Giveaway! Photo from Iceland

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his week's Friday I'm In Love is a bit biased, because my sister finally opened an Etsy shop, alfadís photography (rather reopened). I love her photographs, I have a few around my house and I hope you don't mind me sharing them with you. Plus, she's giving away one to a reader, details below!

Woman in the Stone

Women in the Wood

Both of these photos were taken in Iceland on our trip in 2004, and Woman in the Wood is in a frame in my office.  These are both available in her etsy shop. She's also recently started her own blog, so please go over and say hi to her!

My sister has graciously offered to give a reader a 5x7 photo, you can choose one of the three below. So, leave a comment letting me know which you would like and she'll draw the winner next Friday, May 8th at 6pm PST to give people plenty of time to enter.

From left to right: Path I, Path IV, Kannan

Friday I'm in Love {18}

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ne of my favorite things about blogging is the community it builds. I love getting surprise e-mails with a link and a note... "I saw this and thought of you" or "You'd love this" or "I saw this, and had to share it with you." I love these e-mails! First, I get to discover amazing tidbits because of them, and second, it makes me feel blessed to have made such wonderful friends because of my little blog.

My first two tidbits come from just such e-mails. Janet, an author and blogger, found my blog through a local Grand Forks blog, see... community! Anyway, after a bit of emailing she invited me to join the local homemaker's group here in town and we got together for coffee. So, I got to meet a whole group of wonderful women, had a wonderful evening and made a cute baby blanket, all because of a comment I left on a local blog. She sent me the links to first two Etsy sellers sure I would love them and I do, so I'm sharing.

The first is the shop of Jenny Lee Fowler, she creates custom silhouettes and the ones that Janet shared are done on leaves. They are so petite, meticulously crafted and oh, so cute!

Listed Here

An example of her traditional silhouettes, a listing for 2 custom silhouettes mounted separately or together, buyers choice. Listing

The second, The Daily Pincushion, is a shop of nothing but pincushions. Pincushions that make you want to take up sewing just to use them, they are so cute. I'm thinking they wouldn't HAVE to be pincushions would they? Little dolly ottoman, really light paperweight, toy cake?

I just love this soft blue one with yellow flowers. Listing

This one is my favorite though, a green background with pink flowers. Listing

The last shop I want to share, Monkey Always Look, is the featured shop of the day on Etsy. So you can read the interview as well as see her quirky creations. I just love the succulents in vintage china and other household items.

This is my favorite, a gorgeous toile espresso mug potted with living rocks. I love a little toile. Listing

This is the item that caught my eye when I first went to Etsy, the structural modern feeling Zebra plant contrasted with the traditional patina and curves of the silver creamer.  Just gorgeous. Listing

Oh, and you have to go read this post from Janet, sooooo funny. I'd have told you earlier, but well you might forget about the lovely shops she sent to me and get caught up in her archives. So, you've seen the shops, so what are you waiting for, go read that post... hilarious... really. Oh, and this one's cute too, so like me... oh, you're already gone. I should be less demanding maybe.

Friday I'm in Love {14}

Clockwise starting in the upper left with the inspiration piece:
Mustard Yellow Vintage Train Case with Black Crow Skeleton Key and Leaf by GetReadySetGO - $55.50
Meeting of Morphans by groovy inclinations - $17.50
Brown Retro Verve Felt Necklace by 3 Fun - $36
Seven Perfect Essential Oils Cuticle Balm and Lip Fixer by Soapalaya Soaps - $4.50
Caribbean Fused Dichroic Glass Pendant by Spare Room Studio - $8
Let's Go Camping Print by Asley G and Drew - $20
Tree of Life Species Phylum Vintage Science Diagram Illustration Graphic T-shirt by isotope - $18
Old Fishing Boat at Sunset Oil Painting by Honey's Colors - $225

Friday I'm In Love {13}

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've been drooling over the gorgeous letterpress in Sarah's Etsy shop, things are better with a parrott, since seeing them mentioned on perfectbound earlier this week.

I'm absolutely loving this letterpress card in particular:

I didn't buy it, but I did pick up this set of 5 Peony Note Cards, so pretty! Not letterpress, but gorgeous nonetheless.

Ez of Creature Comforts recently opened her own Etsy shop, Wren & Chickadee. She always has the most adorable crafts and free bits available, plus her photography is just lovely with an almost ethereal quality to much of it. I'm just loving this "Taste of Summer" print set in her shop.

One last thing that I did get for my niece and nephew in Florida for Valentine's Day are these Dine and Doodle mats from LilBDesigns. They are too young to read my blog so I feel safe posting it. She has so many fabrics to choose from and also has Roll.n.Go Crayon totes. So cute! She posts giveaways she's donated to on her blog.

Friday I'm In Love {10}

I haven't done a Friday I'm In Love feature in a while, I haven't actively looked at Etsy in a month, which is helping the pocketbook! However, Etsy found me anyway and I just LOVE Robin's shop Nothing Like It. I can honestly say I have never seen anything like it.



This giraffe coaster is her latest creation and her first larger sized coaster for people with coffee mugs like mine! Her whimsical style and sense of humor would brighten anyone's morning coffee. This red dog is one of her standard sized coasters and oh so cute. Reminds me of Clifford, The Big Red Dog.



She makes other creations as well such as:
Lowat - the Summer Imp (a posable figure, not a toy)
These adorable veggie magnets (each sold separately)
Flat Magnet Critters (shown next to a standard sized pig coaster)
Custom mugs, like this cute Mad Santa Mug (it's sitting on top of a flat elf coaster, but they are sold separately)

They'll be cute Christmas gifts nestled in baskets with some favorite beverage of choice and a few other goodies.

