Category Archives: Picking Favorites

Picking Favorites On Etsy

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It’s officially Valentine’s season, and I couldn’t be more excited.  It’s been one of my favorite holidays ever since I was little.  You may see a nod to Valentine’s Day in my posts for the next few weeks, but I’ll try not to be too overbearing.  Try.

This week’s Picking Favorites looks a bit different from previous installments.  No collage images, for one.  And second, all of my picked favorites hail from Etsy.  With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, I thought it might be nice to offer some items that have gifting potential.  The items in this post don’t have to be given, though, as you can just read this as a few things that have been inspiring me lately!

I’ve broken down these ten items into three categories.  All photos were taken by the original artists, and links to all of their Etsy shops are below.

For the Homemaker

Where to begin with Cotton & Flax…  I’ve been following Erin’s Instagram feed for a while now, and find her design and aesthetic to be so beautiful.  These handmade printed napkins would make a great gift for a loved one or for a dinner party host.  (Click here to see her website, too.)

Anne and I have recently been interested in experimenting with more cocktail-making at home.  Her parents gave her two great copper mugs for Christmas this year, and they’ve settled in nicely on our bar cart (tour coming soon!).  The copper mugs above are from Etsy shop Custom Copper Mugs.  I can almost feel summer now, and yet we’ve found they are equally tasty in winter!

This walnut cutting board by Robert at Foodiebords is exquisite.  It would pair nicely with cheese knives or a pretty dish towel.  There are few greater gifts than a well-crafted cutting board, as it’s both versatile and long-lasting.

Pretty As A Print is near and dear to me.  My friend and fellow creative arts therapist Julia runs this Etsy shop, and it’s filled with wonderful art.  The print above is of the Philly skyline, and it brings me joy!

For the Leaf Lover

The ceramic pieces in Avesha Michael‘s Etsy shop are incredible!  This mini vase, with its matte cream color and brown speckled glaze, is definitely my favorite.  There is so much texture within its three-inch height!

Red Bird Ink has a lovely Etsy shop filled with letterpress paper goods and custom printed items.  These letterpress paper coasters each have a different green plant on them.  The coaster on top here is of a maidenhair fern, one of the cutest plants around town.  While this set is mix-and-match greenery, other sets can be of all one plant or design.

Speaking of plants, the Sensitive Plant is uh-mazing.  It has a genetic mutation that causes the plant to close if touched, moved, or shaken.  It also closes at night.  I saw this plant when I was in Jamaica nearly four years ago, and didn’t know what it was called or if I’d ever see it again.  Now I might just have to buy this kit from JPants4Sale.  You will NOT stop touching it!  (See it in action on YouTube.)

For the Accessorizer

These waxed canvas travel bags from Lifetime Travel Co. are delicious.  I’m not sure I could ever choose just one color.  They could be used for toiletries, jewelry, makeup, or pretty much anything else when you’re on the move.  All of the items in their Etsy shop are incredible, though — this just skims the surface!

I’m a sucker for jewelry.  Anyone who knows me well knows that.  But when it comes to earrings, I typically want something that I can wear with 99.99% of my wardrobe.  These studs from Lunai Jewelry look like they’d do just the trick.  I love that the jewelry on her Etsy shop has a simple, very functional design and feel.

Last but not least, this infinity plaid scarf from Freckle Face Monday would look good on just about anyone.  Angie and Kay’s shop is chock-full of seriously good-looking plaid scarves.  They’ve got one for practically every skin tone and hair color.  Go check them out!

And there you have it!  Do you have a favorite item from the selection above?  Are you thinking about potential Valentine’s Day gifts, either for yourself (let’s be real) or someone else?

PS) Don’t forget to enter into the Sticky9 GIVEAWAY by this Friday!!!

Picking Favorites

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Last week, Scissors & Sage was featured on Paper Source’s blog (*GASP!).  I could hardly believe it.  They posted a picture of my DIY Advent Calendar that uses their text-weight paper and mini clothes pins.  Also last week, I updated all of the recipes I’ve ever posted here on Scissors & Sage to now include that recipe view “print” button.  Check them out here!

I’ve got Christmas on the mind, so this installment of Picking Favorites definitely has a festive feel to it.  (By the way, are you all enjoying Picking Favorites?  I’ve been writing these posts, where I share current inspirations from other blogs, once a month since October.  You can find all of the Picking Favorites posts under “more” in the menu up top.)

The color palette of the three pictures above is very inspiring.  This seed stitch scarf from The Purl Bee looks so cozy.  I wish that I had the patience to make a big project like that!  There must be thousands of stitches in there.  And those soaps from Suki over at Varpunen? I’m not sure I could ever choose a favorite color.  Photographer Eric at Brb-Syd captured this rooftop picture in Reykjavik, Iceland.  I find it breathtaking.  I often think of summer as being the time to travel, but winter excursions bring out a different side of places, don’t they?

Hanging lights in tree formation against black siding is such an inventive way to gear up for the holidays.  It’s a nice change of pace from the usual wreaths and greenery, especially with that metal bench.  (Nicole Balch wrote about this DIY project for Babble.)  I wasn’t able to find the original source of the beautiful outfit on the right, however I did come across it here.  Let me know if anyone out there knows who took this photo or where it came from.  The long pleated skirt in combination with the denim shirt is very cute!

