in the canyon

sunday was a fun day for sure! we spent the afternoon at irvine lake for a chili cook-off with friends and family. there was great music, shady trees, food trucks and beers. what more could you want?






in other exciting news, the ever lovely milla opened up an etsy shop, Fireweed and Nettle, filled with magical leather goods. do go check it out here!

♥anne

crochet knit crochet

i have been crocheting up storm! i'm making cowls for all my family and friends this christmas. hopefully everyone likes cowls...if not, they're gettin' one anyway ;D heheh i'm funny! they are easy and fun to make. i've been trying out some new stitches and designs. i'm interested to see which is the most popular because i've been considering trying to sell them on etsy. you can check out the one i made for missa here(and the package i sent her for the bioregional swap here). i think she looks quite gorgeous in it, if i do say so myself!

moving on to the knitting portion of this post- last weekend i went to my friend maia's baby shower(check out her kids clothes line here) and her friend, who hosted the party, had the best baby shower gift idea ever!

she had a basket of knitting needles that had a couple rows started and had people pick out a color and start knitting. six people took a color home to finish and then she is going to attach all the pieces together and make a baby blanket. isn't that fun! i took the orange yarn and have been slowly working on it. i can't wait to see it finished!

it was so cool to see everyone working away. a couple ladies were new to knitting, so not only did they get to enjoy a super fun baby shower, they also learned to knit!

if i ever host a baby shower, i'm totally stealing this idea.

happy st. lucia feast day!

♥anne

365 lucky days

i just came across lucky jackson's blog, 365 lucky days, this morning. her work is so cool that i had to share it with you all. go check it out. she's currently doing blog crushes... so rad :D
enjoy!

♥ anne

a box full of calico

when i sent a package off to the ever lovely nicole a couple weeks ago, i never anticipated to receive such a generous gift in return. on friday, i had the pleasure of finding a box waiting for me when i got home. i can't explain my excitement upon seeing it. the outside was artfully decorated, but what was inside surpassed my expectations! it was filled with calico goodness!

both dresses fit now, as you can see in the first picture, and will be great after baby as well. and how rad are the tooled leather butterflies, handmade by nicole herself?! one is hair clip and the other is a belt/headband/use your imagination. i've worn both already and know they will get much use in jazzing up my outfits.

and as if that was not enough, she sent baby clothes too! a sweet red dress with embroidery on the neckline, a most adorable purple skirt and blouse, a precious floral top and a cute vintage receiving blanket. my daughter alex was with me when i opened everything and she said, "wow, she really knows what you like mom!". i could not agree more!

thank you so much nicole!

if you are not already following her blog, do yourself a favor and go check it out here. she has some amazingly inspirational style, but more importantly she is a sweet, creative soul.

♥ anne

Lalouka

I'm always impressed by those who are talented seamstresses and Lalouka is apparently one of these souls! Her summer collection is fun and creative with a retro flair. Many of the items are made with vintage fabrics which always makes a piece more unique. I also love the addition of the denim details and, of course, the floral fabrics. Make sure to check out her Etsy shop here to see all her beautiful creations!

♥ anne

macrame, batik and craft exchange

vintage leather jacket, dress, picnic basket-thrifted/ sandals-cydwok

Here is what I wore to the James Taylor/Carol King concert at the Hollywood Bowl. They both sounded so amazing and much fun was had by all. The Hollywood Bowl is my favorite venue for concerts. Your outside under the stars, the sound is great and you can picnic beforehand and usually bring in your own alcohol. Sounds pretty good, huh? Nicky posted more fun photos over at The Stitchy Life, so feel free to go check 'em on out!

...and moving on to an etsy update...

70s boho batik wrap skirt ***********1970s batik ethnic wrap skirt

vintage macrame handbag********* 1970s large macrame purse

When Little Monarch invited me to join the International Craft Exchange, I was so excited! All you have to do is send one person 1 craft of any kind and you get 6 in return! Well, I still need 4 crafty folks to sign on. You interested? Leave me a comment in this post and I'll contact you with the necessary information :D

Here is what I received the other day from the oh so lovely Twila, of Twila's Vintage!

Aren't all those hair goodies just too cute?! I can't wait to wear them! Much thanks Twila!

Here is what I sent off for the exchange, a little "Lost Lovely". Her name is Carrie Ann and hope her new owner adores her.

When I received Twila's package, it was made out of an Anthropologie catalog. Two pages were sewn together and used as the envelope... super duper cool!!! I had to try it out. I used a grocery bag instead, what a creative way to reuse paper bags and catalogs! Give it a try, it looks so unique and crafty, you'll love it! :D

Remember to leave me a comment if you want to join in on the craft exchange fun!

♥ anne

Filhas da Terra on Etsy

How amazing is my new necklace from Filhas da Terra on Etsy?!

I rarely buy jewelry, but when I discovered Nico's shop, I just HAD to get something. Everything is so unique and all items are beautifully handmade. I had a hard time deciding which piece to buy because I seriously loved everything. I'm so thrilled with my necklace, it's exactly the kind of jewelery I like and can't wait to incorporate into my daily wardrobe!

Thanks Nico!

♥ anne

p.s.- I was just thinking how cool it is, that all the crafty folks out there can so easily sell their items on Etsy. It benefits them because they have a place to sell. It benefits us because we get to purchase their lovely handmade goods. It's a win-win situation people! I get such a satisfying feeling knowing that I purchased something from someone how puts their heart into their work rather than something mass produced in a factory. Yeah for Etsy! Yeah for handmade!

Crochette Bow Headband

We have a birthday party to go to today, so yesterday I whipped up this headband for the gift. I'm quite pleased with it and will definitely be making one for myself. Aren't they cute! It didn't take long either. Now, that's my kind of project!

Talk to you soon,

♥ anne

p.s.-You wanna make one for yourself? Well, head on over to creative yarn for the pattern.

Wine Glass Markers

These wine glass markers were given to me, by my wonderful friend, for my birthday last month. Each one has a different picture and a quote that goes with it on the back. Aren't they awesome! The possibilities are endless with this idea- album covers with lyrics, books covers with quotes, favorite paintings... you get the idea. I can't wait to bust mine out tonight with a yummy glass of wine, great music and family and friends.

Coney Island Baby

The Wonder Wheel


Refrigerator magnet


Tattooed Man


Coney Island Baby by Lou Reed

Coney Island! What can I say... even though I've never been there, I'm quite taken with the place. I would have loved to have been there in it's heyday. How awesome it must have been!

"My log has something to tell you."

I have to say, Twin Peaks had some of my favorite TV characters of all time. How cool is the Log Lady! Well, this pillow is just as awesome. It's from Sally England Design and you can get it here.