WHAT A STUD

I am a big one for stud earrings. I pretty much wear a tiny pair of silver studs every day--they go with everything! So I am constantly on the look out for new takes on this simple idea. Here are some of recent favorites, as found on Etsy.

top to bottom:

• Sterling and White Topaz Studs, CreationsbyCat, $42
• Everyday Textured Studs, Joannarutter, sold out
• Perfectly Petite Pebble Posts, SoundsofSilver, $11.50

Even with the elegance and flexibility of simple silver studs, every once in a while you need something a little more decorative. Here are some other Etsy options with a little bit more oomph.

top to bottom:

• Silver Doves of Peace Studs, artisticcreations, $18
• Flat Circle Studs in Sterling Silver, michellechangjewelry, $36
• Matte Silver Branch Posts, shlomitofir, $23

Happy weekend all!

WRITING ON THE WALL

You can never have too much stuff on your walls, right? Or, rather, you can never have too much stuff waiting to go on your walls, in my case. I have lots of fabulous posters and prints stuffed in my portfolio and in packing tubes ready to be framed and hung. No matter, I can't help but share some great inexpensive finds when I come across them. Here are some of my recent Etsy picks:

top to bottom:

The Earth without Art is Eh, the ink society, $14.95•

Instant Rainbow, yumalum, $55*

Loving You, the love shop, $17.99

•I can't seem to find my source for this; if you posted this will you let me know in the comments?

*thanks to swissmiss for the tip

LET'S PARTY! MY FAVORITE PARTY SUPPLY SHOPS

This week one of my favorite bloggers—Jordan from Oh Happy Day—announced some big news. Not only did she release a gorgeous new blog design, but she also debuted her brand new dangerously fabulous party supply shop. I mean, you know me, this stuff is like crack! Pretty candles, balloons, confetti, banners, containers, favors, you name it, Jordan has got it. And now my craft closet is yearning to snatch it up! Seriously, do yourself a favor and check out the goodness here. The styling of every single item is perfectly playful, including the happy striped awning masthead. I love it all and you will too.Seeing Jordan's party planning skills on display in her new shop made me think about all the other online party goods shops I have bookmarked over the years. Just in case you are a fool for festivities like I am, click through the link to find a round up of my favorite sites to seek out for silly, celebratory supplies.

BIG NEWS! NEW ETSY SHOP AND MAJOR GIVEAWAY!

Guys, guys! Big news! I have been keeping this little side project under wraps for a while now and am delighted to finally be able to share it with you. Are you ready?

I am opening another Etsy store! Long time readers may remember my old stationery store on Etsy and I have decided to revamp my love all of things paper with a new shop focused on my handwritten typography. Namely, the shop—entitled 'The Wright Hand'—is based on my obsessive interest in hand addressing envelopes with all sorts of pretty styles and fonts. Have a wedding, party, or holiday coming up and need to send out invites or a mailing? I am your gal! Prices start at just $2.00 an envelope and I will do as many or as few as you like. Do me a favor and check out the goodness and get all the details about making a purchase here.

To celebrate the launch of this fabulously fun new venture, I am doing a big giveaway! You could win $50 of envelope addressing services (enough to do 25 envelopes!) simply by following these easy as pie steps:

one | head over to The Wright Hand shop and pick out your favorite style of envelope

two | leave a comment here with your choice

bonus | for a bonus entry (your name will be entered in the drawing twice) tweet about the giveaway with the hashtag #thewrighthand and mention my account @katiejosephson 

bonus x 2 | for a second bonus entry (your name will be entered in the drawing three times) head over to facebook and like 'The Wright Hand' post on the obsessive imagist fan page


That's it! One winner will be choosen at random next Friday, May 16! Good luck!

