go green!

i am all about banning plastic shopping bags. i think nebraska will probably be way behind the curve on that, but my future state (arizona) is considering the law. yeah!

so until plastic bags are banned, let's all do our part and carry cute totes!

i love these by deadworry.






p.s.: i use these.

THE dress

ok, so i know i'm not getting married for a year, but i found THE dress!

i tried lots and lots on, and this one just called to me. it's so lovely!

now, i can't really show you much because mr. m reads this blog, but i'll give you a little sneak peek. (this is all you get for a year, mr.!)

contagious

contagious makes the most delicate jewelry. i love understated, beautiful things, especially those tiny rings!

little odd forest

little odd forest has such a wide variety of completely adorable things in their shop. cute cute cute!

a summer dress, should summer ever arrive

opps. sorry for the inadvertent absence. i guess i just didn't feel much like blogging. (blasphemy!)

don't worry, i kept busy, primarily asking myself these questions: why do i enjoy torturing myself with patterns, and why do i start complicated projects at eight o'clock at night?

hmmm... 'cause i'm crazy?

while i had a bit of trouble (not enought fabric after i cut the first piece wrong. crap! i had to improvise after that) i really like how my dress turned out. i had to tweak it a bit (added the belt, scrunched the neckline) but it was, in the end, a fun endeavor.

what do you think? i think i'm ready for a summer party! now if only it wasn't 40 degrees today...



notice the red panel in the back? yeah, that's because i ran out of the dot fabric, because i did not check my pattern placement close enough. oops! (i like it better this way.)

joshua stone

i'm loving these industrial felt coasters by joshua stone.

industrial felt.

it just sounds cool.

check out some other industrial felt i previously blogged about here.

sara paloma

have you seen the prettiness that is sara paloma pottery? no? go have a look! pretty, pretty, pretty.

brag post

i just have to do a little bragging. please indulge me.

when mr. m left me to head west, it was for a job shooting for the arizona republic's magazines in phoenix. he has been doing some really fabulous work lately, and i wanted to share!

check out more here.

manly man

looking for a gift for the man in your life? look no further!

for the suit: a most excellent tie by tieLab.

for the outdoorsman: a cool lumberjack tee by timber.



for the foodie: a goodie box full of delicious spices by purpose design.



for the hipster who loves to decorate: a sweet retro table by lunar lounge design.



for the groomer (mr. m is a groomer): old timey products by portland general store.



for the environmentally conscious coffee drinker: a cup reusable cup cozy by cup kozy. he's not too manly for a cup cozy, is he?

pretty vases

aren't these reef-inspired vases by wise design pretty? i love their organic look. i'll bet they would be stunning lit from within by a candle.

oh, and be sure to check out her website. i just did, and it's way cool, especially the fine art section!

pamela tang

there is something quietly beautiful about the textile work of pamela tang. she does such pretty things with silk.

also check out her pretty website and blog!

wall decals

hi there! just popping in while my lovie makes me some dinner. still on vacation!

i love the idea of wall decals as the "new" wallpaper. they're not permanent, and i think they can give certain rooms that extra pop.

these are some of my favorites!


this vine by elphannie is so pretty!



this design by lewa's designs is so fanciful! love it on that blue wall!



love the colors in this decal by one up designs. i really love the couch, too...



i love the pretty turquoise of this decal by elly nelly.



ok, i know this isn't a wall decal, but how cool would this diver by vital look on the toilet in a really hip apartment?

vaca

oh, i forgot to mention i'm back in arizona this weekend. posts may be limited. thanks for your patience!

modern front

if i were fabulously wealthy (something i aspire to be at some point in my life - stop laughing mom) i would plunk down lots of money for a collection of modern front's gorgeously unique furniture.

it's covered in a rubber coating called softskin. soooo cool! i want to touch it!

i (heart) NPR

i love NPR. ask my sisters. they think i'm nerdy. it's about the only kind of radio i'll listen to in the car. i don't care, i'm in love with talk radio! and mr. m, who, incidentally, is the one who tipped me off to this story. how did i miss it?

check out this article on the DIY internet revolution. etsy is mentioned towards the end. did you know some people make $30,000 dollars a year selling their stuff on etsy? and one fabulous person made $125,000. in one year. on etsy. wow. anyone want to hazard a guess as to who this seller is? i have my suspicions...

***UPDATE***
ooh, i was super close. i knew the black apple and ashley g would have to be in the top 10. check out this list for some of the top sellers. i think the numbers it gives you are just for one year, so go to any of the shops on the list and look at the number of items they have sold. it's mind boggling.

kjoo

go check out kjoo's shop. she makes gorgeous things from felt and wool, two of my favorite materials! (or are they the same material... hmmm....)

shelby healey

i'm loving the work of shelby healey. she creates lovely paintings and mixed media work.

oh, and her profile says she lives in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. Add that to my list of places to visit!

oh wow

did i ever tell you i love maggie mason's blog mighty girl? it's hysterically awesome. she also has a couple of shopping websites, mighty goods and mighty junior. love them both!

well, i just got an etsy convo from the folks over at mighty junior that said they featured my little bunnies on their site! oh my, am i honored!

thanks mighty junior (and melissa in particular!)!

skinny laminx

have i not yet blogged about the fabulousness that is skinny laMinx? i haven't? why the hell not?

heather makes her fabulous tea towels and aprons in south africa. i want to go to south africa...!

her current colorways are so spectacularly springy! she also has a lovely blog that i read quite often. you should check it out!

oh, and she also does gorgeous, intricate papercuts. go look for them on her blog!

cork!

ooh, lookie what i found on the front page of etsy today!

cork and cotton makes gorgeous things out of cork. who knew you could sew with cork!?! not me! i've only recently been introduced to the idea of cork as flooring.

these bags are gorgeous, and she says they feel like leather. they have such a lovely earthy look!

more spring

since it was another gray and gloomy day here in the midwest, so i'm continuing on my spring theme.

i love the cute little critters by lesley anne green, especially the little lambies!

easter/spring

man, easter is early this year. i need to hit up a fish fry before they're all over. omaha has some pretty rocking ones, i've been told.

the great thing about easter is that nearly all of the merchandise associated with the holiday is totally non-religious, so if you don't celebrate it, you can buy easter stuff to celebrate spring!

so, for your viewing enjoyment, here are some (secular) easter goodies. apparently with a rabbit theme. i guess i like rabbits.

a little hut offers templates for adorable gift boxes.

apak has really cool gocco cards.



i love these hand screenprinted bunnies by dog bone art.



essimar papel does beautiful things with paper.



these rabbits by she rides the lion would look great in an easter/spring basket. you could have a spring basket, right?

plantable paper

i paid a visit to my friend christopher over at porridge papers today. there was cheesecake made by sam. sam makes the best cheesecake. ever.

i digress.

while i was there, christopher informed me that he has a little obsession, an obsession with plantable paper. to feed that obsession, he has started a website that features his handmade plantable goodies.

wondering what i mean by plantable paper? it's lovely paper chock full of seeds, so instead of throwing it away, you plant it in your garden, water it, and watch it grow!

you can even pick custom colors and seed types. cool! (what a great, eco-friendly idea for wedding invitations, don't you think mom?)




don't forget to visit the porridge papers blog for shop updates!