{Something Good Is Going To Happen}

It's time to say bye-bye to 2009. With every New Year comes new or old (which we failed to keep last year) resolutions. Do you have any New Year's resolutions? Mine is to travel more. This time we are hoping to travel across India. There is so much to see and explore here. Hopefully, 2010 we'll be a good travel year for us. Do share your resolutions. I'd love to know your plans for the next year. Let's end and start our year together with these inspiring words of Valentina Ramos's digital drawing which reads "Something good is going to happen...". Have a blast tonight, whatever your plans are.

{Fabric Galore}

Good Morning! How about we start our day with some gorgeous fabric collection by various designers? I made the following list of the stores which sell the above shown fabrics, in case you want to buy any.

1. Fabric by Valori Wells is available here.

2. Second set of fabric by Deb Strain available for purchase here.

3. Fabric by Jackie Clark is available here.

4. David Cohen's fabric available here.

5. Monaluna's lovely fabric can be bought here.

Cul De Sac

Laura McKibbon of Cul de Sac handcrafts all her ceramic pottery in Vancouver. This square dish with an owl print is available in five pretty colors here to compliment any decor.

Dee & Lala

I'm smitten by Dee & Lala's fresh and modern letterpress stationery. These prints are from their outdoor inspired Woodland Wall Art Collection featuring Squirrel, Owls, Beaver, and Fawn. Each print is printed on 100% cotton rag "tree free" paper. Can be bought as a set or individually.

Saplanet Originals

Saplanet Originals is a cute shop showcasing handmade amigurumi products (Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting/crocheting small stuffed animals or toys.) Above shown crochet owl(top-right), button (left) and mirror is only a taste from their wide collection of toys, wedding favors and accessories.

Lady Luck Rules OK!

I recently discovered this quirky boutique - Lady Luck Rules OK, and loving it. It's a London based brand of affordable "rollercoaster ride of fun rocker jewelery" hand-crafted by Leona and her team. They started in 2003 and quickly established a huge fan-base in many European cities. This glittery owl pin with its twinkling eyes is from their new Midnight Forest range and instantly became my favorite piece of jewelry.

The Good Mama's Dress

Hi! How was your Christmas? Did you get some rest? I am still struggling with cold, hence didn't feel like cooking anything special for Christmas dinner. However, my friends and hubby held the fort in my absence in the kitchen. They baked pizza, while I rested on my comfy chair with a hot cup of chocolate and warm music. I think there is no bigger gift than having people around, who care about you so much. Don't you think so?

Today's find: This cute little girl's dress at The Good Mama which is on sale for only $14. It's a steal!

Happy Holidays!

It's that time of the year again, when we all take a break from the blogosphere to spend some time in the real world with our loved ones. If you happen to stop by, then I'd like to wish you Merry Christmas! Also, I want to thank you for your support and wonderful emails which mean the world to me and make my everyday special. Take care and lots of love.

Above shown card by Boots.

Flutter: {Not An Ordinary Pillow}

Flutter has a great selection of pillows that you probably haven't seen before. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the Hummingbird Linen Pillow and Black Horse Hook Pillow amongst their sweet pillow collection. I picked out my favorite two for you from their website.

Hipp!

I love the colors and charming illustrions on the goodies from Swedish designer and artist Julia Nielsen. Her tote bag is printed on 100% organic cotton, poster on recycled paper and cards printed with soy-based ink. I love anything which is both cute and green! These items are available for purchase here, if you are interested.

The Cool Hunter: Girl's Dress

If my niece were older I would have grabbed this dress right way. Bill Tikos's of The Cool Hunter on the dress "Not only is it likely to offer wisdom to your emerging hunter of cool, but it will help you find them in crowds!!" That's true, the colors are vibrant and fun!

Holiday Ornaments

I'm loving these woodland friends ornaments by Mary Lavan. Each ornament is hand crafted stoneware with a wood grain texture, and glazed on both sides.

Lily Pang's Gorgeous Laptop Skins

These images look like perfect artwork to cozy up any corner of your room. But, in fact these are skins for your laptop. The artist Lily Pang who is an artist in Singapore and a full-time mother likes to experiment with her art. Recently, she decided to use her art in making laptop skins and wedding gifts. And, we are glad that she did. Aren't we?