SAVINGS & LOANS MEETS THE WEDDING FILES: SIMPLE, SPECIAL WEDDING BANDS

I haven't done a Savings & Loans post--where I lay out all the beautiful things I would love to own if my bank account balance had a couple dozen more digits in it--for a long while. But this week I found myself scouring the internet for simple wedding bands and I realized I have expensive taste! I was looking for something I could wear to work, running errands, or out to brunch without feeling too flashy or too plain; something that could be a stand in for my (somewhat fragile) all-diamond wedding band when I didn't want to worry about losing a stone.

After considering all the different styles I liked, I figured a small single stone setting or a bezel eternity band would be best. These are what I came up with:


The options at Tiffany are stunning but, not surprisingly, staggeringly pricey!

the Tiffany Jazz Alternating Band Ring (left), $10,100

the Tiffany Bezet Round (right), $1,650






The rings made by Dana*David, which I have written about before here, are slightly better priced and a little bit more unexpected, but they still top out between approximately $600 (stacking rings, left) and $2000 (diamond bands, right) at retail stores.

So what's a girl to do? Head to Etsy, of course!





I immediately discovered a (new-to-me) jewelry shop there called RosadosBox. Representing a line of jewelry sold at the Chicago brick and mortar store Love & Promise Jewelers, the Etsy shop is chock full of stunning rings and bands at various price points. You could easily buy your 'official' wedding band here but since I was looking for a backup, I was happy to discover that they will customize their designs to fit your price point and aesthetic, changing up the stone or metal as you see fit.

Here are some of my favorites:

Thin Rose Gold Bubble & Breathe Eternity Band (top, left), $1165

14K Rose Gold Bubbles Eternity Band (top, right), $1000

Silver Petite Bubbles White Topaz Eternity Ring (bottom, left), sold*

Silver Thin Diamond Engagement/Stacking Ring (bottom, right), $139





Of course, as I was searching Etsy I managed to find some other, equally tempting options beyond the confines of the RosadosBox shop. Here are two other drool-worthy, though slightly pricier, options:

Bezel Set Diamond Wedding Ring in 14k White Gold (left), $589.99
Potentially more practical since the stones do not go all the way around!

Bezel Set Chocolate Colored Diamond Eternity Wedding Band in 14k Rose Gold, $1392
I am totally swooning over this ring and love the idea of stacking them. Too pricey for me (at least right now), but I could certainly see buying one to commemorate a big anniversary or other life event. Definitely wishlisted!

Which one would you pick? And do you have a back up wedding band or ring that you wear for traveling or more casual occasions? Or do you think I am crazy (my husband does, ha!)?

*I ended up buying this one because it fit the style, durability and the price point I had in mind. I haven't received it yet, but will let you know how it turns out! Can't wait to see it!

*UPDATE: I just received the ring I ordered in the mail and it is beautiful! Elegant and simple, it looks to be of great quality and arrived in a timely manner. I highly recommend RosadosBox!

COME SAIL AWAY

Yesterday the Etsy front page featured a collection of nautical items. It seemed like fate since my boyfriend and I had just signed up for a weekend-long sailing certification in June. Living in NYC makes me miss all the sailing and swimming I did throughout my childhood summers; I am truly a preppy beach bum at heart!

Anyway, I thought I would do my own selection of sweet sea-inspired finds from Etsy to get us excited for summer! I was surprised at how many really cool things I came across.

1. Moby Dick Silver Lariat, Leviticus, $20
2. Recycled Sail Tote Bag, reiter8, $75
3. Ahoy There Letterpress Print, letterpress, $10
4. Ivory Sailor Knot Headband, marcelacamargo, $14
5. Hey Sailor Sterling Silver Studs, f1nneran, $16
6. Anchors Aweigh Pocket Mirror, McYarnpants, $6

Hope you like them as much as I do!

MORE MOONTREE

This summer I took a trip out to the Brooklyn Flea Market and happened to meet the lovely lady behind Moontree Press. Now Martha Stewart has featured Moontree on her blog and the Moontree etsy store seems to be flourishing! Hooray! My recent favorite is the letterpress ornaments on offer for a mere $10. Wouldn't these be a fabulous gift tag for the holidays, where you could write a loving personal message which could then be hung on the tree? Or, since they are printed in fun patterns and in a gorgeous gray, it could be hung up for any holiday!