Edited: Oh, I forgot to mention that Robin has a blog too! Go visit her and say hi and look at all of her whimsical posts, her sense of humor cracks me up!

Cozy Trio Package

Look what came in the mail this week! My Cozy Trio picture from Blaze Danielle came in the mail on Thursday! I absolutely love it. Thanks so much Blaze!

It's wrapped so beautifully:


A sweet picture with a sweet note:


And on my desk in the office:

Cozy Trio - Blaze Danielle

Isn't this just darling? It's a print of a watercolor and ink painting titled Cozy Trio by Blaze Danielle. I mentioned her work once before and she comments here often. I've gone back and forth over whether to buy it a couple of times now. I just love it, and when I peeked at her shop again today... it was still there, so it's mine now. I'm going to put it in my office for now, eventually it may find it's way into the nursery.

Friday I'm In Love {11}

I've come across a few new Etsy shops lately that I absolutely love!

Blaze Danielle Stick In The Woods has a lot of watercolor prints that I just love. I've already talked to her about getting an original for the nursery when the time comes. She is very talented and has a lovely blog as well.

Here's a small sampling of her work:


Fifi of Fifi Flowers Designs paints whimisical interpretations of things she finds inspirational. I first saw a bit of her work on A-M's blog, and just loved that rather painting the picture directly she did her own interpretation of it. It's all so fun. Fifi also has a blog, check her out.

Here's a small sampling of her work:

Friday I'm In Love {10}

A quick round up of a few of my current favorites on Etsy.


Details here

Mother's Day Gift

I promised that I would share what I got my mother for Mother's Day in my Etsy Mother's Day roundup post. Sorry I put it off until now. I just love this sparrow, it's called Cheery Sparrow from Daga Design. I tucked in other goodies, but this was the primary item. I'll definitely be buying more from them in the future. I also featured the The Classic Wise Owl by Daga Design in a Friday Etsy roundup. I have a miniature version of the owl on my bookcase, I love it.

Friday I'm In Love {7}

Vibrant Reds from Etsy:


Clockwise from upper left:
Toadstool Trio by Kitsch Kitten & Mod Kat
My Red High Heels - 8 1/2 x 11-inch print by DreamON!
Cheers to Rain Print by Gumball Grenade Illustrations
18" Contemporary Cushion Cover Blossom Red And White by Frances Rose
red couture by redheather.
Cosmetic Bag by Jewelweeds
Set of 10 small folded illustrated cards by Shira Sela
Red Polka Dot Earrings by la Boutique de Christiane

Friday, I'm In Love {5}

Whites and Creams from Etsy:


Clockwise from top left:
Homemade Caramel Marshmallows by Whimsy & Spice
Crocheted Baby Afghan by Lay It On Me
The Classic Wise Owl by Daga Design
White Paper Lace by Brookerpie
j'aime ma maman card by Sarah Jane Studios
Pearlized Shell Bracelet by Kyla's Creations

Friday, I'm In Love {3}

Etsy is having a Mother's Day Showcase
So, here are a few of the items I'm loving for Mother's Day from Etsy.



From top left, going clockwise:
From showcased vendors...
Cranes Print by Jennifer Overfield
Embroidered Flower Purse by Spongetta
Teal and White Earrings by Magnolia Jewelry
Green Lotus Flower Hand Painted Silk Scarf by Miss Megan Mac

And not being showcased, but quite beautiful...
Vintage Blues Hand Bound Journal by Huish Books
Large Hand Thrown Stoneware Bird Feeder by Just Mare

And finally, what did I buy for my mother? Well, I can't share yet, because she looks at my blog from time to time... so it's still a secret. I will share that it is from an etsy seller, and I'm having it mailed to me first so I can send it to her a little closer to Mother's Day. If I share the seller, she'd figure it out. So, if you are really curious, you can e-mail me through my profile and I'll share.

Faux Pas?

Is it a major faux pas to feature something from an Etsy seller, then end up buying it yourself? I featured Meese, from etsy seller Little Bit Funky at the end of March.



Well this morning, I went and bought him. I was thinking about him for my nephew, but he is too young for the buttons on him. So, I featured him instead. Well, Paul and I are adopting and while our child wouldn't be able to play with him for many years, I decided I wanted Meese. So, major faux pas? Either way, Meese is mine now, but she has plenty of other cute things... like Baxter, the handmade stuffed bear, and Jenny, the doll, and I could have sworn she had a cute kitty too, but it must have found a home. She also makes lots of other stuff, cute cards and button bouquets...

Oh, and she has a blog too, go check her out and say hi!

Friday, I'm In Love {1}

This Moose named Meese is just darling, and I absolutely adore the patches on the antlers. You can find him and a few friends by the Etsy seller Little Bit Funky. She also has cards, hair pins, and cute little button bouquets that would be so cute in a nursery for a little girl.

Pear Vanilla Oatmeal Soap, mmmmmmmm, with the exception of the Soap part it sounds good enough to eat. 4th Ave Soap Co has a variety of handmade soaps that look gorgeous.

This gorgeous wooden Rabbit Pull Toy would be a perfect baby shower gift or birthday for either a lucky boy or girl. I'm always keeping my eye open for great handmade toys for little ones, and I'm loving all the wooden toys at Stump Pond Woodworks.