Daily Blossom

I love magazines. Can’t get enough of them. I really love finding new things inside them – things I hadn’t thought of before, or pretty things I haven’t seen before. This is why I love to find magazines from other countries. Even though our world is getting smaller every day, it’s so intriguing to see the different aesthetics and trends in different countries. I wish more of these magazines were readily available here in Austin.

The image above is from Cotton Time, a Japanese crafts magazine. I love the Japanese craft books I’ve been seeing over the past year or so at the bookstore, so this seems like it would be a great magazine to spend some time with. I first heard about Cotton Time on So Cute It Hurts, a blog by the fabulous Jacqueline you’ve probably noticed giving me some comment love on a regular basis. She is always working on adorable crafts and has a great Etsy shop that you should visit and patronize! Thanks so much for introducing me to Cotton Time, Jacqueline! I may break down and buy a copy from Ebay or Etsy, which seems to be the only way to get it around here.

Daily Blossom

How incredible is this paper flower? It was made by TANGLeAndFoLd out of a children’s book. Just looking at all that gorgeous paper makes me want to dive in and create this! I know mine would never be as fabulous, so instead I’ll just *heart* this on Etsy and hope that someone notices that around, oh, I don’t know, December-ish? Maybe it could find its way into my stocking on Christmas morning??

Daily Blossom

I’ve decided that granny squares are vaguely floral in their appearance and so qualify as a daily blossom .  I don’t know about any of you, but this beautiful blanket has me completely obsessed with granny squares. I now have that as my must-do project of the fall – learn to make granny squares! This colorful creation is by Carina of Carina’s Craftblog. It’s a fantastic source of inspiration and a haven of crafting fun!  I love how her projects seem to be made of a rainbow! It’s really lovely and I know I’ll be making my own granny square blanket and purchasing some of her embroidery patterns soon!

If you’re feeling a bit chilly or in need of a dose of color you should really take advantage of the opportunity to purchase one of Carina’s lovely blankets for a drastically reduced price. Click here while you still can and pick one of her cozy blankets to take home!

Oh, and don’t forget to check out her flickr page and her shops: Etsy, Artfire, and her t-shirt shop!

Daily Blossom

Happy Tuesday! Today I thought I’d share some fun pom pom flowers I made recently. I just love pom poms. I keep meaning to put these up on my poor, neglected Etsy shop, but haven’t gotten around to it. For the meantime they live in my office/guest room, recently rearranged in this Ikea vase with a peacock feather by my five-year-old niece!

(In case you’re wondering, I’ve misplaced my camera…at least, my digital one, so the picture above is from my phone…I know, not up to the normal quality, but that darn thing has to be around somewhere!)

Fleurir Quotidiennement (blossom daily en Francais)

This weekend I indulged one of my favorite almost-obsessions – magazines! I love magazines: the glossy paper, the way they smell, the gorgeous colors and pictures and tips and articles, interviews and shopping guides. Mainly I buy decorating, arts & crafts and lifestyle magazines, and I love finding foreign magazines and getting a little taste of a different aesthetic. I thought I’d share some of my favorite pages from my weekend’s purchases with you this week. I’m starting with Marie Claire Idees. It’s a gorgeous French magazine with decorating, crafting, home and fashion ideas. There are lots of projects with explicit (though French) instructions, but much of what is there translates, if only through the pictures. It only comes out quarterly, so I get to polish up my college French a bit a few times a year. Hope you enjoy these photos, and if you see a copy at your local bookstore grab it quick!