Bones...

Oh my.  I need this dark and brooding jaw bone dangling over my collarbones - the mixture of metallic glamour is almost unbearable.  This porcelain skunk Jaw Pendant makes me weak in the knees.

Well done, Beetle & Flor.  Well done.

Pretty little pigeon toes...

One of my first posts was about the lovely pieces of porcelain produced by Pigeon Toe Ceramics.  Lisa Jones {the talent behind Pigeon Toe Ceramics} has once again won me over.  In addition to my original adoration of their products, here are a few more items you will immediately want to own:  Mason Jar Pendant Light, Wall Mount Test Tube, Hanging Test Tube, and Folded Salt and Pepper Cellars with Spoon.  

Pigeon Toe Ceramics has a lovely little Etsy shop to satiate your sweet tooth.  I cannot wait to visit their shop this summer.

Mustard mums and split pea foilage...

Second Coat Design performs extraordinary furniture restoration, but what really caught my eye is the Swanky Swell fabric they spotted on Etsy.  Non-toxic water based ink is applied by skilled hands to cotton fabrics for a residential grade textile wonder {organic base fabrics are also available}.  One of the prettiest products of San Francisco, this fabric sings to me! 

Ginko {Eggplant}

Foilage {Split Pea}

Doiliez {Robin's Egg}

Mum {Mustard}

Glorious Grosgrain...

There is something about a slightly gloomy, somewhat dreary, partly sunny, very drizzly Portland Monday; grounds for all things creative.  A haphazard mound of clay, ribbon, hemp, scissors, sandpaper, buttons, pears, and bits of everything strewn about is evidence of my afternoon.  Making things makes me smile.

In pursuit of a project {my latest obsession, fabric flowers and rosettes}, I came across Grosgrain.  My dear, sweet Grosgrain has generously shared a tutorial for making perfect fabric poppies.  I will be enveloped in these poppies one day.

To further contribute to the demise of my days {into fabric flower infatuation}, this necklace is featured on Grosgrain; additional evidence that I could exist solely on the wonder of Etsy.  The aptly named Partly Sunny Necklace by Allora Handmade is to die for, just what my life needs to equalize the afternoon drizzle.

Love, love me do...

Love is in the air, and in the cards.  As the day of Cupid draws closer, pulpous declarations of love abound; here are a few I would love to give {or get} this Valentine's Day.

Lark Press of Portland, Oregon is a letterhead company that still produces graphic and textual beauty by hand - just what your valentine deserves.  {And in case your valentine comes with a proposal, they make flawless wedding invitations}.

Nouveau Designs prints a romantic swirl on scientific sketches.

Earmark has a sweet sentiment worth sharing.

Enjoy Design extends the opportunity to personalize a charming creation with clever words and endless wit...

{peanut butter to my jelly}

{laughter to my life}

{sprinkles to my cupcake}

{lyrics to my song}

{rc cola to my moonpie}

Wheeler Studio has some sugary graphics to sweeten their endearing words. 

Looking to give your heart to someone, but can't find the words? Let this Anatomical Heart printed on a vintage French-English dictionary page by CrowBiz do the talking for you.  Romantic in a traditional sense? No, but charismatic and unique, just like the one you love.

Jessica Gonacha creates lovely prints with a distinctive presentation.  Hang your valentine{s} on the wall this year, because a clothesline strung with adoration is timeless.

No matter who has earned your love this year, show them with a little luxurious paper creation.

The key{s} to my heart...

Lately my eye has been drawn to a particular vintage find; keys, elegant and graceful forms of metal. 

A few ideas for my newly beloved old keys: 

  {Make a composition of vintage keys hung directly on the wall} 

  {Mount them in an heirloom frame for a whimsical piece of art} 

  {Mount them perpendicular to a wall or board for a nostalgic hook} 

  {Attach them to hardware and create unique furniture handles}

  {Use one as a key ring and make all your other keys jealous}

  {Thread one, or a handful, on ribbon for a necklace that sings}

Part of the magnetism to vintage keys is the chase and pursuit.  Scouring vintage and antique stores for the perfectly ornate skeleton key is nourishing.  Not into foot traffic and musky smells?  Scouring Etsy for vintage keys is almost as merry.  Here are just a few of the Etsy shops that have vintage keys for sale:

Red Dog Foundry has vintage keys galore {literally, so many glorious options}.

