Favourite Things

Hello, friends!

You know those Featured Seller interviews on Etsy? I love reading them, but a lot of times I like to skip ahead to the end where they ask about favorite movies, shows, books, websites, etc. Does anyone else do that? If so, this post is for you because I want you to share with us your favorite movies, shows, books, and websites of the moment (or even all-time). For a lot of us, it's too hot to spend much time outdoors right now, but a trip to the library or video store is probably do-able and maybe not even necessary with sites like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon...

Here's hoping your AC is fulfilling its purpose!

--Katie

Favourite Things

I'm going to have to be quick about this. As you've probably figured out, I have a new favorite in my house and she's taking up a lot of my time. The night before she came, I was working on getting posts together, but as you can see, I went to bed without finishing. I woke up two hours later and my life changed forever (in the best possible way). I apologize for the past few weeks of silence from my end, but I'm trying to get back to the blog. I've certainly missed it!

I hope you all are having as wonderful a summer as I! How 'bout telling me your favorite thing that's happened so far or something you're looking forward to this summer--you already know mine!

--katie :D

Favourite Things

Another Tuesday, another round of favorites! I'm having so much fun reading all your answers and getting to know everyone a little better, so thanks for playing along! I'm not sure what the weather's like all over the world, but I can tell you that in my neck of the woods, it's HOT. The kids are officially out of school for the summer and freedom is hanging in the air. Or maybe that's just humidity...

Today's theme: Summertime (Hot Weather) Favorites

1. What are your favorite summer eats?
2. What's your favorite ice cream (or gelato or custard) flavor? Cone or cup?
3. What was your favorite summer of your childhood?
4. What's your favorite scent of summer?
5. What's your favorite way to beat the heat?

Have fun! --Katie :D

Favourite Things

Hello, everyone! I'm trying a new format today in the hopes that we can socialize as a group a bit more. I'll post 5 questions with a common theme (all revolving around favorites, of course) and you guys can answer them in the comments section. Sound like a plan? I'll get us started.

The theme? General Internet Faves

1. What's your favorite blog? (And nah, this one doesn't count *wink*)
2. If you've made one, would you mind sharing your favorite online purchase from the past 3 months?
3. What's your favorite site for window shopping?
4. What's your favorite site for real shopping?
5. What's your favorite site for time-wasting?

I can't wait to hear your answers! If you have a theme suggestion for next week, add it to your comment! (Oh, and if you're reading this later in the week, don't let it stop you from commenting--I for one, always come back and check the posts a few times throughout the week.) Have a fun day, everyone! --Katie :D

Favourite Things

Yay--another Tuesday! Today's whimsical favorite thing comes to us from Sharon of KnotOriginal. It's sure to make your inner child squirm with excitement!

One of my favorite things would have to be a treehouse. I would love a place of my very own to escape just for an hour a day...no ringing phones, no emails to answer, no beckoning laundry baskets and especially no "Honey, I can't find my..."


How cool is this? An entire treehouse neighborhood designed by Andrew Maynard Architects. It's still in the conceptual stages but when it becomes reality, sign me up!


For now, I'll continue to sit on my deck perched high up in the trees. If I crane my neck just so, I get a view of the Puget Sound...not too shabby for reality.

Great boots--I mean, view-- Sharon! Thanks for sharing this favorite thing with us. The urge to rent Swiss Family Robinson is becoming a little too strong to resist...

--Katie :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself.)

Favourite Things

Hello, hello! For this Tuesday's post, we have the pleasure of hearing from Joe of ProsperosBookshelf. Listen as he tells you about his Favorite Thing (You'll enjoy this):

My favorite thing: An oak desk my father made in the American Arts & Crafts style! Well, not really a desk, rather a traditional library table with three drawers on each side.

By profession my father was an electrotyper, not a carpenter, but his father was a carpenter who fell to his death from the roof of a schoolhouse he was building in 1893, when my father, an only child, was eight years old. Years later when Dad married, his bride’s father gave the couple four acres of land and the foundation of a house as a wedding gift. Showing his carpentry skills, Dad built the house I grew up in (which still stands, nicely kept, in Portland, Maine) with beautiful oak glass front china cabinets in the dining room, fireplace surround and a built-in drop-leaf desk in the den, and a barrister’s stacked bookcase in the living room. And he built several pieces of furniture, including this library table.

