blue monday

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enjoy...

your thanksgiving day!

i just wanted to say a big thanks for reading olive & a! it has been a fun, creative outlet for me, so thank you!  if you're a regular reader who motivates me with your sweet comments or just a silent reader who stops by periodically to take a peek,  i appreciate you!

oh! and if you decide to brave black friday, good luck!

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color splash

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the lighter side of things

hello! i hope you enjoyed your weekend? are you excited for a short week and lots of yummy food? i know i am! thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!

so programming is going to be a bit light for the next two weeks. finals are coming and i have to study my heart out.  that means i won't have much time to blog. but! i'm not going to leave you with nothing, i will be posting some pretty things.

i'll be back in business on Monday Dec. 7th with a giveaway so make sure to come back and enter.  i think you'll like it!

 cute right? : ) it's snowing right now and i can't believe i'm loving it!

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current wishlist...

can i just say that downeast basics just keeps getting better. i got their holiday catalog in the mail the other day and found a couple pieces i want in my closet. here are just a few...

what's on your current wishlist?

2010 Mibo calendar

crazy that it is {almost} close to the end of another year and a start of a new one! with that being said, i got an email the other day from Mibo stating they have come out with this FREE 2010 year-at-a-glance calendar which you can download and print out at home.

 

of butterflies and bark

i think this is a fun, whimsical idea...

these butterflies were cut from bark that had fallen off trees. if you don't have fallen tree bark handy, you could recreate this idea using wood veneer paper. this idea came from a whole lotta lovely, which is a very lovely read and one i'd suggest.

while we're on the subject of wood, husband and i scored a sweet deal on a dining room set a while back and we (well mostly the husband to be honest) spent the weekend sanding it down.  today we plan on staining and making it sexy! :) i'm so excited to have somewhere pretty to eat. i'd like to share pics when it's finished, if you don't mind.

(on a more random note) speaking of bark, i am so totally craving peppermint bark. yum! i love this time of year!

wrap it up : citizen blues

today's wrap it up is more dedicated to your wishlist than those on your to buy for list...

have you heard of

Citizen Blues provides authentic designer jeans at an affordable price, which is typically atleast 50% off of the retail price. they feature one product until it sells out so if you see something you like, act fast. check them out here.

- question :: what is your favorite brand of jeans?

i'm curious because i'm in need of some new jeans. my favorite pair is finally biting the dust. sad! any recs?

lots of pretty

 

i want to have a party just because. one with lots of pretty details and good things to eat. would you want to come? you'd be required to wear a party hat though. : ) enjoy your weekend! 

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thursday pretties

i was browsing amy butler's website the other day and came across a section full of beautiful photos. since it's pretty much a gray yucky overcast day outside my window, i'm craving bright, cheerful things. i thought i would share some of the lovely photo's i came across.

* i just wanted to say thanks for your sweet comments about my necklace and silly photo. it's kind of scary putting yourself out there so i appreciate you! oh! and if you are interested in me making one for you please email me and we can talk! *

of plans and sewing

hello dear readers! i trust you had a great weekend and Monday.  my weekend didn't go quite as i had planned...too much homework for my taste and i felt a wee bit under the weather. therefore i didn't get as much sewing done as i would've liked but i did complete one of my planned projects!

a while back i spied a necklace at anthropologie that i wanted to try and recreate. so while i love anthro just like the next girl, i love it even better when i can get a similar look for a whole lot less! i used the yoyo tutorial found here and had a blast making this necklace.

{how cheesy is this picture? my husband was making me laugh while taking the picture.}

a welcomed weekend

hello! the weekend is here!  i'm excited because i plan on doing a little sewing (with maybe a project or two to share next week) and i'm hitting up the piper & chloe holiday showcase and doing some other fun shopping. i hope you have a great weekend!

p.s. i want that jar of ribbon! very pretty!

{photos via left, right}

mirror, mirror on the wall

do you ever stalk retail items? you know, it's love at first sight but you're just not too sure you're ready to commit? i do it far too often. too many 'what ifs'...what if i bring it home and don't use it, don't wear it, or worse..don't like it?

oh boy...this happened to me and the mirror i've been admiring at Michaels for the past three-ish months. i would check out this lovely thing everytime i was at Michaels, hoping it was cheap enough for me to bring home (then i wouldn't feel as bad about the 'what ifs').  i dreamed about this mirror and how my house might not look so boring if she was displayed nicely on my wall. so finally, i'd had enough, it was time to bring her home with me.  okay actually it was my husband who decided this, he got sick of hearing me talk longingly about a mirror. she is now proudly hung on my wall and i couldn't be happier.

ever do this?

a jewel of a room

i could move right in to this bedroom. i love everything about it...

 those large windows

that sitting area

 the gorgeous dark floor

 that upholstered headboard

 the soothing grey walls

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wrap it up : sarah jane studios

Christmas will sadly be here before we know it. to help with procrastination or maybe inspiration, i will be featuring some lovely goodies from budget friendly shops every Monday until Christmas.

shop : blog

today is the sweet shop, sarah jane studios. Sarah Jane has fun prints that would be cute for the little ones on your list. here are a couple of the lovely illustrated goods that caught my eye.

prints :

cards:

family trees :

check out the rest of the sweet offerings in the shop.