Resolution: Wake Up Earlier

Not a resolution I'm thrilled to be sticking to after a long and lazy vacation. Oh, caffeine and pretty things, please get me through the day...

Starbucks Cinnamon-Infused Ground Coffee & Bodum Chambord French Press

Molly Hatch Menagerie Glass from Anthropologie, Retro Coffee Print from Etsy

"Coffee" Lettering via Pinterest & Vintage Continental Raymond Loewy Script Coffee Pot from Etsy

Chanteclair Chihuahua Print

Holiday Flea Marketing

It certainly looked a lot like Christmas at the Alameda Flea yesterday, where the rows of already covetable antiques were decked with tinsel and garland and everything else holly-jolly. I can't show off our purchases without spoiling a Christmas surprise... but I can certainly share some things that caught my eye!

Adam and I always stop to rummage through boxes of flatware on the off-chance that we spot a piece of our goldware pattern. Our silverware already has a mismatched look, but wouldn't it be fun to do a table where every fork and spoon was unique?

We're also scouting finishing touches for our bar cart (which I haven't even shown you yet!). Isn't a well-stocked bar a must-have for the holiday season? I loved the scrolling banner and gold touches on the vintage cognac poster, and the bold type on those ice buckets. What's that they say about champagne taste? I have it. We're working with a stocking-stuffer budget... luckily the Flea had those in endless supply!

And yes, even though we were shopping for others, I couldn't help looking a bit for myself. I had my eye on the tiny adornments this time: the floral pattern on this cookie tin, the whimsical detail of those earrings. Oh, those earrings. To say they captured my heart would be an understatement. But again- champagne taste.

The flea truly sparkled this month, and I have the pictures to prove it. I'll be sharing more photos of my finds all day at the One Must Shock the Bourgeois facebook page.

Dare to Dream: E for Elizabeth

Wouldn't it be nice to put your name on your door, like so?

Photo by Bundscherer on Flickr

Paper Heart

I'm feeling particularly lovey-dovey this year, what with all the wedding planning going on, so I decided to put together some valentines for family and friends...

Shimmery paper banners, suede hearts, a favorite photo, and simple sentiments. 

Beyond valentines, I'm also designing save-the-date cards and other paper goods for the wedding, which I'll be printing myself with my new Epic 6 letterpress! I told you I was feeling ambitious- I've practically transformed our dining room into a little stationery studio. However, I'll be taking a day off for a romantic drive up to Sausalito with Adam this weekend. It is Valentine's Day, after all!

xoxo,

Elizabeth

Renegade Weekend

We had quite an artsy-craftsy weekend at...

This was our first trip to Renegade, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd hoped to do a bit of networking, but alas, the classic rock was pumped up so loud I could hardly manage more than "hello" and "love your work!" at each booth. Luckily, I did get to meet the lovely Lisa of Violet Swan and the blog Le Petit Cadeau (remember her?), whose pieces are somehow even more romantic in person.

My favorites included sweet and simple plates by Rae Dunn and a bunny tea towel by Flock Home. Naturally this graphic print by Nora Aoyagi captured my heart (it would be fantastic against the dark walls in my kitchen, fyi).

We had a great time- we even embraced the oh-so prevalent hipster 'stache trend. I sported a "Mr. Gloucester MT" (thanks to Old Tom Foolery), and Adam decided to try out a new look...

Show & Tell: BYW Mood Board

Hello my lovely, patient readers! As you may have noticed, I've been here, there, and everywhere... except on my blog. I've been purchasing (more on that later), adventuring (more on that later), and learning from the great blogging masters: this winter I enrolled in Blogging Your Way, an e-class taught by the estimable Holly Becker of Decor8. 

Our latest assignment was to create a mood board. I was excited to break out my scissors and get clipping- until I remembered that my prodigious stash of snippets, magazines, and what-not was in another state. Drat! I started hunting through the odds and ends that I had on hand: the clipboard for my to-do list, some finds from my weekend jaunt through Pike Place Market with the delightful Maggie of Magchunk, a favorite necklace, a photo of my neurotic cat...

I was surprised (and for the sake of BYW, totally relieved) to see how beautiful it all looked when assembled. 

Voila. A mood board, and a glimpse at the aesthetic I'll be infusing into my new apartment and the new website for Shock the Bourgeois! (I told you we have a lot of catching up to do!)

How About Some Friday Font Fun?

The most charming resolution to your typography identity crisis...

A design therapy session from the very creative minds at Pentagram.

I'm Pistilli Roman. Fascinating, quite fascinating... 

I rather do like those bold letters with their slim curls and cheeky dots! 

Could come in handy for an StB upgrade...

So just relax, lean back in your desk chair, and tell the good doctor a bit about yourself (let's start with your childhood). At the very least, enjoy the visual treats of the good doctor's office (oh, that wood floor!) and laugh a few minutes off of your Friday. You can take the test here, using the password "character." Explore your inner type nerd!