My New Favorite Picture

My buddy, Larry Pile, snapped this photo at the recent Craft Party hosted by Etsy Dallas at Make - the largest Etsy Craft Party in the WORLD, mind you! In addition to DIY crafts, party punch and party favor bags, we (Etsy Dallas) had our very own photo booth starring Paco the donkey piñata, a backdrop by Laura Davis, and photographer Cheyne Little. Read more about the party here. Good times, y'all!

Necklace Spotlight: Treasure Trove

Treasure Trove: $38

A chunky jumble of beads and rings make up this wholly unique piece. I loved it so much, I made myself one to keep!

Materials: wood, ribbon, glass

Specs: approx. 17.5"L, shephard's hook clasp

Available in my Etsy shop.

Tefi Loves: Blue Seraphim

Thanks to Etsy's front page, I just stumbled upon Blue Seraphim, an Etsy shop run by Jennifer Jennings who creates the most gorgeously luscious lampwork glass beads. Gimme gimme! I want them all!

Tefi Loves: Giraffes

I'm still unsure how I feel about zoos. As a rule, I am against caging animals. But there is something wonderful about having real, live animals available to the public. These creatures are genteel ambassadors for their species, bringing interest and understanding of their existence. With this philosophy in mind, Jason and I took Ian on his first zoo visit to check out the new African exhibit that boasts huge rolling spaces for giraffes, gorillas, cheetahs, and much more. I went bonkers at the giraffe exhibit. With my mouth agape in awe of these graceful creatures, I snapped these:

And then, of course, it's a compulsion for me to find beautiful handmade goods on Etsy: 1) art print by talchen 2) sculpture by ALittleCharacter, 3) napkins by ohlittlerabbit 1) wall decal by WowWall, 2) t-shirt by darkcycleclothing, 3) knit pattern by AmyGaines

Celebrate Urban Birds

In my office building parking lot, I've been spotting the most beautiful birds. They are about the size and shape of a standard sparrow, but with bright yellow tails and a shocking splotch of red on the end of their tails. Gorgeous! In my backyard we have a family of cardinals who swoop about over our deck and garden. They even built a nest in a tall holly bush that abuts our sunroom. I think they decided it was too human-accessible (I can reach out and grab it), so they seem to have abandoned it. On a recent trip to the zoo, we spotted a crane from our dear Trinity River who had inserted itself into the pelican exhibit to chow on free zoo grub. There were also local wild ducks in several exhibits, as well (not the crocodile spaces, luckily). For more info on Dallas' awesome Trinity River basin, visit our very own Audubon Center. Feel like celebrating urban birds in your neck of the woods? Check out the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's web site for all sorts of info and resources, and download your very own Celebrate Urban Birds Kit for free!

Mother and Son, and a Childhood Bench

This has nothing whatsoever to do with handmade or crafts or design, but it's uncanny and adorable. Me on the left, Ian on the right 30 years later, same desk and bench... And here are some great "mother and son" art prints I found browsing Etsy, because I just can't hit "Publish" without showcasing some great art or design: 1) art print of original oil painting by Kat Hannah, 2) art print of original acrylic painting by creativethursday, 3) art print of original oil on wood painting by Lisa Hurwitz