{me}longings

This Pretty Vintage Napkin Becomes...

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:41:00 +0000

Happy Friday! I hope you had a wonderful week. I sure did! If you don't know her already from my blog posts, I'm happy to introduce you to my friend Beth of Harmonie Park. Beth sells hip vintage finds on Etsy {one of my favorite shops!} and blogs about design and fashion with her husband over here at Je Voudrais Que. I've featured her items many times on the blog, including this adorable set of vintage napkins. I've featured those pretty vintage napkins on this room board, and this one.

So get this...last year Beth GAVE me one of those beautiful vintage napkins from her shop! Isn't that the sweetest gesture? She's just thoughtful like that. She shipped the pretty bird napkin to me with a note saying something like, "I'm sure you'll create something special with this napkin." {Totally paraphrasing here}

And finally, I did create something special with her napkin...I turned it into a large pocket on this white linen apron.

I made the apron out of white linen specifically for the cute little napkin - the whites match perfectly. I still need to add the ties that go around the waist, and I was thinking of using this vintage ribbon in royal blue. The ribbon will match the blue floral and bird design on the pocket, and will be a playful and pretty finishing touch.

In the photo of my studio below, Beth ALSO made me that {me}longings shrinky dink- sending it along with an item I bought from her shop. She's so nice!

Vintage Ribbon.

Photo Credit: Beth from Harmonie Park, Pretty Bird Vintage Napkins

These Branches are Blooming

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:48:00 +0000

Last week I placed a vase of full of forsythia branches on the dining room bar cart. And now, just a few days later, gorgeous and exhilarating color has forced its way through the bare branches. The wispy yellow flowers are so beautiful and much appreciated. It's like smiling into sunshine.

Dining Table Linen Runner from Canvas

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:10:00 +0000

During my last visit to NYC I visited the new Canvas Home Store in Chelsea. I adore their ceramics, furniture and textiles...well, everything in stock. So I just couldn't leave the shop without one of their hand woven linen runners. I chose the olive and natural stripe runner, or scarf...it's a multi-purpose purchase. I think my dining room table is really happy when it's covered with its new gauzy and tasseled linen throw from Canvas. Don't you think so???

Juicing in the Breakfast Nook

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:52:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've used our juicer, so I moved it from the kitchen cabinet to an open spot on the breakfast nook's counter along side the fruit bowls. Juicing is such a great way to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, especially now that I've committed to eating a vegan diet for a while. Honestly, I'm going to miss cheese so much since it's my go to snack when I get really famished. But now I'm turning to fruits and veggies in those moments.

Breakfast nook counter is between the kitchen and the dining room

The juicer in its new home on the breakfast nook counter

Most days I'd rather drink a glass of juice than eat the ingredient's raw equivalent. On Friday I whipped up a refreshing glass of juice: Here's the simple recipe:

1 large peeled orange, 2 small granny smith apples, piece of ginger root, 5 medium carrots.

I always add a bit of ginger root to my juice to give it a little zest.

One downside to juicing is that it takes so long to wash all the components of the juicer, and you have to clean it right after you use it before it dries. So I normally drink my little glass of juice while I clean up the juicer.

I'm keeping an almost daily photo log of my juice recipes on Flickr if you want to follow along. Also, I'm looking for interesting and healthy juicing recipes, so please pass them along if you have any favorites!

Cheers!

This Himmeli Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:06:00 +0000

My handmade natural straw himmeli no. 3 from AM Radio arrived today. Do you know what a himmeli is? I didn't until I laid eyes on one of Melissa's hanging geometric mobiles last year. Here's how Melissa describes them:

styled after a Finnish tradition, this sculptural himmeli mobile is delicate in its design but carries a strong geometric pattern. captivating piece which once coaxed turns with the slightest of breeze. a lovely minimalist addition to any space.

I LOVE IT. It is a captivating piece...agreed! I'm keeping it my studio because each angle provides me with much inspiration for my spring pillow cover collection. {yes, it's now my spring collection vs. winter} This is the second item I've ordered from AM Radio on Etsy. The first item I ordered was this cute vintage wood owl, which is now in my studio offering much whimsical inspiration.