I first remember the library table being in the living room. This was before we had a sofa. Very early in the 1930s, after we acquired more modern living room furniture, Dad closed in the front porch, and the library table went out there. I distinctly remember its being there because once, in a youthful fit of pique, I tried to hide under it on top of the footrest. Quite unsuccessfully, I’m afraid.

A great many years and events later, when my mother was in the mood to get rid of a few things, I happened to be home in time to acquire this most prized possession. I was teaching at Indiana University then, and the library table became my desk in our home in the little town of Nashville.

Now in our home on Naskeag Point in Brooklin, Maine, for many years it has been Mollie’s desk. There on its sturdy oak top Mollie runs Rough Magic Creations and helps me manage Prospero’s Bookshelf, while occasionally easing back in her creaky swivel chair to create jewelry and ponder the universe. The library table-cum-desk is approaching its 100th year. May we all at that age be as strong and look as great as this old oak desk.

What fun it is to imagine you hiding under the table and Mollie kicking back as she creates her jewels! Thank you so much, Joe, for painting such a vivid mental picture of your father's handsome Arts & Crafts handiwork. Now, I only wish I could see the house you grew up in!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself.)

Favourite Things

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It seems my wrangling skills need a bit more work. In the meantime, I have a refreshing treat courtesy of my Philippines-born, California-bred husband to make up for my failings. When he was a kid living in San Diego, his mom would take ripened avocados from a tree in their backyard, mash them up with milk and sugar and serve it as a cool drink. Chris's version involves less chunks, but requires a trip to the grocery store.

Avocado Drink
(serves 2)

1 ripe avocado
3 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar

Combine all three ingredients. Blend in blender till smooth. Pour over ice. (The colder it is, the better it tastes.)

That's it! Consistency will be that of a milk shake. The taste? SO. RIDICULOUSLY. GOOD. And may I suggest...

...serving it out of opendoorstudio's Glass Decanter...

...into 5gardenias' Tall Tumblers...

...whilst wearing 3squares' Avocado Earrings?

Do you have a favorite way of preparing avocados? Please share!

And, while I do have some takers for the coming weeks, I don't yet have anyone lined up to share their Favourite Thing for next week's post. Don't be shy!

Hope your day isn't the pits! --Katie :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself.)

Favourite Things

Good Tuesday, teammates! Katie of BlackStar, BlackStarBeads and the future BlackStarVintage has been kind enough to share a few moments of zen with us. Please read on to find out more about her favorite thing--if you can shake your brain free from the vision of sitting in one of these beach chairs, that is.

a relaxing view of the Gulf Coast from Katie's vacation getaway

I tried to pick one favorite thing for this blog post. Pretty hard to do because I have many. But I did notice that my favorites all had one thing in common.....water. I love being surrounded by water. The sound of a running creek. The crash of ocean waves. Rain falling on a tin roof. Sitting under an umbrella in a downpour. All so peaceful and calming.

a peaceful look at Crystal Lake from Katie's other place

I'm a gardener. My gardens depend on water to grow. If it doesn't rain, I set up the sprinkler system to make sure that our plants get a good drink when needed. A well watered garden is a happy garden. And a happy garden produces a bountiful harvest.

a refreshing downpour at Katie's home

Water. It's something many of us take for granted, but without it, where would we be?

Thank you, Katie, for sharing your favorite thing with all of us. Now, back to the beach chair I go! --Katie :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself.)

Favourite Things

Hey, kids! Today's guest, Monica of moonovermaize, comes to us with a most appropriate favorite thing for the week of Earth Day--nature!

Monica and her two children enjoy a walk in the great outdoors

One of my favorite things is nature. I love the vastness of our Earth and all it has to offer. From the regal mountains to the frozen depths of the Antarctic to the blazing deserts and the grandiose oceans. Within each of these areas grow wild and wonderful plants and animals that I never tire of learning about. I thrive when I am outdoors enjoying nature and it is important to me to introduce my children to the wonders of our world. I want them to grow up to love and respect the splendor of nature.

