Lovely Sale of the Day

You may not have heard, though I'd be surprised, that it's my birthday. Yes, yes! My birthday! So obviously I'm bringing you sales on party supplies, because there's nothing Olivia and I think lovelier than heading to the party store on our birthdays and buying pretty plates, napkins, cups, hats and banners. Sometimes there's a theme, and yes, sometimes that theme is exquisitely under-aged. On Olivia's 23rd birthday the best offer at the party store was My Little Pony, say what you will, but that pony's got style.

Today Oriental Trading Company offers us Latex Pearlized Heart Balloons, marked from $3.49 down to $2.49 for a dozen. Pretty pink Dance Dessert Plates are $1.97 from $3.19 for 8.
For a little sparkle the Silver Foil Star Beverage Napkins are priced down from $3.19 to $2.97 for a set of 16. And finally, for a little glam, the Glitter Star Sunglasses are available in sets of four for $3.97 from $4.29.

1. Latex Pearlized Heart Balloons; 2. Dance Dessert Plates; 3. Silver Foil Star Beverage Napkins; 4.Glitter Star Sunglasses

A little extra birthday luxury is worth it, it brightens the mood and makes the whole day sparkle a bit, and with these prices how can you really go wrong?

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but here at Lovely At Your Side, we love rings. We love rings because we use our hands so much, so when we see a ring that is not only lovely, but wearable, we fall in love with it. Today I totally fell head-over-heels for a ton of rings in the incomparable store, bijougirldesigns. All handmade by Amanda Conley, hailing from Nashville, the jewelry is one-of-a-kind, unique and original designs, and all beautiful and classic. I didn't just fall in love with one ring, but (unfortunately for my wallet) she showed a picture of three of her rings stacked, and I fell for all three of those rings. I love the bird and leaf motif; it's very natural, and would look simple, clean, and lovely on your hands. Great design concept. Very impressed.

The three rings in the picture are the little dot ring, little bird and leaf ring, and the little leaf ring.

PS. Check out her great blog!

Lovely Birthday Dress

Happy Birthday to the Loveliest of them all! Jenny, lovely, go celebrate your birthday in true flapper style, dance til' you just can't dance no more!

PS. Next year we promise to get this for you!
PPS. If you're really nice to us, maybe you'll even get this next year, too.

Love, Lovely At Your Side

Lovely from Lovely

This Wedding Ring pattern quilt would be a lovely addition to your home today, whether in a crib, on the wall, or used as a lap quilt. The quilt, made of 100% cotton, follows the traditional Wedding Ring pattern and features an adorable little boy and girl in the middle of the quilt.

It was made in a non-smoking home, measures 28x28 inches, and was sewn with lots of love. I love quilting and I would love for this quilt to be in lovely household!

This is a one-of-a-kind quilt and would be a perfect wedding present, bridal shower present, or as a great present for yourself today!

Lovely on Long Island

What a lovely little town...

Our friend, The Dishmonger has informed us that there will be a great and lovely event taking place in Northport village for the month of August! Check out the sign below...you'll be sure that we'll be at the Dishmonger's sale!

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

Today's Lovely Etsy Find of the Day is not only handmade, beautiful, and original, but totally practical too! I was looking around today trying to figure out what to type into the Etsy search box when I realized how plain my outlet covers were. I typed "outlet cover" into the search box and was pleasantly surprised when a ton of great hits came up. A lot of the covers were very pretty, but there wasn't any that would fit the style of my bedroom and act as a cover and piece of art until I stumbled upon these. Honeybee Ceramics, based in Santa Cruz, California, is a one-of-a-kind studio, creating these unique and gorgeous outlet covers which your friends are sure to covet.

I really, really enjoyed browsing Honeybee's website. I love the feature that you are able to change the background of the webpage to your wall color in order to see how the outlet cover will actually look in your house. Very smart!

The birds and vines are my two favorite covers. I love that they look like art pieces, yet have the feeling of being handmade. I could totally see these on my wall. I love the colors of the glaze and the birds! The vines are so classic and Ancient looking. These would be a great holiday present for people--or even a great bridal shower or new house gift.

Lovely At Your Side's friend Thomas tells us that outlet covers are called escutcheons. See, you learn something new every day. Thank you, Thomas!

