I saw Sara’s beautiful Paws on the Etsy front page one day and promptly fell in love. They’re so lovely and fairytale like I had to check out the rest of her shop!

Sara and her creations

Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
Hello! My name is Sara, I now live in Montreal with my beloved husband but was born and raised in the countryside. I did my BFA majoring in studio arts and photography, and since last year I am taking jewelry classes. I love to cook, garden, listen to music and play drums.

Q. How did you begin making such pretty things?
I’ve always been a creative person, loving to learn new techniques and to experiment as well. I started knitting and making jewelry when I was just a kid. These hobbies turned out to be real passions. At the beginning I was just assembling pieces together, until this no longer satisfied me artistically. So I started experimenting and creating pieces from raw material. I’ve learned a lot both by myself and through great teachers, which allowed me to progress from hobbyist to having a real personal artistic direction. When I discovered Etsy in 2007, I felt like I had found my creative outlet and here I am now, making a living out of it.

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I saw this pretty Down the Rabbit Hole watch and just had to build an outfit around it! I think soon we’ll be seeing lots of different takes on Alice in Wonderland.

perfect for a fancy tea party

tweed dress by adhesif, watch by sadie olive, and necklace by fox and clover

Tweed always seems a bit fall-ish to me, but it also makes me think of the outdoors and after so many winter days inside, a little outdoorsiness sounds kind of nice.

February with its pink hearts and red roses is just around the corner.  I don’t mind the cheerful colors, we’re in the middle of a wet winter here, but I don’t really like modern Valentines.  Thankfully there are so many beautiful options these days!

Message in a bottle letter service by Miniature Rhino

Miniature Rhino offers an adorable Message in a Bottle Letter Service. Your message is typed on to vintage paper using a vintage typewriter.  The little note is sealed with red wax and the final touch is a twine tied copper key hand stamped with a custom monogram. I love this!

Regency Valentine with Swallows by Hello Handmade

Hello Handmade has created the most beautiful Valentines I’ve seen in ages! These are perfect for the Jane Austen romantic in your life. Each valentine features swallows-which have been off – set printed and then watercolored by hand in persimmon and a gorgeously subtle silver – as well as a personalized, customizable note penned with jet-black sumi ink in uniquely romantic calligraphy. Lovely!

I saw the most darling photo and story on flickr the other day.  A girl had discovered a former Christmas tree re-planted in a wooded area so she gathered ornaments and pretty trims and got busy decorating so the tree, “…could fulfill its true purpose once again.” With that lovely story in mind, I made this little collection:

a lovely, woodsy christmas

Four Silver Leaves Headband by quirkybeauty, Little Red Hearts by sarahandbendrix, Earth by lobsterandswan, Fifi the Fawn by skunkboycreatures, and Holiday Nesting Bowl Set by NewMoonCrochet.

I woke up yesterday morning to my 200th Etsy sale!  I am so excited because 200 sales was my goal for my first year on Etsy and reaching this goal early is just incredible to me.  I remember making my first listing not knowing if anyone would even like my little cozies. So to celebrate this exciting (for me anyway) time, I just had to offer a little giveaway to all of my wonderful readers!

Little Flowers Cozy

To enter leave a little comment before November 26th. Good luck!

Rainy October nights are so perfect for curling up with a favorite novel and a plate of cookies. I’ve been rereading Sense and Sensibility and I thought that would be a perfect theme for today’s outfit post! And so, here is what I think a modern Marianne Dashwood might wear:

english rose

Gray Sparrow dress by Makool,  a snuggly cardigan for chilly evenings by Sandmaiden, and a lovely necklace by SeaUnicorn.

I have been coveting one of Margaux’s exquisite handmade journals ever since I first came across her shop, The Black Spot Books.

Horses at Sea & Erstwhile

Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
A little about myself? Which little? I love The Fall. The smell of the air and the way it kind of rearranges who I am. I love the sounds the leaves make on their way down. I love dreaming of wandering into it. and I generally follow my dreams.

Q. When did you begin making books? 
I started making books when I was 6 or so. Cirsis Actors, For Mummy, was my first, bound and illustrated (there were no words). Next was Going to the Zoo. I made this one in 1984, bound illustrated AND written. If you go to www.theblackspotbooks.com, and search for the X behind the rock, you can see it page by page! But books like a make now? That started in 2002 maybe, 2003.

Q. Your shop is so lovely! What is your creative process like?
My creative process involves digging through junk. It involves wandering. It involves reading. It involves chance. Travel. Necessity. Also, it involves the shower.

Autumnal Library 11 & Meta Stelly Journal

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I adore Alison Kelly (of Project Runway fame) and I was so excited to learn she has an Etsy shop!  I just had to build an outfit around this ever-so-beautiful top from her store:

Wilhelmina top by alisondahl

I would wear this with a pair of lovely skinny jeans in either slate gray or dark wash.

lovely accessories

How adorable are these velvet lined ballet flats? They would be so perfect for the coffee shop! And I love this amazing little ring and stunning bracelet for completing the outfit.

Pretty things for a grey Monday

for rainy days and mondays

Gray Party Skirt by whitneydeal, Silver Mirror/Frame Necklace by allthosethrees, and a beautiful tour poster.

I’ve been keeping mum about some exciting news and I am so glad that I can finally tell you all about it!

Poppytalk Handmade

I found out a few weeks ago that Wayside Violet was chosen to be featured on Poppytalk Handmade’s Mixed Tape collection, which opened today. Poppytalk Handmade is an online street market curated by Poppytalk, a wonderful inspiration blog,  and showcases designers from all over the world. If you haven’t visited, you should!  You can see my little gallery over here.