japanese masking tape

how adorable are these little sets of color coordinated, patterned japanese masking tape?  use them for gift wrapping, scrabbooking, or just hanging bits of inspiration on your walls.  the tape can be removed and repositioned without tearing or leaving a residue, so you can use it anywhere you want!

a set of 3 rolls is $6.50 at ginko papers, and they have a bunch of other cute colors available.

xoxo,

lesley

splurge vs. steal . . . spring picnic

spring is just around the corner!  even though temperatures here are still on the brink of freezing, i suddenly have an uncontrollable urge to pack up all my sweaters and wool coats and fill my closet with lighter clothes that give me that breezy, not-a-care-in-the-world look.  so, in honor of the change of seasons, i give you two looks - one affordable and one... um, not so affordable - inspired by a picnic in the park on the perfect spring day.

tee: $78, from vince

linen shorts: alice & olivia, $92.99 from bluefly

scarf: tdm design, $100 from bluefly

wood bangles: $158 and $178, from coach

bag: marni, $600 from net-a-porter

shoes: stuart weitzman, $395 from endless

total = $1,601.99

tee: $29.99, from anthropologie

linen shorts: $19.90, from forever 21

scarf: kirra, $14.50 from pacsun

wood bangles: $36, from shimmer and stone 

and $9.95, from fantasy jewelry box

bag: hayden-harnett, $49.99 from target

shoes: $19.80, from go jane

total = $180.13

xoxo,

lesley

pecannoot!

i'm so excited to share this new project from one of my favorite bloggers and artists, jessica gonacha.  she has created a new blog called pecannoot... the name is dutch for pecan, and the pecan tree is a symbol of abundance... the purpose of the blog is to inspire people and remind them of everything they have, even during these tough economic times.  what a wonderful, positive message amid all the negativity we've been beaten over the head with these past months!  

the best part?  the message is conveyed entirely in pictures!  so far, the artwork posted on the blog is all by jess herself, but the great thing about pecannoot is that anyone can participate!  jess is looking for artists to submit images based on the theme of abundance... if you are interested participating, just send her a message at pecannoot@gmail.com.

the artwork jess has posted so far is so inspiring, and i can't wait to see more.  i can really identify with the theme... the tagline "make every day abundant" is right in line with my own goal of getting more out of life this year.  i am definitely going to think some more about what abundance means to me and submit my own artistic interpretation :)

xoxo,

lesley

flickr favorites . . . ann-d

ann-d is one of my absolute favorite artists on flickr.  i could spend days just staring at the beautiful images from her daily sketchbooks.  she has so much incredible work, which makes it almost impossible for me to choose favorites... but here are just a few of many that caught my eye:

this is just a tiny sampling of the hundreds of gorgeous sketchbook pages posted on ann's flickr page.  each one is totally unique and totally inspiring.  definitely take a few moments to visit her photostream... you won't be disappointed!  also take a look at her etsy shop showcasing a small selection of her original paintings and illustrations.

xoxo,

lesley

happy valentine's day!

love is in the air... happy valentine's day everyone!  the adorable image above is one in a series of amazing free e-cards available on kate spade's website.  each design was created by a different artist, especially for valentine's day and available for a limited time.  why not send one to someone you love today?

xoxo,

lesley

my latest obsession . . . mixed metal jewelry

in the past, i've kept my gold- and silver-toned jewelry strictly quarantined for fear of clashing... which meant going to such extremes as ditching my platinum engagement ring so i could rock a pair of antique brass chandelier earrings.  i would even fret over the tiniest details, like whether the grommets on my jeans matched the hardware on my purse.

it was becoming an obsession... but now i've found a cure: mixed metal jewelry.  hallelujah!   there is something about the contrast of different shades and patinas of metal that has that exotic, worldly, bohemian feel.  and even better, for obsessive-compulsive types like myself, it matches everything!

right now i'm totally craving braided chains, ethnic-inspired bangles, and matte finish drops in a spectrum of silver, gold, pewter and bronze tones.  here are my picks... hope you like them!

clockwise from top left:

1.  braided chain earrings, $28 from urban outfitters

2.  dip dye chain effect necklace, $16.10 from asos

3.  fern pendant necklace, $68 from tessa kemp jewelry

4.  tribal bangle set, $5.80 from forever 21

5.  perfect little pieces necklace, $34 from local library

6.  set of three printed bangles, $11.56 from asos

7.  trio stacking rings, $30 from tickle bean

xoxo,

lesley

shop ruche

i recently discovered the amazing online boutique ruche {via cheap chicas blog}, and i just had to share.  ruche carries heaps of dreamy, vintage-inspired clothes and accessories that will make you swoon.  the clothes have that certain parisian flair - that je ne sais quoi - that makes me think of days spent treasure hunting at les puces and nights drinking wine by the seine.  

the romantic silhouettes and muted colors are perfectly on-trend for spring, and - get this - almost everything on the website is under $50!  and if that wasn't enough to get you excited, they also have an entire section dedicated to clothes made from organic and eco-friendly materials.  

if you're a hopeless romantic when it comes to fashion (like i am!), you won't be able to resist ruche.  i ordered some amazing pieces and i can't wait til they arrive and whisk me off to my imaginary parisian fantasy world :)

some of my favorite pieces from their current line (clockwise from top left):

