One Pearl Button

What I Wore: A Teaching Day

2012-01-26T11:01:00.001-05:00

Grey blouse: Forever 21

Lacy black shirt: hand-me-down from my friend E

Pants: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet

Cardigan: Banana Republic, Hebron Gap Outlet

Pumps: Target

Belt: Came with a tunic

Pumps: Target

Jewelry: Wedding rings, locket (my grandma's), Moorea Seal earrings

I'm not teaching this year, but occasionally I'll fill in for a class here and there as a favor. I wore this outfit on Tuesday to teach my advisor's Pompeian archaeology class. It was a little more polished than my normal everyday wear, but still comfortable enough to spend most of the day curled up in front of my computer, typing away at the dissertation.

I've been wearing pants almost exclusively lately. It's weird, because I've been a skirt girl for years, but I suppose my style is changing. I tried to make a few different skirt outfits work before putting this on, but just wasn't happy in any of them. Or maybe I need to update my skirt wardrobe? I'm not sure, but I'm definitely most comfortable in slim pants and a blousy top these days.

Does your style ever go through shifts?

I hope you've been having a good week!

Currently Sewing: The Darling Ranges Dress

2012-01-23T10:47:00.000-05:00

I love all of Megan Nielsen's gorgeous designs, so I was thrilled when she came out with a line of sewing patterns, and even more thrilled when she sweetly sent me a pattern to try! The Darling Ranges dress was one of my favorites from last year's collection, and I love the idea of making my own version at home.

Megan actually sent me this pattern over two months ago, and I've been searching for the perfect fabric since then. I wanted a print, but just couldn't find something that seemed right. In the end, I shopped from my stash - I bought this lightweight blue shirting so long ago that I can't remember what I originally intended to do with it! I'm glad to be using it (finally!).

The pattern is pretty darling, itself. The pattern paper is nice and thick (no tissue, hooray!), and the instruction booklet is perfectly designed.

Yes, I said booklet, not pamphlet - Megan's directions are printed into an easy-to-follow book, rather than the confusing pamphlet style most big name pattern manufacturers use.

I love how she included ideas for customizing the dress in the back of the book.

And there's even a pattern log!

I cut out all the pieces this weekend (my least favorite part of the process), and now I can't wait to start sewing. I'm a little nervous - it's been awhile since I've sewn anything from a pattern - but it looks like it should come together easily. I'll let you all know how it goes!

If you'd like to make a Darling Ranges dress of your own, you can buy the pattern here. Or, make it even easier on yourself and buy the Darling Ranges sewing kit - it comes with absolutely everything you need to make your dress!

Thanks, Megan!

Nice Things

2012-01-22T15:26:00.000-05:00

Winter has arrived in Cincinnati, and we've spent most of the weekend iced in. I'm not a big fan of the cold weather, but it is nice to have a chance to catch up on some work, get some things organized (I FINALLY took holiday decorations down!), and of course, do some crafting. Here's some creative inspiration for your weekend!

1. Find pretty printable valentines at Love vs. Design:

{via How About Orange}

2. Learn how easy it is to customize your camera with this Chevron Holga Camera DIY at A Beautiful Mess:

3. Stitch up adorable penguin plushies with a pattern from The Purl Bee:

4. I love anything Portlandia-related (seriously, if you haven't watched it, stop what you are doing and start now), including this awesome pattern from Subversive Cross Stitch:

{via Craft}

5. Elizabeth at Delightfully Tacky shared some great thrifting tips last week:

6. Make a summer-camp-chic friendship bracelet with LA's Arrow Bracelet Tutorial on Freckled Nest:

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Life on Film: Christmas

2012-01-19T09:55:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is the last Christmas post of the year (I promise!). These were all on a roll of film from the Canon-AE1 that I developed this weekend. I had a bit of a scare with this roll - I started to rewind the film, and must have done something wrong, because the film counter wasn't moving. So I went into a closet, had Nate shove a towel under the door to keep as much light out as possible, and pulled the film out of the camera to attempt to wind it back into the canister manually. No dice - it must have slipped off the spool inside the canister, because turning the spool wasn't working at all. In a desperate effort, I attempted to shove the film back into the canister, which worked for about four inches of film, before no amount of shoving would budge it. In the end, I pulled all the film out of the canister, wrapped it up in thick black fabric, stuck it inside a holiday-themed tin, put the whole thing inside a black zip-up wine carrier (all while inside a pitch-black closet!), and carried it to the photo store. Luckily, the clerk did not treat me like crazy person (I felt pretty awesome explaining all of this to him, haha), and no photos were lost. Hooray! There's a little bit of damage to the pictures - you might notice some small white dots and blue lines - but considering I could have lost them entirely, I'm happy.

Happy Thursday!

What I'm Wearing: Yellow Pants, Again

2012-01-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

Blue top: Banana Republic, Hebron Gap Outlet

Navy cardigan: Banana Republic, Hebron Gap Outlet

Blue tee (layered under top): Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet

Yellow cords: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet

Belt: thrifted

Boots: Nine West, Hebron Gap Outlet*

Jewelry: wedding rings, pearl studs (gift from my parents), vintage micro-mosaic necklace

Okay, I didn't realize how heavy on the Hebron Gap Outlet this outfit was until typing up this list! I swear, I do shop at other places. Sometimes. Anyway, moving on...

So it turns out that my most popular outfit post of 2011 was this one. This was not a result of it being a good outfit (oh goodness, NO). Instead, it seems that people are constantly googling some variation of the phrase "how to wear yellow pants." Apparently, I'm not the only one who finds these things tricky!

Here's what I've discovered in the past year - I think yellow pants look best with color. I once assumed they would be perfect as a pop of color in a neutral outfit, but I just can't find a combo I like as much as pairing them with another bright color. In the past few months, my wardrobe seems to go either one way or the other - most days, I live in blacks, browns, and greys, but occasionally I go for serious color, head to toe. There's no in-between!

Cousin Itt time (yes, I did look up the proper spelling of "Cousin Itt")! Have I mentioned how long my hair is getting? It's kind of ridiculous, but I love it.

I hope you have an awesome Wednesday!

Collecting: Vintage Japanese Stacking Mugs

2012-01-16T11:43:00.001-05:00

I firmly believe in enjoying little luxuries. I wash my face every night with gorgeous handmade soap. I keep my feet toasty in cozy slippers. And every day after lunch, I make a cup of tea to sip while I work through the afternoon. My collection of Japanese stacking mugs makes the ritual even nicer!

My first mug is still my favorite. I spotted it amongst the ubiquitous mess of mugs at the thrift store and knew it had to be mine. I think it was the curvy handle that did me in.

The other three have all been collected this fall, one at a time from various thrift shops. I love how they are all similar without being quite the same.

These rich glazes make me feel all weak-in-the-knees.

Japanese stacking mugs are cheap and easy to find, which is both a blessing and a curse, in my mind. Etsy is full of them, and I often run into full sets (sometimes with adorable trees to hang them on) in antique stores. Since I enjoy collecting them one at a time, and because I don't want the collection to get out of control, I've set a rule for myself - I only buy a mug if it costs 50 cents or less. This way I maintain the fun of the search, while preventing myself from buying so many that we run out of cabinet space (always a risk!). Two of these mugs were 25 cents, and the other two were 50 cents. Not too shabby!

Are you the collecting type? What do you collect, and do you have any strategies for managing your collection?

I hope your week is off to a great start!

What I'm Wearing: Rainy Day Duds

2012-01-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

Cream cardigan: hand-me-down from my friend S.

Striped tank: thrifted

Burgundy cords: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet

Socks: Eddie Bauer, gift from S.

Boots: Hunter, gift from my mom

Scarf: gift from One Red Boot, made in a craft swap ages ago (thanks, I still love it!)

Jewelry: wedding rings, Moorea Seal earrings, vintage micro-mosaic necklace (this one!)

Today I woke up to the sound of pouring rain, and all thoughts of putting together an interesting outfit, doing my hair, or putting on makeup went out the window. January has been beautiful so far, but I've heard that the rain will usher in actual winter temperatures. Sadface!

The one good thing about the rain is that it gives me an excuse to enjoy my big Christmas gift - these awesome Hunter wellies (thanks, mom)! I hate, hate, HATE cold, wet feet. Seriously, I can't even stand other people having cold, wet feet - I shudder every time I see a girl walking around in ballet flats on a rainy day. I've had my eye on Hunter rain boots for years, but they always seemed ridiculously expensive for a pair of rubber boots. One day this fall, however, I was walking to school and suddenly discovered that my cheap-o Target rain boots (which are less than a year old) had developed cracks in both feet. I spent a very grouchy day in wet socks, and decided that expensive rain boots might be worth the money. Now I hope that my Hunters live up to their reputation of lasting forever!

What are your thoughts on rain boots? Do you stick with the cheapies, or have you tried pricier versions?

Happy Wednesday!

*Yes, I still have my holiday decorations up. I can't help it; the thought of taking them down makes me so sad!

Film Love: P-Sharan Pinhole Camera

2012-01-10T10:31:00.001-05:00

Hello, hello! I'm back home in Cincinnati and slowly recovering from a fantastic weekend in Philadelphia. Can you believe that I didn't take a single photo all weekend? Honestly, I can't remember the last time three days went by and I didn't photograph anything; it's probably been years. Now I'm ready to make up for the lost time! Luckily, Santa was good to me this year, and I have some fun new photography goodies to try. First up is one that I'm particularly excited about - the P-Sharan 35mm pinhole camera!

I've been wanting to build a pinhole camera for ages, but hadn't found something to serve as the case. The P-Sharan takes care of that - it has a heavy-duty cardboard case that you construct yourself. Although I was a little intimidated by it, the construction process turned out to be really easy. The camera comes with absolutely everything you need (including adhesive - and don't worry if you ruin some of it, because there's plenty of extra). It took me about an hour and a half to build, with only one little error that turned out to be easily fixable.

I love the retro style of this camera - it's so cute!

The P-Sharan takes 35mm film, and I was surprised at how easily the film loads and advances. The shutter is a piece of cardboard that you lift away from the pinhole to shoot. The simple mechanism means that it's super easy to make multiple exposures (something I'm looking forward to playing with!). Since pinhole photography can requite long exposure times, it's handy that the camera comes with a tripod adapter. It works perfectly on my tripod.

Because there's no exposure-counter, the manufacturer recommends keeping a log of shots, so that you know (roughly) how many you'll be able to fit on a roll. I'm also keeping track of other details for each shot, in an attempt to figure out what works, and what doesn't.

I found that a mini-Moleskein fits perfectly when attached to the back of the camera with the rubber bands included in the kit - great for taking notes!

The camera is surprisingly sturdy, but at the recommendation of others online, I think I'm going to keep it inside this tupperware when tossing it in my bag. I don't want to break it!

Now I need to shoot, shoot, shoot, so I can get the film developed and see how it turns out. I also have a roll of 35mm from the Canon AE-1 that needs to go in, so I'd like to hurry through this first pinhole roll and get them both processed. I have no idea what to expect from the pinhole, which makes it really exciting!

Has anyone tried pinhole photography? If you have any tips or tricks to share, I'd love to hear them!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

What I'm Wearing: Hard and Soft

2012-01-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Lace Knit top: thrifted

Black tank: thrifted

Jeans: H&M

Boots: Vintage Justin

Rope belt: thrifted

Headband: repurposed belt from a sweater dress

Jewelry: wedding rings; vintage necklace (belonged to my grandma)

Caesar cat: rescued

So today I'm sharing my blogging new year's resolution - to return to posting outfit photos! Honestly, I never meant to quit. This fall was so crazy busy that stopping to photograph outfits in the morning (even with my usual 5-minutes-or-less photoshoot) just plain dropped of my radar. I realized over the holidays that I had really missed documenting my outfits here. I certainly don't consider myself a fashion blogger (I'm way too awkward for that!), but I enjoy watching my style evolve through time.

Today's to-do list mostly involves running around like crazy and getting ready for the weekend; I'll be heading to Philadelphia for my annual professional conference tomorrow, and staying through Sunday. Today will be devoted to packing, running errands, getting the animals ready for the pet-sitters, and practicing my presentation over and over (I'm presenting some new research this weekend - wish me luck!). This simple outfit is perfect for staying comfy while taking care of things around the house, but put-together enough for a trip to school to finish up some work this afternoon.

I highly recommend this hairstyle for days when you don't have time to shower!

Have a great Wednesday!

Handmade Christmas: For the Kids

2012-01-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

So in the rush leading up the holidays, I forgot to get pictures of most of my handmade gifts this year. Here are two that I did record!

For my best friend's new baby, I made The Purl Bee's Felt Baby Shoes. I featured these as a Nice Thing a few weeks ago, and had actually already made them. I didn't say anything about it, because I didn't want to ruin the present surprise! This was one of those patterns that I saw and had to sit down and make instantly. Luckily the pattern didn't disappoint - it was really fun to put together!

I also had a great time making Ginger & George's Dino Hoodies for my nephews. Sadly I only have this one phone photo (taken by my brother in law), but trust me, these are adorable. They were also very quick to sew, which is probably a good thing, because my six-year-old nephew is growing so fast that he might need a bigger one before winter is over!

Did you make any gifts this year? How did they turn out?

