Neapolitan Ice Cream

I love ice cream. But, I like only two-thirds of a scoop of Neapolitan ice-cream. Chocolate - good. Vanilla - good. Strawberry - meh, no thank you.

In fact, once when I was a child I was invited to a birthday party. Cake and ice-cream naturally were on the menu. What a disappointment though to learn that the ice cream in question was the ubiquitous Neapolitan. Having been taught that it is rude to not eat everything that you are served by your host, I was at a loss. Cake and two-thirds of my ice cream eaten, I was left with the dilemma of what to do with this pink blob, that due to the nearby fireplace was rapidly melting into a thick messy puddle. hhhmmmmm... that fireplace could be pretty handy. When no one was looking, I slyly slid the remaining blob into the fire and proudly presented my cleaned plate to the hostess. I was praised for cleaning my plate as opposed to all the other children who had left large melty pink puddles upon their own.

Flavour aside, I do still love the colour combination of brown, pink and white. The inventor of this ice cream certainly got that aspect right. Clearly, I'm not the only one who agrees. Following, some etsy sellers who pay homage to this popular ice cream flavour!

These daintily scalloped hearts capture not just the Neapolitan colours, but also the scents . You can find these in the etsy shop of SoStinkingSweet. (Great shop name!)

No secret that I am a bit of stationery junkie, and this personalized set from FreshlySkweezed makes me feel more than just a little squidgy inside.

For something completely different, how about this fascinator/mini veil as a wedding accessory. I love it! I just really do think that Canadians should embrace the British tradition of buying and wearing hats for fancy occasions. I really think such a trend could work for me. This delightful accessory was found in the shop of hairbowswonderworld.

Mix the pretty colours of Neapolitan with the sweetness of love birds, and you have the cutest clutch in town. This clutch was designed by BrianaEdelmanDesigns.

Finally, how could we celebrate the ice cream of our childhood without included a mini item. These super-adorable baby shoes are handcrafted by smallbeansbaby.

Well, that's it. Strangely, I have a craving that needs to be fulfilled.

Alice in Wonderland - Oddities

The first three characters that Alice met while on her adventure have been real doozies, haven't they? Would you believe that there was a whole cast of other oddballs and many more head-scratching moments.

Let's meet for instance the Cheshire cat. A grinning cat would be one thing, but "a grin without a cat?" is rather extraordinary indeed. Here is a grin without a cat, found in the shop of Livethislife777.

And what of a hookah-smoking Caterpillar? Truly absurd! For those sage caterpillars amongst us, here is a hookah that you may enjoy. It has been crafted by JustinCroweStudio.

Gosh, and with all the shrinking, growing, flamingo croquet, tea parties, and whatnot, what an adventure this was. I must say though, that one of the wonderful recurring themes throughout, is cake. Cake makes Alice grow taller (hmmm, I need some of that!), and stones hurled at her turn to cake (hmmm, I would love some of those stones, too). Since cake plays a big role in this story, and because I love cake, may I suggest a treat from thecupcakemint.

I bet that Alice was rather relieved when her sister woke up and she discovered that all of this nonsense was just a dream. Lucky for us, too, since we got to share in the adventure.

Now admit it, you must agree that this is much better than the "Who Shot JR?" dream.

Alice in Wonderland - Meeting the Queen

Poor Alice. As if tumbling down a hole, and having tea with a mercury-laden hatter weren't enough, it is certainly better than having the phrase "Off with her head" hurled in your direction. Unfortunately, this was her introduction to the Queen of Hearts.

The Queen of Hearts is a complicated monarch: furious and irrational, yet an aficionado of calming, genteel activities.

One of these activities is a form of gardening. In this I mean that she enjoys ordering her playing card minions to paint her white roses red to suit her preference. When she is unhappy with the results, more beheading may be in order. Although this rose is particularly beautiful, I am not sure that it would pass muster with the queen. I would disagree, and I am sure so would photographer theeye.

The queen of hearts has a fondness for croquet, albeit the flamingo and hedge-hog variety. Imagining that this may cause some angst amongst the animal-lovers, I would humbly suggest that the Queen return to the more traditional tools of the game. They look a little bland in comparison perhaps, but may this lovely photo will sway her. This photo was captured by etsy seller dorndorf.

Now despite her irrational personality, we must still respect the monarch's reign. And as we know, no queen would be her regal self without a proper crown. This imaginative tiara is made up of reclaimed clock hands, with Swarovski crystals adding a bit of sparkle. It comes from EJPCreations.