And, because we all know a picture is worth a thousand words, Monica found the following particularly "wordy" photos on Flickr to further illustrate her love of nature. I don't even have to tell you to enjoy.

A view of South West Iceland provided by Mundilfari


A peek at the most visited peak of the Rofan Mountains in Tyrol, Austria provided by Batikart


A glimpse of a rock formation in the White Desert, Egypt provided by hiro008


A look at an ice floe in Antarctica provided by "Aunt Janet" via rich66

Wow, Monica. Thank you for sharing your love of nature with us. The pictures you gathered are nothing short of stunning. --Katie :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself.)
-

Favourite Things

Happy Tuesday! I did not manage to get a favorite thing out of anyone for this week, so please bear with me as I share yet another of mine.

Sade's "By Your Side" was the song Chris and I chose as our first dance at our wedding reception almost 9 years ago. While we were getting dolled up for his brother's wedding this weekend, he put this song on, walked into the bedroom, told me he loved me and gave me a little kiss. Now, the song has always caused me to get a little teary-eyed, but as I was painting my eyes and listening to the lyrics for the umpteenth time, the words hit me with a whole new meaning. I thought of the baby we're expecting and how I could now not only apply the words to her father, but also to her. I had to put down my makeup brushes and step away from the mirror until the joyful tears had run their course.

Later that evening, during his brother's reception, Chris requested the DJ play this song for us. This time, he led two ladies onto the dance floor--one of whom has loved him for 10 years and another who has no idea just how crazy in love she will be with him. Oh, yes. There were tears.

Have a joyful day everyone! --Katie :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself. Or not, apparently.)

Favourite Things

Happy Tuesday, everyone! For today's feature, I managed to corner Kendra of GreenPost and got her to share with us the sweet story behind a collection of her most favorite things...

My favorite thing is my collection of Venetian-style, hand-blown glass art made by my husband, Christian Zvonik. It is extremely difficult to get more specific as I have bonded with each piece individually. I now recognize each piece as an important part of the whole body of work and love them equally. They express the many aspects of my beloved and I can't look at his glass without feeling love for him. We will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary this July and toasting from his hand-blown goblets!


Each time the sun shines through the colored glass, I am reminded of how extremely fortunate I am to be surrounded by such beauty. Each time I drink, I drink from his handmade glasses. Guests remind me that not everyone enjoys this luxury. Sometimes I do forget how fortunate I am to be connected to this artist and his fine glasswork as we have suffered together to make this glass happen! I am also a glassblower which most of you may not know. I don't work on my own pieces anymore, but do assist Christian from time to time. I know what has gone into the creation of this work and have the burn scars to prove it. It was all worth it!


This summer, Christian will begin teaching glassblowing classes at The Arts Center in St. Petersburg FL. Simultaneously, Chihuly will be opening a gallery here that will operate in conjunction with The Arts Center. We moved here from Seattle last year, in part, to be available for this opportunity. So, this is going to be a very exciting year for Christian and his glass! Come visit!


Thanks for taking this moment to appreciate my favorite things!

No, Kendra, thank YOU for painting such an intimate picture of your love for your husband and his craft. I found it quite moving--and I can't even blame the pregnancy hormones for that! ;)

My wish for all of you on this fine day is that you find a moment to raise a glass with a loved one! --Katie :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself. Really. Just ask Kendra.)

Favourite Things

Good Tuesday, everyone! Sam of

cityroad and cityroadvintage has come forward to share with us one of her favorite things...

Moleskine Cahier Notebooks--favourite because I love them, because I need them (or think I do!) and most definitely wouldn't be without them.

For years, I have made lists--what to get, what to do, where to go, etc., etc., etc. They used to be on bits of scrap paper or envelopes and, mostly, they got lost. I made a couple of attempts at using a Filofax, but ended up only using the diary bit, which wasn't great. I'm not good with diaries! I'm not sure why notebooks never really worked for me, but I never bothered to replace any until I came across the moleskine.