The Best of One Pearl Button 2011

2012-01-02T11:20:00.002-05:00

Are you sick of 2011 round-up posts yet? Well, here's one more! This morning I'm enjoying looking through my Google Analytics while the first big snow of the season swirls outside my window. Typically, I don't look at my site statistics much - it's too easy for me to get caught up in the "I have fewer visitors this week than last week, what am I doing wrong?" trap. I find that I'm happiest in my blogging when I'm not paying attention to the stats. Today though, I'm having fun looking back through the past year of blogging, and looking forward to the next!

Most popular posts of 2011:
1. Silk Shirt Refashion - this was by far the most popular post of the year; it's been Stumbled like crazy!
2. DIY iPhone, iPod, iPad, Macbook skin - a simple take on two of my favorite supplies (Sharpies and contact paper) - I'm glad you all liked it!
3. Project Restyle - Old Sheets Become a New Rug - one of my favorite craft projects of the year (and one I appreciate every time I don't have to stand on our cold bathroom floor to brush my teeth!). Elsie shared this on A Beautiful Mess, bringing lots of new readers this way.
4. DIY Braided Leather (or Pleather!) Bracelet - I still wear this all the time!
5. Holiday Giveaway from OPB and the Impossible Project - this giveaway was so much fun. I loved reading all of your comments, and seeing all the Polaroid love. There will definitely be more Impossible Project giveaway collaborations coming up in 2012!

Strangest search terms used to find OPB in 2011:
Bear doll + horror - ack!
Bangles made from your pet hair - I promise that this is not an upcoming tutorial. Ever.
Fear blythe - okay, I can see why this would bring you here.
How a real man bathes a cat - ummm....
Machine turns gnomes into pandas - I want one!
My grannie's hot pickle - oh my.
Smyzed definition - you're welcome.
Wish I had a beer belly like his - yup, I write about this all the time.

Top 10 Traffic Sources:*
Grosgrain
Craft
All Free Christmas Crafts
Crafting a Green World
A Beautiful Mess
My Girl Thursday
Feeling Stitchy
Sew Mama Sew
Giver's Log
The Dainty Squid
*not including Google, Pinterest, Stumble Upon, etc.

Thank you all for stopping by in 2011; I'm planning on making the blog even better in 2012!! Enjoy the 2nd day of the year!

This post was inspired by the fabulous Amy of Lemon and Raspberry!

Blythe Sunday: Farewell to the Holidays, Welcome 2012

2012-01-01T14:14:00.000-05:00

Coat: vintage skipper

Boots: vintage barbie

Gold foil tree: antique store in my hometown

Tiny vintage ornaments: found in my grandma's Christmas box

I hope you had a wonderful time ringing in the new year - happy 2012!!

2011 in Review

2011-12-31T15:55:00.002-05:00

It's the last day of 2011; how on earth did that happen so quickly? I must say, though, it's been a pretty good year.

In January, I escaped Ohio's snow and ice with a trip to Texas...

and my mom brought me a treasure.

In February I put some of my favorite cameras on display...

and did some large-scale knitting.

In March I spent an unusually warm winter afternoon having a picnic in the park...

cheered myself hoarse for the Cincinnati Roller Girls...

and had curly hair for the first time in my life!

April was for learning to ride a motorcycle...

and welcoming spring.

I rung in May with an annual girl's weekend (with horses!)...

and sold lots of Polaroid goodies at the spring edition of Crafty Supermarket.

In June I packed up...

and headed to Italy for a summer of archaeology...

and celebrated my 29th birthday.

July was full of the sun, the sea, and the best coffee in the world...

and on the 23rd, I'd been married to my favorite person in the world for six years.

August began with a boating trip along the Amalfi coast...

continued with a few weeks working in Greece...

and ended back home in Cincinnati!

September was the perfect time for an afternoon at the county fair (and getting caught in a massive rainstorm on the walk home!)...

and for a quick weekend trip to New York.

In October things got old-fashioned at the Renaissance Faire...

and I got all dressed up for Halloween.

In November it was already time for another Crafty Supermarket...

and December was warm and cozy and full of friends, family, and the holidays!

Whew, that was quite a year! I hope your 2011 was just as lovely, and your 2012 is even better. Happy new year!

Sponsor OPB in January!

2011-12-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

Winter is here, and it's time to get cozy! I have lots of fun things coming up next month, including winter-themed tutorials, crafts, and outfit posts, and I'd love to have your indie business or blog be a part of it all. If you're interested in sponsoring OPB in January, you can find more information on my sponsorship page, or just send me an email. I can't wait for the month ahead!

Tutorial: DIY Yarn Wrapped Bracelets

2011-12-29T09:15:00.000-05:00

Over the holidays, I participated in The Blue Betty Blog's 12 Days Before Christmas series, sharing a tutorial for making DIY yarn wrapped bangles. These are quick and easy, and perfect for using up scraps of yarn leftover from knitting and crochet projects. Head over to Blue Betty to see the full tutorial!

Have a great Thursday!

What I Wore: On Christmas Day

2011-12-28T11:18:00.001-05:00

Chevron top: Old Navy

Green jeans: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet

Drapey cardigan: Gap, Hebron Gap Outlet

Black tank: thrifted

Pumps: Target (of course I traded these out for Minnetonka moccasin slippers and Christmas socks after dinner!)

Jewelry: wedding rings, Georgia Varidakis initial necklace, Moorea Seal earrings

No makeup - I forgot to pack it!

Christmas with my family tends to be pretty informal. This outfit was festive and fun, but still comfy enough to play with my nephews or curl up in a cozy chair. It was perfect for a day spent at my sister's house visiting with family, opening gifts, taking pictures, and eating myself silly. If you celebrated this weekend, I hope your day was just as nice!

A Holiday Round-up

2011-12-27T12:56:00.001-05:00

{Click the photos to see them larger!}

I had such a merry Christmas. Some highlights of my holidays include:

-playing games and decorating cookies with my in-laws

-digging through antique stores with my mom

-spending Christmas day with brother and sister-in-law, who live in Phoenix and don't often get back to Ohio for the holidays

-riding through the mountains of West Virginia with knitting, hot tea, good music, and Nate, Percy and Caesar for company

-seeing how much my nephews LOVED their handmade gifts

-watching Percy unwrap his presents (and try to unwrap everyone else's)

-feeling cozy, even without snow

-having Caesar with us, even if he wasn't always thrilled about all the traveling

-documenting the trip with Instagram

-re-reading favorite books from childhood

-watching classic holiday movies (Christmas Vacation! Emmet Otter! Holiday Inn!)

-seeing old friends for the first time in years

-celebrating my dad's 71st birthday with slightly inappropriate gifts

-delicious roasted veggies made by my sister and vegetarian tempeh bourgignon made by Nate

-finding a box of my grandma's Christmas ornaments, after thinking for years that they had all been accidentally sold

-and feeling very, very lucky to have such awesome people in my life

Nate and I made the trip back to Cincinnati yesterday, and today I'm settling back into work, typing away on my dissertation by the light of the Christmas tree while slushy rain falls outside the window. Not bad, not bad at all.

Did you all celebrate the holidays this weekend? What were your highlights?

Giveaway Winners!!

2011-12-23T16:49:00.001-05:00

Time to announce winners for December's sponsored giveaways - hooray!

Let's consult the random number generator...

The winner of the 11:11 giveaway is commenter #3 - M'ris!

The winner of the La La Faux Bois giveaway is commenter #1 - Hannah!

Congrats to the winners! There are more great giveaways coming up next month, stay tuned!

Nice Things for the Holidays

2011-12-23T16:39:00.002-05:00

Look at that, it's Friday again! There were lots of Nice Things around the internet this week...

1. It's not too late to gift handmade this season! EZ of Creature Comforts shared a great roundup of DIYs that are quick and easy enough to finish before Christmas. I especially love Wit and Whistle's Chalkboard mugs:

2. Or crochet a quick and cozy cowl using this Sedge Stitch pattern from Annelise of Aesthetic Nest:

3. These free printable cards from Mon Carnet are so lovely, and could even work as New Year's cards if you (like me) haven't gotten your cards out yet:

{via How About Orange}

4. Thursday at My Girl Thursday (an OPB sponsor!) also shared a Christmas card printable, inspired by vintage Pyrex. So pretty (and there's a gift-tag version, too)!

5. These stitchable gift tags from Miniature Rhino would give gifts a perfectly homemade touch:

{via Feeling Stitchy}

6. Doing some holiday baking? Top off your yummy baked goods with an adorable tag from Amy is the Party (an OPB sponsor!):

7. This one isn't holiday related, but Elsie's closet tour is definitely worth a look - so inspiring!

8. Speaking of fashion, I love Kaylah of The Dainty Squid's DIY removable shoe fringe tutorial:

9. Finally, these pretty thank you cards from Creature Comforts will definitely come in handy next week. Nate's family has a long-running flamingo joke, so these are definitely going to them:

Whether you are celebrating a holiday or not, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

PS - if you'd like some peeks into my Christmas vacation, I've been sharing photos via instagram - find me @alli_lucy!

My Life as a Blog

2011-12-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

I'm over on Sarah Bryden-Brown's fabulous and inspiring Blogstar today, participating in the Life as a Blog series. Head over there to learn about the early days of OPB, my blogging challenges, and how this space has changed my life (for the better!).

Today is my dad's birthday (#71!!), so Nate and I are celebrating with my family. Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Mindfulness

2011-12-20T18:02:00.000-05:00

Over the summer I was contacted by the Dutch magazine Flow. They were working on a special issue devoted to mindfulness, and asked me to comment on my One Line a Day Journal for an article on journaling. I have to admit - there's been so much going on this fall that I completely forgot about the whole thing until a copy of the Mindfulness Do-book showed up at my door last week. What a nice pre-Christmas gift!

This magazine is gorgeous. It's beautifully printed, and full of various goodies - posters, pull-outs, question pages with spaces to write your own answers, and even a mini-journal complete with all sorts of embellishments. Fun!

And look, there's my name!

Unfortunately I don't read Dutch, but I'll definitely be sitting down with Flow and Google Translate sometime soon.

On a related note, I'm proud to report that I'm still writing in my One Line a Day Journal, nearly a year after my first entry. I don't always write everyday, but the format makes it easy to catch up, even if I've missed a few days in a row. Having never kept a journal for more than two weeks before, I'm pretty happy about it! I can't wait to get into my second year, and re-read all of my entries from the past twelve months.

Do you keep a personal journal? What sorts of things do you include in it?

Sponsor Giveaway: Lala Faux Bois

2011-12-19T16:32:00.003-05:00

Today I have another lovely sponsor giveaway for you! Lisa of Lala Faux Bois is offering one OPB reader a gorgeous (and cozy) cowl from her shop, Paper Plane.

From Lisa:

This cowl is hand knit with a super soft, extra chunky yarn to keep you warm and cozy this winter. Winner will receive a cowl in the color of their choice from my shop!

To enter: If you'd like a cowl of your very own, head over to Paper Plane and take a look at all of Lisa's cowls. Then come back here and leave a comment letting us know what color you would choose: turquoise, red, cream, brown, purple, or green! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win (use the format alli [at] onepearlbutton [dot] com to avoid scammers).

Additional entries: share the giveaway via Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc. For each place you've shared, come back and leave an additional comment.
Sample tweet: "Win a cozy cowl in this #giveaway from @alli_lucy and @lalafauxbois! http://www.onepearlbutton.com/2011/12/sponsor-giveaway-lala-faux-bois.html"

Note: giveaway is open to international readers. Entries will be valid through this Thursday, Dec. 22. I'll announce the winner on Friday. Winner must leave a valid email address. Good luck!

Nice Things

2011-12-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

Interested in more holiday-themed Nice Things? You're in luck - I've got some great ones this week!

1. Katrina of Pugly Pixel shared how to turn your phone photos into teeny-tiny prints:

2. This banner is absolutely gorgeous. Find the tutorial and free printable at Katie's Pencil Box:

{via Creature Comforts}

3. Still need a last-minute gift for a special baby in your life? The "To the Circus" fabric from Spoonflower comes printed with a circus cloth book, strong man and lion plushies, and two bibs. Way too cute, and quick enough to whip up before Christmas:

{via Craft}

4. Make a lovely terrarium ornament with this tutorial from Abi of Vanilla and Lace, guest blogged on Sunshine and Carousels:

5. Oh my goodness, I love paper dolls under any circumstances, but when they are drawn by the amazing Emily Martin, I LOVELOVELOVE them. Get the free "Dot and Roscoe" printable at The Black Apple:

6. For another great printable, try Danielle Thompson's super cute Mid-Century Village ornaments (the most stylish holiday village ever, perhaps?):

7. Is your computer not feeling high-end enough? Try a free desktop wallpaper from Hermes to class things up (click the picture of wallpaper rolls in a bin - mais oui!!):

{via How About Orange}

8. Liz at Say Yes to Hoboken has continued her glass ornament series this week. I love this glittered version by Kersey of Ardor Blog:

9. Also from Liz, add some sparkle to your holiday table with gold dipped wine stems:

10. Finally, a wonderful idea from Anna of In Honor of Design - a "Gift of Time" Certificate, good for some quality time with loved ones. Really, is there anything more important at this time of year?

