Never Let Me Go Giveaway!

Have you heard the buzz about the new film "Never Let Me Go"? I absolutely loved Carey Mulligan in "An Education". (I suspect her pixie cut is inspiring a lot of actresses to chop their locks!)

Never Let Me Go is based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, the celebrated author behind "The Remains of the Day". It's set in a dystopian British boarding school in which the students are set apart from the outside world for a mysterious purpose that is slowly unveiled as the story progresses through the relationships of three students. I can't wait to see it.

Today's giveaway includes some fabulous loot!

Film Poster signed by director Mark Romanek, Carey Mulligan and Andrew Garfield

A Copy of the Book by Kazuo Ishiguro

A Never Let Me Go T-Shirt

To enter to win these fabulous prizes, visit The Never Let Me Go website and leave me a comment describing the best movie you've seen lately and what made it so memorable. I will choose my favorite response at the end of the week, so please make your entries thoughtful. Don't forget to include your e-mail address so I can reach you if you are the lucky winner!

You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter so that you'll never miss one of my Giddy Giveaways! Good Luck Sweeties!

Another Happy Bride Shows us her Wedding Cake!

Here is another photo from a satisfied bride! She said "The cake started to shift with the hot weather, but the wedding cake topper kept it looking cute." I also love the tiered cupcake display in the background. Are those cherries on top? Yum! Thank you Melissa for sharing this photo with us. Wishing you a lifetime of sweetness with your new husband. Congratulations!

Before & After: Miniature Putz Church!

When I saw this dilapidated little church cardboard Putz church, I knew I had my next Before & After Project! It's so sweet, but so bedraggled looking. All the stained glass windows had been bashed in and it was looking rather grubbby.

I gently pried everything apart, gave it a fresh coat of paint and a new dusting of superfine mica glitter...

I also glued vintage fabric into the windows so that the church will cast a soft glow when lit with twinkle lights. (There's a little hole in the back to put a light inside.)

Some fresh bottle brush tree landscaping and it was complete. What do you think? If you'd like to add it to your collection, you can snap it up here. Have you started thinking about the holidays yet? They aren't all that far off, are they?

A Birthday Tea Party!

My dear friend Gwen's Birthday was the perfect occasion to scale up the humble tea party Eric and I enjoyed a few months back. The Birthday Girl wore a pretty crown with ribbons down her back.

I asked the guests to wear their prettiest finery and bring something dainty to nibble on and they really outdid themselves! (Tiered cake plates and paper cupcake liners make everything look elegant, don't you agree?)

There were lots of teeny tiny sandwiches, (cucumber, crab and egg salad were all accounted for!) sweet scones, tiny bowls of nuts, cheese and crackers, fresh strawberries and nutella, plus really spicy Bloody Marys for good measure. I made mint & lemon grass tea with herbs from my garden, and Orange Spice and Earl Grey to round things out.

We all had such a lovely time celebrating our dear friend! Her birthday was a good excuse to let her know how much she means to all of us and get all dolled up and girly too. Have you found any good reasons to celebrate lately? Do tell!

Birthday Wishlist

This year I'll be celebrating my golden birthday- 28 years old on October 28th! I'm imagining a very intimate, glamorous party with sequin clad guests, sparklers, champagne and foil wrapped Ferraro Rochers. These are the goodies I'd love to unwrap that night!

I'm crazy for this lady. She's all the best things about pop music without veering into all the worst things about pop music. I'd love to add The Reminder to my i-pod so I don't have to wait for Pandora to send one of her tunes my way.

This bow cuff from Madewell would be the perfect thing to slip on my wrist- and would look so elegant with a champagne flute!

This birthday card seems made for yours truly...

The cutest sunglasses case I've ever clapped eyes on, and the perfect place to store these shades from Fred Flare!

A piggy to help me save my pennies!

Maira Kalman's Latest to add to my collection of beautiful art books. (I've got a few from Taschen and I love leaving them open to admire and turning a page or so every now- it's like a rotating gallery for your coffee table!)

What are you wishing for lately? Do you like lots of little treats or one big fabulous gift on your birthday?

Kate Moss and The Perfect Striped Sailor Shirt

I spied this photo of Kate Moss rocking a Breton Fisherman Shirt in the August issue of Vogue and immediately pinned it on my inspiration board. She looks timeless and chic but also totally Now. I decided to hunt down a striped shirt so I could do my own version of this look.

For a busty gal like myself, horizontal stripes are usually one massive fashion don't, but I felt determined to find a solution. In general, scoop or v-necks look better on my curvy figure and I didn't want any fussy details on a shirt already so graphic. Sailor inspired stripes seem to be everywhere at the moment, but they are often marred by big gold buttons, odd ruching and ill conceieved pockets, so I was excited to find this little number in the Boden catalog my friend Kristin passed along.

Simple, with a flattering neckline and just the right scale stripe. At least, it looks that way in the photo! We'll see how it fits when it arrives. I was happy to snag 15% off plus free shipping thanks to the coupon code on the catalog. Request your Boden catalog here. I can't wait to wear these with my orange capris and a pair of metallic Boat Shoes. What trends are you wearing this fall?

Etsy Stories: Witchy Woman

You may be just getting around to thinking about Halloween but Imelda, that otherworldly lady down the street with the snow white skin, raven hair and scarlet lips, has been preparing all year. See Witchy Woman live on Etsy here.

