POTTER + BUTLER GRAND OPENING EXTRAVAGANZA

It is my pleasure to introduce you to a lovely NEW little shop named POTTER AND BUTLER. 

HOORAY for TODAY!!! I’ve been beside myself to share this little lovely bit of information with you. I’m sure you’ve seen this little wonder on Etsy…Potter and Butler is NOW OPEN for business. They have only been with us for a few days, but they already feel like old friends.

When I was reading one of my favorites, Hello!Self, a blog authored by Emily Horak, I noticed she was opening up shop in the handmade world of Etsy. It just seemed so natural that she, too, would join the marketplace, being an advocate for handmade memorable celebrations. I did a little happy dance in my chair and emailed her ASAP… begging her to let me feature the shop! She said “YES” and I did another little dance. I was so excited for her new endeavor and dying to know all the details (and see the new pretty party products!) The blogosphere is brimming with party talent and beautiful photos, but what makes Emily special is her devotion to “authentically-merry celebrations.” I knew she was going to be a hit and I had to tell you about it.

First, I must share her lovely blog. At Hello!Self, Emily brings her incredibly contagious merry outlook to her readers. She seeks all the wonderful things related to create meaningful and lovely moments. She is friendly, kind and fabulous! Emily offers guidance that goes well beyond the reaches of traditional party planning. She is a CELEBRATION COACH, which is a combination of “event planner + life coach + creative merriment pusher,” and I just think that HAS to be the coolest job ever. Her blog makes me smile and is genuine, which is rare these days. For me, Hello!Self is a beautiful reminder that everyday moments are celebration worthy.

Emily and her dear friend Carrie Flynn have opened up Potter and Butler to share their love of merriment and crafting with all. Two friends, who met in the design field, have been creating pretty fetes (one of their favorite pastimes) and created these lovelies for their clientele’s parties. The overwhelming love they received for the designs and requests for personalized, meaningful décor, prompted the two to open Potter and Butler: handmade goods for merry celebrations. Currently in their pretty little shop are: (I HAVE to quote Emily on her descriptions…too perfect)

Gracious Garlands: sweet and airy fabric pom garlands that sway to the beat of your fete or to the flow of your home

Cake garlands: a petite version of the gracious garlands – perfectly sized to adorn the celebration cake.

Morsel Adornments: Includes monogram toppers in vintage fonts, classic silhouette toppers, convey toppers (allowing you to customize a message for each topper), and Peppy Toppers, which are the food pick manifestation of our poms.

The Embellish: a modern twist on the days when grandma wore a corsage on special occasions. It’s a lush fabric corsage that says, “For me, there is significance to this moment.”

Merry Poms: The centerpiece for merriment. Reminiscent of a lush cluster bouquet, made with over two yards of fabric.

I Belong Pom: Let guests know they belong – and exactly where at the dinner table – with our take on the place card

Gift Wrap Embellishment: Our modern version of the traditional gift bow. Made of fabric, it can be part of the joy of gift giving time after time.

For Him Pom: something for the fellas - fabric boutonnieres

Sweet Notes and Good Fortune Poms- It’s a good life. And there’s lots to celebrate. Our sweet notes and good fortune poms send guests off with a sweet sentiment or fortuitous good will . Perfect as celebration favors or small gifts.

Emily and Carrie were so excited about their new shop they opened early, TODAY was to be their official grand opening. So, in GRAND Potter and Butler style…we shall CELEBRATE! Potter and Butler is holding its FIRST EVER GIVEAWAY here. Yep...I am incredibly excited, (beyond excited, really) to announce that you can win TWO GRACIOUS GARLANDS of your very own.

Winning is EASY!!! Enter FIVE times!!! Leave a comment here for each of the following:

1. Go to the Potter and Butler shop. Pick your fave. Tell us here.

2. Follow Hank + Hunt (here)

3. Follow Potter and Butler

4. Follow @hankandhunt on Twitter
5. Follow @PotterandButler on Twitter

How awesome is that? FIVE chances.  You know I would enter if I could...

COME BACK WEDNESDAY for my interview with Emily of Potter and Butler, more eye candy, and more ways to win...it'll be worth it.  I promise.

Happy Bunting...Hunting for Bunting...Wide World of Bunting...

 

  

I’m feeling fun and colorful today. What a wonderful week. My shop is up and running with goodies still to come. We’re gonna have some lovely packages available soon! I promise. Happy days!

That little garland up there, well, I have a new type of garland up in the shop...FRINGE.
 

 I figured I must not be the only one with new designs around and  it has been a while,so off I went to my favorite mall...Etsy.  Well, not technically a mall, it is a shopping center of handmade lovelies, and I could browse for hours...and its the first place I go when looking for a present or party goodie. 

VIOLET

GUMBALLS GALORE GARLAND

RAVENHILL

OOH LA LIBERTY BUNTING

ADORNINGARTS
CROCHETED ICE CREAM CONE GARLAND

TAFFIEWISHES

STRIPES AND SWIRLS FELT PARTY BANNER

HANDMEDOWNS

HANDMADE PARTY KIT

PAPERKLIPDESIGN

A TO Z LETTER GARLAND

Cakestand Extravaganza Ultimate Wishlist

These darlings today are gorgeous, fantastic, drool-worthy.  I wish they were mine. Alas...they are incredibly indulgent, and I do think my hubby would kill me if I bought them. 