So, can I be honest with you guys? This week has been tough. Really, really tough. I told you a little about Caesar's health issues last week; this week, Percy decided to join him. Our poor pup had a major health scare on Monday (the sort that leaves you in shock, sobbing, and non-functional), and although our vet's first suspicions turned out not to be true (thank you to every good force in the universe) and Percy's on the mend, we definitely didn't start the week on a good note. Both animals are doing better, but worrying about them has sucked up a lot of my energy. With all this going on, I'm feeling grateful for Handmade Ryan Gosling, because seriously, it's impossible to look at that Tumblr and still feel sad or stressed. Love it.

So with Percy and Caesar not entirely out of the water, and on the advice of our vet, we've decided to take them both with us on our holiday travels this year. Percy is an experienced traveler, but Caesar is definitely NOT. This should be interesting. Tomorrow morning all four of us will be loading up the car and heading to Virginia to see Nate's family - wish us luck...we're going to need it!

Have a great weekend!

Gift Packaging Idea: Cover a Box

2011-12-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

Percy used to take a prescription that came in cute little folding boxes, so I have a stacks of them. They are the perfect size for small gifts, but are cringe-inducingly ugly, with banged up outsides and the remains of shipping labels stuck all over them. This is my quick and easy method for making them gift-worthy!

Step 1: remove any stickers or labels. Unfold the box and lay it out on printed contact paper (of course I'm using my favorite faux bois paper!).

Step 2: trace around the box.

Step 3: cut, being sure to include any notches or slits.

Step 4: working from one side to avoid wrinkles, slowly un-peel the contact paper and stick it onto the box (hint, un-peel just a little bit of the backing at a time, moving slowly across the box).

Step 5: fold the box back up, and you're done! Now it's pretty enough for a present - no wrapping required!

Have a great Thursday!

Meet December's Sponsors (Plus Coupon Codes!)

2011-12-14T20:32:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to be hosting another amazing group of people over in the sidebar this month. I think my favorite thing about running a sponsorship program (and something that I hadn't thought about beforehand), was how many fantastic new blogs and shops I'd be exposed to through it. Even better than the blogs and shops, though, are the inspiring ladies behind them! Read on to get to know a few of them better, and keep an eye out - they are offering some great coupon codes to OPB readers!

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER

Hello everyone! I'm Moorea Seal from Moorea-Seal.com. I've got lots of lovely pieces in my jewelry shop for the holiday season that I am excited to share with you! In addition to having my own jewelry design business, I am also an illustrator with a specialty in portraiture, and a blog designer for Freckled Nest. Stop by my blog to see a peek into my busy busy artistic world. I look forward to meeting you!

Coupon code alert! Use the code ONEPEARL to receive 10% off at the Moorea Seal shop!

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER

Hi everyone! I’m Amanda from Blue Betty. I’m a knitter, surfer, and coffee drinker. My favorite thing is designing knitting patterns that are inspired by the season, the city, and my love of fiber. Not only am I a knitter, but I am a home seamstress and share my adventures in sewing on my blog.

Coupon code alert! Use the code BETTY10 to receive 10% off at the Blue Betty shop!

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER - FACEBOOK

Hello, friends! I am Lisa and I blog at http://goodknits.com/blog. I use my space to blog about my crafty endeavors. I like to share inspiration and patterns/tutorials with my readers. I really love knitting and crochet, so I tend to photograph and share that aspect of my life the most, but I also throw in a few cute shots of my two boys from time to time. I think it's a lovely mix.

Coupon code alert! Use the code OPB20 to receive 20% off at the GoodKnits shop!

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER

Hello! I'm Lisa and I blog over at lala faux bois. It's all about my life as a girl obsessed with travelling, vintage, and making stuff. Come by sometime and we can get crafty and share thrifting tales!

Coupon code alert! Use the code LALAFAUXBOIS to receive 20% off at the Lala Faux Bois shop!

BLOG - FLICKR - TWITTER

Hello! I'm Isabel from Bourbon, Sugar & Mint where I blog about food, entertainment, making lists and other various topics that provide a welcome distraction from academia. My favorite things include photography, music, Saturdays, traveling, museums, black coffee, and the rare times when all of those things happen at once. My favorite colors are purple and Tiffany blue, my favorite band is The Strokes, and my happy place is Disneyland. I love meeting the creative and interesting people in the blogging community so please stop by and say hi!

***
See, I told you they are awesome! Be sure to check out all of December's sponsors in the sidebar, and have a great day!

Giveaway: 11:11 Enterprises

2011-12-13T13:18:00.001-05:00

Last month, the lovely Jamila of 11:11 answered a few questions about being a full-time indie business owner. This month, I'm excited to have her back for a totally awesome giveaway! One lucky OPB reader will everything below, courtesy of 11:11!

The total value of this giveaway is over $80! Included are the Airlines Route Map Passport Holder, the Magical Moth Checkbook Cover, the Royal Pink Kitty Business, Credit, & ID Card Holder, the Sea Mountains Tri-Fold Wallet, the Lay a Little Lovin' on Me Condom Case, and the Pleaides Covered Moleskine Notebook. Give them as a gift or keep them for yourself - either way they are certain to add a little handmade happiness to to your pocket or purse!

To enter: head to the 11:11 shop and do some browsing. Then come back here and tell us (in a comment) which item you would love to find in your stocking this holiday season. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win (to avoid spambots, type your email as "alli [at] onepearlbutton [dot] com").

Additional entries: share the giveaway via Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc. For each place you've shared, come back and leave an additional comment.
Sample tweet: "Add some art to your pocket with this #giveaway from @jamilastarwater and @alli_lucy! http://www.onepearlbutton.com/2011/12/giveaway-1111-enterprises.html"

Note: giveaway is open to international readers. Entries will be valid through next Tuesday, Dec. 20. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday. Winner must leave a valid email address. Good luck!

Gift Packaging Idea: Sparkly Name Tags

2011-12-12T11:44:00.000-05:00

Aesthetic Outburst's shiny alphabet inspired these sparkly name tags. They couldn't be simpler - all you need to make them is a package of metallic pipe cleaners and two minutes of your time. Bend the pipe cleaner to spell out the gift recipient's name (if one pipe cleaner isn't long enough, twist on another and keep going). Trim the end if necessary, then affix the tag to your gift. In these examples, I used small pieces of pipe cleaner (in contrasting colors) to twist the tags onto glittery ribbons. Others I've tied on with yarn, and I've found that both methods work equally well.

Sparkle, sparkle!

Looking for more holiday gift tag ideas? Try this round up of free printable gift tags at How About Orange. There are also lots of gorgeous free tags in this year's issue of Gifted Magazine. Happy wrapping!

Nice Things for a Sunday Night

2011-12-11T20:09:00.000-05:00

Here's some lovely inspiration for the end of your weekend!

1. Find pretty printable gift tags at Goodknits (an OPB sponsor!):

2. Liz of Say Yes to Hoboken shared ten glass ornament tutorials this week. I especially like the gold-dipped version:

3. For even more ornament goodness, check out Katie's cute vintage-inspired ice skates at Skunkboy Creatures:

4. And if that's still not enough to fill your tree, make painted glass bulbs with a tutorial from Fancy House Road:

{via Miss Indie}

5. These holiday postcard printables are too adorable! Find them at Amy is the Party (an OPB sponsor!):

6. Whip-up some lovely felt flower brooches with this tutorial from Colette Patterns:

7. Also in the world of felt - is there anything cuter than tiny baby shoes? Get the tutorial at The Purl Bee:

8. Make faux mercury glass with this tutorial from Make:

9. Looking for a last minute gift? Try the 11th Hour Blanket knitted blanket from The Purl Bee:

10. If you're happier with one needle in your hand, there are lots of great holiday embroidery patterns over at Feeling Stitchy:

11. Or if you prefer a hook, crochet some festive lights with a pattern by Jean Herman:

{via Craft}

12. Finally, you won't believe how quick and easy it is to make these gold tassel earrings. Find the tutorial at In Honor of Design:

Nate and I have been busy little elves this weekend, getting everything ready for the holidays. We head to his parents in less than a week - I can hardly believe it!

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Winner: Polaroid Starter Kit Giveaway!

2011-12-09T12:04:00.000-05:00

It's time - we have a winner for the Polaroid Starter Kit giveaway!! With the help of the random number generator, I'm happy to announce that the winner is....

Commenter #164 - that's Rhianne, of For the Easily Distracted!! Congrats, Rhianne; I'll be in touch!

I had so much fun reading all of your entries to this giveaway - I really wish I had 350 starter kits to send one to each and every person who entered. If you didn't win, don't worry too much, The Impossible Project and I have more giveaways planned for the new year. In the meantime, be sure to check out The Impossible Shop for all your instant photography needs, including film, accessories, and gorgeously refurbished vintage cameras (you can also find cameras on Ebay and Etsy).

Happy Friday, everyone!

Tutorial: DIY Graphic Pinecone Ornament

2011-12-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today I'm guest blogging over at one of my favorite blogs, My Girl Thursday (appropriate for the day of the week, right?). Head over there to learn how to make this quick and easy Graphic Pinecone ornament.

Thank you for all the love sent to Caesar yesterday. I still can't quite tell what today is going to be like for him, but I'm hopeful that he's feeling a little bit better. I'll keep you updated.

Sick Kitty

2011-12-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

It's been a stressful week around here - our cat, Caesar, has been sick, and it's been dominating the past few days. He seemed to be on the mend yesterday, but is doing a little bit worse today. This is the first major illness we've ever had with either of the pets, and it's hard! Both he and I could use any positive thoughts you could send our way.

While we wait this out, I'm thinking Caesar needs a comfy new bed. Kaelah of Little Chief Honeybee shared how to make a suitcase pet bed this week. I've always loved these, but for some reason thought they seemed too difficult to DIY. Apparently, I was wrong - Kaelah makes it look super easy!

Oh my goodness - extreme cuteness!! Have a good Wednesday, everyone.

(PS - there's only one day left to enter the Polaroid Starter Kit giveaway - don't miss it!)

A Little Bit of Polaroid Love

2011-12-06T15:27:00.001-05:00

With only two days left in the Polaroid Starter Kit giveaway, I thought this was the perfect time to share a few of my recent photos taken with PX-680 color film from The Impossible Project. I shot these in Northside, one of my favorite Cincinnati neighborhoods, on a cool fall day in October.

Unfortunately, I think I killed this particular film pack! It came with me to Italy this summer, but apparently I took too much film because I never shot it and ended up bringing it back home. That means it went through the carry on x-ray at least 4 times. I think it also might have been affected by the hot weather in Italy and Greece. Although these aren't nearly as lovely as most photos taken with PX-680, I think they still have their own sort of charm!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

(you can see a few more of my PX-680 photos here!)

Don't Miss: OPB in the Kirtsy DIY Stocking Stuffer Guide

2011-12-05T16:09:00.004-05:00

I'm so honored to have my magnetic paper doll tutorial featured in today's Kirtsy slideshow! The show was curated by Sarah Bryden-Brown of Blogstar, and I must say, I'm giddy to appear along with some of my favorite creative bloggers, including Liz of Say Yes to Hoboken, Megan of Not Martha, AmberLee of Giver's Log, and Jessica of How About Orange, among others. Seriously, how did I end up on that list? It's a total pinch-me-moment.

All of the projects are really fantastic (if only I had the time to craft every single one of them before Christmas!) - click the image below to check out the show!

Thank you, Kirtsy and Blogstar!

Tutorial: Leather Leaf Ornaments

2011-12-05T11:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I have another quick and easy holiday DIY to share. I hope you enjoy it!

My neighborhood's gorgeous ginkgo tree inspired these ornaments. I was thinking that its golden leaves would look beautiful on a Christmas tree, and wishing there was some way to preserve them, when I realized I could do the next best thing and recreate them! These ornaments will give your tree a touch of nature, and if you use metallic leather (or pleather), they have the perfect amount of subtle sparkle.

What you'll need: leather scraps, scissors, ornament hooks, sewing supplies, leaf shapes printed from the internet (do a google image search for whatever type of leaves you'd like, and you'll find lots of options. I went with varieties that are common in my neighborhood: oak, maple, ivy, and of course, ginkgo).

Step 1: using your printouts as a guide, cut out leaf shapes (rather than using pins, which will leave holes in leather, use a piece of tape to affix the printout).

Step 2: use a sewing machine to add texture to the leaves, imitating their natural veins. Don't worry too much about making these lines perfect; little imperfections add to the natural look.

Step 3: use a straight pin to poke a hole in the top of the ornaments, then feed an ornament hook through.

All done! Add them to your tree and enjoy the look of fall leaves all season!

(PS - you still have three more days to enter the Polaroid Starter Kit giveaway; don't miss out!)

Nice Things for Early December

2011-12-02T14:56:00.000-05:00

I have so many Nice Things to share this week!

1. Do you love Owls, cute illustrations, and knowing what day of the week it is? Then head to My Owl Barn to design your own free(!) printable 2012 calendar:

{via How About Orange}

2. These felt coffee cozies are so simple and lovely - the perfect thing to make and keep on hand for little gifts this season. Learn how to make your own (there's not much to it!) at The Purl Bee:

3. Didn't win the Goodknits and Curious Pebble Project giveaway? Make your own Simple Statement Wreath Ornaments with this tutorial from Lisa of Goodknits (an OPB sponsor!):

4. If the Simple Statement Wreaths aren't enough crochet goodness for you, Lisa's new pattern booklet, Lace Love, is now available! Get a digital or paper copy here.

