Lost Marbles

Of all my collections, this is the one I always forget, but is maybe also the most meaningful. It's a small collection; these are not things you can accumulate by browsing on Ebay or taking a trip to the flea market. I think I started collecting lost marbles in high school, maybe before then. I recently found a reference to the collection in a journal from 10th grade. It's not often that you stumble across a marble in the street (I see playing cards all the time) and it seems that every time I do, it's an omen that something significant is about to happen in my life. I wish I had kept a better record of these finds; all I know is that I found one just days before I started dating my first boyfriend, and one before I decided to go abroad for a semester in college. I came across a new one yesterday for the first time in at least 5 years- it's a pretty mint green*, and badly beaten from its time in the street. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for me!

*They are aways green or blue.

I Want to Go There...

Holly at Decor8 posted about Pip Studio today and I cannot stop drooling over their gorgeous designs. It's like Cath Kidston with the volume turned up! I really wish I could get my hands on some of the pillows and towels they carry...

Sneak Preview

Here are some designs I'm working on for the 2010 line. They aren't quite finished, but you get the idea. I'm pretty excited about the ideas buzzing around in my head, and I think this line will be great!

More Arrows

Oh! Joy posted these arrows today, which I guess are for sale at the NY store Maryam Nassir Zadeh.


Image from Oh! Joy.

Me and My Arrow

Remember the vintage arrows I had in this post? Another Etsy seller, Sweetshorn, is selling more of them now, and I just think they are beautiful. I'm not sure how I would use them, though, since I am not in need of visually interesting decor items (I think I have enough!), but if you have a more sparsely-decorated home, they might make a colorful addition.

Chirp

I've always thought that Judith Leiber crystal bags were a little tacky. I mean, do you really want to be carrying around a sparkly watermelon or dolphin at a black tie event? It's not that I have anything against sparkle, and I obviously have no problem with quirky accessories, but I just never quite got it... Until now. If I had a spare $3795 (plus tax) to spend, I would absolutely run out and buy this lovely little bird.

Image from here.

Fair Dealings

Today was a big day for fairs! I went to the Vintage Paper & Ephemera Fair in Golden Gate Park with my friend Jessica in the afternoon, and then in the evening, I went to the Sonoma County Fair with my friend Marina. I used to go to a lot of ephemera sales in London when I lived there because they took place just down the street from my apartment, but I haven't been to one in the States before. Today's sale, while physically small, was packed full of wonderful postcards, photographs, menus, posters, books, labels and just about everything you could imagine. Jessica and I spent about 3 hours there until our eyes began to glaze over, but I think we only saw a tiny fraction of what was available. Here are some treasures I took home with me:













And here are some that I didn't:

Brooching the Subject

I love vintage costume brooches, particularly the enamel ones from the 1930's-1950's. I am always on the lookout for quirky little ones that have a lot of character. You can see a few from my collection above. Here are some from Etsy that caught my eye.
















Yellow Fox, Orange Yacht, Apples, Walnut, Paintbrushes, Gold Sailboat, Snow Owl, Striped Sailboat, Bakelite Acorns, Whale, Scissors, Swallow, White Sailboat, Life Preserver, Football