First up is the fabulous Clara French.  I think these are my favorite cake plates ever.  I have yet to see anything remotely comparable. If you have never seen these two sister's work (where have you been? These girls have been everywhere in the blog world), go NOW to their site.  It's like walking into a french boutique or heaven.  A-D-O-R-E.  How they get the incredible drips off the side I will never know.  But they are perfect, and owning one is right up there on the lovely goals list, next to meeting Martha.  I sigh out loud when I see these.  But I did learn that you can rent them, and they ship.  Luckily for me, my inlaws are in Seattle, so for the next family party, I am so renting one (which I can pick up at the studio and save a bundle in shipping.)

Have you seen the site Origin Crafts? They have tons of entertaining wares.  TONS.  Here are some that I would love to have on my marble island in my all white kitchen, holding my morning muffins.  Ahhh.  Dreaming again...

Now, how about some lovelies from Etsy?  Yes, well, since you asked so nicely...

Dogwood cake stand by WhitneySmith

English countryside vintage 3 tier cupcake stand PinkBurlesque

Tree slice cake stand by jessedirk

Medium wave cake stand by vesselsandwares

Cakestand Extravaganza Cupcake Edition

Itty bitty bites of heaven.  Small bits of happiness.  I heart cupcakes.  So lets celebrate proper displays.  Yes, the first option is just to cluster them on a plain, regular cupcake stand. Probably the best option for parties.  But what if I ran into the cupcakery to grab a few or even just a single, icing topped minicake of perfection?  Does this not deserve the same attention to detail as its larger brethren? Do you leave that poor dear in a box? Although, most of my single cupcake purchases never make it to the car...if they, by some miracle, make it home, surely I would display it in prestigious manners such as these:

(Above cupcake tray by clayswan)

These babies are on their way to my house, but don't worry, she has more.  I picture a minicupcake in all its teeny glory...Set of 2 Miniature Ceramic Plates by MiniatureSweet

Cupcake plate by Michelle Miller at Cakespy (found via Dirty Laundry) The next trip to Seattle to visit the inlaws and these will be mine...

Cupcake stands, set of 6 by farmhouse wares and yes, I have these, too.

What about a sherbet dish, put the cupcake in the bowl or flip it over.  How cheerful are these colors?
Set of 4 1950's Sherbet Dishes by merchantofkismet

Tiny cake stand by vesselsandwares

Fluted and blue cupcake dessert by E Isabella Designs

Felt cupcake stand sweetiepiebakery

Cupcake Pedestal by lurearts

sweet treats for your weekend

I can't post what I had planned for today.  I will post it next week.  Why???... life gets interrupted for the cutest thing ever. I saw these and said “holy cannoli, that is CUUUUTTTEEE” (the two year old looks at me with concern for mommy squealing at the computer.) I was cruising Etsy as I always do searching simple and vague words for my search while finishing up the scheduled post of black and white party lovelies. I searched black + twine. It was destiny I say, pure destiny.

I kept clicking. They kept coming.

I couldn’t stop. So. Darn. Cute. These make me want to eat them.

Well, you can’t. No, I didn’t buy them all. Oh, well I forgot to mention…ITS SOAP!!!

I KNOW!!! LOVE!!! What a perfect favor…thank you…thing for that hostess gift stockpile…or just sitting looking pretty on my kitchen counter. These sweet darlings are from KcSoapsNMore.

my new tractor seat & divine chocolate cookies

Hello darlings! I still hold my apprehensions towards Mondays, even though every day is Saturday to me...Mondays still hurt. This was by far the BEST Monday in forever.  I shall explain...

Saturday was my long awaited "day off" and I cruised the two community yard sales along the loneliest road in America, HWY 50.  Well, there were only two anywhere near me, even though I am sure other locations on the coast to coast yard sale were better.  I did not end up in California as hoped, b/c my poor little car is now 100K miles old! Happy Birthday Little Maudinator aka "the focus."  These two little sales were not as bountiful as I had hoped.  Regardless, I had a pretty cool day off flitting around the library and bookstores.  Ahhh...all without the boys. Little luxuries, if you have ever been to a book store anyone under 5 and tried to look at anything NOT in the kids section, you feel my pain. 

My disappointment in yardsales was discarded this evening when my hubby came home with this lovely vintage tractor seat from work! Thank you! Thank you!  Soon, my lovely, you will be a delightful stool, courtesy of my metal working loverboy.  Yippee!  I will post pics when she's all done.

And the SECOND reason I love Mondays, well this one, is gooeyness and yumminess. 

