here's where I say happy new year

I thought I could get away without writing this post, but somehow I can't escape the guilt. As a blogger it is my duty to round up the old year and welcome in the new. It's just something we do.

                                                                                Source: brentfosterphotography.com via Jeanne on Pinterest

So here's 2011 in a nutshell:

Moved into our first house

Got married

Got a puppy

Kept one of last year's resolutions and finally listed some knits on Etsy (and had 5 sales in the first month!)

That's really all that sticks out at the moment, but really that is quite a lot. Big, momentous, life changing, time consuming things. 2011 was a year to remember.

So what of 2012? 

I've got some things up my sleeve. 

 I'm so happy I finally kept my promise to launch my Etsy shop and it is my biggest goal this year to really take it seriously. I have been working on branding (business cards, packaging, banners for blog and Etsy shop) and researching everything from business licenses and trademarks to accounting programs and taxes. I'm setting goals and planning rewards for myself. It's kind of all I can think about these days. It's too easy for me to get discouraged and demotivated so I'm proud of myself just for getting this far and it's enough to propel me forward for now.

The second big goal for the year is travel. We promised ourselves we would take a vacation to Europe for our anniversary. A delayed honeymoon. My first time out of the country (except when I was something like 10 years old and my family went into Canada for a day on a big camping trip up the East Coast). The mister bought me a passport case for Christmas so it's almost official. I should probably get that passport. Maybe.

And there are always less exciting goals, like figuring out how on earth to keep the house clean on a regular basis and planning monthly date nights. Working on that whole work/life balance thing people always talk about.

it's a celebration!

It's my birthday!

It's my 500th post on this blog!

And I've got something great to give away! 

Let's celebrate!

 

I can't even remember how I got this idea in my head that I wanted to knit hand muffs. It's almost like it grew there silently and suddenly sprouted into this giant idea that I could no longer hold in. No one wears hand muffs anymore, but why? You think if your hands are cold, the best solution is to wear gloves. But gloves can be bulky and hard to do anything while wearing them. I can barely open a door wearing gloves. Operating a touch screen cell phone wearing gloves? Forget about it.

 

 

So imagine this: You're walking down the street in the cold and the wind, your hands cozy and warm inside this lovely hand muff. Your phone rings. You slip your hand out of the muff, find your phone, answer it, and when you're done you slip your hand back into the muff, still warm and cozy. If you were wearing gloves you would have been fumbling around trying to pull the fingers off, and you've probably dropped the glove you just took off while you were trying to find your phone. Not so with your trusty hand muff. It's hanging around your neck just waiting for you to use it.

Now that's practical.

A modern take on an old fashioned idea. That's something I can get behind.

 

 

 

The Giveaway: 

The winner gets to choose either the blue or yellow hand muff. Both are designs that I have been developing for sale in my Etsy shop. I hoped to get to the point where I could do a product launch in the shop and do the giveaway at the same time, but I'm not quite there yet. And I just didn't want to give up on the giveaway. So. There you have it. One hand muff of your choice. A Drop & Anchor exclusive!

How To Enter:

Leave a comment here telling me which one you would choose if you win. Bonus entries if you re-blog or re-tweet this giveaway with a link to my blog, just comment again with a link to the post or tweet. Or pin one of my photos on Pinterest with a link to this post. Again, leave me a comment on this post letting me know that you pinned my photo.
Winner will be chosen at random using the Random Number Generator. You have until Friday October 14 to enter!

Good Luck!

New Shop Listings!

Just thought I would drop in and let you know that I finally added some items to my Etsy shop (which I created about a year and a half ago and have never listed anything). So far it's just a few vintage items we found around the house but I promise (for real!) to add some hand-knit items in there soon! It's not too soon to start thinking about scarves is it?

Anyway, please stop by my shop and check it out. Then come back here and give me some honest feedback. I'm posting this here because I trust you and I truly want to know what you think. Do the pictures stink? Are the descriptions lackluster? Am I missing something? This is a work in progress and I want to make it the best I possibly can so your advice is appreciated. And if you just love it and want to share it with all of your friends, you may do that as well. ;)

Brass Apple Trinket Box

Moroccan style votive holder

Brass Leaf Dish

Mid Century Modern Ashtray

Abby Berkson

No post yesterday because Blogger was down all night (boo), but all I could think about today was the post I was dying to share last night! I have fallen completely head over heels for on Abby Berkson and her too stinkin cute for words hand painted ceramics.

via Indie Fixx

Miriam Brugmann

You know I have kind of a soft spot in my heart for quirky ceramics, right? No? Well now you know the secret to buying me gifts I will love. That and tins. Anything in a tin. But I digress. Cute ceramics. These darling little things from Miriam Brugmann really hit the spot.

I also keep reminding myself that I promised to actually list things in my etsy shop this year. And I'm torn between thinking "well it's only March" and "hot dang it's already March." Usually the latter. It is something that would mean a lot to me and I need to get on it. But important things are often the hardest things to do.

luckyduct

Crazy in love with these pieces from Rachel Pfeffer Designs. (username luckyduct on etsy, in case you were wondering)

etsy finds: Thirteen Bees Vintage

This dress wants me to have it. For parties, for photo shoots, for washing dishes. I don't really care. The pleating, cap sleeves, and pretty little bow are too cute for words.

This is just one of many lovely finds at the Thirteen Bees Vintage etsy shop. And bonus A) everything is sorted by decade and B) they give everything cute little names (the dress above is called The Plot Thickens Dress)

new etsy shop alert!

Inspire Lovely promises to do just that, inspire lovely packaging, bits, and bows, decor and paper goods.

Take a look!

The photo styling kills me. Too perfect.

Officially open for business tomorrow 1/15 at 9am Pacific Time.

with which to cuddle

shop dirtsa via Lovely Little Things (they're only $18 each!)

Precious Knits via Unruly Things

wrap me up

I am always cold, and the mister is always warm. It's just something we have to learn to deal with. It's a good thing I am perfectly happy to wrap myself up in a blanket pretty much 24/7. I don't think I ever had any special attachment to a blanket as a child, which seems strange since I find so much comfort in them now in my adult life. But anyway, I thought I would share some really lovely blankets that I wouldn't mind cuddling up in, and displaying on the couch on the rare occasion that I'm not wearing it.

Lovely, no?

kim e-m via Oh Happy Day!

Hello Mr. Bunny

So there I was, skimming through my 1000+ unread feeds on Google Reader, feeling rather uninspired (and annoyed at my current internet situation, as it is being rather finicky about which images it wants to load and which it wants to just think about) when I came across this and stopped in my tracks.

Oh Mr. Bunny, you melt my heart.

via Skunkboy Creatures (who makes even more little creatures to melt my precious heart.)

I've selected my china patterns

I am so in love with these hilarious plates from Jimbob Art. It's a tough decision but I'm pretty sure that is the set going on my registry. This sure does make things a lot more fun.

via Design Crush

Mama needs a brand new bag

QT Canvas Tote

Kinies Classic

The bags are beautiful, the colors are perfect, but the pockets... the pockets are what do it for me. I'm a big fan of organization, and there's nothing I hate more than digging through a big bag full of stuff looking for my keys or my cell phone or whatever else. But look! Everything gets its own little home! Especially that second bag. I'm already planning out in my head what I would do with all those wonderful pockets...

Check out more Kinies etsy shop!