Have you all had a chance to flip through the holiday issue of Anthology Magazine? It’s filled with fabulous gift guides and festive features to get you in the mood for sleigh bells and snow! Eunice designed a retro chef’s kit as a gift for her sister Sabrina, and there’s a detailed tutorial about how you can make one yourself! Complete with guidelines for printmaking and sewing, your handmade gifts are sure to make a lasting impression.

Head over to Anthology to see the whole story!

We can’t believe this beautiful paper quilt was crafted entirely out of misprints and unsellable papers from Linda & Harriett‘s deliciously patterned calendars.  Gorgeous and green!

We’re always looking for new ways to use scraps of paper and old letterpress samples (too pretty to toss away!) and this just might be in the mix for our next craft night.

It’s no secret that we love everything circus. We find timeless inspiration from the peppy colorways and the wild patterns, especially when we find one of a kind vintage circus themed items, like this fabric (above via Cherry Tomato).

The images inside Circus Alphabet from Whitman Tell-A-Tale-Books are packed with hilarious illustrations of the circus days of the 1950s. We can only imagine the excitement of such a fantastic event!

And we can’t forget precious Jude’s first birthday party invitations and circus party decor!

It doesn’t end there! We have our beloved Circus Photo Birth Announcement!

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! So many wonderful ideas!

Having trouble choosing a color scheme for your wedding? Look no further! Jessica, the brilliant mind behind Design Seeds, has assembled an inspiration guide for just about every color palette imaginable. There are endless pages of images and their corresponding color ways. Who knew an ice cream cone could produce some of the most ethereal (and tasty) hues!

Calling all crafters! Felt and Wire is an excellent source for sprucing up your paper products and gifts. We piled a few of our favorites, but there are endless choices! Check out their shop here.

(above: Paperphine twine)

Paperfinger stamp

Top Hat tape

Have we mentioned how much we love Orla Kiely?  We discovered these delectable earthenware jars in the kitchen section. Sadly, these only ship in the UK, but all the luckier for our British staff and clients. Perhaps we might come to some arrangement with our UK connections?

But there are charming offerings for everyone.

Just a little taste. Visit orlakiely.com for more.

If you haven’t seen this amazing urban chic wedding on Style me Pretty, you simply must.  We just love it and had to share!

The author of A Beautiful Mess shared her wedding— so naturally it’s amazing! Photographs by Apple and Arrow. Follow the links on Style Me Pretty for more breathtaking details.

We are huge fans of Shanna Murray and found this  post on Creature Comforts about her new decal collection.

We think a customized decal would be fantastic as decoration for a wedding, such as “The Smiths” or ” Eunice & Daniel”!

Or maybe a sweet note on the wall of a baby’s nursery or playroom…

How darling!

When Sarah first called us to create custom wedding invitations inspired by her gorgeous venue, the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, she had a very specific vision for what she wanted.  She loved the hand-draw illustration style of our Cala Lily suite but wanted to recreate the flora and fauna depicted in the hotel’s painted mural.  In her words, “vintage elegance with a little bit of whimsy”.  Sign us right up!  We don’t want to steal her thunder, so here’s just a glimpse at a few of our favorite bits. The details are the best part!

How cute is this little guy heading up the Particulars card?

We were recently introduced to the works of Lord Breaulove Swells Whimsy (read his blog here), self-described Mammal of Paradise, a most amazing advocate for the benefits of a life of Grace and Beauty, which we, of course, are hearty champions of as well!  His book,  The Affected Provincial’s Companion, Volume One, promises (and delivers, gloriously)  the reader the following:

Feats of Sartorial Cunning!
Jaunty Verse!
Deftly Rendered Turns of Phrase!
Witticisms!
Unbridled Pedantry!
Dust Motes!
Icy Hauteur!
Well-Muscled Hindquarters!

The book is absolutely gorgeous through and through (as you know, Gentle Reader, we are great admirers of the classic, vintage-inspired book), from its leaf-green hardcover stamped silver foil to the charming magenta endpapers with a hilarious pattern of woodland critters, to the multitude of charming and enlightening diagrams within.  It was designed, illustrated and typeset by the author and we heartily applaud the results!

A must read for any man about town.  Above, a jaunty diagram accompanying a chapter titled “On the Perils of Sportswear.  Or, a Battery of Irrefutable Misgivings Concerning a Shambling Citizenery and Its Detrimental Effects on the Fostering of a Civil Society; Included is a Five-Point “Fopwa” That Might Spare Our Nation the Shame That Comes with Being a DEN of UBIQUITY.“   See also, “Get Thee to Haberdashery.  Or, the GENTLEMAN as a Revolutionary Archetype and his Role in the Demise of the GUY (A Brief Meditation.) Diagram pictured below:

(Fig. 8:  The Guy (and thus a rascal)  Acne, coldsore; Fused vertebrae (guitar, girl trouble); Painted into a corner.    Fig. 9: The Gentleman  Perfect coif; Pockets full of the finest lint; Shoeshine seen from orbit.)

Diagram accompanying a chapter entitled “Now That You Are A Man.  Or, a Young Gentleman’s Guide to the Proper Grooming of Facial Hair.”

Get thee to a bookshop (or order online here or here) immediately and add this wonderful book to your library – it is brimming with brilliant insight and amusing musings; a required volume for any aesthete.  You will not regret the purchase!   A far more civilized, beautiful life now lies within the grasp of your trembling fingertips…