speckled egg nest...

'speckled egg nest' ~ needle felted/mixed media fiber art, now listed in the shop

originally designed and needle felted, using llama's and wool/mohair roving. bits of cotton lace and fabric intertwined around the branches and stitched into place. three wee speckled eggs tucked away inside... patiently awaiting a spring arrival

oh you beautiful, beautiful season...

from my flickr

sunday thoughts... toes in salt water, warm breeze on my cheek, fingers grasping for sand, watering flowers just opening to morning's light, bright blue skies, naps under the tree's shade, skirt flowing around bare legs...

my sister spotted the first forsythia in bloom, yesterday, here in georgia... mmm, spring is finally within reach... more than just a winter's dream

saturday shopping list - january 30th

a little love for your body, a little love for your home...

romantic, old world simplicity... could use a bit of this in my life ;)

trying to bring home less, only those things i truly love and appreciate. gifts of worlds past, with a history they can whisper, or created new by individual caring hands and beautifully creative minds

1 ~ evangeline nuno felted silk flower hairband, by glamourjunkie

2 ~ vintage rose floral picture, from twoartdirectors

3 ~ porcelain lace wall hanging, by forestclearing

4 ~ maximum fringe necklace, by iheartnorwedianwood

5 ~ blushing in pink, by ouma

6 ~ my lady a vintage wood silhouette, from oldcrowfarm

7 ~ antique journal turn of the century, from desertnana

8 ~ maiden floral vine crown, by whichgoose

9 ~ nightie night, from veravague

10 ~ sitting hen, from beautifulliving

as always, you can visit fancypicnic for links to all the saturday shopping lists

*** new facebook fan page ;)

i won, i won, i really won!

via staceywinters

how excited i was to awake to an email from stacey winters, letting me know that i had won her bluebird giveaway, for this book and a print! i won, i won, i really won! now, i've always been really good at winning little things here and there that i have absolutely no use for... cans of soda, baseball hats at raffles, soccer bags (you get the idea... random objects that eventually are given away), but this, THIS, i really love, and will use, and will read, and will admire!

a big congratulations to stacey. this is her blue bird photograph, gracing the cover of ariel gore's new book, 'bluebird: women and the new psychology of happiness' (which just hit shelves, and is getting great reviews)

deer whisper print, by staceywinters

freckle in fall limited edition print, by staceywinters

you can see stacey's beautiful daily photo journal here, and purchase her lovely work here

this has put me in the mood for a giveaway of my own... look for one this next month!

a handmade and vintage season...

sharing, today, some of the gifts i received over the christmas holiday, all of the handmade and vintage variety (my very favorite kind of treasure)...

as someone with perpetually freezing feet, not wearing shoes in my house can make for some very painfully cold days during the winter (and spring and fall)... my niece and nephew gifted me these absolutely, delightfully, toasty warm (and very cute) felted woolen anklet slippers (by pawfelts) , which can be found on my feet every single moment i am in my house! and, finally, my feet are deliciously warm! i had long admired my sister's pair, and was thrilled to receive a pair of my own

and, what fun to have a mom with an etsy store (imsovintage) filled with vintage goodies! i'm always adding items from her store to my etsy favorites list. so, when i unwrap my presents from her, i'm sure to find one of these delightful treasures

i've been in need of a little sewing basket to keep my odds and ends in, which i can also leave out all the time... this gorgeous chinese sewing basket met that need! looks wonderful displayed on my coffee table, and in perfect reach whenever i need a needle and thread! and to make it even more exciting, it was filled with vintage sewing supplies

(look at this treasure she has for sale now)

oh, how i admired this gorgeous necklace from june shin, when visiting a local show here in atlanta with my sister and my sister's mother-in-law... and, somehow, cary managed to snatch it up, sneak away, and purchase it for my christmas gift without my ever realizing she had left my side... very sneaky indeed

pairs perfectly with outfits from casual to dressy... my new favorite piece!

another lovely vintage piece from my mom... i can never have enough vases... for dried and fresh flowers all over the house

these beautiful vintage wall plaques, each with a different scene, lend such a touch of romance and paris chic to the room

as we near the close of this first month, wishing everyone a wonderful start to this new year and decade

images from around the world...

sunset over bamberg (via flickr)

my seven year old nephew and i were discussing, today, how a passport works. the conversation came about as a result of his stated ambition to become a leading world detective, which will of course require abundant and dangerous adventure around the globe (this talk occurred during a break in our 'Nancy Drew' mystery book reading).