Lovely Sale of the Day

After perusing the Country Living magazine for so long, it was only natural to move on to the website, where I discovered something very cool and exciting.. they have a store! Usually my sales of the day are cheap, pocket change cheap, like the $5 shirt, the $6 sugar mice, or the $10 shorts. Today that is not the case, it's a good deal and a good investment. Olivia mentioned the cardinal rules of our family: don't leave books next to your bed because you will fall in the middle of the night, no R-rated movies until you're legal, and never waste even a scrap of Liberty of London. Another rule to add on to this would be: bedding and wall paper should all come from Laura Ashley. Now, over the years this rule took a back seat. Olivia and I have refused wall paper for pale yellow paint, and my duvet is from the Company Store, but I'm still drawn to Laura Ashley bedding. It stands up against time, stains and little kids, look dazzling the entire time. So here's a sale of the day that's a bit pricer then the norm, but a good deal for the package, and worth every cent.

The Emilie collection is priced down to around 50% off of each piece. The comforter sets range from twin to king and include the comforter, bed skirt and one (for twin), or two (full, queen, king) standard or king sized shams (king). The twin is $119.99 from $209.99, the full $159.99 from $349.99, the queen $179.99 from $399.99, and the king $199.99 from $499.99 (a huge savings!).

The sheet sets follow the same pattern of pillow cases in respect of size, the twin marked down from $59.99 to $34.99, the full from $119.99 to $59.99, the queen from $149.99 to $64.99 and the king and California king from $179.99 to 74.99.

The overall savings to buy a whole set seems worthwhile. And the set? Absolutely lovely.

For more information, sales and to buy, click here.

Save 10% off any single item. Coupon Code: H765P Valid through 8/4/09.

Lovely, Lovely Getaways

This month Country Living Magazine has a feature on camps for adults, and I'm packing my bags. So far I want to go to eight of the ten camps they profiled in the article, and that's really me trying not to be greedy...I actually want to go to all ten of the ten camps. There's:

• The John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina which offers numerous classes in everything from Broom making to Spinning (wool, not yourself); Folk Lore to Geneology, and Black Smiths to Chair Seats (what does that mean? I want to know! I need to take it!). Also: storytelling! More class listings here. A weekend will run you around $444, how even. I love even numbers.
• Squam Arts Workshops in Holderness, New Hampshire which offers a three day stay for just under $900, and includes classes with lovely names such as "Not Yo' Mama's Paste Paper" taught by Mary Beth Shaw, "Thinking Outside the Box," a box making class taught by Lisa Occhipinti, and "Cultivating Your Creativity Through Conscious Intention" taught by Helene Finizio.
• The Sante Fe Photographic Workshops in, you guessed it, Sante Fe, offers all sorts of classes in photography, from traditional black and white printing to Adobe photoshop. Base prices start around $300, room and board being extra.
• The Country Thread Quilt Camp in Garner Iowa makes me sad I live on the Lovely and Loved Long Island. So, so far from Iowa. In the big red barn, quilting lessons are taught and two lunches served without room for $175. Who wants to lodge me and my adorably short older sister in Iowa? Any takers?
• The Steel Yard in, nearby, Providence, Rhode Island sounds like my kind of weekend, full of ceramics, jewelry making and glass casting. Room and board is not included in the $115 bill which includes materials, tools and classes. So again, who near Providence wants a sleepover? I'll bring the cookies and Olivia can provide a custom made quilt.
• The Alabama Chanin Weekend Workshop in Florence, Alabama sounds so neat-- participants are provided with the materials and construction to reproduce a piece from Natalie Chanin's high end line. The weekend getaway runs "$1125 [and] includes materials plus welcome cocktail on Friday night, lunch on Saturday and Sunday morning brunch."
• The Sononma County Grape Camp in Sonoma, California teaches everything you need to know about making wine, from the wine to the glass. Luxury accommodations, included meals and lessons cost just under $2,000 for a stay.
  
