monopoly. wtf.

so we got the canadian version of monopoly.  and i have to admit, i am not impressed.  while it is very, very cool to see canadian locations rather than the US or British locales, this new fangled debit machine and huge land pricesmake it a little difficult to relate to.  first off, the debit machine that came with our game broke after about 3 minutes and is now probably residing in a landfill somewhere.  and now that we don't have the machine, we can't really play the game.  i've been wracking my brain trying to figure out a way to pay the game with play money instead, but in the meantime, we've been using it as a counting teaching tool for the mini.  needless to say, i miss the vintage UK version that my parents own.

but in tribute to all things canadian, i'm posting this treasury - probably the most viewed treasury i've made in a long time.  guess no one can resist us canucks.  *wink*.

Canadian Penny Ring in Coppe... AutopilotEmpir... $29.00	Toronto Canada HORIZONTAL Su... wordology $199.00	Maple Draple - Canadian Mapl... guccisgoodies $30.00
Laptop Bag - ROYAL CANADIAN ... floorartetc $75.00	Canadian Moose Pillow SparrowAvenue $45.00	Canada Roots Map 11x14 Custo... ChildrenInspir... $40.00
Candle Holder, Driftwood Can... DustDesigns $50.00	Canadian Army Parka, Extreme... ColonelKurtzVi... $89.00	the old canadian post (fine ... kmbphotoandfin... $20.00
Custom Personalized Canadian... MineOverMatter $59.00	Baby. Coat. 5 Colors. Toddle... babywearing $65.00	Small Wood Bowl, Baribocraft... TheSowsEarByAl... $16.00
Vintage 1989 Patons O Canada... MultiPolarity $9.50	Set of Nine Polar Whiskey Ro... polarstones $20.00	New Canadian reversible flag... helkatdesign $75.00
Vtg SOREL Canadian Leather &... JansVintageStu... $68.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

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great items...

the lovely julie is on a roll making gorgeous treasuries featuring our new DDH teammates... and this one is no exception! you can check them out here - just click on the image above! thank you julie!!!

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camel.

i am currently coveting the bag in the upper left hand corner of this treasury and it inspired a search for other things "camel" coloured. quite fruitful, don't you think?

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bag lady.

i've always worried that by some cruel twist of fate, i could become a so-called "bag lady", living out of my plethora of amazing purses and my broken down car. i realize, however, that i AM a bag lady of sorts... i cannot stop browsing the spectacular handmade choices on etsy. (as we speak, i am anxiously awaiting my latest bag - a belated xmas gift to myself. a little selfish maybe, but i have been VERY good this year.)

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winter rose.

the holiday season is definitely ramping up, but for us in the handmade business, fabrication and postal service limitations mean that our season is winding down. things are definitely much quieter in the shop these days, and the break is kind of nice. (it's really great to be able to browse with impunity!)

this morning i woke up to this lovely treasury by stacy from retromodernart. thank you stacy! these choices are definitely GORGEOUS!

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bergamot & the earl.

for the last 18 months, each workday for me has started with a hot earl grey tea, complete with four milk and four sweetener. i can't imagine sitting at my desk without one. :) (thanks, j!) it's the dreamy smell of the bergamot that i love - i am constantly on a quest to find the perfect scent to wear - seriously, i know i'm not the only person who loves the smell of earl grey!

etsy is full of bergamot/earl grey inspired items - and here are some of the best! (i just snatched up some bergamot perfume oil and body butter from bodyluxe and i can't wait to get them!)

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honor among thieves.

i'm actually not sure if there is any honor among thieves, as the saying goes.  as of late, there have been several thefts around the office, in addition to some oddities - such as lights being on in the office when we arrive in the morning, desk drawers being left open, or door locks oddly unlocked.  all signs pointed to a thief, yet our landlady insisted that a legendary ghost resides in the building.

needless to say, i uncovered some information that pretty much eliminates the "ghost" theory (sorry.) and puts a little more weight behind the "thief" hypothesis.  obviously, it inspired the etsy treasury above. 

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doctor martens, i presume.

doctor klaus martens was a doctor during the world war II era, who had injured his ankle while skiing in the bavarian alps. of course, necessity is the mother of invention, and finding that his standard issue military footwear didn't provide adequate support to his injury, he made some custom adjustments to his boots - softer leather uppers and air-cushioned soles. after the war, he hooked up with an old friend, dr. herbert funck, who was fascinated with martens' design and the two went into business together, using reclaimed rubber from the luftwaffe airfields. (note to self - handmade ruled, even back then.)

eventually the design caught on, especially gaining favor with german housewives, who were initially the largest consumer base of the comfy, durable boot. martens and funck sold the patent rights to manufacture the shoe in the UK to footwear giants R. griggs group ltd, who made some minor modifications to the design and branded the soles as AirWair.

the first boot to come off the UK production line was the classic 8 hole oxblood - named 1460 (for the date it rolled out - April 1st, 1960) and still the benchmark product today. they quickly became popular with postmen, police officers and blue collar workers. in the 70's & 80's they were adopted by skinheads, punks and musicans - remember when people used to get 'rolled' for their docs? and then the whole grunge thing brought another layer to the style.



docs from jeanginakim on etsy (definitely on my wish list)

 after a dip in popularity in the early '00s, the UK factories were shut down and production moved to asia. (some hardcore fans defected and now choose similar brands that are manufactured in the UK only). but recently, there has been a revival - and how could there not be?

i'm on my 6th pair (14 hole burnished brown miranda boots - yum) and i still love them. they are comfy and utilitarian and go great with skirts and jeans. and seriously, kicking someone's butt just isn't the same in flip flops.

