Favorites of the day: Mes coups de coeur du jour

I stumbled upon a few items today that were either favorites from the past or new favorites.

This pair of Tretorn Nylite white canvas sneakers takes me back to my highschool days when I owned the exact pair! Attending a private school meant wearing a uniform everyday along with black leather shoes. These were my after school or weekend sneakers. I don't know how I managed to keep my old pair immaculate!

 

Inspired by my classic sneakers' clean lines, here are my coup de coeur du jour:

I like this jersey dress by Seattle designer Beki Wilson for its wonderful construction and material. The A-line and belted waist is sure to flatter one's figure, mine included.

Cotton Jersey Triangle Dress by OutOfLine

This weekender tote by DNTX is beautifully made that you would be using it everyday. I personally love the contrast between the  white stripe ticking material and the caramel leather. 

Weekender Tote by DNTX

Sure to be a new favorite of mine, these canvas slip-ons sneakers from Tretorn will be perfect for running errands around town. The goat-grey color won't be high-maintenance and would camouflage dirt easily.

Tretorn Skymra Canvas Shoes

I am glad to have a couple of classic trenches as part of my ward robe. One always looks effortlessly polished even on weekends. 

Classic Trench Coat from Banana Republic

Artifact Bags' rendition of the brown bag makes bringing lunch to work stylish. I'm tempted to get one myself just so I would be motivated to bring lunch more often.
 

No. 215 Lunch Tote by ArtifactBags

Last but not least, pedal to work or around town in style on this two-wheeled beauty courtesy of Anthropologie.com. Don't forget your bike helmet though.

Abici Sveltina Donna Bicycle from Anthropologie

Pixie Stix Bike Helmet from Nutcase Helmets

=(^.^)=

 

Indoor Gardening

It was through ETSY.com that I came to "discover" air plants, these low-maintenance plants that are said to be black thumb proof. I don't think that I have a black thumb but though I tried to have plants in my flat, I have not any luck in the past few years I lived there. It's probably not having enough sunlight, being in a building surrounded by even taller ones. My consolation is my healthy jade plant that I keep by my desk in the lab.

I found a couple ETSY sellers who sold air plants and after reading about how easy it is to care for them, I decided to finally get some. For newbies like me, Tortoise Loves Donkey (rather charming name, I say!) offers a grab bag  of three mystery air plants at an affordable price. And for those who are looking into populating their terrarium, they also offer the tiniest of air plants. Also, I love how their plants come with a care card--instructions were so easy to follow.

My new air plants arrived safely and unfrozen yesterday afternoon. That same evening I put them in whatever container I could find: a glass yogurt jar, a small ceramic pitcher, and a small white bowl. I was quite pleased with my grab-bag-o-air plants. 

For the tiny ones, the terrarium was THE place for them. One was just perfect for my tiny watering can while the even smaller one fit right at home in one of those spare USB covers I have.

I'm quite excited about my new indoor plants that I may have to get a few more tiny ones for the terrarium.

=(^.^)=

What's your "Rushmore"?

In case some of you are a little bit puzzled, "Rushmore" is a film by Wes Anderson (of "The Royal Tenenbaums" fame). It also happens to be one of my favorite films which does not fail to make me smile. The  movie is about finding something you love and doing it for the rest of your life. 

I know that this is probably not a romantic film or something one watches over the weekend before Valentine's Day (I was home sick fighting off a nasty cold...) but there is a wonderful lesson to be learned. One may be a barber or a brain surgeon but what counts is that you love what you do and enjoy doing it.

What's my "Rushmore"? So far, LIFE is what I love along with the adventures and misadventures that come with it. Here is my tribute to this movie plus a few handmade items that warmed my singleton heart this Valentine's Day.

