DIY Love: Button Tree

My love of buttons comes from visiting my grandmother when I was a little girl. She had jars and jars of colorful buttons, all shapes and sizes, from vintage to new. She was a wonderful seamstress and like most granddaughters, I regret not learning all I could from her. But I digress. I came across this darling do it yourself button tree from Makin Projiks and thought "what a great way to get those buttons out of the jar"! A little time consuming, but easy peasy and oh so pretty. I really like the combination of pastels as shown here. If you found enough buttons (yards sales are gold mines for them), these trees would make great wedding centerpieces, or decoration at the guest book and/or cake table.



For instructions, click here.

Liz & Pete, by AE Photography

We all love weddings chock full of personal, handmade details, which is why I was so psyched when Ashley from AE Photography sent me Liz and Pete's photos.

It's so clear from the pictures that the day was about celebrating Liz and Pete's love. The intimate backyard ceremony was captured on an 8mm camera and played it back at the reception.

The colors are so vibrant and happy, making gerbera daisies an ideal choice. My favorite shots though are the ones of Liz and Pete on bikes with the handmade 'Just Married' License plates attached to the seats. You can tell that someone took a little time to draw and color the plates, making them so much more special than printing from the computer or buying from a store.











Congratulations to Liz and Pete! Be sure to check out more from their wedding on AE Photography's blog. While you're there, take a look at the 'Be Thankful' photo session Ashley is giving away!

Smitten With: Vs. Mittens

I'm in one of those situations where the work I'm doing is taking WAY longer than I anticipated. I did, however, come across these adorable mittens last night. They are Predator vs. Prey and come in fish vs. whale (I think it looks like a shark), gazelle vs. lion, and fly vs. frog! Initially I thought they would make a sweet gift for my nephew, until I found out that they are for ADULTS!

If you have a friend or relative who still skips down the street (guilty), wears braids in her hair (guilty), and eats cookies for breakfast (guilty), I'm thinking a pair of these mittens would be a pretty awesome gift. From Uncommon Goods.

Smitten With: Joetta Maue

Joetta Maue, this one really gets me:



Joetta's incredibly beautiful and quietly eloquent embroidered pieces speak for themselves. Her blog, Little Yellow Birds, offers its readers a glimpse at the lovely world of embroidery. Any one of Joetta's one of a kind embroidered vintage linens would make a thoughtful wedding gift to a special couple or mark and important milestone in a loved one's life. Visit her Etsy shop Bird & Bear for more.

Inspired by: Vintage Christmas

As soon as Halloween is over, my mind turns to Christmas. There isn't anything in the world like listening to old Christmas carols, sipping a mug full of hot cocoa and decorating the house in holiday goodness. It is so much fun for a couple just starting out to discover their Christmas style and begin to collect ornaments together. For Tom and I, we like things that look as if they were passed down through generations and made by an old German grandmother. Picking faves is impossible, but here are a few choices in pretty, glittering pastels:

LOVE cotton spun Santa's like this one from The Pink Tulip.

Cute as a button snowy cottage ornaments.

Cody Foster is a wonderful folk artist who creates the prettiest paper pulp glitter houses like the one featured here. I want to collect a whole bunch and make a village under the tree!

Hearting these bottle brush trees!

Spool of old fashioned tinsel comes in gold, red and green too!

I'm not sure which is better; these fabulous retro lights or the box they come in.

Most of us had a grandmother who made us an ornament like Harriet the Hare for Christmas. If you aren't one of the lucky ones who still has theirs, Anthropologie carries a few different styles that are sure to make you feel nostalgic.

Simply adore the blown glass cuckoo clock ornament with pinecone weights.