what we made this thanksgiving holiday

what we made this thanksgiving holiday
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
we were at a family lake house this thanksgiving, and while it was lovely as always, our usual hiking and boating schedule was interrupted by a nasty cold that made the rounds, so we kept busy by a toasty outdoor fireplace making things, including these bead drop decorations: we just strung old beads and bits of necklaces and vintage buttons and sequins and the leftovers of a bunch of bracelet making kits --basically the contents of a few big mason jars -- on lengths of embroidery floss. they're so sparkly and pretty hanging from this tree, and i think they'll look lovely hanging from a branch in the house as an alternative to more ordinary holiday decor ~

let me know if you try it ~

x lynn-anne

anthro sale

anthro sale
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme

just noticed: anthro has just put a pile of hostess gift-ish goodies on sale - cheap! easy, quick, totally cute.

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/category.jsp?popId=SHOPSALE&navAction=jump&viewall=true&pushId=SHOPSALE-DINING&id=SHOPSALE-DINING

friday's finds

friday's finds
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
i love the hunt.
adore the sweet old things.
and i'm glad to give them new life.

have a happy sunday ~

x lynn-anne

harry and the potters

it's potter-magic mania around here. --you?

1. Harry Potter "HedPig" Owl Bracelet, 2. Death Eaters and the Dark Lord., 3. Harry Potter like, Magic Wand, 4. Draco Malfoy Mouse, 5. Gryffindor Hand Embriodered Felt Ornament from Harry Potter, 6. Gift wrap, 7. Chester the Post Owl, 8. Hedwig, 9. Harry Potter Slytherin Shield Hand Embroidered Felt Ornament

today's the big day -- unless you've been imprisoned in Azkabahn (sorry!), you'll know that harry potter and the deathly hallows part one opens at midnight. so, in honor of this most important occasion, we've picked out our favorite etsy handmade gifts with a potter-mania bent. (we especially love all the owls, and the house of mouse).

from the metrolina flea, charlotte nc

from the metrolina flea, charlotte nc
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
isn't it funny how your favorite flea market finds end up being the bits and bobs, like these, that you unearth in a furious rummage through the sketchy, damp-ish boxes lined up on a usually outlying muddy scrap of grass by an equally sketchy, disheveled-looking man, who funnily enough ends up being quite nice and quite charming to your naughty five year old -- funny too how what looks like some useless junk ends up having a sweet grace and stateliness to it, as here -

look twice.

x lynn-anne

A Collection a Day, 2010: Day 300

image via lisa congdon, a collection a day

this won't be a surprise if you know me personally at all, but when natasha louise king (she's sweet and amazing!) was at my house styling for country living's shoot, she remarked on the variety and sheer numerical intensity of my collections: need a red accessory for that spot? here's 17 to choose from; need some vintage desk accessories/a charming old dollhouse/pretty dishes/obscure and esoteric pencil drawings/scottie dog figures/chinese papier mache? have that, and that, and those . . . i love so many things, especially old things, and i can sniff them out like a hound dog in search of a bone, even when i'm somewhere you'd think was hopeless in terms of potential for unearthing lovely things . . . . so it was with delight that i discovered SF artist lisa congdon's blog, and with, a kindred soul; A collection A day, 2010.
gorgeous images, gorgeous collections. my favorites are Day 300, "nautical objects and ephemera" ~ lovely, lovely.  have a look!

x lynn-anne
A Collection a Day, 2010: Day 300: "Nautical objects and ephemera."

gosh, i love the pogues.

from halloween to thanksgiving; a designer (not so) secret shortcut.

from halloween to thanksgiving; a designer (not so) secret shortcut.

 
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
 
take your mantle from all out halloween howl-icious (left) to simple and elegant for thanksgiving dinner with the family (right) - here's how: lose the cheesecloth draping and halloween accoutrements, keep the big pumpkin in the fireplace, muster piles of cute and quirky little pumpkins randomly along the mantle, and prop a heart at about one third of the way along . . . easy. fun. perfect. done.

at home today

palladian
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
the light was so pretty ~

tree cosies, or more guerrilla knitting fun ~

anyone out there having a bit of a bothersome day?

take a quick look at these beauties ~ they're guaranteed to make you smile.

i keep wishing that something like this will show up in my neighborhood, but so far, alas, no.

i know i've shared some guerrilla knitting before: i think i'm possibly developing a dangerous obsession.  before you know it i'll be up all night knitting tea cosies for the streetlight outside my house; or possibly tree cosies.  that might be a problem . . .

 image via http://mywonderworldnr1fairytale.blogspot.com/

 

 

image via http://mywonderworldnr1fairytale.blogspot.com/

image via http://mywonderworldnr1fairytale.blogspot.com/

now that's a tree cosy!

