Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Scarf Love and a shop with a name like mine

Do you ever think of an original idea and then see it somewhere else? At first you're like wait what?! That's my idea! And then you realize that a) it's either so good that someone else brilliant thought of it orrrr b) it needs some reevaluation. Well that happened to me recently when I came across a fabulous Etsy shop with the name Scout and Catalogue. Umm hello, shop with a twin name to my blog's name. How did I miss you when I was making up my blog name and googling like a madwoman to make sure it wasn't taken? 
After my initial mineminemine reaction I have decided that a shop and blog can have almost the same name because they are completely different things, and it doesn't hurt that this shop has me drooling all over my computer... That blue wool/silk scarf?? YES. 




Friday, December 21, 2012

Happy Winter Solstice!

Regardless of any extra hype/distraction surrounding this year's solstice (Mayan calendar panic, etc), I am really excited for this day and its symbolic and solar significance! Todays marks the shortest period of daylight all year and at 12 noon the sun will be at its lowest point on the horizon. And now the shortening of daylight will reverse and we will start moving towards those long days that I love so much! 
Winter Solstice is a great time for personal reflection, inner renewal, and manifesting peace within yourself, your family, and the world around you. 



Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Why I Need to Learn to Weave:

These pillows are fluff balls of woven goodness and I want to make them so bad. Remember my weaving obsession? Still got it thanks to these little guys. 

here

Friday, December 14, 2012

Perspective

Our world is full of surprises. A lot of them are amazing and wonderful and inspiring and beautiful. Some of them are sad and scary and make us doubt each other and feel so helpless and angry. Hearing about the tragedy in Connecticut this morning made me sick for our world and for those whose time in it has been cut so short . 

This owl paid Joey and I a visit while we were on a hike in Washington and I literally froze. It was so beautiful and mysterious. She let us hang around under her perch and stared us straight in the eyes. It was haunting and magical and a moment that I will never forget. Today I am thankful for moments like this one and the wonders of our world. And I am especially grateful for this chance to be alive. 


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Fiber Art

As if I am not already buried in heaps of inspiration and projects in the paper department, I have a brand new obsession that I cannot stop thinking about: weaving. I want a loom. I want to mix textures and colors and fibers and threads into gorgeous pieces of tactile loveliness. Of course like any hobby or art form, weaving has the potential to be ridiculously expensive. So I'm thinking a child's loom might be more of what I'm looking for to get started. I blame the Cathy McMurry Etsy shop for this weaving fever. Just look at these wall hangings! I can hardly take it.





Monday, December 10, 2012

Making your space into your place

At this point in my life, it feels like I have about ten different homes. My parents', my friends', mine, Joey's... It was especially overwhelming when I was still in school and found myself following my heart from Santa Barbara to Encinitas every single weekend! I would spend four or five days up at school in my little studio apartment, then pile clothes, books, computer, laundry, snacks into my trusty little volvo and head south for another 3 days (or 4 if I played hooky). And once I arrived it was kind of a toss up as to whether I would sleep at my parents or a friend's house. The nomadic life was fun sometimes, but this Taurus needed the feeling of home base. 

I found that a few things helped me survive this to-and-fro business. The first was stock piling my closet at home and my closet at school with two quasi-wardrobes. This sounds excessive, but basically I just took items I already had and dispersed them between the two closets so that I had the basics (warm, cold, hot weather clothes and shoes, underwear, workout clothes) in both places. I still brought home a ridiculous amount of clothes each weekend but only because they were my favorites or I wanted options. It removed a lot of the packing stress. 

The second is something that I have always done but it is a skill that I have really honed in on during my 20s so far. And that is making the spaces that you inhabit into places that feel comfortable, welcoming, and natural to you. For me, that means surrounding myself with my favorite things. I have a photo of my favorite hometown beach that moves with me wherever I go. My brother saved it for me when the first restaurant we ever worked at closed. The walls were covered in framed pictures (way before buca di beppo made the photo wall lame and commercialized). Just looking at it makes me feel happy and excited for summer, and it gives me a sense of home and comfort. 



Like that photo, I have accumulated a lot of little art and decorations that I feel really attached to and that have moved from room to room to apartment to house with me. It's become somewhat of a ritual to arrange them in each new room.  




Most of the time when I got back to my apartment after a weekend at home I was a little sad. I felt misplaced and unenthused about another week of class. I had to restock on groceries so I would pick up a little bouquet for myself while I was at the store. It felt like a mini-celebration and like I was actively doing something to help myself feel better.