Coincidentally, as a teenager, my favourite author was Bruce Chatwin. I remember him writing about his favourite notebooks and being impressed. I even recall looking at them, admiring the quality and truly coveting them. But his moleskine was a proper artist's or writer's notebook and I knew I'd never keep it going...

For me, the latest incarnation of the moleskine--the "cahier" (found in my local department store)--ticked all my boxes and won me over immediately. the cahier has a plain cardboard cover with 64 lined pages of which the last 16 are detachable. The spine is stitched together with exposed thread. There's even a handy pocket on the inside of the back cover for loose notes and ephemera. It measures 3.5" x 5.5"--the perfect pocket-size! I prefer the "kraft" or plain, old brown cardboard cover as it's perfect for doodling on. 

Most days, I start a new list. Often, before bed, I'll start tomorrow's list in case I forget anything. I tick off items when I finish and transfer anything I don't do to the next day's. My daughters love to grab my pen and draw little pictures for me. I just love finding their little surprises! I don't throw my notebooks away--well, not yet, that is. 
They sit on the shelf above my desk, they make me smile...

Thank you, Sam, for sharing (and making me feel completely disorganized--ha!) I may have to investigate this novel idea you call list-making...

Here's hoping you all get everything crossed off your to-do list today! --Katie :D

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself. Really. Kendra, I've got my eye on you.)

Favourite Things

Morning, everyone! Today's original feature has been postponed till next week, so I'll be sharing some of my favorite Etsy purchases of the last year instead. You'll notice that I tend to go for bright and happy when I make my purchases. It's how I like my atmosphere.

First up, Introducing La Srta Pil from the ever-delightful Paola Zakimi of Holli. She was my first-ever original painting. It was instant infatuation. Look at that face! She currently resides in our dining room, but I've considered moving her to my daughter's nursery.

Next, Pinkytoast's Vintage Boxer Sings a Rainbow. I'm a long-time fan of Pinkytoast's work. It's the perfect mixture of sass and quirk. Since joining Etsy, I've collected several of her prints, but this is by far my favorite.


Now, more Pinkytoast goodness in the form of one of her charming fabric dolls. My mom (also a fan) purchased Happy Yellow Wood Worm for me as a birthday gift. She sits atop a shelf keeping an eye on a painting made for me by one of my many brothers.


Here's one I'm sure many of you will recognize as it's from one of our own members, the super-sweet jennreese7 of Lickety Split. Jenn's was one of the first shops I ever patroned when I first signed up. She never disappoints! I bought Baby's Breath as much for the name as I did for the design.

And, finally, You are My Sunshine by Nancy Mungcal of prettylittlethieves. I could live in her shop, but then I want everything, so I have to stay away. I picked this up during one of her many generous fund-raising campaigns for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Mom would sing "You are My Sunshine" to my youngest brother when he was a baby so I look at this drawing and enjoy a smile as I think of him.







Here they all are--with the exception of Jenn's Baby's Breath--in their current dwelling places.


Hope you've enjoyed this glimpse at some of my favorites! May your Tuesday be full of sass and quirk--just like a pinkytoast print!

--Katie :D


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself. I'm so serious.)

Favourite Things

Hello, everyone! Thanks for stopping in! I hope this Tuesday finds you well and happy! As I snack on my early morning toast, I'm delighted to share with you a "Favourite Thing" belonging to Mollie of RoughMagicCreations and RoughMagicHolidays.

My most cherished possession? How to choose one item in a house bulging with beloved things? The answer jumped out at me: Look to those things I’ve carried with me all my life, toting them along from home to home, town to town, state to state. Those few possessions I’ve held onto long after they’ve lost their usefulness, monetary value, or ability to do anything except take up space and make me smile.

