Now that you've got the holiday cards sent, the ornaments hung, the garlands strung, and the gifts wrapped, it's time to tag them and slip them under the tree. Above: Santa Obama Gift Tags, $3.75 for twelve from time2cre8
Clockwise from top left: Letterpress Hang Tags, $3.50 for three from amyb13; Mittens Tags, $3 for three from Christina Williams Designs; Spirograph Gift Tag, $5 for six from Blackbird Letterpress; Letterpress Gift Tags, $8 for eight from Heather Smith Jones
Clockwise from top left: Jigsaw/Sky Gift Tags, $4 for four from RiffeRaff; Porcelain Gift Tag Stars, $3.75 for three from Summers Studio Etc.; Green and Brown Letterpress Gift Tags, $10 for nine from Sycamore Street Press
Clockwise from top left: Letterpress Hangtags, $12 for twelve from Lucky Bee Press; Snowflake Christmas Gift Tags, $6 for five from Little Glowing Lights; Christmas Berry Letterpress Gift Tags, $8 for six from Old Tom Foolery; Tag It and Box It Up Tags, $3 for five from B.B. Vintage
Clockwise from top left: Do Not Open Until December 25 Tags, $3 for five from The Hollister 25; Letterpress Gift Tags, $8 for twelve from With Love Designs; Holiday Wooden Gift Tags, $14 for six from Paloma's Nest; Naughty or Nice Gift Tags, $9 for six from Design des Troy
Clockwise from top left: Deer Holiday Gift Tag, $10 for six from Small Square Design; Bottle Brush Christmas Tree Tags, $3 for two from Petite Pear Paperie; Wallpaper Hex Gift Tags, $5 for five from Ladies & Gentlemen; Holiday Gift Tag Assortment, $12 for five from Astulabee
The clock's a-tickin', though -- so if you want any of these in time for Christmas, I'd order them pronto.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Etsy Finds of the Day: Tag It
Friday, December 12, 2008
Etsy Finds of the Day: Wrap It Up
The holiday juggernaut continues, today with a selection of pretty handmade wrapping papers and other gift containers from those busy Etsy elves. (Note: I tried to choose several papers and vessels that weren't specifically holiday-themed, so that they'd be just as useful the rest of the year.) Above: XO Limited Edition Gift Wrap, $8 for two sheets from RiffeRaff
Push/Pull Gift Wrap Set, $4 from Sarah Marie
Pavilion Recycled Paper Gift Wrap, $16 for four sheets from Smock Letterpress
Original Gift Wrap, $9 for two sheets from Wolfie and the Sneak
Tori Gift Wrap Set, $4.50 from Erin Ruth
Grape Vendome Gift Wrap, $8 for two sheets from The Market by Feterie
Jigsaw Bead Gift Wrap $8 for two sheets from RiffeRaff
You're Nuts Paper, $6 for three sheets from Fact & Fancy
Merry Christmas Gift Bag, $6 from Paloma's Nest
Gift Bag Sets, $10 for four from Things by Bubbo-Tubbo
Tiny Gocco Gift Bags, $3.75 for six from Mothball Charlie
Origami Gift Boxes, $9 for three from Paper Red Shoes
Bianco e Rosso Twine, $16 per spool from Carta, Inc.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mark Your Calendar: Art and Handmade Holiday Events
Since a majority of the respondents to my poll on local events posts seem to enjoy -- or at least not mind -- reading about Bay Area happenings, here's another roundup of weekend shopping and art events:
French-flavored Old Oakland boutique Mignonne (that's the shop's beautiful window display at top) is holding its third annual Holiday Party and Sale this evening -- Thursday, December 11 -- from 5 to 9 p.m. There will be wine, music, and raffle prizes. Plus, everything in the store except original art will be 30 percent off during the shindig, and gift-wrapping is free. Local fine-art photographer Valerie J. Cochran (above) and ceramist Whitney Smith will be in attendance to show off their work. Mignonne is located at 1000 Jefferson St.
