if you need me

i'll be here. for a whole week.

today

is clad in grey.

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom.

ghosts, sewn print :: tastes orangey

grey day :: christopher palmer

rainy day letterpress card in black :: letterpress delicacies

today is the day grey block print :: the big harumph

some more new things

a couple new totes are up in the shop, graphic precision + mod pink pretty.

i love the graph paper fabric. it is all i can do not to pull out my ruler and draft out a floor plan right inside that bag.

just another kitchen i love

by stylist pernilla asberg, via emmas designblogg

geo grand

several weeks ago, i got an awesome email from jan dicintio of daisy janie. she had just received the first bolts of her new organic fabric collection,

geo grand, and she was wondering if i'd be interested in working with her to create some of my peek-a-boo fabric buckets to highlight these amazing fabrics. well, there wasn't any need for me to think about it for more than a few seconds, of course i was interested!! in fact, i had a hard time wiping the grin off my face. so exciting!

jan + i chatted back and forth a little, and shortly afterwards, this sweet set of nesting buckets was born. i am super excited about how they turned out, and last week they finally made it out to jan's home -- and she loves them!

i am so glad, i was seriously holding my breath until they were safe in her hands! i think the peek-a-boos really show the fabric off well. what do you think?

i can't say enough about these fabrics. the colours are amazing, and i love the funky retro vibe of the graphics. they are a dream to work with too. they sew beautifully, the seams lie so nicely, and the body + weight of the fabric will lend itself well to a wide range of products for home or personal accessories. i can't wait to sew with them some more!!

the best part of this project for me was the fact that jan wanted to work with little old me--i'm such a huge fan of hers!! i first came across jan's work through an interview last april on the old modish biz tips blog. i was immediately drawn to the fabrics in her etsy shop, they are so gorgeous! but most of all, i was drawn to jan's genuine willingness to share her advice, her experience, and her wisdom with small business owners everywhere. jan has so much to share, and ever since this interview [and the many others she has given around the web], i have considered her to be a sort of unofficial mentor. i've learned so much from her. thank you, jan!

ps - have a peek at the lovely blog post jan wrote about the buckets. such kind words, i am so very honoured.

impromptu getaway

these dreamy pieces by lisa golightly perfectly illustrate the relaxed summertime feel of our quick getaway to whistler this weekend. lots of time spent at the lake, by the pool, and generally having fun in the sun. somehow, 36 hours feels like a whole lot more when it's spent being completely carefree.

images via kiki & polly on etsy

visit lisa's amazing etsy shop and kiki & polly website to find more beautiful pieces of art like the ones above. i have always been enamoured by her paintings, and i think you'll love them, too.

cooking up something new

wee chef sets are finally coming back to my shop, after a little hiatus! i'm editing pics as i write, stay tuned.

happy birthday

to my sweet husband. he may not like the fact that i'm posting a picture of him here, but he'll just have to live with it.

happy birthday to the most wonderful man i've ever known, and the best dad i could ever imagine for our kiddos. love you!

ps - we'll be on this beach in 10 days! i cannot wait.

the yellow bel air

or, how a chevrolet stole my heart.

the curves, the hubcaps, the shiny chrome grill. beautifully detailed dash + creamy leather seats. sleek rear wings and white-walled tires. perfectly polished mustard yellow finish.

i think i'm in love!

laura bucci :: vintage illustration series

i first met local artist + designer laura bucci last winter at the got craft holiday show. we had chatted a little back and forth prior to meeting, and it was so lovely to greet her in person. she is as warm + sweet as she is talented.

i have admired laura's work for a long time, and am super interested in her newest goodies.
laura's new series involves vintage illustrations from the 1930's, which she has reworked + enhanced, and paired with vocabulary lists to round out her story. she has put each image together with colours that perfectly suit the vintage appeal of the series. printed in an eco-friendly manner, laura is continuing with her quest to create low-impact earth-friendly designs that are also gorgeous to look at.

the series started out with a vintage spin on her already fabulous eco cup cozies. i have the aqua bicycle one shown below [and i love it], but have a look at that exhausted laundress. how fun, i can certainly relate to that!!

