Sweet Obsessions Friday

Happy Friday!! I have some news about the baby, but I can’t tell you yet because I haven’t gotten ahold of all of my family and friends! So you will have to wait. He he. Suffice to say, we can now cross half the name possibilities off our list ;) I am really looking forward to each weekend now, because we have so much planned for our little house over the upcoming months. On Saturday we will be picking up the armchair we purchased last weekend, as well as doing a bit more craiglist- and vintage-hunting. What will you be up to? And please read on, because I have tons of good little tidbits to share with you today!

1. Just this morning I came across a lovely post over on ever-inspiring Pia’s blog, highlighting a new book called Muesli et granola maison by Rachel Khoo, that promises to be full of nurturing recipes and gorgeous photography and styling as well. Unfortunately, it appears to be available only in France at the moment, but you can read more about it in Pia’s post and drool all you want! Don’t the little breakfast/tea-time scenes above look so sweet and inviting with special handmade touches and big, wholesome cookies?

2. I fell for these handmade labels by Varpunen (top image) in the shape of clouds, cupcakes, and raindrops, after seeing them used in Finnish blogger Jutta’s creative home (above) – doesn’t the cloud look darling in her pantry? And p.s., if you haven’t visited Jutta yet, do go check out her blog kootut murut as it is filled with quirky style that you won’t want to miss.

3. I am always inspired to soak in Leslie’s latest creative projects on A Creative Mint, aren’t you? Today I am loving this little pairing of an exotic tea tin with a jar full of lavender pencils.

4. Isn’t this delicate star mobile enchanting? It is handmade with book pages and satin ribbon by The Butter Flying, and I think it would be so charming in a baby’s room. Or perhaps if you are feeling crafty you could create your own DIY version using pages from a favorite old book that is perhaps falling apart? Just a thought :)

5. And if you are in a crafty mood, have you seen the Oldbook tapes from Pretty Tape? These Japanese washi-style tapes are made using text from old books, and I love the faded colors  – I can imagine using these in scrapbooks, to tape up pictures and notes on an inspiration board, to seal envelopes and packages – the creative possibilities have my mind whirring!

6. As I mentioned the other day, I am taking Holly Becker’s Blogging Your Way e-course for a second time, and I wanted to pass along one little reference that Holly and Leslie pointed us to in class today: The Art of Display, which is a very helpful post written by the super-talented Benita of Chez Larsson. When she is not blogging, Benita creates creative window displays and does visual merchandising for a chain of stores in Sweden, so she really knows her stuff when it comes to styling, whether it is for a photo shoot or just to rearrange your mantle!

7. And finally, I love these images from the portfolio of stylist Stella Nicolaisen, featured on Desire to Inspire. I am saving the image on the upper right as inspiration for my kitchen – the soft grays, black and white, and varied textures are exactly the look and feel I am going for. And how romantic would it be to style up a little corner of a garden shed like the photos in the bottom row? I love seeing things like the wooden crates repurposed as shelving,  because it gets my creative juices flowing and helps me look at the objects around me in a new way.

So that is all for now, my friends! I really do hope that you have a lovely weekend, and I will meet you back here bright and shiny on Monday morning with mugs of hot coffee or tea in hand, okay?

{images: linked to individual sources above}