Such an aptly named line of ceramics by Kevin O’Shea….HAPPY! I love the shapes, and the designs, and the colors. Ok. Pretty much all of it. The little bowl on the bottom left is a wall vase…swoon!

Kevin’s day job is an interior designer…you can see some of his portfolio here.

Can you tell that I’m trying to mentally prepare myself for winter?! I’ve found more fabulous indie-made coats…this time, from De Novo. The designer writes that she started her coat making career making coats for her dog at age 7! How sweet! I LOVE the coat on the bottom right…

You can check out more styles on her website, too!

Wearing scarves is a necessity for me in the Midwestern autumn and winter. I have an entire wardrobe of them {mostly, it’s because I can’t seem to resist all of the fantastic ones out there!}.

I love the unique ruffle-y scarves {neck pieces} by Crutch…the raw finish makes them not too frou frou! Just gorgeous. The plum colored scarf is made of upcycled fabrics too…I’m totally loving these…

I’m totally in love with the work by LuLu in her shop My Pink Turtle Studio. My favorites are her Frida Kahlo prints…I adore the bright colors, and the sweet faces of all of her girls. LOVE!

LuLu is running a sale in her shop until the end of November – if you buy two prints, you get one free. I think they’d make great gifts! You can learn more about this fabulous artist by checking out her blog!

The winner of our most recent giveaway is…Loris! One of my sweet, devoted readers…congratulations dearie!

Check out Loris’ blog here.

I’ve just become a huge fan of CRAVEchicago. I went to a “coffee chat” with about 30 dynamic women last week, and was totally impressed. CRAVE is in other cities too…Boston, Portland, DC, Vancouver & Seattle. To find out more, click here.

I wanted to post about a local event they are planning…with plenty of fashion and indie vendors who will be there. I will be there…so if you sign up too, please let me know!

CRAVEchicago Winter Wonderland Party:

What: Join your girlfriends for a captivating evening of opulence and magical events!
Where: The Historic Stan Mansion at 2408 N Kedzie in Chicago
When: Wednesday, December 9th, 7-10pm

Baby, it’s cold outside! Join the Winter Wonderland CRAVEparty on December 9th to find your perfect holiday ensemble from one of Chicago’s most fabulous boutiques, all of which will be under one roof! No need to travel from boutique-to-boutique, we have them all here! A CRAVEparty is an exclusive, festive, glam-gal gathering of fun, entertainment, personal pampering, and sippin’ and noshin’ on great food.

FASHION & SIPS
Take advantage of the exclusive opportunity to pre-order the season’s chicest fashions from Chicagoland’s favorite boutiques, while enjoying gratis treats & cocktails!

SPA & SOOTHE
Indulge in complimentary mini-spa services to soothe your holiday-time stresses!

GIFTS GALORE
Don’t be greedy! Shop for something fabulous that those special people in your life will love!

AND MORE…

Find fabulous treasures on the catwalk as you watch fashion shows featuring local boutiques.
Be dazzled by the most gorgeous jewelry this city’s designers have to offer!
Bring your girlfriends to this one-of-a-kind event and we’ll see you off in high spirits… with a great goody bag in tow!
Find yourself sipping a cocktail, getting a mini-manicure, and shopping for your glamorous holidaytime ensemble, all while viewing a fabulous fashion show and other entertaining acts!
Become enthralled with the endless holiday gift options you’ll discover at various booths!
Throughout the night, we will have great raffles including gift certificates to Osteria via Stato and Park 52!
More details to come!

Veronica Riley Martens‘ booth was set up right next to ours at a craft show last weekend…I totally fell in love with her work, and ended up buying two pieces {the single tagua with chains, bottom right…and another, not shown}. I especially love the tagua nuts* she uses in her jewelry. They are extremely light, and the color combinations that she uses are fantastic. Love love love!!

*about the tagua nut:

“Tagua (tog-wa) Nut Beads are made from the seed of a tree similar to the palm tree. It is an eco-friendly product that helps sustain rainforests in Ecuador, by providing jobs for almost 35,000 people. It allows them to harvest a product that can be sold without having to destroy the rainforest.”

*EDIT: even if you weren’t the winner…you can still save 10% on your order if you use “nonpareil” during your order! hurrah!

click here to enter and find out more

Congratulations to laAlicia who is the winner of one stainless water bottle from HydraSip! She is a super-crafty gal who re-purposes magazines into jewelry and purses. Check out her blog too!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! Wishing you a fun weekend!

What kind of cuteness are the tees and plush from Belgium based Plush?!! Their little creatures have such great character. Their sizes run from 3-6 months all the way up to 6 years. So cute!

I love the photos too…aren’t those kids are adorable! Oh how much I’d have to pay to get my dishwater-blond to look that gorgeous…ha ha!