Her collection of Wax Seals are at the ready to seal up the invitations for the spooky soiree she's planning.
She'll fill her assortment of cast iron Candleabras with steadily dripping candles to cast a ghostly light.

Her collection of artwork tends toward the macabre, as in this Poison Apple photograph, so she won't need to resort to anything as garish as fake cobwebs in the windows.

Her sinister pistol necklace is always around her neck, and that secret blade has come in handy more than once.
Her perfume has a fragrance of cloves and a touch of cauldron smoke about it.

Only the bravest kids in the neighborhood trick or treat at her door.

She favors eccentric black Hats like this one. No cliched cones for her.

A sparkly Dress worthy of Stevie Nicks.


A pair of sexy Fishnet Pumps complete the ensemble. Do you have anything spooky planned for this Halloween?

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches

Are you or someone you love doing the gluten free thing? These amazing salty sweet peanut butter cookies are completely gluten free, but you'd never guess it to taste them. I pressed a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies and rolled the edges in chopped peanuts to create a decadent sandwich. It's a fiesta of flavors and textures; Chewy, caramely, salty, sweet, creamy and crunchy- they were gone in an instant. What's cookin' in your kitchen lately?

Before & After: $6 Metallic Heels

Before: $6 Metallic Heels found on clearance at Target. Cute, but in need of a little something extra to make them look more "expensive" as Nina Garcia would say.

Voila! A bit of hot glue and rhinestone shoe clips and these babies are party ready! Have you gussied anything up lately?

A Happy Bride Shows us her Wedding Cake!

Look at this lovely photo one of my brides sent along! Didn't the topper she chose look perfect with her cake? She said "We had a fabulous time and the figures looked goregous on top of the cake - really cute and vintage, just like I wanted." Thank you Jenna for sharing this photo with us. Wishing you a lifetime of sweetness and happiness with your new husband. Congratulations!

Etsy Stories: Back to School for Grown Ups

Even though she's all grown up, Vivian still loves Back To School shopping. Here's what's on her list this fall. (See the collection live on Etsy here.)

A beautiful photograph of New York in Fall would look just right in the black and white tiled hallway off her foyer.

An original Ink Drawing on a library pocket is the perfect tiny treasure.

A vintage Text book full of songs! (Much more fun than chemistry, right?)

How's this Letterpress necklace for an unusual take on a monogram?

Some say Pencil Case, some say make up bag.

This Alphabet Maze is a witty way to study your ABC's.

A pleated Plaid Skirt is just school girl enough but a few inches shy of dowdy librarian.

Mary Janes never go out of style, especially when they are from Mr. Ferragamo. What's on your Back to School Shopping list?

Music to Twirl to! (And it's free!)

The lovely people at Kate Spade made a mix to celebrate the launch of their new fragrance Twirl. (Have you sniffed it yet? I'm wary of buying a scent without smelling it first and since I live in the middle of an ocean, I won't get a chance till my next visit to the mainland.) Anyway, you can download the mix for free right over here- It's stuffed with wonderfully cheerful tunes from lots of very hip artists, most of whom were new to me. Enjoy!

Movie Review: The Thin Man

Eric and I just watched "The Thin Man" and I've fallen madly in love with Nick, Nora and their little dog Asta. The plot of the potboiler detective film itself is rather forgettable, but these two sparkle with wit and panache in every scene. Thanks to the luxury of independent wealth, they view all the madness unfurling around them with a detached bemusement that is a joy to behold.

They prance around, sloshing drinks in every scene, wearing outrageous yet sophisticated and expensive looking get ups (check out her diagonally striped bias cut evening dress and tell me if it wouldn't look totally at home on a red carpet today) and send sparks flying with their rapid fire reparte. These two are better than watchable- they are magnetic. You can't take your eyes off 'em. And their little dog is no slouch either. After seeing this movie, I'm definitely considering getting a wire fox terrier someday. It pains me a little to realize these two are works of fiction, so I think I'll just go on believing that these two are alive and well somewhere in New York City and model my life after theirs in every way possible.

Have you watched anything good lately? My Netflix que could do with a bit of rounding out.

Twenty Questions with The Fab Miss B!

I was delighted to be interviewed by Kim at Mindset Success Coaching recently. She's all about helping artists unleash their potential and achieve success. We discussed why a creative life is like living in a lighthouse, how artists deserve paychecks just as much as engineers do and how to maintain confidence in your work. If you'd like to take a peek at our conversation, it's right over here!

Labor Day: Time to Rest

Happy Labor Day! Hope that you enjoy this day of rest with your friends & family. E and I are planning a lazy day at the beach with a good book, some grilled sweet corn and white wine. What are you doing to celebrate?

Etsy Stories: What if I'm a mermaid?

This etsy story was inspired by the Tori Amos song "Silent All These Years". Check out the collection and music video link live on Etsy here.

Any mermaid would feel right at home in this shimmering Sequin Shell top.

She can gaze at herself in this Sea Urchin Mirror while she combs her waist length hair.

And when her hair is smoothed down, she'll add a simple seashell headband.

Perhaps she'll don this vintage inspired Mermaid Pocketknife Necklace too- comes in handy for removing oysters from their shells at lunch time!

A wildly elegant Sea sponge is the perfect adornment for her walls.

Have you ever seen anything quite like this antique shell souvenier purse?

Shimmering Sea Salt always seems to be a good addition to her cooking.

And every mermaid needs a mother of pearl caviar spoon to savor that most decadent delicacy. (Life under the sea sounds pretty sweet, don't you think?)