 I also *tried* to keep plants alive in both locations. Honestly there were moments when I felt like if I didn't have my fern to water in Santa Barbara I wouldn't have gone back in time for class. Obviously not a smart approach to higher education, but if caring for something motivates you then capitalize on that inclination! I killed my fern...but this little guy is still thriving, thanks to a wise move from my room  where this picture was taken to Joey's room where he gets to soak up that gorgeous sunlight and now reaches all the way over and around the door.   






Thursday, December 6, 2012

New Treasures in the ParcelMint Shop!

Happy Thursday! I'm getting excited about some new additions to the shop and some new designs in the works. Here's the latest...





Click here to find all of these beauties and more for your shopping enjoyment!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Pretty Paper

Have I mentioned that I am more than a little obsessed with paper? As soon as I saw this on etsy I knew it had to be shared. Tell me you wouldn't love this wrapped around your gifts this year. Actually, don't tell me that. But really... the color palette, those birds forming that insane spiral, that geometric awesomeness surrounding the prettiest raven ever?? I can't help it. I want it. 



Monday, December 3, 2012

Winter Pastels at Parcel Mint

I couldn't wait a second longer to share this shot of the latest batch of mini-notebooks that I made for the shop. These colors all together are sweet like honey made by happy little bees! Mint and peach and sky and gold! Scoop them up here while you can, I'll be listing them throughout this week and the one with peach binding is first on the shelves.  


Sunday, December 2, 2012

Make.Give.Wear.

Oops! One busy week and I leave you all hanging out there in blog reader land! So sorry. But while I was away I was working on some fun things to put in the shop this week, as well as getting in the winter mood with a little DIY inspo and lots of family time. 
My hopes are high for going a lot more handmade this year in the gift-giving department, and this chai concentrate DIY from freepeople is quickly climbing my to-make list. But if gift-making is not your forte, run don't walk to etsy where you can find handmade gifts as adorable as this flying bear ornament. And wouldn't you love to walk into a holiday party in those cat wedges?! They somehow feel so festive to me... but cats and christmas? Why not!





Monday, November 26, 2012

parcel mint: shop update!

Get your yule logs ready, it's holiday time! And in the spirit of winter and all its wonder I bring you 4 new goodies from my etsy shop Parcel Mint. First, the moon phases postcard set in all its cosmic and lunar glory. This is perfect for the non-traditional giftee on your list, or for those of us who appreciate holiday-neutral presents.  And speaking of non-traditional, how about a carrier pigeon to take the place of that boring holiday card you were about to send? These little birdies are the perfect addition to a gift or package and are guaranteed not to join the pile of cards and yearly updates in the recycling bin come January. Enjoy!







Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thankfulness

Some traditions are symbolic and meaningful to me, and others are... well... just not. If I stop and think about how many people eat the same animal on one day and how the manufacturers of that meat must scramble to produce enough to feed that many people I start to get really grossed out (sorry turkey eaters!). I do, however, support togetherness and thankfulness! This Thanksgiving I will not be eating turkey, but I will be concentrating on gratitude and harmony. My family is giant, so for as long as I can remember we have eaten these celebratory feasts off of paper plates piled buffet-style. We never eat all at the same time, and we cluster into little groups of eaters. Some at a table, some on the porch, some inside the kitchen, some in front of the tv. I love it and I don't love it. Wouldn't it be so magical and amazing to all eat around a festively decorated table (or a bunch of tables)? This one looks extra special to me, so eclectic and cozy. It's still random and hodge-podgey enough to fit a large and unique family and doesn't feel stuffy or overdone. Thanksgiving 2013 perhaps?

here

Monday, November 19, 2012

Bits & Pieces

Here are a few looks at the day to day these days... Mostly I make things or buy things and Joey makes his motorcycle look and act better. 

I picked up an extra hand at the Encinitas street fair this weekend with my dad. 

Some fun clay things are coming to the Etsy shop very soon, and this little guy came out of the extra clay. 

I helped Joey visualize how his bike will look being ridden with its new improvements.  

This is probably as close as I will ever get to actually riding on it.

He's very handy and very cute. 

Harness the galaxy in your mailbox or someone else's! These spacey postcards are going into the Etsy shop this week! 


Thursday, November 15, 2012

See. Wear. Treat.

All I want on this cloudy, cozy Thursday is to wander a new city (or a not so new city like my Spanish love Granada or the always dreamy San Francisco), dressed like an urban fall fairy in these wedges. And is there anything better than being slightly lost in a new place and then stumbling upon delicious coffee and treats? Doubt it. 
So if you are so lucky as to be new to your city, please enjoy it and know that I am so jealous. Maybe the rest of us should try to see our little old towns with fresh eyes? 