• The Atlanta Printmakers Studio in Atlanta Georgia is another program which makes me curse these beautiful gold coasts and lush greenery. The camp offers weekend workshops with lessons from lithography to letterpress, printmaking to bookbinding. Classes range in price from $85-$200, room and board are not available. So Atlanta, Hot-lanta?, readers get your couches ready.
• The Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina offers lessons by the week ranging from $445-$640 dollars, room and board are extra. Classes include everything from glassblowing to bookbinding, chair upholstering to woodcarving. Meals are all made from scratch, and the workshops in the beautiful and lovely Blue Ridge Mountains are available 24 hours a day. Oh no...I might have to go.
• The Taos School of Metalsmithing and Lapidry Design in Taos, New Mexico keep classes to a maximum of four, a promise that your $700 for the session does not go to waste and that you learn as much as possible. Courses are offered in jewelry making, metalsmithing and stone laying.

The only problem being money, and time. But...I think the next year will need to hold one of these experiences for Olivia and I. Have any of you guys been to an adult craft camp? Any suggestions, warnings, interesting stories?

*I can't find the article on Country Living's website, the article was on pages 69-71 in the August 2009 edition of Country Living, Vol. 32 No.8

Lovely Sale of the Day

I apologize that the sale of the day is a bit late, but.. I am the almost birthday girl! Anyway, shorts are on the plate for today. These adorable pastels are from Wetseal, a true hit and miss resource. Whether I'm in the store, or shopping from my couch I usually have no interest in 90% of the items and TOTALLY NEED 10%. Or so. These summer staples can definitely be dressed up, or worn casual. Especially the white shorts. I live in white shorts and skirts in the summer, and Olivia in white jeans. The shorts are just over half off, priced from $19.50 to $9.99. A true two for the price of one deal, lovely.


Click here for more information and to buy, click here.

Lovely New Line.

I received an email from Forever21 this morning announcing that their new line "Forever 21 Twist" was available for sale on the website, presenting the "Cirque Collection." Some of the looks aren't even available yet on their website..very new, very exciting. I went through and picked out what I thought were the loveliest looks

1. Ruffled Tulle Petticoat, $22.80. I can't resist some fluff. Olivia and I almost named the site "The Modern Petticoat"
2. Striped Doll Dress, $24.80, I'm a sucker for stripes.
3. Ringmaster Dress, $24.80, simple little black dress with some added interest.
4. Dotted Mesh Petticoat Skirt, $22.80, I wish I had this for my birthday!

For more looks, information and to buy, click here!

Lovely Liberty Dresses.

After reading Olivia's post on Liberty of London I felt that you all deserved to see some of our beautiful, often matching, Liberty dresses.
The top is me and Olivia on the first day of nursery and kingergarten, respectively. Clearly I am very nervous about school. On the left is Olivia, just posing and relaxing in Bermuda. And on the right is me after school one day during renovations of the house. The bottom shows us in matching jumpers with our baby brother, circa 1991. Also, notice Olivia's matching head band. She was always incredibly put together.

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

Another one of the reasons I love Etsy is because you can search stores by location; to find the Etsy Find of the Day for this rainy Wednesday, I decided to search for stores close to Lovely At Your Side. I typed in "Long Island," and after some time searching I came across Flax and Spindle (love the name) which is a Long Island store based in Southold.

I am a huge fan of mixed media sewing projects. Once, while browsing the MOMA with my father, I told him I wanted to have a quilt in the museum someday and he said, "They wouldn't put quilts in a musuem of modern art." It's pretty much been my mission in life to prove him wrong since that point on. Which is why, when I saw this item for sale in Flax and Spindle, I fell in love.

The pillow is made from vintage linen, and the applique is a digitial image of an authetic, old, postcard! What a great idea. Flax and Spindle says,

"This pillow is hand sewn with some fantastic vintage linen in ecru. I was fortunate enough to come across this wonderful vintage post card, A note from a Mother to her son "Dear little son, Here is the bunny with your eggs- you must be a good boy so he wont pass you by, lots of love from Mama" post mark 1912. US postage 1 cent!"

What a great truly original find. I can't wait to do some holiday shopping at Flax and Spindle.

PS. She also sells fresh cut lavender!
PPS. Check out her great blog!

