my treasured EMBROIDERED ANIMAL ALPHABET

I can't believe I haven't shared my most treasured antiquing find with you yet. Hubby and I found this embroidered animal alphabet at our favorite antique & salvage store in Sebastopol, Ray's Trading Co. It was our first time there and we saw this lovely amidst a pile of old frames and paintings in the very back of the store. We didn't buy it, but as the week went on, I thought about it more and more and how much I would love to have it in my home. We went on a mini-vacation and said that if it was there when we returned, we would buy it. I was nervous that someone else would fall in love with it and take it home while I was gone, but when we returned, it was just sitting and waiting in the pile for us. Almost all of the animals are missing their googly eyes, so it needs a little repair, but I am going to find some buttons or something less googly to restore their sight. This cheery piece of art is the inspiration for our eclectic guest room. I love the bright animals. I love that they chose a newt for the letter N. I love that the letter H is a hare rather than a horse. 

Price tag: $10

And in case you are wondering, there are animals that start with the letter X, but they are rather obscure and probably not commonly known to anyone who would have seen the alphabet. 

I know, quite a story for one embroidered animal alphabet. But I love those eyeless animals!

smitten with AFFORDABLE ETSY ART

Hubby and I have been looking for art for our home for a few months now. We've looked on etsy, we've looked at local art, we've looked in antique stores, and thrift stores... and we are having a hard time finding something we both like that we can afford. We have expensive taste and it's a curse. We've found a couple of art pieces that we both liked and then we checked the price tag and it was.... ooook, well, someone else will enjoy that... maybe we can make our own art? I'm not sure I can make art for us, but when hubby doodles or takes notes on anything, it always looks like art to me. Like when he went on an Alaskan fishing trip last year, and left me a card he had drawn in for every day he was gone. This one was my favorite (excuse the terrible photography).

See? Isn't he talented (and precious)? I think he should take up painting or drawing. But that is not the point of this post. I have found some affordable and unique art on etsy that I want to share with you. It may not end up on my walls (depending on if hubby likes it also), but perhaps it will end up on yours.

via studio mela 

1. Fight For It   2. Don't Be Shy   3. I Will Wait For You   4. Don't Wait Until Tomorrow 

via Ashley G and Drew

1. Chuck   2. Come On In   3. Top of the World   4. I Like Your Scarf

via amber alexander

1. Black Swan   2. Mother Lode   3. Marshmallow   4. Bird on my Head

via The Brilliant Magpie

1. Miss Monocle   2. My Heart Waits in Winter   3. A Walking Snowstorm   4. To Dance Beneath That Light

via Jellybeans

1. Retro Falling   2. Fruit Tree Trio   3. Autumn Gatherings   4. Apple Tree

in my own little CORNER

Hubby and I visited Petaluma last week and did some window shopping in the many antique stores. Some were cluttered, some were spacious, and one was set up in a way that you felt like you were walking through a museum or an art gallery. I took lots of pictures. This was my favorite corner. Can't you see this being a corner of your own sweet home?

smitten with LUXE DELUXE

I was skipping down Etsy Lane yesterday and a beautiful piece of jewelry caught my eye. I thought, "Where there is one piece of beautiful jewelry there must be another..." so I decided to go inside Luxe Deluxe's store and my, oh my, was I right! I was instantly surrounded by gorgeous necklaces, earrings, and bracelets and found there was not nearly enough money in my wallet to satisfy my Luxe Deluxe cravings. I suppose that is the way things work though. If I were to buy every beautiful piece of Luxe Deluxe jewelry, there would be none left for you- and we wouldn't want that, now would we? Aaactually, I might not mind because I would be the one with all the stunning jewelry... KIDDING! Goodness. I'm not that selfish. I am even willing to share the beauty with you now so you can stuff your wallet with cash and visit Luxe Deluxe yourself. Take a stroll with me.