Check out the ornaments here, the Moontree etsy store here, and the Moontree website here.

LUMINOLOGY

I am very particular (some might even say picky) about certain things, most notably smells. I have an especially acute sense of smell and so I have a terrible time picking out something as simple as a scented candle. Almost every example I come across seems to be overpoweringly strong or just not appealing (really, who wants a candle that smells like 'Nature's Paintbrush'?). Either that or the candle container is just plain awful. But I think I have finally found a subtle and elegant solution: the Etsy store Luminology.

Luminology sells soy candles made with sustainable wicks in beautiful vessels that are meant to be repurposed after the wax has been used up. They offer ten lovely colors for the vessels and ten drool-worthy scents. Plus, read their Etsy bio:

Luminology is...
Fresh air. Warm mittens. Sun-kissed freckles. Blooming lilacs. Handwritten love letters. Heirloom pearls. Cozy knits. Dog-eared pages.

With organic materials and a clean, modern aesthetic, our soy candles are as artisan as they are utilitarian. Because when the candle’s wick is finished burning? The vessel becomes homemade art for your home, a serving piece for your dinner or a holding tray for the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

We’re pure, but luxurious. Simple, yet refined. Handmade and highly coveted. At Luminology, we know the importance of a signature gift. Let Luminology be yours.

Brilliant, right? I think one of their candles would be the perfect gift (or just a treat for yourself!). Check it all out here.

ETSY LOVE: FLOTI NECKLACES

I kind of in love with the necklaces featured in the Etsy shop called Floti. These beauties are created from handmade and hand-painted clay beads and strike me as the perfect pop of color to brighten up your spring wardrobe. Officially wishlisted!

Head over to the shop here to buy something bright and pretty.

p.s. Like what you see? Try this post, this one, this one, and that one for more drool-worthy jewelry inspiration.

DOUBLE (OR QUADRUPLE) RAINBOW!

It has been cold and snowy here for a couple of days now, so I thought I would brighten up your day a bit by featuring some super cool 'rainbow' things I have come across recently. Because we all want to live a bit more colorfully, don't we?

An amazing Rainbow House in London, designed by Ab Rogers Design

(found at Lucky So and So, where there are frequent rainbow sightings)

Double rainbow! A gorgeous drawer pull bought at Anthropologie by Alicia and Tony

(see original Chroma Lab post here)

"Instant Collections" in different colors of the rainbow, sold by Etsy seller SushiPotsParts

(found first at the SCOOP here)

Another great rainbow product from Etsy—a CMYK Cross Stitch from seller YouHeartUs

(also found via Chroma Lab; so glad they are posting regularly again!)

MEASURE UP

In my apartment, when figuring how many teaspoons fit into a cup, I use these conversion magnets. But wouldn't it be cool to have the lovely poster hanging on your kitchen wall instead? I love the color, font, design and, at $30, even the price.

Check it out (in several more colors!) at the Etsy store SweetFineDay here.

No wall space? How about a conversion chart printed on your apron? This one cleverly has the chart printed upside down, so you read it while you are wearing it! Smart!

Get your own (also in more colors), for $18.95, at the Etsy store Distinctgraphicz here.

Now let's get to baking!

THATCH AND THISTLE SUPPLY CO.

I am currently planning my father's 70th birthday party (Milestone!) and therefore trolling Etsy and Pinterest for fun ideas and decorations. And voila! I stumbled upon the glorious shop Thatch & Thistle Supply Co. on Etsy and immediately fell in love with all the brightly-colored perfectly-patterned bags and straws and garlands on offer.

Do yourself a favor and check out all the goodies here.


(Need more inspiration? Check out my party-planning board on Pinterest here.)