elements of my desk

my supplies; embosser, business cards, envelopes, washi tapes , a little writing paper, and a beautiful fossil paper weight.  i am loving the new winter oak design... just as the leaves are falling all around us.

happy weekend.

so divine...

i was feature on Found It. Loved It - DivineCaroline by Jacinta O'Halloran - Shopaholic.  i look to this for my daily dose of humor and inspiration... guess who was there?!

her write-up is hilarious and just my style.  so sarcastic and lovely.

Case of Vino

This one goes in the shop tomorrow...

New to the shop

The Vino Case.

Tote your favorite bottled beverage to the holiday party.  Bring the hostess a nice wine for dinner.  Give your girlfriends a bit of bubbly.

Fun times.

art display

Now that B is in Preschool, she brings home lots of artwork and schoolwork.  Our refrigerator was beginning to become quite cluttered.  Solution...

I know this is not at all original, however I thought you would like to see my inexpensive take on this great idea.

What do you need?

1. 2 nails and a hammer, hammer in the nails the desired distance
   
2. 2 decorations to cover the nail head
3. glue (I used a hot glue gun), glue your embellishments to cover the nail heads
4. ribbon or string, tie each end onto each nail
5. clothes pins, to hang your art
6. fabulous art, to display proudly

Happy Crafting.

bed head

Happy Friday!

sugar cookies

The kids are quietly settled in with a few crafts... ahh, the sounds of imaginations and sibling sharing.  

Here is the yummy sugar cookie recipe I promised.  It is the family favorite.  You must try it.  My 1 and 2 love rolling the dough and cutting the shapes.  

Good Sugar Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened 

8 ounces light cream cheese

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1  teaspoon baking soda

4 teaspoons baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Prep your cookie sheets, I use parchment paper on my cookie sheets.
   
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese with the sugar.  Add the eggs, milk, almond and vanilla extracts and mix until smooth.
   
3. In a medium bowl, sift flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Gradually add dry ingredients to the above mixture.
   
4. Chill for at least 1 hour.
   
5. Roll out dough very thin and cut out shapes.  You may need to chill and roll out a few times to get through all the dough.
   
6. Bake in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes.
   

Fabulous Frosting

A ton of powdered sugar

3 tablespoons hot skim milk

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tablespoon meringue powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1.  Combine sugar and milk then add the butter.  Mix until smooth.
   
2. Mix in meringue powder.
   
3. Add vanilla and almond extracts until all is smooth and well mixed.
   

You can add more or less milk to get the desired consistency.  Martha tends to go more runny for a smooth look and the grocery store tends to go thicker for a spreadable frosting.  I went more thin in the photo above, I dipped the cookies in the frosting and sprinkled with sparkly sugar.

These cookies are just perfect. Lofty and light tasting.  Super delicious. 

swiss cross

These are ace.

Cozying up for the winter, we will store a throw blanket and my favorite woolies in these baskets.

Adds a little warm texture to our space.  Simple. Bold.  I added them to the shop  this morning, too.  

We will see how they do...

happy 4th birthday, b

It is my B's birthday today.  She is four.  She is my lovely little lady.  

B wanted a three layer chocolate cake.  Very sophisticated for a four year old, but very much B.
I like her taste.

So small.  So sweet.  Our first lesson on the miracle of babies.

Now she doesn't even need us to push her on the swings... she is only four, still so sweet.

She celebrated her birthday at her preschool, too.  Requesting pink sparkly, star cookies.  I will post the recipe this week.  Yummy.

Likes

My new favorite things... Japanese Washi Tapes, more specifically, mt masking tape.  So simple, easy, lovely.  

I originally planned to use them to package my orders but now I think I will use them for many other things as well.  

First plan, some fun crafting with my little ones.  They are fantastic for all types of craft projects: card making, scrapbooking, decorating walls/doors, books, for letters, postcards, memos, wrapping presents.... the list is endless.  

You can write on this tape, stick it onto containers, plastic bags, paper or boxes. Wrapping, interior and collage projects will keep you busy with this fun tape.  It can be torn, so the kids won't ask for the scissors.  It does not stain after peeling off, the colors are so cute and there is a perfect degree of transparency from the rice paper.  The mt site says it best, these tapes have both sweetness and functionality.  

I love them.  

Here are a few resources.  You know, I love Etsy , so I ordered my tapes from Origamisan.   The arrived directly from Japan, quite quickly.  Fantastic customer service.  I have since found another economical resource as well, Ginko Papers.  I just love the name and the owner, manager, buyer, etc. is a woman and mother in California.  She has fantastic prices and a beautiful website.  

What will you craft or beautify with these fun Japanese tapes?

before and after

I got a great deal on some old chairs I thought I would use for the kids' desks when they get older.  They needed a little love.  B and N picked their own colors.  B picked bubble gum pink, of course.  Here's a look... Before

After... what might you upcycle today?

falling leaf

I designed a new basket for Autumn...  It features a a striking silh sweetgum leaf.  

I can just see it on a desk in an office, as the seasonal catchall on the counter, or even on the dining room table at your Harvest feast.  

Simple. Elegant. Utilitarian indie design.

little bird

how sweet... a little bird is watching.

featured on designs by vanessa.  

sign of the times

My front door needed to get with the season, too.  We usually have a wreath, but it needed to be simplified.  less is more?  

I took a sign I already had and flipped it over, painted it black, and stenciled in white.  

Happy Crafting.  Happy Monday.  

baskets, pillows, and typography

I have been a little overwhelmed with life lately, but it has been good.  

My Etsy shop is keeping me busy and I am thrilled with the response to my new designs.  

The basket above was a special request from a customer who wanted to use it to gather cards at her wedding... how lovely!

This was a harvest orange lined basket, the customer requested the matching orange typography for a halloween party.  

The custom typography is fun and refreshing.  

I just got a bundle of orders gathered and ready to ship.  

I hope your week is busy, too.  Happy Monday!

featured

today my lovely little basket was featured on scoutiegirl.com

happy weekend.