all the links?!  Knowing the back story, I am not as annoyed with the widespread promotion of this poster anymore!  Enjoy.

I want Wednesday – Suit Tote Bag

I wish I had enough cash to purchase one of these bags made from old suit jackets!  How great are the sides with the buttons (the old jacket sleeves)?!  Found here.

Exploring Portland and Beyond

I am now back from vacation (boo) and back to work (double boo) and back to this blog (yay!).  My trip was great, always exciting to travel and visit with friends.  I took a few pictures, but mostly just enjoyed whatever I was doing without bothering with the camera!  Here’s a run down of experiences:

Panda Express for ‘real’ Chinese food – Portland Japanese Gardens which was amazing and gorgeous – Pittock Mansion + ice storm

Newberg, OR where Rachel (and Brian and Wizard) live – Fred Meyer the mecca of all things affordable – where we bought Tillamook Ice Cream YUM

Widmer Brothers Brewery for a great behind the scenes tour – Hawthorne St. where Rachel and I enjoyed browsing the many shops – George Fox to see where Brian goes to school (and to walk Wizard)

Red Ridge Farm a gorgeous gardens area where Rachel and Brian got married! – Bubble Bubble Tea  for delicious milk black peach cold with tapioca - Homemade Spiedie Chicken Pizza

Twin Cinemas for a viewing of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ – Cargo a unique shopping experience – Saint Cupcake the most decadent mini cupcakes (and cream cheese icing!)

Powell’s to see towers/rows/floors of books! – Pho Ty to eat yummy noodle and meat dishes (pho) – Boudin to buy San Franciscan sour dough

PORTLAND

Off to Portland Wednesday through Sunday to visit my good friend Rachel – I’m so excited!  I will try to come back with lots of pictures and stories.  (photo)

Axcess

Axcess is a jewelry brand found at Kohls - and I love their stuff!  (mostly their earrings if you couldn’t tell)  I’m not a huge jewelry person, but I at least try to switch my earrings up day to day.  This brand has the perfect earrings - not too big, ‘vintage’ feel, and affordable!  Definitely check the brand out! (here).

PS – I already have the bottom left, and the ones under the elephants - if you were thinking Christmas present…

Terrariums

Since moving into my own house (instead of a dorm) close to 3 years ago, I have started to try my hand (or thumb) at keeping a few plants alive.  It started with a plant my mother was going to get rid of which I adopted – and have since moved into a bigger pot, and am proud to report is growing healthily!  My roommate has put up with my collection expanding (and shrinking) with a few attempts to grow living things from seeds (mostly failures) and picking up some plants to add to my original.

Recently, I have been considering making a terrarium.  I do best with plants that can survive on their own.  The most you can expect me to do is water them regularly.  A terrarium on the other hand, is supposed to basically take care of itself.  The condensation from the plant on the glass re-waters the plant and you have a tiny living eco-system in your own home – how cool is that!  Unfortunately, the really sweet terrariums pictured above (#1 and #2) are not in my budget – but I just might try this project and make my own!

Blu Dot

Blu Dot is a company located in Minneapolis who wants to ‘bring good design to as many people as possible’ – sounds like a good mission to me!  Their stuff is always interesting to browse through, the felt products usually catch my eye!  Blu Dot has had the privilege of working with Herman Miller to design a storage bench, and most recently they started an ‘experiment’ in NYC.  They have dropped a few of their chairs around the city to be picked up by random people.  They are tracking the chairs to see where they’ll end up and coming out with a documentary in December – follow the story here.