The cutest little cactus planters!

I'm a long time fan of happy little cactus and succulent plants and these little ceramic planters from noemarin (link) make them even more adorable:

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Seriously. So. Cute.  Unfortunately I am attempting to downsize my plant hoarding due to 1) total lack o' space and 2) tiny spiky plants aren't baby friendly.  How you may wonder am I trying to downsize my plants you ask? Why I am letting the natural survival of the fittest selection go in full force and will see how many plants I've killed come February when baby is scheduled to arrive. That counts as baby proofing right? I hope so...I'm not feeling very prepared...

uncommon zara

I've been enjoying the sunny weather and so have the happy squirrels in my neighbourhood! Now if only I could see one like this guy from Zara Picken (link):

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Oh the colours, texture, and cute/quirky subject matter is a triple win! And if you like this one you should stop by this post and see a whole bunch of other images to woo you over (link)! Which do you like best? Next to this squirrel I must say the queen stamp one is pretty sweet...

Stitched Heart Pin

This weekend I decided I would attempt to fight through the arthritis flare up that is completely taken over my hands and wrists and try to get some solid work done.  Not to worry now - I'm not going crazy with strenuous activity that is sure to damage my poor old joints, but since the amount of tasks I've got to do is piling all around me I figure I can try to use my stiff mitts (which is pretty much what my hands have turned into) for short periods of time to get some tasks completed! Hooray! Ok, so it's a painful and slow process but it does feel good to make some amount of progress and I'm sure if I just keep plugging away at things they will all be complete in no time (well...in theory)! Yay! 

One of the tasks I decided to undertake is organizing my taxes and although my paper sorting and receipt keeping skills have improved substantially over the years, it is still quite the daunting and unpleasant project. Rats. Luckily when I decided to take a little internet break to give my number crunching brain a break I came across this darling stitched heart pin from the little pincushion studio blog (link):

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Isn't it just perfect? I love how simple and easy it would be to make and how it adds the perfect touch of handmade love to that cardigan! Adorable! It has also conveniently taken my mind of taxes for just long enough to share it with you and have myself a cup of tea. Lovely. Now if only my taxes were this pleasant...

Friday Find: Wooli Mochi

Well it's official - Fraser and I have bought a condo and are moving back to Kamloops this fall. I'm pretty excited to be back with all my great friends and family, but am dreading moving (ack) and am going to miss the wonderful fibre arts stores here in Victoria. Luckily there are fantastic online shops like Wooli Mochi (link) that cary loads of felting fibres and even adorable wool felting kits like this squirrel one:

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Isn't she just the sweetest little squirrel you've ever seen? I sort of want to make a pair of them (with different accessories) to use as wedding cake toppers this summer but we will have to see if I can perfect my felting skills before I commit to that! What are your thoughts? Have you ever bought felting supplies online? 

Well Done Zander Olsen

When I came across the magnificent works of Zander Olsen entitled "Tree, Line" I was in awe. The way he wrapped the white fabric to line up perfectly with the horizon based on each camera viewpoint is absolutely breathtaking. Take a good long gander:

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Oh my! I'm sure the fact that all of these landscapes are in the UK just adds that little something extra to the works, but boy oh boy am I ever in love. Could you imagine these as a series hanging down the hallway? Brilliant. How about you - are you as taken as I am? 

Friday Find: Red Gate Stitchery

If you're looking for a great stitch starting project to attempt this year - Red Gate Stitchery (link) has you covered! I love doing little craft kits and this heart pendant really tickles my fancy:

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Not a heart fan? How about chevrons, felt coasters, embroidery patterns, or blank kits instead?:

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OoOo! I must say that patterned rabbit is pretty darn tempting and since it's the start of a whole new exciting year I figure I can have high hopes for my crafting potential! Hooray! What do you think? Have you ever dabbled in cross stitch kits or crafts? What do you like best about Red Gate Stitchery?

ho ho ho photojojo

Until a few days ago I had never heard of Photojojo (link).  If you haven't experienced this lovely piece of internet real-estate, let me fill you in. It's a sweet blog and online shop overflowing with great photography tips, trinkets, and supplies! After peeking in, I was overwhelmed with goodies I have always wanted and never actually been able to find like an iphone remote, fun clip on lenses, and tripods! I jumped on the photojojo train and ordered some fun items and even got a $5 off coupon to share with you: 

l must say the holiday themed dinos really topped off the entire experience and once my order arrives I will be sure to share how much I love my new goods! How about you? Have you heard of this amazing site? What is your extent of photography knowledge? 

Friday Find: Mount Royal Mint

There's nothing quite like some handmade cute felt animals to cheer me up and since I'm home sick with the stomach flu today's find is filling any and all adorable voids! Just check out the charming soft sculptures of Mount Royal Mint (link):

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Oh my! Bears, squirrels, walruses and bun buns? I think so! Boy those are cute and the sweet simplistic images really top them off! Now to decide which is your favourite...

