Shortbread House of Edinburgh

The other day we got some mini oaties with chocolate chips made by Shortbread House of Edinburgh. The cookies were yummy, but I really love the packaging. I love anything with thistles.

October Afternoon - Farmhouse

Have you seen the new line by October Afternoon? It's called Farmhouse, and I really love it. I got some great paper, but I'd really like these stickers (bottom). So cute.

Friday Featured Art: Fabric of a New Nation

My next trip to the Art Institute will be to see the exhibit Fabric of a New Nation: American Needlework and Textiles, 1776-1840. If you haven't noticed yet, I've been really fascinated with fabric lately.

Thursday Text: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Our book club read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society this month. I was kind of skeptical at first because it sounded like a very stereotypical book club book. But it turned out to be really great. And I just found out that there will be a movie starring Kate Winslet (expected next year)!

Martha Stewart Dry Embossing Kit

I made some cards the other day using my Martha Stewart Dry Embossing Kit. I like how they turned out. (They were really hard to photograph, though!) You can see the kit here.

Pocket Pages

The latest newsletter from Archiver's had this great idea. You can use 6-pocket photo pocket pages to organize your photos. The example in the newsletter had photos in 5 of the pockets with the 6th containing a cute card label. If I use this method, I should be caught up in no time! Go here for tips.

Trends & Traditions

Also while we were in Utah, we visited one of my favorite stores: Trends & Traditions. It has moved from 25th Street up off of Harrison in South Ogden. I hadn't been there in a while, but I always find treasures when I go. This time I got this pretty bird ornament. Since it was considered a Christmas item, I got it on clearance. And since it's plastic I didn't have the usual troubles that I have trying to bring fragile glass items home with me on the plane!

Friday Featured Art: Holdman Studios

When we were in Utah, we visited the Art Institute at Thanksgiving Point. It was really fascinating. Holdman Studios is based there. They are responsible for the magnificent windows in many of the LDS temples, including Winter Quarters and Palmyra. The top picture is of the skylight of the Nauvoo Temple. It's one of my favorites. The middle picture is of the windows of the Draper Temple. I love how they have almost a log cabin quilting pattern. The bottom picture is a glass flower that I made (with help!) at the Art Institute. If you're in Utah, you should go check it out.

Thursday Tunes: Sister

The Songer siblings posted this song with a video for their sweet sister Sarah. It's really beautiful.

Dave Matthews Band, Sister.

Amy Butler Wristlet

I made this wristlet using an Amy Butler pattern and that fabric that I bought in St. Charles (MO). The handle is really for the larger bag pattern, but I wanted something small that would be easy to hold onto. And I have enough fabric left over for another little project!

Starbucks Hot Cocoa

I spent a long weekend away from posting. We returned from a big trip to Utah on Thursday night. Now we're home, and it's cold and snowy. So one of my Christmas gifts to myself has really come in handy: Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa. I got a box of hot cocoa packets from Target. Delicious.

Thursday Text: America's Printed Fabrics 1770-1890

Barbara Brackman designs fabrics for Moda. She also has some great quilt books out. America's Printed Fabrics 1770-1890 looks like a fascinating combination of history and crafting. I love that old skills like quilting are gaining popularity again.

Pottery Barn Iznik Collection

Pottery Barn has a new line based on Turkish designs from Iznik. My husband visited Turkey last summer, and it was fascinating to see their use of flowers and bright colors in design. I really like these pillows.

Whitman's Sampler

I finally found a Whitman's Sampler tin with the Mucha image at Russell Stover. I got it out an outlet store, so it was only $5. It's a pretty little box. I'll have to think about what to put in it after the chocolates are gone!

Marcus Fabrics - Judie Rothermel

When we visited historic St. Charles, we stopped in a little fabric shop. I picked up a fat quarter of this design. It's by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabrics. I think I might use it for a little wristlet.

Friday Featured Art: Stairway at Auvers

I mentioned the St. Louis Art Museum last week. They have a couple of great Van Goghs, including this one: Stairway at Auvers. It's fun to see his lesser-known works.

Thursday Text: Houses of the National Trust

One of the books that I got for Christmas was Houses of the National Trust. It is fantastic. It's a big, hardbound book with tons of great pictures of houses in the UK that are held by The National Trust. It is a beautiful book that even includes maps!

Small Silhouettes

After working on silhouettes for my Jane Austen class, I decided to make some at home. I got these little frames for $1 each at Michaels. They were white and had plastic instead of glass. I pulled out the plastic and painted them copper. I don't really like the color, so I think when it gets warmer I'll spray paint them gold. Kind of a fun little project.

Cadbury Crunchie

Last week we visited fabulous historic St. Charles, Missouri. There is an 8-block strip of restored homes and shops from the 1800s. One shop that we enjoyed was The English Shop. They had some fun things imported from England, including Cadbury Crunchie bars. If you've ever had a Violet Crumble, they're pretty much the same thing. Yum!

Abraham Lincoln Presidential China

I know I've posted about presidential china before, but I'm thinking about it again. We visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. (It is an incredible place, and everyone should go!) I liked the Lincolns' presidential china pattern - very pretty but also masculine.