Lovely Liberty of London

I adore Liberty of London fabrics. As a quilter/sewer, I always use every scrap of the Liberty I inherited from my mother and grandmother, until every single, teeny-tiny, scrap is sewn into/onto whatever I'm making. Like every family, my family has certain family-ethics that we all had to adhere to; don't leave books next to your bed because you will fall in the middle of the
night, no R-rated movies until it was legal, and that Liberty of
London was the end-all, be-all of fabrics, and to waste one little scrap was considered sacrilegious.

My grandmother, who is an amazing dress-maker, made us enough smocked Liberty of London dresses to last any little girl a lifetime. While cleaning out my childhood these last few years, I filled four giant plastic boxes with the dresses to pass down to our daughters. I think she must have made a dress with every Liberty pattern, ever. Between Jenny and I, no two dresses were ever the same.

For my graduation present from high school, my father took us kids to London. On the plane ride over all I could think was, "Screw Big Ben, and the Crown Jewels; to hell with the changing of the guard, I need to see the original Liberty of London store: mecca." And see we did. I think I spent over two hours just wandering the store (which, as you can see, is in itself a beyond gorgeous building). I came home with a small amount of fabric (all my eighteen year old self could afford) which I still have, saved, in its purple tissue paper.

Today, while browsing Heather Ross's adorable and intelligent blog, I came across a link she posted for Liberty of London prints done in jersey. I got so excited I nearly fell out of my chair. For as long as I knew, Liberty was made only in non-stretchable cotton, but with Lycra-jersey...think of the things I could make! Jersey dresses, skirts, summer-tops, even a bikini or two! B&J Fabrics, in Manhattan, has the fabric, but you can also order it online. Liberty, you've done it again. I can't wait to order some of the Liberty Lycra-jersey and get sewing.

Picture source for store; Picture source for fabric swatch.

Another Lovely Giveaway!

Another awesome Etsy giveaway! Kelly from Design Crush (love her blog, by the way!) is giving away this lovely and adorable "You're My Joy" print from the Etsy store, My Little Buffalo (I love that name!). What do you have to do to win? Go to Design Crush and comment on what brings you joy, leave your email address, and voila! You may be the fortuitous victor!

You have until Monday, August 3rd at 9am CST to enter.

A Lovely Idea

In an effort to assist my grandfather's energy throughout the day (frosted flakes give you a spike and then a fall with all that sugar) I've began frying up batches of pancakes in bulk, packaging them two by two, and freezing them. Even my kitchen inept grandpa can manage to microwave these for a few minutes each morning, making himself a delicious and nutritious breakfast (I use whole wheat flour, throw extra eggs in for protein and minimal butter in the pan). It's a fun and easy way to make someone in your life feel special, even yourself. You spend two hours one Sunday in the delicious smell of pancakes, frying, packing and freezing and for the next few weeks you have something healthier than Egos, more exciting than cereal and more filling than a piece of toast.

Lovely Jumper.

Sort of like Tiny Dancer, but with less Elton John.

Loveliest Dress.

I'm still absolutely infatuated with my prom dress. Betsey Johnson, Spring '05. I'll post a clearer picture another day. Here I am getting lost in the beauty of my dress. Oh, Rose printed Chiffon, how you slay me.

Lovely Sale of the Day

The Vermont Country Store is a terrific and under appreciated store, they have so many unusual, absolutely necessary appliance, apparel and most importantly food. The pages of their catalog are packed with Date Nut bread in a can, Cinnamon Sticks from Holland, Sugar Free Shortbread, and Whoopie Pies, just to name a few of the baked goods...not even mentioning the candies, sugar free candies and baked goods, jams and jellies and many, many mixes. It was these sweet as sugar mice which caught my eye today while leafing through the catalog during lunch, and wouldn't you know that they're on sale for nearly 50% off?

Marked down from $11.90 to $5.99 these mice are a traditional Christmas treat for British children, but I think they are charming year round. A summer picnic with a sweet pink lollipop treat imported all the way from Great Britain. Lovely.

For more information and to buy, click here.

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

One of the reasons Etsy is so remarkable is due to the fact that now you can order custom pieces from amazing jewelers who live half-way around the globe from you. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of rings. I have freakishly small hands, and rings just make my hands look silly. When I do find a ring I like (and the jeweler actually has the size I wear), I tend to wear it to death. When I stumbled across the Custom Made Posey Ring from Kathryn Riechert's shop, I fell in love. I love the simplicity of it, the customizable features, and the fonts she uses on her lettering. For her great prices, it's a lovely and perfect gift for anyone, man/woman/child, in your life. You have a ton of options when buying from Kathryn Riechert (font, size, thickness of ring) which really makes this ring something unique and your own. I'm putting this on my (early?) Christmas list for this year.

