Here are a few pretty little projects to keep you busy, in case spring showers are keeping you inside this weekend. (Don’t worry those flowers are coming soon!) How amazing do these blueberry crumb bars look?!

via Smitten Kitchen

Adorable felt pillow how-to from Purl Bee

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I’m so happy to introduce Erin from the charming, cross stitch shop Atlantic Treefox.  I came across her wonderful cross stitch crown badges last winter and fell in love with her shop on the spot.

Erin and Finnigan

Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
A. My name is Erin. I was born & raised in good ol’ Ontari-ari-ari-o & have been spending time in the state of New York with my boy & two kittens. On weekdays I walk a pup named Finnigan & on weekends I sift through old stuff at antique stores & estate sales.

love

Q. How did you become interested in cross stitching?
A. I started cross stitching while I was in school back home. I got interested in old women’s crafts because it was impressive to me how young girls would work so long & hard on intricate samplers. I wanted to be like them, so here I am!

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How fabulous would it be to have a pair of jeans made especially for you!  As someone, ahem, vertically challenged I think it would be wonderful!  That is just what BrooklynTailors does:

Skinny Jeans by BrooklynTailors

Love!

moi

Watching… Pride and Prejudice (the good one!).

Reading… my newest Nylon and The Girl with No Shadow. 

Listening… to The Faces Down and Vampire Weekend (fab summer album and it certainly feels like summer here). 

Drinking… delicious coffee in the morning and, sometimes, tasty blood-orange Italian soda in the afternoons.

Wanting… a bit of time and energy to finish up projects around the house (we are so close to the end of the renovation stage and the beginning of the decoration phase!), a few more veggie plants for our garden, and time to sew.

Trying… to remember to do my yoga each morning…

I snagged the idea for this update from this post from my new favorite blog.  It is so gorgeous you should really to go visit right now!

Isn’t this just too pretty?

Rosette Fascinator - The Swan by Giantdwarf

This lovely photo (and gorgeous fascinator) suit my mood perfectly!  I’m working on the prettiest bridal order, moss green cozies with creme flowers.  Love!  I’m hoping to fit some time in for some sewing (in between all the knitting) this weekend.   Maybe I can snatch a wee bit of time to make this clutch and I’m dreaming of making this dress:

Gray Sky Dress from Burda

What are your weekend hopes and plans?

Courtney came back from Virginia with us to stay until my graduation.  Cors loves having her here. He sneaks upstairs each morning and snuggles into the blankets on her bed.  We’ve been having a lot of fun painting, planning sewing projects, and playing with my new wii fit (and today we made moss terrariums!). Yesterday, Court had ten inches of her hair cut to donate to Locks of Love.  It was gorgeous out so we had a little “goodbye hair” shoot.  My favs:

Courtney minus ten inches

just for fun

Just three days ’til we leave for Christmas in West Virginia.  I am so looking forward to seeing friends and family.  Joel and I worked on a few Christmas presents today; these are the hot chocolate mixes we made for our grandmas:

I think they turned out quite nicely.

We used this recipe and added a good bit of cinnamon and a wee bit of nutmeg.  We also mixed in some milk chocolate and white chocolate morsels and some super cute white snowflake sprinkles.  The little marshmallows are the final touch.

I’m still working away on the painting I have been making for my mom.  Its nearly done

I hope I have time to make a few of these lovely little bedside journals for friends

You can get the tutorial here.

Tomorrow my plan is to the clean the house, pack our clothes, and wash Cors.  Cors is a pleasant car companion, especially if he has been washed recently.

On a literary note, I have been reading Love In the Time of Cholera.  What are you reading?

Lately, as I have been reading through the craft blogs that I devour on a daily basis I have come across quite a few posts devoted to designers favorite Christmas gifts or wishlists.  So I thought that I might make a little giving list of my own.  Based upon my daily searches for lovely, new handmades (have I mentioned how much I love etsy?), here are a few favorites:

Typewriter key ring from The Weekend Store.

Lovely Feather & Flower headband.

You can make one yourself.  The tutorial is here.

Need some new art?

Check out Elsiecakie’s cute new creations.

No knit scarf from Spool.  They also have some free basic patterns (for things like a grocery tote and an apron) on their site.

If you were hoping to knit something, there is still plenty of time to whip up a Porom hat designed by BrooklynTweed.

And nothing says, “Happy Christmas”  like a gingerbread cookie

You can get the recipe here.

Happy baking, knitting, sewing, wrapping, giving, and Happy Christmas a wee bit early!

Dear November,

I love you!  You give me the cold and the wet and take away the pretty leaves.  You give me the desire to create more than usual.  Thank you!

Last year I took the Handmade Challenge and I failed.  I still think it is wonderful, so this year I am trying to make more of my own gifts.  After Christmas I will make a little post with photos to show how things turn out.  I am hoping to make these:

And Courtney and I have some plans to tackle some sewing projects together.  I am leaning towards something in the Built by Wendy family.  Maybe one of these dresses.

In other handmade goodness, thanks to Harry for introducing me to A Beautiful Mess she is so inspiring!  And if you are curious about the handmade revolution that has been happening in America you should check out the book Handmade Nation (it started out with a documentary.)