Friday, April 30, 2010

etsy wedding giveaway! custom watercolor wedding map REVISED 10.12.10

Custom Wedding Map
{ UPDATE 7.march.11 -- custom wedding maps and illustrations by nattymichelle }

**UPDATE 7.march.11: the kind etsy soul who stepped in and volunteered her services: natalie of nattymichelle. more on her shortly. fantastic!

**UPDATE 12.oct.10: all, i'm leaving this post up because of all your wonderful comments and suggestions, but madison-claire never came through with the prize after multiple attempts to contact them, and i'm having to scramble to find a kind etsy soul to put together a wedding map for the winner. not cool.

if you're looking for lovely watercolor wedding maps, check out this search for current shops.

your long-awaited giveaway -- xxxxxxxx at madison~claire designs wrote with a generous offer: a custom watercolor wedding map, personalized and one-of-a-kind. so neat! they also do custom illustrations for programs, etc.

what do i need to know this time, you ask? to enter, in comments tell us about how you're putting together your invites -- letterpress? DIY? online resource? keeping it simple or personalizing? or any clever invitation resources.

Weekend Project: Découpage a Chair



I'm so excited as I'm heading out to a country farm this morning; more exciting news on that soon! But I'm looking forward to getting out of the city for the day to visit some nice ladies and take in some fresh country air (and hopefully sun)! So in the meantime I leave you with this weekend's project from the folks at Style at Home. They've come up with a tasteful transformation using découpage (the art of cutting and pasting paper) on some old plywood and metal hall chairs to create a very pretty result. Click here for the instructions. Happy Friday!

Hula Seventy: Pink


Marie's Vintage

I don't know about you but where I live, pink is everywhere right now.


Abby Try Again

Pink blooms on the trees, pink petals underfoot. Pink petals scattered all over the place like pretty paper confetti.


A Touch Of Vintage

I'm currently consumed with the color pink.


ban.do

I can't help it. It's everywhere.


Joe Vintage

I'll tell you, a little bit of pink never hurt anyone.


Toffie

In fact, I think everyone could use a little bit of pink.


Cookoorikoo

Don't you?

hulaseventy.blogspot.com
etsy.com/shop/girlhula

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Local Crafty Happenings this weekend!

Picture 4Make It
Saturday, May 1, 2010 (11am to 7pm) and Sunday, May 2, 2010 (11am to 6pm)
@ The Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive, Vancouver BC


Picture 2gotcraft.com
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010 from (10:00am to 5:00pm)
Royal Canadian Legion, 2205 Commercial Drive (@ E.6th Ave), Vancouver

Giveaway Winner!



Congratulations to Whitney Reeder of Portland, Oregon who is the big winner of our Poppytalk Handmade Earth Day Giveaway! We picked her name randomly and then instantly fell in love with her sweet baby girl! If you get a chance visit her blog to see what we mean (and click on the letter T)!

Thanks to everyone who participated, visited and supported our handmade eco market as well! It was fun!

feeling loungy

hmse1
h1
hmse2
hmse4
h2
hmse5

Feeling Beachy

H&M
hm1
h6
hm2
h8
hm3

Wishing for summer. Bright sunny beach towels and cushions just spotted at H&M (Swedish site).

Link Love!

abbytryagain

Have you ever visited our Poppytalk Collectors Pool on flickr? I love looking at what people collect, don't you? Still loving Lisa Congdon's documenting of hers. Also, have you seen our posts on the subject? It goes way back.

How about this collection of dreamcats; submit yours here

A moment at the Louvre

This is such a fun site.

A perfect holiday trailer.

Did someone say Pistachio Ice Cream?

Pssssst! My posts will be a bit late this morning, so please come back.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

shop local: chicago etsy wedding glory

Mantilla - Cathedral Length Veil CHICAGO series - no. 33 - handmade ivory bridal fascinator - brooch - dress adornment - with feathers, organza, tulle, pearls and rhinestones
Black Velvet Satin Floral Handbag happily ever after ticket
CUSTOM ORDER INFORMATION PAGE for wedding, bridal feather and flower head pieces, fascinators, headbands, accessories, burlesque and everyday flair Chicago Transit Authority - Transit Subway Token Cufflinks, Man Gift, Groomsman Gift
Chicago Bakery Vintage Soy Teacup Candle Save The Date Postcard - Chicago Cubs
Chicago Flag Pillows Chicago Vintage Map Belt Buckle - GIFT WRAP INCLUDED - Travels - Vintage Finish hyde park engelwood gross park ravenswood edgewater south chicago
Hollow Book Flask Safe (Flask Included) The Lost World by Michael Crichton Corinne - sterling silver drape necklace
Rich Taupe Glass and Pearl earrings vintage wood block letters from printshop WE or ME 
{each photo links to its shop}

well damn. am in chicago for work this week and checked in to see how the giveaway was going... um, what giveaway, jen? i sense you thinking -- you see, i logged out last weekend so i could use my new google docs wedding templates (they are great, thanks for the recommendations!) through my personal gmail... and then traveled -- and just logged back in as etsywedding...

