Merry Christmas!

I hope that you will all have a lovely Christmas and a festive New Year's Day!  I'll be back in the new year.

Candles

We recently had a Christmas party for Young Women's, and my secret Santa gave me the coolest gift.  She made these fabulous candles by drawing on tissue paper with a Sharpie and then hair-drying the designs onto the candles (using wax paper as a buffer).  The gold squirrel is perfect in my living room, and the London cityscape is amazing.  You can see Big Ben and the Tower Bridge here - the other side shows the London Eye, the Gherkin, and the Shard.  I love homemade gifts!

Isabella Script

I've been looking for a good Copperplate calligraphy font but couldn't find a free one that I liked well enough.  I came across Isabella Script on Creative Market and made my first font purchase.  I have not been disappointed!  There are even alternate letters that you can use if you have Illustrator.  It is so lovely.

YW Quilt

One of the things keeping me busy before my craft fair was a quilt that I was making for the 18th birthday of a YW in my ward.  I pieced together strips of fabric in the various value colors for the top.  The back and binding were light grey with flowers, and there was a white border around the back.  The YW each signed their name along the bottom with fabric markers.  It got so stressful that I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!  But here's the top...

Susty Party

When I was at Target last week, I stumbled across a great find - Susty Party disposable tableware.  They make lovely, compostable goods for chic get-togethers.  They even offer bioplastic tablecloths!  We saw wooden disposable cutlery in Paris, and my husband thought it was a great idea.  Now you can pick some up locally!

The Book of Mormon Heirloom Edition

My sister told me about this beautiful Minerva Teichert-illustrated, leather-bound edition of the Book of Mormon.  Offered by Deseret Book, this would be a lovely family heirloom.

Merrell Christmas to Me!

I found my Christmas present today at TJ Maxx!  Merrell Grassbow Sport waterproof hiking shoes in Ponderosa Pine green - retail $130, but I got them for $70.  Next summer at YW Camp I will be immune to stinky, wet shoes!

Bobble Sheep Pillow

I've started listing items in my Etsy shop again!  Check them out here.  And check out this cute Bobble Sheep Pillow from Purl Soho.  You can buy a kit for your favorite knitter here.

Craft Fair

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  We did, and now I'm busily preparing for a craft fair.  (Hence the gap in posting...)  I'll be at the DeKalb Area Women's Center Friday evening and Saturday - come see me if you're in the area.  Here are some Liberty print lavender sachets and earrings that I made.  I'm hoping to put what's left over in my Etsy shop.  Stay tuned!

Luxe Faux Fur

I've never been one for fur, but Restoration Hardware has a Luxe Faux Fur line that looks so snuggly.  There are beautiful throws, and I think this scarf would be so soft and warm.  Yes, winter is here.

Caldrea Essential Collection

Have you seen the Caldrea Essential Collection at Target?  I bought some festively-scented Blue Spruce dish soap, and I love it.

9 Wallpaper Studies

My husband saved a page from the New York Times for me on Sunday, and it was quite interesting.  The page contains nine square paintings by Leanne Shapton.  They are studies of wallpaper found in museums, stately homes, and National Trust houses in England.  You can click through all nine here.

Erie Canal Collectors

I found a fantastic Etsy shop called Erie Canal Collectors.  They sell really great vintage jewelry.  I especially like the signet rings and this classic turquoise cuff.

Woolrich Coat

Is it getting cold where you live?  I can't believe how the temperature has dropped in the last week.  It probably doesn't help that it was 70 degrees when we were in Denver a week ago...  I did have the foresight of picking up a new coat while we were out West, though.  I found this Woolrich coat at Sierra Trading Post in Cheyenne, and it is so toasty!  I think I'm ready for winter.  Maybe.

Library of Flowers

We were in Denver last week, and I noticed some pretty bath products in an airport gift shop.  They were from the Library of Flowers line by Margo Elena.  I haven't had a chance to try any of the products, but the fragrances were divine.  I especially liked "Field & Flowers."

Nike x Liberty Collection

Liberty has partnered with Nike for a collection of fantastic kicks!  It's been many years since I've owned a pair of Nikes, but I would splurge for these and wear them everyday.  Check out the line here.

Squirrel Nut Grinder

I think I need to start filling my home with squirrel-themed goods and decorations.  This squirrel nut grinder from World Market is pretty cute!

Squirrel

I'm sure that you all know by now how much I love squirrels.  They are so hilarious and adorable.  It's that time of year again when they come to our yard looking for food.  Here's a visitor that we had the other day.

