Join the Movement!

I am in LOVE! I know that I pretty much say that often when it comes to all these wonderful handmade works of art, and when it comes to pillows especially. {A bed itself is not complete unless it has at least 10 or 12! Friends are starting to worry!} But... I can't stop admiring my new favorite thing. I tore open the box as soon as it arrived and was blown away! 3 handmade crewel pillows made from stunning vintage fabrics were comfortably packaged and wrapped in soft tissue in a presentation so sweet, I felt guilty tearing through it... But, thats what I did! I couldn't wait! They were more beautiful than I could have ever imagined! The top right pillow pictured here now has it's place in my living room on a couch of cream colored cushions {along with a few other pillows!}, burnt orange curtains hang from the windows behind and a brown and multi-colored paisley rug rests on the floor. A perfect fit! 

What makes these pillows most special is Zahida, the awesome woman behind these beautiful designs ~ A chance meeting via an etsy treasury and a couple of conversations later has confirmed that you never know where you will make a new friend!

  

"I spent 10 years of my career working in the airline industry and was fortunate enough to travel all over the world…in first class ;) This, I’m sure, is where I developed my taste for the good life! As a new mother and member of the corporate management team, I decided to trade-in my fast paced career to enjoy motherhood and what some folks term, “the simple life”. It has been an amazing journey filled with lessons of love and creativity. Homemaker Movement is my creative outlet. It provides me the opportunity to share some of my work with you, to indulge in luxurious fabrics, fine vintage linens and pure, natural herbs. It also quenches my thirst to run a world-class business while being completely available to my family." ~ Zahida

:: 2010 ::

Happy New Year! I know it has been too long since I posted AND that the posts for November and December were few and far between! The holidays were filled with jewelry show preps and house parties, custom order craziness, shipping rushes and the need to still find time to play host to family and friends {not to mention the last minute x-mas shopping sprees}! Not sure where time went and how I got here SO quickly! But here we all are ~ January 2010! And I sit here with my feet up, mimosa in hand, while I start a new list of to-dos! Wishing you all the best! 

I have ordered a few new fun calendars for 2010 to give as gifts :: ImmortalLonging's "Shakespeare Calendar" for my mother {hope she is not reading since she has been away traveling and has not gotten her gifts yet!} and a "Twiggy Paper Doll Calendar" from MoxiePhotoDesign, that I was sure a good friend would love! Here are a few others if you have not picked one for your home or office yet! Hope you enjoy ~ Cheers!

1 :: Donnageissler ~ 2010 Calendar, Easel, Gift Box and Ribbon

2 :: BomoBob ~ A Year of Birds - 2010 Fine Art Calendar

3 :: StephanieFizer ~ Brilliant Blossoms 2010 Twelve Month Calendar

4 :: Alidesign ~ 2010 CALENDAR - Mini French Series

5 :: Urbandesign ~ 2010 Mod Meadow Calendar

6 :: ALittleHut ~ 2010 calendar - print and assemble

Tickled Pink!

I will admit to a scarf obsession. An easy accessory to brighten up any outfit from your cold winter wardrobe. Elena from Tickled Pink has a gorgeous collection of original designs, featuring fabulous colors, innovative touches, and made using fine and luxurious materials. I am in love with the Lightweight, airy, chic, design of these ultra-feminine scarves. Her photographs are stunning, clear, crisp and full of detail makes her designs a popular favorite. I even love the bust she uses to model her designs, maybe I could use a similar one for some of my jewelry shots!

Elena’s "collection of luxurious & lovely handmade knitwear and knit accessories is here to tickle your fancy and delight you. I design and make all of items you see in the Tickled Pink Knits collection in my New York-based studio. As I hope is evident in the things I create, I am head over heels in love with knitting and take great care with every stitch. I adore working with natural yarns like wools and cottons, with variegated colorways, and creating my own patterns."

December Birthstone Designs

Here is a collection inspired by December's birthstones ~ Turquoise and London Blue Topaz.

