wonderful wallpaper

Most of my memories of wallpaper are taken up with the unicorn wallpaper from my sisters' childhood bedroom and the awful fruit basket wallpaper currently grossing up the walls of my mom's kitchen. And that, my dears, is definitely going to go the way of the dodo this summer. The fruit baskets will experience a major extinction event. So long, maroon and hunter green! But this magical woodlands toile wallpaper from Sian Zeng is quite the opposite.

brown and pink

blue, green, and grey

khaki and blue

And for the wallpaper grand finale....MAGNETIC WALLPAPER!
It even comes with a charming group of magnets to get you started. Who wouldn't want this little fella on their wall? 

You Lit up my life.

 My lovely friend Dawn loves her lamps and she does it so well.

Allow me to introduce LIT, run by a custom lamp maven.

in good company

Have you ever turned on your computer to write a post about some awesome secret amazingness, and you open up your gmail to find your Bloglovin daily feed has a blog featuring the exact item you were thinking about posting on? Isn't that always the way? Oh well. Rather than deviate from my original plan, I'm just going to acknowledge it and revel in the good company.

I've been swooning over the work of Lucky Jackson of 365 Lucky Days for a couple months now, but apparently, I was way too lazy to dedicate any time to writing a post about her, so my discovery claim--obviously--cannot be staked. Boo to me. Let this be a lesson to you my lads and ladies, seize the day...even when the only thing it entails is writing about someone whose work you admire.

Not that coming late to the party diminishes any of this in any way. So, wolf eyebrows just featured Lucky in a delightful embroidery roundup. (Also included was the pure delight of Children Playing With Fire, which Catherine gushed over a couple months back.)

Basically this is what I'm embroidery lusting over:

Bill

Pee-Wee

Clean, simple lines juxtaposed with vibrant, energetic fabric choices. And personality for days and days. OK, let's be honest here, probably more like years and years. Lucky's blog documents 365 days of embroidered bliss--one creation for every day. And they're not all dreamy gents and funny men, but I think I'll let you discover that on your own.

Leonard

Paul

Johnny

Lucky's blog, which is--honestly--one of a handful of blogs that makes me grin ear-to-ear each time I check in (That's without fail, people.), can be found here.

You can also purchase several of her works (and even patterns) in her shop.

And view a zillion of her embroidery endeavors (including Ms. Amy Poehler!) on her flickr stream.

Still hankering for more? There's also a little video documenting the stitching of Iggy Pop.

I'm feeling a lot of giddy admiration right now, my friends, a lot of giddy admiration indeed.

green with envy

Have you ever found yourself thinking that green is totally where it's at? I've had that very thought many a time, and it's not just because green is currently my favorite color. I think it has a little something to do with green's serenity, sharpness, and power to cheer. Wouldn't you agree? Here are some favorite greenies from my pinterest dreamland. From kelly to minty. 

fox ghost illustration by Naomi Wilkinson

Tiles by Claesson Koivisto Rune via The Style Files

paper house mobile by Creator B

edge painted business cards by Blush

pretty pretty python via imgfave

Always end with a snake, yeah? I feel like there's no going wrong with a slitherer. 

coin purse

pink suede coin purse with orange Vs

pink suede coin purse with small blue triangles

Lovely, yeah?

By Blackbird and the Owl on etsy. Blackbird and the Owl is the brainchild of German illustrator Peggy Wolf. You can find her illustrations, collages, and prints here. And I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you poked around her blog here.

Jealous of her skills

As you may already know, all the Nicolai sisters love embroidery. Some of us are better at it than others. Christine, I'm looking at you. While Christine is impressive, I was blown away by the creations of Jennifer from Austin, TX.
She says that she, "like[s] to make things. All kinds of things. Things, things, things."

Well, it shows. She's really, really good at it. Check out some of my favorites from her website, Children Playing with Fire. 

found here

Self-portrait

I haven't seen Twin Peaks, but apparently this is a character from it.

Found here...this makes me want to embroider a beard.

Super. Super. Impressed. 

Aren't you?

These are some other embroidered inspiration we've found as well as projects that have been accomplished by Christine.

