giving thanks...

printable gift tags and placecards by little brown pen

happy thanksgiving everyone!  

these next couple weeks are going to be pretty crazy for me... my husband and i are moving into a new apartment on sunday, then we are going on vacation to playa del carmen, mexico on thursday!  with all the stress of the holiday season and moving, it really is the perfect time for a little break :)

so, i won't be blogging or updating the shop for a little while... until then, i leave you with a list of things i'm thankful for this year.

- my amazing husband, who supports me no matter what i do!

- spending time with my awesome family and friends... moving closer to home was one of the best decisions i've made in a long time.

- warm weather in mexico!

- the huge community of artists, crafters, bloggers, and small business owners like myself... all just a click away!  you provide me the inspiration and courage to keep doing what i do.

- hot tea and fresh baked cookies :)

- a new apartment to fill with all my treasures...

- a new president who fills me with hope for the future.

what are you thankful for this year?

xoxo,

lesley

free desktop wallpapers by ryan mcginness

so i might be a little (or a lot) behind the curve, but i just discovered the amazing artwork of ryan mcginness.  he makes these phenomenal sculptures, paintings, installations, and even garments... all with his bold, graphic, iconic style.  they are insanely good... if you haven't seen his work yet, you must check out his website immediately.

my personal favorite part of the website is the downloads section, which features seven fantastic desktop wallpapers that you can download for free.  so those of us who can't afford to spend thousands on an original piece can turn their desktop into a digital art gallery.  my imac is currently sporting number one, "four cats my way," and it has never looked so fabulous.

xoxo,

lesley

etsy finds . . . lace pottery bowls

how gorgeous are these lace pottery bowls by maggie weldon?  the best part is, they are available in a bunch of different sizes and patterns to fit every budget!  check out the selection in her etsy shop.

xoxo,

lesley

what i'm watching . . . my first crush by julia pott

i've been a fan of julia pott's artwork for a long time, but i just recently discovered her animated short films.  this one, called "my first crush" was her final film at kingston university, and it is simply adorable.  watch and enjoy.

xoxo,

lesley

holiday cards and gift tags are here!

'tis the season... and i've got some great new cards and gift tags to help you spread holiday cheer this year!

whether your taste is modern or classic, whimsical or elegant, i've got the perfect cards and tags for you in my shop!  head on over and check out my new designs... and as a special offer just for my blog readers, take 5% off your purchase of any holiday cards or gift tags by entering the code 315HOLIDAY at checkout.

xoxo,

lesley

in search of the perfect fingerless gloves

well, it's that time of year... temperatures are dropping and heating bills are going up! my hands are always cold, so i am searching for the perfect pair of fingerless gloves to keep me cozy while keeping my fingers free to type, draw, drink tea, and go about my day.

clockwise from left:

1. pretty and romantic merino wool lace trimmed grey gauntlets from whiletheyplay, $25

2. dusty mauve fingerless gloves... a bargain from gap, $19.50

3. unique screen printed green "oui warmers" with brown lace trim from floatingoldiceberg, $22

4. gorgeous made to order merino wool fingerless gloves in ivory with strap detail from whiletheyplay, $40

5. glam and rocker gloves with fun button detail from modcloth, $15.99

6. on-trend military inspired fingerless gloves in hunter green from urban outfitters, $20

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want . . . illume candles from anthropologie

illume's candles for anthropologie come in the lovliest printed tins and jars, in scents that sound absolutely divine.

clockwise from top left:

1. elena tin in snow on cedar, $18

2. boulangerie cupcake jar in pumpkin ginger spice pound cake, $16

3. boulangerie cupcake jar in vanilla & fig, $16

4. boulangerie cupcake jar in sweet vanilla & cinnamon, $16

5. silhouette tin in cranberry kir, $16

6.  glacial jar in amber glow, $32

xoxo,

lesley

flickr favorites . . . anna maria horner

not only is anna maria horner an incredible textile designer (one of my favorite bags is a hobo made from her drawing room fabric by debos on etsy), author, and painter... she also takes absolutely stunning photographs of her everyday life.