The Treasury on ETSY.com

Heartstache Plush MiniHeart by HibouCards

Pleasure Molecule Heart Felt Ornament by WhatNoMints

Jelli Reposes by PhotoGrunt

Colorful Macarons Postcard photo by DarlingSavage

Tooth and Ice Cream Brooches by MemiTheRainbow

=(^.^)=

Heart for Glass

A few years ago, before moving to Seattle, I lived in Tacoma. Known as the Jewel of South Puget Sound, it is also home to the Museum of Glass, opened in 2002. 

Museum of Glass with Tacoma Dome and SR509 Suspension Bridge

As one can see from the following photographs I've recently taken, there is much to see outside the museum itself. The Seaform Pavillon and the Venetian Glass Wall showcases Chihuly's work. The distinct cone structure that gives the place its nickname houses the Hot Shop Ampitheater where live glass blowing takes place.

The "Cone" as seen from Dale Chihuly's "Bridge of Glass"

Crystal Towers

Chihuly's Bridge of Glass

 

Seaform Pavillon

Venetian Glass Wall

Historic Downtown Tacoma seen from the museum

ETSY.com has a number of very talented glass artists. For those who "heart" glass, here are some wonderful creations that caught my (non-glass) eye:

Heart in a Jar Necklace by KivaFord

Miniature Chemistry Set by KivaFord

Heart of Glass Valentine Paperweight by KitPaulson

Earrings by Kristin Perkins

Glass Leaf Necklace by Kristin Perkins

Glass Orca Whale by Totally Unique Glass

=(^.^)=

Now available at Seattle's Ghost Gallery

Late last year, I stumbled upon an independent gallery and boutique in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood. Ghost Gallery was founded in 2006 by Miss Laurie Kearney, a very talented independent curator. Aside from hosting wonderful exhibits, the place features miniature works of art: sculpture, painting, photography. It has a boutique that represents local, independent artists and crafters.

Here are a few of my scarves currently available at the Gallery's boutique:

 

Marley Neckwarmer in Charcoal

Marley Neckwarmer in Taupe

Ripple Scarf in Dusty Rose

Ripple Scarf in Dusty Purple

Ripple Scarf in Navy Blue, Brooch included

My ETSY shop has more new items for the New Year. Come and visit anytime!

Until next time, thanks for reading =(^.^)=

In stitches

 the age where technology is able to do almost everything, it is a huge comfort (for me, anyway) to know that the art of hand embroidery has not been lost. As a child, I remember looking at my grandmother's embroidery as well as learning different stitches in school. Being able to sew by hand came in handy when buttons came loose or clothes needed to be mended.

ETSY is a happy place for me and here, I found several wonderful artists who keep the art of stitches alive and well.

Through her embroidered portraits, dioramas, and jewelry, Cindy Steiler takes hand embroidery to the next level and with a modern twist. Her ETSY shop, MarysGranddaughter, was named in honor of her grandmother who taught her sewing and crochet. I love how she incorporates vintage materials and antique doll parts in creating such imaginative pieces.

girl and her goat - embroidered diorama

bathing beauty

embroidered brooch- greta is not amused

head in the clouds

Johanna Wood of Metal, Cloth & Wood incorporates embroidery in her wonderful sterling silver jewelry. Her pieces are worth collecting, wearing, and showing off. 

Embroidered Bluebird Brooch

Embroidered Apple Pendant

Embroidered Heart Ring

Embroidered Teapot Bracelet

WaterRose's meticulously embroidered wrist cuffs, home décor, and jewelry are sure to invite many compliments aside from ooooohs and aaaaahs. I personally admire her embroidered Queen Anne's Lace.

Queen Annes Lace Wrist Cuff

Starry Night Brooch

Crow and Key Steampunk Brooch

For the science geek in all of us (myself included), Malarie Burgess' aptly named ItsAStitch shop offers handstitched molecules --taking embroidery to the "molecular level" . I especially like her rendition of Oxytocin <3 <3 <3

Love Molecule - Embroidered Wall Art

Caffeine Fix - Embroidered Wall Art

Happy Molecule - Embroidered Wall Art

I hope you enjoyed these embroidered creations. Until next time, thanks for reading. =(^.^)=