I already have an eyeshade that says “Princess” made of pink silk with black fur around the edges - it’s very girlie. It was a joke gift from the hubs, but he stole it from me! He took it to help him sleep in hotels when he is away for business trips. I love the image of a maid coming to make up his bed and finding the pink silk “Princess” eyeshade on his bedside so much that I’ve decided he can keep it. Here are some snarky versions from Hambone and Jennicakes that would make a suitable replacement for the Princess.
Wedding planning is a thing of the past for me and I have no regrets but I can’t help but stumble across things from time to time and wish they’d been around when I got married. Don’t even get me started on J.Crew, if their bridesmaids dresses had been around in 2002 I could have saved my BM’s a lot of agony by giving them more flattering options instead of a boring tank style (I stand by the color though, they all looked amazing in red).
I saw these adorable plastic wishbones from Etsy seller Somethings Hiding Here and thought they would make a memorable and sweet wedding favor. We did mini-daisy soaps and I think somewhere in my Moms garage there is a bag full of disintegrating soap. The cute cotton bag and the Best Wishes sentiment complete the package.
Then the other day I caught site of this fantastic sign over at blogger Chere Amie. Please somebody have this at your wedding and invite me!
This has nothing to do with anything, except that it’s awesome! Delta has a new seat design, The Cozy Suite. I love the staggered design and the wrap around head, plus the extra 2 inches of leg room. With the cost of airfare getting higher and with fewer and fewer options for customers, I’m glad to hear about an airline making upgrades like this for passenger comfort. I guess the only downside would be if you luck out with your own row you wouldn’t have the luxury of stretching out. At this time they are only slated for International coach flights but if you plan to travel abroad, look for them in 2010.
Love Friday’s. I am drinking the most amazing coffee from the little Italian coffee window that just opened up two doors down from my office, browsing Etsy and listening to Bon Iver’s album “For Emma, Forever Ago”. I can’t get enough of his song “Skinny Love. It’s the perfect morning album to ease into the day. Here are some pretty Etsy items to brighten your day.
Sketchbook springtime handbags, hand crafted from wool, linen, cotton and leather:
From her cottage in England Alice Apple crafts sweet treats like these stuffed dogs and pigs made with vintage fabrics:
Loveage these shrinky dink rings from Broken Fingers Art, outta Vermont:
I’ll be shopping the world today via the hip Berlin shop O.K. Featuring everyday objects from around the world, most items are usually only found in their original markets and can’t be purchased elsewhere. O.K. has brought a variety of fun items to their online shop and, to be fair, sells them for the price you would pay if you bought an item from a street vendor in Taipei–pretty cool concept. You gotta love the dramatic scenes on the Mexican soaps. Get it? Dramatic Mexican Soaps! Ha ha ha!
Still very much in touch with her childhood imagination, artist Sarah Neuburger who grew up in Normal, Illinois, hardy har har, makes lots of wonderful things over at The Small Object. I heart her celebration candle kids and her little people necklaces that double as stamps. But the object I need the most would be the Good Wood Feeling Flip, happy on one side - sad on the other, perfect for warning my boss of my mood-of-the-day!
I was recently hired as a freelance blogger for a new eco-blog called EcoSalon.com. At EcoSalon I will be covering artisan, decor and fashion items, similar to the things you find here at Little Willow but with an eco-edge. The thing that sets EcoSalon apart is its authenticity. It’s real people sharing how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle without being preachy or crunchy. For example you can find out how to properly wash a pillow (which I am doing as I write this), where to buy stunning recycled glass carafes made from broken windshields or how to get a healthy high from herbal espresso. I am really excited for this opportunity to contribute to the rainbow of “green” knowledge available to women! Feel free to send me suggestions and if my Editor approves, (yes people I have an Editor now, it’s the big time), we’ll write about it!
Molly sent me this link to Design Sponge and this DIY wallpaper lamp project from Duffy London. For those of you with crafty bones, the video makes it look relatively easy to do with the proper sizing and cutting. I bet there are some good vintage wallpaper finds on ebay or if it’s a small lamp you could use sheets of paper from Paper Source or Paper Mojo. I think I am inspiring myself to try this out!
Thought I’d send some love out to a few of my favorite Etsy sellers today. Somebody’s sister has a birthday coming up and that lucky sister will be receiving a gift from one of these talented folks.
Felt and sterling silver jewelry from Colleen Baran:
We had an amazing weekend here in the Bay Area and I did bad things to my skin all in the name of a Vitamin D deficiency. George and I spent some QT on the deck in our old and uncomfortable deck chairs, and we both believe we need some new chairs. I did some searching and found Pedlars UK, now my latest obsession for miscellaneous items. It’s a family run biz with a great selection of unique products with an eye on the environmentally friendly aspect of “things”. I love these deck chairs ($250 each) with hand-printed weatherproof canvas in your pattern choice of “pigeon and jelly” or “rabbit and cabbage”. Get lost here…
I am loving this scarf and handbag from the Scottish gift shop Papa Stour. All of the goodies selected by designer Rosie Brown are handmade by Scottish artists and sold in limited quantities. This is one of my favorite spots to visit for inspiration. It’s more than a gift shop, it’s really an art gallery showcasing a diverse collection of contemporary art and craftsmanship from Scotland, and it’s a great place to shop for a unique wedding present.
Cancel that rhinoplasty appointment ladies and gents and instead entertain yourself with these sweet pick your nose cups! Modern Poverty is my favorite lifestyle site of late. They have lots of funky items like these paper nose cups and this diamond ring mug. Have fun perusing!