Friday Find: Seams To Be

With November wrapping up, it's time to bundle up and prepare for the chilly winter temperatures of December! No better way to winter-it-up than with some chunky amazing crochet goodies from Etsy's Seams to Be (link)! Here are a few of my faves:

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Oh my! All those jewel tones, texture, and added layers of warmth! I'm in love - and let's not even get started about how much I love that giant pom pom! OoOo! Don't take my word on it - take a browse for yourself. Oh and while you're at it pop by Lyndsay's blog (link) and check them out in action! Happy Friday! 

Friday Find: Made Mary

Today we peek into a world of amazing felt ball garlands thanks to etsy's Made Mary (link)! After painstakingly struggling to make my own felt balls, my appreciation has grown for how much love and care goes into each one of those little fibre friends and Made Mary strings them together perfectly to make glorious decorations like this one: 

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I love the different effects each colour combination makes and would be thrilled to hang a string of these on my xmas tree! Heck, they'd be great hanging just about anywhere! Not into garlands? They've got lots of other fun goodies in the shop too - like paper suncatcher strings, scarves, and fabric swatch calendars! Oh my! Now to decide which colour I like best...any thoughts? 

Friday Find: Ladybird Likes

Today's find is a lovely little etsy shop called Ladybird Likes (link) that is full of bits of wood, repurposed vintage fabric, pretty paper, and lots of love! I am a particular fan of the collar clips, although since I rarely wear collared shirts but have loads of cardigans (seriously - you should see my closet) I think they would make perfect sweater clips! Just check out the cute little black kitties:

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Eee! Adorable! Not a cat fan? How about these other goodies I'm swooning over:

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Oh my that owl pin is cute...and those minty hearts, or the moons, or that pretty delicate butterfly! OoOo! So much niceness! Don't take my word on it though - check out the shop and see for yourself (link)! Happy Friday Lovelies! 

Instant Business Cards

The folks over at More Design Please (link) shared an amazing idea for an instant business card that I'm dying to try out. Bring on the key ring sized self inking stamp:

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Isn't that concept just lovely? It would be so convenient and extra memorable too! Oh I don't have any cards on me - let me just stamp this random piece of scrap paper for you. I'm sold. I like it even better when a little cuteness is added too:

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I haven't quite decided how to work all the letters of "scientific culture" into a circular 3/4" shape but when I do I'm jumping all over this one. What do you think? Are you a stamp fan? 

Friday Find: Pouch

Today's find comes from the extra wonderful UK and is full of amazing handmade homewares made from a combination of vintage and new materials.  I am particularly drawn to the adorable (and useful) lavender rabbits - just look at these darlings in teal:

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Aren't they cute? I've always been fond of lavender sachets and I think one of these hanging in my closet would be the perfect way to freshen up my clothes and repel any pests too! It would even be neat to keep one tucked away in my undie drawer so when I get dressed in the morning a little happy bun bun could great me on my way! Hooray! Everything is truly better from the UK isn't it? 

Friday Find: Emho Collections

Well it's Friday and since Halloween has passed we are jumping straight into xmas! Okay, so I treat November more as a preparation month and December as time to decorate for the holidays, but when I saw these darling needle felted mushroom ornaments from Emho Collections (link) I just had to share them! Aren't they just the cutest?

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I think they would look super sweet on a tree or maybe just strung up together in a little garland! I must admit I am a sucker for the amanitas and these rainbow delights are just too tempting! Perhaps I'll need to work on my needle felting skills this winter and attempt my own versions (probably with little smiles on them too)! What do you think? Have you ever dabbled in felting? 

Friday Find: Kitty Wigs

Today's find is brought to us by a lovely email sent to me by Lindsay.  After all, who doesn't need to buy a nice wig for their cat? Check out these beauties:

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With lots of colours and shapes to chose from Kitty Wigs (link) is sure to suit all your feline do needs and if nothing else is very entertaining to check out. I'm not sure if I'm about to shell out $65 plus shipping for one of these yet (especially since I don't have a cat)...but the links are there in case you're in a buying mood! Happy Friday! 

Friday Find: Lucie Veilleux

Today's find comes to us courtesy of Trisha from Vernellies (link)! She interviewed Lucie Veilleux (link) as part of her "buy handmade" series a few days ago and I loved it so much I wanted to include it as our Friday Find! Just check out how amazing Lucie's jewelry is (and how sweet this collage is from Trisha):

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Oh my! I love the texture, shapes, and juxtaposition Lucie works into her pieces and am especially fond of that amazing acorn pendant in the middle there! Ah! So lovely! So take a moment and check out Lucie's Etsy shop (link), or pop over to Trisha's blog and read the interview (link)! Heck - you can even do both like I did and tell me which piece is your favourite! Happy Friday! 

