april awakening.

etsy's taste test can be hit or miss, but they hit the nail on the head when they recommended i check out april awakening.

i am enamored with april's irreverent combinations of vintage and modern... from neon-painted lace doilies to geometric stamped victorian portraits, every single item in her shop is a winner. add it all to my wishlist!

my latest obsession . . . bensimon sneakers

i'm pretty sure i need a pair of bensimon sneakers in every color and style.

here is why:

1. they are french. enough said.

2. they have been worn by fashion icons like jane birkin and brigitte bardot.

3. they literally go with everything, from lived-in jeans and a t-shirt to a sweet summer dress.

convinced? i certainly am :)

pigeonhole.

reasonably priced, amazing looking jewelry? sign me up!

via pigeonhole

p.s. my birthday is coming up... just sayin ;)

stuff i want . . . apolis market bag

the most perfect shopping bag ever! the fact that it's shown toting a couple of yummy-looking baguettes just makes it that much better.

from apolis, $58.

etsy finds . . . paris perfect

{paris, latin quarter by laura amiss}

{a bit of paris by artquirk}

{laduree by emma kisstina}

{turquoise doors by shell sherree}

{i'll love you forever by pennywishes}

{metro by snugglemuffin}

these illustrations capture the spirit of paris so perfectly... i'll take one of each, please! then all i'll need to do is look at them to be transported to my favorite place :)

my latest obsession... retro cruisers

a few years ago, i was actually afraid to get on a bike. i'd had a couple of bad experiences riding when i was a kid, so i quit cold turkey when i was around 12 years old. at the age of 16, i was confronted by my nemesis while on a trip to germany. apparently everyone rides bikes there, but i was too chicken to get on one (meanwhile, my host stared at me like i was from mars as i stared at the bike like it was toxic)! more recently, bicycles were making a huge comeback as a mode of transportation, and i envied all the hipsters breezing by with the wind in their hair.

last year i finally decided enough was enough. i dragged my old bike out of my parents' garage and timidly started pedaling in the alley behind their house. and guess what? it was like riding a bike. all those years i'd been afraid for nothing... who knew the saying was true?

so now i'm in the market for a real, adult bike, and i'm totally smitten with vintage-inspired cruiser bikes. here are some stylish wheels that will have you riding in style in no time...

from top:

1. women's orange tahiti beach cruiser, $224.99 from overstock.com.

2. liberty of london for target "garla" bike... sadly only produced in a very limited edition, and now sold out. but if you're willing to spend a lot for a collector's item, there are a couple available on ebay.

3. custom-built dutch bike, $399 from republic. this baby is fully customizable, from the tires to the hand grips. pick your favorite colors and make it your own!

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want . . . paris map by cavallini

if you're like me, you're always looking for great artwork to fill up the empty spaces on your walls. i tend to shy away from large pieces of art because i can't justify spending a month's rent on a painting. even if you do splurge on a great piece, you have to pay for a ridiculously expensive custom frame on top of that.

this lovely paris map by cavallini is an exception... at 20 by 28 inches, it is big enough to make a serious impact, but you won't believe the price! because it is intended for use as wrapping paper, this baby is available at paper source for only $3.95. that's right... $3.95!! at that price, you can afford to splurge on a custom frame and have a beautiful, one of a kind piece of art for your home.

xoxo,

lesley

love mae.

how cute are these mini fabric stickers from mae? i am in love with the designs... they are all so whimsical and pretty! they would do a fantastic job sprucing up a plain journal, storage bin, picture frame, or even your laptop.

the best part is they are removable and completely reusable... so you can stick and unstick to your heart's content and spread the cuteness around your entire home :)

xoxo,

lesley

perpetual paris

check out this ahhhhmazing photo collage slash perpetual calendar made by nichole and evan of little brown pen.  they spent months in paris photographing letters and numbers on houses, license plates, chalkboards, and monuments... and now you can hang all of them on your wall!  isn't it just fantastic?  a little bit of paris every day.

click here to purchase the calendar.  also be sure to check out evan's super cool making-of video!

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want... clé usb

prettiest. flash drive. ever.  

from by:amt, the design geniuses behind the original acrylic "diamond" ring.

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want... city sparkle dress

i saw this dress in the window if french connection the other day and almost died.  i've been really into black, mixed metals, and heavy embellishment lately... so of course i am obsessed with this dress.  i think it would be the perfect holiday party/new year's eve dress with some black tights and classic black pumps... exactly like the model, no jewelry necessary!  keeping my fingers crossed it goes on sale...

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want... embroidered art from miniature rhino

while searching for embroidered art to include in my etsy finds yesterday, i came upon this delightful little shop called miniature rhino.  her hand embroidered pieces are so special, i just had to share them with you.  

everything is perfect... from the customized heart samplers (which would be a lovely, one-of-a-kind gift) to the tree ring designs and the constellation series.  i would love to have a whole bevy of these hanging in my studio!  yet another one to add to my ever-growing etsy art wishlist...

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want... tree rings paintings

i have to share these amazing tree rings paintings from focus line art on etsy.  they come in sets of three, each one of a kind and painted on slices cut from dead red and white elm trees.  

i think they look fantastic as a large group for serious impact, or mixed in randomly with other art pieces for a unique arrangement.  they are super affordable too... definitely at the top of my "stuff i want" list!

xoxo,

lesley

custom made shoes by hetty rose

umm, i'm pretty sure i need these.  they are the most amazing shoes ever, custom made to fit your foot perfectly, from buttery leather and scraps of vintage kimono fabric.  now... does anyone have around $500 i can borrow?

xoxo,

lesley

more japanese masking tape...

coming soon from happy tape.  the color combinations and patterns are so beautiful, i may not be able to resist this time!

xoxo,

lesley

stuff i want . . . fabric boxes from picciolo

since i recently moved into a new apartment and i'm still trying to get my studio organized, i am always on the lookout for cute and functional storage.  

the other day i discovered these adorable felt boxes from uk etsy seller picciolo, and i am in love!  they measure just 4" high, perfect for stashing all my crafty bits and pieces... and they come in a bunch of great colors and designs.  i think they would look great in multiples, lined up on top of a book shelf or work table.  

these are definitely on my wish list... and if you're anything like me, they're probably on yours now too!

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

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

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