what i adore

I'm a slacker on posting.. but this, this i Love.

2009-03-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

i love a good monster pillow.
i made one for nic last year and he loves it too. it now graces daph's crib. i want her to grow up staring at a monster so she's not afraid of them- it makes sense, right?

here is one from noelledoodle- one thing I like about her shop is that she never makes the same monster twice- so yours will be unique!

$42 from Zooguu

$24 from katiekylie

$3 (pattern only) at trulyoutrageous

What i ABHOR:

what the hell is this?
its like someone said: monster pillows sell well on etsy so this sweet little housewife jumped right on that bandwagon
in between selling marykay and sentsy.
for the love.... this is NOT a monster pillow!

hobnail

2009-03-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

I heart milkglass. especially hobnail. I am looking for this hobnail butter dish that i believe is what dreams are made of. I search for it in every thrift store or antique shop i visit. So far the only place i've found it is in a hobnail catalog. but still, i search, i want.--oh and i don't want to find it online. i want to find it first hand just for the thrill of it :) I think i'll find it when i'm 70 and i'm ok with that- its fun to have something ilusive to pine after. {its kind of like the one below but it has a little nob at the top. my sister once advised me to never own a butter dish without a handle or i would regret it. since she always seems to be right, i'll stick with her}

$22 from MyRosebudsTreasures

$18 from monkeysalwayslook {i looked at the shop, does that make me a monkey?}

JosieMichelle

2009-03-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Well hell, it is friday isn't it? and once upon a time i used to do an etsy featured seller on fridays. so here it is...

here are the facts. mostly i just like the model used by this etsy seller. why? because she is my daughter- little daphne. kidding. this is a super fantastic etsy shop:
JoiseMichelle.

After a bit of prodding, complimenting and fabric shopping- my sister Julie finally took the plunge and has started to make baby slings {and perhaps hooter hiders also, though i am trying to come up with an original name- jug shroud? i think that is nearly as catchy} Julie, admittedly, doesn't have an "eye" for crazy things like baby slings so she has dubbed me to be the "creative director" a job i love, spend time on and one that is done on a completely volunteer basis (till her slings net a million dollars, then i will seek repercussion) though i must note i only picked 2 out of the 4 fabrics of the slings she has up for sale. she took a little license and did it on her own and i have a sneaking suspicion she'll stick with me from now on. fine by me, i like doing it. So baby slings are awesome. if you have a baby and don't have one, you should buy one. And i know an adorable little realtor's wife {and mother of five, no less} that should be the person you buy from. She can custom make it with any fabric you like and let me tell you- this girl can sew. i try, i fail. I don't have the patience to make seems look pretty. But Julie, she's a pro. Just trust me and go run out and buy a sling- every new mom {and dad} has just got to have one. Makes a great shower gift, birthday present, baby present, anniversary gift, wedding present, may day surprise- ect.

*she even let me make the banner- what a nice sister.

i'm back

2009-03-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

sorry for the reprieve.
but, i'm back and ready to update daily again-
so keep checking in to see
what i adore.

pretty.little.necklaces

2009-02-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

i should really accessorize more before daphne is in the full-on grabby stage.
if you haven't been schooled yet, babies are strong.

$24 at mylavaliere

$29 at shlomitofir

$48 at MalcolmStudioShop

place settings.

2009-02-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

i drove nic a little crazy (ok... a lot crazy) when we were registering for our wedding. Every dish I liked, I registered for. We ended up with:
12 square red with stripes plates, cups and salad plates
8 polka dot plates, 4 bowls.
12 light blue/teal plates, salad plates, mugs and saucers (in actuality i just bought these like 5 months ago.. oops.)
4 green with white flower plates
2 mustard yellow plates
2 ivory plates
6 red plastic plates, bowls (not like disposable plates, though we do use those also on occasion)
4 crazy colored (each a different color) plates, bowls, salad plates and glasses
4 white square plates, salad plates, bowls and mugs.

