{ weekend getaway guide }

Your Weekend Getaway Guide 04.18.08:

01.   Oh I {re}ally wish I could visit this shop in person.

02.   I find this provocative photo series so intriguing and fascinating. 

        {found via Cup of Jo}.

03.   Have you been following Holly's What to do...series? 

         Great weekend reading!    

04.   I love this DIY idea...I just might have to try it. {click photo to enlarge}.

And finally, another BIG merci, gracias, thank you to Red Otter for giving me an E for Excellent Blogging award...it was truly a huge thrill for me. I am passing on the award to some of my favorite spots I stop each day...   

M & Co.,  the Constant Gatherer,  and Design is Mine.  

Thanks for taking the time to stop by this week and for sharing your great feedback and thoughtful comments. I will meet you back here on Monday. 

image by Mikkel Vang via Judith Miller Inc.

{ whoo whoo: night owl papergoods }

Have you had a chance to pop over to the new Poppytalk Handmade market this week? There are so many fun goodies to browse through...like these adorable, eco friendly notepads from Night Owl Papergoods.  And after taking a gander at the rest of this 'modern yet folksy' line of papergoods, I couldn't resist sharing it with you all. 

Pictured here: their eco friendly wooden postcards and flat cards with envelopes. Oh how fun it would be to receive one of these in the mail. 

View the full collection here. 

 

And I've told you before how I feel about letterpress goods... 

I've featured a few of my favorites from the line above. 

Bask in the loveliness of the full collection here.

We made it...Happy Friday!!!

{ blog of the week: mocking bird–featuring flickr fave, manda }

Today we are taking a sneak peek at one of my new flickr favorites, {manda}–aka, Amanda Gilligan–an amazing photographer based in Sydney, Australia. I immediately fell in love with Amanda's enchanting photos in which she transforms ordinary, everyday objects into magical, intimate treasures.  In my quest to learn more about Amanda and her work, I discovered her blog, Mocking Bird, and just knew I had to feature it as this week's blog of the week {see right sidebar}. 

in bloom: cherry blossoms in Amanda's Sydney neighborhood

Spend some time on Mocking Bird and you'll gain a true sense of what inspires Amanda.  It's here that she shares her love of music {and Bono in particular}, travel, books, and of course photography–indulging her readers with the stories behind each of her dreamy photos. 

I find myself totally and completely smitten with this laundromat-

how do you do that Amanda?

"The Dorothys" found in Amanda's Amelie flickr set, 

inspired by her favorite film

My husband has described his first visit to 

Fenway park as both magical and surreal.

Amanda captures the mood perfectly in this simple, 

yet stunning photo taken in the historic stadium

 

Aside from the stunning beauty of this shot, 

I love the blurred out painted piggies in the background

When you have a moment, treat yourself to some window shopping a la Amanda. You can follow her adventures in photography, travel, and music, by visiting her Mocking Bird blog. Amanda also has a photoblog, Montmartre, which showcases some of her favorite photos. 

A few of my favorite things: window shopping,

thrifting, and cool vintage finds

And, be on the look out in July when Amanda will  be amongst other featured photographers in Jenifer Altman's amazing book project, for the love of light–a tribute to the art of polaroid. { For a real treat, check out Amanda's list of 100 in which she shares her hopes, dreams and aspirations–it was truly inspiring to read about the ones she's already fulfilled. }

Thank you Amanda for so graciously sharing your gorgeous photos with us!

{all images courtesy of Amanda Gilligan}

{ mom's the word... }

Unfortunately, some unexpected projects arose today, so it will be a light day of posting my friends.

fun letterpress card by oddball press

Can you believe it...Mother's Day is just around the corner. I've been on the hunt for some interesting cards and thought I would share some of my favorites with you.

{click on image to enlarge}

Sources (clockwise, from upper left corner)

1. turtle papers   2. afavorite

3. and 4. diy mother's day card kits by paper source

fun letterpress card by lizard press

letterpress card by dutch door

Coming soon...the S.HOPtalk Mother's Day Gift Guides { stay tuned }

{ tempting me tuesday: beach house living }

One of my ultimate dreams is to someday own a little cottage at the beach–nothing fancy, just a cozy getaway conducive to lazy afternoons and wiling away the day with sand between my toes. So I was thrilled to stumble upon this perfect little beach bungalow on one of Bluelines' home tours. 

Simple. Functional. Dreamy...

I love the use of beachy, nature-inspired elements indoors...

the tree stumps were found in a nearby field and painted with 

5 coats of fire engine red latex paint.

Cozy fireplace. Check.

A view to build a dream on...

I think my vintage collections of pyrex and milk glass 

would look quite lovely in this cabinet, don't you?

The sink, the painted floors, the colored glass door inserts...*sigh*

Personally, I'd choose another fabric for these fabulous faux bamboo chairs, 

but isn't this a great room with the wispy sea grass just outside the windows?

Love this art wall...it would be fun to fill it with vintage 

paint-by-number beach scenes too.

Thank you all for letting me dream a little dream with you today.

{ all images found via Martha Stewart }