Whitney is one busy party girl tonight, because she's also making an appearance at the Fourth & Clay Holiday Party alongside Diana Fayt, Rae Dunn, Christa Assad, and Josie Jurczenia. The celebration and sale runs from 6 to 11 p.m. at 2390 "C" Fourth St. in Berkeley. (If you can't make it, the clay babes will be holding another Studio Sale -- details here -- this Saturday and Sunday.)
Friday evening, December 12, from 5 to 9 p.m., West Berkeley's Relish at Home hosts a Holiday Trunk Show for jewelry designer Molly M. I'm not normally big on jewelry, but Molly's laser-cut designs are gorgeous, aren't they? Maybe she'll introduce a line of housewares at some point ... What's more, everything in the shop is 10 percent off during the event. Relish at Home is located at 2703 Seventh St. #112.
On Saturday, December 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Feria Urbana takes place at Oakland's Pizzaiolo restaurant (5008 Telegraph Ave. in the Temescal District). On offer will be clothing, jewelry, ceramics, home accessories, artwork, fashion accessories, baby items, and more from dozens of local designers. (While you're there, grab a slice of Pizzaiolo's fresh buttered toast with Blue Chair jam and a steaming mug of Blue Bottle Coffee. Yum!)
On Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14, from noon to 4 p.m., Emeryville potter Sara Paloma is holding a Holiday Studio Sale in her space at 4333 Holden St. #54. She'll have fresh stock of her iconic stoneware bottles as well as her fabulous new nesting bowls (above). And don't miss Paloma's "seconds" shelf for budget-friendly deals on slightly less-than-perfect pottery.
Also Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., West Oakland's 56,000-square-foot Crucible holds its annual Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House. The sale features housewares, pottery, sculpture, art glass, clothing, jewelry, and other giftable items from more than 70 local artisans. There will be fire performers, stiltwalkers, circus clowns, a visit from Santa, refreshments and assorted holiday treats, as well as glass blowing, metal casting, and blacksmithing demonstrations, too. The Crucible is located at 1260 Seventh St.
Saturday evening, from 5 to 10 p.m., swing by Rowan Morrison Gallery for the RoMoLoCo Show. There will be affordable original works and prints from more than 30 local artists, plus 10 to 40 percent off Rowan Morrison's stock of art books and papergoods. If you can't make the RoMoLoCo opening party, available works will be on display through December 24. (Pssst -- Sunday, December 14 will also see the release of a new, limited-edition stencil print from Adam5100, available exclusively at Rowan Morrison.) The shop and gallery is located at 330 40th St. in Oakland.
Also Saturday night, from 6 to 9 p.m.: The opening reception for FiveTen Studio's Bailout, a "recession-proof" exhibit featuring work from 18 established and emerging local artists, all priced under $400. Bailout will be up in the gallery through December 30. FiveTen Studio is located at 831 Broadway in Old Oakland.
Finally, on Sunday night, December 14, Uptown Oakland's favorite punk rock dive bar, the Stork Club, hosts the Holi-DIY bash starting at 8 p.m. Indie vendors will be on hand, and live music and a burlesque show round out the offerings. The Stork Club is located at 2330 Telegraph Ave.
Enjoy!
(P.S. If you're on the other side of the Bay, there are a bunch of fun weekend events happening in San Francisco as well, including Trish Grantham at Rare Device, Christine Schmidt at Candystore, and the Mission District Holiday Block Party. Head on over to sfgirlbybay to get the deets on those from Ms. Victoria.)
Wanderlust: Palm Springs Recommendations?
Because I am a not-so-closeted Scrooge and want to make Christmas as un-Christmasy as possible (just, you know, so my kids have plenty of fodder for their future psychotherapy sessions), we decided to plan a getaway to balmy Palm Springs over the holiday break. We're staying at the house above, which was once owned by Fifties fitness guru Jack LaLanne (really!).
We've never been to Palm Springs before, and I want to be sure not to miss any of the fabulousity. For those of you who know the area, any advice on what to do there -- where to shop, eat, drink, see the scenery? We'll definitely be making a pit-stop for cocktails and dinner at the Parker Hotel, but other than that our calendar is wide open.