I love Melissa's branding and packaging. It's blog worthy, indeed. I adore the diagonal black stripe tape - it's simple and so hip. She also sent along a domino piece with a dragon embossed on the back...how timely since it's the year of the dragon. Melissa is so thoughtful!

Put these vintage dog photos in these frames

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:05:00 +0000

I love looking at vintage photos of people and their dogs on Etsy. Here are some of my favorite black and white photos, which would look pretty incredible in these modern frames from West Elm {pssst, they're on sale!} Get ready for some cuteness...there are so many vintage dog photographs on Etsy to choose from! Of course, I'm drawn the German shepherd photographs since they remind me of our big girl, Harper. A fine and thrifty way to make a fun and interesting wall vignette.

Wink And Me

This one is my absolute favorite!!!

House of Habit

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:50:00 +0000

It has been a while since I've featured an Etsy shop. Today while searching for reclaimed wood desks on Etsy for a friend, I found a new favorite shop...House of Habit. Truly a gem.

House of Habit, is a hip husband and wife team from Corona, California that hand crafts handsome furniture made from reclaimed wood. Modern, rustic and grey washed benches, stools, shelves, desks and even a six-foot teepee. Yes, please. I love Jessica and Mike's product styling. It seems the Etsy PR team likes it as well...they asked Mike and Jessica for high resolution photos to feature them in the Etsy summer look book. That's very exciting!

Mrs. Habit has a fine blog you might like to add to your favorites...House of Habit.

Rustic Wood Box Shelves

Reclaimed Wood Expanded Craft Desk

Wood Planked Bench

Fold Away Teepee

Live Edge Wood Shelf

Charmed by a Wood Deer

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:19:00 +0000

I think this antique, hand carved and painted wood deer head with real buck antlers is something special. It deserves its own post. I spotted it in the turn of the century "Hindu House" during a return visit to the Dakshina Chitra Heritage center in Chennai, India {where I married my husband in 2007}.

The Hindu House

Inside the house with a traditional open courtyard

Neutral Fringe Crush with Poms + Tassels

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:01:00 +0000

I've been experimenting with tassels for my winter pillow cover collection. I'm hoping to add a modern-styled tassel made of hemp yarn to the corners of a new pillow cover design. I've never been one for embellishments like tassels, but somehow, somewhere, the Moroccan pompom and Turkish tassel wooed me. I think it all started with Turkish towels, which I have in my all of my bathrooms as accents.

Now I'm fascinated and inspired by all types of fringe, tassel and even pompoms. I specifically love the idea of using these accoutrements in natural matte fibers, like wool and flax, and in neutral shades. Here are some of my favorites I've pinned and collected over the past few months. Side note: When I was in India I brought back a few throws and hand towels with tassels - I'll share them with you next week!

Sources from Left to Right:
Desire to Inspire's post about Stuart Shave's home tour
Purlbee.com's DIY linen pompom cowl
Muskelil's wool pom pom blanket
Anthropologie's Torrie Pom Curtain
Dia Living's Ashe Silk Pompom quilt
{Tassels}
Viva Terra's Khadi Bath Towel
Dia Living's Azzemour Organic Throw
West Elm's Chunky Tassel Throw

West Elm's new wool Souk Rug

Shop Here: Save Haven in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:16:00 +0000

It happened by accident just a few weeks after they opened their shop in NoHo in November...I unknowingly walked by Save Haven's new storefront. The only signage they had was a faint white sign on their glass door {see photo below}. When I walked by I caught a glimpse of the cool toned neutrals and reclaimed wood accents. I immediately turned around, walked in and started taking photos of my favorite textiles, their simple but clever displays, and the American-made functional objects. The owner/designer, David Mullen, also has two menswear shops in NYC called Save Kakhi with a similar design aesthetic.

