Lo & Behold crafter, writer, life-liver - page 11

I was unsure how this Christmas would fare, it being just the hubby, dogs and I at home on glorious Christmas morning. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have thought twice about it. Brett, that ever-thoughtful husband of mine, did whatever he could to guarantee we would have a good Christmas together. Not only did he make me Ghirardelli hot cocoa with mini marshmallows, but he also got both dogs HUGE honkin’ Christmas bones AND……. (drumroll)….

my new machine!

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Photo from Ideal Home, found on Design Sponge

Want want want. If my office had this monster on the wall, organization would be a cinch. Right? When we finally buy our own house, this is mos def going on our office wall.

Found via Design Sponge

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Whew, was I blown away with Klaus Haapaniemi‘s art when I first saw it on Loobylu’s blog. Finnish born but living in London, Klaus has done work for Marimekko, which I ADORE, and a jillion other awesome places! His work is fantastic. I’m in love. His work speaks for itself.

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Baby's first Christmas!

I’m flying back to the great state of Texas tommorrow for a week to visit family. I feel Texas calling to me, and this trip is a long time coming. I miss my family and my friends and how fast people drive in Texas. I miss the sweet tea and how people wave at you when you drive by (okay, maybe that’s just in rural Texas, where I’m from).

Don’t miss me too much… I’ll be back before you know it.

I took this pic after we put up our lopsided Christmas tree. Iris was very curious, it being her first Christmas and all. Isn’t she cute in her little sweater?

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I attended my first Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle this weekend! My friend Kiki and I went towards the last half of the second day on Sunday. I had fears that everything would be sold out and the fair would be a ghost town, but the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall was actually teeming with people. We saw many great vendors, bought some gifts for others and a few little ones for ourselves (button rings via Greenbelts!).

shower art by Ugly Baby

I stopped by longtime favorite Rosalie Gale’s shower art Ugly Baby booth and was tempted to buy one of her pieces again, but resisted! They’re great for gifts, and we even kept one for ourselves which says “Love handles are soft and sexy”. It’s positive affirmation in the morning, let me tell ya.

I was also able to meet and hang out with Bread and Badger lovelies Amanda and Sean. Their etched glass pint glasses, stemware and other doodads are just swell and make great holiday gifts. I’ve personally bought a couple of items from them and they are top notch. They love beer, good home-cooked food and rad company so we got along fabulously!

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This year our gift-giving grand total will be much lower than last year’s. And from what I’ve seen and heard, that’s the norm this holiday season. People just aren’t spending as much, and they’re looking for unique and handmade gifts as opposed to over-priced store-bought items that hundreds of people ALSO bought for their loved ones. Ack!

So here’s my ode to you budget-friendly, handmade shoppers in need of some refreshing, and perhaps quirky, gifts for the loved ones. I wouldn’t turn away ANY of these fine items. Would you?

cutting board by Fine Little Shop - $32

These kitchen cutting boards are so decorative that I’m not sure I’d want to cut things on them! Hang them in the kitchen perhaps? I love the quirky cross-stitch-style design. Other fancy designy cutting boards can be found in Fine Little Shop’s Big Cartel shop.

Headphones Hand-printed Letterpress Poster by Roll and Tumble Press - $20

I’ve bought a couple of prints from Roll and Tumble Press and they are vibrant, good quality prints. Their letterpress prints are all handmade, and they have a variety of snarky and downright cute designs to fit anyone’s personality. I especially love this Read Between The Lines print and this Living In Sin sampler (we lived in sign for a LONG time!). Couple this with a vintage frame, or a clipboard to hang it from on the wall and you’ve got yourself an inexpensive, awesome art gift!
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I don’t require gifts at Christmas. I don’t believe in the push towards such commercialism during the holiday season, and we’re either making all our presents this year or buying them handmade from places like Etsy. So this wish list is compiled from my favorites that I’ve saved on Etsy. If you’re REALLY curious as to the other things I’m sinfully lusting over, sans handmade, then you’d be better off gazing at another wish list (it’s a lot of books!).

Farmhouse Patchwork Cushion by EmmaBeeTextileArts

Rufus and Rumsey Painting by mosie26

Quince Flower Stack by wireddesign

Hemp and Denim Market Tote by katherinehandmade

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I really try to make and give as many handmade items as possible, and this holiday season is no different. I’ve pledged to buy handmade this year for many reasons:

1) support artists and their handmade goods

2) you won’t see ANYONE walking around with the same shirt or hat on

3) as a crafter myself, it feels good to perpetuate the near-lost importance of making things with your hands.

If you don’t take my word for it, and want to learn more, here is some information and inspiration to step outside of big-box stores and go handmade this year.

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When you live across the country from your family, days like Thanksgiving have a different meaning than they normally would. While families are traveling today to meet up with various family members, dreading the interactions and the misuderstandings, I’m pining for my family. They have faults like anyone else’s and they’re annoying like anyone else’s, but a day like Thanksgiving is just a little lonelier without them around.