A Lovely Giveaway!

Did you all watch the finale of the Bachelorette tonight? Jillian is adorable and has awesome style.

Lucky for us, The Coterie is having an amazing Jillian-giveaway! Heather, from The Coterie, teamed up with brilliant Etsy designer, Ritzy Misfit to allow one lucky winner the chance to win the gorgeous pendant necklace that Jillian was wearing on the show.

Go to the giveaway and comment on which pendant you would die for--you never know, you might just be the lucky winner (or maybe I'll be the lucky winner...I'm jonesing for the dusty rose letter "O"!)

Good luck!

Lovely for Less!

Thanks to Forever21 now we can all look Lovely for much less! Check out these lovely summer dresses all for under $30.

1. Strapless Satin Dress, $13.50; 2. Woven Tea Party Dress, $22.80; 3. Full Circle Tank Dress, 29.00; 4. Sassy Floral Woven Dress, $22.80

Martha Stewart Has the Loveliest Packaging Boxes.

1.Pastel Cupcake Boxes; 2.White Goodie Box Combo; 3.Small Green Goodie Boxes; 4.Tall Goodie Boxes

Lovely on Long Island

The other day while driving around Long Island I decided I wanted to bring a bouquet of flowers home. I was driving into Huntington at the time and pulled over to Main Street Nursery.

I pulled into the very accessible lot and was immediately overwhelmed by the amazingly lovely scent of all the flowers outside. One of the reasons that this nursery is so popular is due to its friendly, efficient, and always smiling staff. This is my go-to place for Mother's Day, holiday flowers, congratulations flowers, etc. I've never once had a bad encounter with them. I went in and told them that I needed a twenty dollar bouquet of the most beautiful and colorful flowers that my budget would permit. They got right to work and I walked around the store. Not only does Main Street Nursery have beyond beautiful flowers, but their store is the epitome of lovely! They sell pillows, aprons, baskets, antiques, pitchers, housewares, and perfect gifts for any holiday.

Walking around their store, I had to keep biting my lip and saying, "No, Olivia, you don't need that gorgeous planter/mug/mosaic plate/beach hat/handmade card..." I could have spent hours in there! When I picked up my bouquet I was (as always) blown away; it was so dazzling it didn't even look like real flowers! Main Street Nursery is a Long Island staple, and I will definitely be back as soon as my vase is empty.
PS. They deliver!
PPS. They host birthday parties!

Main Street Nursery
475 West Main Street
Huntington, NY
(631) 271-0160

Lovely Sale of the Day

Today's sale of the day is a special multiple item entry. Yes! Very, very exciting! After shipping some packages out today I had wrapping on my mind, and when it comes to packaging kits there’s no one I’ve found more adorable than Matha Stewart. When Olivia and I sent out Christmas cookies to all of our friends this year we used boxes from the same set as the adorable ones on sale. Don't let the name "Tall Gingerbread Boxes" fool you, these are not season specific, they are just the delicious color of gingerbread and happen to be from the Martha Stewart Christmas Collection. But this lovely house motif works year round.

The set, marked down from $12.99 to $9.97, includes six boxes, six labels and tissue paper. While they are perfect for the intended cookies they could also be used for any number of other gifts: a small bottle of wine, champagne or liquor, body lotion, a personalized tote bag, etc, etc. Whatever does end up inside them, the outside is almost a gift in itself. What a pretty presentation, what a lovely package.

For more information and to buy, click here.

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

Marilyn Monroe was a classically lovely woman. She was smart, sly, sassy, and of course gorgeous. For the Lovely Etsy Find of the Day I searched "Marilyn Monroe" under handmade products and found this charming and sweetly sassy ring from the Etsy store, JTaylorDesign. I happen to love the black and white element of this photograph, as well as the image of Marilyn. She's in her own lovely world and enjoying every moment of it. This ring would look outstanding with a Little Black Dress and black heels. It adds that classy vintage element which can make any outfit look like a million bucks.