What an odd cast of characters. Can you believe there are still more to come tomorrow?

Alice in Wonderland - Tea With the Hatter Makes Alice Emotional

I love a good tea party, but I hate riddles. Therefore, I don't think I could bear to sit through an afternoon with the Mad Hatter and his mates. Even our polite and mild-mannered Alice grew frustrated by her tea-date.

Now, in fairness to the Hatter, he may not be entirely to blame for his baffling and titchy habits. Did you know that in the Victorian era mercury was used in the manufacture of hats. The resultant mercury poisoning caused many a hatter to tremble and appear as though insane. Today, mercury poisoning is still refered to as Mad Hatters Disease. But we are not here for a neurotoxicology lesson, are we.

Rest assured, today's hats are mercury free. And if you wish to find a hat fit for hatter, try this lovely one on for size. It is by dashandbag who we recently met, along with the White Rabbit.

Of course no tea party would be complete without a proper teapot. This one from magnoliapottery looks like it is befitting the table of our Mad Hatter friend.
If you are going to storm out of a teaparty, you best have a nearby door in a tree to exit through. Lucky for us, NothinButWood has kindly provided one.


Oh, but it is terribly small. A quick nibble on a mushroom will help shrink us down to size. Thank you GeorgiaGriegoFineArt for the quick nosh.

Could there truly be adventures awaiting us? Wait until tomorrow to see.

Alice in Wonderland - Don't Be Late

As you may know, Alice's troubles all began when she spotted a fastidiously dressed yet tardy rabbit, and decided to follow him down a rabbit hole.

Although the white rabbit's name was never revealed, I do believe that it could be Edgar. After all, look how dignified this rabbit by the same name appears, and imagine how dapper he would be in the proper waistcoat. Edgar is an illustration by etsy seller, amberalexander.

Did you know that if one of us came across the White Rabbit in today's world, we would probably label him "steampunk". That's right, his dapper appearance is in fact thoroughly modern. His pocket watch might have been re-purposed into earrings, or a necklace, or simply given a modern make-over like this one seen here by analoguepeople.

What good is a pocket watch without a proper waistcoat pocket from which to suspend it? (A waistcoat by the way is simply the British word for vest.) I think our rabbit would look smashing in this Victorian-inspired tapestry waistcoat. This was created by dashandbag.

Oh, I think that is one perfectly outfitted rabbit. But, ladies remember, don't fall for a slick looking rabbit. It will lead to trouble every time. Tomorrow, we will meet another troublesome character.

Alice in Wonderland

With the release of Tim Burton's version of "Alice in Wonderland" due to hit the big screen soon, I thought it would be fun to do a little Alice themed series. Day by day, we will look at key characters and events in the book and find some fun items to fit the theme.

Today, we will start at the obvious starting place: Alice, herself. I have scoured etsy and have found some perfectly sweet items for the modern-day Alice.

In early illustrations, Alice is often pictured in a blue dress with a white apron over top.
That's a little old-fashioned. Instead, I have found this darling blue pinafore. It has the traditional blue, but it also has this lively, swirly print, that has a whimsical wonderland meets Who-ville quality to it. This reversible pinafore is by threeyellowstarfish.

Maryjanes, always a smart footwear choice would look absolutely perfect with this pinafore. These sweet vintage little girls shoes are found in the shop of vireovintage.


Naturally, a modern day Alice would want to accessory just a little. With all that sliding down tunnels and flamingo croquet, it would be best to keep the hair out of one's eyes. This headband would do the trick nicely, and fashionably. It is by BabyKDesigns.

Why, that darling little girl actually looks a little like Alice, doesn't she?

Join me tomorrow as we continue on with more adventures in Wonderland.

Favorite Things - February 15

My life feels a little less rich since I have moved over a thousand kilometres away from my nearest Williams-Sonoma store. That store was my happy place. Although many of the items were a little out of my league I still would wander by on a blue day to bask in the soft glow of the copper pots, pans and poachers. Now, I have to rely on their website for an artificial joy.

Typing in access to my virtual happy space yesterday, I was greeted with this very fun, genius cake pan duo.How unbelievably cool is this pan!! And look at the finished product that they revealed on the website:In this image, the cake is filled with a white butter-cream icing, but I dream of this cake sandwiching cookies'n'cream ice cream for a fun summer party dessert.