1. Latte Rose necklace   2. Rebecca earrings   3. Lush Rose necklace   4. Bella Luna (gold) necklace   5. Sage and Vanilla earrings   6. Rhiannon (fuschia) necklace 

COLD WEATHER cravings

Wow. I just went outside and brrrr. I know it's not cold here in NorCal compared to many locations in the U.S. and the world, but being that we just had a few days of weather in the 70s and 80s, 52 degress is quite a drop. Yes, I am a cold weather wimp and I will be the first one to admit it. This disease was passed down to me from my mother (thanks, mom) and plagues me in the following ways:

• It takes me way too long to get dressed on a cold winter day... I've got my long underwear, pants, wool socks, leg warmers, Uggs, then a tank, tee, long-sleeved tee, thermal, sweatshirt, jacket, scarf, and gloves- again, I know many of you have it much worse... I am forever grateful that a parka is not included in my list.
• My feet are never warm. I have to go to sleep with socks on in the attempt to warm my tootsies up, but I can't fall asleep with socks on, so when my feet hit a semi-comfortable temperature I kick my socks off only to have cold feet again.
• (Luckily I married the warmest guy in the world. He is like an electric blanket, hot water bottle, and -40 degree down sleeping bag all rolled into one. Score.)
  
• Drinking any beverages with ice pretty much turn me into a human ice cube.
• I have to always bring several layers with me to any location, even if the weather is supposed to be tolerable because you never know- I may walk into a store with air conditioning and freeze on the spot.
• And whenever the cold weather hits, I immediately want to shop for ridiculously thick and much too expensive (for me anyway) sweaters that can only be worn a couple months out of the year. Which brings me to my cold weather cravings of the moment...

THE TEA:

Cinnamon Plum Black Tea via The REPUBLIC of TEA

I have never tried this tea but it sounds delicious and soothing to me right now. I mean really, can The Republic of Tea go wrong?

THE SCARF:

Cupcake Winter Scarflette via jmaccknit

I'll take this scarflette or any of her beautiful and unique neck warmers.

THE MUSIC:

Winter Song by Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson via The Hotel Cafe Presents Winter Songs

There is some definite winter ear candy on this album.

THE BOOTS:

Woman's Suburb in Antique Light Chestnut via Ugg Australia

Ugg has some amazing new styles this year. This is one of the many I will accept for Christmas. ;)

THE BLANKET:

Charcoal Wool Felt Blanket via Pfeifer Studio

THE MOVIE:

The Holiday

I can't help it. I love this movie. The actors, the locations, the scenery, the humor and warmth, not to mention Cameron Diaz's wardrobe... I just love it.

Enough about me and my never-ending wishlists. What are your cold weather cravings?

my christmas list: DRAFT ONE

The time has come to start my Christmas list and figure out what I am going to make or get for family members. I feel like I blinked and was teleported from August to the week before Thanksgiving (maybe I've been watching Heroes too much). It is the holiday season. Where did summer go? Where did half of fall go? If you figure it out, let me know. But for the time being, if I want to get any presents from hubby and the family, I have to get cracking on a list because my Christmas list usually has first, second, third, and fourth drafts before it is final. Here we go on draft one:

Peppermint Teardrop Vintage Garden Metal Hoops via Lily Pottery

Timber Set of Three Wall Mirrors via Burke Decor

Medium Carthage Pierced Covered Lantern via Burke Decor

Nintendo NES Super Mario Bros./ Duck Hunt

my sister and her hubby had two Nintendo NES's and we inherited one, but we need some games!

Citizens of Humanity Ava Straight Leg Jean via shopbop.com

Frye Jenny Short Boot in Olive via Nordstrom

Kyuuto! Woolly Embroidery book via fredflare.com

Love Nest Necklace via Luxe Deluxe

Alpha Firehawk Leather Jacket via Urban Outfitters

Keane's new album Perfect Symmetry

Are any of you done with your Christmas shopping already? If so, do you want to do my shopping? ; )

nice to meet you, LIGHT LOCATIONS

I was making my way through a maze of design and decor blogs tonight, as I often do, and was introduced to a gem of a site via please sir. I don't know about you, but I love to see home interiors. Every time I come across a house tour on a decor blog, I can't wait to visit each room and see what unique spin the homeowner puts on decorating. If anyone knows of a blog that is solely house tours, please tell me because I will be ecstatic. I think this site comes close. Let me introduce you to Light Locations. Light Locations is a site dedicated to providing beautiful and unique locations to the film and photographic industries. I'm not in the film or photographic industry, but I am in the nosy neighbor club and I want to sneak a peek inside these homes and yours if you'll let me. Take a looky-loo with me...

