Happy Leap Day!

I came across these 'leaping' pictures & they seemed perfect to share...

Image from the 100th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower, via Slate

A blind puppy experiences snow for the first time, via Cute Overload

I can't believe that come tomorrow it will already be March!
Nicole

An Herbal Affair

My mom & her friends are helping with another bridal shower in the coming months, with 'herbs' being the theme... so I have to chime in with my herbal ideas! (Note to self: I must get a life, since I am lately just planning things via my mom's social calendar!)

Shower Decorations
The shower is being held in a restaurant with booths, so we need something smaller for the table decorations, but this Herb Centerpiece would be gorgeous on the gift table or the table of the guest of honor!



Table Decorations
There are so many cute ideas out there. One I love is this mossy pot... true, not an herb, but it does blend in with the color palette & plant theme nicely.


Use the same small pots & put potted herbs in them as table decorations, favors, and even placeards. I love the idea of painting the terracotta with stripes like this.


The neat thing about using herbs is that, like flowers, many have a meaning... it would be cute to tie a ribbon around the pots with a tag naming the herb and giving it's meaning. The meanings of some wedding/love-related herbs are:

Basil : Love		Lavender : Devotion		Sage : Long life, good heath, and domestic sweetness
Burnet (or salad burnet) : A merry heart		Marjoram : Joy		Scented Geranium : Happiness
Chamomile: Patience		Mugwort : Happiness of the day and the years to come		Sweet marjoram : Goodwill (Greek symbol of joy and happiness)
Chervil : Serenity		Myrtle : Love and passion		Tarragon : Permanence
Dill : Good cheer, Survival		Parsley : Festivities, merriment		Thyme : Strength and courage (ladies tucked sprigs of thyme into the armor of knights due for battle)
Heartsease : Happiness		Rosemary : Remembrance

A slightly larger size would look nice as a centerpiece for a smaller table - be sure to use the labels & give each table their own herb! The bride's can takeaway a sampling of all the herbs- the Recipe for a great marriage!

Favors & Game Prizes
When you're talking herbs, of course wonderful sachets come to mind! While it can be a fairly common shower favor, for this one it actually carries on the theme. You can easily buy sachets, but they're very easy to make- just sew a pouch (to be tied shut with a pretty ribbon), or make a small 'pillow' to fill with herbs... a heart-shaped one is especially fitting! (A halfway-DIY idea is to buy pre-sewn organza pouches, found in the bridal section of a craft store, and fill with herbs.)

A great prize for a game is this adorable herb-embedded paper from etsy seller porridge papers. The paper can be used as a card, but then planted by the recipient to grow the seeds!




What a beautiful (& beautifully scented!) shower this will be!
Nicole

Quote: Albert Einstein

Inspiration E-Zine

I'm sure this will be all over the interweb today, as I'm not the only one who adored the first edition, but edition 2 of Design for Mankind's "Inspiration" e-zine is available now!

I've always been one to cut things out of magazines I like, though most cuttings are stored neatly in my little filing folders, so I don't see them much. J and I recently started Inspiration Boards in our bedroom- out where we can see them & be reminded every day... plus supposedly by putting your dreams/ desires out into the world, you're more likely to go after & get them!

Even if you don't read through it in detail, you should take a look- the photography & layouts are gorgeous, and love the hand-written notes! But you really should read it. It's full of info on what some amazing artists/designers use for inspiration.... and is sure to inspire you too!
Nicole

Gocco Love: Pretty Wedding Invites

I have a Gocco printer that I adore. Seriously. I was so concerned back when we thought it might be gone for good! So when I see other people making gorgeous items with their Gocco printer, I am always intrigued... so had to share these beautiful invitations I came across at Wedding Bee:

If you've ever considered getting one & aren't sure it's worth it, I personally have more than made up for my investment... I made several items for my wedding with it, Christmas cards every year, as well as helping friends make wedding save-the-dates, shower invitations, etc. I first tried it out at a Paper Source class- they now have a how-to video available on their website here.
Nicole

Craft It Roundup

Some crafty inspiration for your week!

• Magazine & Sewing Pattern totes- with any luck the 'Easter Bunny' will find some time to sew & use these as gift baskets this year!
  
• T-shirt Stencil using Freezer Paper
  
• Cutest idea ever for Shrinky Dinks
  
• Baby Booties, using this free pattern from Heather Bailey (via Adorn Magazine's Blog)
  
• Ironing Board Cover (via How about Orange)
  - I have a tendency to iron my fusible webbing/ fleece the wrong way down first. I have no idea how I always do it (statistics say I should be right 50% of the time!), but my ironing board needs a new, non-sticky cover!

Let those creative juices flow!
Nicole

Etsy Business Links

I've been looking into Etsy lately... I have a few product ideas rolling around in my head, so am curious if Etsy is the right place for me. Below is a roundup of some resources I came across with info for the Etsy-business-curious:

• Etsy Tips for Newbies


• How to Run a Successful Etsy Shop


• Guide to Etsy Fees


• Why Haven't I Sold Anything?
  
