Wish List: The Etsy Edition.

Well, the official request for this year's Christmas wish list came through earlier this week. (Pause. Rewind. Panic.) What?! I swear, I'm not sure I'll ever really get a handle on how fast these days seem to just disappear. Then again, with November gearing up to come knockin' next week & my inability to convince Father Time to slow his roll even just for a bit, I suppose I might as well admit defeat and accept the fact that, despite my persistance, the Holidays really will be here before we know it. Oi vey.

So, for those of you who seem to be suffering from a similar "sinking boat" mentality-- with crazed schedules and endless to-dos taking up your immediate attention-- here's an early Christmas gift from me to you: My Etsy Top Five. Whether you're looking for gifts to give or items for your personal wish lists, the following five stores have long been tried & true favorites of mine that I promise won't disappoint. From the actual gift down to the perfect wrapping, I've got you covered, friends.

Happy perusing!

 

Leah Duncan: One of my all time favorite shops & creative types, Leah Duncan is always my first stop when I'm in need of gift ideas (both for others and, especially, myself). From beautiful letterpress prints to gorgeous textiles, Leah's high-quality products are sure to deliver no matter the occasion. (Oh, did I mention she's a fellow Brooklynite? Yeah. Extra cool points in my book, just sayin'.) Learn more about Leah, here. 

CORIUMI: Lithuanian duo Inga and her husband Arvydas are the creative geniuses behind the beautiful bag brand CORIUMI. With the intent of adding a "special touch to simple looks with unique, attention-grabbing geometric patterns, interesting color schemes and the beautiful textures of leather and suede," all I can say is... mission accomplished. Read more about CORIUMI on their Etsy feature, here.

 

Evajuliet Atelier: Born from the brains of Canadian graphic designer Eva and the brawn of her beautiful, antique tabletop letterpress, Juliet, this little Etsy shop is one you're not going to want to pass by. Simply put, Evajuliet is letterpress done right. Learn more, here.

 

Knot & Bow: I'm a sucker for beautiful wrapping and craft supplies. There, I said it. And trust me when I say Knot & Bow has been a large contributing factor to my obsession-- but hey, can you blame me? From labels and stickers to tags and twine, there's about a million reasons shop owner Erin Ozer has successfully grabbed the attention of the likes of Martha Stewart, Design*Sponge and HGTV. (Oh, and she's an absolute gem to work with, too.) Learn more about Knot & Bow, here.

  

Ampersandity: For the love of stamps-- need I say more? I didn't think so. Oh Ampersandity, you're pure & solid gold. (Pssst-- now through Dec. 10th, receive 10% off all Etsy store purchases using the code HOLIDAY10. Offer is good for all thank you, address and holiday stamps-- Now go!)

Studiopatró.

I have a bit of an obsession with tea towels. I'm not going to lie, I truly can't get enough of them. And judging by the number of stacked drawers in my mother's kitchen at home, I'm just going to go ahead and say that this is clearly a fixation that runs in the family. Needless to say, when I stumbled upon the incredible shop Studiopatró a few weeks back, I was instantly smitten.

Based out of the San Francisco Bay area, Studiopatró is a small, but well-oiled, producer of beautiful kitchen linens-- tea towels, aprons, market bags and the like. Hand-printed with an ink-on-cloth approach, the Studiopatró team is rooted in the creation of textiles that are simple, sustainable, and downright special. And boy have they hit the nail on the head. Here are some of my favorites--

So here's my question-- is it ever too early for one to start building out a holiday wish list? Roger that. I didn't think so either :) To see more of the beautiful Studiopatró line, click here: SHOP.

Fig & Fauna.

A 3.5 acre homestead tucked away in quaint southern Florida, Fig & Fauna Farm looks to be one of the most wonderful slices of heaven that ever was. I swear, it's stumbling upon beautiful spots of simple serenity like this farm that make my heart race and my brain whirl. And sometimes, that tugging urge to clamber into the nearest car and go off in search of my own small country farmhouse upstate to tuck away in is just too much. One of these days, I swear it's going to be. I just know it. And by gosh it better be soon.

Sticky honeycombs in the summer. Fresh eggs in the morning. Hearty soups full of rich, rooted vegetables in the winter. Nestling into a rocking chair on the back porch listening to the sound of chickens clucking in their coop and cows lowing out in the meadow as the sun dips below the horizon. Oh, be still my heart.

To read more about Fig & Fauna, check out Megan and Rose Martin's intoxicating blog chock-full of beautiful photos and wholesome recipes, here.

