Produce Heaven: More of Seattle

Greetings friends. Sorry I've been a bad blogger person this week. I'm in the throws of preparing for a handmade craft fair this weekend and I'm scrambling to get it all done.

Anyway! I had to bring you more from our glorious trip to Seattle. As you can see from this photo, going to the Pike Place Market was a truly spiritual experience. The heavens opened up in gray Seattle and the sun shone down on us as we shopped. So that's a bit dramatic, but for me, it really was a highlight of our trip. I mean just look at this stuff...

Gorgeous mountains of berries. We bought a couple pints of blackberries and raspberries (picked that very morning) and nibbled on them as we shopped. So good.

We joined the crowed and watched the friendly fish guys throw their seafood. They really know what they're doing. One poor and brave gentleman in the crowd caught a giant fish by basically hugging it to his body. He was covered in smelly fish juice. Ah Seattle.

Happy Wednesday!

A Lovely Find

A few weeks ago I mentioned a dining table that I found at a yard sale for $40. I was driving by with a car load of groceries when out of the corner of my eye I saw a faded shabby pink round table sitting among a slew of other pieces of furniture. I've always wanted a round dining table and was ready to claim this piece for my own when I realized I had better consult my husband before I sealed the deal. Would he be thrilled eating dinner on a pink table every night? Bless him - he agreed and now I have my table.

The carvings along the edge are so pretty - it's hard to cover them with a table cloth...

We also recovered our dining chairs, which were the first chairs my parents bought when they got married 37 years ago. Finding a fabric that worked with the color of the table but wasn't over the top feminine was a bit of a challenge. I was happy to find this print at Fancy Tiger, a local (and fabulous!) shop that had just a hint of that dusty pink along the edges of the chocolate leaves.

Swooning in Seattle

Seattle pretty much blew my mind. From the charming houses and neighborhoods to the restaurants and local markets to the islands and woods, I loved every minute of our stay. We sailed, shopped, explored, hiked and enjoyed some of the most delicious seafood EVER. As if I wasn't already persuaded that this city was a cultural mecca, we visited Pike Place Market on our last day of the trip. The bounty of fresh fruits and veggies, homemade cheese, gorgeous pastries, mountains of beautiful salmon and scallops, and the MOST breath taking array of flowers, namely dahlias (arranged in mass for only $5- 10 bucks!!) just about sent me over the edge (in the best way possible). Oh Seattle.

Many thanks to Nick and Sarah for giving us the quintessential Seattle experience!

Fern & Flora Wednesday

Hello there! We are back from Seattle and although tired, completely satisfied with our first experience in the great northwest! Our 4 days of exploring the city were fantastic! I can't wait to share stories and pictures with you!

A nice little welcome back met me in my inbox with this treasury featuring one of my headbands. I'm such a sucker for coral and teal and thought this combination of images was so cheerful! 

I hope all is well with you! Glad to be back in the blogosphere!

Seattle Ho!

Happy Friday Friends! We are headed to Seattle (my first visit!) to spend time with family, take in a college football game (GO BIG RED!) do a little sailing, shopping, dining and explore the fabulousness that is Seattle. I've made my list of "must see" boutiques and I'm ready to roll.

I will be back on Wednesday no doubt with pictures and stories to share. Have yourself a lovely weekend!

And Happy Birthday Ali and Darby - two of my three dear sisters who are 4 years and two days apart and celebrating their birthdays this weekend. I love you both and wish we could eat cupcakes together. xo

We Have a Winner!

Congrats Jennifer! I will be in touch shortly!

My thanks to everyone who entered the CSN giveaway! I loved reading all your sweet comments about how you make your homes cozy for fall.

Also, our lucky winner, Jennifer, has a fantastic Etsy shop and since I generally feature an Etsy shop I love on Thursdays, I encourage you to take a look at her beautiful handmade bags. They are fun, stylish and truly unique.

Fern & Flora Wednesday

 Come Saturday, October 2nd, you can find Fern & Flora at the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market.

I'm happy to be joining forces with Kara of Kara Rosenberry Co. and our booth will be chalked full or both our handmade offerings as well as some FABULOUS vintage finds we have assembled for this very event. The market will be in the great outdoors and if it's a typical fall morning here, it should be cool and sunny. If you're in the area, please stop by! Grab a latte and friend and come shop and support the locals. Click on the link above for all the details.

p.s. While I'm promoting things, zip over to Kara's blog and enter her lovely giveaway. One lucky winner will score not one, not two, but three packages of her charming cards!

p.s.s. Today's also the last day to enter my CSN stores giveaway! I will announce the winner tomorrow, so hop to it!

This concludes the shameless promotion post. Thank you.

Dress Your Nest Giveaway!

Happy Monday friends! What'd ya say we start the week with a giveaway? CSN stores is offering, you, my dear readers, a $35 gift certificate to use on anyone of their many websites. As we head into fall, I'm thinking about pulling out the cozy throws, extra layers and making our bedroom cool-ready-weather. From cheap bedroom furniture to comfy bedding, lamps, throw pillows and more, you can find some fabulous fall finds through CSN. Above are a few of my personal favorites from bedroomfurniture.com (Isn't that smokey tufted headband fabulous?!)