Friday Find: Fair Store

Guess what!? It's fall! With the cooler weather headed our way this time of year (well...for those of us in the upper Northern Hemisphere anyways), it's time to bring out the layers and bring on the scarves! I happen to be a huge scarf endorser and am particularly fond of a "doesn't confuse me with ends and tying" circle scarf! Yay! Since Victoria has finally decided to embrace fall (it has been summer more or less here all month), I thought I'd share the etsy shop Fair Store (link) that is full to the brim with this perfect fall staple! Here's my personal fave:

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Ah! I figure it would make a perfect bird watching scarf! Well, it might actually be a bit bold for stealthy nature watching - but it is great for bird endorsing right? Birds (and teal) not your thing? Not to worry. There are ten whole pages of scarves to browse. What are your feelings on circle scarves? Any favourites? 

My New Addiction.

Well it's official - I'm addicted to buying reasonably priced vintage dresses off Etsy.  With all the bargain hunters and thrift shopping sharks that apparently snap up all the deals at every thrift shop here in Victoria, I've turned to internet shopping to fill the void. I was a little hesitant starting out with online used clothing shopping since I really like being able to feel fabric, inspect potential flaws, and (or course) try things on!  But with the ease of the internet at my fingertips (usually on my phone when I'm laying in bed not sleeping) I started to browse and soon enough found so many gems I just couldn't say no to! Oh my!  Looks like I'd much rather let someone else sift through the (usually stale and smelly) isles of second hand shops and pay a bit extra for them to be shipped right to my door. Heck - it even means I get more mail! Hooray!  

Since I haven't managed to snap any pleasant pictures of me sporting my new (to me) duds  I thought I'd share my new three favourite online vintage shops with you (in no particular order) and you can catch a glimpse of pieces I snagged too! Yay! Let's go:

1) Tiny Yellow Bird - A fun and cheery shop full of unique pieces and bargain buys.  I bought two dresses from Lily on my first go and fell in love their classic, schoolmarm style.  Plus grey and blue are both neutrals so it was a gentle step into working some new outfits into my wardrobe. How convenient! 

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2) Yessiree Petunia Vintage - Lesley has the most fabulous online shop stocked full of amazing (and reasonable!) dresses and accessories to drool over! I first popped by her blog (link) when she left a comment here and although I've been a loyal reader who loves hearing about her real life vintage peddling (out of an adorable little vintage trailer called Matilda) I have no idea why I had never checked out her shop! It is well worth a browse and so far I've been a repeat polka dot dress purchaser thanks to Lesley Jean!

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3) Superstition Vintage - Another amazing vintage etsy shop full of wonderful handpicked and loved items that don't break the bank. Much like the other two shops, this one updates regularly so it's worth it to check back in and see what's new! Adrian does an amazing job getting a range of products in a range of sizes and so far I've places two orders with her to get a summery light teal shirt dress and a fall worthy midi skirt.

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Just in case I haven't convinced you on how sweet it is to buy vintage online here are a few more reasons I used to rationalize my purchasing (and apparently another list):

1 ) Unlike pants and trousers, dresses are easier to make fit. They're usually a little forgiving  when it comes to flab fluctuations and are great for pear shaped ladies like me!

2) All of my purchases turned out to be cheaper than if I had attempted to make them on my own. Not to mention how much grief and sewing I saved myself (well...I guess I did mention that...)

3) Older dresses are longer! I'm not sure when current clothing shops will learn that some of us out there prefer frocks that cover the knees (and my entire bum in some cases), but until they do - preowned is the way to go!

4) Chances are you won't bump into someone sporting the same dress! Avoid being a cookie cutter clone and branch out into originality (kind of).

5) Instead of supporting giant fast fashion slave labour corporations you're buying from great ladies like these and helping reduce, reuse, and recycle some goods! Good for you!

Add in the points I already made above (shopping in bed, getting mail, and pre-sifted vintage gems) and I figure I've got myself convinced! Online shopping is the way to go! Now to try to limit myself and stick to budget...oh dear...

Friday Find: Creature Cups

Today's find is all sorts of awesome. I mean who wouldn't want an octopus hanging out in the bottom of their cup of tea? Check out the charming mugs from Etsy shop Creature Cups (link):

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Eee! They are sort of like fun sea themed version of these woodland tea cups I blogged about in January 2011 (link) - which is great since they will be spending time swimming in delicious liquids! Now if only shipping wasn't $23...

Friday Find: Arc of Time

Today's find is the perfect accessory for the sewing enthusiast - a vintage spool ring from Arc of Time (link)! Just check out how cute this red one is:

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Oh how darling! It is certainly a unique and bold ring, and I really like how sweet and one of a kind they are! Not into red? Take a look at these other options (and one with a button!!):

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I'm pretty sure the warm lighting and sewing bits and bobs really sway my opinion on these, but I just love them! I'm a little concerned about how it would wear with the wood, thread, and paper on them after a few hand washes but I guess if you're going for unique and vintage there aren't many options! What do you think? Do you wish you had more spools in your wardrobe?