If you have any Palm Springs recommendations to share, please let me know!
Etsy Finds of the Day: Garlands Galore
Whether you're in the market for holiday decorations or simply looking for pretty, wintry adornments for your home, these handmade garlands will look magical twined around the tree, draped over the mantle, or strung across a window or wall. Above: Dogwood Flower Garland, $32 from Middleburg Folk Art Studio
Starry White Sparkle Garland, $32 from Marilyn Healy
Snowflake Garland, $17 from The Looks
Let it Snow Garland, $20 from Sugar Britches Company
Extra Long Snowflake Garland made from vintage book pages, $8.50 from Geek Details
Silver Oak Garland, $16 from Royal Buffet
Antique Mercury Glass Christmas Garland, $70 from Ruby Fig Atelier
Winter Garland, $18 from Cat and Fiddle
Snow Flurries Banner, $22.50 from Cottage in the Sun
Blue Snowflake Garland, $7 from Little Glowing Lights
Icy Winter Garland, $15 from Miesmama
Snowflake Garland, $13 from Lemon Tree Studio
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
The Artful Home: Mark Warren Jacques at Life + Limb
Portland's wonderful Life + Limb has a new show featuring work from Oregon artist Mark Warren Jacques. If you can't make it to see these stunning pieces in person (they'll be up through the end of the month), check 'em out in the Life + Limb webstore, where they're available for purchase. 
I am a Leaf in the Wind acrylic and ink on panel, $150
Perfect Little World acrylic and ink on paper, $600
Plants Are Beautiful People screenprint edition of five, $75 unframed, $100 framed (This one is going on my holiday wish list right now.)
Mister Lonely Tree acrylic and ink on paper, $300 framed
See more of Jacques's artwork right here.
Monday, December 8, 2008
House Voyeur: Cozy and Classic in Cambridge
More Ways to Waste Time reader Kate Flaim (who writes an awesome food blog called Kate F____, Girl Reporter) recently wrote in to share her lovely 1,200-square-foot Edwardian apartment in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I instantly fell for the classic architecture and comfortable ambiance of the place, not to mention Kate's skill at putting together interesting assemblages of art and found objects.
And though I'm a California girl at heart, seeing the photos of Kate's home looking so cozy and welcoming -- as well as the blustery New England weather glimpsed through the windows -- makes me miss the holiday season back East.
Here, Kate takes us on a virtual tour of the charming home she shares with her husband, Ben:
"Our building was built in 1901 and was always meant to be apartments, which we liked after seeing lots of strangely subdivided former single-family homes. It’s pretty classic: Lots of detailed moldings, an ornate fireplace mantle with lovely tile and a patterned cast-iron liner, and formal entertaining spaces. There’s a clear distinction between the front of the house and the servants’ quarters in back -- the butler’s pantry, pantry, kitchen and my tiny office (once the maid’s room) have simpler flooring and very basic trimwork compared to the rest of the apartment.
My style is a cleaned-up flea market/traditional mash-up. I was really inspired by the elaborate moldings and formal architecture of our living room, which drove me to reach for a comfortable but traditional style that wouldn’t clash with all that detail! In a place with simpler lines, I would probably have veered in a slightly more modern direction, but I do love to be surrounded by interesting things.
I've learned to accept that it’s OK to love stuff, and that there’s a middle ground between straight-up midcentury modern and 'Anthropologie chic.' The spools of silk thread are from the Paris flea market, the clothespins are from the Brimfield Antique Show and a shop in London, and the pewter cup is a local flea market find.
I think it's important to take your time and have fun moving things around. It took three tries to get the furniture placement just right in the living room.
Our furniture is mostly antique or vintage. The midcentury chairs in front of the window, the round walnut occasional table, and the red firewood bin, for instance, are from the Time-Life Building in New York, where I used to work. Before the building was renovated a few years ago, I had a chance to scavenge from the emptied floors -- totally legal, thank you very much! The paint color we used in the living room is Benjamin Moore's Silver Fox.