I can't think of any more but I am sure if I wasn't so lazy I could go into the kitchen and find even more sets. So, I like dishes, what can I say? Here are a few... (future purchases, perhaps?)

$49 for a set of 4 {dinner and salad plates, bowls and mugs} at target
{I love damask but realize i probably won't love it FOREVER, but that is the joy of a $49 set, I won't feel guilty replacing it in a couple of years or breaking a plate in the sink}

$69 for a set of 4 also at target.
{I don't own any corelle but i love it, i love the way it feels- lightweight but super durable.
seems like the perfect choice for kids- plus i love this pattern.}

$8 each at urban outfitters

$4 each also at urban
Ok... i never should have looked. i love all the dishes at urban- it was hard to pick just 2.

$20 for a 32 piece set! {+ free shipping- what a steal!} at TheLostPlayground

(be forwarned- you have to pay extra for the "zoom tool")

$69 for a 5 piece set {like it serves just one person.. so this one adds up quickly :}
at crate and barrel

$1.95-$3.95 each at cb2

$1.50 each also at cb2.
--I almost bought nic this warhol print instead of the gun print i ended up getting for his birthday last year. but, i love this quote and i love this artistic genious- and what better way to pay homage then to eat dinner off of his face?

{ok... so do you know/love cb2? It is a co-brand with crate and barrel (which i also love... but crate is more of a classic style and cb2 is a bit more edgy) I think they only have a store in Chicago right now but i really shouldn't have revisted their website because i LOVE it. so much. if i had to pick just one store for our whole house, this would be it {though i would never want to pick just one store for everything- and i guess if i really did it would be macy's thrift store in idaho falls, but cb2 is really, really awesome}

farmer's markets.

2009-02-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

it's a sunny Saturday and I am longing for window shopping without windows, tamales, crafts i really don't need to buy, vegetables i probably should and delicious treats. Last year my brother and sister in law (i really HATE having to add "in law" because i love my sister in laws and wish i didn't have to address them so formally. But, at at the same time, i don't want it to sound like my brother married my sister, that would be weird and we probably wouldn't be going anywhere together if that was the case) took Nic and I {and daphne in the womb} to the farmer's market in provo. We fell in love. So, I've been scheming up a way to bring a farmer's market to our little town of Rexburg, Idaho. I would LOVE to talk the city into letting us do it in Porter Park- under the huge trees. It is centrally located, all the students can just walk there and it is nice and cool, even on a hot summer day because of all the trees. Some nights {early mornings} after I put Daphne back to sleep I just can't stop thinking about the market! I really want to make it a reality this summer- I think it would be perfect for this community- to link BYU-I with the city. Plus, it seems like all of our friends are the starving artist types and i think this would be a really fun way to sell our stuff. This is a list of some things I would like to see at the Porter Park Market- if you would like to participate, make a comment and tell us what you would like to do. If your craft/talent/desire to sell isn't on the list- who cares! Just comment- I want to see if people would really be interested in doing this before we go to the city.

+prepared food {food that people could buy and eat on the spot}
some ideas for that: tamales! (i found a picture of the actual tamale couple at the provo market- i was pretty excited!)
fresh baked goods {cookies, bars, ECT}
cupcakes (cocoa bean, i would LOVE for you to have a booth!)
homemade popsicles/ icecream
kettle corn
fresh, cleaned fruit homemade candy
fresh baked bread
shaved ice
strawberry lemonade (serious money maker when its hot out!)

+fresh produce
i don't know much about what is in season when but some ideas-
strawberries, raspberries ect any fruit that can grow here :)
cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes
herbs
potted flowers/herb gardens
potatoes (we are idaho, of course)

+art
anything you create-
fine art photography
ceramics
print making
paintings
drawings
clothing graphic design
anything... (more than anything I want this to be a place for artists- i hope we have tons)

+live music
something acoustic for logistics and general likability.