  

Hope that these help someone else too!
Nicole

Loving It: Vintage Suitcase turned Doggie Bed

How adorable is this? Kirsten from Green is the New Blue made this pet bed (with matching squeaky toy!) from a vintage suitcase!

The boys love climbing into everything & anything (bags, boxes, suitcases...) so this would be perfect... plus it would look cute sitting out, which isnt always the case with many pet items. Thanks to the Craft magazine blog for the link!

Nicole

Gold Wallpaper + Lucite Shelves = GORGEOUS

I just saw these beautiful pictures on decor8... how amazing is that gold wallpaper combined with the clear shelving?!

The office was designed by Vanessa De Vargas. I also love the couch- she says that she bought the couch plain and had an upholsterer add the stripe of fabric down the middle- really makes it so unique!

Who wouldn't feel productive and inspired in this space?!
Nicole

UPDATE (May '10)! See my post here for at some adorable plexiglass shelves and my picks for wallpaper pairings

Tea Party: centerpieces

My mom & her friends are hosting a bridal shower for the daughter of a family friend this summer & the theme is a Tea Party. This seems to be a common theme among the group- I had a 'tea party' shower & we threw the same theme for another family friend's new daughter-in-law.

It really is such a good theme that I can see why it keeps coming up... who doesn't like a tea party!? Most of us all played 'tea party' growing up (I had a fabulous Peter Rabbit tea set, shown to the right!) & weddings are really like a big dress up party, so it seems to fit perfectly

So, I recently appointed myself decorator for the shower. Not that they need my help- my mom has great taste, as do her friends. But I like planning things and don't have any events of my own coming up, so they'll have to deal with me! Of course, once you start cruising the internet for ideas, they can be found in droves, so this is the first of many Tea-related posts (the party isnt until the summer, so we have plenty of time!).

Of course, Martha has amazing ideas. (I could spend days on that website alone. Seriously. Is that normal?!) The one I am absolutely smitten with is the idea of using tea tins as centerpieces. How gorgeous are these arrangements?

Of course, my mom asked the completely logical question of where we would get vintage tea tins. Ebay has lots but they're a bit pricey, especially if you want to do a grouping of several tins, like the pictures above. I'm going to try some flea markets to see if I have any luck... I'll let you know how it goes!
Nicole

Loving It: Anna Whitford's floral creations

I'm a big believer the power of flowers- just a couple small vases in the house always makes everything seem so much prettier. So of course when I came across Anna Whitford's beautiful fabric-flower creations via Apartment Therapy I instantly loved them... so pretty & intricate!

She crafts her flower-adorned items from cotton, suede, and faux-suede for one-of-a-kind adornment. For any of you bride to be's out there, I absolutely adore her ring pillows (shown below). Not only are these a modern way to incorporate the ring bearer tradition into your ceremony, but the pillow is sure to fit into your newlywed home as an everyday reminder after the wedding!

I don't think these would survive long in our apartment until the boys are a bit older, so for now I'll just have to admire from afar!
Nicole

What Magazines Look For

If you're like me and have any interest in starting a business, one of the things on your mind is how you can get the word out about your fabulous venture. Something I dream of is one day getting my company/ products featured in a magazine. I came across this article from Melissa Walker, Senior Editor of ELLEgirl magazine (via The Sampler) & had to share - she gives info & advice about submitting your work for consideration at any major magazine.

Happy reading!
Nicole

Valentine flashback

I was 'Pouncing' over at Etsy (you can view what's out there by letting Etsy bring back a random selection... you never know what will come up!) and came aross this adorable card from Rovenko. Ah, to be young and in high school and know that no boy will ever be as important as your current crush...
Valentine's Day as a grown up may be better, but a little nostalgia is always nice!
Nicole

DIY Motivation: Contest from Design*Sponge!

For all of you that have some DIY projects you've been just meaning to get to (and if you somehow already completed all your projects, I don't understand how you managed!), the time to stop procrastinating is NOW. Earlier this week Design*Sponge announced their new DIY Contest, with a prizes totaling $1500! As Grace from D*S said, "that's a lot of DIY supply money!"

Contest entries can be submitted through March 2, and you can submit multiple projects... so get working!
Nicole

High Flying Centerpiece

Who knew that paper airplanes could be so... chic? I came across this centerpiece via Another Shade of Grey & just adore it. So creative and simple, just the airplanes really make an impact - the many planes plus gorgeous paper really helps to pull this off.

The idea comes from Rachel Ray, who featured this as a back-to-school centerpiece idea, but it would be equally adorable for a boy's birthday party or for a travel-themed wedding shower (to celebrate a globetrotting couple or a destination wedding?).
Nicole

Nice Save!

I realize that I am a total softie, but I saw the below video on Cute Overload this morning & literally went 'awwww' out loud. A nice happy ending to kick of the end of the work week!

Happy Friday!
Nicole