Last winter I was in Paris for work, and Ben joined me for the weekend. We made our first real art purchase there: a small 19th-century painting (above right) that we both fell in love with. I can stare at it for hours. The porcelain mushrooms are from Velocity Art and Design.
I found these rocks in Maine this past summer. The coral is from a trip we took to Puerto Rico.
I love making new tableaux on the mantle, usually when the seasons are changing and I want new colors in the space. Most of the accessories are from flea markets or family. I had some great Thrift Karma on a trip to my home state of Oregon last month -- I scored an awesome little lamp for $5 and a bunch of cool tiny brass candlesticks, which I’ll use on the mantle for Christmas, for 50 cents each.
We love all the vintage details in our home: stuff like the old intercom and call-button from the dining room -- sadly, neither works anymore! The downside to all that vintage character is that a lot of things are just harder to do. Hanging the chandelier (which is from Restoration Hardware) took several visits from the electrician because the old gas-pipe in the ceiling came down too low for the cap to fit over it, so he had to order a new one. And we couldn’t get dimmers because the box in the wall was too shallow. We painted the dining room Puritan Gray, also from Benjamin Moore.
The dining table is from Pottery Barn, and the bookshelves are from IKEA. We added height-extensions so they go almost all the way up to the crown molding and have a more built-in look. We’re midway through a refinishing project on the chairs, which we bought at Brimfield; they were our best bargain so far. And a couple months ago we bought a piano for my husband, who's a great musician. It was a splurge, but I am rewarded every night when he plays while I cook dinner.
I’m totally obsessed with our butler’s pantry/pantry storage combo; I am so spoiled and never want to go back to storing everything in regular kitchen cupboards. The original drawings are by Kate Bingaman-Burt, and the espresso cups are Wedgwood Black Basalt.
We did the kitchen almost entirely ourselves: I really love to cook, so we decided to get great appliances and save on IKEA cabinets, sink, and butcher-block counters. (I say, skip granite counters! They’re hard and noisy and will chip your dishes.) My white enamel Viking stove makes me happy every time I use it, plus it echoes the original white enamel stove that was in the kitchen but that we weren’t able to keep. The dishwasher is from Bosch, and the cabinet-depth, French door fridge is from Jenn-Air.
We had the electrician and plumber rough in the new lines, then designed and assembled the cabinets and built the fridge surround with the help of my talented brother. God bless IKEA, but putting together their kitchens is a pretty advanced task. Still, the cabinets, counters, and sink were an amazing deal compared to everywhere else we looked, and I think they look great. The cabinet knobs are from Restoration Hardware.
Hanging the shelf in the kitchen took a whole weekend, because we were trying so hard not to pull down the horsehair plaster walls. Speaking of horsehair plaster, let’s just say I’m really, really grateful for the picture rails in many of the rooms, and there isn’t much on the walls in the rooms without it! The paint is Benjamin Moore's Beacon Hill Damask, the 'Manshroom' print is by Amy Ross, and the Tea Revives You print is from the Keep Calm Gallery.
We’re framing loads of family photos and gradually want the hall to be salon-style with several layers of pictures. We’re using wood frames from Target’s Home Collection. The paint color is Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter.
This is my home office. We created a magnetic chalkboard with 5 or 6 coats of Rust-Oleum magnetic paint primer, one layer of regular primer, and one layer of chalkboard paint. The Hello, Stranger print is by Dan-ah Kim, Lola is by Andrea Marshall, and the Oregon print is by Ryan Jacob Smith.
The paint in our bedroom (and also the office) is Woodlawn Blue from Benjamin Moore. The custom wood blinds are from Smith + Noble.
My advice: Instead of stocking up on accessories at generic home stores, buy something that you really love whenever you’re somewhere new. That way, your home will always remind you of the experiences you’ve had and the people you love."
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home with us, Kate! Now, what time should we plan to arrive on Christmas Eve?
P.S. Want to see more? Click here for a peek inside other readers' homes.
