Stripes Galore

Remember this post? I guess there's just something about white with silvery stripes.

And that cool chair? Well, I bought it. I was strolling about my local West Elm a few days ago, and they had a floor sample at half off. It was perfect. And it was mine. This spot is probably not where the chair will ultimately reside, but I wanted to show it off a bit. Plus, a few people have requested a new apartment shot.



And I found these snazzy pencils at Michael's (the craft store). Random, I know. There were eight in a package for $1. Stoked. Now, if only those sheets would go on sale.

Gift Guide 2012: Paper Edition

Oh, you know I love this one.  Paper is my favorite thing in life, and with this gift guide I always try to think beyond "just" notecards.

A Linda & Harriett calendar.  I literally start every year with one of these.  A larger size than before and letterpressed to the hilt, this is paper at its nicest.  With designs that double as postcards.  $34

A reproduction photo of DuPont Circle from Blue Monocle.  This company makes reproduction photos and maps of places all over.  Choose a special place in the recipient's life.  from $25

An acorn notepad from 1canoe2.  This is just fun.  I love the deep green background on the cover.  You get 75 sheets and a whole lot of charm.  $13

An adventure print from Scout's Honor Co.  I love the typography and simplicity happening here.  This 5x7 size has such a nice price that you can splurge on a frame.  $12

Pony Express postcards from Rifle Paper Co.  It's really hard to go wrong with Rifle.  This is a set of 10 cards, and postage on these is cheaper than on normal cards.  It's a Christmas miracle.  $10

Striped letterpress notecards from Heartfish Press.  Stripes and letterpress?  Sold.  This is a set of six.  $16

Care for a Danish*?

I just love this--from the cool Scandinavian lines of the table to the stripes on the rug.  I'd probably do something different for chairs, but these do the trick fairly well.

At a cool G, the Oslo table would be a bit of an investment for me, but it should last a really long time.  Plus it seats, like, 30 with the extension.  :)

Thanks, Crate.  Thanks, Barrel.  I heart yaz both.

*(I realize that Oslo is in Norway, and my title refers to Denmark, but it was cheeky. And I was feeling it.)

Lust List: Gap

Do you ever find yourself hitting up the exact same websites every week?  Even looking at the exact same items every time?  I do that fairly regularly, and Gap is usually a place I stop. 

As I mentioned with J.Crew a few days ago, it always helps when what I want goes on sale, and with Gap, you never have to wonder.  I can honestly say that everything at Gap goes on sale if you watch closely enough.  Or they will give you a coupon or a survey/coupon.  I live for those. 

Granted, I don't need any of these things, but that's why this is the lust list.

I know.  It's another cardigan.  And it's striped.  I say, if something works, ride it until the wheels fall off.  This one's good for work because it's lightweight but long-sleeved.

And even though I get plenty of Where's Waldo and Steve-from-Blue's-Clues references when I wear horizontal stripes, I say they're worth it.

The last thing I need.  But again.  Lust.

Aren't these the coolest?!  (They're boxers, but I wish they would make this fabric into pajama pants.)

This is a kid's shirt, but I have to represent the Smokies.  Dolly would be proud.  :)  I could probably swing a XXXL.

You Stole My Heart...

Confession: I don't have an Amazon Kindle, but my pal Dawn does. And she loves it. Like seriously swoons over it. (Ok. Maybe I'm overdoing it a bit.)

What I can say is that their new commercials (also linked from the picture) are right up my alley. They're very Mac-ish, but that's definitely ok. It's this 30-second stop-motion journey of adventure. This second one is the best. It has tons of simple clothes and colors and lots of stripes. Plus, that song is catchy as all get-out. Enjoy!

West Elm + Etsy = Less Than Three*

By now it's pretty clear that I heart West Elm.  And Etsy.  Imagine my sheer delight to hear of the two teaming up for a Handmade Holiday Workshop.  I just got home after attending with Ashley and was so excited that I had to blog right away.

All of the Etsy sellers are local Nashvillians.  First up was Hummingbird Factory.  Seller Ashley has really neat screenprinted items, like tea towels, zippered cases, pillows, and much more.

I bought five of these tags!  Two have navy blue anchors, and three have dark brown pinecones.  They will be used on my gifts this year.

Next up was The Shabby Creek Cottage.  Gina showed an edited collection of her range of country/beachy wares.  She uses a lot of burlap, aqua, and stripes.  Ummm....yes!! 

See that little packet to the right?  I bought that!  It's a set of chalkboard tags with jute string.  SO neat!

I also perused really clever stationery at Adelyn Stone.

