It started with this...

My day started with seeing this photo on a blog. I wish I could remember which blog it was... or maybe it was from a link within a blog within another site. No matter. Point is, I saw it and it spoke to me and it said, " I am yours. Take me. Love me. Drink tea." This sofa is the exact color and material that I plan to reupholster the 1930's twin sofas of a similar style that my Grandpa Natale made back in the heyday of his furniture business, Natale and Son, out of Brooklyn (before the hipsters took over). Their furniture is astoundingly beautiful. I will someday soon put up a before and after post with the upholstery project, but until then, I have this image (with to freaking die for wall paper) to hold me over.
Anyhow, it was the blue and gold combo that kick started my day. Here are some more of my latest favorites...
These pendants are actually from my own Fall/Winter collection, but I've been swooning over the tone and images and have included them here for that reason. They're the Ziegfeld Dancer Girl series and I love 'em.

This vintage porcelain cup and saucer set from KingsRoad is from the 50's out of Japan and I'm pretty confident that these were made for drinking that tea in the first photo. I'm just sayin'...

I came across these stellar knuckle rings by Heistjewelry and thought what a crazy cool idea for bridal party (or any partaaaay) gifts. Really very awesome.
And my Glitter Pop ring (I got the turquoise) from Popko is a definite happiness inducer. Also it can't hurt that it brings on my Wonder Twin fantasy where I can form of a giant walrus OR a tidal wave. Their THAT good.

Mars The Dog is pushing his haggard and beaten stuffed-less toy into my leg. I have no choice but to give in to playing fetch.
There's fetch:30 , walk:30 and biscuit:30 - as in ,"It's biscuit:30!! Time to give me my damn treat, woman!"
Fetch:30 is just like that except, of course, replace biscuit for fetch.

This is my life.

♥ September Giveaway ♥

Here ya go... way too luscious to not pop in your hair.... and FREE to one of you lucky readers out there. These "Meaghan" bobby pins will give you nothing but love (named after my friend who is true to that description). You can choose to have both bobby pins matching polka dots or matching stripes or a mix of the two as shown in the photo above.

♥ Giveaway Rules ♥
* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post about your most valued quality in a friendship and - this is the twist- say it in three words. (Please include your contact email in the event you are the winner.)
* peruse through this blog and leave a comment in one other post that grabs your interest (helps me to know my audience)
* That's it... hop on it!

For the love of Aprons

No doubt aprons are one of my happy things. Funny, too. Or, better yet, ironic, since I'm not much of a cook or baker or homemaker, in general. Or at least I've never wanted to identify myself as such. But in the past several years I've learned to come to terms with my home being my refuge, my go-to place from the crazy world out there. And, on top of that, because I work from home, the whole homemaker scenario started to find its way into my life. I resisted the notion of taking care of the house and cooking... that crap terrified me and I'll tell you why. Ten years ago, with my view of myself as a feminist (which, for the record, I still uphold), I would have slapped myself silly. I over communicated my concerns about this to my husband. And by "over communicate", I mean that I freaked out over the thought of settling into a gender specific role. No way, no how. I didn't work my butt off putting myself through Grad school and then managing my own company to be expected to homemake (I'm making that one word a verb). And the funniest part is, of course, Sebastian had no expectations of such things and still ends up doing most of the cooking and always helps with the housework. My fears got ahead of me (they tend to) and tried to limit my ability to make home my beautiful haven of goodness.

So, anyway, one of the guilty pleasures I allow myself (and there are many of these nowadays) is to wear aprons. One because they're practical as heck- especially if they have little pockets in them. And two because they make me feel like I can frolic in a field of wildflowers even when I'm cleaning up the kitchen.

They've become my newer obsession. And here are some to entice you, too:


This Embroidered Vintage Full Apron from TheBunnyHop on Etsy is miraculous.

A 1950's little blue apron with white ric-rac from VintageCottageGarden on Etsy... if this is still around tomorrow, I'm gonna snag it for myself. Perfect simplicity.

A darling little Retro purple polka dot half apron from GatheringVintage on Etsy... oh my gosh!

Pure bliss... this photo, in and of itself, is perfect, but the vintage Yellow Gingham apron is the icing on the cake- and what the heck... it's the cake, too. All in its buttery glory. From KirbyVintage on Etsy.

This adorable Darling in Pink vintage apron from NoodleandLouVintage on Etsy... the sweetness is palpable.
A sassy little number in this City Girl apron from yet another Etsian, TheCupcakeGoddess. Those pop of colors are making my brain crazy happy.


And, of course, a spanky little retro ware from Retroville (that Jettie is AMAZING at customizing these designs).