PS. Remember to check out Lovely At Your Side's Store! New items being added daily, so check back often.

PPS. Check out this awesome Ouija Board ring from JTaylorDesign.

Lovely Red Ball Pitcher.

Other birthday gift from Olivia and the Dishmonger.

My Lovely Pitcher.

purchased from the Dishmonger last week as an early birthday present from Olivia. Mentioned in this post.

A Lovely Day to Paint.

Today I woke up and felt like painting.
The painting scene, it looks like Noah's Ark. Two by two. I was painting 2 identical wooden animal "puzzles" I recently bought. Somehow three hours flew by without my realizing, my only marker of time being NYC Prep and Miami Social.

Check out the pieces in our store!

Lovely Sale of the Day

I love this Sale of the Day item so much that I just might order it myself. At its original price of $17 this adorable sleeveless tunic was already a steal (as Forever21 usually is). But at its sale price all the way down to $4.99 the blouse is nearly irresistible. It would look lovely untucked, sans belt with some denim cutoffs and sandals for errands around town followed by a leisurely lunch. Or more dressed up tucked in to a highwaisted circle skirt. versatility and adorableness for only $4.99 seems almost too good to be true.

Find and buy it here.

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

Sometimes when I search on Etsy for the Lovely Etsy Find of the Day, I sort of just inter-float. I go to the main page, click on something random and see where I end up. This morning I typed "classroom" into the handmade search box, yet somehow ended up at the loveliest little shop, Little Coaster Gnome. The Little Coaster Gnome creates beautiful coasters, perfect for any room in the house, party setting, classroom, or office. Plus, they are from Long Island! Here's my favorite set, but a ton of them are lovely and classic (some of them are the last set, so make sure to buy soon.)

PS. They sell tutorials and supplies as well! Smart ladies.

A Lovely Snapshot of Today

I love this shot I took today of J. Notice the use of the Vera Bradley headscarf and sunglasses; a little Marilyn, a little Jackie. Nevertheless, classically lovely.

Lovely From Lovely

Vintage Hershey's Cocoa Tin

This adorable vintage tin, featuring a little boy and his chocolate, is a perfect addition to any kitchen, sewing room, or beautiful shelf. The brown tin, which states, "Hershey's Cocoa" and "Hershey's Chocolate" is a great gift for any tin collector.

The tin is perfect for holding art supplies, sewing supplies, rubber bands, or perhaps even...chocolate.

The tin is 2 inches high (without the lid), 4 inches long, and 3 inches wide.

It's a lovely gift for any tin collector, lover of chocolate, or crafty guy or gal!

Click here, or on picture for more pictures and information.

Lovely From Lovely

Vintage Leather and Brass Saddle Bag

What a great one-of-a-kind find! This authentic vintage leather bag is a great catch! It's a perfect laptop case or briefcase; it could also be a lovely handbag or purse.

The leather is authentic, and the grommets and buckle are brass. This is a steal! This bag has four large compartments, two smaller pockets, and one larger pocket with a zipper. It also has a zipper to expand the size of the bag. The strap is changeable in size, as it has six holes to change the placement of the buckle. It closes with two clasps in the front; easy to open, but will keep your belongings safe.

It is very clean inside and has the normal weathered look of vintage leather.

People will admire this bag on your shoulder!

It measures 15 inches across, approximately 12 inches high, and is from an estate sale on the north shore of Long Island.

Click here, or on pictures to see more pictures and information.

Lovely Sale of the day

Attention All Austen Loving Lovelies!

Amazon.com is having a sale on the Colin Firth filled BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. Down from $39.95 all the way to $18.49 I'd call it a steal. Buy it here.

A Non-Lovely Follow Up.

I just saw this saddening comment we received on yesterday's post on The Dishmonger:

Hi, I don't know how I stumbled on your site. My name is Angela Simons, I am the Dishmonger! I'm glad you love our store, I don't think we'll be in business much longer, the economy has really hampered business

We here at Lovely At Your Side are so sad to hear this, and plan on stopping in soon to see what the story is over at the Dishmonger. All the best, Angela!

