Travel, Monet, Giverny and French Love

My mom travels a lot - to the point where I generally don't know where she is in the world, but this time is different. She's off on a trip driving from Amsterdam through France. Right before she left, she casually slips into conversation that she may stop by Giverny if there's time. You gotta make time for that!  

Inspired

I think I've posted this photo before on here- it's from Chartreuse and Co. - but I love it. All I want are super warm days and Takoma Park flowers bursting all over the place. Is that too much to ask?

3 Holiday Things

Christmas is so close! Only days away :) & here is what I'm loving right now.

This AMAZING dog, almost as cute as my pup.
My Warmth matchbooks because it's cold in my house.
This beautiful dress from Anthropologie.

I hope your days are Merry and Bright this week!

3 Things

Somehow, these three images tie in well together, but I can't place why. Maybe I'm just so drawn because everything is so holiday-y on Pinterest right now. I love it, but a fresh set of photos without pinecones really makes me smile today.

1. Reminds me of a contour line drawing, though doesn't seem to be quite perfectly so. But I do love it. here
2. Beautiful books really get me going. TMI? here
3. Just bought these earrings and I love love love them! here

Enjoy your week!

An Impromptu (Snow!) Day Off

I haven't actually taken a day off in a while, so when the weather called for crazy snow, sleet and blistery winter conditions this past Sunday, I decided to take a day off from the outdoor markets. Bummer because I was really looking forward to this particular one, but sleet is enough to make me cancel. Instead, I enjoyed breakfast with my fiance for his birthday, and stumbled around some downtown Takoma Park shops, crossing people off of my Christmas shopping list.

Snow covering these cute festive displays outside of Park Florist

The immaculate wall of vintage clothing at Polly Sue's where I am (hopefully affectionately) known as the "wedding dress girl." I go there all the time and try on wedding dresses. No dice so far.

I spent a sleepy afternoon writing some Christmas cards

& Brad and I had a cozy birthday dinner at Mi Rancho - one of our favorite spots.

A wonderful little snow day. Hopefully the rain doesn't ruin the day today! 

Fall Fashion Faves

It's starting to feel a lot like fall and here is what I am craving - fashion wise. Blues, yellows and gems.
1. 2. 3.

Inspired by Greenery

Another compilation of greens and browns. October makes me feel really earthy while I await my delivery of pine essential oil for some holiday candles.

Photo 1, 2, 3.

Where is the Love?

I am so ready for the US to have a budget, government to re-open, shootings to stop happening so regularly and for life to get back to PSLs and apple orchards. Aren't you? 

I'm just going to go ahead and pretend that all is normal though.

This week in my kitchen studio, I've been making and packaging candles, coaster sets and dying fabrics like a crazy person in preparation for this double header of a weekend - Saturday at Arts on the Avenue and Sunday at the Takoma Park Street Festival!

Taking a moment to remember what is good in the world - I love fall, neighborhood festivals and pumpkins. Also, I love the movie You've Got Mail and am in LOVE with this bouquet of sharpened pencils DIY from The House That Lars Built. Other than school supplies, fall also makes me crave cool mugs and I am loving the new crocheted jewelry trend.

Don't you just love the photo above of my grapefruit 4 oz candle by the amazing potter, Ms. Rayna Pazmino? It's very fall and peaceful, just what I need today.

Alright, off to enjoy some pints and then back to making candles, knitting and watching Thursday night comedy on NBC! See you hopefully in Del Ray or Takoma Park this weekend! (Federal employees get 15% off!)

Inspriation for a Monday: Weekend Neighborhood Shots

Yesterday I took my little pup Rosie out on a walk around the neighborhood. I am constantly checking out the greenery situation of my neighborhood, as I am now planning an outdoor wedding for this time next year, and we want it to be outside. It seems that this is the time of year that the summer plants start saying goodbye and usually that would bother me, but they fade out in such a romantic sort of way that I still love it.

I am so in love with wild English gardens. There is so much green, rather than being so floral. And as there is now an emerald on that special finger, green seems right up our alley. Rosie loved the smell of this dried lavender and I keep imagining how beautifully it would pair with green.

P.S. Don't you love that little red mailbox?

Flowers for a Friday: Flowers in the Hair

I am loving flowers in the hair right now and love a vibrant red paired with an emerald. Wild flowers tell such a beautiful story, don't they?

I hope everyone finds their way to a flower stand at a farmers market this weekend. That is certainly where you'll find me on Sunday in my neighborhood. Hoping this new market I'm vending at on Sunday has a flower stand too. Find me at the Columbia Heights Community Market on Saturday. Enjoy your weekend and the photos above from sources 1, 2 & 3.

Somewhere to Be

I got to help out a friend on a look book that she just released. Say hello to Beltway Vintage's fall lookbook - travel themed thanks to vintage postcards, stamps and maps, all furnished by Craftgasm. Both of these ladies are featured in my Creative Loves Page and check out their new shop - Analog - now open in Brookland DC at the Monroe Street Market.

simplebooklet.com

New Shop: The Robin's Nest

I'm in a new shop! A few months ago I met the lively and amazing Robin of The Robin's Nest at the Grant Avenue Market in Takoma Park. Robin has a sophisticated vintage and handmade shop within the renovated old barn - Chartreuse and Co. - in Frederick, Maryland. I got to take a trip out to the barn a few weeks ago to drop off lots of matchbooks for her and I was BLOWN AWAY! It was like stepping inside of Anthropologie's suppliers.

The space consists of a few vintage buildings - the barn is the main part but outside is a little garden house, a patio and a few other old timey buildings.

The barn is two stories - here's the upstairs. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven in this space.

Basically, the barn works like this - it holds space for multiple brands / shops and is stocked to the ceilings with vintage and handmade treasures - all extremely reasonably priced. I joked with some of my crafty friends on Twitter that we should take a big empty Enterprise van up there on a trip and everyone can buy their own chair for the ride home. There is some seriously amazing stuff up there.

I snapped this photo for my friends that just opened a new shop - this is totally up their alley. They're a vintage stationary, map and clothing shop in DC - Analog. If you love this space, you'll love their shop too.

This display made me want to curl up and live in it. Got mad booth and display inspiration while  I was there.

So you can now find my matches and more to come at The Robin's Nest in Chartreuse and Co. at 4007 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick MD 21704. They are open the third weekend of each month so September 21 - go check it out! And stop by the Robin's Nest for some matches and awesome books --

I've got to get a B, A, &, R (Yes she does have the ampersand too!!)

Color Inspiration: Rose Red and Emerald Green

My mom has been living in her house for about three years now and the front garden is beautiful. So beautiful that our cats, Mona and Diddley, frequently like to gaze out in admiration. I think it makes them feel like they belong in the wild. Really loving the combination of red/pink and emerald green.