5. Do you love the look of cross-stitched phone cases, but prefer embroidery? Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching has found the perfect case for you!

{via Craft}

6. Renee of Oh Renee Design shared this cute tutorial for turning old embroidery hoops into sweet, crafty photo frames:

6. I'm so in love with Hudson Bay blankets, but WHEW, they are seriously pricey. Get the cozy/chic look with this knitted version from The Purl Bee:

7. Handmade soaps make the perfect gift. Package them in these great wrappers, and you're set to go! Get the free download from Funkytime:

{via Craft}

8. Learn how easy it is to make pretty fabric poppies with EZ of Creature Comforts:

9. Wouldn't these minature vintage christmas packages at Toyshop Greetings be so cute incorporated into an advent calendar or made into ornaments?

{via How About Orange}

10. Finally, take a sweater from frumpy to chic with this stylish tutorial from A Cleaner Closet:

Okay, it's official - I can't wait to sit down and do some crafting this weekend! I hope you have a great one!

(PS - the response to the Polaroid starter kit giveaway has been AMAZING! I'm loving all of this excitement over Polaroid and The Impossible Project. Don't forget to enter!)

Holiday Giveaway from OPB and The Impossible Project: Win a Polaroid Starter Kit!

2011-12-01T13:01:00.002-05:00

I'm thrilled to be kicking off December by recreating OPBs most popular giveaway ever, made even bigger and better!! This holiday season, I've teamed up with The Impossible Project to gift one lucky OPB reader with a Polaroid starter kit. The kit comes with absolutely everything you need to make gorgeous instant photos!

From me, the winner will receive a vintage Polaroid 600 camera, plus a Polaroid bucket bag. The bag is one of the roomiest vintage Polaroid bags I've come across - there's plenty of space inside for your camera, film, and accessories, and you could probably even get your wallet and phone in there, too!

The Polaroid 600 One Step Flash will give you plenty of creative control with a close up setting, onboard flash (plus a flash override button), and a simple-to-use exposure dial. Or, just point and shoot - either way you're going to come out with totally unique images!

To make it even more exciting, The Impossible Project has generously contributed everything you'll need to get shooting with your new camera! The winner will receive two packs of PX film, one color, one black and white. These are the latest film formulas, and optimized for use in 600 cameras. You'll also get a frog tongue to shield your images from light while developing (this thing is so neat!) and a Dry Age Kit to make sure your images will last.

Whew, that is quite the haul of Polaroid goodness! If you want to find it all at your doorstep, read on!

To enter:
Note: Since this giveaway was designed as a special gift for an OPB reader, you must be a follower to win. Any means of following is fine!
First entry: leave a comment below telling us one thing you'd love to photograph with your new camera!
Additional entries: share this giveaway via Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. Leave a comment for each place you've shared.
Feel free to steal this sample tweet: Win a #Polaroid starter kit from @alli_lucy and @impossibleUSA! http://www.onepearlbutton.com/2011/12/holiday-giveaway-from-opb-and.html

That's all there is to it! Entries are valid through next Thursday, December 8. I'll announce the winner on Friday. Good luck!

PS - want some instant photo inspiration in the meantime? Check out The Impossible Project Flickr group!

Winner: Goodknits and Curious Pebble Project Giveaway!

2011-12-01T10:38:00.002-05:00

We have a winner for the Goodknits and Curious Pebble Project giveaway...(insert drumroll)...congrats to commenter #9 - that's Nerdy Knitter!! Enjoy your ornaments and curious pebble!

It's the first day of December, and that means there are two exciting things happening around here. First, new sponsors are up in the sidebar! OPB gets the most awesome sponsors - be sure to check them out and show them some love. Second, I'm celebrating the month with a really, really fun giveaway this afternoon. Stop in this afternoon - you won't want to miss this one!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-11-30T13:16:00.003-05:00

Things are getting pretty festive around our house!

Bits of the holidays have made their way onto the art wall...

There are teeny-tiny vintage putz houses tucked away between the cameras on the mantle...

Plus a church with a somewhat unstructurally-sound bell tower...

There are deer grazing and frolicking on the table...

The advent calendar is all ready for tomorrow...

and of course, there's a tree!

With silver foil stars...

and plenty of vintage ornaments. Perfect, perfect.

I love how cosy our apartment feels when the holiday decorations are up! Conditions are perfect for snuggling on the couch right now.

Have you decorated yet? Do you tend to go all out for the holidays, or is your decor more subtle? I tend to end up on the subtle side, mostly because we don't have much space to store holiday decorations the rest of the year. Someday I hope to go totally crazy with decorations this time of year!

***
PS - Feel like making some of your holiday decor? Give these a try!

Yarn Wrapped Tree Tutorial

Pom-Pom Garland Tutorial

"Gilded" Votive Cups Tutorial

Holiday Terrariums

Tutorial: Sweet and Simple Gift Pouch

2011-11-28T19:34:00.002-05:00

December is right around the corner, which means it's time to think about gifts! If I had to choose a favorite time of year, these weeks before Christmas might take the cake. I love the decorations, the music, the anticipation, the parties and get-togethers, and most of all, I love making special gifts for my favorite people. Today I'll be sharing how to whip up a little pouch that's a perfect (and perfectly green) way to package up a gift for someone you love!

Follow my measurements to make a pouch that's just the right size for jewelry. You can easily adjust the size to package just about anything.

What you'll need: two rectangles of fabric, both 4.5x6", a length of ribbon about 14" long, and basic sewing and pressing supplies.

Step 1: Place your fabric rectangles WRONG sides together (right sides out). Choose a fabric for your exterior and a fabric for your lining. Fold one long edge .75" toward the lining side (so here, the blue fabric is my exterior, the pink is my lining). Press the fold.

Step 2: Stitch straight across the folded edge, using a .25" seam allowance (I use the edge of my presser foot as a guide).

Step 3: Fold the pouch in half lengthwise with exterior right sides together. Starting at the folded edge, stitch across the bottom, turn the corner, and sew up to the first line of stitching, WITHOUT passing it (this is important!).

Step 4: Trim the corners and flip the pouch right side out. Use a safety pin to guide the ribbon through the channel made by the top fold. Give the whole thing a quick press and you're done!

Not only are these pouches great for gifts, they are also super handy in general. I use them when I'm traveling - I put delicate pieces in individual pouches, then tuck them into a jewelry roll so nothing gets tangled or snagged. I also keep one in my bag so I have a safe place to put jewelry during yoga class.

Now that you have your pouch, you'll need something to put inside it. Don't worry; I've got you covered - there's a new jewelry tutorial coming up next week!

Have a great day!

Sponsor OPB in December!

2011-11-27T11:35:00.000-05:00

If you've ever thought of being a part of this little corner of the internet, now's the perfect time! I'm officially accepting sponsors for December. This month will be filled with holiday goodness on OPB - decorations, DIYs, gift ideas, and I'll be kicking it all off with an exciting (and I mean EXCITING!) giveaway on Dec. 1. If you have a blog or indie business, head over to my sponsorship page for more info, or send me an email to work out the details.

For everyone in the US, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Nate and I have a rule that we don't turn on Christmas music or put up any decorations until Thanksgiving is done, so tonight we'll be cranking up Pandora's Christmas station and putting up our tree. I can't wait!

Enjoy these last few days of November!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:43:00.001-05:00

To everyone in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family. To everyone else, happy Thursday!

Crafty Supermarket Wrap Up

2011-11-23T13:44:00.003-05:00

Crafty Supermarket this weekend was such a great experience. These shows are always SO exhausting, but I'm always sad when they are over. It's just so much fun to chat with people about Polaroid photography! Here are a few photos from the day.

Early in the morning, things were a bit of a mess.

This year's booth took longer than expected to set up. It's a good thing we arrived super early!

And here's the OPB Studios booth!! If I can say so, I was really proud of my display this year. In the past, I think my displays have been too one-dimensional, with too many things down on the table. This year I made a real effort to get things up at eye level, and to play with texture and dimension. I was especially happy to hear a few people comment on how cohesive it looked, since most of the elements were borrowed from our apartment or found at the thrift store.

I made this display for last spring's show - it's just two cork boards from ikea connected with hinges and covered in vintage contact paper. Last year I used it for postcards, but this year I decided to display prints on it. It drew a lot of attention to the prints, and I ended up selling more than I ever have before.

I found the two-tiered stand at the thrift store for $1.50. It needed a little love, but ended up being the perfect place to display pocket mirrors and pouches (always a crowd favorite at these shows!).

I think I got the most comments on this suitcase postcard display. The suitcase has been serving as craft room storage for years. To convert it to a display piece, I pinned ribbon to the edges with safety pins, then clipped on the postcards with mini binder clips that I had covered with fabric. To return it to storage, I just removed the ribbons. So easy!

Vintage metal trays from the thrift store make perfect magnet displays.

Last year shoppers were confused about which postcards came in the packaged sets. This year I made it clearer by printing paper bands showing all of the postcards in a set, and wrapping them around the packages.

Okay, full disclosure - these mini-magnets were a total mistake. I accidentally ordered 1" magnets when I meant to order 1.5". Luckily, Ali of Buttonhead amazing and was able to reprint my order in the proper size and get them to me in under three days, just in time for the show. At the last minute, I decided to try to sell the tiny ones, too - and couldn't believe it when I nearly sold out of them! Apparently I need to start ordering magnets in both sizes.

Finally, the new banner! I'm so in love with this that I kind of want to hang it in our living room (just kidding! Well, sort of).

Are any of you vending at or shopping at craft fairs this holiday season? I think they are the absolute best places to find gifts!

Happy Wednesday!

Pre-Holiday Giveaway from Goodknits and The Curious Pebble Project

2011-11-22T13:15:00.001-05:00

Hello, hello! I think it's finally official - the holidays really are right around the corner. In honor of the upcoming season, today two of OPB's awesome sponsors are offering a pre-holiday giveaway for little gifts that are perfect to pass on to a loved one, or to keep for yourself!

Lisa of Goodknits has offered a set of five crocheted wreath ornaments, in the color(s) of your choice. These are perfect as ornaments, or look adorable tied onto gifts!

Juliana of The Curious Pebble Project is contributing a Curious Clip On - the tiniest of Curious Pebbles, ready to clip to your purse, your jeans, your keys, or wherever! Crocheted in size 12 cotton crochet thread with a 1.3mm hook (Oh! My eyes!), this pebble is about the size of an american quarter and has a snowflake design.

One lucky reader will take home both gifts!

First entry: leave a comment below, telling us whether you would give these as gifts, or keep them for yourself (don't worry, we can keep a secret!)
Additional entry: follow Goodknits and The Curious Pebble Project Blog, and leave another comment telling us that you do.
Bonus entries: share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, your own blog - wherever (leave a comment for each place you've shared).

Entries are valid through next Tuesday, November 29. This giveaway is open to international readers. Good luck!

Interview with Jamila from 11:11: Making Crafty Dreams a Reality!

2011-11-21T11:50:00.001-05:00

When Jamila of 11:11 Enterprises contacted me about sponsoring OPB, I was instantly excited. First of all, her business name is awesome (I always, always make a wish when I catch the clock at 11:11). Once I had clicked over to her shop to see what she was all about, I knew it was a perfect match. Jamila makes amazing collaged goodies, and I just love her style.

I'm particularly enamored with her passport holders. How cool would you feel pulling out one of these at customs?

Click on the photos for more info!

Jamila makes lots of other fantastic accessories as well, like notebooks, cardholders, and even checkbook covers.

I don't even carry a checkbook, but these pink cowboys are making me reconsider.

Jamila has turned her designs into a successful business - what an inspiration! She kindly agreed to answer a few questions about being a full-time indie business owner, and to share some tips for OPB readers who are interested in doing the same. Read on to learn more!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Well lets see- I was born and raised in Florida ( Key West and Sarasota), I went to college in Savannah, GA ( SCAD, Fibers, Class of 2001!) and then ventured up to New York City after graduation to make my fortune as an accessories designer! I was in for a shocker because surprise!, starting and running a creative business is challenging and success doesn't come overnight. New York was where my real education in business began.

How did 11:11 get started?

I aways wanted to have my own business. Problem was that I'm wayy more of an artist that a business person - or at least I was back then. When I was living in Brooklyn I was waiting tables by day and making insanely extravagant handbags at night, and dreaming/trying to make a business with those. It was a lot harder than I ever knew. Then one day in 2003, after being consistently behind on my rent for months, I decided to try and sell some wallets I had leftover from college experimentations. I gathered up my courage and went to the heart of Williamsburg where the L train stops on Bedford, and set up a folding table. I sold so many that day it became very clear to me - this was a viable product to create a business with! I started selling to stores almost right away - I would just walk in and show whoever I could what I was making. I had no idea what a line sheet was... lets just say its been a long 8 years of learning about business from scratch!

Your designs are so quirky and unique. Where do you find your inspiration?

Everywhere. The designs are my favorite part and what keep me going. I am constantly taking pictures, going through old books and collaging - both with scissors and glue and photoshop. My joy is finding and showcasing the bits of beauty found all around me.

What is your design process like?

When I am putting together a collection, which happens for me twice a year, I like to start with words and feelings and from there I embark on a visual quest to find imagery that speaks to those themes. I collect the imagery, collage and edit oodles of designs, and then round them all up. Then it's all about paring down to just the best ones, because I've realized over the years that less is more when it comes to offering a collection to store buyers particularly. I am really excited to be debuting the winter collection soon on our website. This season's themes are courage, peace, and pie!

