What is this plant?

I really like the smell of this plant. I always disregarded it as a shrub that fills space in the garden. There is one growing right outside my studio room window and yesterday, I was trying to get the screen back into the window and I plucked a couple stems to put into a vase. Later, Matt smelled it and said its scent was nice... and it was! It is fresh smelling, a little medicinal and just a little sweet. Does anyone know what it is called?

Thank you, in advance!
Update: Thanks to Amelia and Alison! It is Pieris japonica, or also known as the lily-of-the-valley shrub! Looks like lily-of-the-valley, but it is a shrub. It has to be easy to grow because it is growing like a weed outside my window and I've neglected to water it... umm, ever. It was here before we moved into the house.

New velvet crush

I'm just a little hooked on and excited about velvet right now. Why? I don't know, but if pressed on the question, I guess it's because it has a vintage feel about it. I like the the weight and thickness as well. It creates lovely durable and substantial head pieces. Expect to see many more velvet pieces soon. Here's the latest:

Milky Way
Hand dyed and handmade silk velvet and silk organza flower.
Thank you so much, everyone, for your sweet comments on my previous post. I'm SO happy that you like the new work. That really keeps me going! I "treated" myself to a shower this morning... ha ha! I don't look like such a grease ball in these latest photos. ;)

What a week!

It has been an insanely busy week, so I do apologize for the light blog posts! I didn't get dressed up once this week... I have been in sweats every single day, so no outfit posts. So sorry! I am also a little behind on messages and orders and am staying up late tonight again to catch up. So hang tight!
What the heck have I been up to this week? WELL... I have been building a brand new website from scratch...
I had a couple medical things to attend to...
I had two photo shoots to create pieces for...
Fulfilling orders...
And every once and a while... I sleep a little. ;)
I jokingly wrote to my sister that I only showered twice this week. I know, I know! Ew~ So not lady like! But it's been that busy. I figure that saves me about 1 hour. So for all the lovely blog readers, here's a sneak peak at some new pieces I worked on this week for the shoots...

Hand dyed silk, handmade flowers, berry accents

For a country bride, hand dyed silks and linen flowers
And introducing my new Velvet line:

Luxurious hand dyed silk velvet... all handmade. Each petal is handwired so you can bend into place as you please. This particular piece also features vintage velvet paper wired leaves. More velvet pieces to come!

Woot! :: evapaul is having a sale!

One of my new favorite invitation designers and a t&h blog sponsor, evapaul, is having a very generous sale for all the blog readers! You want to know the details, right? Well...
15% off your entire order (excluding shipping- must meet minimum order requirements and cannot be combined with any other offers)
just mention the coupon code: BLOG before we set up your deposit.
Deposit must be paid before March 1st at 12 pm MST.

Get your deposit paid ASAP. This is such a great offer!
Evapaul is a cute husband and wife team of Nic and Kirsten. Their designs are uber stylish and modern and they are the sweetest to work with. Stop by their store and snatch up a good deal!

Gwen

Lola

Take the hassle out of designing wedding invitations and order a set of evapaul designs!

Sista...

My big sis has been stocking her new etsy shop with lots of lovely things. Including:

Handmade jewelry or gift card pouches

A lovely embellished ribbon scarf

A super duper soft, comfy and cute embellished sweater
Be sure to visit Amy's Etsy shop HERE and her blog HERE for more loveliness.

New Sponsor :: letters4lilly

I'm very excited to introduce to all the blog readers my newest sponsor, letters4lilly. The owner of the Australian based company, Liza, is very talented at creating bespoke bridal bouquets that are truly unique and which will make the perfect heirlooms, lasting long after the wedding is over. The bouquets are all handmade using buttons, fabric flowers, and other unique lovely bits. These would also make a great alternative for those who have allergies. In addition to bouquets, Liza creates corsages, boutonnieres, wristlets and more! She can custom design your bridal bouquet to fit your style and colors, but be sure to get in touch sooner because she's a busy lady and in demand! A few examples of beautiful brides with their gorgeous letters4lily bouquets:

Amy's Cord Holders

We would like to introduce you to Amy. She helps out in the Art Studio when she is not busy with college, writing, photography, or looking up random facts on her iPod Touch. She got this project idea from one of her favorite blogs, Apartment Therapy. It is really simple and all you need are a few supplies you probably already have.


