I'm Proud to Present to You...

A whole lot of new items up in the shop. Sixteen, to be exact.

Holy moly, that took a long time.

Hooray!

I'm so thrilled to have been included in the oh hello, friend Holiday Trade Guide! That's my 'Delicate' necklace in the top center. Super excited! (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, see this.)

(Composite image by Danni of oh, hello friend. Individual photos by various Etsy sellers.)

Favorite Things Friday: Beautiful Workspace

I love this workspace, posted on Tea for Joy several weeks ago, so much. Remember this post? Well, that's what I'm asking for this Christmas. And I believe that my dreams could become reality: I've found this, and this, and this, and these, and these and this too, here. If I can actually pull this off, I will be a very happy girl. And, I'll post photos and show all of you the clean, white, organized loveliness -- in a couple of months, that is, after I've had the time to perfect it and make it just as I want it to be. Any other ideas, friends?

DIY Thursday: Felt Ruffle Wreath

My eyes lit up today when I went searching for a lovely holiday DIY project, and came upon a tutorial for this incredible felt ruffle wreath this morning at Design*Sponge. Created by Kristen at domestifluff (which is a great freebie and DIY blog, and I was completely unaware of it until today!), this wreath could be done in bright holiday colors, or several shades of maybe red or blue for a more interesting monochromatic look. I can't wait to try it! Here are some photos that illustrate the process but make sure to read the full instructions here or here. Oh, and you should definitely visit the domestifluff blog for some cute holiday gift tag downloads and lots of other crafty goodness!

By the way, Kristen mentioned within her tutorial that a blogger called Maya of Maya*Made, another fantastic crafty blog, has come up with an ingenious way to mark and cut your circles more easily. Then, I found this great tool (available here), which eliminates the need for scissors and tedious handwork altogether! If you're a yo-yo maker, or plan to make dozens of these ruffle wreaths or last week's flower garlands, perhaps you should invest. I'm seriously considering it -- how handy would this be!?

So what color would your wreath be? And would you add paper snowflakes? Vintage glass ornaments hanging in the center? Other lovely embellishments?

Etsy Treasure Tuesday: A Alicia Handmade Accessories

I realize that it isn't Tuesday anymore, but since I missed this post yesterday, I decided I should make up for it with some extra-lovely loveliness. I'm certain that the beautiful handmade felt accessories by London-based A Alicia Handmade fall into that category. I had a really difficult time narrowing down my favorites for this post to just eight, so I highly recommend that you visit the shop yourself so as not to miss anything that might brighten up your cold winter days.

These would be beautiful not only on blouses and jackets, but bags, capes, and Christmas stockings. I love them all, truly.

(All images by A Alicia Accessories, pulled from here.)

Simple Holiday Decorating

Here are some ideas, pulled from Real Simple, for adding some festivity to your home this season, by using objects you already have, or can make very cheaply.

(Clear ornament, above, can be found here. But I plan to make my own with sparkly, colorful things inside.)

Do you guys have other great ideas for simple, inexpensive holiday decorating and crafts?

Favorite Things Friday: Masterpiece Classic

I went completely giddy yesterday when an email from PBS provided me with this coming spring's Masterpiece Classic season schedule. I honestly have no words for how wonderful it looks, and how much fun it's going to be.

Emma

Northanger Abbey

Persuasion

Cranford




The Diary of Anne Frank

Sharpe's Challenge

Small Island

If you missed the Jane Austen adaptations last year, you have the chance to see a brand new presentation of Emma, and encore presentations of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, plus Cranford, The Diary of Anne Frank, and several others that look fantastic. I can't tell you how very excited I am.

DIY Thursday: Fabric Flower Garland

I remember seeing these charming fabric flower garlands in a wedding magazine or post on a bridal blog several months ago, though unfortunately, I can't remember where. I loved the idea, and was so thrilled to find a tutorial for them on Once Wed this week, after being reminded of the fantastic idea by this post at Blue Moss. I think that they would make wonderful holiday decorations, and could be done in any color combination you choose. My tree is packed with vintage glass ornaments, and my home full of lots of bright colors at the holidays, so I think I'd choose to include blues, aquas, yellows, and of course pinks, in addition to traditional red and green. See photos of the originals here, and then feast your eyes on the garlands created for the tutorial. (Full instructions here.)

Oh, if only there were enough time before Christmas to fill every room with strands and strands of them. I think I'll start on that in January, so that at least I can make it a reality by next year.

Wish List Wednesday: Etsy Holidays

I'm loving all of the beautiful handmade items, both for giving and for home, I've seen recently on Etsy. I'm vowing to attempt to make this Christmas 100% handmade -- if not by me, with the help of some of these marvelously creative people.

Beautiful vintage brass friendship knot ring on a sterling band. I'm so in love with this one.

Wonderful felt stockings by rikrak. This is the year Nate and I are finally going to have our own stockings at home!

A pretty pom scarflette tied with ribbon by Ayca.

A beautiful natural linen red-striped tablecloth by LinenMe. I have a nice collection of vintage printed tablecloths, but I would love to add this one to my linens drawer.

And what a fantastic idea is this!? A bottle corsage! Much prettier than a wine sack for holiday party-gifting, in my opinion. By Storied.

These pretty lace-patterned heart ornaments would look charming hung just like this, on bare birch branches for a simple centerpiece. By Prince Design UK.

And a frilly, shimmering tunic dress for special holiday parties, by Maisy Brown.

... which would be beautiful accompanied by the High Tea doily necklace, by me.

If you happen to have any flashes of inspiration in the department of handmade gifts, please pass the word!

Etsy Treasure Tuesday: La Pomme

It snowed here this morning. That doesn't happen very often where I live, and the campus looks so beautiful covered in white. This kind of weather always transports me to some kind of a magical place that feels far from my everyday world, so I think that today's Etsy shop feature is particularly appropriate.

La Pomme makes "fairy tales for grown-ups", in the form of charming plushies, whimsically-embroidered pillows and wonderful little "imagined history books."

And somehow all of the clean naturals and winter whites make me feel cozier already. Hope you're all staying warm wherever you are.