+crafts
baby stuff {bows, slings, blankets ect}
handmade jewelry
purses/pillows/ sewn goods
quilts/blankets
home decor stuff
fabric

And if you have other ideas- please please let me know. I am dead serious about this- I want to get it going REALLY bad and it will be so much more fun if it is our friends all together hanging out selling stuff :) If you are from around here and you know of people who wouldn't be reading our blog but would be interested in participating, spread the word!

the salt lake temple

2009-02-19T16:12:00.001-08:00

of course i love it.
it's where i was married to the man i love. forever.
it's beautiful.
it speaks of the eternal.
it shows the value of hard work and dedication.
it exudes sacrifice.
it is a symbol of the gospel i love.

Ashley Thalman is a Utah-based photographer and is a true talent. She is one of my sister in law's besties and consequently i've come to know and adore Ashley's eye. Someday i'll feature her portrait photography but if you need stunning pictures and you live in Utah- look her up.

i absoluetly love typography. i love the salt lake temple.
i love the work of cameron moll
$75 for a 17x24.

beautiful shot by the beautiful Jaqui Shumate. Jaqui and I are great friends- now separated by miles and hours. A photographer in her heart, and one day as a full-time persuit, I'm sure- Jaq is a californian-utah girl living in Tacoma, Washington. She can find the beauty in anything, and it isn't hard to find it at temple square. hire her!

temple door knob
$27 for 8x10 print at amandalewisphoto

$40 for 16x20 woodblock print at ryanjmorgan

evapaul design

2009-02-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

i should adore nic and i's shop- evapaul, correct?

well, i do. i love creating wedding invitations. i love making brides {who are sometimes a little hard to please, let's be honest} incredibly happy. i love working side by side with my talented husband who is always willing to give me feedback, advice and praise. i love being able to stay home, with said husband, and our little gem daphne. not many parents get to both stay at home with a 6 week old. we are very lucky. i love coming up with new things. i love googling our name and seeing what people say about us.

i love my job, what i can say?

a few of our designs... there are over 60 to choose from or we do completely custom work for the same price. $4 each for an invite, response card and envelopes for both

Why tell you this? Well, we are having a sale! We don't discount our invitations very often but with all the spring and summer weddings quickly approaching, it seemed like the perfect time. So, if you pay your 50% deposit between February 18th and March 18th you get 18% off your entire wedding package! See our SHOP for all the details. Tell your neighbors, friends, family... anyone! We would LOVE your referrals :) Thanks in advance- n&k

owls.

2009-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

not in real life.
animals, in general, scare me a little bit. owls are no exception. but i like fakes ones...

$38 at ManicMuffinTotes

$32 at melaniefavreau

$7.95 at littlebluebirdstudios

{made on a scabble tile- what fabulous re-purposing}

$35 at AnabellaDesigns

$35 at matteart

$2 for each save the date at evapaul
{shameless plug, perhaps- but i couldn't create a post on owls without including our elanor save the date. i originally designed the owl for a one year old's elaborate barn birthday party last october but i really like this little guy so i made a fall themed save the date out of it as well. }

baby shoes.

2009-02-16T18:10:00.001-08:00

Ok.. i missed a couple of days. forgive. forget.
I have always, always loved things that are mini. i think it is one of the reasons i wanted to have a baby so bad. all of her stuff is incredibly and sometimes ridiculously small. she has some adorable little shoes and wore her first pair (which still are too big for her) to church yesterday. here are some cute ones for your little one.

$26 at Palmsprout

$28 at RoseToesShoes

$21.50 at frostingcouture

{this shop is probably one of the greatest finds i've had while making this blog. first of all- i love animal print- in moderation of course- and i especially love when baby clothes don't look like baby clothes. if she made these in my size i would wear them. probably every day. i'll feature her shop someday- it is divine! go check it out.. now}

Also $21.50 also at frostingcouture

$45 at milkshop

$79.50 at Zappos

$23 at peekabookids

{maybe your baby is too little for shoes- daphne has all six of these-
thank you kim! and they are SO cute. i <3>

Just remember. babies don't have to be boring. but, they are too small to do anything about it- so if they are, it's completely your fault. it's a lot of responsibility, i know- but hey- that's why there is birth control.

