Rustic Botany Book

On account of having recently run a marathon, acquired a full-time job, and just being generally bad at managing my day-to-day distractions, I have not posted anything in aaaages. Nor have I done much along the lines of crafting.

For that, I am truly sorry.

But here, a peace offering! Enjoy this delightful image of a delightful hand-bound sketchbook I made a few weeks ago. If all goes well over the next few weeks, I'll have even more delightful things to showcase at this years Streeterville Artisan Market. Fingers crossed for productivity.

Random Review: The Vicious Kind

I had every intention of watching this movie while I distractedly carved stamps and made notecards. One of the major reasons I chose it was because Netflix categorized it as a "comedy" and I figured it would be much easier to multi-task with something not-too-serious being played in the background. Let me state right here and now: this film is most certainly NOT a comedy! As with most indie flicks, there are inevitably moments of real-life awkwardness that might cause you to smile nervously, but make no mistake about it – The Vicious Kind leans much much closer to the drama end of the genre spectrum.

The Vicious Kind begins with Caleb Sinclaire (played by Adam Scott), quietly distraught in the booth of a diner, while he waits for his younger brother Peter (Alex Frost) to return to the table. From the get-go, it's obvious that our main character (or who we assume to be our main character) is a guy with some issues. At first, I find it difficult to care about someone who is... well, kind of an asshole. But the story unfolds, and we find that Caleb is more complicated and vulnerable than previously thought. Caleb has grudgingly agreed to drive Peter and Peter's new girlfriend, Emma (Brittany Snow), to Caleb and Peter's home for Thanksgiving. Despite the fact that Caleb feels the need to protect his brother from so-called "whores" (a term he applies to all women) and dissuade him from dating Emma, he finds himself becoming increasingly infatuated with her.

The Vicious Kind has no easy answers. The characters are all complex and deeply flawed, and I found myself questioning whether feeling sympathy for them was the "right" thing to do. Adam Scott does an amazing job of being misanthropic while still being totally defenseless, and Brittany Snow (though I only knew her as Gossip Girl's very blonde Lily Rhodes) turns out to be no slouch either – that girl can cry like a pro! The acting alone is reason enough to watch The Vicious Kind. Bonus points for featuring J.K. Simmons as the slightly dysfunctional yet likable dad.

*Warning: Don't watch this film with your parents – The sex-scenes will just make you feel weird. (Don't say I didn't warn you).

What the Peep - Easter Notecard Design

As I'm sure you're aware, I'm a sucker for the following things:

- animals (especially the cute fuzzy kind)

- sweet treats

- dorky and/or cutesy humor

...so it seemed only natural that my newest notecard design for Easter

would include one or all of these elements. Enjoy!

(notecards can be purchased through Supermarket or Etsy)

Obsessed With: Winter Ice Lanterns

...I'm totally obsessed with this fantastic idea from the DIY section of Design*Sponge. Now, if only I was classy enough to have dinner parties and my own outdoor patio...

[Photo: Studio Dreyer Hensley]

Craftacular Weeks Ahead!

So this year, I have given myself the challenge of creating all my gifts from scratch. That's right, all handmade! I'm now realizing this was perhaps an overly ambitious goal considering the fact that I have completed 2.5 (out of 7) and need to get everything done before I head to my parents house in Tucson this Wednesday. So yeah, less than two days to make 4.5 more things. My head might explode.

But... this means that I'll be putting up all my projects (pictures and how-to's) in the weeks following Christmas. Hooray! Sewing, printing, stamping, jewelry-making, etc. Stay tuned!

Winterness Finished Design

Hooray, the Winterness design is finished! See the actual cards (or better yet, buy them) at etsy or supermarket.

Winterness Stamp

Here's my newest notecard design for the holidays. Despite my reluctance to embrace the winter season, I feel like nothing says 'Christmas' 'Hanukkah' 'Winter Solstice' quite like a dusting of fresh snow. Bring on the flakes, Mother Nature.

Xmas Gift Tags

Hooray! It's the most wonderful time of the year... oh wait, this means I have to seriously ponder what gifts to give... and procure them... and wrap them nicely... and give them. Well, at least the gift tags are taken care of (phew).