Cozy up to Halloween

After all the pumpkins have been carved, and the candy has been given out - what to do on a rainy (or snowy this year!) Halloween weekend? Scary movies, of course!

In the age of Netflix, Redbox and general instant gratification we don't have to run to the movie store to get whatever is left - like it or not, we have the pick of the litter at our fingertips. So it's lucky that we came across an invaluable and timely list on one of our favorite blogs - the Daily Beast.

Always pushing the envelope, the folks at the Beast asked the one and only Martin Scorsese to list his 10 (he chose 11) top favorite scariest movies of all time. Find the list, that includes some true surprises, by clicking here.


Cuddle up and enjoy a poison apple! Happy Haunting!

Images Martha Stewart (1, 4), Wiley Valentine Bad Girl Birthday Card

A Match Made in (font) Heaven

For all you romantic hearted font lovers out there... This good news just in and hot off the press!

Mrs. Eaves - a most dependable, classy and always right font has finally met her match- the dashing Mr. Eaves.

(The MRS. - above / The MR. - below)

The font was recently released by Emigre Fonts and is now available in two distinguished, handsome options: Sans and Modern.

Here's what the company has to say about the new development:

"Mr Eaves is the often requested and finally finished sans-serif companion to Mrs Eaves, one of Emigre's classic typeface designs. Created by Zuzana Licko, this latest addition to the Emigre Type Library expands the versatility of the original Mrs Eaves with two complimentary families: Mr Eaves Sans and Mr Eaves Modern.

Mr Eaves was based on the proportions of Mrs Eaves, but Licko took some liberty with its design. One of the main concerns was to avoid creating a typeface that looked like it simply had its serifs cut off. And while it matches Mrs Eaves in weight, color, and armature, Mr Eaves stands as its own typeface with many unique characteristics."

Don't you think the clean, sans serif face is a perfect font pairing with the Mrs.? A precise amount of contrast and a welcome "always the right font" update to add to your font wardrobe.

Purchase the new collection here - and at just $39- think of it as a wedding gift! ;)

Mid-Week Inspiration

Inspired by the well known and loved ww2 propaganda poster 'Keep Calm & Carry On', we got SO excited when we came across this print. Take note of the 'crown' - in this case, made of cogs and wrenches. Love! You can find the prints by Matt Jones here, but hurry, they are going fast.

Arboretum Close Up

No doubt, there are few places as beautiful as an arboretum on a crisp Fall day. The sweeping vistas and swashes of color by species are not to be missed. But what's so easily missed while admiring Mother Nature's spectacle are the tiny details- many of which go unnoticed. So I spent the the last Sunday of October up close and personal- admiring the acalycina, acer circinatum, & pinus parviflora (that's sweetgum, maple & white pine to us) and their special hidden treasures...

Hungry for Change

Consider this; Americans waste more than 40 percent of the food we produce for consumption. That comes at an annual cost of more than $100 billion. At the same time, food prices and the number of Americans without enough to eat continues to rise.

In a constant quest to not only grow our own food, we have been trying to use everything bought in the store. It really hurts to throw perfectly good food away. Meals may not always turn out gourmet, but pushing yourself to come up with a meal with what's already in the fridge or cupboard feels just as good.

Researching the topic, we came across a great blog simply called, Wasted Food. Fusing journalistic research on the topic with the work of countless others, this site examines how we squander so much food. Part blog, part call to action, Wasted Food aims to shed light on the problem of, you guessed it, wasted food.

Be sure to check out the blog as well as all the tabs on the top of the site with information on how communities are coming together to help solve this massive problem.

Sneak Peek - Spring

Always a bit hard to believe... Autumn is still in full swing, the holidays not yet upon us and we are setting to work to Spring! Here's a peek at what's on our drawing board...

Just looking at these colors makes us want to by-pass winter altogether!

Fonts for All Ages

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While perusing the now fallen (so sad) Cookie magazine, we spotted a review for this amazing font learning book. Alphabeasties: And Other Amazing Types, published by Blue Apple Books is truly a typophiles dream - one with or without little ones!

