{mom's day inspiration: sweet tweets }

Journal of an Aviary Keeper print (a) and moleskin journal 

both by Lilymoon

The bird song outside my window this morning inspired these feathered finds for Mother's Day–each pick makes a lovely little gift on its own or can be combined to create a memorable basket for your favorite mama bird.

click on image to enlarge

sources:

1. Birdwatcher's dessert plates anthropologie

2. Scallop Series Necklace: imogeneAndannie

3. Birdie in a Clutch: brookegalardi

4. Aviaries dishtowel anthropologie

5. Bird lovers flower garden seeds: potting shed creations

6. Set of littlebirds flat notes: things are better with a parrott

{ foundling: jewelry with a past }

I have fallen head over heels in love with each little storied piece discovered in Betsy Carr's inspired jewelry line, Foundling. Each trinket in the Foundling collection is handmade using vintage, found, or recycled materials–creating a one-of-a-kind treasure for its lucky recipient. 

I'm particularly fond of the pieces pictured, but found plenty more lovelies for you to browse in Foundling's etsy shop. 

With Mother's Day and college graduations fast approaching, I was pleased to find the prices in Betsy's shop to be quite reasonable and I adore her exquisite gift wrap that comes with each little pretty. Be sure to follow Betsy's treasure hunting adventures and keep track of new additions to her collection by visiting her blog. {S.HOPtalk's featured blog of the week}. 

{ monday making me smile: snappy shop }

I am loving these colorful and whimsical handmade aprons found at Snappy Shop on etsy. I'm a sucker for good branding and lost about a half hour of work productivity {shhh...} reading through their entertaining and downright snappy product copy. Check out their fun little shop here.

Have a few minutes? Indulge in some of their fun snippets here, here and here.

{ monday morning blues: featuring letterpress goods by letteria }

I'm completely enamored with Letteria's expanding line of letterpress goodies, which I've previously featured here. I couldn't resist sharing some of their new Spring items with you–including a kids' line and some new florals and natural patterns–that were featured at the Blue Wonder exhibit near Letteria's home base in Switzerland. I thought you might find the simple, yet exquisite use of color inspiring when planning your own Springtime events and celebrations. 

I love these coasters and the favor boxes adorned with Letteria's tags and ribbons.

new for the kiddies

 Christa's blooms are simple yet stunning–an easy idea to borrow.

Invitations, coasters, favor boxes and decorative garlands...Letteria has you covered for your next celebration. To browse their full line of paper goods, visit the Letteria etsy shop. Christa is very responsive and encourages custom orders {including special color requests}. If you see an item you like, but prefer it in another color, just contact her via etsy. You can also visit Christa's new blog–unfortunately, I can't read of word of it, but the photos are lovely to look at nonetheless.

Happy Monday All...so thrilled to have you back here!

{ weekend getaway guide }

Your Weekend Getaway Guide 04.26.08:

–I am in awe of Jen's stunning {daily} creations.

–DIY downloads to help you plan a fabulous Spring or Summer garden party. { Additional free downloads here. }

–Are your magazine subscriptions breaking your budget? Take a gander at Anastacia's lovely {and free} flickr group. 

–Go behind the scenes of this top design studio and discover the inspiration behind their incredible branding here.

–I am * in love * with this little wonder of a dream room. Read more about the design process here.

Have a fab one!!!

{image credit: domino magazine}

{ a mixed bag of friday fun... }

I snuck out this morning to join my daughter and her 1st grade class on their field trip to see a live performance of Winnie the Pooh at this amazing theater. There's nothing cuter than six and seven year olds holding each others' little hands and bursting with excitement in anticipation of escaping from their classroom routine for a couple of hours. School bus jingles, grade school chatter, and lots and lots of giggles made for a memorable, fun-filled morning. 

image by flickr fave millie motts

This is also a long way of saying I'm a little behind on the blog posts I had planned for today. I'm working feverishly to catch up...but then I keep glancing out at our picture perfect weather and seem to get distracted with thoughts of being in the garden. So...I have a deal for you. How about I leave you with some garden-inspired eye candy for now and catch up with your Weekend Getaway Guide by Saturday morning...deal?