San Francisco. Granada

Rachel Comey Elva wedges here

Found here.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Journal Writing

For the past few years (more like five!) I have been keeping a journal. Sometimes I write frequently and other times my poor journal sits neglected for weeks at a time. But usually it takes me about a year to fill one with writing, drawings, pictures, paintings, pressed flowers, special things, scraps of paper. I love to look through them now, each with a very distinct character that reflects a specific time in my life. They are so precious to me in fact that when I moved out of my parents' house and left my finished journals behind I told both of them that if there was a fire and they had to scramble to save certain things that they should please grab those first. 


To me, journal time is calming and grounding. It means pens and tape and coffee. 


A favorite pinner of mine, Rowena Murillo, has an entire pin board dedicated to art journals that is easily one of my most loved corners of the internet. The colors and textures are so rich and it is impossible to leave without finding some inspiration. I found these journals there. Go have a look!


While I am very attached to my journaling habits, I do love the idea of an alternative journal. How beautiful is the night sky journal entry?! I love the idea of cataloging a daily observation about something like the sky, a tree, or the ocean. Perhaps without words, like the blue illustration. Or what about that stack of receipts? That would be a really unique way to remember something like a home renovation and could double as funky decor when the house is complete. The crafty folks at Design Sponge came up with the little basket of index cards and I love that it can be made using recycled materials and then kept on the kitchen counter to be written by an entire household or family as a collaboration. 



Sometimes all it takes to inspire a journaling frenzy are a few new supplies to spice things up. Watercolor paints and these washi tapes from TheSewingPost on Etsy are my go-to for holding little pictures, papers, and plants. And while it might not look like much, the Pilot G2 pen is hands down my favorite writing utensil. It's inky and smooth and is inexpensive enough for me to be ok with losing it all the time. And as for the journal itself, it might not be very original or exciting but I always use a Moleskine. They are well-made and convenient, and the simple black cover will never go out of style. 

Friday, November 9, 2012

Tiny Doors

Brace yourself because this might be the most adorable idea ever... 



Every house needs a teeny tiny door! The brilliant folks over at Design Sponge featured this little DIY and I can add it to my list of reasons why kiddies are awesome. This is the perfect time of year to fuel the imagination of any little in your life with a mini door for fairies, mice, elves and the like to come and go as they please. I love that it is so realistic and subtle. It's even sort of arty and stylish in its simplicity. And what a brilliant solution to the Santa problem for a chimney-less house! I know I would have LOVED this when I was small, and I am pretty sure I would still get just as much enjoyment out of it now. The possibilities for making this magical with rotating props and surprises are endless...tiny mail, a daily paper (The Gnome Chronicle? Elves Daily? Tooth Fairy Times?), muddy footprints, a welcome mat, seasonal decor, glitter trails... I'm in love. 

Emily Moldy Music

Kindergarten was a big year for me as far as making friends goes. That is when I met the majority of the girls that I would grow up with and still keep as soulsisters. There were a few important additions to the kindergarten bunch along the way and now I can truly say that I am one of the lucky ones when it comes to friends.
One of my tribe members is the beautiful and talented Emily Moldy. Her voice will tickle your ears and your heart and her music will move the corners of your mouth and your feet. And now the world is getting a taste of her magic in the latest Nature Valley Granola Thins commercial! Enjoy the full song below and be sure to keep an eye out for the commercial. The song is called "My Own One" and it is worth a listen (or 3 or 4)! 


Find Emily on Facebook, Youtube, and on her blog here
And lucky for you, this beautiful song is available for $1 to download here!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Want List




Why does this bag have to be so pretty and so expensive? I want to put my belongings inside of it and carry it around. Please and thank you. If you want to crush my dreams and buy this Rebecca Minkoff gem for yourself, you can find it here.

--thanks to Creature Comforts for the pretty arrows to illustrate the bag of my dreams!--

Bits & Pieces

A visual re-cap of the past week:

Upside down and out the window view. 

Pretty packaging is my favorite part of getting ready to ship Parcel Mint orders. 

I wish our house looked like this all the time.

I was a fortune teller on Halloween, me and Joey danced our butts off despite his hangover and me being sick, and my brother won the costume contest with his entire body painted as a zebra. Success! 

Joey and I sat in the grass and drew a picture for his niece and nephew.

We learned that I am controlling and he has to focus to draw.