Mmmmm-mm. Way to go W-S, you've done it again!

Happy Valentine's Day

While it may be true that Valentine's Day is truly just yet another overinflated, commercial day, it does provide a good excuse to dress up and treat yourself and your sweetie to a night out. And in keeping with the pink and red theme that has become a ubiquitous part of Valentine's Day, let's take a look at some of the wonderful outfits and accessories one could wear on this night out.

First, I simply adore this wonderfully feminine dress by Canadian seller, econica. The soft frills add a touch of romance, while the superb colour makes it a vibrant, stand-out-in-the-crowd option.

I love the layered flower petal look of this divine clutch, also be a Canadian seller, DavieandChiyo.

Finish things off with a little added impact, drawing attention to your pretty face. I am not normally a golden girl, but these earrings actually had me sighing over their beauty. These stunning earrings simply shine with gorgeous pink-gold quartz stone, and hammered gold findings. They were crafted by jdeandrade.

Finally, if you wish to carry your Valentine theme from earlobe to toe, dress up your everyday shoes with a pair of pretty in pink shoe clips. These charming accents are made by ChloeANDMaddie.

Have a fun, romance-filled day! ;)

Ranunculus

The interminably long month of February drags on and I continue to dream of spring. Images of spring flowers crowd my mind, first and foremost being that floral changeling - the ranunculus. Tightly furled or loosely frilled petals; lightly hued, or vividly jeweled-toned, the seemingly endless variety of ranunculae will be at home in any arrangement or setting.

In a sneak peek of spring blooms to come, I give you the ranunculus.

This gorgeous photo of mauve ranunculus is by etsy seller, shannonpix.


This riotous burst of colour was captured by etsy seller, lauradeponte.

I have a fond appreciation of items inspired by this favorite flower as well. I love that the beauty of this petalled perfection can grace a cherished outfit or accessory. Something such as this headband by danacastle. Wouldn't it add just the perfect dash of whimsy?

Just look how a ribbon sash dressed up with ranunculus blooms can take an already pretty dress and turn into something stunning. This sash was made by WeeGardens.

And until those warm, ranunculus spring days arrive, this beautiful petal patterned wool felted necklace will serve as a cozy accessory. This comes to us from stemellina.

All of these gorgeous blooms somehow made February seem a little brighter.

Opening Ceremonies

The Olympic Flame is traveling its last kilometres toward its destination, and in a mere few hours the Olympic Games will be underway.

With the excitement of the opening ceremonies inspiring me, I curated this etsy treasury. It features both some wonderful Canadian etsy sellers, and some fabulous items that pay homage to both the city of Vancouver and some of the featured events.

GO CANADA!!

The featured sellers are:
bnute, tinytins, reneeleonestudio, and highoncraft.
lojo55n, EdufeltandMore, rbwatercolors, VintagePaperParade.
CraftinaT, Cindimh, urbanknitfits, localcolorist.
alliecoate, carvelcountrysoaps, rjcharms, GraphicDivine.

Etsy Front Page

I had the good fortune to be included in a gorgeous treasury curated by editionbw. On Friday afternoon, it made it to the etsy front page. Yah!


Those are my Octopus's Garden in the Shade earrings in the centre of the third row. What a treat to be featured alongside this group of talented sellers.

Favorite Things - February 1

I like to stay hydrated. No matter where I am I tote along water.

I don't like to purchase bottled water for a number of reasons: the waste; the cost; the not knowing what may be leaching out of the plastic bottle and into my healthy sip of water. I also don't like having to slurp out of a water fountain. I don't know who licked the faucet last, or when it was last cleaned. I also don't enjoy the unpredicatbility of the stream.

So what can I do? Easy, purchase a reusable bottle and lug my water straight from my tap (well, briefly filtered first). But then there started to be rumblings about the possibility of aluminum leading to Alzheimer's which made me nervous about these bottles, even though they are lined. Sufficient press about the dangers of BPA's soon made me suspicious of plastic bottles. Even the BPA-free plastic bottles, I remained wary of, not knowing if in a couple months a new study would point out another chemical lurking within.

