More Hawaiian Goodies

I can't believe I'm leaving for Hawaii in one short week. Though I've enjoyed spending time with family and friends here in Minnesota, it's been far too long since I've seen my wonderful man.

The boxes are filling up with the treasures I couldn't part with and I'm looking forward to unpacking and enjoying them all. But of course, there are always things you haven't got and daydreaming about them is half the fun of blogging. Each of these items would be perfectly suited to our new life on The Big Island.



These espadrilles are the ideal beach footwear- simple, breezy and utterly relaxed.




A hammock made from parachute silk to string between two backyard palm trees.



A lovely pile of Turkish bath linens seem just the right weight for a tropical paradise.



These WWII Replica Motorcycle Goggles to wear aboard my new Vespa! (Eric bought me a blue one and I cannot WAIT!)

This Jacques Cousteau Poster Print from Wayne Pate would be perfect in our new beach house. What are you wishing for lately?

Welcome Little Ones

Check out the wonderful portraits of seconds old babies by Thierry Bouet. They are comical and profound at once. I dare you to not be moved.

The Stay-Cation

Editor's Note: Did you see Cassandra's call for Vacation Submissions over at Coco Kelley? Here's my entry!

Vacation is a state of mind. Here's how to do it in your own backyard.

Put on something that makes you feel gorgeous.



Grab a great book.

Your favorite sun hat.

A stylish pair of shades.


A stripey blanket too.


Pack a picnic lunch of cold chicken, potato salad, strawberries, and Champagne in a pretty basket.


(Real glasses are a nice touch for the Champagne!)

Load up your bike and head to the park, well before the music begins. Get a good spot on the grass. (Hopefully you've mastered the art of cycling in a gauzy dress!)

There you have it. Instant Happy.


Come see all my Etsy Stories here!

Easy Flower Cupcakes For your next Garden Party

Mum and I have been having even more cupcake fun lately. We keep them in the freezer and this helps slow down the chowing (a little). These were so easy! I put two colors of frosting in one ziplock bag and just snipped off the corner (as advocated in this lovely little book!) and got piping! Chocolate chips made cute little centers, don't you think?

Ta Da! Doily Heaven!

Remember the doilies I scored last summer? Well I've finally found a way to use 'em! I re-purposed some simple linen curtains to make The Shower Curtain of My Dreams. I'd planned to embroider stems on afterward, but as I worked on it I began to feel that stems would make it a bit too literal. I think the feeling of a wildflower bouquet is there but there is room for imagination too. After all, isn't the shower the perfect place to daydream?





Have you re-purposed anything lately? It's such fun!

Slow Food Feature

These honeycomb spice shakers have made it into Etsy's Slow Food Gift Guide! Go check it out- You'll definitely feel inspired to do some slow cooking with so many great products to ogle.

Also- lest you think that I do nothing but scour Etsy to see where The Fab Miss B and Becky Kazana are showing up, you should know about Craft Cult. Go try the Heart-O-Matic and see if you've been featured, who hearts your shop and which items have the most hearts. It's my secret weapon!

Green Wedding Accessories!

As promised, here are the goodies I whipped up for Sarah's big day!

The Groom!

The Mothers of the Bride & Groom!


The Flower Girl Ringleader! (There will be four, all with long white ribbons trailing behind them in the breeze. The Bride's is Top Secret. You'll have to wait 'till next Summer to get a peek!)

The Rest!


The Cake! (Can you spot Norah Rose?)


And now they're all off to Oregon to aid in achieving wedded bliss next August. Hooray for the Lovebirds!

Five Simple Things That Make Me Happy

I was just tagged by the talented Maggie of The Chickadee's Nest to name five things that make me happy. (Easy as pie!) In no particular order...

1) My wonderful husband. I've been quite blue while he's been away training with Teach For America this summer. We'll be reunited on August 5th, thank heavens.
2) Fresh Flowers. (Though, really, who doesn't like those?)
3) Thrifting. There is something lovely about rescuing an object from oblivion and making it useful and beautiful again. I never get tired of that.
4) My Mother's Cooking. Hands down the best food I've ever tasted.
5) Champagne. My current favorite inexpensive bottle is this one.


What are five things that make you happy? Consider yourself tagged! (Report back if you make a post. I'd love to read it!)

Find Miss B Giveaway!

Psst- Wanna play "Where's The Fab Miss B"? Take a peak at this article and see if you can spot a lovely something from my Vintage Shop. I'll choose one of the correct answers at random and mail the winner a wonderful surprise. Happy Hunting!

More Green Wedding Plans!

I was composing an e-mail to my dear friend Sarah with a list of links we'd discussed while she was here in MN with baby Norah, and then I realized that all of you might enjoy them too. (Remember her baby shower and the green wedding I imagined for her?) So here we are!



I kept thinking of this video while Norah scootched around on the floor. A great many of these links were initially discovered via Cup of Jo. It's the first read on my blogroll.




When I saw the adorable frisbee favors from this wedding, I immediately thought of Greg- the King of Frisbee Golf. That involves actual frisbees, right?


This wedding was EVERYWHERE on the blogosphere a few weeks back, but the easygoing spirit (and the bikes!) reminded me of Sarah and Greg. Laura's bouquet is absolutely inspired.

Greg isn't really the dress up sort, but this floral tie made me swoon.

Head to toe linen is more his style. I like that this looks dressy and relaxed at the same time. That dramatic silk scarf and amazing leather sandals aren't hurting anything either! (Can't seem to find the exact link, but it's from the Sartorialist, the ultimate place to find looks for men.)


These cupcakes seem so unfussy and unpretentious. I'm imagining Sarah's dotted with nasturtiums or some other edible local flower. P.S) Remember those cupcake liners?

Her wedding dress reminds me of Audrey Hepburn's. Perhaps it's her short hair, the details at the waist or how impossibly fluttery it looks. Perfection!

I've been busy creating some wild floral headpieces, boutonnieres, corsages and even a cake topper for Sarah and Greg's big day and I can't wait to share them with you. They turned out quite charmingly and I think Sarah and Greg will have the bohemian, woodland wedding they will remember for the rest of their days. Congratulations to you both!

Christmas in July!

The Etsy Bloggers have decided to bring you Christmas in July! Click here to see a list of participating shops. Becky Kazana is offering free U.S shipping on all Pipettes so go pick out the perfect gals to bedeck your holiday tree or spruce up that sad cubicle!

P.S) Are you the sort who begins holiday shopping months in advance? I squirrel away gifts all year long! Giving the perfect gift is a sweet pleasure.

To the Birthday Girl

Happy Birthday to my dear and wonderful Mum. Here's to another year. They seem to get richer and more complex over time and I hope you savor every moment. I love you.

Image from one of my Mum's favorite blogs, the utterly unpronounceable but totally fabulous Anahata Katkin.

Make Your Own Happy Birthday Banner!

We grew up with the classic metallic paper "Happy Birthday" sign, but I recently came into a stash of battered old childrens books and inspiration struck. Why not create a more personal version? And I got to recycle some more cardboard boxes while I was at it.


First, I used spray adhesive to adhere the pages to cardboard boxes from the recycling bin. (Thinner ones like those pictured are easier to cut!) Once dry, I carefully cut out the letters, using an exacto knife for those tricky openings in the letters P, A, B, R and D.


Next I used my trusty hole punch and eyelet setter to install grommets in each letter.

Starting to look pretty, isn't it?


Then I strung the ribbon through each letter.



The beginnings of a very festive party! (If you don't have the time or oomph to make your own, mine is available here.) What have you been working on lately?