As an indie business owner, I imagine that you work all the time. Do you ever find yourself stuck in a design rut? How do you fuel your creative life?

Yes you are right - I work all the time! I find whenever I am in a creative rut it's because I am not paying attention. Sometimes the boring part of work can just suck the life force out of a person, and then it's just like a sleepwalking situation to get through the day. What helps me just start to pay attention again - to all the awesome weird things everywhere in life! - is yoga and meditation. Kundalini yoga is what keeps me fueled up with enough energy to keep appreciating all the opportunities and inspiration available everywhere - if you're looking for them!

What are the best and worst things about owning your own creative business?

The hardest part has been going through really tough financial times with no safety net except credit cards, and we all know what happens when you rely too much on those things! That's not a problem confined to creative business owners, but it can affect indie folks more because when it's your business and your dream that is supporting you - well the hard times I think you take a lot more personally and the tendency to overwork to compensate is strong and detrimental to health! The best part about being an independent business owner is the freedom to make my own schedule and play by my own rules. I have to answer to store buyers and all my customers of course, so it's always a give and take, but the feeling of being able to support myself with my own creations is incomparable and worth all the risk and stress that comes with the territory!

It seems like you’ve really made your dream happen – what advice do you have for others who are hoping to create indie careers for themselves?

Pick something you absolutely LOVE to do/ make/create, because when all the hassles of running a small business feel like they are consuming you, you'll still at the root of it be doing something you love - and for love! Also, find people that have complementary skills and work with them; the biggest mistake I've made is thinking I could do it all by myself. Lastly, just go on and do it, make a plan, get clear and just go for it!!! It's the best adventure and will take you places you can barely dream of before you've begun. Have fun and enjoy the ride!!

Thanks so much for talking with us today, Jamila!

If you have any questions for Jamila, leave them in the comments. Be sure to check out all of her designs at 11:11, and have a great day!

Done and Done

2011-11-21T09:37:00.000-05:00

Setting up the OPB Studios booth!

Oh my goodness, we had such a great time at Crafty Supermarket this weekend! It was just plain fantstic - so, so much fun. I'm still recovering, but kind of wishing that we could do it again next weekend.

A full recap is coming up later this week. Up later today will be an interview with the awesome Jamila of 11:11 Enterprises, who will be sharing how she turned her indie crafting dreams into a full-time job, and offering advice for up-and-coming crafty businesses. Don't miss it!

Almost Time for Crafty Supermarket!

2011-11-18T14:43:00.000-05:00

Hey Cincinnatians, don't forget that this year's holiday edition of Crafty Supermarket is tomorrow!! If you've never been before, the show is amazing. There will be over 50 indie craft vendors, as well as some amazing food (I'm already excited about brick oven pizza and gelato), craft demos, free gift wrapping(!), swag bags for the first 100 shoppers, and a great DJ. Oh, and did I mention that I'll be there, selling lots of Polaroid goodies? Entrance is free and it's the perfect place to knock out some holiday gift shopping, so get yourself to Clifton tomorrow!

Before last year's holiday Crafty Supermarket - my first big craft show. I was so nervous! (also, straight hair looks weird to me now!)

You can find all the essential details - including directions, vendor lists, and more - at the Crafty Supermarket website.

Now let's hope that I can get everything on my to-do list checked off before tomorrow morning! Eeek!!

Meet November's Sponsors!

2011-11-17T14:54:00.004-05:00

Hello, hello, everyone! Today I'm happy to introduce you to some of OPBs amazing November sponsors. I swear, OPB gets the best sponsors - I'm totally in love with all of them! Give them a few clicks, and I'm willing to be that you'll feel the same way.

(there may even be some coupon codes in it for you - be on the lookout!)

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER

Hello everyone, I’m Amanda from Blue Betty. I’m a knitter, surfer, and coffee drinker. My favorite thing is designing knitting patterns that are inspired by the season, the city, and my love of fiber. In my etsy shop you will find my original knitting patterns as well as some of my hand dyed yarn. Keep a look out as I will be releasing a brand new pattern for the holiday season at the end of this week.

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER - BLOGLOVIN

Hi, I'm Kam of Campfire Chic, and I'm a administrative assistant with a Master's degree in Leadership by day, a blogger and business woman by night, and a weekend warrior out to enjoy Mother Nature before heading home to play with some paper and glue. I started Campfire Chic during the summer of 2010 while camping in Sequoia National Parks. I really love being outdoors, I post about my camping adventures, share local hikes, and I also post about blogging-related topics such as Search Engine Optimization, social media, and Google Analytics.

COUPON CODE ALERT! Use the code "ONEPEARLBUTTON" to receive 15% off your order at the Campfire Chic shop!

BLOG - TWITTER

Hi! My name is Sandy and I blog over at Sandy a la Mode. I blog about my adventures in DSLR photography, delicious recipes I have tried or invented, fashion, inspiration, and most recently my baby bump. Some things I love are bubble tea, cupcakes, frozen yogurt, dim sum, dresses, shoes, jewelry, Skittles, shopping, and my husband of course. I like to host giveaways every week on my blog and sharing with my readers cool shops I come across! What's not to love about a chance to win free stuff? So grab a cup of hot cocoa, come on over and read away! Oh, and make sure to have a tissue ready to wipe the drool away from your face when looking at the food posts. ;)

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER

Hiya! I'm Shannon and I run the little blog shannon*bear. I like to drink lots of coffee, play with my brand new little blue, Daisy Bear, listen to my Mr. play guitar, take lots of photographs, and make pretty things to put in my shop! I'm a photographer full time and am working on developing my business. It's probably one of the most fun endeavors I could have ever imagined! In my free time I love to make things come to life through leather and fabric and maybe a little magic too. Be sure to stop by my little blog and say hello!

BLOG - SHOP

Hello Alli-Land! My name is Julianna, and I crochet sweaters for Beach Pebbles. Yeah, I realize that sounds pretty strange, but when I leave the crocheted Pebbles in the sand on local beaches for other people to happen across (like beach treasure!), it turns into a pretty interesting and occasionally hilarious Found-Art Project. You can read all about what happens on my blog and see what people say as they log in their finds. And, since not everyone can find one of their own, I also have an Etsy Shop so that everyone can have one for their very own. But my blog is about more than just the pebbles-- I’m a Maker, a Singer and a Mom, and there’s lots of crafty/musical/goofy-goodness happening in my world. See you there!

COUPON CODE ALERT! Use the code "OPB15" for 15% off at the Curious Pebble Project shop!

***

See, aren't they awesome? Be sure to check out all of OPB's fantastic November sponsors in the sidebar. I'm so happy to have them all as a part of the blog this month!

Would you like to see your own blog or shop here in December? I'm accepting new OPB sponsors now! Find the details on my sponsorship page, or send me an email for more info!

Golden Morning

2011-11-16T20:50:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help snapping a few photos when Percy and I were out walking Saturday morning. This ginkgo tree is so incredibly amazing in the fall. I'd never seen such a big ginkgo before moving here, and I love watching it turn from green to gold every fall.

Breathtaking! I'm extra glad that I got these shots, because the wind picked up Saturday afternoon and continued through Sunday, and by Monday morning the tree was bare. Next stop - winter!

How was your fall color this year?

Instant Collection: Italian Micro-Mosaic Jewelry

2011-11-15T12:41:00.001-05:00

First off, wow, I am loving the comments on yesterday's post! Seriously, I'm having so much fun reading your responses and visiting your blogs. Keep 'em coming - you guys are awesome.

Up today...

This weekend my parents came to visit, and brought with them a little box that my mom and sister had found in my grandma's things. I was thrilled to see that it was packed full of vintage Italian micro-mosaic jewelry! My grandparents were antique dealers, and since some of the pieces were tagged with prices and most were in individual plastic bags, I'm guessing my grandma bought these to sell, rather than to wear. I'll happily be incorporating them into my wardrobe, though!

A bit of online sleuthing has revealed that souvenir micro-mosaics became popular in Italy in the nineteenth century, when Pompeii and Herculaneum were key stops on the grand tour. Their ancient mosaics inspired these tiny versions. Because it has been produced for so long and in such large numbers, mosaic jewelry is hard to date, but I'm guessing most of my pieces were produced in the 1950s and 1960s. I'm attracted to vintage souvenirs of any kind, so having an instant collection of souvenirs that are so relevant to what I do is really special!

Aren't these colors and styles amazing? The floral motifs apparently belong to the "Florentine" style of micro-mosaic.

Pretty, pretty brooches, earrings, bracelets, and pendants!

I love the "Roma" brooch and pendant. The pendant is definitely the highest quality piece in the collection. The mosaic pieces are so tiny that they are hard to see - incredible!

My favorite piece is this gorgeous pendant. It seems to be on its original chain, which is also lovely. I've been wearing this one non-stop!

This pendant is also lovely, although it needs a little TLC.

I plan on wearing the bracelet in a stack with gold and silver bangles and my Flourish braided leather bracelet.

All of the backs are stamped with "Italy" or "Made in Italy." The brooch in the center has such a pretty stamp that it seems like a shame it's hidden on the back!

Now that I've seen these, I think I'm obsessed! I'd like to learn more about them, and I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for them when I'm browsing antique stores and thrift shops in the future.

Starting a new collection always makes me happy! Now I officially collect cameras, vintage Japanese stacking mugs, handkerchiefs, and micro-mosaics. What do you collect?

Hello there, Lurkers!

2011-11-14T14:49:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I want to reach out to a special group here on OPB - the lurkers! More and more people are subscribing every single day, and I want to get to know you. One of my absolute favorite things about blogging is the community. The time I can devote to reading blogs is limited, so I don't get to jump from blog to blog and discover new reads as often as I'd like, but I do always make the time to visit the blogs of everyone who comments on OPB. In fact, a huge portion of my google reader is made up of blogs that I first discovered through comments left here. Whether you have your own blog or not, lurkers, come out of the woodwork and say hello!

So let's get to know each other, shall we? Here are three things you might not know about me:

1. I'm extremely superstitious. I knock on wood dozens of times a day, and believe that my head (or someone else's head) is a perfectly good substitute if there's no wood nearby. I can't fly without the evil eye bracelet that was a gift from my friend E, and I always make a wish when I see the clock at 11:11, find a fallen eyelash, catch a piece of tree fluff floating in the air, or notice a shooting star.

2. One of my front teeth is fake. I was playing a game of softball with my neighbors when I was ten, and I was assigned to be catcher (mostly because I was *really* bad at both batting and running bases. I was also terrible at catching, but apparently that was less of a concern). As usual for childhood me, my mind was about a million miles away for most of the game. Since I wasn't being trusted with much responsibility, that was fine, right up until the pitcher pitched, the batter batted, and I was standing right behind the swing, not paying any attention. Yup, that was the end of that tooth. Surprisingly, however, it did not teach me to pay more attention to my surroundings (or maybe, not so surprisingly?).

3. Nate insists that my eyes are blue, but they are actually green. Okay, a lot of other people also say "blue," but seriously, they are green. GREEN. Green, I tell you! I insist that this isn't just related to my childhood desire to be the American Girl Felicity, even though I do now dye my hair red.

Okay, your turn! Leave three things (or one, or two, or fifteen - whatever!) I don't know about you in the comments. Or you could even write up your own post and link to it in the comments. Good times will be had, I promise.

I know this post is specifically addressed to lurkers, but I'd love to hear from those of you that I know, too!

(PS - this post was inspired by Alycia - such a great idea!)

Nice Pins on 11-11-11

2011-11-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

Who else is totally in love with the date today? 11/11/11! I'm still kicking myself that I didn't look up from work at 11:11 this morning to make a wish; is it sad that I now have an alarm set on my phone so I don't miss 11:11 tonight?

I spent this morning getting a cavity filled. Yuck! The experience was made much better, however, by my dentist's recommendation that I listen to music during the appointment. I put on The Beta Band's "Dry the Rain" and Camera Obscura's "Razzle Dazzle Rose," and suddenly the drilling was done! I'm never going to the dentist without headphones again.

Anyway, this week I thought I'd shake up "Nice Things" a little bit by featuring some recent Pins that have made their way to my crafty board on Pinterest. That site can be DIY inspiration overload sometimes, but I love it.

1. Refashion a tee into a gorgeous statement top with Coats Crafts:

Source: coatscrafts.co.uk via Alli on Pinterest

2. Make a simple and sophisticated envelope case for your phone with Swell Mayde:

Source: swellmayde.com via Alli on Pinterest

3. Knit a cozy skirt with this free pattern from Knitting Daily:

Source: knittingdaily.com via Alli on Pinterest

4. I can hardly believe that these bracelets are made out of actual twigs - they are so gorgeous! Learn how to make your own with A Pair & a Spare:

Source: apair-andaspare.blogspot.com via Alli on Pinterest

5. Create a simple and gorgeous hair comb with Lemon Jitters:

Source: lemonjitters.blogspot.com via Alli on Pinterest

6. Recycle old towels into a lush bath mat with Fine Craft Guild:

Source: finecraftguild.com via Alli on Pinterest

7. Print out some awesome Steve Zissou stationary made by Paper Sparrow (by law, I think you have to refer to this as "correspondence stock"):

Source: papersparrow.typepad.com via Alli on Pinterest

8. Turn a vintage book into a handy travel tech organizer with this tutorial from Design*Sponge:

Source: designsponge.com via Alli on Pinterest

9. Create some super adorable storage jars (topped with toy animals - eek!) with House to Home:

Source: housetohome.co.uk via Alli on Pinterest

10. Finally, learn how to make a fancy braid necklace with More Design Please:

Source: moredesignplease.com via Alli on Pinterest

Yup, I am definitely feeling ready to make things! Have a great Friday, everyone.

