Keeping you busy...

I Love You Toast.

Aluminum Water Bottle.

Willows Illustration.

Hey, everyone. I'm sorry for the extended--and unannounced--absence. As strange as it is when I get calls from people who have heard about my loss, it's even stranger and more difficult to tell my friends myself. My grandfather passed away on Sunday afternoon, and so I've been with my family in Boston, speaking to people and attending services.

I will be here next week, too, with less family in attendance, so if you're in the Boston area and have any helpful tips not just on kosher restaurants but on things to see and do, please don't hesitate to send an email. It would be really wonderful.

I hope to be back to posting early next week.

Thanks so much.

Sara

Cabbage Rose Earrings

I just love these.

$4

Woven Fabric Tote

I'm itching for summer clothes, and this bag perfectly compliments that soft, sturdy New England summer style. This is no surprise, of course, as it's handmade in Maine.

Start scouting thrift shops for summer skirts.

$40

Vintage Button Flower Bouquet

Cheery, bright, and really pretty. Put one in a bud vase by the computer, one wrapped around each cloth napkin at the dinner table, one tied with a ribbon and a card to a friend's windshield wiper, and the rest in a green glass on your windowsill.

$14 for 10

Shaking Down

I'm leaving this image clickable so you can get a better sense of the penwork, pigment blots, and mysterious scale. Look closely; It could be a hill by the sea or just a hiccup in the sand. It's really very beautiful.

The kind of thing to surround yourself with.

$20

Hello, I'd Fight For...

Think about it, talk about it, advertise it.

$1.50

Grass B and W, Cape Cod

With boots and a black top (as shown in shop), with keds and a pink button-down, with ballet flats and a little white sweater.

$168

Façade 'Nadia' Patent Leather Mary Jane

Square cut-out and streamlined shape. Thin, low-slung mary jane buckle. Won't trip on the stage steps at graduation.

$89.95

Istanbul (Not Constantinople) Bracelet

I love these handmade chain, chunky, intricate bracelets. They strike me as a special treat, but not the lollipop kind, or the fuzzy little stuffed penguin pincushion kind.

It's more like a lollipop that lasts forever, or a little penguin that moves like Dick Van Dyke and gossips with you when you're in traffic. I'm talking a good buy here.

$48

Ampersand Bracelet

We English majors love letters & punctuation, but this super beautiful bangle is great for designers & stylists alike.

$25

Felted Wool Bangles

How gorgeous are these colors!? I want to wear them all.

This set happens to be child-size, but the artist will make them however you like.

$8

AGK Mercury Lounge Chair

Throw it on the porch next to the two adirondack chairs and the old wooden rocker.

As seen here and here.

Keep Calm and Carry On Poster

I know you're seeing it everywhere, but I honestly believe that living with this everyday could change my life.

$25

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That Purse

A softer version of heavy striped trading blankets, the pattern is bright but still fuzzy and feminine. With lovely finished handles, this 9"x9" bag could hang on a doorknob to catch stray reading material, knitting needles and yarn, or a journal and pens.

Also good for those pared-down study sessions where all you need is an iPod, a novel, post-it notes, and that sparkling water that makes you feel European. Now the world is your library.

$40

Duck Egg Espresso Cup

Blue glaze over terracotta makes for an earthy and warm look. Looks good with a state of the art stainless espresso machine or one of those giant copper machines, if they still make them.

$20

Pink Sea Urchin Pendant

An urchin found on a Turkish beach and interestingly set, this is beautiful even before you know what it is. Perfectly unique, beachy, and looks a lot like a queen's tufted silk crown.

$17

Joy Button

Grand gestures are nice, but the unexpected lift makes an even bigger difference.

I'd love to buy all of these card-and-button sets and give one whenever it suits. There's one for every predicament and occasion.

$2.50

Motorcycle Jacket

I wish my new-wardrobe budget could handle this.

However, if I wear it a quarter of the year, say 91 days, for five years (though I'd imagine that it'll last longer), then that breaks down to 455 wears, at about 32 cents a wear.

My, is that affordable.

$149.95

Propello Desktop Fan

Keep cool without the clutter. Hughes-worthy design with a chrome bullet on the back and smooth rubber blades in the front.

$138.95

Gone visiting!

Will return soon.