Alice Melvin

I recently came across Alice Melvin's wonderful work. She is an extremely talented illustrator and designer who has published children's interactive books and merchandise ranges with Tate. She is a cat lover who also managed to find time to work on these owls!

Image above: Aviary poster featuring twelve birds from the Plover to the Barn Owl.
Image below (clock-wise): Tote bag with owl print on both the sides, cut-out and make greeting card, and 'little owl' screen print.

Illustration by Stéphane Jorisch

The Owl and the Pussycat is the sixth in the series of Visions in Poetry book, a poem by Edward Lear. The artist’s vision begins in a segregated world where different species never mix and everyone hides behind a mask. An owl from Owl Heights and a bohemian pussycat from the other side of the tracks find each other and fall in love. I heart these illustrations by Stéphane Jorisch of the The Owl and The Pussycat poetry book. This book was the winner of the 2008 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature for its brilliant illustrations. It's available at Barnes & Noble, if you are interested in grabbing a copy.

Renee Treml: 'Tea Cozy: Great Horned Owl'

I recently discovered work of Renee Treml and I feel in love, instantly! While living in the US, she volunteered at a wildlife hospital in Durham and was a keen observer of birds in their natural settings. Now, apart from being a full-time artist, she also works as a research assistant in an environmental management/remote sensing program at University of Queensland (Australia). Fascinated and inspired by wildlife, the artist says "One of my personal goals as an artist is to bring awareness to the environment and wildlife." She creates her pieces primarily in scratchboard, acrylic and mixed media, and watercolor. Her artwork reflects her immense love for wildlife and attention to detail.

Friday Freebie!

I think this is a perfect wallpaper to extend the holiday spirit to our desktops. You can download it here.

Sandra Krumins's Cards + Lesson

Sandra Krumins of Blueberry Paper creates gorgeous paper goods with lots of colors and whimsical illustrations. I did a little snooping around to know about her work some more and was glad to find her interview at Daily Imprint. I find Sandra's answer to the question very inspiring and encouraging: What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt? The more you work, the more inspiration will come. Don't over think everything too much: it's much better to learn as you go along and make mistakes than be paralysed by all the what ifs. Don't you?

Hankerchief by Abi Loves

So, we are only a week way from Christmas. Have you bought all the gifts, finished wrapping them up and brought out the fine china? I'll probably make an Indian feast, now that I am here. I'll probably share the pictures (if everything turns out well). Today, I am loving these handkerchiefs by Abi Loves. Hope you do too!

Shown above: 1. Tree Life 2. Autumn Slumber

John Derian

John Derian is the king of decoupage. All his products are handmade in his New York-based studio with assistance from his small staff. I have been to New York a few times (and I love NYC!) but have never gotten an opportunity to visit his store. I have heard so many great things about how it feels like a living room inside his store. Have you ever been there? These are few of his pieces I picked out to share with you from his collection. Rest can be ogled here.

Brentwood Owl

Brentwood Owl is an adorable range of clear stamps designed by Jessica Lynn for Craft Barn. This owl likes to dress up in silly costumes, visit exotic locations and sometimes, doesn't mind wearing fake eyelashes. Doesn't he look sweet baking cookies in his red apron?

Swing Notecard Set

Swing Up Like a Rocker! This vintage inspired note card is from The Paper Princess Collage Series. Mr. Owl tipping his top hat is so sweet! The reverse sides are lined with notebook paper and just enough space for a quick jot.

Available for purchase at The Little Happyshop.

Scarf+Chocolate

I am wishing right now for this scarf by Cathy Peng to make me feel better, today. I am sick at home; it seems I have caught cold. Sipping my second cup of coffee and all bundled up in a blanket in front of my computer. I am grateful that I had purchased my favorite chocolate last night, which I can savor without the guilt because I have heard chocolate cures everything ;)

Inkjet Designs

Inkjet Designs creates coasters, fridge magnets, badges, cards and gift tags. Their products are so darn cute that they have been featured in magazines like Progressive Greetings and Scrapbook Inspirations. You will also find their products at Target in the US and Sainsbury's in UK. You can visit their blog for updates about their new products.