bunny giveaway...

i'm so grateful for all the positive responses i have gotten recently about my baby bunny... but even more so, i'm grateful for everything i have gained over the last year. i started this blog almost a year ago, after opening my first shop. a lot of things have changed over the past year. it's been a very big learning experience for me, and i'm so grateful for the new friends i have made along the way. i'm almost to 100 sales in my shop now... so to celebrate i'm giving something back. i actually wish could give something to each of you! i thought a baby bunny would be appropriate though. if you would like a chance to win, leave a response in the comments below, and make sure i can get a hold of you. to change things up, i will give you two chances to win if you share this giveaway with others, by linking back here. let me know if you do. thanks and good luck!

p.s. more bunnies coming to the shop soon as well!

** if you have any difficulties leaving a comment, send me an email at cary@littleloveblue.com, and i will enter you in the contest. if you use blogger you can easily create a link at the bottom of this post. you can also link directly to:

http://littleloveblue.blogspot.com/2009/02/bunny-giveaway.html

i know it's a little difficult because i disguise the blogspot in the url! i plan to open a separate website in the next month or so to make it less confusing.

inspiration wednesday...

1. Embroidered Junco, 2. Weeping Willow, 3. Kitchen reno from Ish & Chi, 4. untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. * rock inspiration, 7. collection screen print, 8. new spring birdies!, 9. gorputza, 10. my half..., 11. venetian blinds, 12. Snowy branches, 13. week two, 14. yellow blot, 15. BEAUTIFUL antique silver grape scissors...1920's, 16. AMBER pressed glass footed juice glasses...set of 4, 17. Untitled, 18. joy, 19. widemouth, 20. Gramercy Park NYC

it's been a whirlwind of a week for me... personally and professionally! i'm so thankful to everyone who purchased something from my shop this past week. that post on dooce really helped to clear out a lot of my shop, and i need to get busy and make some more. i still have lot's of cute mushrooms and feathers though. i'm also planning a special giveaway this friday to celebrate! it will be a little bit of a bigger giveaway for me, so i hope you'll help me get the word out (and maybe i'll do them more often).

the sun is starting to change here! the light is getting so much brighter, and i'm hoping the warmth will follow soon. i'm ready to come out of hibernation (no joke, i can rarely get myself out lately... poor sid). i've been buying sundresses the last week... in hopeful anticipation. i had no clothes to wear but when i went to the store, that's all there is. they looked so bright and pretty, i'm just wearing them over my jeans! i'm ready to stop layering for a bit though.

i'm on the look out for some new flickr friends (and inspiration). if you are on flickr, add me, so i can find you too! (i'm finding some great news friends... yay! come on, don't be shy).

giveaway...

check out this amazing giveaway. this coat is so pretty, and i love the cute photo's she and her husband took together (what a good sport he is). if you don't win this one, she has new giveaway's all the time... beautiful clothes for children and women!

the conservatory overcoat GIVEAWAY!!!!

(pssstt, i'm also going to do a giveaway to celebrate when i get to 100 sales... coming soon...)

saturday shopping list...

everyone who sells (or buys) on etsy knows how important photographs are. beautiful, interesting, eye catching... photographs are what sell your work. it is really the most important tool you have to get people interested enough to take a look and consider buying from you. the past year has been a real learning experience for me. i bought a new camera because of it. i am really focusing on improving my own photography skills, and just as importantly my attention to detail. i'm really grateful for this, because it has really helped me learn to stop and pay closer attention to the small moments in life... the little bits of beauty we are surrounded by in the everyday. i love searching through etsy, because i am constantly astounded by the beautiful photographs i see there. it's amazing the the way the simplist items are elevated to things of beauty. each picture seems to tell a story. i wish i could include all my favorites here each week... i'm truly sorry i have to narrow it down to so few!

