Daffodils and Spring

I think I am going to go on a hunt for some daffodils this weekend. I need some flowers to brighten up my apartment and daffodils seem like just the thing. Check these gorgeous ones out over at Design*Sponge this week.


Pictures: Design*Sponge

I also just ordered Grow Great Grub by Gayla Trail and can't wait for it to arrive! Then I can start planning my spring planting. I'm going with some friend next week to a local nursery called Petals from the Past and will be excited to show you some pictures from our trip. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sewing Inspiration

Here is a little sewing inspiration from some of my flickr favorites. Some photographs styled from the essential tools of sewing and knitting. Enjoy!


Pictures: 1. darling dexter 2. simple effulgence 3. papersparrow 4. dottie angel

Sara and Tom's Save-the-Dates

My friend from college, Sara, and her fiance Tom are getting married in May and I was so excited to receive their Save-the-Date in the mail a couple of months ago. Sara and Tom are both very artistic. Sara writes the online comic, Hey Pais, about her adorable cat Paisley and Tom dabbles in the comic arts as well. Sara and Tom designed the Save-the-Dates themselves and had them printed by Greenerprinter. Aren't they great? Now I can't wait for their invitations!





Pictures: vintage yankee

Billy Reid

Have you heard of fashion designer William 'Billy' Reid? A friend of mine put me on to him. Based out of Florence, Alabama, Reid was born and raised in the South. His pieces are simple, yet have a Southern flare to them. They are designed in earthy tones that evoke the simpler nature in life and you can see the detail Reid puts into each piece. Reid's line, aptly named Billy Reid, is mainly mens clothing but he also designs a few pieces for women too. He has five stores across the states and they all evoke the Old Southern charm. He is definitely a designer to keep your eyes on as his style grows and evolves.

Pictures: Billy Reid

Liberty of London for Target

I about had a bit of a freak out session earlier in the week when I found out that Liberty of London is launching a new line for Target. Liberty of London was founded in 1875 by Arthur Liberty and since then has been a leader in the design field. My favorite products from Liberty of London are the fabrics. The fabrics are bright, vibrant and have the most gorgeous floral detail. I have always wanted to make a floral spring dress out of a few yards of a Liberty print; but now I can purchase one at my favorite store, Target!


Liberty of London has teamed up with Target to create a line of products ranging from women's and men's clothes to teapots and cups to garden equipment to bed linens. The line launches March 14 and you can be sure I'll be there the day it comes out to fill my cart with every item available. It will be like buying a little bit of spring. So excited!


Pictures: Liberty of London for Target

Green Inspiration

Here are a few of my flickr favorites of green inspiration. These are to help you get in the mood for March and St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays, partly because you get to wear green and partly because I'm half Irish. Even though it's a month away, I'm already looking forward to it. Enjoy!


Pictures: 1. my whimsy 2. {elena} 3. t j a s a 4. hildagrahnat

Vintage Treasure

As most of you know, I have been taking a blogging class which has been giving me all sorts of ideas to improve and expand the blog for both your pleasure and mine. One of the improvements that I am going to make is to start a series every couple of weeks called Vintage Treasure where I feature a vintage item that I have found and researched.


Today's Vintage Treasure is a Double Decker Bus Bank that I recently purchased at the antique mall. It's vibrant red ceramic and shows a sticker along the side that reads 'British Is Best', along with the Union Jack flag. If you know anything about me, it's that I love everything British, so this bank fit perfectly into my collection. The one I purchased is a little worn, but you can see a newer version here. I've been doing some research on it and apparently on the newer versions of the bus there are more stickers on the side that read "Spur Novelties #14 Piccadilly Circus, Oxford St. Bond St." I believe mine is an older version as there is a lot of wear and tear and it doesn't look as though other stickers were in the places that the newer versions have them in. How cute is this little British novelty. Definitely a piece that I am thrilled to have in my care.

Picture: vintage yankee

Snow...

Here is a picture I took this past weekend when Birmingham was hit by 2-4 inches of snow (this is a lot for the south). These are the trees lining my street; aren't they beautiful with all of the snow covering them? Ahhh, how I miss the snow covered yards and staying home with a steaming cup of hot chocolate... I mean, I am from Indiana!