In my time I’ve called 23 different residences “home” – from the Arts & Crafts bungalow in Dallas where I grew up, to various houses, dorms, apartments and condos, until finally landing in this old jumble of rooms in Down East Maine. And for all my adult years I’ve tugged along the first piece of furniture I ever bought with my own money -- earned working for old Ma Bell. My little Lane Sweetheart chest has now settled itself comfortably in the bedroom, holding everything from my fake fur from 9th grade to Joe’s tasseled mortar board to my pink wedding dress. And way down at the bottom of that chest, under all the who-knows-what, sleeps a little cardboard box on which my mother wrote long ago: “Mollie’s Baby Clothes.” Inside, lovingly wrapped in ancient tissue paper, are two faded little bonnets, a tiny pair of white felt shoes, one crocheted bootie, and the item I’ve chosen to show you today.

My mother was a self-taught seamstress who, despite her natural talent, never earned a dime by sewing. The garments she created were for her own personal wardrobe, and for mine. Looking back at my childhood, I don’t remember ever owning a store bought dress, and even during my college years, Mother still kept me feeling chic and cheeky in her own often quirky interpretations of contemporary styles.

Mother collected dress patterns the way her friends collected souvenir spoons and antimacassars. Even today, just hearing the words “Butterick” and “Simplicity” sends me tumbling backward in time -- to the sewing notions department at Sears Roebuck, with its eye-tingling aroma of dyes.

Using only her thumb and forefinger, Mother could tie a knot at the very tip end of her thread, so nary a millimeter was wasted. And she could hand stitch a perfectly straight line through yards and yards of fabric on her lap, never once taking her eyes off the evening’s episode of “Father Knows Best.” When her scissors went wandering, she relied on her teeth; one of her incisors bore a permanent “J. & P. Coats” indentation.

Here then, is my cherished possession – a little cotton pinafore my mother made for me when I was about five years old. It’s still crisp with the starch she used the last time she ironed it, all those years ago, and the colors are as clear and bright as they were the day I first wore it so proudly. It pleases me to think that my joy in creating handmade jewelry is a part of my mother’s legacy. I hope she would be proud of my efforts, even though I can’t so much as sew on a button without mishap.

A pattern similar to those my mother favored:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25256700

History of Simplicity Patterns:
http://www.cemetarian.com/index.php?pr=Simplicity_History

Some info about Coats and Clark thread:
http://sewing.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=sewing&cdn=hobbies&tm=264&f=20&su=p284.9.336.ip_&tt=11&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.coatsandclark.com/About%2bCoats/History

I don't know about you all, but I love Mollie's stories! Thanks so much for sharing your mother's fine work with us. I imagine she must've had fingers of steel after all that beautiful sewing.

--Katie :D
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself.)

Favourite Things

Hi, everyone! Katie here. And this is the young lady who serves me earl grey at all hours. The look on her face would suggest she's not always happy about this task. Or maybe she just wishes I weren't right-handed. She is a piece of restaurant ware that I picked up at a yard sale several years ago and she's been a great companion these past few weeks while I nurse yet another head cold. I have plenty of others in different patterns, but this is the cup I grab as often as it is clean. There's just something about its shape and sturdiness that I find comforting and though the water inside may be boiling, I never get burned thanks to its ridiculously thick handle. I like to imagine all those who've been served by my vintage restaurant ware. Were they regulars in a small cafe or guests at a large hotel? I wonder at how this stuff has survived all the abuse of a commercial kitchen and yet it keeps on serving a purpose and looks great doing it.

Forgive me while I wax poetic over an inanimate object, but I think this particular style of china makes for a great symbol of the human spirit--breakable, but not easily broken.

I stumbled upon a flickr group for restaurant ware enthusiasts if you'd like to take a peek at some other fine examples of this humble china. There's also a good bit to be found on Etsy.

And now, I must ask, how do you like your tea? I'm in need of new ideas. Pregnancy has me missing the all-day consumption of caffeinated coffee and decaf earl grey with cream & sugar is bound to get old before I'm able to resume the coffee-drinking marathons.

Here's hoping your Tuesday is beautiful! --Katie :D
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Have a Favourite Thing you'd like to share with the team? Leave a comment and I'll get in touch or contact me via Etsy and next Tuesday's Favourite Thing could be yours. (It's either that, or I'll hunt you down and wrangle something out of you myself.)