PS - are you also Pinterest obsessed? Let's be friends!

Gratitude with the Pets

2011-11-09T16:12:00.001-05:00

I'm always getting requests for more coverage of Percy and Caesar here. I must say, they are pretty adorable!

When autumn comes around, there's nothing that my animals are more thankful for than a warm sunbeam and an open window.

Mmm...toasty.

And this is why we call him "Ears McGee." Nope, we didn't expand our doggy family, that big guy is our best friends' greyhound, Harper.

"I love this show!"

Today I'm feeling thankful for yoga, peppermint tea, and working through some dissertation issues. What are you grateful for?

Happy Wednesday!

Recipe: Cape Cod Pancake

2011-11-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

After last month's post about getting together with friends for brunch, quite a few people wrote to ask me for the Cape Cod Pancake recipe. Since my role in brunch usually doesn't extend much further than snapping a few photos and occasionally venturing into the kitchen for a mimosa refill, I had no idea. So when we made brunch with the same friends this weekend, I made sure to pay attention to the recipe so I could pass it on to all of you. Luckily, it turns out that it is super duper simple - it's possible that even I could do this (although I think I'll leave it up to the pros)!

Cape Cod Pancakes (from C&E)
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of flour
- Nutmeg to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the eggs, milk, and flour until smooth. Melt a pat of butter into a cast iron skillet. Pour the eggs/milk/flour mixture into the skillet and grate nutmeg on top. Stick the whole thing into the oven for about 20 minutes or until it's nice and golden brown around the edges. It should look light and puffy.

Seriously - that's it! Transfer to a plate and eat it with whatever you like on your pancakes (I prefer cheap corn syrup with questionable "maple" flavor, but I know that's a contentious issue).

If you give it a try, let me know!

I know from this post that you all LOVE brunch - what are your favorite brunch foods?

Busy Bee

2011-11-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

Whew, I have been quite a busy bee lately. I felt like I was being pulled in about 100 directions at the end of last week, and so the extra hour on Sunday came at the perfect time. I really think the first day after the end of daylight savings time might be my favorite day of the entire year. A bonus hour is always good news in my book!

On the creative front, I spent a good chunk of the weekend prepping for Cincinnati's Crafty Supermarket, which is coming up in just two weeks (locals, mark your calendars!!). This is the third time that I've sold my Polaroids there. I've always had an awesome experience, and I'm really looking forward to doing it again. Now I just need to get everything in order; I have a feeling these weeks are going to fly by!

A few sneak peeks at the prep:

Making a new table banner - this was Nate's design idea, and I'm loving how it's coming together!

Stitching, stitching, stitching about a million pouches to go with my Polaroid pocket mirrors. Okay, so maybe the actual number is closer to 50 than a million, but I like to exaggerate.

And this has nothing to do with Crafty Supermarket prep, but just because so many people liked the horse of a different color, here he is hanging out with a few other pieces of handmade art in the craft room:

I need to find him a frame!

How was your weekend? Did daylight savings time end for you, and if so, how did you use your extra hour?

Have a great Monday!

Winner: Shabby Apple Giveaway

2011-11-02T19:53:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness, I nearly forgot to announce the winner of the Shabby Apple giveaway! The winner of the Spanish Steps dress was lucky commenter #10 - that's Chelsea! Congrats, Chelsea - I'll be in touch to work out the details!

Didn't win? Don't forget that Shabby Apple is offering a discount to all OPB readers - just enter the code onepearlbutton10off at checkout to receive 10% off your entire order. Click here to shop now!

Ye Olde Blog Post

2011-11-02T14:21:00.002-04:00

I love this time of year. We were lucky to have several beautifully cool and sunny weekends this October, which were absolutely perfect for outdoor fall activities. One gorgeous Saturday, Nate and I headed up to The Ohio Renaissance Festival with some of our best friends in the world. We anticipated that it would be a funny way to spend the day, but I don't think we realized just how awesome it would be. I kind of want to live at the Ren Faire now.

Okay, so I think the "educational" aspect of the renaissance festival may be a bit overblown, but it was a ton of fun.

Have you ever been to a ren fest? What did you think of it?

Have a good Wednesday!

Paint by Number: A Horse of a Different Color

2011-11-01T12:59:00.000-04:00

Last year I picked up an unused paint by number set from 1963 for $2.50 at an antique mall in my hometown. It's been hanging around in my craft room since then, waiting for me to paint it. I've spent most of October sick (argh!), and my head has been too fuzzy for any intensive crafting (I learned that the hard way when I tried to start working on a pair of Alpaca Sox Legwarmers and had to rip them out twice), but paint by number seemed just the right speed. The only problem? The paints that came with the set dried up long ago, and I don't have an extensive collection of greys and browns to match among my cheap acrylics. I wasn't going to let that stop me, though!

I might not have had many greys and browns, but I had plenty of pinks and purples. I assigned numbers to the colors pretty much at random, and started painting. It came out looking completely insane, but I kind of love it.

This guy will live happily in a position of pride in my craft room. The set actually came with two different horses to paint; I'm looking forward to getting started on the second! Even a horse of a different color needs a friend.

Happy Tuesday!

What We Wore: Halloween Edition

2011-10-31T18:11:00.000-04:00

As Cleopatra:

Dress: thrifted

Wig: costume shop

Headpiece: thrifted

Gold belt: thrifted

Snake belt: from my grandma's jewelry collection

Earrings: from my grandma's jewelry collection
Necklace: from some sort of door prize my mom won ages ago
Boots: Nine West, Hebron Gap Outlet

When I saw this gold dress on the rack at the thrift store a few weeks ago, I knew it was fate: I had to go as Cleopatra for Halloween. Seriously, how perfect is it? I found the headpiece and gold belt on the same trip, and took them all home for less than $5 total. All that was left was to wait for a massive sale at the costume shop and buy the wig (for another $5), then put it all together with a few pieces that I had at home. The makeup was the hardest part - I'm sooo not a makeup person, so heavy eyeliner and shadow was a challenge. I had to re-do it three times (good thing I started early)!

Of course it was FREEZING on Saturday night, so I traded out the greek sandals I was originally planning on wearing for boots and thick socks, and finished off the costume with a short sleeved brown sweater and long-johns underneath. Toasty!

I'm kind of in love with this costume. It's probably the most elaborate that I've ever done as an adult. Dressing up is so much fun, especially on the cheap!

Obviously, Nate and I didn't do a couple's costume this year. He went as Jimmy, the bartender at our favorite local pizza place. In retrospect, it would have been awesome if he had gone as ex Mr. J-Lo, Marc Anthony. We would have spent the whole night explaining it, and it would have been funny to me every time (or maybe I'm just weird in finding semi-lame couples' costume ideas hilarious?). This costume is pretty great too, though - neighborhood pride!

We dressed up for wine tasting, dinner, and a late night out at a bar on Saturday, and are putting together a re-do for dinner and drinks with friends tonight. Yay for costumes!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Did you dress up to celebrate?

Winner Winner...

2011-10-31T17:27:00.001-04:00

We have a winner for the Lost Cabin Vintage giveaway! Congratulations to commenter #18 - Bree! Please email me to work out the details!

(Nearly) Wordless Saturday: Happy (almost) Halloween

2011-10-29T15:02:00.000-04:00

I've been particularly lax on Halloween decorating this year. Honestly, I haven't purchased a single pumpkin or hung a single cobweb; the month just went by too quickly! With Halloween weekend suddenly upon us, I figured that putting together a doll costume would have to do for making our apartment feel festive.

She is a bit of a creeper.

Happy Halloween weekend, everyone!

Nice Things

2011-10-28T14:02:00.002-04:00

It's Friday - let's take a look at some of the nice things that have popped up on the internet this week!

1. Learn how easy it is to make your own photo canvas with this tutorial from Elsie of A Beautiful Mess:

2. Find lots of free printables at Love vs. Design, including these stylish graphic recipe cards:

{via How About Orange}

3. The new issue of Nuno mag, the online magazine dedicated to eco-friendly crafting, is now available! It contains 82+ pages of projects and absolutely zero ads. Check out the preview below; head to Nuno Magazine to download the full issue for $5.

4. Megan Nielsen shared her quick and easy method for pattern grading:

5. DIY paint-by-number?? Love it! Make your own with this (simple) tutorial from The Ambitious Procrastinator:

{via Elycia}

6. I love the simple but graceful shape of this open back sweater - find the free pattern at The Purl Bee:

7. Trish at Simple Up shared a 2012 month-view calendar printable that would be perfect for planning blog posts:

8. See how simple it is to make a striped tee with Liz of Say Yes to Hoboken - I love her notebook-lined version!

9. The Colette Sewing handbook is available starting today! This is going to the top of my holiday wish list. Sarai's was the first blog I ever followed (long before she founded Colette Patterns) and a major inspiration at the beginning of OPB. The book looks fantastic!

10. Make yarn block prints with Steph (of Modern Parents Messy Kids) on Whip-Up:

11. Sew up a simple camera case with this tutorial from Design*Sponge:

12. Finally, Halloween is almost here! Are you dressing up? These definitely aren't last minute costumes, but I'm in awe of this amazing functional camera (although it would be better as a Canon, hehe), and this incredible Mr. and Mrs. Fox.

{via Craft and Grosgrain}

As long as I can get over the head cold that's been plaguing me all week, I'll be hitting the town as Cleopatra tomorrow night. What are your Halloween plans?

(PS - don't forget that it's the last day to enter to win a gift certificate to Lost Cabin Vintage! While you're at it, send in an entry to win a gorgeous dress from Shabby Apple - that giveaway ends on Monday!)

Meet October's Sponsors!

2011-10-27T15:02:00.001-04:00

I must say, One Pearl Button gets some pretty awesome sponsors. It makes me so happy that some of my favorite people on the entire internets* want to be a part of this little space! Let's learn more about a few of them, shall we?
(there might even be a coupon code in it for you - keep a lookout!)

BLOG - TWITTER - SHOP

Hello! I'm Moorea Seal from Moorea-Seal.com. I've got lots of lovely pieces in my jewelry shop for the upcoming holiday season that I am excited to share with you! In addition to having my own jewelry design business, I am also an illustrator with a specialty in portraiture, and a blog designer for Freckled Nest. Stop by my blog to see a peek into my busy busy artistic world. I look forward to meeting you!

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER - FACEBOOK

Hello, friends of Allison! My name is Ilene, the voice over at the lifestyle/fashion blog, Much Love, illy. I also keep myself busy over at my etsy shop, creating handmade accessories, headbands, jewelry, brooches, and all sorts of other goodies! I'm also obsessed with colors, poppies, fashion, and coffee. Be sure to stop by and say "hello" - and if you visit the shop, feel free to use coupon code ALLISONROCKS for 15% off of your entire order. Thanks, friends!!!

BLOG - FACEBOOK

Hi, my name is Amy and I am the party. I live in a cute vintage Midtown apartment in Sacramento, CA. My style could be described as vintage modern (a little bit vintage, a little bit modern). A self-proclaimed dork and hostess with the mostess, I spend my free time decorating, searching for vintage treasures, exploring new places, making and designing jewelry and websites, and drinking an absurd amount of coffee. Please check out my blog at www.amyistheparty.com.

BLOG - SHOP

Hi, I'm Toni and I blog at Lost Cabin - a cosy place where I can share what inspires me and my family and showcase some of my gathered treasures. All blog followers are entitled to a 20% discount in the Lost Cabin Etsy Shop!

BLOG - SHOP - TWITTER

My name is Amanda and I love to knit (and surf when the weather is warmer). I’m a country girl turned city girl, turned beach Betty. One of my favorite things to do is design interesting, simple, and functional knitting patterns. A lot of my inspiration comes from the city of brotherly love, the surf, and lots of coffee. Not only do I knit, but I sew and share my adventures in making my own garments on my blog. You can find my patterns at bluebettyshop.etsy.com, and you can follow me on twitter as bluebetty or see what I’m up to on my blog at bluebettyblog.blogspot.com.

I told you they are fantastic! Be sure to check out all of OPB's awesome October sponsors in the sidebar, and don't forget to enter the two sponsor giveaways that are currently running: you could win a $25 gift certificate to Lost Cabin Vintage, or a lovely dress from Shabby Apple!

Would you like to sponsor OPB in November? I still have a few large and small ad spaces left. You can find details on my sponsor info page, or email me for more info!

*Yes, this is a technical term. Don't try to tell me otherwise.

Giveaway: Shabby Apple 'Spanish Steps' Dress

2011-10-26T19:16:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to bring you another sponsor giveaway today! Shabby Apple is a fantastic online boutique known for its vintage inspired and ladylike women's dresses, separates, and accessories. I love how their styles manage to be unique, fun, and sophisticated (that can be a tough combo to pull off!).

