crafty fanny

inspiration board

My homework this week for my Blogging your Way class was to create an inspiration board -- a physical collage of things I love that inspire me.

This is something that I've been thinking about doing for months now, but haven't seemed to be able to actually find the time and sit down to do it. And what a fool I've been all these months, because the process was so absolutely FUN!

Note: If you're like me and one of those people who's constantly thinking of doing things rather than actually doing them, start doing. It's way better than thinking all the time! 

Anyhoozy, here's my board! I'm going to hang it up in my office/studio/creative space/not-a-room-where-I-toss-all-my-junk-when-I-don't-feel-like-putting-it-away-room.

A couple of close-ups:

Don't you just love that photo of the couple smooching in the window? That's me and Tim in France. LOVE that pic!

PS: don't worry: only one Anthropologie catalog was harmed in the making of this inspiration board.

Hey, Anthropologie, wanna take this outside?

Oh come on, Anthro, why you gotta do me like that?

First, you point out a super cute plaid shirt dress (LOVE shirt dresses!) which completely goes with a belt and boots that I already own.

Then, you show me that you also make that dress in tones of blue and green (LOVE tones of blue and green!).

 

Next, I get my catalog last month, and it features a kicky brunette with a bob and bangs IN FRANCE!! Seriously, it's like you're talking right at me about all the lovely.

And, finally, you send me an email letting me know about an outfit with a 50's-ish vibe that features a polka-dot blouse that buttons in the front and in the back. 

Um, now it's starting to just feel mean.

my new secret weapon

Ladies, if you're of the endowed variety, have I got news for you:

The VS Body by Victoria lined full coverage bra might just change your life.  

This bra is my new favorite things and helps keep my melons where they belong: right under my chin! In the past, I've found that VS bras tend not to contain my girls. Not so, my friend. This one ROCKS!

Note: I am in no way receiving any compensation from Victoria's Secret for this post, but, hey! VS! If you send a couple of these puppies my way, I'll gladly sign for the package, if you know what I mean.

Blue Barnhouse

One of the benefits of working at a paper/stationery store is that I get to constantly check out new greeting card designs without feeling tempted to purchase all of the good ones. {ok, you're right: I'm still tempted, but hold back *most* of the time.}

I've recently found myself completely smitten with the selections from Asheville NC's Blue Barnhouse letterpress selections.

This is just a small sampling of their awesomeness:

 

The cards are beautiful but so funny that I laugh out loud whenever a customer brings one up to the register. Click on the card image to be taken to the online listing.

new year's resolution: broken

Ah, I lasted about 17 days without buying myself a new journal. But, this one is so lovely and charming, I just couldn't resist.

Now this is a journal I can keep! The One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book features a page for every day of the year with space for you to write just a couple of lines every day for the next five years. It really is a brilliant concept. The book starts on January 1, so I figured I should get it while I could still remember the first half of the month!

BUT, I would like to add that I just started the decor8 e-class, Blogging your Way. In the first lesson, Holly encouraged all of us to get a new, pretty notebook to use for class notes, journaling, etc. Even with that (it was my homework!) I am using a half-used beat up notebook for the class. Filling it will get me one step closer to something shiny, new and pretty!

the etsy shop is live!

OMG! My card is on etsy -- woot woot!

Wouldn't it be such a treat to get this in the mail!?!?

You can check it out for yourself right here. I think this marks the beginning of many wonderful things! Exciting! And scary!

More soon!

PS. I have spent most of the day hanging out with Maggie and listening to NPR coverage of what's happening with the relief effort in Haiti. And what's happening is not much yet. Have you heard that you can text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross? Have you done it yet? Imagine if everyone who had a cell phone sent that one text -- just imagine what kind of difference we might be able to collectively make in the lives of these people!

knocked up?

Hi friends!

Are any of you preggers? And looking for that perfect crib for your perfect nursery?

Cause if you are, will you pretty please get one of these GOR-GE-OUS lovelies so you can hand it down to me in a few years when I'm ready for a little one of my very own and you're so done with the crib thing?

I promise to be the very best auntie ever!

Thanks and XO,
~fanny

(Photos from desire to inspire, via Urban Grace Interiors)

sneak peek

Hey sweet blog friends!

Thanks to all of you for your kind words of encouragement. The support of strangers means a lot!

Here's a little sneak peek of what's to come (hopefully later today!) at the crafty fanny etsy shop.

I'm going to be trying my hand at shortbread this afternoon. I've got two sticks of butter softening on the counter as I type. Hopefully a success story of the culinary kind will follow as well!

let's call it research

My soon-to-be etsy shop is super close to being up. That's right. I printed one card (ONE!) to list in the shop. Baby steps, people, I'm all about the baby steps.

I decided last week that it would probably be a good idea to do some "research" on how different shop owners list and package and ship their own card creations. Thus I spent a few hours the other day studying, ahem shopping.

A few of the little ditties I discovered:

Sew in Love Valentine from chewingthecud

Tiny little bird card by Freya art, via designismine

Believe card, also by Freya

All that we will ever need print, by Freya

Eat, Drink, Dance, Sing card, Freya again


Say Please and Thank You print by Louella Press, originally found via OperationNice

Crazy Love card by upup, via When I Grow Up Coach

I love you card by le papier studio

I did not purchase them all. I was tempted, but remained restrained. Sneak peeks of the card will be up soon. I'm hoping to get one photographed and listed THIS WEEK! Woot woot! 

wednesday's inspiration: julie & julia

We watched Julie & Julia on new year's eve. What an amazing film. If you haven't seen it yet, you're in for a treat. Julia Child's story was such an inspiration to me! And Meryl Streep? Superb. And Stanley Tucci? Superb! And the two of them together. OMG, superb!

The movie also made me want to run right out and pick up my own copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. At least until I remembered my new year's resolution. No new cookbooks until I use the ones I have? Crap.

Tim's father got me Nigella Lawson's How to Eat: The Pleasures and Principles of Good Food for Christmas, and in the spirit of Julie & Julia, I made the following deal with myself: I can buy the Julia Child book only after I made ALL the recipes in the Nigella book. Bring it.

So far I've made two recipes from the book: Linguine with Clams on NY Eve and Eggplant Involtini for a friend's birthday. Both were lovely.

Cooking clams is incredibly easy, but the dish seemed super fancy at the same time. Didn't it turn out beautifully?

2 down, 348 to go!