I love the minimalist nature of their displays and use of craft paper, glass jars and bare light bulbs throughout the store. I wanted to buy up all of their purely functional cotton and linen textiles - but controlled myself and only purchased a natural canvas apron to keep me clean while I screen print. So practical! Take a look at the rest of the photos I took during my visit.

India Day 11: Block Printing Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Much of India's famed block printing takes place in the northern state of Rajasthan, however my Amma found a small block printing studio in Chennai and took me there for a visit. The studio primarily prints on silk and cotton saris and sells them at trade shows and exhibitions. I was overjoyed to be able to watch Victor and Sangita block print beautiful designs on two different saris during my visit. Victor has been block printing for 32 years, and Sangita, his "assistant", has eight years of block printing experience.

They make a great team - Victor picks the colors and designs, and Sangita follows his lead by filling in the second layer of color. They work so quickly and with perfect precision, and print one sari per hour.

The printing motion looks quick and simple - place the wood block on the fabric and give the top of the block a karate-like chop/tap. They repeat this motion as they move around the two, 18-foot long printing tables.

They store hundreds of beautifully carved wood blocks underneath the tables, and use rolling carts to keep their inks close them them as they block print their way around the long tables. Even though the studio building was a bit shabby, it had everything they needed to print. I envied their long, counter-height printing tables. Their studio set-up reminds me to keep it simple.

They air dry the saris on the ground in the courtyard outside the studio. The owner of the studio has a showroom of her designs inside the main house. I found their designs to be quite modern, or rather, trendy in a way. I loved the zig zag pattern on pink silk. Are they not the most amazing designs? So much talent!

See the rest of my photos from my visit on Flickr.

India Day 10: Wedding Day Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Four years ago on December 30, I married my amazing husband at the Dakshina Chitra Heritage Center just south of Chennai in India. It was a colorful, surreal and dreamy day that I'll never ever ever forget. As wonderful as it was, it was missing my parents because my father, who has now passed away, was too sick to travel to India.

On day ten of our trip to India we visited the south Indian heritage center where we were married four years ago - but this time we were with my mom. It was one of my favorite days of our entire trip. It was like revisiting a beautiful dream, and taking along everyone you love. My Amma gave us a tour of the center through the handicrafts stalls where we talked with the artists {and shopped}, and though the traditional Hindu homes and outbuildings. We revisited all the areas we used during our traditional Hindu wedding ceremony - bringing back so many wonderful memories. It was so special! See more photos from our day at the Dakshina Chitra Center.

Folded palm leaf mobiles hang around the open-air walk ways of the buildings

My mom getting a little Mehendi design on her palm

India Day 8 & 9: Christmas in Mahabalipuram

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:24:00 +0000

We spent Christmas Eve and day in Mahabalipuram, which is my favorite word to say! It's all because of my husband...he used to visit Mahabalipuram when he was in high school and bought himself some cotton drawstring pants with full legs. Early in our marriage I wore some similar linen drawstring pants, and he proclaimed, "you're wearing Mahabalipuram pants!" Once I learned how to properly pronounce the word...it instantly became my new favorite word - replacing "accoutrement".

Anyway, Mahabalipuram is a colorful beach town an hour south of Chennai. Another side note, we left the area just two days before a cyclone struck. Whew, close call!

We visited a few more temples in the area and did most of our Christmas shopping for friends and family back home during our visit. In many of the little shops the craftspeople are also the sales people, with their sewing machines as a focal point in the store.

The area in front of many of the shop-fronts were decorated with colorful and beautiful Rangoli designs. One shop even had a Santa Claus and Christmas tree design! So festive.

We took a Christmas morning walk on the beach, and visited the neighboring Shore Temple, which was built out of granite in the 8th century.

India Day 7: Temple Hopping

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:48:00 +0000

We spent day seven of our trip though southern India temple hopping around the Mysore area. We toured two ancient temples. The first temple was in Halebid and was built in the eleventh century. The walls of the temple are completely covered with hand carved figures and depictions from Hindu mythology, and no two carvings are the same.

The second temple, Channakeshava, was located in Belur, and was built in the twelfth century. The workmanship was simply astonishing...layers and layers of intricate carvings both large and small on every surface. There are over 1000 elephants carved into the stone walls of the temple and no two are alike.

