Monday, May 17, 2010

Laundry is LOADS of fun!

Most of us ladies, probably, don't want to admit it but a fine laundry room really knocks our socks off. It's sort of on that list of things that "one day" I'll actually have. An amazing laundry room - yes a room that centers around doing choirs - can really change your life.



Even though, your very presence in this room denotes work and things most of us try to avoid, you can't help but fall in love with this little corner of clean. Here at the Hand Crafted Cottage I want to put a lot of love into every room in my home. And the laundry room is no exception.



Envision your den of dirty with a gorgeous deep sink, standing strong in front of a full wall of durable, wipeable tiles. Beside that is a wonderfully aged white shelf, with purple polka dot wall paper adorning it's insides. This is where all your soaps and such would make their home and beneath them live your beautiful baskets of wicker. Everything has it's place and everything is gleaming clean. Wow...I think my socks where just knocked!



Here are a few more Etsy gems that would fit right in to the laundry room of your dreams!



The laundry room WOULD be loads of fun with organization such as this. This vinyl decal from Style Mark Designs would make any tin basket the perfect keeper of your detergents, towels, or socks without a match. Of course, this could also make a home on your wall, reminding you how much fun choirs can really be (right???)!

I love this sign because it keeps things fun. And really, a quotation from William Shakespear makes everything more respectable...even scrubbing mystery stain out of the pants you wore on the bus! Rumple Street Boutique makes such wonderful signs, whether it be for your laundry room or any other room in your house. This store is a must see and are quickly growing into one of my favorite shops out there.


Mr. Jones Soapbox laundry detergent is enviornmentally friendly and, also, friendly to the old pocket book! Packaged beautifully, this soap will massage your clothes clean and will last for 80 loads. The look of this product drew me in while what was inside kept me interested! Way to go Mr. Jones!

Another vinyl decal that really tickles my fancy. I love that you can get these in any colour - so to match my purple polka dots. It falls within my whimsy theme, yet is helpful for those times I can't remember my symbols. My, how helpful! Sudio JK Vinyl has really hit the nail on the head with this one and I think that this would make a wonderfully unique house warming gift.


Of course, when it comes to laundry there are other things to consider. Laundry and ironing go hand in hand. I am absolutely enamoured with the lovely ironing board covers found in Compelled to Craft. A wide selection of patterns available, this shop dedicates itself to beautifying the everyday. Why not iron in style? Of course, having the ironing board hanging on the wall (yes, everything has it's place) turns into almost a peice of art.

And finally, this one is very important and usually overlooked. As the wife of a notorious scatter brain, I generally find laundry day to be quite lucrative! I can't tell you how many five, ten, twenty dollar bills I have found in my other's pockets while cleaning his clothes. I figure I've earned it and always throw that moo-lah into a jar to access at a later point in time. Of course, I need a special jar that looks smashing. Leave it to Whitney Smith, to help me out!


It's a fact that having an awesome laundry room increases the resale value of your home. Having an inviting laundry room also makes an annoying task a little more bearable. Pull together these fabulous items and you just might find yourself in the 'official room of choirs' a little more often that you thought!

Monday, May 10, 2010

EK Fine Arts...yes please!

Do you ever check out the shops that you find on Pounce, still waiting for their first sale? I like to check out the Pounce option every once in a while, in search of a potential new favorite. Well, recently, I was doing just that and I came across a really great new shop called EK Fine Arts.

This shop specializes in – you guessed it, fine art! Gorgeous fine art, I may add. In fact, I was so in awe with one of the pieces I found in this lovely gallery that I immediately put it in my shopping cart, then I continued to browse through some other new shops. Unfortunately, before I could check out, some other lucky person actually bought the painting I wanted! Valuable lesson to us all – if you want it…check out right away!! Especially if it’s a one of a kind type item (and this beautiful painting most definitely was!).

Well, I was so intrigued with this shop. I needed to know more. I contacted the shop owner, a lovely lady named Emilia, who was so kind to answer my questions and agree to let me post some of her items on my blog.

Emilia has been an Etsian only since December 21, 2009. Her shop is filled with gorgeous abstract art where free forms, texture, composition, colours, and, of course, emotion take the foreground instead of the real life shapes of certain objects. These are gallery quality pieces that range in price from $50.00 to $650.00 (as of May 10/10) and they currently find homes with corporate collections, private ownership, and galleries around the world.

As I mentioned before, Emilia was kind enough to answer some questions that I had for her. My first question covered the basics –where are you from and what do you do?

Emilia: Well, I am originally from Poland /Europe, but I currently reside in New Jersey/US. Presently I collaborate with designers and work as an Abstract artist.

And, How would you describe your art?
Emilia: My work is about forms, texture, composition, color and emotions. It's free of literal meaning.

I am primarily focused on expressing the qualities, and texture of the painting's surface.I wish to liberate myself from any form and coping reality and nature in my art. I don't want to show the real objects, I want to use the colors and forms freely. I express a wide spectrum of emotions in my abstract art such as despair, ecstasy, resignation and many others.