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and 'ampersand'.

the ampersand has to be my favorite symbol in the typographical realm. being a little bit obsessed with typography and fonts, it appeals to me on many levels. it's dreamy curves are formed from the latin word "et" (meaning 'and', of course) - the "e" and the "t" are blended together to make the symbol. apparently, it has been used since the 1st century AD, & is also referred to as a "ligature". (hmmm. kind of kinky.)
wikipedia states - "Traditionally, in English-speaking schools when reciting the alphabet, any letter that could also be used as a word in itself ("A", "I", and, at one point, "O") was preceded by the Latin expression per se (Latin for "by itself"). Also, it was common practice to add at the end of the alphabet the "&" sign as the 27th letter, pronounced and. Thus, the recitation of the alphabet would end in: "X, Y, Z and per se and". This last phrase was routinely slurred to "ampersand" and the term crept into common English usage by around 1837. Through popular etymology, it has been claimed that André-Marie Ampère used the symbol in his widely read publications, and that people began calling the new shape "Ampère's and".

so that would make the 'ampersand' the only letter of the alphabet that is still used widely today. mhm.  how's THAT for your trivia question of the day?
nowadays, it is used widely in formal names of companies, as well as when referring to proper names, like on wedding invitations. it is also incorporated in computing formal logic, C++, Perl, Fortran, HTML, XML, SGML and BASIC. geeky and romantic. i have to admit that when i was rethinking my etsy shop name, i was tempted to use a phrase that would require the inclusion of the ampersand. because it is THAT cool. 
it's funny because in most handwritten communications, i use the 'ampersand' quite often because it is cool to write and looks fabulous in ink on paper. i wonder if i could make one out of wire...

(this blog post brought to you by wikipedia, these lovely etsy picks, and the letter "&".)

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hello, etsy front page!

of COURSE i missed being on the front page yesterday!!! thank you, usedandabused, for including me - and for being front page worthy! dude, you ROCK!

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1888.

not only one of the creepiest years in history - jack the ripper, much? - but also the number of sales i reached today! thank you etsy! and thank you to all of you who wear my designs!

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the itty bitty gift guide. part 5 & 6.

the GG for the guys in your life...



... and for the kids (or kids at heart!)

maybe it's the fact that we set up our tree this weekend - seriously, having a kid really makes you become more invested in traditions - but i can't stop thinking of gift ideas. too bad i'm almost done all of my xmas shopping...

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the itty bitty gift guide. part 3 & 4.

yes, i am on a rampage. i can't stop thinking of gift guides to make. plus with the plethora (yes, i used plethora in a sentence) of goodness out there on etsy, how can i not? enjoy!

(parts 5 and 6 to follow)

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the itty bitty gift guide. part 2.

the itty bitty gift guide part two - and definitely one of my favorites... inspired by a certain supernatural vampire wedding. (how could i let the release of 'breaking dawn' go by unnoticed?)

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the itty bitty gift guide. part 1.

t'is that time of year again... the snow will start to fall, the temperatures already have, and minds have turned to the thoughts of sugarplums and mistletoe. so, in honour of this festive season, i bring you my etsy gift guides! part 1 - my recent favorites in shades of winter. yum.

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treasury love!

just sharing some amazing treasuries that i've been included in! so awesome. and thank you for the love - it is so wonderful see how my work fits in with others - and what fantastic taste people have.

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british sensibility...

just a little inspiration from across the pond...

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oh my. front page joy.

so i'm out with J doing property inspections (and sneaking off to have lunch) when my blackberry goes off and it's Julie.  with a bbm telling me that i'm on the front page of etsy.  in a treasury that she made!  (see the shot of her computer screen above?)  seriously, it totally made my day - plus, in the hour that it was up, i received over a 1000 views of my DIY stack of sterling skinny rings, 30 new shop hearts, and tons of miscellaneous traffic!  it couldn't have been a better advertising opportunity.  so thank you again, Julie - for putting me on your wish list!  (and hey - your new pretties are in the mail!!!!)

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some new finds.

things have been a little quiet here on the creative front - my daytime job has been crazy busy which means home gets crazy busy too and i have had barely any time to set any fires. but i did take a little downtime to browse etsy and find some new favorites. i just might have to buy myself a late birthday present. :)

enjoy!

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sustainable.

just thinking about minimizing my carbon footprint.  and these choices make it easy.

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