my stitch book.

remember this post? well, at long last, i am excited to share my latest crafty project.

a stitch book is a soft, hand-bound book (i made mine out of felt.) where you can store little pieces of fabric, old cherished buttons, pretty trim, embroidery samples and ribbons for safe keeping.

i had so much fun putting mine together. christine kindly let me dig through her huge stash of supplies, and i felt like a kid in a candy store.

i picked out vintage buttons, part of an old tape measure, and even added a place to write a special note.

i also used a whole page just to practice some stitches.

finally, on the back of the book, i made a little pocket to store a tiny knit heart. :)

it's a fairly easy project, and i am looking forward to adding to it and continuing to make it special in the years to come.

if you're interested in making one for yourself, you can buy a pdf tutorial here... or you can just come on over to my house and we'll make one together! i'll make tea. :)

making a mess.

on tuesday, i drove to providence to visit one of my favorite people, christine. we spent the afternoon in her beautiful studio, rummaging through boxes of fabric, sewing things, picking out adorable buttons, listening to music, playing with her sweet baby, and talking about being brave. our goal was to make me a stitch book, and i can't wait to share the final product with you soon.

the funny thing was - i kept wanting to clean up. christine can attest, i couldn't quite handle the fact that we had covered her studio floor in thread, felt, scraps and ribbons. but half way through the project, i realized i was going to have to let go of my urge to tidy and just embrace the process.

it turns out, messy is good when you're letting your creative juices flow. and unsurprisingly, i'm finding this to be true of life in general. my journey as a yoga teacher, writer, and photographer has definitely been bumpy, messy and chaotic. but without it, i wouldn't be where i am today.

so, here's my question for you. what can you do to make a mess today? i promise it's crazy fun.


(first photo by christine chitnis)

birthday bunting.

warning: if you stare at this bunting long enough, you'll start craving cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles. (both of which are perfect for a thirtieth birthday, i've decided.)  happy thursday.

baking and making.

good morning, my friends! happy 1/11/11. :)

did you know, we're expecting a huge snow storm in boston tomorrow? my plan is to sit on my couch and eat sea salt brownies all day. (in fact, they're so good, i had one for breakfast with my coffee. shhh.)

yesterday, this idea came to me in the middle of making dinner. so, naturally, i stopped chopping vegetables and just made these little bunting cards instead. the vegetables waited patiently.

last night, i also made this birthday banner for a very special sister. please ignore the fact that the colors look like i'm throwing a baby shower. oops.

finally, i have a question for all of you: what are your favorite slow-cooker recipes? we got one for our wedding, and i am so excited to play around with this genius contraption. thank you. happy tuesday! xo.

dreaming of a craft room.

january can often feel like a blah month, so let's indulge in some good, old-fashioned daydreaming, shall we? :)

i would love to have a craft room/office some day... a place to sew, knit, write, wrap presents, and store all of my craft supplies in adorable containers. as of this moment, i do all creative things in our living room, as it's the only space big enough! but someday, my friends... some day. and then i will invite you all over for tea and crafting projects.

here are some of my favorite, inspirational images:

so, now i'm curious, do you have a craft room or a designated space to get your creative juices flowing? i'd love to see pictures! xo.

(photo credits: pinterest)

snow and gift wrapping.

hello friends!

yesterday it snowed in boston and i couldn't be happier. i love white christmases, and the forecast looks promising. today, simon and i are spending the day lounging, crafting, reading and wrapping. :) we're also going for a walk, because walks are my favorite.

in the meantime, here is an easy little craft project i did the other day.

instructions: cut felt into holly shaped leaves, glue it to fun construction paper, (or directly to your wrapping paper), adorn with ribbon and bells, and voila! you have a sweet little gift. (in this case, for one of simon's family dogs.)

happy tuesday!

crocheted flower coasters.

ever since i stumbled on these coasters, i can't stop thinking about them. they are whimsical, sweet and simply perfect for my cup of tea or coffee.

and so it's official: i absolutely have to learn how to crochet. do any of you crochet and if so, how did you learn? any tips?