So have you been formally trained in your art?

Emilia: I have graduated from the Academy of Visual Arts in Europe in 1998 and I have also completed a one year course in design.

I found your shop while "pouncing" one day through the new shops. How did you discover Etsy and what do you think of it so far?

Emilia: Hmmm… I can't say a lot about Etsy. This is a new experience.

And finally, what (if you can choose just one) is your favorite piece that you have listed in your shop and why?

Emilia: I love any my paintings, because they include my heart, soul and of course my personality.

Emilia’s shop is so lovely and I personally think my walls would look much richer with one of her works hanging on them. As she mentioned this abstract art is about emotion and personality, and I’m constantly checking back (and still kicking myself for not checking out faster with that first painting!) to find the right piece for my home. What I really love about this shop as well is that this is beautiful AND affordable art. What a wonderful thing to have a real painting hanging above your mantel or greeting you in the morning as it hangs over your headboard.

Here is a small sampling of some of her beautiful paintings that, perhaps, would like to make a home inside your home!
Title: Diary of Autumn
Size: 36” x 24” x 0.75”(deep)
Cost: $150.00
Gallery Price: $750.00
Comments: No need to frame – just hang and enjoy! The finish is protected with a final varnish coat.
Title: The System (XXL)
Size: 48” x 36” x 1.75”(deep)
Cost: $650.00
Gallery Price: $3,000.00
Comments: No need to frame – just hang and enjoy! The finish is protected with a final varnish coat.
Title: Illusion
Size: 30” x 15”x0.75”
Cost: $50.00
Comment: Nice soft textures. No need to frame – just hang and enjoy! The finish is protected with a final varnish coat.

If you are an art fan, this is a shop for you to heart. Please feel free to leave a comment below letting us know which piece you most enjoy! Also, because I know you are curious, click HERE to see the painting I, unfortunately, missed out on! Don’t forget…if you love something – check out right away!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

I LOVE My Mom!

I love my mom. I really really do. She is a wonderful, caring, generous and loving person. Plus, she has a really awesome daughter (but that’s beside the point). This weekend coming up, as we all know, is Mother’s Day. A day to honour our mums and let them know how much we appreciate everything they’ve done for us over the past year.

We should, obviously, be cherishing our mamas everyday of the year but dedicating a whole day to just her is still a nice treat. I was reminiscing about my mom today and recalled when I first moved away from home into a tiny, little (and yucky!) apartment with my new husband. It was probably two weeks in to the new move and I was sitting at the kitchen table. All of a sudden my husband looks at me and there are tears coming down my cheek – “What’s wrong sweetheart?” my young and concerned hubby asked. “I miss my mom!” was all I could get out. And yes, I was 25 years old. I don’t really know why at that moment my emotions began to flood the dining room but I think that those sentiments ring true to the relationship I have with my mom. It doesn’t matter how old I am, she will always be a mommy and I will always need her in my life.
With that being said, I wanted to find some Etsy gems that brought my dear madre to mind when I saw them. All of these items ring perfectly true to the tune of my mother!

What: Fleur de Sel Caramel Bars (1 pound of delectable caramel, cut into four ¼ pound bars)
From: Have it Confections
Price: $17 + shipping
Why: Sweet tooth is pretty much synonymous with our family name. Some of my favorite memories center around the mouth watering spread my mom would lay out on family occasions, as we sit around the table playing games or looking at old pictures!
What: Custom Silhouette Portrait (12 x 12 print on canvas)
From: Pretty Faces
Price: $70 + shipping
Why: My mom loves old world tradition. This would be right up her alley, hanging on the wall as we watch a movie about Queen Victoria and sipping dark teas.
What: Cosmic Curve Earrings (Swarovski crystals)
From: The Meg Shop
Price: $24 + shipping (note: this is a SALE price)
Why: My mom is a classy lady. Yes, she is a mom but there are no mom jeans or sweatshirts with loons on them anywhere in sight. She has style and isn’t afraid to change with the times – I hope to be so lucky as time marches on!
What: Traditions Ivory and Black Damask Table Runner (72” long x 12” wide)
From: Flora Touch
Price: $12 + shipping
Why: Dinner parties are a big thing in my family. We love to have people over and wine and dine them for the evening. My mom is always thoughtful of her guests AND of the décor – a win win in my opinion. What: Hand Cut, Unpainted Wooden Letters (6” in height)
From: Bouncing Off the Walls
Price: $4 (each) + shipping
Why: Crafting is our religion! Whether it would be decorating these adorable wooden letters or making a thoughtful birthday card, she can (and will) do it all.
What: Book Inspector Paper Weight
From: Ephemeralogie
Price: $15 + shipping (note: this is a SALE price)
Why: Well, my mom is a librarian and I needed something that captured her love of books and her, shall we say, keen eye on the state of them.
What: Mother Bird Card
From: Moonmum
Price: $6 + shipping
Why: This one is pretty obvious – she’s my mama bird!

So, this weekend make sure to let your mom know how loved she is. Whether she lives next door, on the other side of the city or in another province or state, send some love her way.