Shabby Apple is offering one OPB reader this gorgeous 'Spanish Steps' dress (sorry, adorable vintage Vespa not included)! From their website:

Some things are just better together: peanut butter and chocolate, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, Rome and Vespas. We decided to pair two things we love—the soft, cotton jersey of our favorite t-shirt, and the gorgeous sateen of the dresses of yesteryear—to create the Spanish Steps, an indispensably comfortable-yet-elegant summer frock. A luxe jersey cap sleeve top is gathered at the waist with a wide satin sash, and a veritable bouquet of appliquéd, ruched flowers and leaves adorns the full sateen skirt that swirls just below your knee. A truly inspired combination,the Spanish Steps has star potential. This dress is made from a leightweight, delicate fabric and FITS GENEROUSLY on our fit guide.

Love, love, love it! I'd pair it with tights, boots, and a cardigan and wear it all winter, then ditch the layers and keep right on wearing it come spring.

Would you like to find this dress at your doorstep? Of course you would!

First entry: head over to the Shabby Apple Facebook page and give them a 'like!' Then come back here and leave a comment letting us know about it.
Additional entry #1: Be a follower of OPB (and leave a comment telling us).
Other additional entries: share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, and leave an additional comment for each place you've shared.

Entries will be valid through Monday, Oct. 31. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday. I'm sorry; this giveaway is open to US residents only (but don't worry, international readers, there are more great giveaways on the horizon!).

***Coupon Code Alert***
Just can't wait to see if you've won? Shabby Apple has a special discount for OPB readers! Enter the code onepearlbutton10off at checkout to receive 10% off your entire order. Offer is valid for the next 30 days, so get shopping!

Good luck, everyone!

Casting On

2011-10-26T12:46:00.000-04:00

Look what I found in yesterday's mail! A lovely hank of Classic Elite Yarns Alpaca Sox. Hopefully this will soon be transformed into a gorgeous pair of legwarmers. I almost never use the exact yarn suggested in the pattern (especially not in the same colorway!), but I loved the look of these legwarmers so much that I had to go for it. Since none of my local yarn shops carried it, I ordered the yarn from The Yarn and Fiber Company. I couldn't recommend them more highly - their prices were great, and the free shipping option had my yarn to my door within five days. Works for me!

Now I just need to sit down and cast on! I can't wait to get started.

Do you have any new craft projects in the works? Share them in the comments!

(PS - don't forget to enter the fabulous Lost Cabin Vintage giveaway! There's *another* awesome (and stylish) giveaway coming up this afternoon - be on the lookout!).

Giveaway: Lost Cabin Vintage

2011-10-25T21:58:00.001-04:00

Today we have an awesome giveaway from OPB sponsor Lost Cabin Vintage! Lost Cabin is owned by Toni and Dave, new parents and eternal lovers of design and vintage. Their shop features a carefully curated collection of vintage pieces for men, women, and children.

Lost Cabin is offering one OPB reader a $25 gift certificate! Read on to find out how you could win...

First entry: head over to Lost Cabin, then come back here and leave a comment telling us what you'd buy with your gift certificate.
Additional entry #1: follow the Lost Cabin blog
Additional entry #2: heart the Lost Cabin shop

That's all it takes! Entries will be valid through this Friday, October 28. I'll announce the winner on Saturday. The giveaway is open to international entries. Good luck!

This is a sponsored giveaway. I never endorse people or projects that I don't fully believe in and support!

Tutorial: DIY Ruana Wrap Cape

2011-10-25T09:42:00.002-04:00

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today I'm posting over at Oh So Lovely as part of Sherry's Fall Fest Series. I shared how to make this super cozy ruana-style wrap cape. I fully approve of any piece of clothing that makes me feel like I'm running around town wrapped in a blanket. This tutorial is beyond simple - you don't even have to sew. Find out how to make your own here!

And for your viewing pleasure, a little outtake from the photo shoot, showing the horrors that ensue when I attempt to "frolic."

There are no words.

Have a great day, everyone! Let me know if you decide to make your own ruana!

PS - there's a great giveaway coming up this afternoon; stay tuned!

The City Flea

2011-10-24T20:55:00.000-04:00

This weekend was such a whirlwind - but it was a great one! On Friday Nate and I drove to our alma mater, where I gave a public lecture that evening. I had a great time meeting the new students and telling them about my work at Pompeii. Plus, it was so nice to spend some time together on our old campus, remembering when we were first dating. After the lecture, we had dinner and drinks with our former professors, and the next morning we were up early and on our way back to Cincinnati. The rest of the weekend consisted of handmade and vintage shopping, Polaroids, wine tasting, a fun birthday party, tacos, brunch, thrifting (I found some great pieces for my Halloween costume!), crafting and just a little bit of time relaxing at home.

We made sure to be back home Saturday afternoon because I didn't want to miss the last City Flea of the year. It was an absolutely beautiful day - perfect for a delicious lunch outside and some shopping!

The flea was held in a former factory that's being converted to lofts. What an amazing space!

You'd better believe I had a big cup of lemonade (and then some hot cider... it was like fully transitioning from summer to fall, in drink form).

This one's for Meghan - Delicious Cafe de Wheels!

Peeking through the window...

What did you do this weekend? I hope it was fantastic!

(Nearly) Wordless Sunday: Market Vegetables

2011-10-23T18:07:00.000-04:00

This teeny-tiny baby tomato was nestled among our grape tomatoes from the farmers market. Adorable and delicious!

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend!

Nice Things

2011-10-21T13:00:00.001-04:00

It's Friday again! Is your October flying by as quickly as mine? I'm really not sure where the time is going. In any case, let's celebrate the weekend with some nice things.

1. It's hard to believe that holiday crafting season is here. Get started with Grosgrain's Holiday Gift Guide - it is PACKED with great ideas for handmade gifts.

2. 'Living In' is probably my favorite feature on Design*Sponge, so I was thrilled to see that this week's was devoted to what is possibly my all-time-favorite movie, The Royal Tenenbaums. Love it!

3. Megan Nielsen has released sewing patterns of her fantastic designs. The Darling Ranges dress is definitely on my to-sew list.

4. I missed these pretty handwarmers in my knitting roundup the other day. The combination of simple shape and ombre colorway is just perfect. Find the pattern at The Purl Bee.

5. Learn how to transfer photos to fabric with this great tutorial from Elsie at A Beautiful Mess:

6. Whip up a reversible tote bag with My Girl Thursday (an OPB sponsor)!

7. Rachel of Smile and Wave shared how to make vintage suitcases even prettier by covering them with fabric on A Beautiful Mess. Clever!

8. Make DIY hot chocolate spoons with Miss Indie (an OPB sponsor!) - is it bad that I want to forget the "hot" part, and just eat the chocolate right off the spoons?

9. Cross stitched cell phone cases?? YES. You can buy a ready-to-stitch case from The Purl Bee, or see how easy it is to DIY with Wee Little Stitches (via Feeling Stitchy).

10. Have you seen LA's 'photo shoot set up' post series? It's really helpful (and inspiring!).

11. Awww, stuffie Chewie is so cute! Make your own with this free pattern from Draw! Pilgrim.

{via Craft}

12. Are you Pintrest obsessed? Me too! Rachel's post on being a responsible pinner is really great - it definitely opened my eyes to poor pinning practices, and inspired me to do better. (also, are we following each other on Pintrest? I'm Alli_Lucy over there!).

13. Finally, have you decided what you're going to be for Halloween yet? This awesome DIY costume from A is for Ampersand really makes me want to go as a member of Team Zissou.

Although this knit Dr. Zoidberg costume (via Craft) is also pretty freaking amazing. Wait, is my dorkiness showing?

Have a great weekend, everyone! I'm giving a lecture at my undergraduate alma mater tonight - surreal, but I'm excited to spend some time at my old campus. Happy Friday!

Time to Knit

2011-10-19T22:33:00.001-04:00

There's no denying it - leaves are on the ground, a chill is in the air, and when I walked into my apartment yesterday evening, I discovered that the radiators had come on. Yup, fall is here!

When this time of year comes, I suddenly want to knit. It's such a cozy craft - perfect for long evenings spent curled up on the couch. Here are a few of the patterns that have caught my eye lately.

1. Alpaca Sox Legwarmers by Pam Allen (photo by Kristen TenDyke). Oh so pretty! I want to wear these with all of my boots this winter.

2. Quick Cable Slouch Hat by Azure Knits (photo by Brian Muelhaupt). I'm not sure it's possible to have too many slouchy hats, and this one looks super warm.

3. Topiary Scarf by Michele Wang (photo by Jared Flood). This is just lovely. There's also a wrap version.

4. Harvest Mitts by Blue Betty (an OPB sponsor!). I've been needing a new pair of fingerless gloves - I made a pair of Fetchings a few years ago, but unwisely used cheap yarn and now they look terrible. I think these would be a perfect replacement.

5. Penguin PJs by Skeinz. Okay, these are ridiculously cute (seriously, squeee!), but they actually serve a purpose. An oil spill off the coast of New Zealand is putting penguins in danger, and sweaters can help protect them from ingesting toxic oil. The New Zealand yarn shop Skeinz is asking for volunteer knitters to make sweaters and send them in; they will pass them on to relief workers. Find the pattern here (via Craft).

6. Aidez Sweater by Cirilia Rose. This one's firmly in the "in my wildest knitting dreams" category - I don't think I have the patience or the skill for it, but wow, gorgeous!

Are you a knitter? What have you been working on (or dreaming of working on?). Also, why aren't we friends on Ravelry?!

Have a great day!

November Call for Sponsors!

2011-10-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

I spent Saturday at the Ohio Renaissance Festival - it was so much fun! I always did think I was a bit of a curmudgeon. More photos coming up!

Hello, everyone! I wanted to pop in and let you know that I'm now accepting November sponsors. November is the #1 most important month of the year to advertise your indie shop, since readers will be looking for extra-special gifts for the holidays. I still have ads of all sizes available (including the featured XL ad, which comes with a top spot in the sidebar and individual, customizable promotions in the main blog content), and I'd love to work with you to promote your shop or blog.

You can find all the details on my sponsorship info page; shoot me an email if you're interested!

Many, many thanks to all of my sponsors (past and present!) for being a part of OPB!!

Guess Who Won!

2011-10-18T17:46:00.001-04:00

We have a winner for the Sharpie Stained giveaway... two, in fact!

The winner of the Sharpie Stained fabric markers is commenter #56 - that's Sofia-Sobeide!

And the runner up is commenter #124 - that's Nova!

I'll be in touch, ladies! And if you didn't win, don't worry too much - I've got more awesome giveaways in the works!

Happy Tuesday!

Love 'em and Leave 'em

2011-10-17T20:35:00.000-04:00

Nate and I spent yesterday afternoon at the last Burlington Antique Show of the year. We had such a great time! The weather was beautiful and there were SO MANY antique vendors. Really, it was almost overwhelming. I brought home a few treasures, but loved and left a few things as well. These two finds stayed behind, but were special enough that I had to snap photos before abandoning them!

1. Vintage horse show ribbons. Such pretty colors! I loved these, but couldn't think of anything to do with them, and I'm trying to cut back on buying things that I don't have a use for. I hope someone else gave them a good home!

2. And this was just to die for - a vintage Vespa-style kids' scooter! Oh my goodness, how I would have loved to buy this, but yeah, talk about impractical. So, so cute though! I can just see my nephews riding this (and certainly destroying it...so yeah, it stayed behind).

This was just one part of an awesome weekend - more on the rest later! How was your weekend? What did you do? I hope it was fantastic!

PS - there are a few more hours to enter the Sharpie giveaway! I'll be choosing a winner tomorrow morning, be sure to get your votes in!

Embroidery Tinting with Sharpie Stained Markers plus GIVEAWAY!

2011-10-13T20:51:00.001-04:00

Sharpie recently sent me a big package of their newest products to play with (I know, rough life!). Of course I immediately had to try out the Stained by Sharpie fabric markers. I can think of a ton of uses for these babies, but to start, I decided to see how they do with embroidery tinting. Tinting can really make embroidery pop, but I've never been able to make the crayon method work well for me. It always ends up streaky, and it doesn't last on items that need to be washed regularly. The stained markers seemed like a perfect alternative.

I gave it a try with a drug store hankie and a cute little Vespa pattern from Sublime Stitching's Scooter Babe sheet.

There's not much of a tutorial to this one! Since I prefer to transfer embroidery patterns with Solvy, I stitched first, then colored. If you like to transfer your pattern onto the fabric, you might want to color first, then stitch. That way you won't accidentally color on your stitches. You don't need to worry about it too much, though - the markers have a super fine brush tip, and I found very easy to keep the color where I wanted it.

Yay, now it looks just like my real life scooter (except I don't often ride through pink fields full of giant flowers). I really loved how this came out - the markers give the perfect pop, and the ink's not at all streaky. It's slightly transparent when dry, so it looks very natural on the fabric, and you can layer to make more vibrant colors. So easy!

Giveaway alert!!

Would you like to try out some Stained markers? It just so happens that I have a pack to give away, courtesy of Sharpie!

To enter:
-Leave a comment below. That's it! You can tell me anything, but I'd really like to hear about a creative project you're working on this fall.

For bonus entries (leave an additional comment for each):
-Be a follower of OPB
-Share the giveaway on Twitter
-Share the giveaway on your blog
-Share the giveaway on Facebook

This giveaway is open to international readers. Entries are valid through Monday, Oct. 17. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday!