laura is continuing her series with these awesome textile wall art panels. she has kindly shared her process with us here on her blog. it's really great to see what exactly goes into creating a piece, from the design to the trials, to the actual production and even marketing of a new piece. definitely check it out. i love these new pieces, and can't wait to see them in person. where would you hang them? kitchen, classroom, office?

if there's one thing i know about laura's work, it's that these pieces will be just as wonderfully made + fantastic looking as all the rest. you can find laura's shop on big cartel right here.

all images via laura bucci

huset :: an ode to scandinavian lovelies

i just love scandinavian design, don't you? the sleek lines, retro motifs, and spectacular bold colours. huset is definitely my current fave spot to ogle gorgeous scandinavian offerings. i'm also smitten with their styling, they make everything look so bright + inviting. i'll take one of everything, please!

images via huset

::::

i was first introduced to huset some time ago by my good friend molly. you have probably heard me mention molly around here before, and it is because every time she recommends something, it is bang on. she has amazing taste in art, and has introduced me to many of my new favourite artists + etsy shops. a couple weeks back when she mentioned wanting this isak bread board [city version pictured above], i told her it is one i also covet for myself, and have given as a gift in the past. to this, she replied, 'we are like two peas in a pod'. i agree! if we lived closer, i know we would be fast friends.

anyhow, i mention molly today, because i haven't shared this lovely post she wrote about my goodies a while back. molly ordered a daily tote + peek-a-boo pouch from me, and was kind enough to share it with her readers. i am absolutely thrilled that she loves it [yay!] and hope it gets lots of pool-time this summer! thanks for the kind words, molly :)

a rainbow of cars

there was a vintage car show in edgemont village yesterday, just up the street from us. my little guy is a total car buff, so of course we went to check it out. it was fun, and also a great spot to practice some photography [i know i've still got a loooong way to go]. while i was editing my pics last night, i came across a veritable rainbow of cars. pretty, no?

want to hazard a guess at my favourite?

from my parents' bookshelf

while i was visiting my parents a couple of weeks ago, i went through their kiddie bookshelf to choose a story to read little d before her nap. she picked one of her old faves [good night moon], but i was totally excited to come across these fun picture books from when i was little. i had forgotten about them completely, and had a great time flipping through them with o, making up stories, thinking back to my childhood.

'in the town' [above] and 'in the home' [below] fold out to create a scene with four flip panels of sweet illustrations to create your own story. what fun! like a choose your own adventure picture book.

the home version is particularly funny to me, as the images portray a lot of stereotypical roles in the family [these were published in the 70s]. mom wears an apron as she cooks, vacuums, irons, and tidies the pantry, while dad shovels dirt in the yard, paints the door trim, and smokes his pipe by the fireplace. my favourite panel is when the milkman shows up at the door. he looks pretty excited to be there.

the other fun picture book i found was 'a shufflebook', produced by golden books. it's a large deck of cards, printed with funny pictures on each side and a verb or noun written above, so that you can make your own story. the words don't flow together all that well, but the idea is great, and i think this is a fun way for kids to start creating their own stories. i plan on getting some hard cover blank books to encourage o to write some stories with me this summer.

i really love the wizard. he's all psychedelic + fantastical, with a tiny bit of evil thrown in for good measure. and i love that 'my mother' is wearing the most styling super-short mod dress. nice!

fresh for summer

i'm thinking we need some new cushions for our couch this season. i'm really over the ones i sewed a couple years ago, and need something fresh. while i know i could easily whip something up with the fabrics in my stash, i love the idea of choosing something a bit more original, and supporting a fellow etsy artist at the same time. these pillows definitely caught my eye. now i just have to make a couple choices! do you have a favourite?

images via shops as listed below, top to bottom.

city windows cushion in aqua on white linen :: roddy & ginger

citrus brush :: twig & cricket

cloud birds pillow - granny smith green :: skinny laminx

navajo quilt pillow in mint blue :: shapes & colors

cushion cover in orange mari :: kalla

pleat pillow in spring green :: yorktown road