I didn’t plan this, but the most recent additions to my etsy shop speak all about what’s going on with my life right now. They are all made from vintage cards (flash and game) and I could just eat them all up!

There’s the Florida playing card notebooks that remind me that our three years in the sunshine state are almost over. We have this list of things to do before we move and it looks like the next few months are going to be filled with adventure!

The state flash card notebooks and monopoly property card notebooks are all about the conversations between Garth and me that are occuring every evening as we plan out the next couple of years of our lives. We have so many options! To be stationed in Hawaii or Maryland next? To stay in the Navy or get out? To keep renting or to purchase a home? And of course, each of those questions, once settled, produces dozens more questions. Stay enlisted or go into the seaman to admiral program? Settle down where? Teal or white walls? Own a bakery or a makery?

Questions that’ll all be answered as our life unfolds. Oh sweet adventure.

Pinch-proof bow ties are now in the shop.

xo
elle

I am so excited to announce my summer line of bow ties, madras! (and some gingham thrown in for good measure). Madras is sunny and juicy just like summer. I hope they can adorn the necks of picnic and beach goers this summer…kahki shorts, leather sandals, and a madras bow tie…so delicious! They will be added to the shop a few at a time this week.

We had so much fun photographing them. Jack makes just about everything more fun.

Off to finish a project that I can share later this week!

xoxooooo
elle

Deer print from JenniferDennisPotter. So Sweet!

This adorable “bean” hat from Ilashdesigns.

and…these amazing tees from holdentees. Is it strange that I’m a little more anxious for Jack to get here, just so that I can dress him in these? =) It could be any day now….

Thanks to all of the super wonderful etsy sellers!

xo
elle

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning. That means six more weeks of cool & breezy days here in northwest Florida. I am just fine with that, although I sympathize with those of you that are still scraping your car windows everyday.

If you’d like a second opinion, dozens of other groundhogs from around the United States and Canada will be predicting the weather today. See their predictions here.

I’ve been cranking out books on my new binding equipment and have a set of Valentine’s Day albums in the shop. Oh, and I’ve got about 30 neckties prepped and ready for their transformation surgeries. If you’re hungry for one of those, stick around, the best is yet to come. =)

xoxo
elle

I recently purchased some new toys for making: a stack cutter and a wire binding machine.  They are amazing and wonderful and it’s amazing how much time I can spend cutting things and then putting them back together with wire.  This weekend I made several little notebooks out of vintage playing cards, and a handful of lovey photo album/scrapbooks for Valentine’s Day.  The notebooks are in the shop now, and are so gosh darn cute that I want to use them myself. Later this week the Valentine’s Day books will be added to the shop, along with a handful of bow ties. 

It’s been nice keeping my hands busy while my mind has been flooded with design and presentation issues for my shop and my items.  I am endlessly focused on branding and efficiency and orginality- and it can distract me from actually making things.  Business cards, thanks you’s, shipping items, and the like are monumental in my mind.  I know what it is that I want to convey but it’s hard to put that into a logo, or channel it into a color.  I think being an artist makes design tasks less intimidating, but more insurmountable.  Options…there are endless options.  =)

xoxox
elle

I know that I’ve got lots to spill- since I’ve last posted I’ve gotten lost in Savannah, GA, been almost stranded along a highway in South Carolina, and been part of a taste test for Yoplait. More on all of that later (when I’ve sorted through the delicious photos). This morning I am focusing on finishing some last minute Christmas gifts before they are mailed off accross the country, and replenishing my little etsy shop that has been slowly depleated since I’ve been focused on other things. This is simply my I’m-still-alive-and-am-adding-new-bow-ties-to-the-shop post.

So without many more words, there are new bow ties in the shop- and new ones will be added all week. Thanks.

more to come,
xoxoxo

elle

As promised, here are the details of my little sale over in my little etsy shop:

All bow ties are $25. Regularly $36
All stockings are $15. Regularly $24-$32
Free shipping anywhere. yay!

I’m sleepy (and I didn’t even eat any turkey!) so I’m going to take a little nap before I go out and take advantage of some of those black friday sales. I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was exceptional!

xoxo
elle

Some strange twist of nature/luck/karma has landed an item of mine in etsy‘s blog, The Storque, three times in the last 2 days. Seriously. Since there are thousands of active sellers this is quite an honor. =) Can you spot my stocking, apron, or bow tie here, here, or here? =) Strangely enough the articles appear one right after the other.

Also, I’m giving away one of my stockings (winners choice!) on the super blog, The-Giveaway. It’s the best way to get one for free, so enter before the end of this week!

And, aprons are back in the shop! They are so delightful!

And one last thing in shop related news…I am having stupendous black friday/cyber monday sale. I won’t spoil it with the details, but it’ll be worth checking out.

Back to bow ties for me.
love!
Laura. =)

Ok- so I have a weakness for anything holiday. I like apple cider and Christmas music and cinnamin smelling pine cones. It’s no wonder then that I have had a love affair for several years with the Gap holiday sweater. They are to me the perfect expression of the beauty and warmth and coziness and excitement and overpsending of the season. I even own two of them. My sister Julia gifted me the most perfect Gap stripey sweater of all time a few Christmases ago, and my parents blessed me with a Gap gift card that I used for the second sweater- one of those thick wool ones with the built in neck warmers. mmmmm…..

So it’s no wonder that when I see a fair isle or stripey Gap sweater of holiday fame dumped at a thrift store I MUST rescue it- even if it has been mistakingly felted by it’s previous owner. I have accumulated quite a nice collection of sweaters that will never fit me, with the intention of doing something creative with them someday. Well folks, today is someday. Actually, it was yesterday.

I took this stack of lovely sweaters and turned them into lush holiday stockings! yay! They are available in my etsy shop…with more coming in the next day or two. I have to admit, I have two sweaters that I just couldn’t bear to cut up: one is an exact replica of the afformentioned perfect Gap stripey, (but not given to me by my sister and thus, less magical) that will serve as a backup. The second is a beautiful red-&-teal-striped-three-quarter-sleeved-delicious-wonder that is an Extra Large….always too big- but I’m hoping that I can put it to good use this winter being pregnant and all. I’ll have to test it out on the belly before making the final call.

Much love I give to all ya’ll!

xo elle!

p.s. who wouldn’t love these sweaters? See how magical they are?!