To the kitchen we go… These Pretty Package Almond Sugar Cookies from Better Homes and Gardens bring me holiday cheer!  I’ve never tried intricate icing like this ribbon before, but I would be interested in giving it a whirl someday.  The root vegetables above come from blogger Elizabeth Stark of Brooklyn Supper.  Don’t they look just divine?  I could probably eat the whole plate in one sitting, maybe with the help of my veggie-loving sister and cousins.

And finally, this DIY chalkboard fridge from Conan and Katherine of Keep Smiling has me all excited.  Anne and I have that same fridge in our apartment, and I would just LOVE to give it a head-to-toe makeover (do fridges have heads and toes?).  If only our landlord allowed it… The project seems very doable and, according to Katherine, holds up quite well over the years.  Maybe one day!

Picking Favorites

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Happy Friday, everyone!  Have anything fun planned for this weekend?  Here is my second installment of Picking Favorites to hopefully send you off into your weekend on a relaxed, stress-free note!

As fall really sets in and the weather continues to drop, I can’t help but fantasize about being in the countryside.  When all is said and done, I think it’s where I belong.  I’m googley-eyed over this barn from A Complete Life.  I could walk the property with one of these cups in hand, sipping a warm drink and taking in the beautiful scenery.  (These cups are from PRESERVE, Blake Lively’s new online marketplace.  Each cup is handmade, and no two are the same.)  When I finish my drink, I could settle into a knitting project with some of Rachel Duvall‘s hand-dyed organic indigo fiber.  I can see it all now!

I’m a believer in less is more, and these ceramic bowls from WAGOKORO are dreamy to say the least.  The color palette of these cotton scarves from enhabiten lends itself nicely to fall clothing.  Mustard yellow is such a fantastic color, but it’s always so hard for me to pull off with blonde hair.  And with these whimsical, dreamy red berries from Moods of the Moon, I am reminded that the holidays are around the corner.  I am so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving with Anne’s family and Christmas with mine!  We have a lot to be thankful for, and I am looking forward to the family time.

Who would have thought to use the bottom of a crystal glass to make an elegant cookie mold?  They look like different kinds of snowflakes, and could make a perfect Christmas cookie!  While I can’t find the source of this picture, this baking project is definitely on my list of things to try.  These last two pictures are showing me just how powerful the color green can be, especially this time of year.  Green and white pair so nicely together.  This sweater picture from Old Man Sea evokes the countryside and all-things natural, and Matt and Lentil Purbrick’s living room brings that woody feeling indoors in a relaxed, well-styled way.

Check out my first installment of Picking Favorites here if you missed it, and stay tuned for more favorites to come!

Picking Favorites

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It feels like one of those wrap-yourself-up-in-a-blanket-on-the-couch kind of fall days.  I thought I’d take a few minutes to share some things I’ve been enjoying around the web recently.  For starters, this picture of Paris in autumn from Alesia-Jasmine takes my breath away.  You would think that after many fun trips this summer, I would be itching to hunker down while the seasons change.  Alas, I’ve caught the travel bug yet again.

As the temperatures cool, though, I can begin to turn up the heat in my kitchen again.  Natalie over at Food Fetish has an excellent tutorial on how to make your own beet pasta.  I can’t wait to give this a try.  And that avocado hummus from Jaclyn at Cooking Classy has my heart singing!

The changing seasons means that more layers, shoes, and weather-related accessories begin to show up in your entryway.  Elsie’s mudroom organization project on A Beautiful Mess is a cute, rustic, and indeed organized way to house all kinds of items — right up my alley!  I especially love those clipped photos up top.

While I’m not a die-hard Halloween fan, I can appreciate a good DIY project or themed treat.  Those cute pumpkins with bat wings from Trendenser seem super easy to whip up.  I’d imagine that taping toothpicks to the back of the black construction paper would be a great way to insert the wings into the pumpkin.  Top it off by Sharpie-ing your dinner guests’ names on the pumpkins and you’ll have the perfect alternative place cards for a spooky gathering.

Who isn’t a fan of using one item two different ways?  These ghost cookies from Michelle at Make Me Cake Me are actually made with a tulip cookie cutter turned upside-down!  Genius in my book.

And finally, let’s talk about these mysterious yet amazing-looking dark chocolate zucchini cake waffles.  Jonathan from The Candid Appetite whipped these up.  The second I live in an apartment with a kitchen larger than a shoebox, I am investing in a waffle maker.  For now, we must stick to making pancakes in our cast-iron pan.

The transition from summer to fall is one that I greatly enjoy.  I love the slowly changing wardrobe, the time spent in the kitchen, and bundling up for a good movie or TV show.  It also means I can start looking at yarn again (something I cannot bring myself to do in the heat of summer).  I love this article on why you should knit.  I’ve already got two projects going, plus one I finished in early spring that I’ve yet to share here!

Stay tuned for more posts in my new “Picking Favorites” series.  I am hoping to feature more work from other blogs and websites as a way of sharing my inspirations here on Scissors & Sage.