Etsy Favs: January

Published on by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

Wow, I haven’t shared my Etsy favorites since October!  Here are some items that have made their way into my heart my Etsy favorites.

Things That Are Long Letterpress Poster by 1Canoe2

You may remember 1Canoe2 from my Christmas Wish List.  I love their state prints, if only they had Minnesota or Montana…  Oh, their Hail To The Chief print is pretty cute, too. 

My bird obsession has drawn me toward these adorable bird prints of original charcoal and pastel drawings by Matou en Peluche.

I think its difficult to find Montana artwork that doesn’t feature livestock, but this Montana photo from D.S. Brennan is moody and beautiful.   

Seriously though, there are so many beautiful photos in her shop, including a Natural History series featuring birds.

I’ve seen felted wool bowls before, but never Crocheted Fabric Bowls, like these from Olive Manna.

I create hand embroidered items, but this Punch Needle Embroidered Birch Tree is so cool! 

It seems I’m on an art kick (and apparently letterpress), so why stop?  I love this Grey Skies letterpress print from May Day Studio.

How cool are these Concrete Planters by Tortoise Loves Donkey?  Answer: too cool!

Last but not least, this La La Love You Poster by Sparkle Power. 

Now that you know what’s on my Etsy favorite list, I want to know what’s on yours?  Anything I should know about?  Please share a link, too.

All  images found via the featured Etsy seller’s listing as linked above.

Green = Green: Perpetual Calendar

Published on by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

I shared a few thrifty finds last Thursday, including two small file holders for $0.99 each. 

I mentioned that I saw an idea for a perpetual calendar by Ashley Ann for Design Sponge.  I always love a good calendar, so I decided to make a perpetual journaling box set.  The small tan box is perfect for 3 inch by 5 inch note cards, which I happened to have two packages of.  I don’t have a date stamp, so I wrote each date in the upper corner of each index card.  It was pretty quick because I used a number format (1.1 for January 1st, 1.2 for January 2nd, and so on).  Also, I decided not to cut the cards because my box was already sized perfectly. 

After I numbered each card, I used two colors of cardstock, also already owned, to cut dividers for each month.  I made each divider 5 inches wide by 3 1/4 inches tall so I could easily see the dividers above the notecards.

This project took under twenty minutes and cost under $5.00 (if you don’t already have the materials), but what I really love is the sentiment.  I’ve missed the first few weeks of journaling, but it will be cool to see what we did on this day ten years from now. 

I also really love the Max 365 perpetual calendar by Massimo Vignelli, but I could to without the $74.00 price tag.

Obviously, the Max 365 calendar can be used over and over, which eliminates the need for a new calendar year after year.  But, my DIY perpetual calendar can be used for the next ten years (I have ten lines of journaling per sheet).  By using a perpetual calendar, I’m saving paper, making the earth a little greener.  I also saved some green ($73.00 to be exact) by creating my own calendar using a thrift store file box and supplies I had on hand.

Ashley had a great idea, right?!  Anyone out there inspired to make their own perpetual calendar?

January Sponsor Appreciation

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I’m totally flattered that my blog bud Jen at IHeart Organizing has continued to sponsor us. 

You’ve seen Jen on our blog before, here and here.  We also did a little shopping at IKEA, Home Goods and Goodwill.  If you haven’t realized, Jen is an organization guru.  Seriously, she has so many “Why didn’t I think of that” ideas, like her basket storage solutions. 

You know I love an organized office, and Jen’s doesn’t disappoint, even after her basement flooded, she turned her bedroom closet into an office nook.

If you’re looking to get your self a little more organized, pop in Jen’s Etsy shop to get checklists, labels, and monograms.  Thanks again, Jen, for continuing to support our little ‘ol blog!

Valentine’s Day Printables

Published on by Our Humble Abode36 Comments

To finish off our week of bookshelves, we shared a set of free bookplate printables.  We’ve been working on a few freebie Valentine’s Day prints and we’re ready to share them with you. 

Put a Little Love in Your Heart

Love Birds

Love Squared

I Love You This Much ∞

We’re trying a different sharing method this time around, too.  If you want the Put a Little Love in Your Heart PDF file to print, click here. 

 Click the links for the labeled print: Love Birds, Love Squared , and I Love You This Much ∞. 

All prints are ready to print on 8.5 inch by 11 inch cardstock and fit a standard 8 inch by 10 inch frame.  Valentine’s Day prints are for personal use only and may not be sold or altered.

Pillows in the House

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Er, shop.  That’s right folks.  Our first set of pillows are on the market in our Etsy shop.  To be completely honest, these pillows aren’t a recent creation.  I made them for our house back in 2008 when we had a duck egg blue and red color scheme.  You may remember catching a glimpse of them in this post about our living room phases. 

Well, I was clearing out our linen closet the other day and I stumbled across these.  I decided it was time to part with them.  So, if you have a duck egg blue and red color scheme, I’ve got just the pillow covers for you. 

The covers are sewn from duck cloth, a canvas-like material which is very sturdy and durable, making the pillows great for families with children.  At 14 inches square, these pillow covers are perfect for a couch, chair or bed.  Depending on how fluffy of an insert you want, you can buy either a 14 inch square form or a 16 inch square form. 

I hand embroidered the modern red flowers.  Here’s a closer look at the fine details. 

The pillow covers are machine washable.  Simply turn inside out and wash on a cold, gentle cycle.  Then, tumble dry on low.  If you forms have stretched due to use, this will shrink them back down a little.  I need to get my butt in gear to add a few more pillows to the shop, but now we’ve got something!