So just like million of families have probably done in the past, and will do tomorrow, I want to tell you all what I’M thankful for.

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I’m just overwhelmed with all the rad holiday crafts I’m finding online! Yesterday I tweeted about wanting to make this simple, but probably time-consuming, wreath. I think it’s an excellent way to use up extra paper scraps and wouldn’t necessarily have to be all one color scheme, but I think that’s the wily crafter in me. It might look *better* if the colors/patterns of paper followed some sort of color theme.
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Clementine at work with Mom

 

Clem is my buddy dog.. my first born son. He’s at work with me today and I couldn’t be happier.

He’s been suffering from some pretty bad allergies and is currently on Benadryl, thus the sleepy-eyed look.

Clem is almost six years old, and I’m almost positive he’s enjoying the peace and quiet of today, away from his hellion of a little sister, Iris.

We love our animals… can you tell?

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I tweaked my logo a bit, specifically my Etsy banner and avatar and my Twitter avatar. I was feeling like my original was a bit overdone and I want to distance myself from the “eye”, as it was a piece of clip art I threw in to spice things up. I should have taken my own advice: SIMPLE is the most effective.

You can still see the old logo here on WordPress. But DO check out the new one on my Etsy shop and on my Twitter page and let me know what you think!

ALSO! New creative ideas on the forefront: mobiles made out of reclaimed branches and handmade sewn doo-dads and cheery bunting flags!

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When the fall weather kicks up in Seattle, there is a little switch that clicks inside of me: CRAFT TIME. I don’t know what it is about the rainy NW weather that makes my hands antsy to craft. Maybe it’s the homebound-ness of it all, the cozy warm house with the cozy warm pets.

This past weekend I decided to practice a little more embroidery. With the help of Sublime Stitching’s awesome Tattoo Your Towels embroidery kit I stitched up a pretty darn cute design on an old green pillowcase I had. Silly me, I ALSO accidentally imprinted the “Test Me” piece of the kit on the pillowcase and it will not wash out! Oh well, it was just for our use anyway.

Again, last night I found myself needing to hold something in my hands and do something productive. There were no half-done projects to finish, and being exhausted from the work day, a new project sounded daunting.

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Organization often eludes even the most put-together and efficient. As I get older the need to be more organized is very apparent… I mean I actually surf the internet for tools to help me stay organized and in-check!

One of the trouble areas in our home is the entryway. The hubs likes to throw everything down wherever, and after some cajoling, we created a quasi-entry way area for his and my things. We situated an old JC Penney TV with a bowling pin lamp and record bowl on top and orange vintage shell chair in an area near our door. The record bowl serves as a key receptacle (so the TV doesn’t get anymore scratched up) and the lamp is a welcome beacon at night. We eventually hope to add an old wood coat rack and some vintage metal hooks to the mix.

While our system is working pretty good, I can’t help but pine for this dandy little organizational number. It would be great for a small apartment or condo, or a more modern abode. Not only can you write on the front, but you can deposit mail and hang your keys as well! Now only if it came with a sturdy purse hook…

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I’m IN LOVE with the way that Paula, owner/designer of the lovely online Henry Road, covered her fridge in maps.

Against the green wall and red poofy wall art, it just looks divine. Simple, quirky, bookish! (My maps/stars/science nerd of a hubs gushed about it as well)

Again, I’m in love with the color choices here. I never think of putting dark blue on the walls, and especially with a bold dash of red (patriotic perhaps?) but the way this room reads is homey, eclectic and refreshing.

Those chandeliers are to dye for! And the black and white print curtains add just a touch of breeziness. Paula, you rule at color.

via Apartment Therapy

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My blogging has dropped off for a couple of reasons. I shut down my Etsy shop temporarily to concentrate on moving, and since this blog is directly related to the content of my Etsy shop it made sense to put a temporary kabosh on it.

And we moved, from the beautiful small suburban town of Issaquah to the bustling neighborhood of Columbia City, oft-referred to as the “ghetto” of Seattle. This supposed ghetto has a strong sense of community, a dog park within a 1/2 mile, a small little bar/restaurant strip, has kick-ass Ethiopian, Vietnamese and Mexican taco truck establishments and is a mere bus ride away from downtown.

Take that, Issaquah!

So my new ghetto = the most exciting and fun neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. Just when I get sick of the boxes and seemingly unfinished nature of our new house, I sneak a glance at things that make me happy. Things that are a sign to me that our style is finally emerging, our sense of home is finally settling.

Here are a few superb furniture finds we snagged off Craigslist.

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I was inspired by Betsy Makes Things to take this little quiz. I realized there are a lot of things on there I have yet to do, and certainly want to. Thanks for the inspiration, and a chance to clear my mind of gunk, Betsy!

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I’m an

Extroverted Self-Improving Tree Hugger

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