• Check out some of Christine's talents here.
• We all swooned over these books.
• iPod case cover.
• The coolest thing ever, embroidered Vlad the Impaler.
• Embroidered badges made by Christine.

bunches of brooches

bunny brooches

Harriet Damave is the artist behind these adorable bunnies and horses and goats and kitties. I feel like
I wouldn't be exaggerating if I were to say I loved them. After all, don't you love them? Let's just agree that we all do. 

horse brooch

siamese cat brooch

goats brooches

Harriet hails from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and she creates and paints each exquisite piece and fires them all
in her kiln. Uhh yeah, she has a kiln. And I bet she never used her kiln to make an alien head in her after-school ceramics class, located in the basement of Collins Elementary. (Many years later, I tried to smash that alien head
in the driveway but was thwarted by Mother. Said head is probably still in the garage, along with all my other
teenage weirdness. Don't tell anyone.) Back to Harriet. I'm impressed with anything involving several skill-specific steps, and to me, sculpting, painting, and firing clay in the tradition of Delft Porcelain all while creating sweetly
expressive animals loveliness definitely falls into the This Impresses the Hell Out of Christine category.
Really, who could fail to be impressed by Harriet's work? Only a crafting Scrooge. 

Here's Harriet hard at work in her studio. 

Please visit Harriet in her...

Delft Porcelain esty shop

or her ceramics shop...

House of Harriet

delivering the goods

As I'm mulling over the wrapping options for Monika's birthday presents--late, yes, but better late than never--I've been scouring all the lovely packaging pins from pinterest. Oh, pinterest! How do I love thee? Let me count the pins!
I mean: packages...

candy pouches via ISLY

carrot treat boxes, via Craft

circus tent gift boxes via Folksy

origami house boxes via How About Orange?

geometric favor boxes, via Ruffled

favor boxes via Oh! Crafts

fringed pyramid box via Martha Stewart Weddings

Wouldn't you go mad for a gift stowed inside one of these packages? I would. Now, if only the gifts themselves were tinier. And if only I were ready to part with them. In all actuality, Monika will not receive any birthday presents until I visit her in May. That's the way it goes with us Nicolai girls and gifts. You rolls the dice; you takes your chances.

But onto more pressing matters. Which package is your favorite? I'm partial to the fringed pyramid boxes myself, but then I can't tear my eyes away from anything shiny. And they're all soooo make-able (except for the circus tent, which is purchasable, or would be except for the fact that it's sold out). Follow the links for instructions, my dears!

Look at this mug. These mugs, I mean. Plural.

I can't quite remember when I first heard about Kin Ship Press, but I must say that I'm all for the series of mugs they've recently produced. I almost wish that I drank coffee, just so I could have an excuse to add a couple to my kitchen cupboard. Also, the lady and gent behind KSP list among their likes & dislikes: napping hard and making a ruckus. I like them more by the minute.

Add a Nip and Sip ceramic mug

Time to Get Things Done ceramic mug

His & Hers...Ax and Spade ceramic mugs

The only thing is that I would waaaaaay rather have the cool ax mug than the less cool spade mug.
Agree? Course you do. Wouldn't it be nice if you could pick? 

Good Night Moon pillowcases

Their pillowcases are also pretty sweet, see above. But I have a confession to make. I don't like new pillowcases. 

I like old pillowcases, like from Mom's linen closet...like the pillowcase that came with our Sesame Street sheets, which I effing hope Mom did not give away because I told her not to, and my bed in the apartment is a twin bed, and I could be using those sheets right now and would if I had them in my possession. Know that, Mother, know that. 

And I like old pillowcases from thrift stores. Not gross, nubby, childhood nosebleeded pillowcases. Cleanish ones that have Transformers or cowboys or Indiana Jones or vintage prints of kitschy embroidery on them. Don't worry, I conduct a thorough examination before purchase and am quite diligent about their washing routine before I lay down my head. 

I do not want a 12 year old boy's skin cells from 1978 all up in my sleep business. 

So, Kin Ship Press.

on etsy

on their blog

and somewhere in Louisville, KY.