It's rather dreadful that my stationery collection is so jam-packed.  I had to just walk away, or I would've gone a bit crazy.  She's definitely added to my favorites, though!

And I wanted to give a little pic-love to the host of the event.

(Missy, aren't these cool?!  Wink!)

Best of all, the event benefitted Oasis Center, a local charity that offers youth counseling, shelter, college assistance, and tons of activities.  It was a wonderful night!

*Less than three is <3.  I got that little phrase from a card from Kristan Lynn, the seller at Adelyn Stone.

A Wayne Pate Weekend?

It could be.  I've been thinking about buying a couple of these prints for a while.  When I got my new computer last week (whoops...forgot to mention!), I thought I had transferred all of my bookmarks from the old computer.  Nope.  I had lost Wayne, and I couldn't remember his name. 

Thankfully, I ran across a link on a blog or website the other day.  Wayne Pate is an illustrator from Brooklyn who's done tons of stuff, including some national campaigns for the likes of Target.  Here are some of my favorites.

You know how I loves my stripes.  Have a great weekend!

Lust List: West Elm Spring 2011

This is how my Lust List idea started--a new West Elm catalog.  Guess what.  I got another yesterday, and I'm loving the new direction this company is taking.  It's very Americana with a twist.  Very Etsy (literally).  Very clean and fresh.  So I had to kick off a new season of the Lust.

How could I not?  Look at this.  It's almost enough to make me want to break my first-quarter-no-shopping resolution.

This is like my favorite sheets, but it's in a friggin' duvet.  What?!

You have to appreciate a simple task lamp.

Here's an awesome metal-framed mirror.  I would like to take this, turn it on the horizontal, and hang it over my couch.

Typically I shy away from red.  But this black/white/red rug is calling my name. 

Oh, wow.  This industrial metal bath cabinet blew my mind.

Ok.  I know, with the stripes, but I love them.  They make this cool shower curtain in the same gray color as the duvet.  There's a good chance I'll own it before the year is up. 

To make the resolution-keeping that much harder, I got a coupon from West Elm in my inbox today.  *sigh*  I'm trying to stay strong.

Lust List: Lands' End Canvas Spring 2012

So after my mini living room makeover, I'm kind of blowing my no-spend first quarter.  That is why, dear readers, I will try to restrain myself to only ogling pictures of my latest favored items from Canvas.  (It's hard to believe that it's been almost two years since my first post about this line.)

A ringer tee with gray stripes on a white background--but this one has a blue collar.  Hehe.  $25

Like I need another cardigan.  But just look at this one.  *sigh*  $80

If ever there were a Specs-y sweater, this is it.  Green and gray.  $60

Who can resist a navy pant?  These would go with any of the first three items.  $59.50

And you know I love a travel bag.  $140

Remember that it's relatively ridiculous to ever buy anything from a Lands' End company without a coupon.  Right now through February 21st, they're doing 25% off and free shipping.  I'm keeping my fingers off the shopping cart icon.  Pray for me.

Gift Guide 2011: Etsy Edition

I love a gift guide.  And this year I thought I'd break mine up into small editions to keep things easier.  First up is Etsy. 

Where to start?  These picks came from countless hours of perusing blogs, magazines, and Etsy itself.  Most of my favorites are of the paper variety, but I tried to branch out a bit.  I am a fan of supporting independent businesses and craftspeople whenever possible.  You end up with unique, creative gifts while helping someone else live their dreams.  Hokey but accurate.

A milk & honey candle from Sweet Petula.  It's vegetable wax in a clean scent, and it will burn for 60+ hours in that snazzy frosted (reusable) glass.  $24

A linen-covered journal in awesome chevron stripes from Holli Zollinger.  And a kraft paper binding, naturally.  Let your recipient sketch, list, and doodle to their heart's content.   $12

A jar of chocolate spoon fudge from Nicole's Treats.  Handmade in a really nifty 4 oz. jar, with two mini spoons!  Nummy.  $9

A monogrammed porcelain tray from Jeanette Risco.  Customizable, 6.75" x 5.25", and just the right size for an array of finger sandwiches or your favorite cosmetics containers.  $31

A chevron jotter from Wit & Whistle.  I love a chevron.  Guilty.  At 3.5" by 5" and in sturdy kraft paper, it's perfect for marking down websites, coupon codes, blog ideas, etc. in an old-school way.  $5.75

A set of me & you pencils from Knot & Bow.  Now, aren't these sweet?  A veritable who's who of the great food pairings, along with a lil' sentiment for a best friend or a significant otre, to round out the set of six.  $12

(Note: I received permission from all sellers to use their images and to link to their Etsy stores.)