Panic, and thirst, was beginning to set in. Then, I discovered Klean Kanteen, a stainless steel water bottle. No harmful chemicals, sturdy, totable. Perfect, right? Right... so I bought a knock-off. Another brand of stainless steel bottle. It was fine for a while, but then as I screwed the plastic cap on and off over and over again, the narrow, fine threads on the cap began to wear away, and the cap became a little loose. Mostly, it was fine apart from a little leakage if tossed on my car seat and left horizontal for a period of time. Then one day I picked it up by looping my finger into the cap, and as I lifted gravity fought me, and the cap remained looped on my finger as the bottle fell to the floor and water poured everywhere. Thirsty again, I decided to look again at the Klean Kanteen... a slightly more expensive option, but perhaps after all, the better option.


I opened the cap that was on the bottle, admiring the display of extra caps merchandised nearby: sports caps, loop caps, flat caps. One plus that I could see straight off was that the mouth was wider, which meant that I might be able to cram in a small ice cube on a hot day, and there was less likelihood of the water funnelling straight down the narrow neck and right up into my nose. Learning from the last debacle, I closely examined the cap threads. Nice and wide, and quite rigid. The metal that they would be gripping also was much smoother. Far less chance that these threads would be wearing thin over time. And even if they did, I could buy a replacement cap. The company has also introduced stainless steel caps which should eliminate the problem all together.

A fun thing about Klean Kanteen is their dizzying array of colours that are now available. No boring steel grey for me. Like my new cup from a couple weeks ago, I was drawn to the saucy red.

I'm very excited by their website, where they show some of the new products that are now available: a new insulated kanteen for hot drinks, and even better, a wine karafe. I have not yet seen them for sale in Canada, but trust that my eyes will be peeled. In the meantime, these items are available through their website.

An Arm Chair Vacation

It is the last day of January, and so it seems that my February blah's came a day early. Its the same drill every year at this time. The shortened days, grey skies, and feeling that winter will never end, begins to takes its toll.

I crave a get-away. I'm not a sunny destination, beach-lolling kinda gal. In fact, I would happily deal with snow if I were to find myself whisked away to someplace that was far removed from ordinary life. Since the prospect of a holiday is nowhere in sight, I have to content myself with a little armchair travel, and a quick slip into an indulgent daydream.

I find it handy to have some visual inspiration for this exercise. Care to join me as I dream myself away to my favorite place on earth?


This photo by etsy seller Irene Suchocki is the perfect starting point. It captures my favorite bit of my favorite city: the graceful, towering spire that has become emblematic of Paris, and the whimsical allure of the French carousel. Irene's photos evoke a sense of softness and romance. Looking at one of her photos is exactly like falling into a dream. Fitting, no?


I can't dream of Paris without visions of macarons dancing across my eyelids. These little bites are the perfect Parisian treat, and their soft pastel colours are a cheery departure from the cold grey of Canadian winter. This beautifully delicious photo can be found in the shop of etsy seller Serpentine.


Now,what would a trip to Paris be without an afternoon sitting quietly at a cafe, drinking a strong hot, cafe au lait, while the rest of the world rushes by? This beautiful photo of the cafe chairs where I would seat myself, was captured by etsy seller alicebgardens. I actually just came upon her shop, and I can tell you that I was instantly enamoured!


And, since I am dreaming that I am in Paris, why not reach a little further and also imagine that it is springtime. Spotted throughout the city are cherry trees laden with heavy, fragrant blossoms. This photographed was shot in front of Notre Dame Cathedral by honeytree.


If I were to take this daydream to a truly far fetched, fantastical level, I would imagine that I had enough balls to drive those manic streets of Paris. Truth be told, I barely have the stomach to be a passenger! However, in this flight of fancy, not only am I behind the wheel heading out of the city to an idyllic country retreat - a Chateau stay, perhaps - but I am also behind the wheel of this classic Citroen in a charming shade of pink. This photo I found in the etsy shop of opart.

You know, that actually was a very therapeutic little journey. I encourage you to rid yourself of the winter blah's and take yourself on your own little flight of fancy. Feel free to share your adventures here, and thanks for travelling along with me today.

3rd Etsy-versary Sale!!!

My goodness!! Where have the past three years gone? Today is my third etsy-versary. I can't believe it.

To celebrate, and to thank everyone who has supported my shop over these past 3 years, I am having a SALE!!

For three days, (Friday Jan 29-Sunday Jan 31) I will be offering 30% off everything in my shop. ALSO... every buyer will be entered into a draw to win a special surprise!! ssshhhhh... I won't tell what it is.

Please come visit my shop.