"If cold December gave you birth :: The month of snow and ice and mirth :: Place on your hand a turquoise blue :: Success will bless whate'er you do." {Gregorian Birthstone Poem} Visit Kate & Company Jewelry Designs for more in the collection.

A blue-frosted serene night...

There is a definite chill in the air now... with chances of flurries tomorrow, I guess that makes it official that winter is finally here. No need to have the winter blues with this soft and cozy collection! Enjoy a few fun finds inspired by the gorgeous dusty blue of these "Jean Blue" earrings and a snow covered "Serene Night."

1 :: Naokosstoop ~ Serene Night Story No.4

2 :: Underabluesky ~ adorned, a 5x5 print

3 :: PrettyinPosies ~ Wool Slip Covered Snap Clip in Dusty Winter Blue

4 :: JillianMackowiak ~ Jean Bleu - Vintage Acrylic and Sterling Silver Earrings

5 :: Monkeypuzzle ~ Florishy Holidays

6 :: Lori411~ Lovely Baby's Breath - 5x7 Fine Art Print

It does exist!

I knew there had to be a recipe out there ~ turns out there are quite a few! I stumbled upon one from the kitchen sink with delicious looking photos and thought I would share.

Pumpkin-Swirl Brownies 

Adapted from Martha Stewart This recipe, when cooled and cut, yields a pretty cakey brownie.  If you, like me, prefer a more fudgy brownie texture, store these in the fridge, where they’ll firm up and become just perfect. Yield: 16 brownies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for pan

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper & 1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups sugar & 4 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter lining. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture. Divide batter between two medium bowls (about 2 cups per bowl). Stir chocolate mixture into one bowl. In other bowl, stir in pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don’t set.With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

YUM!

I have been terrible... So crazed preparing for the holiday house parties and shows that I have been neglecting my weekly blogging. Not sure where the time goes these days ~ I can't believe that November is almost gone and I am now preparing the Thanksgiving Dinner Menu! I have yet to come across a pumpkin brownie recipe, but one must exist since this sounds like a great combination to me... a little pumpkin swirl added into the warm melted chocolate. I will have to do some googling!

1 :: Eleanors ~  Love - Fine Art Flower Photograph

2 :: Patspottery ~ Espresso Sunrise Tableware

3 :: Urbanheirlooms ~ Genteel Leather Wallet

4 ::  Kande ~ Roxanne Earrings - vintage lucite

5 :: TomBjornDesigns ~ Pumpkin brooch

6 :: Knight27 ~ Sepia Weather Vane

Friday's Treasured Finds ~ Sugar Plums

I was fortunate enough to catch a treasury at the last minute on Friday. Inspired by these beautiful Duchessa earrings by Besty3, I found a few favorites to compliment them!

1 :: AmeliaKayPhotography ~ Purple Dreams

2 :: Deepindigo ~ Lavander Rose - Knitted pin

3 :: morelle ~ Truffle in Lilac

4 ::  Cardinalhouse ~ Floral bobby pin set.

5 :: Sumikoshop ~ The Key of heart - Dusty Amethyst

6 ::  Betsy3 ~ Duchessa Earrings

Kate & Company featured on ETSY gift Guides!

This is an exciting first for me so I just had to share! My pair of Turquoise Hammered drop earrings has made it into the current ETSY Jewelry Gift Guides feature. I guess it proves all the hard work I have been doing preparing for the Holiday Season is starting to pay off! {Check it out!} along with some other beautiful pieces!

Fall Fairy tale Wedding

I found this gorgeous cake awhile back and cannot remember where I found it {if you know, please feel free to share so I can pay appropriate tribute!}. I just love its simple elegance, warm soft colors and attention to all the life-like details in the ferns and mushrooms ~ stunning! I am sure I would never be able to eat it! Accompanying it with a beautiful set of invitations, cute acorns and leaf stamped name cards for the tables, and a sweet necklace as a gift for your bridesmaids would make a beautiful collection for a Fall wedding day. And I just love the style and elegance of this clutch!