Passport

Do you have your passport?  You should!  I just had to renew mine, and it must have been a slow time because I got the new one back in one week.  The new ones have microchips.  You can see some of the stamps from my first passport.  I was so happy to be able to use it a few times - twice to the UK, once to Istanbul (by way of Paris), and then we got a stamp from Canada...  I hope to be able to use my new passport a few times over the next 10 years!

Indie Mats - Part 2

Today is my niece's birthday!  I put together this picture for her using a photo that I took and an Indie Mat that I bought at the Best of Missouri Market.  I think these are a fun idea.  I hope she likes it!

Glam Pumpkins

Happy Halloween!  For mutual a couple of weeks ago we decorated pumpkins.  I decided to paint mine with some metallic paint.  It turned out rather nice, don't you think?

Glass Pumpkin Patch

A couple of weeks ago we made our first visit to the Morton Arboretum.  They were having a Glass Pumpkin Patch to celebrate fall.  There were artists from Illinois and California and various other places.  We watched a demonstration and enjoyed seeing the different sizes, shapes, and colors of glass pumpkins.  Aren't they great?

1803 Candles

We visited another local orchard the other day, and they carried products from 1803 Candles.  They are located in Waterman (about 15 miles from here), and they make soy candles and wax melts (and potpourri).  I got the wax melts in the Honeysuckle Vines scent, and they smell heavenly.  I think I need to make the trek to their store now!

World Market Earrings

We finally made it to World Market.  Have you been?  It's a fabulous store.  I found some great earrings for $5.  I got these three pairs - they were made in India.  World Market also carries food from around the world.  I'm going to have to go there more often - especially now that holiday season is around the corner...

Thomas Siciliano, Papermaker

Another out-of-stater at the Best of Missouri Market was Thomas Siciliano, Papermaker, from Minnesota.  He makes handmade paper with embedded plants that have been painted.  His beautiful work can be found in his Etsy shop here.

1933 Designs

1933 Designs participated in the Best of Missouri Market a couple of weeks ago.  Kurt Moeller makes decorative items from old whiskey barrels and sells on Etsy here.  His booth at the Market also featured jewelry and key rings made from old printing press letters.  This photo (from Facebook) shows what his booth looked like at another festival.  At the bottom are gift tags - also made from whiskey barrels.

Indie Mats

I picked up a couple of cute mats from Indie Mats at the Best of Missouri Market.  They are made in Missouri and designed to help you create great wall displays without the cost of framing (or the nail holes in your walls).  The mats come in a variety of sizes and patterns (including some Amy Butler designs) and can be coordinated for multi-picture displays.  I'll have to try mine out and let you know how it looks!

Sprouted Designs

A returning favorite of mine at the Best of Missouri Market was Sprouted Designs.  Amanda Gray-Swain offers lovely screen printed cards, flour sack towels, scarves, and kids' clothes.  Last year I bought a set of dogwood notecards.  This year I saw this bunny design printed on a onesie, and it was so adorable.  You can find Sprouted Designs around St. Louis and in an Etsy shop here.

MG Designs

One booth that caught my eye at the Best of Missouri Market was filled with fabulous pennant pillows.  MG Designs offers decorative pillows made from vintage travel pennants.  Mimi Griffith is based in St. Louis but also has a shop on Etsy.  The St. Louis pillow is vintage inspired and comes in a variety of colors.  

The Whimsical Workshop

The Whimsical Workshop from Ohio was also at the Best of Missouri Market - they opened it to vendors from other states this year.  The Whimsical Workshop had a lovely booth full of beautifully carved birds.  They offered larger and smaller versions on swings.  I liked the cardinals and bluebirds.

Sherwood Linders Luminaries

Another interesting vendor at the Best of Missouri Market was Sherwood Linders Luminaries.  He cuts coffee and soup cans with a torch to make these incredible luminaries.  My grandma always put luminaries along her walk on Christmas Eve, and I loved it so much.  These would be very durable, and they make pretty patterns.

Tinker, Dicker, and Doc

Last Friday we attended the Best of Missouri Market at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  It's always a fun event with lots to see (and taste).  One of the vendors was Tinker, Dicker, & Doc, LLC.  They're based in St. Louis and make candles from soy wax and essential oil.  My favorite was lavender, of course.

Recycled Woollen Rug

Now that it's getting to be colder, I'm thinking about a lovely throw that I bought at Petworth House this summer.  The National Trust offers recycled wool throws (they call them rugs) at the gift shops of many of their properties.  They are made in the UK from recycled wool, which makes them colorful and all different.  (Mine has dark greys and blues and reds.)  They're nice and warm, too!