You can see more photos of my India Trip on Flickr.

India Day 6: Mysore Palace

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:47:00 +0000

Day six of our tour of southern India took us from the natural serenity of Kabini to the city of Mysore to visit the exquisite Mysore Palace. Driving in India was very stressful for me, even though I was only a passenger. Traffic laws, if there are any, are rarely followed. I seemed to fret over every single stray dog, goat and cow wandering along the side of the road.

All road anxiety melted away once we walked through the gates of the Mysore Palace grounds. The palace was built in the late 1800's and rebuilt in 1912 after fire destroyed it. The colored stained glass, gilded pillars and archways, and intricately carved precious metal and wood doors were jaw-droppingly beautiful. Since I wasn't allowed to take my camera inside the palace, I only have photos of the exterior. But wait...that doesn't mean I couldn't take photos of the inside with my handy iPhone. The interior photos are stunning - can you image how mind-blowing they would be if I was allowed to use my fancy camera? See more photos of my India Trip on Flickr.

India Day 5: Safari Sightings

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:06:00 +0000

Our two-day stay at The Serai Resort in Kabini included a safari-style jeep tour of the Nagarahole National Park and Preserve. We set out at 5:45 am hoping to see the jungle's most elusive predators, the tiger and the leopard, as well as elephants and peacocks. Welcoming us into the preserve, was a gorgeous male peacock with the most luxurious, deep blue feathers - isn't he stunning? I'm definitely using peacock blue in my winter pillow cover collection! We didn't spot any leopards or tigers, but we saw a lot of wildlife during the three hour tour...see the sightings on my Flickr set.

We passed this abandoned yellow house overgrown with flowers

Huge bamboo shoots cover the banks of the Kabini - we saw a bull elephant among them on the safari

India Day 4: The Serai Kabini

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:08:00 +0000

Happy New Year! It's good to be home celebrating the New Year with my husband and our dogs after a whirlwind journey though India. I hope you had a wonderful New Year celebration, whether you were sound asleep {like us} or in Times Square! I'm picking up where I left off - doing a post for each day of our India travels, and sharing my three favorite photos. To see all the photos, head over to my Flickr page.

Day four of our India trip was spent traveling to The Serai Kabini, a wildlife reserve for tigers, elephants, leopards, and other species native to the forests of southern India. The resort is securely nestled in a National Park, with a road that is extremely difficult to navigate. The pot-hole-filled road belongs to the National Forestry Service, which for good reason, does not repair the road that takes visitors through several small rural villages. This keeps many tourists out and limits further development along the un- welcoming national park road. The 15km road took us nearly and hour to traverse - my husband and his mother actually chose to walk the last few kilometers as they were in back of the van.

All was forgiven once we arrived at The Serai Resort. We were greeted with coconut water, steaming hot towels for our hands and faces, and a beautiful view of the Kabini River. Out of all the hotels we stayed at during our trip, The Serai was the best designed hotel/resort, and definitely blog-worthy. The interior designer of The Serai was Shernavaz Bharucha Design Firm from Bangalore. Here are a few photos of this secluded and sustainability minded resort.

Reception area

Open air dining hall greets you with oversized metal pendants

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:49:00 +0000

Even though I'm spending Christmas in India, before I left I pulled out a few of my holiday decorations and placed them around the living and dining rooms. The house needed a little holiday jingle! I love mixing East with West by using the silver Indian lanterns from my Amma, the handblown glass deer from India, and the tiny silver bells with traditional holiday shapes, like Christmas trees and bells.

Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas!

India Day 3: The Local Shops

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:58:00 +0000

Big box stores, like we have in the US, simply don't exist in India. In fact earlier this month, the Indian government had the opportunity to open India's retail economy to retail giants like Wal-Mart, but there was so much opposition from local merchants the laws remain unchanged.