The hubs and I have mutually agreed to not make a big deal for Valentine’s Day this year. Instead we are going to our favorite pizza place for an early dinner then home to watch The Wire, our latest HBO addiction. Besides who says you should save the romantic gestures for February 14th every year. Therefore I might surprise him some random day with this Love Origami fortune teller. The hubs can speak French un peu so he could translate the romantic French phrases under each fold to me. Available in packs of 30 as wedding favors from Cox & Cox out of the UK.
I’m a member of a Music Club started by my friend Mad Mike B (check out his hilarious comedy project TurkeyNeck.net). There are 15 of us in the club and each month one person sends out a mix CD to everyone else on the list. It’s such a great way to discover new music and expand your tastes. I love the clever names people come up with for their mixes and how they decorate their CD labels and cases. WhenI’m up next I’ll get a little help with my packaging from this unique CD Packaging Kit designed by artist Cataline Estrada for Chronicle Books. Kits are $15.95.
As requested here are the songs from my last two mixes:
The always-witty folks over at BlueQ came up with these clever coin purses to help you save a buck or two. I have been skipping my $3.25 V-soy latte and the boys at Tully’s lately. It’s hard to justify the expense when Al, the best dayporter ever, makes coffee for us girls in the office for free everyday. If I start saving my dough though, there might be some high-octane, handcrafted beans coursing through my system once again. (P.S. These coin purses will be available after 2/15 over here: BlueQ)
Are these handsoaps creepy or cute? Created by Marie Gardeski who originally made them for an art project at Cranbrook Academy of Art these little soap hands have become the latest novelty item to take off in the design world. Made out of goat milk and glycerin you can buy a bag of ten little hands in a range of sizes and colors for $17 on Marie’s retail site Foliage. I showed Billy and he likes em, guess you’ll be seeing some baby handsoaps if you visit our house!
Sweet find via Figments, another great online retailer. Shinzi Katoh Design is the Japanese design and manufacturing company of artist designer Shinzi Katoh. He produces his unique designs on tote bags, fabric and these aluminum bottles. If you don’t already have a Sigg bottle and are looking for an eco-friendly option for carrying your water then I would highly recommend one of these bottles. Here is what Shinzi says about his products: “We call these goods ZAKKA that make people feel happy and exist like comfortable air. This is what we always keep in our heart when we create new designs”. Beautiful.
All those hours logged on the bus home from work this year gave me a lot of time to read. I thought it would be fun to put a photo collage together to remember my favorites.
A few I chose because I am a fan of the author: Barbara Kingsolver, Ian McEwan, Joan Didion and Tom Wolfe or they came highly recommended: The Dirt, Searching for the Sound, Drop City and The Glass Castle (thanks Carter, Mikey B and Sam Chen). Some I chose for the media hype and was glad I did: Water for Elephants and Prep. And lastly I Feel Bad About My Neck, by Nora Ephron, a book about getting older, being a woman, menopause and empty nests, that was given to me by the hubs on my 33rd birthday, which made me laugh. Oh and lastly The Sportswriter because the hubs loves Richard Ford and insisted it was a must read, it was good but definitely a man novel.
ReForm School a hipster shop in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles has launched their online shop for sustainable design and other awesomeness. Here are a couple of my favorite items: (clockwise from top left) Blossom & Bill Serving Tray, Keep Calm & Carry On Poster, Heart on Sleeve Pillow and Ester Derkx Butter Dish.
My new favorite shopping spot is day-lab, a fantastic site, run by a cool woman from Baton Rouge, LA. Amy, the founder and owner of day-lab, specializes in finding unique items by independent designers as well as vintage finds that are all really affordable. Even cooler, every month she donates a portion of her profits to The World Society for the Protection of Animals. Here are a few things that caught my eye, the top 2 are vintage jewelry and on the bottom salt and pepper shakers, and vintage buttons, all under $30.
Ever since I heard the rumor that plastic water bottles left in hot cars can release toxins into the water that may cause cancer I’m paranoid about drinking from the stash in my trunk. The simple and best solution if you are an avid H2O drinker like myself, is an aluminum coated bottle like these spiffy versions from Sigg. The Lifestyle collection comes in lots of designs which appeals to my sense of style plus they are eco-friendly and re-usable which appeals to my eco-conscience.
Check out Joy by Mel Lim for gorgeous wrapping paper, embroidered pillows, baby bibs, letterpress cards and even undies. Check out their website for where to purchase their products.
Mothers Day is upon us so here’s a great gift sight to help you shop, Delight! Delight is brought to you by the ladies behind delightfulblogs, which is a great sited devoted to helping you navigate the blogesphere. At Delight they have a new feature everyday whether it’s free shipping, a discounted item or a free gift, you need only check after noon central to see what their daily offer is. Under their 30-day store I found these Rae Dunn birdhouses and these adorable reusable grocery bags, get over there before they sell out!
The fine women over at Give Simple are offering you, my Little Willow reader, a discount! Just use the code WILLOW (all caps) to receive 10% off any Give Simple purchase now through Mothers Day (May 13th). They have some really cute items and great gift ideas for Moms, love these t-shirts. Thanks Give Simple!
I love this Guster video for their song “One Man Wrecking Machine” with the plush monsters from Monster Factory. Kevin (love his socks) and Emmitt (love the tats) are my faves but there are so many great characters to choose from, they’re like cabbage patch kids for grown ups!