Etsy feature #2 Lizarietz

2009-02-13T21:59:00.000-08:00

nic bought me a wool cloche from Lizarietz {$42} for my birthday and i love it. i wish it didn't make my head so itchy or i would wear it even more often but still, its awesome. She not only makes stunning hats but beautiful dresses too. i think the ruffle dress is TO DIE FOR! Check out her lovely shop {or if you're in portland, stop by her brick and morter store}
and of course... support the handmade revolution!

The ruffle dress- totally amazing and $260

kimono sleeve dress $206

half circle tunic $281

stationary

2009-02-12T16:25:00.001-08:00

{ I promise I wrote this yesterday but then there kept on being an "internal error" when i would try to add the pictures. so annoying. but i'll post a new post today as well! }

the art of handwritten correspondence is almost lost. i really think this is a tragedy. nic and i spent the 30 months before we got married over a thousand miles apart- we couldn't talk on the phone, see each other or email- we had to write. we wrote each other every single day with very few exceptions. i like to tell people that it felt like war-time love or something. we fell more in love through a pen, paper, an envelope and at least a couple of stamps {we wrote A LOT} perhaps i was inspired by my own parents. when my mom and dad were young and newly married my dad was drafted and was deployed to veit nam and they wrote letters to each other nearly daily as well, i think it's so sweet and romantic. i am so glad that now i get to wake up next to nic and not just see an envelope addressed from him in my mailbox- but still, nothing will replace a handwritten note. not an email. a voicemail and for the love... not a text. some lovely stationary. buy it and send it to someone.

$2 {a steal!} at twoguitars

$25 for 16 at SilhouetteBlu

$10 for 4 at designhutusa

peacock

2009-02-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

does everyone think of tracy jordan {morgan} everytime they hear the word peacock? I'm black NBC..
proud as a peaCOCK.

anyways...

I'm loving the peacock- here's a few of my favorites.
$32 at NevaPlume

$18 at capturedimagination

{want to hear something embarrassing about me? of course you do. So nic and i have been together for nearly 5 years now. but, about 4.5 years ago i saw one of his ex-girlfriends at a party. she was wearing peacock earings and i really, really loved them. i still do but i CAN'T buy them because i think of her- ALL these years later. i should really get over it so i can buy these and not just write a blog about them. pathetic}

$98 at portobello

$50 for 25 save the dates at MichelleBrusegaard

And for my little niece Josie- littlest petshop's peacock {WHY are they teaching kids that this is what a peacock looks like? crazy!} $10 at target

bathing costumes.

2009-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

my mom is not british, in fact she is from bakersfield. but, for some reason, she loves to call swim suits bathing costumes. so this one is for you mom...

i just about died when i saw this on etsy last year, then it appeared last night on the main page and
inspired this entire post. $125 at missbrache

$84 at harajuku

$88 {the next 3 are at} urbanoutfitters

$98

$98

see... one pieces CAN be hot
{especially if you had a baby 5 weeks ago-
NO ONE would want to see me in a bikini at this point}

where i left my heart

2009-02-09T10:06:00.000-08:00

when nic and i would visit san francisco this summer and then drive across the bay bridge headed back to northern california my heart would literally ache. i LONG to live there and we will- as soon as we finish school. Nic and I are especially drawn to the mission district. here is one reason why....

the indie mart.
local artists. crafts. food. music. Here is their own description: What is it? The Mission Indie- Mart is a bi-monthly marketplace that has quickly grown from an underground backyard shopping party into a popular monthly event featuring a tantalizing combination of shopping, music, and food. This event showcases truly independent local designers, offering everything from one of a kind fashions and reconstructed vintage to offbeat crafts, handmade jewelry and fun antiques. Enjoy cheap beer, hot plates, local DJs and the cream of the crop of SF’s indie designer scene.