***
But wait, there's more! (I always wanted to be on infomercials...)

I'll also be choosing one runner-up, who will receive a five pack of always-classic Sharpie fine point markers in the limited edition "80's Glam" colorway. That means you have two chances to win - so get your entries in!!

Life on Film: Just Starting Out

2011-10-11T16:55:00.000-04:00

Sadly, almost none of the photos from my first roll of film in the Canon AE-1 turned out. I'm not sure if that's because the film I found inside was super expired, or because I was doing something wrong (probably a combination of the two!). Other than the New York photos, only three came out; technically they are pretty terrible, but I have to admit that I kind of love their hazy, lomo quality!

Percy in his usual sleepy pose

Caesar deals with a pesky itch

Nameless plants that we've somehow managed to keep alive (an accomplishment for us!)

The second roll went much better. I used most of this roll in New York, but finished it off last weekend at Findlay Market.

Friends C&E

Me with a camera - surprise, surprise! (photo by Nate)

I like the contrast of the film and digital Findlay Market photos - they give the same space and day such a different feel.

I still have a lot to learn, but this camera is quickly winning me over. How are your autumn creative goals coming along?

At the Farmer's Market

2011-10-10T15:21:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite local spots is Findlay Market. I love a farmer's market at any time of year, but I always enjoy it just a little bit more in fall. There's something about the combination of crisp, sunny weather and delicious autumn produce that makes Findlay the perfect place to spend a Sunday morning.

These photos were actually taken last weekend; Nate and I spent this weekend in Indianapolis, attending Monumental Mayhem - the regional roller derby championship! We had a great time cheering for Cincinnati and watching A TON of roller derby (pictures to come). I'm still trying to get over my ear infection and am still deaf on one side of my head, but I'm determined to live life as normal until my body decides to get its act together. What did you do this weekend? I hope it was a good one!

Weekend Brunch

2011-10-06T13:45:00.001-04:00

I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a brunch fiend. Nate and I go to our favorite diner for brunch nearly every weekend. A brunch eaten at a fantastic diner is tough to beat, but sometimes it's even more fun to get together with friends and make a meal together at home. Last weekend, we stayed in and had a homey brunch. On the menu were waffles, (vegetarian) sausage, Cape Cod pancakes (which I'd never had before, but they were delicious - kind of like a mix between a crepe and an omelette), and fresh local apples, plus mimosas, bloody marys, coffee and tea to drink. I am SO not a wiz in the kitchen, so while others cooked, I took pictures and ate samples. It was the perfect way to start a relaxing Sunday.

I'm glad that it was fun weekend, because I've been under the weather this week, sick with a sinus infection and an ear infection (really?? What adults still get ear infections?). I've spent the past few days on the couch, curled up with a cup of tea and A Dance with Dragons (which fortunately arrived from the library on the same day I started feeling sick). I'm trying to go easy and take a little break, but it's so hard for me not to feel guilty about laying around all day!

It's Thursday - almost the weekend! Have a great one!

Life on Film: Big City Dreaming

2011-10-04T12:45:00.001-04:00

My first photos from the Canon AE-1 came back yesterday! I'd forgotten how much fun it is to wait for a roll of film to develop. Oh, and flipping through them for the first time and remembering each of the shots? Love it! I don't know if 35mm could ever replace my love of Polaroid, but I think I could definitely make room in my heart for both.

So here it is, last weekend's New York trip, on film:

These first three shots were taken with some incredibly expired Kodak color film that was in the camera when I got it (12 years expired, to be precise!). I kind of love the double exposure on the photo of Nate waiting for a train. I used new Kodak professional black and white film for the rest.

The Plaza

No, I do not know this guy. Ah, New York.

Park Ave

The Met

The Met

The Met

East village

Lantern's Keep

Lantern's Keep

Amor Y Amargo

East village

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

An OPB Makeover!

2011-10-03T10:12:00.000-04:00

A shot from the farmer's market this weekend - it has nothing to do with this post, but I thought you might like it!

I just wanted to pop in this morning to say that if you subscribe through a reader, be sure to click through, because OPB has a new look! I still love my old template (designed by the fabulous Anna of In Honor of Design) but I'd had it for a long time now, and think it was a good time for a change.

I'm particularly proud of the new OPB, because I designed and built it on my own! I was hoping to hire one of the many awesome blog designers out there, but just couldn't swing it financially right now. I knew I wanted something that was very streamlined and simple, so I jumped on google and started learning how to do it myself. I know that I will never (ever!) be a graphic designer, but I'm happy that I was able to put together this space.

If the new look isn't enough to entice you to click through, do it to check out OPB's October sponsors! I have another awesome group sponsoring this month. There are some new faces and old friends; I know you're going to love them.

***
PS - Courtney wins for being the first to notice and comment on the change - only my mom was faster! Thanks, Courtney!

Nice Things

2011-09-30T15:22:00.000-04:00

There were so many Nice Things around the internet this week! Here are just a few of my favorites:

1. Get into the autumn mood by making carmel apples on twigs with Allyson Baker Designs:

{via The Pink and Blue Blog}

2. While you're munching on your apple, crochet a lovely seasonal garland with Lisa on Good Knits:

3. Stitch up a set of cocktail napkins with free embroidery patterns from Sublime Stitching (I especially like the sweet "pick your poison," but "RU2DRUNK" is pretty fantastic, too):

4. Learn how to find high-end clothes while on a thrift trip by looking at construction details with Jentine of My Edit:

5. Rachel shared a pretty patchwork photo frame DIY on Sparkle Power...

6. ...and Thursday posted a super simple (coordinating!) method for transforming boring hangers (is it too much to say that even Joan Crawford might like these wire hangers?):

7. I love Katie's cute DIY shoe clip tutorial (I usually use vintage clip-on earrings as shoe clips, but it would be fun to have custom clips!):

8. Can you believe that these jars were made with Modge Podge and food coloring? Amazing! Learn how to do it with Liz's tutorial on Momtastic:

{via Say Yes to Hoboken}

9. Not only is French Press Knits' Anthro-inspired Plaited Headwrap pattern free, now there's a handy video that shows exactly how to assemble it! Bring it on, winter.

10. And on a completely different note, Sew Knit Me's drawstring cami tutorial makes me want summer weather back!

11. Learn how to paint a cheap Ikea rug to make it look like a designer piece with this post at Design*Sponge:

12. Host a festive fall party with Amy's sweet free printables on C.R.A.F.T:

13. Finally, I think I need a print of this adorable Garance Dore drawing. So, so true!

I'm feeling inspired and ready for the weekend! How about you? Which is your favorite Nice Thing this week?

Happy Friday!

September Sponsor Giveaway: Winner!!

2011-09-29T19:31:00.001-04:00

Percy thought he'd pop in to announce the winner of the Fall Wardrobe Sponsor giveaway! The winner of the Southerly Tam knitting pattern from Blue Betty and the Turquoise and Howlite necklace from Jaclyn 1423 is Flora, of Flowerpot designs! Flora is looking forward to wearing handknit cowls this fall. Oh, me too - so cozy.

Congrats, Flora - I'll be in touch!

Phone Photos Roundup: New York, New York

2011-09-27T15:21:00.001-04:00

Nate and I took a quick trip to New York this weekend - we had a free companion flight that was about to expire, and so many of our friends and family have ended up in the city that it always seems like the perfect place to jet off to for a weekend. It was a fantastic few days spent with awesome people and amazing food and drinks. I shot the trip almost exclusively with the Cannon AE-1 (fingers crossed that the pictures turn out!), but did remember to take a few snaps with my phone.

I love street signs, especially those that reference Planet of the Apes (no, I haven't seen the new one, but the old ones are eternal favorites).

Although this sign is pretty great, too.

Whenever I see an ancient depiction of a greyhound, I have to take a picture! This one was on a Roman sarcophagus in The Met. It looks like Percy, if Percy smoked cigars.

Nate's sister is a bartender at several speakeasy style bars, so our visits to new york always involve classic cocktails and super cool spaces (and sometimes, celebrities! This year is was Paul Rudd at the table next to ours at Lantern's Keep).

Somehow, we always see far more of New York at night than we do during the day!

Needless to say, morning requires coffee. And awesome farm-to-table brunches at trendy spots in Brooklyn. And by morning, I mean somewhere around 1pm, if isn't too bright outside.

By the time we head home, we're ready to spend some time in a city that DOES sleep. But that doesn't mean that we aren't already dreaming of our next trip to NYC...

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope that you all had fantastic weekends, too!

Nice Things

2011-09-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

It's time for another weekend, and another round of Nice Things! Let's see what sort of inspiration popped up around the internet this week...

1. Crochet a lovely fall wreath with Lisa of GoodKnits:

2. Elsie shared some great tips for successful thrifting (one of my favorite activities!) on A Beautiful Mess:

3. I loved all of Mollie's Coffee Week posts on Wild Olive, especially her adorable coffee embroidery patterns:

4. Transform an old blazer into a cozy pillow with Mandi of Here's Looking at Me Kid:

5. Kristy of Ginger and George shared cute pear-themed desktop wallpapers:

6. Find directions for making a perfectly feminine DIY bow tie at Honsestly...WTF:

7. There are all sorts of awesome free printables available from The Handmade Home. These vintage camper cards are my favorites!

{via How About Orange}

8. Finally, make a pretty hair comb with this tutorial from Erica of PS...I Made This:

In the inspiration department, my google reader never disappoints! What's inspiring you this week?

PS - I'm headed out of town tomorrow morning for a weekend in the big city...and by that I mean the BIG city, New York! I'll probably be a little big slow at responding to emails for the next few days while I'm out of town.

PPS - Don't forget to enter the Fall Wardrobe Sponsor Giveaway!

Fall Wardrobe Giveaway: Blue Betty and Jaclyn 1423

2011-09-22T14:25:00.001-04:00

Happy Thursday everyone! It's almost the weekend, and I have the perfect thing to carry you through until the end of the week - a giveaway from two fantastic OPB sponsors!! Read on to learn how you could win both of the prizes listed below.

From Blue Betty: The Southerly Tam knitting pattern

The Southerly Tam knitting pattern is knit top down and incorporates some interesting techniques and a unique stitch pattern. I had such a great time designing and knitting this pattern. The lace stitch is interesting and works great with semi sold hand painted yarns as well as solid and variegated. Knitters with experience will find this pattern a new twist on an old hat and new knitters with some wear with all will find the Southerly a fun and challenging learning experience.

From Jaclyn 1423: Turquoise and Howlite Necklace

I put a cluster of turquoise dyed beads on a vintage brass chain to make this lovely necklace. The chain is 16 inches long. The dyed beads include Taiwan turquoise and wire-wrapped howlite. Turquoise is the gemstone for a fifth wedding anniversary. It is said to guard against diseases. Howlite is a calming stone said to help insomnia and an over-active mind.

Both of these would make such awesome additions to a fall wardrobe, and one lucky OPB reader will be taking home both!

To enter:

First entry - leave a comment below telling us something you're looking forward to wearing this fall (alternately for those of you on the other side of the world, something you're looking forward to wearing this summer!)

Additional entries - share this giveaway on your blog, twitter, facebook, etc., then come back here and leave a separate comment for each place you've shared (note: you must leave a separate comment or your entries won't be counted).

This giveaway is open to international readers. Please leave an email address where I can reach you; entries valid through Thursday, Sept. 29. Good luck!

Would you like to be a part of OPB in October? Check out my brand new sponsor information page for rates (including NEW package rates) and other details!

A New Creative Space

2011-09-21T13:30:00.001-04:00

Remember waaayyyyyy back, when I was talking about moving my craft room? Yeah, my blog archives tell me that was SIX months ago (seriously?!). Well, better late than never, Nate and I finally made the switch! I'm still getting things in order and finishing up decorating, but already I'm in love with the new space (no more sharing the room with our storage and Caesar's litter box!). I'll share a full tour when I finish it up; for now, here are some sneak-peeks.

Grandma Ellen

I'm the chubby one. Yes, my siblings and I all had the same haircut for years. In retrospect, it's adorable.

Always necessary.

Caesar doesn't like change, but as long as there's still a lap for him to sit on, he's willing to give it a chance.

Do you have a dedicated creative space? What inspires you about it? Are there any necessities that I should incorporate into the new room?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A Creative Goal for Autumn

2011-09-20T11:32:00.000-04:00

Meet autumn's creative goal:

This pretty camera was a sweet gift from Nate's uncle. He's also a photography lover, but after switching to digital had stopped shooting with his 35mm SLRs. He knew that I have an interest in film photography, so he passed two cameras - this classic Canon AE-1 and a Pentax K1000 - on to me.

Full disclosure: he actually gave me these cameras last year. I intended to start shooting with them right away, but found myself a little intimidated without the crutch of an LCD screen to check exposures. What a wimp!

Last week I decided that I'd had enough of being intimidated; it was time to start shooting. Being a Canon girl, of course I chose to tackle the AE-1 first. I pulled out the camera and its manual, popped on a 50mm lens, and started practicing. After a few days, it still takes me a little while to set up a shot, but I'm finding that the camera's not nearly as scary as it seemed at first.

My goal for fall is to shoot and shoot and shoot (and shoot) until it becomes second nature. Luckily this camera is so lovely that I want to take it everywhere with me! I'll be sure to share photos here when I start getting prints back.

Do you have any creative goals for the new season?