Cool Vintage has an Etsy shop full of vintage keys and several vintage escutcheons {keyholes just as lovely as the keys}.  Oh, and did I mention the sale?!?

Creative Artifacts has several collections of vintage keys for purchase, there is something illustrious about two dimensional patina.

Regina's Studio sells unique, almost endearing vintage keys, and so many other distractions {Nayapaisa Antique Coins anyone?}.

Steampunk Supply has a heap of vintage key options.  Don't even get me started on the vintage clock hands.  Does anyone else see an amazing statement necklace when they glance at vintage clock hands?  Or a nostalgic brooch when they see Victorian watch movements?

Pottery Barn sells this set of seven Vintage Keys.  Admittedly, they lack the character of actual vintage finds, but they are readily available...

There is more to the attraction than just visual appeal {but they are so visually appealing}.  Beyond the beauty, they are symbols.  They optimistically open doors and chests full of hope.  They are the keys to the past; they have stories and they invite the opportunity to imagine them.

Whether it's their irregular surface and antique finish or their deep tales of ambiguity; either way, I adore them.

Dining fit for a monster...

My husband and I have a creature, a monster.  To an external observer, the appropriate term may be dog or loyal companion; to the experienced eye of anyone who has ever met our charming Andy, she is no ordinary dog - but a monster on every level. 

The clever Mr. Webster's definition:

     monster (noun) : \ˈmän(t)-stər\

        a: an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure;

        b: one who deviates from normal or acceptable behavior

Yes, our Andy is a monster.  She is, in fact, an animal much too small for her size and breed, her health complications are numerous.  We lovingly call her our undersized lab.  Physically, she is abnormal.  Behaviorally, she certainly deviates from normal.  She is far too intelligent for her scientific classification and her personality is, well, flawed.  But, at times, she is gentle, loyal, and utterly lovable.  She is our chocolate monster {a monster on every level, but still sweet enough to crave}.  In all sincerity, if Marley had a sequel, it would be Andy.   

Because our Andy is just charming enough to deserve splendor and functionality, every now and then I stumble across {or scour for} a dog accessory or two she cannot live without, and I cannot help but share.

Design Sponge recently featured an adorable 'Do It Yourself' project, the Vintage Elevated Dog Feeder, where Julia Cluster Norris shares her creativity with great instructions. 

Believe me; the moment I get my hands on a jig saw, Andy will get her paws on her own vintage elevated dog feeder. 
Not the do it yourself type?  Visit Julia Cluster Norris' Etsy store and purchase one of these finished versions:

Stay tuned for occasional posts full of pet lover's products, toys, treats, and dog accessories of all kinds - or dog garnish, as I like to say.

Pretty little pigeon toes...

I have had the very fortunate opportunity to relocate to the scenic wonder that is the Pacific Northwest.  I inherently appreciate the view, but I am slowly reminded everyday of the creative milieu that I have stepped into. 

One of these subtle little reminders happened upon my screen again today.  Not long ago, Design*Sponge featured a sweet little vase, cast of a vintage pharmacy bottle by Pigeon Toe Ceramics.  Pure curiosity sent me searching for Pigeon Toe Ceramics and all they have to offer.  I was not disappointed.  Here are just a few of the treasures they make, by hand, every day in Portland, Oregon...

The Cast Pharmacy Bottle that started it all.

Porcelain Garden Stakes {because one day my husband and I really will start the fresh herb garden we have been talking about and dreaming of for five years...one day}.

I have always loved all things mason jars.  My mind often wonders into the many, many uses and adornments of mason jars.  Mason jar lovers everywhere, myself included, will rejoice for this Kerr Votive Lantern.

And last, but most certainly not least, the Cast Vintage Filtering Flask.  Scientific glassware reinterpreted in porcelain.  Artistic genius.

Pigeon Toe Ceramics also has an array of air plant specimens for sale on their Etsy site.  Intrigued?  You should be.  I should also mention the inspired hues they offer as glaze options, including peacock, dove, fig, yolk, ink, etc.  Explore all the pretty porcelain to your heart's content: Pigeon Toe Ceramics.