Picture: vintage yankee

William Morris

I wanted to share a book with you that I recently purchased about artist, textile designer and writer William Morris. Morris was very influential in the Arts & Crafts movement in England in the 1800s and I have always thought of him as an amazing artist. He produced many a floral textiles that even today we see in many homes.

I purchased William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Home so that I could read more about his life and his business Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co and to see many more of his paintings and textile designs. This book showcases a lot of Morris' work during his lifetime and even the influences since his death. If you like his work as much as I do, then this book is for you.







For much more on William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement, visit the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Pictures via vintage yankee.

Valentine's Day Freebies

Here is a round-up of all of the Valentine's Day freebies and DIY projects I've seen this holiday. I used the cute Twig & Thistle goodie bags to put my heart shaped cookies in today for my co-workers. They were a simple addition to the normal plate of cookies.


Twig & Thistle's Valentine's Day goodie bags

oh, hello friend's you are loved postcards

June Craft's You're Tweet V-day card

Benign Objects' Love Coupon Matchbooks

Love. Obsess. Inspire's Gift Tags

Danielle Thompson's Because nothing says "I Love You" card

Nice Package's Conversation Candy Bar Wrappers

Ruffled's Vintage Valentine Card

heysusy*'s From Me To You mini gift cards

The City Sage's Lace Valentine's Day cards

Valentine's Day Garland

This year I decided to spruce up my living room a little bit with this easy to make Heart Garland from Martha Stewart. I took various types of pink and red paper and used the template provided to cut out different sizes of hearts and affix them together. I hung them over the two windows in my living room to add a touch of color. A simple, cute idea to brighten up the room for V-day!


Picture via Martha Stewart.

Hammerpress Valentine's

Today's inspiration comes from the letterpress and design studio Hammerpress. You may recall I first saw them over at 100 Layer Cake with my favorite wedding invitation and since then, they've been all over the wedding and design blogs. Today I am loving their one-of-a-kind Valentine's cards. They are fun and whimsical and not your every day run-of-the-mill card. How fun would it be to receive one of these in the mail?







Pictures via Hammerpress.

Valentines Day Embroidery Patterns

Today's V-day inspiration comes from Craftyminx and her super-cute Valentine Embroidery patterns. Taken from vintage Valentines, she has transformed them into embroidery patterns that you can download from her blog for free. How fun is this! What a great project to do and make into fun pillows for your couch or bed. I think I might be working on these in the near future!




Pictures via Crafyminx.

Pink Ruffles

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days. I've been under the weather most of last week and the start of this week. I think the sickness is passing me by, but it's taken a lot out of me.

This week will be filled with V-day inspiration and to start off I wanted to feature a picture taken by my fellow classmate sweet jessie. I love all of the ruffles and the vivid colors in this shot! Go ahead and visit Jessie's blog. You'll definitely come away full of inspiration!


Picture via sweet jessie.

Inspiration Board

As part of my blogging class, we were asked to make in inspiration board about our blog. I chose to use lots of bright colors, include things I love such as tea, flowers, vintage jewelry & anything English. I also added fun details such as the yellow ric-rac, a piece of red twine and the cute little cherries at the bottom.

I loved this assignment as it got my creative juices flowing. I have decided that I need to do these more often. Maybe another one soon...

Pictures by vintage yankee.

Jen Corace

I finally ordered my 2010 calendar this past week and I couldn't be more excited with the choice I made. I honestly can't remember where I first saw Jen Corace's work but needless to say, it is gorgeous. The 2010 calendar that I purchased is by her through the Art Star Gallery in Philadelphia. I first saw it online and the pictures are amazing. I love her use of color and the elegance with which she draws her Victorian era characters. Here are a few of my favorite prints from the calendar. She also has a couple of limited edition prints available as well. Enjoy!

February

March

April

May

Pictures via Art Star Gallery.

Jamie's Italy

I was lucky enough to find a copy of Jamie's Italy this weekend for a steal at $6.39. I can't wait to try some of the amazing recipes. There are some great looking risottos and mouth-watering bruschetta recipes that will come in handy this summer when the tomatoes are ripe. I can't wait!