1.  beige chiffon sunday dress, $39.99

2.  brown olden oxfords, $39.99

3.  creamy tutu clutch purse, $26.99

4.  blue linen coolots, $29.99

5.  pleats and tucks gray top, $27.99

6.  brown lacey lace flats, $29.99

well, what are you waiting for?  if you haven't checked it out yet, rush to ruche now!

xoxo,

lesley

front page!

thanks to etsy front pagers on flickr, i was able to get a screen cap of my appearance on the front page last week!  my colorful keys notecard set appears in the lower right hand corner... yay!

xoxo,

lesley

splurge vs. steal... valentine's day date

i love fashion and putting together outfits, so i decided to try out a new feature i'm calling splurge vs. steal.  i will put together two outfits for a certain occassion... one that features super expensive designer pieces, and another that emulates the look using affordable but stylish pieces.  this week's theme... a hot valentine's day date, of course!

splurge outfit

dress: temperley london, $1,295 from net-a-porter

tights: $12, from urban outfitters

shoes: bcbgirls, $109.95 from nordstrom

cardigan: whim, $144.99 from bluefly

clutch: felix rey, $210.99 from bluefly

necklace: $86, from sonja margit

total = $1,858.93

steal outfit

dress: destination style ny by pat field, $49.95 from hsn

tights: $12, from urban outfitters

shoes: $16.99 from payless

cardigan: $14.80 from forever 21

clutch: $15.80 from forever 21

brooch: $3.80 from forever 21

necklace: $19.99 from urban outfitters

total = $133.33

i hope you enjoyed my new feature... please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

xoxo,

lesley

studio sneak peek

i know i promised i would show you some photos of my studio, so i've decided to give a little sneak peek before it's completely ready.  in my last apartment, my studio was so cluttered and not very inspiring, so this time around i knew i wanted to create a sanctuary where i could relax and let the creative juices flow.  i decided i wanted a seating area, so i could just hang out in my studio and be comfortable while reading or making things.  that area of the room is pretty much finished now, so here it is!

one of my favorite things in the seating area is my new rug, which i ordered from pbteen.  the colors in the rug help tie together everything in the room, and they really brighten up the place... plus it was on sale!  the floor pillow is also from pbteen, but it was waaaay on sale when i bought it and they are sold out now.

the loveseat is an old klippan from ikea... i ditched the worn out navy blue slip cover (from my husband's bachelor pad in grad school) in favor of a fun, furry white one.  i love it!  i made almost all the pillows on the couch, except for the two matching sequined ones in either corner, which my sister picked up at home goods.  the three pillows in front are made from my own fabric designs, printed from spoonflower.com (you may recognize my "helena" and "sing" illustrations from the shop!)... thanks to jess for recommending the site, it is fantastic!

i also made the cork board out of an old frame i found in my parents' garage.  you can see my new year's resolutions hanging in the upper left corner, along with artwork by some etsy faves like shannon rankin and shawn stucky.

i have been having a great time putting everything together in the new place, and i'm really happy with how it's turning out.  i can't wait to show more pictures once everything is ready!

xoxo,

lesley

more personalized notecards!

i just added a brand new personalized card set to my etsy shop and i wanted to share it here.  i love the juicy colors... they remind me that spring is on the way!  and these basketweave pattern is so fun, and a little bit retro.  they come in a set of 8 and can be personalized with any name or sentiment... perfect for gift giving!

xoxo,

lesley

fabulous blogs

i've been tagged again, this time by kelli of happy place design!  she writes a great blog and runs the etsy shops smally and tally and happy place design.  

this time the rules are a little different... i am supposed to make a list of 10 blogs i think are fabulous and share their links.  i love sharing my inspiration, and much of it comes from the blogs i read.  so here you go, 10 of my favorite, most fabulous blogs!

1. pikaland

2. little brown pen

3. lace & tea

4. treasuring (jessica gonacha)

5. krisatomic

6. design*sponge

7. kitty genius (ashley goldberg)

8. a print a day

9. made by girl

10. desire to inspire

xoxo,

lesley

featured!

so i was just googling myself (don't make fun of me!) and i was delighted to find that some of my petite notecards had been featured on a lovely blog called lace & tea!  blogger amanda has fabulous taste (if i do say so myself) and features some amazing finds in fashion, art, housewares, and more.  go check it out!

xoxo,

lesley

there is nothing wrong in this whole wide world

{photo by heather}

i just recently came upon some photographs on flickr of an art piece called "there is nothing wrong in this whole wide world" by chris cobb.  for the piece, cobb and a team of 16 helpers spent one night arranging all 20,000 books in a san francisco book shop by color.  apparently the piece was only supposed to last for one week, but it was so popular that it was extended several weeks.  i wish i could have seen it in person!

{photo by mermaniac}

{photo by heather}

the photos are absolutely gorgeous, and they inspired me to arrange my own little bookshelf by color.

i always thought it was kind of an eyesore in my living room, but i love looking at it now!  oh, and if you can't get enough of bookshelves arranged by color, check out the flickr group rainbow of books.

xoxo,

lesley

valentine's day goodies

i have some fresh valentine's day goodies available in my etsy shop... order now to make sure you get them on time!

xoxo,

lesley