Stop Motion Toast Miracle

Stop Motion Toast Miracle
seriously amazing
you HAVE TO watch this.
x lynn-anne

turn an old globe into a wonder of the world (okay, just a tiny bit of hyperbole there)

laundry
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
something old
something new
something fixed up
something blue

here's an easy project with an old globe . . .

from russia with love, and color~

image via aauumm.ru

every once in a while, i come across someone or something that just makes my jaw drop.  this image was that for me today.  this is the glow-y green bedroom of russian blogger Olga Mazur Tkachuk, who lives in odessa.  here are some more rooms by olga, and you can see more at her blog, aauumm.ru, and on flickr, http://flickr.com/photos/_aauumm_ you won't forget her fabulous tricia guild-esque sense of style:

image via Olga Mazur Tkachuk

image via Olga Mazur Tkachuk

image via Olga Mazur Tkachuk

image via Olga Mazur Tkachuk

tag sale find

tag sale find
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
i had to stifle a gasp when i entered a room full of sort of generic granny stuff at a tag sale last week and came upon this exquisite hand knotted, vegetable dyed, vibrant and stunning old carpet. i'm a complete nut when it comes to animals and birds on carpets. it is just so lovely.

ever had that experience? please share ~

x lynn-anne

august in england

august in england
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme

and a really special, really lovely day shared with beloved people. perfect.

eighteen candles

eighteen candles
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
serious sugar-y sweet story alert . . . feel free to stop reading now, but if you're up for it . . .
can i just say that one of my proudest mom-ments happened when i watched my not terribly domestically inclined oldest son toil over a recipe (for an entire day!) from 'hello cupcake' in order to create this tower of treats for his girlfriend's eighteenth birthday ? . . . seriously, that's marshmallow fluff icing (told you it was sweet!)

anyone want the recipe for marshmallow fluff icing? ah, didn't think so ;)

sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite (just kidding!)

x lynn-anne

it's never too early. be prepared. holiday gift guide begins today.

image via blabla

if you, like me, have little ones on your list, then you, like me, will want to take a look at the most adorable line of fair trade-ish, people and planet friendly knitted toys around today.  purely perfect, handmade in peru, and picked by stylish kids everywhere, blabla's line of soft toys and dolls is practical and pretty: backpacks, and baby clothing, now augmented with the addition of darling paper products, come in various guises and sizes for your gifting pleasure. have fun (i just bought a bunch for the store, and i can tell you, it was nothing but fun!)

all images via blabla

beauty!

have fun with the blablas ~

xlynn-anne

would you be happy if you got this in the mail?

vintage
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme

happy wednesday night --

help me out, guys . . . i spent ages today figuring out a cute font and editing various images (not to mention -horrors- ! spending at least an hour in my local papersource finding postcards and other stuff i really, really needed . . .) and then figuring out how to print this at home on cardstock without creating a giant paper jam like usual (turns out it's easy if you follow directions - who knew?) and what i've got is some -i think- pretty sweet postcards that look like this. i'm using them as thank yous for people who've very kindly bought things at our bricks and mortar shop. so my question is - good? or should i try again? (please say no to that one! ;)

thanks!

x lynn-anne

fall flickr faves

fall flickr faves
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
photos via some lovely and talented flickr friends ~

this is the time of year when i begin to feel the headlong rush toward the sort of fundamental holidays . . . that time when i think we're all forced into this ~ the

hollyberry*sparklydeco*toysgalore*shoptilyoudrop*turkeycooking*guestprepping*seriouslyscaryfrenzy*nightmarethatisthetimebeforechristmas ~

that seems always to define the end of the calendar year, especially for us moms ~ shops shove halloween to the nether regions of the sales floor to make room for acres of tinselly tat, and we feel the weight of our family's elevated expectations on our already sagging shoulders. . .

anyway, this year i say -No- (at least for now) . . . this year, i plan to stay focused, to stay calm, to stay centered in the season - so for now; ~ autumn, i celebrate you.

enjoy the orange ~

x lynn-anne

halloween house

halloween house
Originally uploaded by lakbdesign/fergusandme
hello!

we've been so busy here with halloweenie spooky goings on . . . .thought i'd share . . . .

x lynn-anne