1) handmade story beads, by fieldandsea
2) amber pressed glass footed juice glasses, from imsovintage
3) susannah scarf, by ebbahandmade
4) lacy white flower disk necklace, from 5gardenias
5) vintage mannequin carved shoe forms, from thorwaldhome
6) collection of crochet covered stones, by knitalatte

bunnies...

i have updated the shop with some new mushrooms. the bunnies are coming around 4pm this afternoon. i have these two, and promise to post some more in the next week. thanks for all the interest i have gotten in the last few days!

dooce...

i want to thank heather b. armstrong over at dooce for her extremely awesome (yes, i really do use that word still) mention of my bunny. i'm so glad my little bunny found an appreciative home, and i'm extremely grateful to heather for the new sales in my shop today. i'm getting close to 100! check out her website, it is really very funny (as are her photos, particularly this one of her dressed up as fairy... while pregnant).

thanks!!

shop update tomorrow...

i have another shop update tomorrow. it probably seems like my shop is already full of mushrooms, but i had a request for my larger size mushrooms, so i thought i'd make a couple. i really love how these came out. the purple one came out very pretty, and inspired me to take a break from my all white "theme" and reintroduce some color. i have two purple bunnies in the works. i'll try to take some photos of those today and post them here before the update. you can see more photos of these mushrooms on flickr.

is it slow for everyone on etsy lately, or just me?! i haven't had much time to devote to it, so i'm attributing it to that and not to my shop just tanking. i will try to make some new babies for spring, as well as some chicks. once things are more settled here, i hope to introduce some new and more elaborate pieces that i have been (slowly) working on.

while you are over at flickr, check out this yellow week group. it's quite inspiring in this winter gloom, and was started by erin harris, over at the house on hill road blog (where you can find the other bloggers involved as well). sorry i missed this one. hopefully i can catch the next, it sounds like fun.

check out these cuties...

i also had to share my two little cuties modeling for xenotees! who could resist those faces? or the tee's... they are really great quality, and perfect to wear when acting silly (always)!

inspiration wednesday...

1. Lavender Sachets, 2. Untitled, 3. yummy, 4. Rachel Whiting Photography, 5. Untitled, 6. cayenne, 7. hummingbird in nest - nest #5, 8. morning blues, 9. new work, wisteria, 10. nature table february, 11. 35::365 - somewhere in Central Square, 12. IMG_5506, 13. blinding, 14. woodlanders, 15. gallery hanahou/ forget-me not, 16. fabric basket, 17. hopeful for spring, 18. beyond the stars and galaxies, 19. Untitled, 20. feather collection

lately, i've been thinking a lot about nature, and the earth beginning to prepare for spring. i've also been thinking a lot about work, and organizing my own work space (and home!). perhaps you can see some of those ideas here?

i've been a little slow about posting lately, sorry. it's been busy around here. i do have an update coming for the shop... probably tomorrow. i'll post some pictures soon, but i will have some larger mushrooms (by request) and some new bunnies (a mama and a baby).

i also wanted to point out how great my my mom's vintage shop, i'm so vintage (www.imsovintage.etsy.com), is looking these days (if i do say so myself, since i designed her new banner). she has some wonderful items, at truly wonderful prices. she's doing a great job, and puts a lot of work into. go check it out!

saturday shopping list...

my lovely valentine... hope you have a beautiful day with the one(s) you love!

1) woodcarver hearts, from perchpapiers
2) folk print bow mini dress or tunic, made by softspoken
3) custom merlot skirt, by armoursansanguish
4) cedar roses, from layla
5) hanging pom kit, made by ekohdesign
6) love, from boldandnoble

xoxoxoxox to my love... kyle

(and to the beautiful little valentines you have given me!)

inspiration thursday...