Here are three easy ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment sharing how you ready your home for fall and make it cozy. (1 entry)

2. Do you follow my blog? Just leave a comment letting me know. Become a follower and do the same.

(1 entry)

3. Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link. (2 entries)

The winner will be announced Thursday, 9/16.

Looking forward to reading all your comments! Thanks so much for entering and good luck!

It's Friday: Floral Refresh Time!

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All summer long, my pot of pansies, trailing ivy and dusty miller have taken the heat - and it shows.

The pansy blooms have diminished in number with each sweltering day but now that the cooler temperatures are settling in, it's time for a refresh.

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A few new pansies in the pot, a little more watering and I think I could get another six weeks of enjoyment from these cheerful little guys.

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Isn't this color just lovely? I wonder if I could find something like this in my neck of the woods?

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Have a lovely September weekend and take a little time to enjoy the beauty around you.

Etsy Love: Sweet Harvey

I've been trying hard, when I find myself in need of a gift, instead of heading to Target or hopping on Amazon.com, to stop and ask myself  "could I find this on Etsy?" I'm getting better and would love to use Etsy as my prime resource for Christmas shopping.

One shop I would very much enjoy patronizing is Sweet Harvey. I pretty much dig everything about this charming boutique. Love the name, the colors, the photos, the prices and the items....

What a pretty hostess gift these tea towels would make and for $10!

What about you? Do you use Etsy as a gift resource? Or do you accidentally (or on purpose) end up mainly buying goodies for yourself?

Fern & Flora Wednesday: Fall Creations

After last week's post about getting down to crafting business, saddling up the crafting pony (who I have now named Bullet on a recommendation from my sister - thanks Darb), I thought I should show some of the fruits of my labor.

I'm always fond of gray and so I wanted to show this piece I finished yesterday afternoon. The vintage buttons are from my great-grandma Clara's collection (thanks aunt KB for rescuing these little gems and passing them along to me!).

Deep mustardy gold is another current favorite of mine. I've made several iterations of this headband starting with one I giveaway last month and I can't stop making them. This color is lovely on anyone - brunette, blond and redhead a like.

Well, Bullet is waiting. I best get crafting.

Happy Wednesday.

Tasty Tuesday

After a Labor Day BBQ with friends last night, ending with warm gooey s'mores and hot mugs of coffee, I feel compelled to share my favorite little s'more secret: Petit Ecolier biscuits by LU. These little gems are tasty enough with a glass of milk but when paired with a toasted marshmallow, they are deeeeelish. Tucking a few pecans into the center of the mallow doesn't hurt either (that's my preferred method).

LU, which began in the 1850s makes all sorts of lovely buscuity treats. The company began when two French bakersfell in  love, married and then began making sweets and imprinting their two initials L and U onto everything they made. Charming, no?

You can find these cookies at almost any grocer (even Wal-Mart!). To view all of their offerings, take a peek at their classy website. And if you'd like a lesson on how to pronounce the pretty french names of all their treats, take a listen here.

(images via LU)

Labor Day Greetings

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Happy Labor Day friends! Are you sipping lemonade and playing croquet today? Grilling out? Napping?

We'll fire up the barbie later today with friends and already enjoyed sleeping late and a lazy omelet breakfast. Not much laboring going on in our household....

It's Friday. Let's Go For A Ride

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I think a fun Friday thing to do would be to ride a bike. Ride to work. Ride to a coffee shop. Ride around the park. Ride to the grocery store. Ride up and down your street. Even better, wear a stylish dress and some cute boots (see girl in picture) as you ride and you'll really feel spectacular.

I wish I could take my own advice. Alas, I just found out this very day (via my parents who are in town for a visit) that my dad got rid of my bike. Sigh. So sad. Although now I could get myself some vintage inspired cruiser... Hmmm....

Enjoy your Friday friends!

See you Monday...

Etsy Love: Kara Rosenberry Co

Today's Etsy Love feature is one that is near and dear to my heart: Kara Rosenberry Company.

As many of you may know, Kara is a kindred spirit of mine and although she works a full-time job, she manages to find time to create the darling drawings in her line of truly whimsical note cards.

The soft and delicate bee note card is a perpetual favorite of mine...

Her bridal line is simply enchanting. She uses images of her family members from days gone by. Look at the two little girls all dressed up in their wedding attire!

Little pups, cupcakes and a chaise lounge? What's not to love?

And if you happen to be in the Denver area Friday, 9/3 stop by Talulah Jones on 17th & Downing from 5 - 8 to see Kara's work in person and enjoy their monthly Handmade In Colorado open house! Here's a snippet about Kara, who is one of the lucky featured artists at Talulah Jones this month:

Fern & Flora Wednesday: Let's Get Craftin!

Craft, baby craft! That's been my mantra lately. I always struggle with spending too much time on every accessory that I make. I tweak. I prune. I hold up a bazillion vintage pieces and ponder as to which one would suit the flower most perfectly. Blah. Blah. Blah. No more! This girl has a bundle of fall and holiday craft boutiques coming faster than I realize and the Etsy shop needs a refresh something terrible so no more creating at a snail's pace. No more "slow and steady wins the race." I'm saddling up my crafting pony, rolling up the sleeves, kicking it into high gear.... you get the idea.

Are you working on a deadline right now? Crafting like mad? Sewing? Gluing? Printing? Do tell. It helps to know that somewhere out there, others like my self are burning the midnight oil working on something crafty too...