i love you, pillow boxes

be still my heart - i am in love. i spotted this pillow box tutorial on the spotted sparrow recently and couldn't wait to try it out.



i was fresh out of cute cardstock (dear santa...) but i did have white 110# cover weight paper and a few very cute lino stamps from etsy's mayberry sparrow. using the template, i just cut out the shape, scored, glued and folded and voila:

i made these in true last-minute style for a few small stocking stuffers but i'm so in love with them that i'm going to design one for packaging my pins and barrettes at shows as an alternative to paper bags.

giving the tree the trim

we have just a small tabletop tree - one that's about 3 feet tall and not very realistic at all. we don't have room for a bigger tree (not without moving a chair into the hallway!) but i like it small anyway. one of the best things about a small tree is how easy it is to decorate! a small handful of decorations are enough, along with two strands of tangled lights.

i dug out some silver ornaments from last year - little balls and three sparkly glass owls that were hidden in a box marked "breakable hooters". and this year we changed things up a bit and added some new ornaments. there are some white and red acrylic squirrels and birch birds from lovably and some handmade felt smiling creatures that i whipped up.

i made these for my table at portobello west and thankfully had some extra leftover since i didn't make any specifically for us! these are my favourites of the collection - mitten, snowman, gingerbread house, matroyshka and polar bear. they're lovely soft wool felt, with embroidered faces and stuffed with a little organic cotton filling.

i love the tree this year - it makes me smile. happy holidays all - hope they're filled with good cheer and love.

for my imaginary office

the holiday portobello west market was a success! traffic was a little on the slow side on saturday, but still ok and sunday was much better. thankfully the beautiful and seasonally appropriate snow stopped in the morning - i was worried that if it kept up then people might not be able to come! as a native ontarian, i can't manage a straight face if i call a snow-day for anything under 30 cm of snow (or at least 1 cm of solid ice), but you've gotta roll like a local... in the past i've stayed home from work for just a skiff and now i wear gum boots and carry an umbrella in the snow.

thank you to all who stopped by to see my table! it absolutely makes my day seeing how people react to my little army of stuffed creatures.

i was able to check a few items off my xmas list too - good news, since i was so busy with prep that i hadn't started! of course i can't share, since i don't want anyone to get the inside scoop on their gifts!

but i did fall in total love with one thing for myself. i promised that i would be good, but i couldn't resist the amazing mobiles from lovably. i kept going back to look at the most beautiful laser-cut neon pink translucent acrylic and birch bird mobile. cole is too big for a mobile now, at least in the traditional sense, and our ceilings are concrete so not the best for hanging things. but i really needed one for my office. future office, make it. right now my office is a desk in the middle of our open living space (pros - i can see the tv and it's close to the tea kettle) but i have visions of a space with a waist-high cutting table, a l-shaped computer/sewing space, a little table & chair for cole, exciting light fixtures and the kind of elaborately organized closet usually reserved for shoes in homes of the very wealthy. it is in this space i hope to hang this beautiful mobile.

it's called 'birds fly by'. mine has four pink birds and one birch, and the fancy top part is pink too. i can feel the relaxing, creative environment already. and if there's space beside my bay window with leaded glass panes i might put a big cozy chair. and a tea kettle. ;-)

day one: portobello west holiday market

today was the first of a two-day holiday edition portobello west market - the last one before christmas. here's a quick (not-very-good) shot of the table:

i displayed some new stuff: fleecy baby hats, felt xmas ornaments, some new felt pins. and of course all the faves: tartlet pincushions, gnomes, tooth fairy pillows, bunnies, pillow clubs, barrettes, baby accessories and more.

if you're in the area come on by tomorrow! rocky mountaineer station (map) from 12-6. awesome shopping to be had!

stuff that stocking: city mini blocks

i love christmas, and at about this time every year i start seeing every small, cute object that i come across through the lens of "that would be perfect for a stocking!".

and so i can't resist the small-size + cuteness factor lure of these adorable city mini blocks from etsy's fidoodle. they would, of course, make a perfect stocking stuffer...

they're made of locally-sourced hardwood maple and non-toxic inks. the images - doodles of rooflines and urban icons and folks - are adorable and on the reverse side is a puzzle of the scene. they come packed in a 3 x 3 inch cube.

fidoodle is based in toronto, by the way. go canada! check out their website as well for more info.