my engagement ring:

so if you're a recent reader to the blog, on november 6, my sweet bf and i got engaged! thank you to everyone who shared in our joys and celebration from the story! and friends who congratulated us at craft shows over the past couple months, it is so special to be able to share it with you.

anyway, i wanted to share my special engagement ring with you today... and really kind of just brag about my fiancee for a second ;) i found this piece of paper on my floor, and when i opened it up i realized that it was a schedule for the day he proposed, broken down minute by minute. i'll admit: i teared up a little and it made me realize just how much work he put into it and how blessed i am to have someone who cares for me so much.

here's the schedule i found:

so cute right? i think it's cute ;)

and i went a little crazy on the pictures of the ring he made out of a block of wood. all he used was a hand saw and a some sandpaper (in the picture above, with the wood block too) he said there was sawdust all over his apartment... when he showed me the block of wood that he started with, all i could think was.. wow, that's legit! hehe.

the block is the 'back up' piece he made just in case he had to start over.. so yea, he started with that wood block and sanded and sanded and sanded until he came up with the ring you see next to the block. he also told me he just guessed on the drill bit size and drilled! it fit my finger perfectly so it was definitely meant to be! he even somehow managed to carve little hearts on the side.

i wore it for a month but we were both afraid it would break esp.. then for christmas, he surprised me with these beautiful rose rings he picked out on etsy! i love them.. and i feel like they're symbolic in a way... the 2 roses represent him and i and the 1 rose represents Christ! when i mentioned it to him he said he thought the exact same thing! so i am just wearing the 2 roses ring and i think the 1 rose will just be my wedding ring. :)

ps: if you want to know where the rings are from, i can ask him!
just let me know!

2 rings, i am a lucky + blessed girl.
thanks for letting me share the engagement rings
with you ;) happy friday dear friends. xo.

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update: nick told me the shop he got the rings from is jennykim!
her work is just fabulous!
thanks for all your sweet comments! nick thanks you too. :)

Also: silver earrings online

collections / desk + office inspiration:

via decor8 +


decorology +


via beegirl211 +


beautiful desk.
(source unknown, if you know it, please comment
with source so i can credit, thank you!)


ideas for storing ribbon +


+


hide & chic from easy living magazine +


oh pottery barn, how i wsh i could afford your lovely things. +


via decorology + and +


i want those drawers! +


margot austin interiors +


the most seriously organized craft room ever via making it lovely.+


can my sewing section be this pretty? +


1 day, $0 dollar makeover. just lovely, via shoptalk. +

( lovely goods )

1) PRE-ORDER Sans Serif Typography Wood Wall Art by peppersprouts, $70
2) Crest Mod Cabin Wall Clock by nice, $58
3) Linda Necklace-Goldfilled Frame Handstamped by StephieMc, $35.25
4) Juliet tote - dark blue denim by christystudio, $45
5) a happy dreary day- braided fabric necklace by mycakies, $16
6) Shield me on a rainy day by littlemiso, $18

inspire: lovely.

note: click the + for the source.

sunny sf by sfgirlbybay +


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_cassia +


+


+


+


Anna Amphigorously +


+



piou +


source unknown, please comment if you know it, thanks :)


+


Abigail Lee +


i.anton +


little silver boxes +


apartment therapy +


i.anton again :) +

weekly giveaway - olive:

olive giveaway!

fallon from olive is such an inspiring creative. you may have seen some of her packages from the lovely package exchange. well, she has a shop filled with the most lovely goods. she has generously donated a $40 gift certificate to spend on anything in her shop. good luck :)

blog | olive shop | vintage shop

win: $40 gift certificate!

Hello! Please tell us a little about yourself and how you started your lovely shop/How did you learn how to sew?: Hello! My name is Fallon. In 2007 I had a sudden interest in sewing. Maybe it was my love of decorating or rather my love of Anthropologie pillows that I couldn't afford! Without any knowledge of the craft I went out and and purchased a sewing machine. Within a month I had sewn dozens of items and without any planning I turned my Etsy buyer account into a seller account. At first I thought it would be great if I could sell 2 or 3 items in a month. Little did I know I would be selling that much each week from the start. I was stunned and forever changed. You could say I'm a self taught sewer but I think it was a God giving talent that was in me all along.

Places you go for inspiration: My favorite designs seem to come at very uninspiring times like when I'm in line at the grocery store or stuck in traffic. When it's time to cut and sew new ideas I find inspiration in the suns glow, a cracked window letting in a cool breeze, a new stack of fabric, music and a fresh cup of coffee.

Advice for aspiring shop owners: You'll never know what may be if you don't at least try! Put your worries aside and just dive in. Opening a shop on Etsy is super easy and very afforadable. You'll learn all you need to know as you go along. Be sure to give yourself a fair amount of time the make your shop grow. Don't forget that customer service is as important as the quality of the items you sell. So treat your buyers good and hopefully they will tell a friend or two about you :)

Visit olive shop and leave a comment
with your favorite item from the shop.

( EXTRA CHANCE TO ENTER! )

wait! there is an opportunity to gain one extra entry:
simply twitter, facebook, or blog about this giveaway
and come back and comment with the link :)

please check back next week to see if you are the lucky winner!

giveaway ends on monday, february 1 at 8am, pst

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congrats to #16 - JEN
who won the $30 certificate from yellowgoat!

share some candy:

have you ever come across a blog and wondered, "how have i not seen this blog before?" that was my thought when i came across this blog. i'm sure many of you have already stumbled upon this blog but if you haven't, you're in for a treat! share some candy, created by reuben miller, features posts about designers, artists, and culture. the blog also features lovely curators such as erin loechner from design for mankind and amy ng from pikaland. enjoy :)

i love the projects pictured above. drawers: schubladen house mug: not martha wood houses: Wannes Goetschalckx doily: kristen wicklund hello: erik marinovich bike trailer: kevin cyr

xo.

happy friday:

paris is a feeling: irene suchoki, via paper n stich.

happy weekend friends! i'm off in salt lake for alt summit design + blogger conference: i'll report about it next week when i return. :) please remember to comment on last week's post to donate $1 for haiti relief which ends today. what are your weekend plans?

collections / vintage drawers:

tall industrial atelier drawer chests


Old Switchboard Tabletop Wood Cabinet


Vintage Industrial Machinist Cabinet


Primitive Dutch Table Top Work Station


Early Century Oak Brass Sextet Cabinet, Early 1900s.


Industrial Vintage Medical Cabinet, 1940s.


Rustic Industrial File Sorting Box, 1940s.


Old Switchboard Tabletop Wood Cabinet, 1940s.


Vintage Factory Double Sorting Cabinet

wow. i stumbled upon factory 20 from cafe cartolina, a lovely art and inspiration blog. all items pictured above are from factory 20. i just want to enter into their world and live in it!

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inspired but can't afford the full size cabinets?
here are some more affordable desktop
drawers to get your collection started:


( from left to right )

vintage metal index file from AMradio, $34
Vintage metal card file box drawer from littlebyrdvintage, $18.50
small vintage industrial metal 3- drawer box from dkgeneralstore, $20
Vintage Industrial Metal Slide Storage Box from backgarage, $28
Vintage Industrial Storage Chest from oldohiofarmfinds, $39.95
SALE Industrial Steel 6 Drawer Card File from bluebonnetfields, $110