"each passport stamp shows the places you've traveled," i told him... and, a feeling of sadness came over me that, although i've dreamed this dream of traveling the world for so long, i've yet to make it a reality. how strange it seems to live years and years in your one little place, in your one life, in this vast globe, without seeing all which the earth has to offer. i not only want to visit other lands, i want to live there... to really live and watch and listen and speak the language of the culture. and, yet, here i am sitting in this kitchen, talking about my unfulfilled dream once again.

so, i have decided, i will not be sad for what has never been, but be excited for what will be... for not only the lovely dreams of far away lands that fulfill with the promise of adventure, but for the reality of adventure i will make happen in my future (and hopefully sooner rather than later!)

in honor of these intended adventures, i wanted to share beautiful images from around the world... from places of my ancestry in germany, england, ireland... to lovely sweden... and, to a lovely home (see the last image) right here in the states, filled with antiques procured from europe.

enjoy your european trot... perhaps africa next week?

can we dance?, by camilla engman

chatsworth, derbyshire 'a guide to', by su blackwell

sarah churchill, duchess of marlborough, by irish painter charles jervas

home of 'red chair antiques' owner, jocie sinauer and david chicane (via designsponge)

*** p.s. i'm just starting a new facebook fanpage, and would love to see your lovely faces over there ;)

pretty things...

imagining the season's first warm touch of light...

opening your eyes to new air's promise...

life blossoming...

memories waiting to grab hold of you...

tasting the glow, the sounds, the gentle breeze...

feeling the touch of warmth on bare arms

1. Untitled, 2. sisters, 3. vintage sewing pattern tissue paper flowers, 4. Untitled, 5. ........................., 6. Untitled, 7. Spring in here!, 8. Untitled, 9. ^__^, 10. I took my lucky break and I broke it in two.

(you can click the links to see each photographer's image on flickr... they can also be found in my flickr favorites)

if only i could really capture the feeling of spring's beginning in a few words. is it biological, how i crave, so intensely, the beginning of each new season? does everyone feel this way? even when i fear the long coldness of winter, or the scalding wetness of summer, my body still feels a strong need for each change

it's as if every year is a miniature cycle, within the larger circle of our lives. i often envy small children, for the newness of their world, and, yet, each spring we become a part of the fresh beginning of earth. perhaps the warm light feels so new and wondrous on bare arms, because the skin is new? we have the memories of warmth, but the skin is discovering the feeling for the first time. it is the season i feel most connected to nature's cycle, as all around me life is discovering the same first touch of warmth... flower petals, newly hatched birds, trees' budding leaves

just some rambling thoughts from a person wanting so desperately to dive into spring! and, reflecting on the nearing close of my first year in georgia. growing up in southern california, the taste of each season was subtle... had to be searched for, listened to closely. but, in a place like georgia, the change is so intense, as breathing in a strong gust of air... crisp cool in fall, sharp cold in winter, soft warmth in spring, hot damp in summer. however different, each place i've lived has it's own beauty (although sometimes it takes time for me to discover it, to embrace it)

off to enjoy the clean sunshine, after a stormy day

happy monday!

that time of year in the hollow... when the bulbs burst forth, breathing spring into the air

'ampoule de fleur cottage' ~ just listed in the shop

originally designed wool and cotton fiber/textile soft sculpture, entirely hand stitched with needle and thread

breathe sweet loveliness...

oh, i'm in love with this decorative shelf from cox & cox (via loveology). yesterday's post brought some much needed personal fashion inspiration... so today i thought i would share a bit for the home

about a year ago, i purchased a lovely assortment of small pieces of vintage wallpaper, which have been sadly stashed away until they find the perfect piece in which to breathe sweet loveliness

perhaps you've seen me, carefully scouring the local thrift stores, imagining, dreaming of what these set aside, lonely pieces can become. i recently found some lovely vintage wooden wall sconces and small kitchen shelf, which, after being painted in lovely soft hues and sanded a bit, have given my rooms a breath of fresh air (all, including paint and vintage plates/teacups/trinkets for shelf decoration, for under $10!... can you tell i love a bargain too). but i'm still searching for a lovely large piece, such as this one from cox & cox, to really do my wallpaper (and assortment of vintage china) justice

here are some lovely vintage wallpapers i found on etsy:

1 ~ blue flock, from paintchipdiaries

2 ~ rolls of vintage wallpaper, from twoartdirectors

3 ~ scenic wallpaper, from lynn101

4 ~ shimmering leaves, from gingerscraps

5 ~ paisley, from nostalgictreasures

6 ~ blue roses, from craftvintage

happy decorating!

saturday shopping list - january 23rd

my closet is in desperate need of a an overhaul for the new year... thought i would compile a collection of a few of my etsy fashion favorites for this week's saturday shopping list... these sellers provide me with such inspiration. i may have to continue next week for a 'part 2', as it was difficult narrowing this list down!