{doesn't that sound delightful?}
for more info visit: www.indie-mart.com

beautiful architecture. a stunning blend of the old and new. fabulous views. less fog. hispanic influence. tons of artists. {slightly} more affordable.

not to mention, fabulous food. this ice cream was incredible.

bibs for babies.

2009-02-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

daphne doesn't spit up but nonetheless she is quite a mess at mealtime. i only anticipate that this will get worse when she starts eating instead of just drinking. for such an occasion...

$14 at cocoandmilkweed {makers of the cute wallet from yesterday}

$10 at amyrosedesigns

$8.50 {for bib only} at zainezoo {thanks em! i am afraid to use this bib, i love it too much}

$32 for the set at pokkadots {i love this site, amazing!}

And the winner is...
$18 at myretrobaby

mustard.

2009-02-07T20:58:00.000-08:00

not the condiment, that's just gross.

$119 at urban

i want to wear this to church tomorrow. luxedeluxe for $42

$31 from aspasia

$10 from cocoandmilkweed

$338 from nordstrum

$120 also at nordstrum

etsy feature #1- olivia ew

2009-02-06T20:33:00.000-08:00

i will have a weekly post featuring an adored etsy shop. why? first- and this might be obvious- etsy is our livelyhood. thanks to a good friend em who suggested we sell on etsy we've been able to stay at home with our baby designing wedding invitations and the like. we love etsy. Second, and more importantly, i find that its vital to support the handmade community. if we don't, soon everything will come with a made in china sticker. i have nothing against china, don't get me wrong- but i don't think anything like this can be mass produced....

the featured shop of the week:
oliviaew {felt like crying}

adorable little felt creatures that are so cute that i might change my mind about buying stuffed animals for daphne (i've always thought they were kind of pointless toys for a child)
most of these stuffed animals are stuffed with humans. like:

I especially love the item description:

"Bears can be dicks. This poor young thing learned this "grizzly" fact first hand as he or she (androgynous victim alert!) was gobbled up by one hungry polar bear. You can still see his/fer face when bear opens his mouth (humans take a long time to digest.)"

based in montreal this young artist {olivia, i think} is totally fabulous. her shop is pretty much empty at the moment (a great time for me to feature her, right?) because of an upcoming show. but, check back. check often and BUY HANDMADE!

old volkswagons.

2009-02-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

i have never owned a volkswagon but i am completely drawn to them. {as long as they are older than 1975.}

the bus.
nic and i have a {perhaps unrealistic} dream of buying a bus and driving around in it for weeks and weeks. we can work from a laptop and shower --- well, we haven't quite worked out all the details yet. maybe its the fact that my oldest brother mark did this. or little miss sunshine. or the fact that my dad completely hated that my oldest brother mark did this- but i really want a bus. an orange one.

the notchback.
my favorite. rare. pricey. adorable. i want a red one.

the squareback.
my parent's had one of these in the 70's and i am jealous. i wish they would have given me this at 17 to drive instead of going from a 1995 white dodge caravan to a 1993 teal ford tempo. it makes me want to keep absolutely everything so if my kids are {smart} into vintage things from the 00's and 10's i'll be able to supply them with the coolest stuff the decade had to offer.

the bug.
not rare. or pricey. but still very cute.
nic says he will build one for me someday and i hope its teal and white.

the little black dress.

2009-02-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

classic. current. timeless. beautiful...
the little black dress.

cute little numbers by the husband and wife {matilda and russell} team Rocker Baby on our beloved etsy Hailing from new jersey, they create beautiful, handmade dresses and shirts for the darling under 5. daphne will definitely be sporting the "little audry in the city" as soon as she can walk around (the best way to show a dress off) a delightful shop- support the handmade revolution!

my fair lady -$25
little audry in the city- $25

Not handmade but super hot... from banana republic

cashmere color-block $149the princess sleeve $149

evening's promise dress $158
from anthropologie

the office vamp- $70
from cherrypievintage