Yep, you guessed it. Those are toilet paper rolls.


She used Bridgeport's Pavilion paper for this one.


She used Bridgeport's Tennis Court paper for this one. No more excuses for ugly loose cords. Thanks, Amy!

Serena Style

Another fabulous outfit by Blake Lively for Serena Van Der Woodsen.

Rug Love

I have been obsessed with this Matthew Williamson rug from The Rug Company for a little while. I would love one of these for our new house but I think it will definitely be way out of our price range. The colours used are divine and I just love the pattern. Doesn't it look beautiful with that pink sofa and I especially like it placed on the white painted timber floors!

Jocelyn Decor & More

The Jocelyn collection is not just for scrapbookers. There are a lot of amazing craft projects you can make. We made this collection of projects for the CHA show and Mandi put them together in our retail store. In case you didn't know we have an outlet store. So, if you are ever in the Logan, Utah area, stop by and check it out.


Try mod-podging some home decor items you already have for a new look. We used velvet paper for the mirror. A few simple embellishments go a long way.


Customize items with rub-ons. You'll be surprised by how many different surfaces they work on.


Cover journals, books, & binders. There are so many possibilities - cards, mod-podge hangers (you could hang scrapbook layouts from these), magnets, banners...

A touch behind...

Just a quick update!
I had a few medical errands to take care of last week and this week... coupled with my computer virus AND getting a new product off the ground AND photo shoots! Yikes! I'm just a little behind on made to orders, but am going to be staying up tonight and tomorrow to finish fulfilling all of them. Thank you so much for your patience with me!!!

Oh! And I've been emailing and exchanging blog comments with a few of you who suffer from migraines. Just to follow-up, for anyone interested, I had some blood work done last week and it turns out I'm a bit low on B12 in my bloodstream. It can cause tiredness, migraines, eye pain/twitches, memory loss, tingling, and a bunch of other symptoms. I'm not a medical expert AT ALL, so please check with your own doctor if you have experienced any of these symptoms. If you want to check your B12, specifically ask to have your B12 checked. Why? Because they can detect B12 deficiencies normally with a CBC (so doctors sometimes only check your CBC), because of changes with your hemoglobin, BUT not always.... Turns out, my hemoglobin has been fine for years, but it was the specific B12 test that detected the low levels. I'm now taking B12 supplements and Iron (I'm low on Iron as well). Non-specific symptoms are really crazy making, but I hope I can help others by sharing my quirky experiences (I promise not to blog too much more about all these weird symptoms).
I'm actually going in for my first MRI tomorrow, which will be interesting. I'm getting it to rule out any other potential causes for my migraines.

One more note... Thank you to everyone for your VERY useful comments about Windows 7! I'm going to skip the Vista recovery and go with Windows 7 based on everyone's comments. THANK YOU!!!!! I hear great things about Macs too, but I'm so old school and like PCs... I think because I got so used to them when I was in the science field. I'm sure Macs are so much better for grapic/media work, which would be good for me. Aw~ I need to save more $$!

Better Watch What I Say

Hi, Jennifer K---y.
Kevin Rudd (KevinRuddPM) is now following your tweets on Twitter.
A little information about Kevin Rudd:

918429 followers501 tweetsfollowing 171124 people

Set of Vintage Plates

A pretty set of plates are available on Vintage by Lou Lou's Ebay store as above. Don't they look wonderful hung on that aqua wall?!

March Calendar Page

The March calendar page is finally here! This month was a little later than normal because we wanted to make sure you could purchase all the products to make this layout. We are happy to announce that new releases, including Jocelyn will be available to purchase on our website very soon.

