i like packaging things:

something about packaging something up all nice and pretty is so fun. i was looking through my old archives and packaging images and thought i'd post a bunch here. enjoy! xo.

an archive of all my packaging posts can be seen here!

simple items can make for pretty packaging: vintage ribbon, paper doilies, bakers twine, japanese deco tape, brown kraft paper, avery labels, and tissue from vintage clothing patterns.

( lovely goods )

these shops were discovered through etsy's pounce feature. i could spend hours searching for new shops...it's so fun to discover a newly opened shop. head on over and support our fellow artists! :)

1) pocket book by whoknewdesign, $42
2) FOREST FLOWERS vinyl wall decal by lollypoptrees, $60
3) Super cool Turntable clock by Vyconic, $75
4) live in the city for crowd style by thesimpson, $69
5) Elegant silver gold plated cuff by heruniquetaste, $95
6) Crocheted Lacy Ruffled Scarf in Plum by GMollyMrs, $30

weekly giveaway - nan lawson:

nan lawson giveaway!

i met nan at a craft show in orange county, i loved all her illustrations immediately! she is really down to earth and quite talented. this week she is giving away a $30 certificate to one lucky winner..so you can choose your favorite prints from her shop!

she is a woman of many talents: she also has a photography shop too! be sure to check out her blog, follow her on twitter, and become a facebook fan ;)

twitter | flickr | become a facebook fan
website + blog | illustration shop | photography shop

win: $30 gift certificate!

hello! please tell us a little about yourself! Hello! My name is Nan and I am an illustrator/photographer/crafter based in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles. I started my Etsy shop a little over a year ago and am surprised and delighted by the response I have gotten so far!

you have such a unique style, how did you get started in illustration? I've been drawing my entire life, but I didn't really start illustrating until last summer when I started experimenting with ink drawings. I think that's also when I started to really get serious about my shop and developing a cohesive style.

what things inspire you from day to day? I'm inspired by so many things! Mostly every day objects that I see around my home. My typewriter, my shoes, my coffee press. Also my neighborhood is so inspiring! I based a lot of my character drawings on people I've seen walking around Silverlake.

any advice for beginners wanting to start up their own shop? I think my advice for beginners would be, if you want a successful shop you have to really work hard. Even if you have a great product, that's only half of the work. You have to do so much just to get your shop seen and talked about. Do your research, contact bloggers, buy advertising, and keep making new things to keep your shop fresh and visible. I have invested a lot of time, energy, and money into my business and I think it shows.

Visit nan lawson 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, january 18 at 8am, pst

---

ps: congrats to AMY who is the winner of the ruffle clutch from jujie!

happy friday:

( image by gabrielle kai )

happy friday friends! has anyone seen avatar? i saw it last night. i wasn't sure what to expect even though everyone i heard from said it was amazing. so my expectations were pretty high.. and it met every single expectation i had. if you haven't seen it yet, you must go this weekend! here are some quick links from around the blog world:

sleeping nook post on you are my fave: love all melanies finds!

lady gaga before she was famous: has anyone seen this? so much talent. i wish she would make an acapella cd.

congrats to: frenchie + flea and jillian from 100 layer cake who both launched new sites this week!

olive hue 2010 calendar giveaway: i bought one of these lovely letterpress calendars and jane is giving 3 away on her blog, so head on over and enter!

i want my wedding dress made by elizabeth dye: what do you think of them? :) i really like persuasion + beatrix.

well i hope you all have a fabulous weekend. xo.

ps: i am officially going to altsummit in salt lake city! is anyone else going? let's meet up! :)

( resource )

aw. i haven't done a resource in a while!
well i thought for the new year, we'd start off
with a new desktop calendar!

available in 3 screen sizes.
hopefully one of these will work for your computer :)

click the link and download your size:

1024 x 764
1280 x 1024
1920 x 1200

hope you like it.
xo.

( photograph )

i haven't done a ( photograph ) post in a while either! :) it is just a special day. i came across this fabulous shop through etsy's feature pounce. (if you haven't tried pounce, it's a great way to find + support new shops!)

Leslie Thomson is a photographer from Canada - i love the aesthetics and colors of her photos. (ps: she is having a buy 1 get 1 free sale at her shop! go over + support!)

just a few more photos from her flickr: just beautiful.

