"angelina style" baby shower

one of our angelina girls, kate, is almost ready to have her baby girl! so of course, we threw her a shower this last weekend. kate's a very natural, relaxed girl, so we wanted the shower to have the same feel. check out the pictures from this adorable event.

dessert table

cupcakes and cake pops in pink, purple, and yellow cake pops from the cake poppery

pink and white baby carriage cookies courtesy of ashleigh's cookie couture

burlap and pink glitter "willow" banner

guests decorating onesies using different fabrics

finished onesies - they really turned out adorable! can't wait to see baby willow in them!

guest's take home gifts - mason jars filled with wild flowers and tied with lavender sachets from the shop

congratulations kate! we love you and can't wait to meet baby willow!

chewing the cud on the Today Show!

chewing the cud reusable fabric gift wrap was featured on the today show this morning. this reusable gift wrap is printed on organic cotton with soy-based inks. available in several designs in the shop!

gemonie giveaway winner

congratulations to Jackie D, our gemonie giveaway winner. she is now the proud owner of a beautiful pair of sterling silver and amethyst gemonie earrings! jackie, you will be contacted via email. congratulations!

papaya spotted in steven tyler's living room

papaya home decor canvases "invisible" and "temple girl" spotted in steven tyler's living room in this cool interview with matt lauer.

papaya canvases available in the shop!

buy your momma something pretty!

mother's day is less then a week away, and i know what you are thinking... what should i buy for my momma? no worries, the shop is filled with pretty things for her!

one of my new favorites in the shop are these refillable pens made with vintage beads and hand blown glass beads. they look super cute paired with a memo mouse pad from papaya or their brand new sticky note sets.

new dogeared arrivals in the shop! including plenty of sterling silver and gold dipped necklaces, especially for mom. we also received some adorable canvas totes by dogeared, priced nicely at $26.50 each.

of course, all of the lollia products make the perfect mother's day gift as well. maybe some bubble bath and bath salts in our favorite scent "relax", which is a beautiful combination of lavender and honey.

stop by the shop to see all the other new arrivals and great gift ideas we have for you. and don't forget and we always offer complimentary gift packaging. see you soon!

gemonie interview and GIVEAWAY

it's our second giveaway, and it couldn't have come at a better time with mother's day right around the corner (may 8th!) enjoy this interview with local barrington artist, lesley karasinski of gemonie jewelry. to enter this week's giveaway, you must stop by the shop before next thursday, may 5th, and mention you read this blog post. we will then enter you to win these beautiful hand-wired amethyst and sterling silver gemonie earrings. ($35 value) we will also give you a FREE GIFT with any purchase over $20!

tell us a little about yourself…

my name is lesley karasinski and i am the designer behind gemonie jewelry. i grew up in the north-east coast of england but have lived here in the US for the last ten years. i moved to barrington with my family four years ago and work out of my home studio.

why did you decide to become an artist?

there has never been a time when i didn’t want to create. growing up, i was lucky to be part of a very creative family, one who believed that something handmade came straight from the heart. i was encouraged to explore many artistic avenues, everything from painting to sewing. i fell in love with designing jewelry when i wanted to make unique pieces for myself and friends.

how has your jewelry changed or developed over time?

my designs have definitely developed over time and are always evolving. creativity is very much a journey, there are always new techniques to learn and perfect, which influence the direction of my work.

what inspires you?

i draw inspiration from everywhere and everything! from nature and the changing of seasons, to fashion and art. i also find the materials i use in my work very inspirational themselves. just playing around with different gemstones and beads usually creates a flurry of ideas and endless possibilities!

do you have a quote you live by?

“follow your heart” – in everything you do.

three things you couldn’t live without…

my children’s smiles….. all three of them!
alternatively, my camera, music and a good book.

lesley was kind enough to share some photos of her beautiful studio as well!

don't forget to stop by to enter to win a pair of earrings, and receive your free gift with purchase of $20 or more!

spring planters

as you already know, i've been determined to get the spring planters for the front of the shop done, but i haven't really had the chance because i needed decent weather to spray paint. well, this past saturday turned out to be a gorgeous day (minus the wind - which equaled spray paint in my hair and all over my sunglasses). so i popped in my ipod and took a few hours to prime, paint, and seal some stone looking pots. and of course i painted them in one of my favorite colors - HOT PINK! once dried, i planted some pretty purple and yellow flowers! take a look...

i love the purple flowers! they remind me of tie-dye.

i have another project in the works for the side windows - stay tuned.