Also- putting on a cute apron is like having the ability to change your entire outfit in 3.2 seconds. I welcome that sort of easy access variety...

Bridal Gift Ideas...

I have had a ton of custom requests lately for multiple orders of the designs in the photo above. Turns out that brides are digging these as adornments for themselves for their wedding showers and wedding days, and brides and wedding planners, alike, are snatching these up to give to the gals in the bridal party. It had never dawned on me to suggest these as gifts for bridesmaids~ but it makes perfect sense, don't you think?

The flower rings are appropriately named "Hope Chest Rings" for their obvious luminous and eternal blooming quality. They are stylistically reminiscent of the Victorian era with a stellar modern aesthetic; though one of the origins of the actual hope chest itself extends back to Renaissance Italy in dynastic families... making the regal nature of the ring's design that much more alluring.

The "Contrast" pendants and rings are simultaneously sweet and sassy, subtle and bold, casual and elegant. Customers as diverse as traditional to unconventional brides, and Rockabilly gals to Soccer Moms are buying these... I had no idea the impact this design would have. Very exciting. I'm debating extending this design into the Spring/Summer 2010 collection~ but for now I'm keeping it a Ciara Obscura "Limited Production Design". Snag 'em while you know they're still around.

I'm so looking forward to the Autumn and Winter seasons. I can feel my heart leaping out toward them. And having pretty things to wear only makes it that more enjoyable.

Son of Rambow, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure and A Happy Ending...

I can't get over this movie. I saw it last night to wind down the weekend and I think it kept a smile on my face the entire time- except with the couple sadder parts and then I teared up. But still. It was so incredibly endearing and I fell in love with all the nuances of the storyline and the
kind of visual components that only a 10 year old boy could muster up. Will's sketchbook, alone, flipped me out (and as far as I can tell after teaching art with children for so many years, the art was actually drawn by a kid- and not an adult trying to pass it off as kid's art- which is a huge pet peeve of mine). Being able to ensure I'd end up with a kid like him would increase my desire to raise a child by ten fold. Also- the soundtrack is amazing. Siouxsie and the Banshees! And after the movie's sugary sweet ending (screw it. I embrace these sorts of things nowadays.), the credits rolled with The Cure playing full blast. THAT'S my idea of a happy ending...

Such a good movie.

Things that make me happy... Installment One:

I amuse a little too easily. It doesn't take much to make me happy... seriously. I'm easy prey for a lazy good Samaritan.
I'm starting this new thing in my blog and it's this: randomly post bits of happiness inducers.
I begin here.

Harold and Maude. This movie is extraordinary. I'm a big fan of the following scenes: the parade after the funeral, the scene with the two of them in the field of daisies, the saving of the tree sequence, when Maude sneezes at the burial... oh who am I kidding... I love every millisecond of this masterpiece of perfection. Also- how cool is this movie poster?!



Breakfast Nooks. Actually, I love nooks of any sort. But breakfast nooks not only beg me to get up early and enjoy the special early morning nook time, they also bring a small clustering of loved ones together. You have no choice but to be happy here.


Papaya art. I've mentioned this company before, but the artist behind this beauty, Anahata Katkin, creates just lovely bits of eye candy.

Magnum P.I. I don't think I even need to say more. It's the real deal right here.

Rainbow Sprinkles. I know where to go when I'm feeling like crap... and it's to my 3.5 gallon vat of rainbow sprinkles. Also good with vanilla bean ice cream and hot fudge.

This was fun.

Buy Two... Get One FREE!

Yep. This sale's a keeper. In honor of the kids going back to school, teachers out there starting their new school year off and for all of you students making your way back to college for the Fall... I give to you this Buy Two... Get One FREE! Back to School Sale. It's good stuff.
All fabric button pendants and rings (like the ones in the photo above) are ready to roll.
Sale ends this coming Sunday, September 13th ♥

♥ Lil' V ♥

This is my new niece, Veronica. But I like to call her Lil' V. She's adorable and peaceful and sparkly and happy happy and sweet as pie and I love her so so much. The gifted photographer, Ana Severance, did a photo session with my sister-in-law, brother-in-law, Lil' V and their pup, Lola. I got a kick out of how they used Mama Maya's hair flower (The Olive Sparkle from my Ciara Obscura line) in babe's wee head of hair for a few of the shots. The photo above shows it placed on like a little teeny hat. Darn cute.
(*Disclaimer: Super cute for photo shoots like this one under adult supervision, but I don't suggest children under the age of three wear my hair adornments due to the potential choking hazard.)
Here's Mama Maya (wearing Olive Sparkle) and Lil' V. Uplifting, radiant and beautiful.

♥Love♥

Blogs I love...