a visit to her flickr page transports you to a whimsical world where everything is colorful and cheerful and bright.  i wish my everyday life was this beautiful!

xoxo,

lesley

etsy finds . . . what kt does

i just discovered this brand new etsy shop today called what kt does... "kt" is katy smail, an illustrator and photographer from the uk.

right now she only has a handful of originals for sale in her etsy shop, but her announcement says that prints are available for those on a tighter budget and links to her personal site, which has much more of her beautiful work.

i just love her tragic heroines... such evocative images, fantastic use of color, and a unique style.  wouldn't you love to have one of these girls hanging on your wall?  i know i would... i'll be keeping an eye on her shop for when she adds more!

xoxo,

lesley

what i'm listening to . . . jeff beck & imogen heap

just discovered this fantastic performance of "blanket" on youtube... check it out if you like good music :)

xoxo,

lesley

in search of the perfect tea cup

i drink a lot of tea, so i want my cup to be pretty and functional.  i found some on etsy that i think just might fit the bill.

clockwise from top left:

1. the most adorable set of three aqua and pink vintage melmac tea cups from vintagegoodies

2. witty and charming tea bag and tea spoon cup and saucer in simple black and white from baileydoesntbark

3. gorgeous set of four tall vintage cups and saucers with a pretty medallion design from bluebellbazaar

4. sturdy mug with blue pinstripes and a fun sewing machine design from circaceramics

5. generously sized handmade mug in the prettiest shade of aqua from karinlorenc

6. this amazing one of a kind hand painted cup and saucer from krisatomic sadly sold a couple months ago... but it is still one of my favorites!

xoxo,

lesley

trunkt!

i got in... yay!  here is my portfolio:

http://www.trunkt.org/315thomas

if anyone reading this is on trunkt and has any advice on how to get the most out of the site, leave me a note in the comments :)

xoxo,

lesley

etsy find . . . quercus silver

i am totally obsessing over quercus silver's resin and silver jewelry.  the bright, saturated colors and simple shapes are so, so beautiful and her product photos are insanely gorgeous.  here are a few of my favorite pieces from her etsy shop.

isn't this ring just amazing?  it has this glow from within, and all the little flecks of color inside the resin make it look like amber.  warm orange avatar ring, $55.

these little earrings are such a lovely shade of aqua... they will look like little rain drops dangling from your ears.  teal resin and silver earrings, $50.

something for the man in your life... round orange resin and silver cufflinks, $78.

and check out her gorgeous packaging... who wouldn't want to receive this little gem in the mail?

xoxo,

lesley

trend alert . . . knit bangles

i have been seeing knit bangles everywhere this season, from my favorite blogs to etsy shops to the cover of vogue knitting.  and the other day, i saw them at old navy... sets of 3 on sale for only $7!  i try to buy handmade as often as i can to stay away from the big box stores, but this is a deal i just can't resist.  they have a bunch of cute color combinations... get 'em while they're hot!

UPDATE: they are now only $5.50!

xoxo,

lesley

flickr favorites . . . warm & cozy

even as the weather turns cold, these photographs make me feel warm and cozy...

clockwise from top left:

gracec, david cartier, tickled pink knits, cloudnine, elena777

xoxo,

lesley

new website launch!

after keeping it a secret for months, i am very pleased to announce that my new online shop is up and running!!!  please visit 

www.315thomas.bigcartel.com

to shop for an assortment of modern paper goods with a vintage-inspired twist, all handmade by me!

the photos you see here are a preview of what you will find on my new website... hand printed notecards and journals, petite notecards, sketchbooks, and gift tags galore.  i have been working really hard over the past few months coming up with new designs and products and i am so excited to finally reveal them to the public!

as a thank you to all my blog readers, i am offering 15% off your first purchase between now and december 1st.  all you have to do is enter the code 315LAUNCH at checkout and the discount will be automatically applied to your order.

                       
i hope you enjoy my new website... thank you so much for visiting and happy shopping! :)

xoxo,

lesley