wednesday wish list

I think it has been a while since I did a Wednesday Wish List, mostly because I am trying to be on a strict shopping diet. Rules of this diet include:

• Groceries and home needs are ok
• New craft supplies allowed only if I am selling more than I am buying
  
• No new clothing (unless second-hand or vintage)
• Home renovation supplies will come out of what I have been saving for a while (for kitchen and bathroom)
• I may accept gifts (haha, fedora I need for summer<--- got that Justin??)

However, while I am on this shopping diet- online window shopping is perfectly ok. And in that case, I want I want I waaaaant one of these absolutely perfect for me, for you necklaces. They are reminiscent of those braided friendship bracelets we all made as kids and I adore them. Good news is, I won't be able to slip up and order one because they are currently all sold out- darn! But I do have a 5-year anniversary coming up if someone needs gift ideas...
On another note, after an afternoon tear-fueled pity party yesterday, I found this article and it's advice incredibly uplifting and helpful.

lazy days

Summers off are nice, don't get me wrong, but I don't do too well with too much down time. If I don't completely over schedule myself with work activities and allow just about no down time, then I get a little crazy. Today I have spent about 3 hours on the couch, 1 in a coffee shop and two muffins and 5 cups of coffee later, I don't have much to show for it.

I have a summer to-do list a mile long but some days just don't start off quite right and the momentum goes down the drain. Instead I have spent the afternoon dreaming of being on the beach with one of these gorgeous Steven Alan blankets. Only problem is- everyone else is working during the summer...

garden update

Even though I had a great garden last summer, I am still so amazed that all of this incredible food comes from the ground- and that I don't completely kill every single thing I plant. The summer garden is no exception, plants are getting bigger and bigger, starting to ripen and I can tell we are on the verge of a feast around here. So far I have pulled two cucumbers, two okra, and a green bell pepper from the summer crop. Here is what else is going on:Zinnias are popping up in the flower gardens.

The garden continues to grow and grow, you can't even see the crazy cucumber plants taking over the yard from this view.
Tomatoes are starting to ripen, ready to be made into daily sandwiches.
I had no idea okra had such beautiful flowers!
And these little round striped yellow cucumbers (yes, cucumbers) that we planted from seed are just the sweetest things ever.

Hopefully I will be able to share some of our vegetarian feasts very soon!

new in the shop!

Just listed some new garlands, tags, and party packs in fun summery colors in patterns in my shop. Great for birthdays or baby showers, these garlands are my new favorite thing to make. Get yours here!

picnic perfection

Besides the thousand degree weather we're having, it seems like the perfect time of year for a picnic. I have been scouring etsy to find the best supplies to bring along and here is what I've found so far. The color scheme would be perfect for a fourth of July celebration as well!

red tin vintage picnic basket

indigo denim gingham picnic blanket
urban picnic roll-up
organic linen canvas tote bag
leaf specimen cloth napkins
little red bud plates

primele stamps

I would love to have a personalized stamp from Primele made just for Heart&Craft. I can just imagine stamping all my gifts and packages with one of these before sending them off.

and the winner is...

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 6

RUDI!!!

Congratulations Rudi! I'll be getting your email today to send your party pack off to you! Didn't win? Well go check out the shop and take care of that! Check back this weekend because I will be listing more garlands (with and without tags) and tags and garlands in new colors and prints!! I am sure you will find something you love!

Also, come back and visit me here at my blog! Add me to your following and add the shop to your favorites so you can always be updated with my new stuff! Happy Thursday!

handmade birthday pt. deux

For my little sister's birthday we went out to dinner and then had some delicious cupcakes (that the birthday girl made herself) and champagne here at our house. For this I made a large banner that I cut letters out of wood-grain contact paper and adorned it with cupcake stickers.
I also sewed a couple other garlands and made some cupcake toppers to match.
Taking my inspiration from here, I covered the house with fresh flowers in vases of various heights.