( shop. flickr. )

( lovely goods )

didn't get that gift you wanted?
treat yourself to something nice for the new year ;)

1) The golden compact spyglass by seaunicorn, $46.50
2) Bemused Retro Knee-Length Skirt by MoonCircus, $128
3) Hand Built Porcelain Lace Plate - Bowl by raquelmasri, $80
4) Lavish Blossom Clutch by EightSeasons, $95
5) pair of vintage books by sadieolive, $128
6) Peace - 5x7 - Fine Art Print by violetbellaphoto, $15

coming soon at oh, hello friend:

coming soon in 2010:

- spring '10 lovely package exchange
- letterpress week
- mini cake stand tutorial
- selling + surviving at a craft show
- spring '10 shop trade guide
- lovely business cards - part two.
- blog redesign!

i'm excited about all the content coming soon to oh, hello friend. i thought i'd post this list of things from my lists of things to blog about.. so you can know what's coming and also keep me accountable so i actually post it ;)

most definitely open to suggestions. please comment if there is something you'd like to see posted on the blog in 2010!

inspire: lovely.

i am loving images of fields and sunsets right now.
it's 2010! crazy!!

may you be inspired today, and hope your first week
of 2010 is going well friends.


mayu on flickr +


simply hue +


claire prenton on flickr +


wow, simply lovely +
via design lovely


beautiful photos from cute cotton +
via luphia loves


she reads in fields +
via so about what i said


sweet blue +


fine little day +


honey tree +


jenny murray on flickr +


simply bloom photography +


another by simply bloom photography +
seriously, this photo makes me want to get married
tomorrow and take the most beautiful photos ever! just like this.


+


all the pretty horses by irene suchocki +

weekly giveaway - jujie:

hello friends! we're starting the year off with a fabulous ruffle bag giveaway from jujie. everything in her shop is just lovely. this week you have a chance to win the bright green ruffle bag. be sure to visit her shop and her website!

win: Bright green ruffle
bag, $44 value!

Hello! Please tell us a little about yourself! Hi there, my name is Susie Demjen. My family is from a small town in Ontario, Canada… but for the last year and a half, I’ve lived in the big and vibrant city of Toronto (I get to look out to the CN Tower everyday.) I design, construct and sew all Jujie handbags full-time from my cozy one bedroom + den condo, while my roommate & love of my life gets to listens to my sewing machine 24/7, poor guy.

How did you get starting sewing and making your beautiful things? When I was about 10 I ask my mom to teach me to knit. I would say that’s when I started to make things, they may not have been ‘beautiful’ from the start, but it’s where it all began.

I starting sewing when I realized that knitting took far too long for me to finish any project. That’s when my mom, gave me her 25 year old Kenmore sewing machine – which she happen to buy the year I was born. It has been about two years since I starting my handbag line and I truly can’t get enough!

I have found what I want do in life, and that is to be a Handbag Designer.

What things inspire you from day to day? I love summer. I think that’s what inspires me most days. In Ontario, we get some pretty cold days in the winter and I always dream of what it would be like to live somewhere warm all year long. I dream of summer weather… a lot.

My designs also come from the small town, country feel from my hometown – Pefferlaw, Ontario. It is there where I’ve always felt relaxed by the lake, fields and forests that surround my family home.

Favorite websites/blogs/shops: I truly love the handmade world, and the talented people who write about it. Some of my fav places to visit are: decor8 | a creative mint | etsy storque decor | little houses shop | soft spoken shop

Visit jujie 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, january 11 at 8am, pst

---

ps: congrats to #14, JASMIN the winner of the giveaway from carriegirl! please contact me with your information! (winner has 1 week to claim prize. if prize is not claimed, a new winner will be chosen)

special sponsor rate:

what better way to start off the new year than offering a super deal this month on sponsorships. i know i'm a couple days late in posting this..holidays were crazy! anyway, i'm offering 13 spots for only $10 dollars to anyone who wants to sponsor oh, hello friend. your ad will be placed near the top, on the right hand column of the blog.

the first 13 people to comment will receive the special. :) please be sure to leave your email address so i can contact you! thanks friends. xo.

edit: spots are now full but if you'd like to secure a spot for february, i can offer a $5 discount. please comment or email me for info and stats. thank you for your support friends!

hello 2010:

happy new year!

hope you all had a lovely '09 ending.

i am excited for 2010!

(and now officially beginning wedding planning..)

any new year resolutions?

(image from sem on flickr: thank you jengee!)