See, now wasn't that fun? Now you are ready to join my nosy neighbor club. You know you want to.

evening BRIDAL party

I often pass by this bridal store at night and think how beautiful the display is. It looks as if the mannequins are having a glamorous party in their wedding dresses, even though they are unfortunately headless.

Wouldn't you just love to put on your wedding dress and join the party?

my little CHRISTMAS CAROLERS

I stopped in another thrift store on Tuesday and quickly looked around, then determined there was nothing for me. I saw the Christmas section and decided to glance at it on my way out in case there were any treasures to be found- although Christmas decorations were definitely not on my list. I saw these two Christmas carolers and had to take them home with me. I love their cute little singing faces and the colors of their robes and ribbons. I can't wait to put them up... actually, I can't wait to have a house to put them up in...

THRIFTY treasures

My sister is the greatest thrift store shopper of all time. I have never been able to compare. She's found depression glass, nice designer clothing, and I can't recall everything over the years. I'm usually too impatient when looking through things and have never found anything good enough to keep me interested in returning-- until last week. Decorating on a budget has me checking the great-priced antique stores and local thrift stores at least once a week. And I'm actually finding some things! It's pretty exciting. It's exciting to know that I found a deal and grabbed it before anyone else. Here's what I grabbed.

a large picture frame. I love the design on it... I don't know what is going to go in it, but I'll find something.

this teeny tiny ceramic leaf. It has a chip on one of the corners, but I'm not looking for perfection. I just love vintage ceramics and am starting a collection. This will fit in nicely. 

a blue lamp. In my mind, I wanted a ceramic lamp, but this one was $3 and the color will work perfectly in the guest room. It almost looks ceramic, but it's actually glass and they somehow painted the inside of the glass to be blue. Sneaky, huh?

another milk glass treasure. I saw this lamp right as I walked into thrift store #1 and I snatched it up. It was $13, but I think it was worth it. The base of the lamp lights up and the main light is having some stage fright issues, but I'll fix that- somehow. This will go in the living room somewhere. I have the antique store milk glass lamp, a white ceramic lamp from Linens 'n' Things, and then this lamp to fill the living room. I'm liking white lamps right now, is it obvious?

I also found a milk glass vase for $1 that I forgot to photograph. Let's see... it's a bud vase and it's milk glass. Can you picture it now? Someday it will end up on here.

So my conclusion is that thrifting is fun for the person who finds things! And this week, that person is me (and hopefully you)!

brrrr... it's SWEATER weather

It finally feels like fall in Northern California. It has taken long enough... it's nearly mid-November. I'll admit, I feel jipped this season. Fall is my favorite time of year and half of our fall has felt like summer. But you'll have to forgive my griping because I have forgiven fall. Fall has finally given me hot tea sipping, sock-layering, fireside sitting, pumpkin eating, crockpot cooking, blanket wrapping, novel reading, sweater-wearing WEATHER! And to celebrate fall's gift, I am considering wrapping everything possible in sweaters. There's no cozier way to enjoy the season!

apple jacket via the Curiosity Shoppe

Ghost Poppy Coffee Cozy via Trisha Brink Design


Ruby Red Cozy Posie Ring via Trisha Brink Design


Leather Sole Fall Trees for My Feet Please Wool Slipper Boots via MiaRae


S Loves C by Spring & Clifton Bow Beret via Urban Outfitters


We The Free Snuggle Knit Warmers via Free People

Leifsdottir Painted Button Mélange Sweater via Nordstrom

Merlot Colored Cowl and Winter White Rose Brooch via Felted


Chunky Hand-Knit Throw via Pottery Barn