1. bunny friends, 2. song, 3. viola and lily-rose, 4. needle felted nest and eggs

i wanted to save my inspiration wednesday for today, and give thanks to my sister katy whose talent, beautiful sense of style, and generous heart are inspirations to me on a daily basis.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!!!!!!!!!

decor8...

i was so excited to see myself featured on decor8 yesterday, as part of the etsy take five tuesday series! it is one of my favorite blog's to visit on a daily basis. it is written by holly becker, who has a great sense of style. i enjoy the blog, as well as her flickr page, where she also has pictures of her own amazing homes (she splits time between the u.s and germany). thanks so much holly... you made my week and i also sold my little bunny!

a few good moments...

well, it's been one of those weeks. i know i don't have to explain, you know what i mean. unfortunately, i can't say it was one of my shining moments of parenthood. we did get through it though, and we did have a few good moments. the photos above show a mini-time line of some of those moments. we played in the snow (on my birthday), snow ball fights and snowman building are always good fun. sidney and i had a little valentine project that she was quite proud of.. it is very simple sewing, i cut out the heart and helped guide the needle a little but she did most of the sewing and stuffing. finally we were blessed with a surprise at the end of it all... a wonderfully warm day!

i didn't think ahead before we set out to the park about what a warm day actually means... a winter thaw and lot's of mud. i should have put them in their rain boots to play. jack henry ended up losing both shoes in the mud, and i had to wade in to retrieve them after he came running back in just socks! they spent a lot of time rock jumping and running around. it was a much needed break from this very cold winter. i have been quite the hermit and really needed to get out in the sun. my husband finally has a day off today (after a week straight), and doesn't have to go back to work until tomorrow night. so, i am getting a glorious break from the children. don't get me wrong, i love them and all, but you know what i mean... i don't have to explain to you.

saturday shopping list...

a small sampling of my current favorite plush's (there are actually too many to choose from)...

1) midnight blue mama hoot, from the smallwoods
2) mini toadstool pin cushion, made by poshplushies
3) big eared deer, by erinmalin
4) lapin de lune, from loulouandoscar
5) native american chief, made by beruta
6) ted, from manomine (this one is sold but i love it so much, i couldn't resist)

check out fancypicnic for more shopping lists this week!

babies...

a new little fuzzy baby bunny will bounce into the shop tomorrow. i have been so slow in making new things for the shop this past week. i have had very little free time at all. at first i was very frustrated at not being able to work during the day, and no energy to work at night but i'm realizing at this point it just can't be helped. so i'm trying to give in and enjoy these days while they are here. besides, who can resist a girl in a pink tutu ....

inspiration wednesday...

1. one good thing, 2. fun bikes!, 3. Jersey, 4. blogged, 5. every day is a party, 6. The moon, 7. time to move, 8. Merino Lace Socks, 9. bluegirl24, 10. Paolo, 11. what's that you hold and why is it so bright?, 12. In Progress, 13. Untitled, 14. Patterson Park Pagoda, Baltimore MD, 15. Coin Purse, 16. house ring

it was interesting to see all the color that popped up in my flickr favorites this week. it looks much different than last weeks grouping. i think i am yearning for a little more color in my wintery white days. yesterday was quite colorful birthday for me. i will share more about that later. thanks to those who sent me nice birthday wishes. it added a lot of color to my day!

mmm, chocolate bread...

just in time for valentine's day, i found this very yummy looking recipe on my friend diana's blog. i have not tried it yet... and truth be told, as much as i love to eat things like this, my husband would most likely be the one to actually bake it (maybe i'll get one for valentine's day, hint, hint). the recipe is from npr, and you can find it by clicking that link. it's accompanied by a very funny story about the author's experience of tasting chocolate bread for the first time. she writes:

"when i got home, my husband and i set upon it without delay. the first slice or two we ate in a decorous way. but within minutes we were tearing it apart with our hands, with a greedy, crazed, cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs glint in our eyes.”

maybe you will want to make it for your sweetie(s). if you do, let me know how it comes out.

so far so good...

i'm having a lovely day so far today... really enjoying the snow, and i am especially enjoying this new book. it was a little present to myself, and i'm so glad i got it. i have mentioned it here before, but was slow to purchase it (i'm always so hesitant to spend money on myself). i saw it in one of my favorite stores this weekend, while out with my sister and took it as a sign. the opening statements from stephanie and mav are really quite inspiring and the book is so lovely to look at over and over. each time i pick it up i find something new to love. i was inspired to share a bit of my mornings here. my morning table, the view out my bedroom window, and a new project i started.

hope you have an enjoyable morning!