1 :: FairyFolk ~ Eight Felted Acorns

2 ::  NewFashionedWhispers ~ Taylor. A golden light capturing locket

3 :: Greenquince ~ Lily wedding invitation suite

4 ::  ExQuisiteInVitation ~ 50 Green Leaf Embossed Fill-in Placecards

5 :: BagatellesAndCo ~ Golden arabesque - luxury silk/cashmere clutch

Dreamy!

Somehow I lost a "friday feature" last week ~ Between having company for the weekend and more unsolvable issues with the internet, it just never happened. I have to admit that it was nice to focus on other things and have an excuse to not answer e-mails or follow facebook updates. 

But I'm back and loving my choice for this week!

I had a really hard time choosing only five photos to feature! The hydrangea was a given of course! I just love hydrangeas, and think that this piece would go very well with the dusty blue and yellow-ochre colors I have in my guest room. The sweet softness that KristyBee has captured and expressed with these images is stunning, the contrast between the colors and delicate detail in the foreground space and the soft, seemingly distant background create such a soothing feel. For more gorgeous images take a peek at her blog.

"I've had a deep love of photography for many years. I love the everyday ordinary beauty in life and I have an incredible love of natural light. I try to show that in my photography. My photos have a dreamy quality to them so some may have slight grain or blur, which lends to the dreamy feeling I try to achieve."

The warmth of Fall

Looking forward to and hoping for a beautiful fall weekend and that the forecasters get it wrong about the rain predicted to head our way!  I am in the middle of several new jewelry designs and have been inspired by the warmth of new colors and textures that fall brings.

1 :: Irenesuchocki ~  Tell the Sky

2 :: AuraleeDallas ~ Lean On Me

3 :: SherriConley ~ She Remembers a Time

4 ::  TroyKujala ~ Fall Sunflower

5 :: BucksCountyframes ~ Autumn Travels

6 :: CalliahPhotography ~ Pumpkins

Granny Chic!

I apologize for the tardiness of this week’s “friday feature” ~ combination of a terrible cold and the pesky internet fairies kept me delayed.

Pot holders, pillows, seat cushions, gift cards and more ~ what an eclectic collection by Emma Lamb! I just love this crochet floor throw - and think I could use one of these for my office to go with my dune green, cranberry and beige color scheme!

“Everything I make evolves from my love of 'granny chic', which for me is about quality hand crafted and vintage pieces teamed with bold but beautiful colour combinations; it is about mixing old and new ideas, patterns, colours and textures to create something that is both fresh and modern, yet traditional at the same time.”

Visit Emma’s blog to find more about her and her “crafty pursuits.”

Snuggle up!

I took the dog out this morning ~ wow! Is the winter chill is settling in already? And I was just getting used to the fact that summer was over and flip flop season is long gone. Time to trade them in for something a little warmer and a pair of hand-knit felted mocs by Lavendar Hill knits that look like your feet might melt right into them should definitely do the trick! These along with a few other handmade finds will help make the transition a little more bearable!

1 :: Peekaboomonkey ~  Plaid Baby Booties

2 :: Strikk ~ Handknit cushion with tulip cables

3 :: KoboH ~ Felted Bowls, Set of Two - Grey with Blanket Stitch

4 :: Sweetknitting ~ Ivory Mohair Cashmere Warm Triangle Shawl 

5 :: Justhats ~ Pom - Pom hat 

6 :: Lavenderhillknits ~ Two-Button Womens Mocs

From the Patch

Not your traditional pumpkins! A collection to admire, wear and bathe in! I love the soft creams and whites of this collection inspired by the Cinderella's vintage lucite pumpkin earrings ~ They are my favorite!

1 & 2  :: Martha Stewart

3 :: Leapinggazelle ~ Season's bounty... squash fine art photo

4 :: ChocolateLeaves ~ Cinderella's Pumpkin Earrings - Vintage lucite

5 :: SeaPinks ~ Autumn Green Plaid Decorative Pumpkin or Gourd

6 :: Swanmountainsoaps ~ Winter in the Garden

:: ChocolateLeaves shop has been so kind to offer visitors of The Purple Artichoke 20 percent off any single item and free shipping when you add a second item to your purchase ~ just mention The Purple Artichoke! ::