Last weekend, Ms. Dylan made her sis-n-law's bbq brownie madness (see here, scroll to the bottom for the brownie recipe.) Alas, the shortest of my clan is allergic to peanuts.  Phooey.  While craving them, and simultaneously cruising the baking aisle at the grocery store...I saw a box of Ghirardelli Walnut Brownie Mix. On the back of the box was a recipe for Chocolate Overload Cookies...oh dear...with white chocolate & semi-sweet chips added to the mix...the mix that has walnuts already.  YUM!  Add one jar of marshmallow cream...can you see where I am going with this?  Bake the cookies, while still warm, take two cookies and add a heaping dollup of cream between them.  Let melt and goo up.  Eat with fork.  I still dream of her PBcup/marshmallow/brownie goodness but, this was pretty darn good, and best of all, Hunter loved it.

wood doilies...super!

I had my cup of coffee and was doing my morning rounds.  Saw these sweeties, a set of five laser cut birch coasters, and attempted not once, but twice to buy them. Too slow joe...blast!  So, I shot Uncommon on etsy an email to see if they have any more.  So cute! They even have a super large one.  You know I love girly and this is just awesome.

junkin'

How cool are these wheels? I want to have the hubby make a coffee table with them, wouldn't that be awesome? A weekend or two ago I took the boys roaming around a mining and farm equipment antique store. We were on a mission to find tractor seats. Found!

While flitting around etsy, I saw a stool someone had fashioned out of an old seat and wood. It was fabulous!
I have always loved going antiquing, but a two and four year old next to aisles and aisles of breakables? I am not crazy nor rich enough to attempt. The boys did great at the acres of old rusty goodies. They evendid great when we snuck inside to see these...

I have a love/hate relationship with American Pickers, jealous that they get to do that everyday, crazy over all the cool "girly" stuff they don't even glance at. Lucky boys, lucky boys.

HAPPY EARTH DAY! I took the HANDMADE PLEDGE!

 

Happy Earth Day! Yes, its April 22. We had one heck of a windstorm last night. This morning, as I was stretching while walking down the hall, feeling a tight sting from my sunburn, sleepily noticing how bright it seemed outside for 630, low and behold, it was snowing. I kindly (yeah, uh...kindly) reminded myself I live in the desert.  I ran to my kitchen window to look at my poor tomatoes and peppers.  Poor windblown, snowed on, tomatoes and peppers.  Blast! I just changed my banner too!

Anyhoo, that is the wonder of the world.  But apparently the Reno area has recorded snowfall for every month of the year.  It makes me wonder if they are including Tahoe in this record...

Bad weather brings good things.  For example...I get to work on my projects...my super long list o'projects.  I have so many items on my to do list, I shouldn't be shopping at all. But, in reality, I can't make everything.  So, instead, I have taken the Handmade Pledge.

Buying handmade supports so many wonderful things, and Earth Day is all about making the world a better place. 

better than bunting...

Here are some lovelies I have bookmarked that are just as fabulous as the real thing.

Set of colorful plates and saucers by Ninainvorm via Etsy

Magnetic wall art by hjrdDesign via Etsy

party pennant pillowshams by katherine j lee via Etsy

Mini Happy Birthday Cards by merry blues art via Etsy

Poster Effect

I am having a ton of fun this week procrastinating.  Hence, the multiple posts about Etsy finds. I also discovered the scheduling tool on Blogger, but as a momma, when you get free time, you gotta roll while you still can...
I have a multitude of personal obsessions: mini doxies, garland/bunting, cupcakes...the list goes on and on, one of which is quotes... here's a poster edition...of yes, stuff I found on Etsy...you know you love it too.

Such a gorgeous poster. Simply gorgeous.

 Oh Darling, Let's Be Adventurers Screenprinted Poster by fifi du vie via Etsy

As a momma (of two very smart little mini-men who love to learn new words), I choose very carefully the items that slip my lips.  This cracks me up and I would so buy it if I didn't have to worry about the four year old and his learning to read, ahhhhh.  "Childproofing" is a never ending process.  Love the English flair, here's my dumb yankee question...what or who IS Gordon Bennet? Oh, and I am so googling the definition of flamin'nora, so friggin' awesome (to quote Miss Dylan).

Old Lady Swearwords poster (love the name) by sian kellaway via Etsy

 This year marks our fourth at our itty bitty house, the third for our itty bitty garden.  Heaven help me, please grow little itty bitty garden, and big guy up there...please strike down those four inch caterpillars from hell.  Yes, they are four inches long, eat our precious tomatoes, and we have no clue where they came from. I hate them, I have words that are not on the above poster for them.  Anyhoo, below is a wearable poster. Love!

Grow Your Own Food T-Shirt by Happy Family via Etsy

 

Here's one that seems like its channeling my mom.  I can't tell you how many times I heard "Quit futzin' around..."

Get On With It Already 8x10 print by Orange Beautiful via Etsy 

And last, but certainly not least..zombies.  Just too cool.  I love zombie movies, but haven't seen many lately.  In fact, I haven't seen any except one or two since I was preggers with the four year old and saw the scene where the pregnant lady turned zombie and then went into labor and gave birth to her zombie baby.  Freaked me out. I keep forgetting to buy this for the hubby's garage...

DANGER ZOMBIES RUN HAND PRINTED LETTERPRESS POSTER BY YeeHaw Industries via Etsy