The publishers description aptly explains how fun fonts can be! "Blocky or small. Thick or tall. Roundish, slope-y, fancy or dopey. Letters look different in all different places. That's because they have different typefaces. From an alligator made of aaa's to a zebra made of zzz's, the alphabeasties in this book are ingeniously built out of multiple typefaces. Adults and children will be engaged and delighted with the flaps, which lift to reveal 'beasties' for each letter of the alphabet.'

So, if you have a kid, are a kid or just love fonts - be sure to pick up a copy of Alphabeasties today. The indie childrens bookshop Red Balloon is stocked and ready to ship!

Photos via Red Baloon Bookshop, Grain Edit

Autumn Daze

Beautiful drive on Sunday... Autumn splendor... and while not "peak", simply splendid!

Fall into Green

Click here, or on the image above to see our 12 tips on making the most of your autumn season this year.

Pumpkin Patch

Who doesn't LUV this time of year!? There is nothing like a crisp early Autumn day to make you want to find your way to the nearest farm stand or pumpkin patch to snatch up pumpkins, gourds and all the other rediculously cliche decor!

Wondering where to find a pumpkin patch near you? Pumpkin Patches and More can assist...

And once you find the PERFECT pumpkin that would do Charlie Brown proud- do a bit of research before you reach for the knife! You can download some great free carving templates:

ehow.com - how to: select, carve, decorate, monogram a pumpkin
Pumpkin Masters - classic cutouts
Carving Pumpkins - elaborate faces, places, images

If you are feeling particularly crafty and looking for expert carving instructions, let master carver Vincent Laporta show you the ropes - you can watch his video here. And if words like Dremel Tool don't scare you- the advanced carving scoop can be found here.

Happy Jack-o-Lantern-ing!!

Photos via webshots.com

Like with Like = Love

I've always been a huge fan of tonal colors; different monochromatic hues of the same color all together to make a rainbow of that same tone. This goes the same for item type, you get enough of one thing in one place, they just can't help but make an impact. So naturally, I was so pleased to find a shop called 'Da Barn' in Michigan this past weekend with great displays - and that more and more antique and vintage shops have been merchandising in this 'like with like' fashion. Making for a simpler way to shop vintage, and providing some serious eye candy!

Just a short 1 1/2 hour drive from Chicago through the gorgeous fall colors to New Buffalo, Michigan you'll find Da Barn; 510 E. Buffalo St, New Buffalo, MI 49117 269.469.0333. Not in the Midwest? Keep an eye on the displays at your local antique & vintage shops, or at the next flea market in your area. Could be a great way to begin a new collection!

Donatemydress.org

I know there are many fashionistas out there who will swoon, heart and L-O-V-E these oh so 80's dresses, (for which we will gladly give you the source ;) (see below), but for those of us who have had to buy one too many a bridesmaid dress- here is the perfect green savvy way to rid your closet of those ruffles, fluff and all around synthetic finery. Donatemydress.org is an online site that is dedicated to helping recycle special occasion fashion- in particular prom and bridesmaid dresses.
DonateMyDress.org is the first national campaign designed to encourage girls around the country to donate their prom and special occasion dresses to those who cannot afford the costly experience of going to their prom, sweet 16, quinceañera or formal event. The site features a directory of local dress drive organizations across the U.S. that will enable girls to easily find out where in their local markets they can donate a dress or receive one.

So if your prom days are long gone but always a bridesmaid days are upon you- click here for a state-by-state listing of where to donate. And if you have a teenage daughter, niece, neighbor or friend- pass this info along. If there is not a location near you- remember Goodwill, The Kidney Association and Salvation Army are in almost every area nationwide and are stocking up for the holidays. So dust off your tiara, and clean out your closet today- dresses wanted! And oooohhh, this one's our fave.....

All photos via: beflirtydresses.com

Gettin Crafty with Craftster

Admittedly, we don't get our craft on as much as we'd like around here. Fortunately, our resident crafty chick and office manager extraordinaire, Kerry, turned us on to the informative and at times fabulously irreverent Craftster.

