book, barware, birch bark, bsp, and booze

I just had to show off a few of the lovely gifts I received for my birthday.

A vintage book full of travel daydream material.

Two sets of barware! One for just the two of us (if I can get Andy to drink a cocktail), and one for when we have guests. The fresh new bottle of Plymouth was a gift, too.

This birch bark necklace was purchased for me when it caught my eye at a cute little shop full of Michigan products near Detroit's Motor City Brewery. And like all good things, the maker, Bettula, has an Etsy shop. It's full of amazing nature-based jewelry and other items (mushroom necklace! Birch bark cuffs!).

And then, of course, there's my gift to myself--seeing British Sea Power in Chicago. With a trip the next day to stock up on cheap (or, at least, cheaper than here) liquor to put to use in all that new barware.

xo

K

warm fuzzies

We had an amazing weekend in Detroit with friends (in which I also got to meet the lovely Lauren of Dear Golden Vintage), but have come home exhausted and having to host a sort of last-minute family party at our house tonight.

However, I was so excited to come home to one of the very coolest, heartwarming-est things for a seller of vintage--photos of a happy customer wearing a purchase! In this case, it's the beautiful Alex Keller wearing the Vera Neumann chrysanthemums blouse she got from Small Earth. (Click the photo to go to Alex's blog and see more photos.)

How lovely is she? And she wears the blouse in such a great, modern way--my favorite way to see vintage worn! I love that cool old movie camera she's holding.

Alex sells beautiful jewelry on Etsy, where she also has a marvelous vintage shop! Thank you, Alex, for posting these great photos of you and your Vera.


More on our fantastic weekend in the D to come.

xo
K

happy things

The world's cutest pair of wee bird vases, by catherinereece on Etsy, filled with dried flowers from my friend Roberta.

Spicy, smoky lapsang souchong-scented perfume, ideal for autumn.

My new necklace from Etsy's whiteowl. I'm not usually one for the bling, but I could not resist this necklace's burnished coppery-brassy tones. (And my honey, of course!)

Autumn leaves, even when they are sodden with rain. Maybe especially when they are sodden with rain.

These ridiculously delicious peanut butter and strawberry jelly truffles from VintageConfections on Etsy.

Dino and Shirl.

My dad coming to visit for his birthday! (That's a photo of him as a cute little tot.)

Oh, yes. And these beauties. The Circus b'zerkus handmade red leather pumps by Zerkahloostrah on Etsy. Which Etsy bought for me the other day. Yep--for real! As if I didn't already love Etsy enough. They bought me shoes. HANDMADE shoes. How amazing is that?

xo
K