Lucyina Moodie*

Shoot Factory

Country Living

House Beautiful

Lucyina Moodie

Cottage Living

House Beautiful

Country Living

Marie Claire Maison

Thanks to all of you for spending a bit of your day here with me and a special shout out to all of the new friends who have stopped by this week. I've enjoyed *meeting* you all and visiting your own little corners of the world.

*found via desire to inspire

{ reclaim | repurpose | refresh: vintage maps }

Current pendant necklace by foundling

Escape to your favorite places with these clever little treasures–crafted by hand using vintage, repurposed maps. 

Sources: from upper left corner:

–new home card by Bombus

–vintage atlas notebooks by Bombus {custom locations available}

–set of 6 greeting cards with handcrafted vintage map envelopes by Bombus

–sterling antique map pendant by anne holman {custom pendants available}

Hand stitched using embroidery threads and filled with hypo-allergenic fiber, these charming little birds by etsy seller, cottonbird designs, are crafted using vintage maps. Eyes are embroidered and feet are also created by hand using florist wire.

{ wednesday wish list: bari j designs }

One of each { please }...

The vintage inspired Lara Hobo Petite in mixed 

Japanese fabric prints by Bari J

Motherhood French velvet ribbon brooch 

adorned with vintage jewelry finds, also by Bari J

Discover more Bari J. fabulousness here and the creative inspiration behind each of her one-of-a-kind creations here.

{ stylist maria grossmann }

Wednesday looks to be a busy day. Before digging into my to do list and projects for the day, I wanted to share these stunning photos from Maria Grossmann, an interiors and food stylist living in Hamburg, Germany.

I was immediately captivated by her inspired and unexpected use of found objects and vintage collections.

What else do you suppose is tucked into those cubbies. Don't you just want to pop over there for the day and browse through her treasure trove of vintage goodies?  

Are those vintage tree stands doubling as wall art in the garden? 

Pure genius!

There's plenty more for you to explore on Maria's fun web site {warning: the navigation is a little tricky}. Maria often collaborates on projects with photographer Monika Schürle, who also has a site which showcases many of the same images {and is easier to navigate}. 

{all images found via maria grossmann}

{ tempting me tuesday: eco friendly finds }

Happy Earth Day!

environmentally friendly market bag by Melissa Vest Designs 

(Earth Day discount: 15% off)

Admittedly, I have never been what you would call an environmentalist. I've recently been trying to change that by really making an effort to become more aware of my own personal impact on the environment while also taking steps to adopt a more green, eco-friendly lifestyle. Living a greener existence can feel overwhelming...where to start, what to do. That's why I love Real Simple's Green Living 101 guide– it's an excellent resource for getting started quickly and easily. Check out some of their simple tips here and here.

a treasured antique tea cup...

an engagement gift handed down to my mom and then to me

And more good news...going green can be as simple as finding new uses for old things. Yes, our love and use of vintage finds is good for the planet. Who knew? So instead of buying new, new, new...try going vintage next time. { See, that wasn't hard }. 

In honor of Earth Day, I will be sharing another reclaim | repurpose | refresh feature with you all this week. For now I leave you with some of my favorite, eco-friendly finds...

reversible, doppio grande market bag–made of recycled, refreshed

coffee bean bags by diengiedesigns

lydie vintage necklace and earring set by portobello

aurelie vintage necklace by portobello

think, write and grow plantable journal by Botanical Paperworks

reversible, doppio grande market bag–made from recyled, refreshed

burlap coffee bean bags by diengiedesigns

letterpress mini prints, printed on 100% recycled paper by YeeHaw

DO TELL: Do you make a great eco-friendly product or have a great green living tip you can share with us? Leave a note in the comments...we'd love to hear about it.

{ monday morning blues... }

In this week's edition of the Monday Morning Blues, we visit this yummy house in the Portobello area of London. I love the splashes of blue they've incorporated into the predominately white and red interior. 

{My favorite being the to-die-for stove.} 

Fresh & Fabulous...enjoy!

A dreamy bedroom with subtle splashes of blue in the headboard and artwork.

They've even extended the blue to the backyard's painted fence.

So thrilled to have you all back here with me this week–it promises to be a great one!

{all images found via Shootfactory}