Her most recent project really spiked our interest - not only because she used our 3 Bird design (shown on the card below), but because it's totally ingenious and surprising - yes, we are talking craft project here!

This particular project uses freezer paper - and according to craftster the basic idea is '"that you have an image to begin (in this case, the birdies), photocopies or printed out from your computer on regular paper. Then you lay it on the freezer paper (waxy side down!) and onto a cutting mat and use and X-Acto to cut out your design (cutting it out of both the paper and the freezer paper). Recycle the regular paper as it’s job is now done. Then take the freezer paper and iron it onto your t-shirt or fabric and then paint over it with washable, non-toxic fabric paint which is very easy to find in lots of colors. Then you just peel of the freezer paper and you’re done!" - Wow! (link to full project step by step is below)

For the design, she used the 3 Bird design above, photocopied and did the step by step that can be found on Craftster. And the end result.....

....is oh-so-ridiculously adorable on her little one Simon! Thanks to Kerry for the tip, and for being so darn good n' crafty!

Images via Craftster, Green Paper Company

Creative Visions Foundation

The web weaves a mysterious web indeed! While doing some buying today for my shop I came upon a jewelry blog- Modern Jewelry Trends. More than the info contained within, I took special note of an intriguing logo at the bottom of the screen- "Are You a Creative Activist?" So with little reading about baubles and gems I linked to the site and came upon a really interesting foundation, Creative Visions created by a mom who lost her son, Dan Eldon, a young photo journalist, while he was covering the conflict in Somalia in the early 1990's.

The Creative Visions Foundation was created by his family to honor his activist mission, his life and his creative work. Creative Visions Foundation supports "Creative Activists", individuals who use the power of media and the arts to create positive change in the world.

According to the site, "Creative Visions Foundation partners with creative activists through fiscal sponsorship, mentorship and outreach programs to develop, thrive and promote vital social change. Our network of creative activists inspires others to be the spark of change in communities all over the world and to support “creative activists” like Dan - who use thought and imagination to catalyze positive change in our world."

Take a look at a really touching video that so succinctly portrays Dan's spirit, his too short life, and moreover an inspiring glimpse of his artwork through journals and his family's dedication to promote change.

BTW- there is an odd P.S. twist to all this - as I was reading and watching the video on the website the story sounded vaguely familiar. As it turns out, the sister of Dan Eldon is the sister in law of one of my dear friends. Talk about a small world.

In any case- be inspired by your own creativity today, on behalf of those who no longer can, and on behalf of your own talent. What can you create today?

All photos via: creativevisions.org

Apple of our Eye

Hello Bramley, Cox Pippin, Cortland, Stayman Winesap, Jonagold, Rome, Cameo and Jonathon. We welcome the return of our faithful Fall friends! Let's spend the day together... strolling in the orchard, prepping in the kitchen, lovin' each other a bushel and a peck!

Yep- it's apple season, perfect as pie and for pie! And for eating... Nothin' like the crispy crunch of a Honeycrisp or McIntosh - fresh picked right from the tree. Y-U-M!

And does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Seems so- Quercetin boosts memory and apples have been shown to prevent a cluster of illnesses. All research aside, we all know there's no such thing as an old wives tale so no need to prove what we all already know- we heart the big apple, the small apple, the lady apple, all yous apples! So happy it's the season!!

For classic apple recipes from Victoria Magazine click here, and here for pick your own farms locations throughout the U.S.

Photos#1 and #3 via: Highland Ghillie / Flickr and see more beautiful work at http://highlandghillie.etsy.com

Autumnal Ash

It's October, so there's no more denying, thinking that summer is still lingering - it's full on fall. We are loving our very own Ash and all hues of gray right now. Lovely with crisp whites. Bring on the cool!

Images and credits top to bottom; Green Paper Company Ash Medallion A7 Ensemble, Philly Style 'gray hues' trend report via Perfect Bound, Carolina Herrera runway via Perfect Bound, Gray & Black Trend Report via Polyvore, Wiley Valentine Skull & Crossbones 'Bad Ass Party' Imprintable.