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Hello, my Lovelies! I am back from a wonderful vacation with a great giveaway for you!
Remember when I posted about my Ticings cupcakes here?
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The lovely owner, Mia Natsume is giving away a collection of 12 Mother's Day Ticings to one lucky reader! Hooray! Aren't you glad I'm back? :)
Before we proceed to the giveaway, let me tell you a little about the face behind Ticings. Mia is inspired by everything. Art, politics, nature, fashion - these all tell a story to her, and she does her best to absorb as much as she can, and then runs with what she finds the most appealing.
With desserts being her love and her business, it obviously spills into her free time too. Mia loves scouting new dessert flavors in her free time, in addition to reading lots of good books, exploring LA, spending time with her daughter, and Spring planting. Her favorite desserts right now are French Macarons, which make the perfect canvas for Ticings, don't you think? Lovely for wedding favors, or even a surprise little gift for a special friend.
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To enter this giveaway, leave a comment here letting me know what designs you would like to see on future Ticings. Make sure to stop by the store and check that you aren't suggesting Ticings Mia already has, and while you're at it you can ooh and aah over the lovely selection she has available (including the cute Mother's Day line). I will announce the winner on Sunday.
(PS. If you haven't yet and would like to - there's still more time to vote for City of Dionne at the Adelle Top 20 Art Blog Awards. Voting is here)
(PPS. The winner of the Cottage Farm Giveaway is Marci J, and the winner of the Lisa Roy Giveaway is Christina Moreno. Congrats!)
Today's post is a pre-scheduled post, as I am on vacation in California.
Not just for vacations, but any time I leave the apartment - I always have some sort of bag with me.
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I like to carry parts of my life with me. Of course I have the obvious inside - my keys, wallet, cell phone - but I also like to carry around other bits and pieces. Hair clips, my camera, a deck of playing cards, little thank you cards to leave behind for waiters at restaurants, candy, notebook, pen - all things that could come in handy.
I recently discovered the Etsy store Lisa Roy Handbags, and absolutely LOVE the selection she carries. From classy to whimsical to edgy - she pretty much covers it all, and each piece has it's own character and quirk.
Lisa first discovered the world of Etsy when Martha Stewart mentioned it on her show. Working as a magazine art director for many years, Lisa created sewn items as her own little getaway - and her passion for it grew into her Etsy shop. She started out sewing pillows and slipcovers, and then her sewing spilled over into her obsession for handbags, which is what her store predominantly stocks today.
Trips to the gallery, walks through the park, photography, fashion magazines and fabric swatches are all muses to Lisa when she creates. She pays particular attention to how color and shapes relate to one another and is always wishing she had a notebook with her whenever ideas pop into her head. Lisa has a home on a river in Ontario, Canada that is also inspiring to her - with big lakes, tall trees, secret wildlife and summer cottages - there's always something to be found to spark an idea. The other part of the year she spends in Dublin, Ireland when she gets the perfect blend of greenery and European Chic.
Shades of the seaside are what Lisa is most attracted to. She loves water tones, hues of sand and the muted greys or beach rocks. Her home is decorated in these very colors, and it also comes across in a lot of her stunning creations. Along with this color palette, she is also drawn to crème brûlée - a dessert that she often orders when dining out, making sure to order her main course to work around this delicious dessert. You can also find Lisa here at her lovely blog.
Lisa is generously giving away to one lucky reader their choice of either a wristlet or an ipod/iphone cover from her store. To enter, please leave a comment here letting me know what must-have items you keep in your handbag. I will announce the winner on Thursday the 29th.
Planning out my baking is like planning out my outfit.
Not that there's anything wrong with a messy cake - but when I bake, I like to dress it up. I like my cakes to be the Belle of the Ball. Don't you just love a well-dressed cake?
Have you ever heard of Ticings?
I recently discovered this little gem of a store and fell in love with their cute little cake 'transfers'. You simply just peel them off backing paper like a sticker and put them on top of your iced cakes. They're completely edible! I love them. They totally spruced up my little cakes here. Aren't they gorgeous?
You all know by now how much I love the Farmhouse Chic look.
I love the soft femininity paired with the rustic earthiness of farmhouse wares. There's something so homey, yet so sophisticated about it - the perfect blend of old and new.
I would like to introduce you to Cottage Farm. A wonderful store owned by the delightful Krissie. Krissie has made sure that her little corner on Etsy is well-appointed with darling, pre-loved beauty.