1 ~ sleep set, by modaspia

2 ~ white day dress, by magnolijadress

3 ~ sunset headband, by littleocean

4 ~ tiger lily moccasin teal, by darlingtonia

5 ~ meadow georgette and silk camisole, by hopeless

6 ~ copper key belt, by ledthread

7 ~ blue swing, by bewakeful

8 ~ snow white shibori felted necklace, by elenamakesthings

9 ~ chloe, by alisondahl

10 ~ ivory tower romper playsuit jumper, by undertheroot

***as always, you can visit fancypicnic for a list of all the wonderful saturday shopping lists!

petal cottage

new soft house... 'petal cottage', originally designed and carefully hand stitched

created using a combination of hand-dyed wool and fine linen/cotton fabric (see post below!), meticulously sewn together with my own two hands, a needle, and thread. twisting vines and flowers creeping around the cottage door all hand embroidered... with a secret petal door handle

the four large flower petals, which make up the roof of the cottage, have been created using a very thick blue felted wool, intricately stitched onto this lovely embroidered linen/cotton fabric

the entire piece stands 10" tall, has been firmly filled with wool, and is initialed on the bottom

oh sweet joy!

ahh, the feeling of opening my mailbox, finding that package of fabrics i've been eagerly anticipating, and trying hard not to squeal (there were people in earshot... so i patiently saved the squealing for when i opened the package in the privacy of my home!). these delightful japanese linen/cotton fabrics, from stefaniexu, have already inspired many new ideas... creations i'm sure you will soon see in my shop

let the sewing commence!

rain, fog, quiet

so many plans this weekend... replaced by the quiet of the rain and fog. instead, i've been enjoying sewing in the coziness of my home... what a beautiful light the misty clouds cast

finished a new wool and cotton tree:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i decided to pull out my scanner this weekend as well, and after a year and a half of not working... voila! so, as a result, boxes of photos were also pulled out. i found the image of me at age three, riding a horse... remembering in wonderment how small i was when i began to ride. i then came across this image of my grandpa walker, who i unfortunately never knew as he died before i was born. we walker's have been put on horses as soon as we can walk for quite some time now (and taught how to hold those reins!). also found this image, below, of my great-grandmother (on the left), riding in wyoming

now i realize how many years have gone by since i've been on a horse... makes me long for a ride. something to plan for this spring, perhaps!

hope everyone had a pleasant weekend

saturday shopping list - january 16th

1 ~ custom paper silhouette portrait, by papercutsbyjoe

with valentine's day approaching, what better way to show your affection than with a silhouette to forever capture that special moment with your love! (that bicycle piece pictured is super cute!)

2 ~ 2010 cloth calendar tea towel, from 1canoe2

these take me back to childhood, when we always had a cloth calender (usually with a picture of my sister and i on it!)... a vintage touch, but so fresh and new!

3 ~ federal glass mixing bowls in turquoise, from rollinghillsvintage

oh, how i've been in need of a set of vintage mixing bowls... and these are exactly in my favorite color palette!

4 ~ triple ruffle leggings dreamspun danties, by dreamspunkids

pairing these with any of your little one's jumpers or skirts? ... makes for one fancy outfit! now if only they came in my size

5 ~ gnome baby upcycled dolls/multicultural, by sewnnatural

made with vintage cottons and stuffed with wool, these gnomes have a wonderful timeless vibe... and they can even be custom made to match your child's features (i'll take one with freckles for myself!)

6 ~ blue whales paperbella mobile, by paperbella

even in a still photograph, these whales seem to move... how calming and relaxing for a child's (or adult's!) room

*visit fancypicnic for a list of all the saturday shopping lists!

happy weekend everyone!

pretty things...

1. grain, 2. marianne was difficult to please and found even paris rather drab for her taste, 3. Untitled, 4. jan-11-10 photographer's assistant, 5. Farfuglinn, 6. L'enfant, 7. DSC01437, 8. remembering back....., 9. golden mushroom, 10. collared dove, 11. Molly's Sketchbook: New Year's Garland, 12. Little Birdie, 13. Untitled

some inspirational pictures from my flickr favorites

nest on a sprig...

new mixed media fiber art in shop... 'nest on a sprig'

needle felted nest with eggs, attached with vintage cotton thread to a real branch, painted a soft blue and wrapped in a fine floral cotton

twisting floral vines created by intricately wrapping wire in a thick cotton thread