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

One of my all time favorite songs is "You Are My Sunshine," so when I saw this oversized postcard from the Etsy store, YeeHaw, I knew it had to be the Lovely Etsy Find of the Day. This postcard is made from an "antique wood type font and a vintage carved wood border." I think it's too gorgeous and lovely to send; I would frame this and hang it. I love wood-block prints when they are done this beautifully. Way to go...or should I say, Yeehaw?

What a Lovely (old) Idea!

While visiting the library the other day, I noticed a book cart with a large "Books for Sale" sign on it. The cart was full of thick books, library casing wrapped around them, ready to be pried open and read. The shelf next to the cart was full of brand new children's books. Seriously, some were never used; I was the first person to crack their binding. I happened to only have two dollars in my pocket, so I resigned myself to only purchasing one used-library book; however, my eyes caught a sign which read, "Unless otherwise stated, each book is .25 cents." Twenty-five cents?! My eyes darted across all the books so quickly I had to place a hand on the first book and slow myself down, in order to properly browse through the cart. I ended up getting eight books; a book for each of my grandparents, a book about Marilyn Monroe for Jenny, and two children's books. I was elated. When I went to purchase the books, the librarian was so excited that someone wasn't merely borrowing from the library, but buying from the library. The next week I went back and bought four more books. It's amazing what a dollar can get you at the right places!

Lovely Sale of the Day

The J.Peterman Swan Blouse, a twist on the classic white button down which works effortlessly for all body shapes. I think it's an essentially for every wardrobe. On sale from $119 down to $44, seriously a steal.

Find it here, or click the blouse.

Lovely Etsy Find of the Day

I love Etsy. I love it because you can type in anything from "giraffe head" to "lovely teacup" and you, sitting in your desk chair, in your pajamas, can search and ogle thousands of handmade, vintage, and one-of-a-kind finds from all over the globe. In honor of my admiration and love for Etsy, I will be posting my Etsy Find of the Day so the Etsy-love can be shared.

Today's find is from Calobee Doodles. I adore her lovely drawings because they are simple, yet classic, beautiful, yet sophisticated. The doodle I fell in love with (and in honor of this company being run by crafty-sisters) was "we are all handmade"--an 8x12 print. I love their faces, positioning, and the simplicity of the print. I'm excited to see other designs from Calobee, a truly lovely Etsy shop.

What I Call Lovely.

On a beautiful April day in 2008 I was sitting in Washington Square Park with my new friend Shawn when I whipped out my camera. Shawn protested his picture being taken (not lovely) so I threw the camera on the picnic table, clicked the shutter and threw the camera back in my bag. I thought the picture was pretty, another friend Matt told me how it was clear I had spent a lot of time on the shot...how the composition was creative and clearly considered. None of this was true. This is a snap shot in every sense of the word. A snap shot that passes as an art piece? Now that's what I call Lovely, capital L.

Jenny

Carrie's Lovely Cookies.

Last year my cousin Carrie was turning five. the big oh-five. Her birthday party was a classic for summers around here: pool party. Olivia and I were called in to life guard, which was exhausting. Some how we were wrangled into keeping little kids from hurting each other or drowning again this year. In honor of Carrie's 6th birthday I'm posting the picture of the cookies she requested for her birthday. Black and White cookies are a New York and family favorite. And Carrie asked for Black and [her signature] Pink cookies, some with "frinkles" (sprinkles) some without.

The recipe's from Zabar's, via Recipezaar:

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3-1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Butter two baking sheets and set aside.
3. To make the cookies: In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter.
4. Mix with mixer or hand until fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and lemon extracts and mix until smooth.
6. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt and stir until mixed.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches, stirring well to combine.
8. Using a soup spoon or ice cream scoop, drop spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake until the edges begin to brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
10. Allow to cool completely.
11. To make the frosting: Place the confectioners' sugar in a large bowl.
12. Gradually add enough of the boiling water to the sugar, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and spreadable.
13. Remove half of the frosting to the top half of a double boiler set over simmering water and add the chocolate.*
14. Warm the mixture, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the frosting is smooth.
15. Remove from the heat.
16. With a brush, coat half the cookie with chocolate frosting and the other half with white frosting.

*to the other half of the frosting I added a nice amount of red vegetable food dye, until it was the desired pink color, for Carrie's Special Pink and Black Cookies.