History, generations of family stories and restoration are major inspirations to Krissie. She loves finding the perfect item and giving it a new lease on life. In addition to scouting the perfect goodies for her store, Krissie is a grad student pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree, and also enjoys cooking and exploring new places. She also enjoys wearing the colors cream and white. These two shades are the baseline that all her outfits and decor choices spring from - and then masterfully adding little accent colors to the mix.
With her forte of creative skills, Krissie enjoys photography and working on pieces in her studio - something she would love to add to her creative repertoire is the art of tatting. She feels that it is a beautiful domestic art with gorgeous results, and wishes she could find someone to teach it to her. In the meantime, she'll just have to sit back and indulge on her favorite desserts - one of which is Fresh Stewed Rhubarb over Vanilla Icecream. Doesn't that sound divine?! You can also find Krissie over at her blog The Cottage Log.
Krissie is generously giving away one of her goodies to a lucky reader. To enter, please leave a comment here telling me which item you would prefer (all of which are included in the photos above) - the Brass Napkin Rings, the Linen Dishtowel, or the Rooster Trivet. I would also like to know what creative skill you would love to learn. I will announce the winner in two weeks. Thursday, April 29.
The color we turn when we receive an unexpected compliment.
The shade of lipstick a woman wears when she wants to be noticed.
The complexion of a rose symbolizing romance.
It was all about Red this weekend. The flowers I saw, the shoes I wore, and the food I ate.
My friend and I went to Chef Monica Pope's Green Plum Cooking School (check her out on Top Chef's Masters) this weekend and learned how to make Red Tabbouleh. A delicious and gorgeous meal!
Such a lovely shade to come tint my weekend.
What was your color this weekend?
(PS. The winner of the Amongst Lovely Things giveaway is Lily. Congrats!)
We all live amongst lovely things.
In the midst of our everyday shuffle, we don't always notice the truly lovely things that dwell amongst us. The sunlight filtering through sheer curtains in the morning, the sizzle and crackle of eggs frying on a stove, pretty little drops of condensation on the mirror after a refreshing shower, the smell of freshly mowed lawn...
I am taking a pledge this Spring to compile a list of the Lovely Things that are part of my everyday life. Every day I am setting aside a few moments to observe my surroundings and be thankful to God for the beautiful little objects, smells, notions, relationships, sounds and feelings that I usually leave unnoticed.
This is perhaps one of the reasons why I love this shop and it's name Amongst Lovely Things. J has truly presented us with a store filled with lovely hand-painted porcelain to brighten up your home. Her gorgeous pieces pay homage to the beauty of nature, and has something to delight everyone from the Cottage Farmgirl, to the Smitten Francophile.
J is inspired by the lovely and romantic - Paris Flea Market Style, 20th Century Ornamental Art, Art Deco, Edwardian Filigree, Gypsy Wagons, and Embroidery Flourishes. J's husband's grandmother paints porcelain, and that, along with J's nostalgic and warm inspirations are what gave her the idea to sell her wares on Etsy.
In addition to painting porcelain, J also enjoys crocheting, tatting, and working with paper. Her favorite colors pop up often in work, if you look through her darling store, you will find lovely nods to soft Dove Greys, Dusky Blues, and pops of Robin's Egg Blue. She also keeps up with her pretty blog over here.
With all this love for the romantic, pretty and nostalgic, OR COURSE lovely desserts are encompassed in her favorites. Being a professed Sugar Fanatic, J couldn't just narrow it down to one favorite dessert - so she chose two - Lemon Custard Tarts adorned with Fruit and Berries, and also fine, decadent Chocolate.
J is giving one of you lucky readers the chance to add one of her pieces to the lovely things that you live amongst. For your chance to win the lovely Strawberry and Blue Butterfly Bowl pictured above, leave a comment here telling me THREE everyday lovely things that you often take for granted. I will announce the winner on Sunday.
(PS. City of Dionne has made it into the Top 20 Art & Craft Blogs!!! Thanks to your votes a few weeks ago, I made it into the final round. Now to see where I sit in the top 20. If you like my little bloglet, please vote for me here. Thanks!)
I am a Daytime person.
I wish there was a way to catch Sunlight, and anchor it down like a Helium Balloon...
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... but no matter how hard I try - even if I turn back the hours on my clock - it still escapes from me every day.
While it does like to stay and play longer in the warmer months, when it's ready to leave, I need to bid it goodnight, and wait until the next time it comes to visit.
(PS. A reminder to Texas Bloggers that the Texas Blogger's Cupcake Social is coming in May in Houston. Email me at spotty_zebra@hotmail.com for info)
(PPS. My latest post is up at Meylah, come here to check it out)