(photo credit: chizuru-bis)

cutest ornaments you've ever seen.

these felt hand sewn ornaments are just so sweet, don't you think?

tell me, do you make your own ornaments? simon's family has a tradition of making ornaments every year, and i love it. maybe i can convince them to make these next year. that camera is awesome.



(credit: lupin shop)

oh etsy.

confession: i literally spend hours on etsy every week. can we pretend discovering gorgeous handmade and vintage finds is a legitimate hobby? :)

(credits: adorable vintage tea cup from here. button pins from here. blue garden scarf from here. graphic roses clutch from here. vintage milk glass jar candle from here. wooden side table from here.)

adorable escort card idea.

as you all know, corsage flower brooches have been all the rage this year, so why not add them to your escort cards? if we didn't already have a plan, i'd totally be stealing this idea... too cute.

(via elizabeth anne designs, credit: rachel grace)

speaking of wine...

simon and i feel incredibly lucky to have found and be working with our wedding photographer, meredith of andunlimited photography, so we brought her a little thank you gift on saturday.
i didn't have a wine tote or anything else snazzy to decorate it in, so i just used some things i had around the house (kraft paper, ribbon, baker's twine and other miscellaneous things in my craft closet).

when she got home, she photographed it. i just love her style and the way she captures details, don't you? (click on image to see it larger.)

thanks again, meredith!

p.s. engagement pictures coming to the blog very soon!

birds and blooms.

i love dutch door's little etsy shop and their limited edition prints featuring all fifty states' birds and flowers. i think the massachusetts print is gorgeous with the black capped chickadee and the mayflower.

do you know what is your state bird and flower are?

(photo credit: dutch door)

loopty loop.

wow, gorgeous yarn like this makes me wish i was better at knitting. leg warmers would be pretty cozy right about now.

do you knit? what's your secret? i always seem to end up with holes.

(photo credit: .elsie cake)

catching up on z's.

oh my goodness, these pillow letters made by hilary cosgave are amazing. they are made from... wait for it... recycled suit jackets!

pure and utter genius.

not your granny's bunting.

it seems that bunting is all the rage. and i can see why! isn't it fun?

here's a fabulous step-by-step tutorial made by the lovely erin.

(photos and bunting by wunderlust)

etsy love.

as promised, let's talk about something cheerful. this vintage etsy shop makes me smile.

so clever, right? i've never seen items presented in such a fun, unique way.

p.s. speaking of etsy, don't miss olivia's new store filled with lovely little cake stands. so dreamy!

microwave girl.

i adore shopping for greeting cards, but truth be told, i'm pretty picky. there is so much boring, cheesy stuff out there!

i recently found these cards on etsy by microwave girl and they are exactly my style. woot!

where do you buy your interesting and funny greeting cards? maybe we should start an awesome greeting card collective!

on being a wife.

i've been through many phases in my life, but i never imagined that i would be as excited as i am about being a wife. i consider myself a feminist, but the more i think about marrying simon, the more i realize how much i am looking forward to everything that is traditionally considered "domestic".

i would love to have a kitchenaid, maybe even a yellow one. i want to sew things. i want to be in charge of our family photo albums, and christmas traditions, and buying pumpkins every halloween.

i want to cook deliciously healthy meals, bake birthday cakes and most importantly, eat them with my husband. and perhaps most surprising of all... i am head over heels excited to take simon's last name.

i guess being a real feminist means being able to do whatever you want to do. and as it turns out... what i want to do is be very married. :)

so, to those of you who are wives, i would love to hear your thoughts... how has being married changed you? and what has surprised you the most?

p.s. joanna is currently featuring a series called secrets to happy marriages. i am loving it; check it out.

(photo credit: oh my deer)