I'm fascinated how the colorful local shops line the streets here in Bangalore - similar in structure and function to the 1950's main street in the US before malls started popping up. The narrow colorful shops sell bedding, small packets of every daily necessity you can imagine, household supplies, and of course, fruits and veggies. I love how this happy street vendor uses bicycle wheels and a wood platform to hold and transport his vegetables.

India Day 2: saris, street life & cows

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 03:46:00 +0000

Hello from Bangalore, India. I'm visiting my in-laws with my husband and my mother, and we plan to travel around southern India over the next several days. But first we are getting over our jet lag in Bangalore for a few days. After two nights of good sleep and short outings into the busy city, I'm getting very excited to explore areas outside Bangalore. Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm sharing three photos a day - whatever catches my eye. If you missed my first post, you can see it here.

Today I chose three themes: Saris, street life, and cows. We drove just over three miles in 45 minutes to get to the Cottage Emporiums shopping areas where they sell handmade items from around India. I wasn't inspired to buy anything because the shops felt very commercialized and the sales associates were very aggressive, making product suggestions and asking if we liked this or that as we walked by..."a beautiful scarf? a silk rug, perhaps?" My favorite shop was Prasiddhi Silks. They only sold silk saris and I was in textile and color heaven. Gorgeous saris lined the walls - perfectly folded and hung.

My Amma drives us around Bangalore and somehow she manages to maneuver the chaotic traffic on the streets. The city is dense, but cows find a way to survive in the streets, making due off street trash. During our drive yesterday, two cows blocked the main road and eventually found their way to a corner filled with trash.

During the drive I also saw a man riding his bicycle through heavy traffic with a large bundle of sticks secured on the back. It reminds me how the basic need for warmth, by collecting firewood, is still very much a part of life for some in Bangalore.

See the rest of my photos from Bangalore's sari shop and street life on Flickr.

India Day 1: Traffic, Dogs & Gods

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:48:00 +0000

Happy Friday! I'm traveling through southern India with my husband, his parents who live in Bangalore, and my mother. To keep things {blogging} simple during my trip, I've decided to share three photos per day. I may not have a wireless signal in each destination, so I may skip a day or two over the next several days.

I'm sharing what catches my eye...if I can take a photo of it. As you can imagine, India has many new sights, sounds and scents to tickle my senses. We arrived in Bangalore at 3am and spent the day in the northern part of the city. During a walk around my in-laws' neighborhood, three distinct themes emerged from my photos...the traffic, the street dogs, and the imagery of Hindu gods.

Nearly every home along our walk route had a statue or drawing of a Hindu god on the outside of the compound embellished with flowers and saffron colors for prosperity. Ganesh, who is known as the 'Remover of Obstacles', has always been a favorite of mine, and is pictured below.

I've experienced India's traffic before when we were here four years ago for our wedding, and it's noisy, stinky and clearing lacking any order - but it works. Rather than showing you a photo of the actual traffic, I came across this vintage Fiat. I like it!

Every mangy street dog caught my eye and I found myself documenting their stray lifestyle with my camera. I found them laying in pairs in the middle of the road just sleeping, curled up against buildings, atop sand and dirt piles, and even under a playground slide. Most of the dogs had pieces of their ears missing...poor loves...I want to help these dogs.

Shop here: Canvas home store in Chelsea

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:50:00 +0000

I stopped in to see the new Canvas store in the Chelsea neighborhood during my last visit to NYC in November. I first discovered the Ochre and Canvas home furnishing stores last year...I literally stumbled upon the Ochre Store in SoHo, and nearly started hyper ventilating in all the excitement and design awesomeness.

We get each other, me and that simplicity-embracing Canvas store...we have a very similar design aesthetic. Their mix of handmade wares, reclaimed wood furniture, and vintage furniture makes my design heart happy - I think we may have been separated at birth, you think? Okay, well maybe not, but it gives me something to aspire to! Their beautifully woven textiles are exactly what I want covering my tables, beds and sofas. My home needs every single upholstered piece of furniture in their store. Such gorgeous lines and textures. They know how to do pastels with pinks, teals and plums so soft they're almost neutral...swoon. It all comes together so perfectly in their new space. You can see all the photos I took during my first {of many, I hope} shopping excursion at the new Canvas Store in Chelsea, here.

