John Derian - New bits of ephemera...

I always love anything from John Derian...here's a few new things - post cards, wrapping paper, buttons, and lovely pieces by Hugo Guinness and Geraldine Gonzales...

Pretty Paper...

We've been busy making these...hope you had a lovely holiday weekend...

These are made out of Kite Paper (I bought it at Wonderment in MPLS) click here for instructions...

Doll Love...

I think I'm on the verge of a doll obsession...not those creepy American Girl Dolls but lovely, quirky handmade lovelies....It started with Sophie & Lili, snowballed at Wren Handmade and hit its peak at WeeWonderfuls...There are so many beautiful ones to choose from but WW inspired me to make my own especially when I spied this pattern for one that looks just like LILA!  If you are crafty check her pattern shop - beautiful dolls, embroidery, etc...coud cross stitch become a new hipster mom pasttime?

DIY - Katie Did

Katie of Katie Did makes the most gorgeous clothes for her two daughters...it makes me want to dust off my sewing machine and knitting needles...
Check out her tutorial for ruffled collars...  She made them for easter but it would be perfect on a little velvet shift dress for the holidays...Thank goodness I have a girl!!

Weekend Rental - Wes Anderson

Growing up we always had a movie tradition on the holidays...sick of turkey, togetherness, and football I was always happy to escape to a new release come Thaksgiving afternoon...while I've never been able to convince my husband's family to join me at the Movieplex I was able to sneak out with my mom this year to Fantastic Mr Fox and it didn't disappoint.  I adore Wes Anderson films and his quirky style, snappy dialogue, and unique vision transfered perfectly to this stop motion adventure based on a Roald Dahl story.   If you're looking for some rentals to watch with your family after the little ones have crashed why not revisit some Wes Anderson classics...My favorite is Rushmore, but The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket, and the Darjeeling Limited all merit another viewing (or a place in my christmas stocking..).  Style and Substance...Love!

Black Friday Sales

Thanks so much to Erica from A History Of Architecture for putting together an amazing list of holiday sales!!  Not only does she have impeccable taste but she's a great deal spotter as well...
Check it out here:  a history of architecture: Black Friday Sales

Here's a couple more of my favorites:
Les Nouvelles - (see ad at left) 40% off fall pieces through Monday at Midnight
Nonchalant Mom - 2 Day Sale Event

In Minneapolis:
Bebe Babble - 15% off any purchase all weekend
Green Goober - 20% off any purchase Friday, 10% Saturday & Sunday

Happy Shopping!

and of course Pretty Mommy - 35% thru Sunday at midnight using code PUMPKIN at checkout

Black Friday Weekend at Pretty Mommy

One Weekend Only - Friday November 27th - Sunday November 29th!! 35% off using code PUMPKIN at checkout!! Only 2 Lizzie Fortunato necklaces left!! Preorder Matta Scarves in the new Resort Colors...
Hope you had a lovely holiday!!
xoxo
Michelle

Handmade Holiday

Before you head out early Friday morning to brave the crowds at your local big-box retailer, consider one of these handmade lovelies...

RIONA hand knitted cardigan coat - $145
just looking at this cozy number takes the chill off, and for a handknit piece the price is kind of unbelievable

I'd love to order one of these dolls by Wren Handmade for Lila...you can find them on Etsy or have one custom made to your liking!
Her blog is lovely too!

I'm craving one of these handknit necklaces by Brooklyn designer Wonder Wonder

Knit knot Necklace - $48, Solar system Necklace - $43.25

Start a new holiday tradition with this beauiful advent calendar - Nouveau Designs - $20

Also, don't forget about these slippers, sophie & lili dolls...I created a gift tab under labels to make all ideas easier to find...

also, some of my favorite blogs have great ideas as well...check out my blog roll for Lena Corwin, little brown pen, cup of Jo, black eiffel, etc

Have a great Thanksgiving!! xoxo Michelle

a JOYful thanksgiving

If you are anything like me you haven't even started planning your Thanksgiving meal...so I called upon the one girl I know who can handle a last minute foodie emergency, my friend and impeccable cook Joy Stark.  I have to gush a bit...she is the perfect combination old school & new school girl..she knits, rows, sews, cycles, has style to spare and is amazing in the kitchen.  I only wish we lived in the same city so she could invite me over for dinner...Here are her picks for a fabulous holiday meal! Bon Appetit!




Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it’s the only one that’s completely about food. There’s something about eating a bountiful, rich meal with family and friends that inspires warmth and gratitude. Because my family is not nearby, I’ll be spending the holiday with my friend who lives in Brooklyn. We’ve agreed that I’ll coordinate and cook the tasty gourmet meal, and she’ll supply the cool loft and stylish people.

This fall winter, I’ve subscribed to a winter CSA share from Drumlin Farm in Lincoln, MA. Aside from a light snowfall in mid-October, we’ve been blessed with a very mild fall in New England, which has made the first two farm share distributions especially abundant. I’ve planned my Thanksgiving menu to make use of much of the wonderful, fresh produce I’ve received.

Although the turkey is often the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal, it’s actually the easiest part of the meal to cook. Consider buying a locally-grown, chemical-free, pastured bird which should need no adornment to taste great. The most important thing in cooking a turkey is to not overcook it. Invest in a good digital thermometer and check the temperature often toward the end of the roasting time.

Of course, you could have Thanksgiving without the turkey. Gourmet has some great recipes for impressive vegetarian mains that would rival a cooked bird any day. My favorites are the Shepherd’s Pie with seitan and the Pumpkin Stuffed Vegetable Stew.

I prefer not to stuff my bird because I like the flavor of the stuffing to stand on its own without tasting too birdy. This year, I’m making a Chestnut, Prune, and Pancetta stuffing that seems to add a flavorful twist on a traditional bread stuffing. Since my CSA distribution has given me more potatoes than I know what to do with and a sizable celery root, I’m serving the Celery Root and Potato Puree from Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Vegetables Cookbook. And for greens, this recipe for Kale with Garlic and Cranberries sounds delicious and healthy.

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without cranberries. Fresh cranberry sauce and relish is so easy to make and tastes infinitely better than the canned. Last week I purchased a pound of fresh, organically grown cranberries from Cranberry Hill Farm to make Orangette’s Cranberry Chutney with Crystallized Ginger and Dried Cherries.

Last, but certainly not least, are the pies. Here I pretty much stick to tradition. People feel strongly about their Thanksgiving desserts and don’t want them tinkered with. My favorite recipe for pie crust is from Julia Child’s Baking with Julia, which is absolutely foolproof. I took home a bushel (35 lbs) of locally-grown apples last week, some of which will end up in a classic, double-crust apple pie. I think the pure flavor of the apples really shines through in Cooks Illustrated’s recipe (via smitten kitchen). My pumpkin pie will put to use the pie pumpkins I received from the farm last week. If I were going to dress up my pumpkin pie a bit, I would make this Caramel Pumpkin Pie from Gourmet. It pains me that I don’t have enough people to feed to warrant making a third pie because I love pecan pie. As I’m from Texas, I’m very opinionated about how pecan pie should taste. My “secret” recipe, which has a splash of bourbon in it, is from Thanksgiving 101, which is a fantastic primer on holiday cooking.

As a final touch to your holiday meal preparations, I hope you’ll help the 1 billion malnourished people in this world by making a donation to a local or international food bank. You can find one near you through the Feeding America web site.

Joy Stark

Rifle Paper Co. Opens Monday!

One of my favorites - Rifle Design - opens up their webstore on Monday - Yeah!!  The store will feature greeting cards, personalized stationery, art prints, invitation templates, and other paper goods.


Sign up on their mailing list to receive a special discount!!

DIY Garlands

Wouldn't it be so beautiful to do all your holiday decorations in this color scheme?  I had to steal this lovely idea from Pam Garrison...  I might add in a little gold for some sparkle!

Pre-Black Friday Sale - 30% off!!

Get your Holiday shopping done early! 30% off at Pretty Mommy - Now thru Wed, Nov 25th

Enter Code TURKEY at checkout....www.shopprettymommy.com

Fleabags Handbags, Lizzie Fortunato Jewelry, and Matta Scarves

Gift Giving - Tamar Mogendorff

Every year I order a special piece for Lila from Tamar Mogendorff...She makes the most gorgeous, whimsical, handstitched works of art...see more at tmogy...xoxo

Old School/New School

I think this new instant camera by Fujilfilm deserves a place on my Christmas list, don't you?  Fujifilm Instax MINI 7s - $85

Gifts that Give - Snowman in Africa

Gucci is donating 100% of the proceeds of this magical book by author and illustrator Michael Roberts to UNICEF - $25  - Gucci

Cool Kicks....

Ummm...let's see...Vena Cava, Converse, benefits  The Global Fund to Fight Aids...Oh yeah, I'm there - coming soon to converse.com