and holy mama, i thought i'd scheduled it for friday and it is not up. doh. must not have pressed the big obvious orange "publish" button. bad blogger.

let's try this again. first, here's my shop local chicago post -- feel free to add yourselves in the comments, chicago etsy brides and artists -- and i am hereby scheduling the giveaway to post FOR REAL this friday, with my apologies for the delay!

Yummy Treats: A Warm Hug When You Need It

by Jeannette Ordas of Everybody likes Sandwiches

Cherry blossoms and Magnolia trees are in bloom and the days are getting longer, but April is a fickle month. Hail, rain storms, warm temperatures, chilly nights, it can be downright confusing. Do I carry an umbrella with me at all times or do I layer up so that I can quickly layer down when the sun starts beaming down?

And while I'm gladly stuffing my face with asparagus at any opportunity, I'm also taking comfort in a baked bowl of this pasta & sausage dish. I had seen this recipe a while back over at Smitten Kitchen, but felt that making my own meatballs and bechamel sauce would be just too much. While I'm well versed in making bechamel sauce (it was my job to always whisk the sauce as a young girl cooking with my mom), making meatballs isn't something that I love to do. So I went with a shortcut and used sausage. It's perfect because it's already seasoned and when it's sliced and then cooked, it turns into a little meatball of sausage!

I also added in some homemade leftover tomato sauce to help cut the richness. Don't want to use sausage? Try some meaty sliced & sauteed portabello mushrooms instead and go ahead and add in your favorite spices and herbs. Vegan? Trade the dairy for soy milk and vegan margarine, skipping the cheese.

The result was exactly what I was looking for - as comforting as a warm hug (which is coincidentally what I got from my husband when I made this).

Quick Baked Rigatoni with Sausage
(inspired by Smitten Kitchen)

4 spicy Italian sausages
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

bechamel sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
pinch nutmeg
salt & pepper

500 gram bag of rigatoni or other short pasta
1 cup tomato sauce (from a jar or homemade)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Slice raw sausages into 1 inch bits and fry in a non stick skillet over med-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until the sausage is done, about 15 - 20 minutes. Set aside.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and set aside.

3. In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. When bubbling, add in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking well between each addition until smooth. Add in salt, pepper and nutmeg and continue to stir until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 400F. Pour the sausage mixture into the pasta and pour in half of the bechamel mixture. Stir well to coat. Butter a 9x13" baking dish and add in the pasta/sausage mixture. Pour over the remaining bechamel sauce and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbly.

A Handmade Mother's Day

il_430xN.136676828redbirdink.etsy.com
As Mother's Day draws nearer we've slowly been collecting favourites that we think any Mother or Grandmother would love to have. Handmade things, made with love from various online shops.

mothersday
Above: Mother's Day Card by Rifle Paper Co., Road Trip Diary by Redstar Ink, Grandma Hankie by Downhomeamy, Linen Tea Towel by Nina Glaser, Cabbage Rose Tote by Jill Bent, Perfume for Peace by Illuminated Perfume, Custom Monogram by K is for Calligraphy, Scallop Necklace by Elisa Shere Jewelry, Call Your Mother pillow by Alexandra Ferguson and Uplifting Bath Oil by La Petite Vie.

il_430xN.127513109Recycled Skateboard Bling by Sevenply

il_430xN.125855534Tub Caddy by Peg and Awl

il_430xN.139810998Eco Felt Camera Case by claraiuribe.etsy.com

il_430xN.132364735Food for Thought print by Claudia Pearson

il_430xN.140004427In-vita Paper Studio

il_430xN.140391123Basil and Betty

20091024-_DSC5179Spool and Sparrow

il_430xN.140181510Wit & Whistle

il_430xN.133372584Honeycomb clasp purse by Emen Gee Designs

il_430xN.119196182Home to Roost Apron

il_430xN.138101672Lichen Jar by Ottoman

il_430xN.139883727Wedge Tote by Scabby Robot

il_430xN.135826185revolt70.etsy.com