We started this calendar in January to help you with our challenge to scrapbook one page each month in 2010. Each month we will post a FREE monthly calendar download and a single-page scrapbook layout idea. If you create the layout, print off the calendar page & slip them into a sheet protector, you will have a calendar to display with your own photos. Then, in December you will have twelve great layouts completed to represent the year!

March 2010:
Jocelyn assortment pack
Jocelyn page titles
Jocelyn gems
Jocelyn rub-ons
Jocelyn epoxy stickers

Christie Brinkley's Dining Room

I adore this image {above} of Christie Brinkley's dining room as styled by Kim Ficaro. In particular I am in-love with the April Gornik painting hanging in the background with those gorgeous silver vases filled with peonies on the dining table. Such a beautiful composition!

Love the fabric on her sofa too!!

Sunday running errands outfit

Sweater cardigan and mini dress: Eryn Brinie off Gilt Groupe
Shoes: Bloch off Gilt Groupe
Bag: Sraige off Etsy
Belt: Anthropologie
Knit hat: gift from mom
Bracelets: junghwa by Amy Stewart

Retro Surfer Boy

Surfer Boy has been going through some old photos, mostly from the days when he was more 'Climber Boy' than Surfer Boy. My how times have changed. I remember the days when every surface had the potential to be climbed and every building/bridge/wall was surveyed for it's possibilities. Even the long hair is long gone. As much as I loved it, it is much easier to be the wife of a surfer than a climber.
Thank god he doesn't have the time to do both anymore.

Happenings

Life as I know it just doesn't seem to be getting any slower or less hectic. Sometimes I crave a more subdued life but I suppose that's just not me. I am one who loves things happening and if I wasn't complaining about how hectic everything is then I would be complaining about how boring and uninteresting everything is.

You see, I am juggling a few large balls in the air at the moment along with being pregnant with our second child, due to arrive early May {thought it was about time to disclose this information as clients have been looking at me in a strange way too scared to say "have you put on weight or are you pregnant?"}, we are renovating the shop which is very, very exciting. After being there for 10 years now, it is time for a freshen up and as the business has grown we are desperate for more space.

We have taken over more floor space in the upstairs section of our building which will accommodate a large client meeting room, my new office which I will share with Kelly who project manages all our work, and a large fabric sample room. This will enable the shop downstairs to extend through to the back of the building where my office and client meeting room is currently. With the arrival of our beautiful Stuart Membery pieces of furniture due late April/early May this extra shop space is going to be wonderful!

Here's a sneak peek above of upstairs. I took this photo on Friday. The painters are almost finished. The floors are still to be sanded and painted {white gloss} and lighting installed. We should be up-and-running upstairs sometime within the next month. I can't wait to have a special room to meet clients in. Downstairs has become so crazy and jam packed...an obvious sign that it was time to expand upstairs.

Not only are we renovating the shop, with the arrival of a newborn on the horizon, we have bought a new house which is larger than our current cottage with more land as well. Although I will be so sad to say good-bye to our little house {and the fact that I didn't really get to finish it off the way I wanted to} it just won't accommodate our needs with our growing family. The new house, which is actually a very old house and was built in 1887, is going to be a wonderful project which I will keep you all updated on as we move forward.

So, with all that is going on it was nice to spend some time pottering around the cottage this weekend. I was inspired by the vignette I posted on Friday to move a few of my things around. I purchased some orchids and clustered them on our entry table on a silver tray my mother gave me. Whilst I pottered around, Ned just couldn't help but bring lots of mud into the house on the white floors. So many people ask me how I feel about our white floors. I must say they are so hard to keep clean with a big Golden Retriever bouncing in and out of the house but I do love them and continue to put up with having to have them cleaned 3-4 times per week.

Anyway, that's it from me for now. There are a few more very exciting things in the pipeline but those things are for another day. I just thought I would bring you up-to-speed with what's been happening in my world lately.

xx

Anna

all images - anna spiro