And of course when families get together, things can get a little silly.

handmade birthdays

As you may have already read on here, I got to help celebrate two very special birthdays this past weekend: my dear friend Ashley and my lovely little sister Sarah. Being that I am out of work for the summer and have much more down-time, I wanted to contribute as many handmade elements as I could to each of their days. Yes, these gifts aren't for me per se, but I think I get just as much out of the process as they do with the final results!

For Ashleigh, the mister and I created a terrarium complete with rocks, moss, succulents, a feather, and some miniature dessert creatures. This was my tamed down (vegetarian-friendly) version of what Ash really wanted for her birthday- a pigs head in a jar...
And to go along with the theme of her birthday we made some mustache cupcake-toppers and colorful banners. I couldn't have done all of it without the help of Justin, who stepped right up to craft with me::All the girls also got fabric flowers for their hair that I made a few months back. I think everything was a hit.
Tomorrow I'll share some moments from our second birthday celebration of the weekend.

oh brooklyn, brooklyn take me in

I will be in Brooklyn for the week visiting a dear, missed friend and getting into some mischief with my girlfriends from home.
BUT... in honor of a sweet mention from Kathleen, I am doing a giveaway of my newest creations in my etsy shop: the party pack! This pack includes an adorable garland and 6 matching gift tags. You can read the full description and see more photos in my shop.
How do you enter to win this free party pack? Just go check out my shop, then leave a comment below and make sure to include your email address! I will use a random # generator to pick a winner and will announce who that is on Thursday! Just leave a comment below and check back here on Thursday to see who the lucky winner is. Be sure to check out my shop for more paper and ceramic goodies!

sweet sarah

Happy 22nd birthday to the sweetest of littlest sisters! I miss you already and can't wait for you to come stay for a slumber party soon! I am so incredibly proud of who you are and what you have done in your 22 years. You inspire me to be a kinder, gentler person. I had sooooo much fun decorating and getting ready for your birthday and I would do it everyday for you! Love you sister!

happy dad day

...and thanks for two things::
1. Not realizing how creepy looking I was here and sending me back.
2. Not making me do sports that I was truly never good at- but letting my competitive side finally come out in our bocce tournaments- you are my worthiest opponent! I owe you a game when I return!

I love you dad, I hope today is wonderful! (Don't let mom make you cook again.)

happy birthday ashleigh!

Ashface, ash-hole, trashleigh, and many more names I cannot possibly share on here- HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY!!
(Your 24th seems like yesterday)
I love you, you have been an incredible friend, roommate, traveling buddy for many years and I hope we have many more birthdays to celebrate together!

weather stories

We have been getting rain here pretty much every afternoon this month. Sometimes a light summer shower and sometimes torrential downpours. This has meant that I have not had to spend any time setting up sprinklers or watering my garden, but it has also meant very few grilled veggie dinners- which makes me sad.

Yesterday started out thick and humid, and one of those mornings that I just couldn't get things going right. By 11 I had spilled coffee all over myself, made three detours because I couldn't decide where I was going to go, and made it to the gym without my socks and sports bra. But things started looking up when I met my sister Liz and friend Allison in the park for a late brunch. A delicious brunch of cucumbers, carrots, and hummus, vegan sausage and coffee and delicious mango/champagne, and guava/champagne. Though it was hot and sticky, the brunch was a delight and the conversation refreshing.
Things changed however; at about 2:30 thick gray clouds started rolling in and the chilled eerie air settled around us. By 3:30 our entire backyard was flooded.
The creek that runs behind our house must have been pretty full from the days of rain before, and as I sat on my bed and looked out our back window, waves were rushing down the corridor behind our house and the yard quickly began to fill up. All in all I think we had 5-6 inches, but no real damage, just a lot of leaves and debris. Thankfully the little veggies were only pummeled by rain, not swept away by the flood waters! My yarrow, on the other hand, may not be so lucky. Summer has been pretty exciting so far.

secrets

Working on secret surprises. Here's a couple hints::

Summer break has begun... so far so good.