Inspired today by

Muted Easter palettes. Lovely, whispery Easter blends from our favourite colour site: colourlovers.com

Easter Sunday

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Couture

Easter Dress


Easter Lilly

I want sugar!

Not so sweet news... We are out of stock on Sugar Maple until mid- late April... The mill is in production with an expected due date of 4/15. We'll keep you posted, and in the interim we will try to sweet talk our way into finding some sooner!

Photo via Plumparty

Happy Passover!

Happy Passover!

Loved this modern take on a timeless Haggadah tradition: A digital download from PeelaPomm on Etsy.

Photo: PeelaPom

Operation Nice- Have a NICE day

Thought it would be nice to start the week off with a visit to one of our favorite sites
Operation Nice.

OPERATION NICE. We've mentioned them before and an inspired way to start the week. This is a 100% feel good site- so visit often, as a mantra that being nice is, well, just nice.

And to add to the nicety of it all they have a link to another great site: Wouldn't it b nice which promotes apparel and accessories, especially for kids, embellished with messages that promote "audacious acts of kindness".

Happy Monday everyone and have a nice week!

Earth Hour 2010

For all who turned out the lights... thank you! It was one of the nicest hours of the week, month, year. Enjoyed a glass of wine- a fire in the fireplace, candle light and the light of the silvery full moon. Absolutely zero FB, Twitter, blogging, computer, phone... a mini vacation!

Photos 1&2: Huffingtonpost.com see more pix here
Photo 3: My living room!

Masked Tape

Traditional Japanese washi paper turned in to not so traditional great tape - decorative masking in an incredible array of colours and patterns too.

Add a strip or stripe to perk up a package, craft a project, seal a letter... find more ideas and buy the tape here.

Photos via notemaker.com.au

Spring Fling

As the weather warms, April showers (bridal showers, that is) will abound. These easy to use "Fling" recycling bins make clean up a snap and recycling part of the party.

Flings Recycling Containers® are convenient, portable, compact bins that snap open accordion style and are about the size of a tall kitchen bin (13 gallons). Each bin holds up to 60 bottles or cans and are re-usable and, they have earned the Sierra Club's Green Home Seal of approval with a 5 out of 5 rating. Purchase them on line here, with free shipping.

Get to Know Your Farmer

It's (finally) the time of year when great local fresh produce is becoming readily available again. For a lot of us, this means coming out of hibernation and back into the community in the way of our farmers markets. A trip to the farmer's market (or even the regular grocery store) can be a challenge for some. There are so many types of lettuce, peppers, apples and so on, that the choices can seem overwhelming. One great option for those short on time and new to buying local, is a CSA.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

a typical CSA share (peak summer month)

To locate a CSA program in your area, we love the Local Harvest CSA finder. You can enter your zip code and a veritable bounty of options (depending on your location) are at your fingertips.

Green Day

Being that green is our favorite color - naturally, we love St. Patrick's Day. Not only do the joyous revelers make us smile, but it's a lovely time of year where we are reminded that Spring is all around us with fresh buds and green popping up everywhere you look. It's truly a day where everyone is Irish (and being Chicago, a few of us around here actually are!), so we are getting festive with some adorable Shamrock Boutonnieres via Martha Stewart. Check out the step by step instructions here. We are using Green Paper Company Aspen, Balsam Fir, Jackpine and Spearmint creating some lovely green layers.

We also couldn't help posting a portion of one of our favorite holiday inspiration boards from the talented folks at Snippet & Ink. Lucky and lovely - Erin Go Bragh!

Images via Snippet & Ink Inspiration Board, Martha Stewart.

Spring Sighting

At long last- early signs of Spring! Woke up to crocuses budding and to the sound of a chirping robin. Now that's a tweet worth twittering about!

Watercolor by The Mincing Mockingbird

Spring In

Loving the inspiring colors and layered work from jewelry designer Molly Carey of Molly-Hanna Designs, whose work is featured prominently in the new Spring J. Crew Collection. An in house designer for the brand, Molly is also active in developing her own line. See the collection here. Just imagining one of these wearable works of art against a white wedding gown....swoon! Talk about a conversation piece!

Images via Molly-Hanna Designs, J.Crew

Alpha-Ephemera

Came across the very cool and varied work of designer Anna Beckman while perusing favorite event design and planning blog, Sunday Suppers. Anna is a working calligrapher and illustrator based in Brooklyn. Among the eye candy on her portfolio site are some amazing works of themed ephemera she calls bulletin boards for ideas, inspiration and event ideas.

Images via Anna Beckman

Beloved Liberty

Liberty of London, a well known and long adored British brand known for its prints and mini-florals, is the newest brand to partner with Target for an extensive product line. Launching on March 14, Liberty's offerings will include fashions for men, women and children, home décor, storage, organization and garden. This is considered one of the largest collections Target has launched with a designer or outside brand. Select pieces from the Liberty of London for Target collection will also be available at Liberty of London stores. Have a sneak peek here.

Image via Target

Etsy Love

Loving the handmade handiwork of new Etsy shop, Kema & Co. Not only are we partial to the eco friendly materials and creative designs - but the designer is none other than our fabulous office manager (yoga teacher and mom...) extraordinaire, Kerry. An active participant in the craft and DIY circuit in Chicago, she decided to take the leap by launching Kema & Co last month! The shop features one of a kind necklaces made from repurposed fabrics, earrings and for all the yogis out there, lovely eye pillows made from organic herbs.

While Kerry is the designer and brainchild of Kema & Co., the name implies a budding family business, as it combines her own and her husband's name. They have already been a featured shop on Etsy's front page and are planning on participating in local DIY fairs this summer, so keep an eye out! Be sure to check their Etsy store for new products and follow Kema & Co on Twitter for regular updates and happenings!