(All photos above via Fig & Fauna)

Garnett Jewelry: Blues Trio.

It's no secret that I've had an ongoing love affair with Of A Kind for a while now-- and if this initial post of mine didn't do it's job in convincing you to sign up for their weekly email alerts, here's a gentle reminder to do yourself a favor and do so. (Immediately.)

Now, I'd like to start off this post by saying that for the past few months, I have practiced an unusually impressive degree of self restraint when it comes to Of A Kind's incredible features. As someone who will be the first to admit that she's never been so good at adopting the "look, don't touch" (aka: immediately purchase) mentality when it comes to these sorts of things, I can attest to the fact that restraint is not always easy to come by. But when I opened my email on Sunday to find that the wonderful Aimee Munford and her trio cuffs were being featured once again, you better believe any form of hesitation, whatsoever, was swiftly kicked to the curb.

The verdict? I'm in love. Durable enough to hold their own, yet delicate enough to add the perfect amount of feminine flair to just about anything, I think it's safe to say that these cuffs are about to become a standard in my wardrobe. (Now, let's see how long I last before going out and splurging on one in every color I can find. Yikes.)

Unfortunately the Of A Kind Blues Trio has long since sold out (sorry for the teaser, friends!), but have no fear for I've got two easy ways for you to get your fix:

1. For my fellow Anthropologie lovers out there, swing on over to Anthro's online store to take a gander at their custom assortment of Pinta Cuffs (... Dare I even mention how perfect that Navy & Orange combo might be-- I see you UVa football season, I see you.)

2. And of course, there's always Garnett Jewelry's online store  which you should swing by, as is, since Aimee has a host of other tempting pieces as well! (You're welcome, in advance)

 

*A quick caveat: These cuffs run a bit small-- which is one of the main reasons why I personally love them; hooray for bracelets that fit small wrists and don't slip and slide all freaking day long (!!)-- but for those of you who like your bracelets loose, be forewarned! :)

Happy shopping. 

xo

Satsuma Press.

I'm a total sucker for letterpress. Total. Sucker. So when I came across Satsuma Press the other day, I knew I was in serious trouble.

A one-person design and letterpress studio based out of Oregon, Satsuma Press is run by founder Lynn Russell whose intention has always been to create "good, simple design that is pleasing to the eye and the mind; refreshing color and lush paper; plenty of open space and quiet, graceful beauty". Mission accomplished, friends. Aren't these pieces just unbearably irresistible?

 

 

 

Check out the Satsuma Press shop, here. And creative genius Lynn Russell's journal, here.

Happy Weekend.

Oh Pinterest. If only my life were half as wonderfully quaint as the one you've allowed me to trick myself into believing I lead. Casually slicing figs for my mid-week charcuterie plates? Perfectly arranged bouquets of beautiful blooms in every corner of my abode? Upside-down braids on the reg? Yea. Right. But boy, that sure won't stop me from dreamin' of the day. (Swoon.)

 

    

    

Happy weekend, friends. Wishing you & yours a wonderful few days ahead!
'Til Monday.
xo

Of A Kind.

Alright, friends, here's the scoop. If you haven't yet checked out or signed up for email alerts from Of a Kind, trust me in saying that it's time to do so. With the aim of supporting new up and coming designers, Of a Kind presents one new feature each week sharing glimpses into the designer's personal stories, inspiration, training & taste while also offering special access to a limited-edition piece designed exclusively for the site. Awesome, right? From bow ties to bangles and cuffs to carry on's, Of a Kind represents a wide variety of designs and products to appeal to just about any level of taste.

One of my favorites from these past few months? This incredible briefcase from designer Ernest Alexander. Holy moly-- please & thank you.

 

 

  

And dare I even begin discussion around how great it would have been to have these grab bags on hand over the holidays for those last minute gifts that always left you stumped and scrambling? Genius!

Emerson Fry.

The wonderful Emerson Fry, creative genius behind the former wildly popular and successful EmersonMade line, has come into Spring 2012 with a new collection, a new perspective, and a new name to boot. Enter Emerson Fry New York. And ladies, holy moly, it is every bit as fabulous as you could ever imagine. I think I'm in love. With the perfect mix of chic femininity and classy sophistication, this line is everything I wish my spring/summer wardrobe would look like if only I had the time or money to get it there. Where's a girl's magic genie in a bottle when she needs one, am I right? Take a look and prepare to swoon, my friends.

      

 

(Pssst. Fellow diehard lovers of EmersonMade, scoot on over here for one last chance to shop the odds and ends before they're gone!)