Find {me} at Studio K Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:21:00 +0000

From now until January, all of my handprinted pillow covers and tea towels are available at Studio K Gallery in Charlotte, NC. Studio K Gallery has hundreds of pieces by more than 25 local artists in the Handmade Holidays exhibit. Next Friday, December 16th the gallery stays open until 9pm with some nibbles, music and cheer. You should swing by...you'll find a wonderful selection of unique gifts at very affordable prices. Have a peek...here are some photos of the gallery's Handmade Holidays opening reception.

After the Etsy + West Elm event, the Studio K Gallery opening reception, and a Trunk Show...all in one week {oy!}, my handmade textiles have finally settled down at Studio K Gallery for the remainder of the year. The last day to purchase from my Etsy shop in 2011 is December 13th. My online Etsy shop will re-open in January 2012 with my new winter collection - designs inspired by my travels through southern India.

Yesterday, I finished re-installing my display at Studio K Gallery, and I took a some photos for those of you who don't live near Charlotte.

Studio K Gallery Location: 2024 East 7th Street, Charlotte, NC 28204 {In Elizabeth, off Pecan Ave}
Phone: 704-607-6867

Website: http://www.studiokart.com

Blog: http://www.studiokart.blogspot.com/

Handmade Holidays at Studio K Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:44:00 +0000

If you live near Charlotte, NC, you don't want to miss the opening reception of "Handmade Holidays" at Studio K Gallery on Friday, December 2 at 6pm {TONIGHT!!} This newest installation is full of 100% local and 100% affordable art, which is superbly perfect for Christmas gift shopping!

Kate was kind enough to give me sneak peek of the gallery this week and I'm just smitten with the huge selection art, jewelry and practical handmade designs in the space!

I'll have a vertical display for many of my pillow covers in the gallery as well. So if you missed the West Elm event on Thursday, you can see my designs all month long at Studio K Gallery.
Find all the details about the opening reception event on Facebook.

An Evening with Etsy + West Elm

noreply@blogger.com (Chanee Vijay) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:57:00 +0000

It was just one night, but I was out-of-my-mind giddy to see my pillow covers displayed at the Charlotte West Elm store last night for the Etsy + West Elm Handmade Holiday Mini-Market. I'm so grateful to West Elm for hosting such an innovative, fun and community-based event for local Etsy sellers in support of handmade design. Bravo! I still can't believe they picked me, and I know the four other Etsy sellers at the event last night were thinking the same thing as our friends and over 200 people browsed the store. The West Elm associates were so helpful, like always, and they were just as excited for us...so completely supportive. West Elm even let me use their pillow inserts for my handmade pillow covers!

Below is a photo of the beautiful store window display where I displayed my pillow covers...stunning, don't you think? Thank you to all my friends and supporters who came out to the event. It was so great seeing all your smiling faces!

Angela, from Olive Yew Jewels was there displaying her gorgeous jewelry {love my new earrings!}. Her designs were featured in Self Magazine so she's been super busy creating new pieces for her Etsy shop.

Rachel, from Marge & Rudy, was selling her beautifully made and chic handbags - all made out of leftover fabrics and leather from her husband's furniture design business. They make quite a team, and amazing handcrafted designs!

Courtney, from Wonderful Little Things, brought and nearly sold out of all her wonderful hand painted ceramic designs. By the time I took photos of her display, she only had a few pieces left! Her intricate designs look like mehendi, which is near and dear to my heart!

Claire, from Shortgrass Designs, had an adorable display! I love the sign she made and how she incorporated it into West Elm's paper mache tree. Her festive letterpress cards fit right in at West Elm's holiday gift area.

Etsy and West Elm also held a handmade workshop for making origami ornaments led by the talented ladies from Crown Town Handmade and Queen City Crafters. All the handmade ornaments turned out wonderfully and looked perfect on the tree being donated to Elon Homes and Schools for Children.