Thought maybe I'd share with you some of the blogs I check in with on a daily or weekly basis. They reflect my rampantly random personality and will, typically, appease my mood if I'm not feeling quite settled. Like, for example, if I've been working on a bulk of orders and need a break or need a push in transitioning from, say, house or yard work back to business. Very helpful.

Here's a non-exhaustive list: (and feel free to suggest others in the comments section)

The Art of Non-Conformity: Unconventional Strategies for Life, Work and Travel
Though I am fairly new to this blog, I've been digging the conceptual approach and little snippets of encouragement... making this lifestyle far easier than you might think. It just further solidifies my appreciation for being able to (mostly) live this way myself. Good stuff.

A Softer World 'cause it's just really great. (Thank you, Brian and Jen, for letting me know about this one)

Anahata Katkin: The Papaya Studio Blog
I'm pretty sure I can exist solely on this woman's artwork. A few years back I came across her line of cards and flipped over them. Incredibly stunning. Now she's expanded into the most luscious stationary and wall art... I visit her blog and the Papaya website way too often.

Dlisted Seriously. This guy's out of control and I highly suggest you do not read this with your children, if you offend easily, or if you are one of the people he nails in this insanity unleashed. *Disclaimer: I'm usually vehemently opposed to such bashing, but this guy leaves me no choice.

Pacing the Panic Room It should be stated that I am NOT a fan of American Apparel... the owner and their ads are just plain creepy. I could write a few posts on this, but I'll save you from that train wreck of a rampage. HOWEVER, this fine fellow's blog (though it contains a series of photos of American Apparel clothing being modeled by his lovely wife) really has nothing to do, directly, with the company. I know I know... get to the point. So here it is: the guy who writes Pacing the Panic Room is damn extraordinary. I'm in love with his brand of humor and wit and incredible insight. I'd recommend maybe starting somewhere near the beginning and just strap yourself in for a big long read.

Anyhow. There are more, but this is good for now since I have to shower and meet up with my friend and enjoy this perfect summer day. Damn it's a beauty.

I heart ApartmentTherapy.com

Obsessively stalking other people's homes, as I am wont to do, on ApartmentTherapy.com this evening, I came across these simple goodies. Here... stalk with:

This really sweet ass kitchen (I can see myself hanging out there with some yummy coffee in hand, flipping through a magazine, chattin' it up with a few friends, and tearing into those pastries. Besides. That bunny is awesome...)

This impressively odd bedroom setup makes me feel the need to drop to my knees in thanks for not having had to share a room like this with my four (hairy, flatulent prone) brothers while growing up. Also I would have totally ate sh*t repeatedly after rolling off the top bunks night after night. But, darn it, these beds are adorable as heck...

We were thinking of using cinder blocks as planters for our patio/garden for a while now. Cheap. Accessible. Easy to build into interesting structures. But I just caught a glimpse of this photo on Apartment Therapy and am thinking we NEED to steal this particular idea. So fantastic...

A perfect time to go to bed and dream...

Moving along...

I don't think I'm ready for Summer to end. I don't think I ever am... which is sort of ironic seeing that I live in Santa Barbara, California where the climate varies only slightly from season to season. The New England girl in me will never ever go away. My wheels spin, my body acclimates, my creativity ebbs and flows to what should be the seasons, but really is just the biological rhythms of what my body has been used to for so many years growing up from a wee one to an adult in harsher, more extreme weather. After being in California for ten years, I've just become a wuss to the colder, damper days. It's embarrassing. Freezing when the temperature hits 63 degrees. Depressed after one and a half days of overcast weather. Really?! Shameful. I'm still okay with the rain though... but not for longer than a few days. I have The Cure's Disintegration there to help me through and a boat load of other walking cliche crutches.

Yep. Em-freakin'-barrassing. But I've come to embrace this part of me since I've no plans on moving back anytime within the next several decades (blame Sebastian for being even worse at handling the cold weather... long underwear in May! Geez louise.)

I think what I miss most about saying goodbye to Summer are the sweet little sundresses. That's right. I said it. The sundresses. This year I've been dying for a soft petal pink dress (Pink? Me?!!)... but have fallen pathetically short in finding one that actually fits me in any thrift or vintage store I've scavenged through. Very sad. Maybe next summer... I hope.

Until then... I force myself to be okay with Autumn and Winter coming along. And, honestly, I love it- deep down. 'Cause I'm still that East Coast New England girl who dives into apple cider, jumps in a whole huge pile of beautiful leaves, loves hayrides into the night, glides down hills on slick sleighs in the snow, makes deranged looking snow angels- by default, decorates the house for the holidays, makes useless but pretty lil' gifts that no one actually wants for Christmas and dreams of Spring and Summer meeting me at the horizon.

Life is lovely.