But for now, i’m adoring these items i found via the loveliness featured on Modern Kiddo. Goodness, something feels just plain wrong with such small darling versions of fantasticness.

And stay tuned for a special little surprise at the bottom!

J.Crew’s kids line Crew Cuts

Not for play when the little ones are at their littlest. But always good for decoration.  Let Maya Made teach you how to make these Stone Dolls

Oh just Shut the Heck Up Already!!!!  midstate vintage

Seriously! I said Shut Up!

download this royal print, frame it or tack it up to encourage humble, sophisticated approach for your own sweet princess

Do i even need to say anything?  I think these Donna Wilson whimsical goodies speak for themselves.

And now for that special little surprise…  well, it’s more like a revealing cliffhanger i suppose….  are you hating me for getting your hopes up?  Well, don’t let them fall because very soon they will be met with our very first MonkeySaidBear Giveaway!!!  yahoo!!  We have now officially been posting for over a year and we are so thankful for each and every one of you readers.  So to reward you, we will have our first (hopefully of many) fun giveaway in which one of you will receive a very lovely and unique prize straight from us…. your favorite blog (right?).  Details forthcoming.  And if anyone is an artist or maker or creator of any sort, let us know if you’d like to contribute to future give-aways.  It’s a great way to get your goods out there… to our readers and for the enjoyment of big mouths who are certain to share their delight.

The shop also features some gorgeous accent pieces:

Wooden Rainbow Stacker

Hedgehog and Mushroom set

Take a look around their shop, and let me know which toys are sparking your imagination.

When I finally live on my farm, I’m calling up Steel and Fork immediately for my few perfectly suited statement pieces.

Or i’ll just marry me a man that’s good with a hammer large and dangerous machinery

Truly, though, these John Deere-esque items might be even better in our modern metropolitan temporary dwellings, or even with settled suburbanites, standing out carefree and confident in their rusty, ruddy call to get to work and get dirty.

Read more about this handyman&woman  here

and check out their shop.  They’re selling bigger items like this side table made out of a recycled farmall tractor.

and smaller accents like a homegrown yet quirky pigs fly pillow

Really though, i’m just inspired to think of all the ways big obtrusive messy items can be turned into furniture and decoration and art.

What’s the most creative deco “mash-up” you’ve ever put together?  Ever used the outside world to create a sturdy piece for the inside?

(image via Restoration Hardware)

I confess I am a member of the “always looking ahead so that I miss what’s right in front of me” club… probably vice-president.  And so even in Spring as we get some much longed-for warmth and color, I start longing for Fall.  I don’t wish it were the only, but I do wish it were the longest.

But what I certainly don’t feel guilty for  is loving the earthy, rustic tones and colors that noble Autumn brings in plenty.  So in Spring,  I fit in by creating a more open, airy, and light atmosphere but I’m also stickin’ out a bit with a loyal and constant undertone of subtle, rich, and warm.

Or to put it more bluntly, I like a little more of the branches and twigs over the bright blooms and buds

And to me, my bright friends, this provides “natural” space for those blossoming attractions you find on a pillow– or in your front yard– to pop out just as they’re made to.

A daffodil terrarium by Terrain

Or (and i would recommend) make your own by following instructions like these

Also from Terrain is this year-round accessible and frangrantly named lavender hill wreath

Chic Cottage-y French works any season, any time.  These provencal spice jars from Anthropologie are less than $2 a piece!!  And the minty creamer for only slightly more mint.

And of course….  Warm Days/Cool Nights means nothing but living on the back deck/patio/patch of grass.  Fast forward just a few months and chilly hoodie evenings with scents of bonfire and cinnamon and leaves giving a “farewell” means nothing but living in that outdoor sanctuary all over again.  And to keep our bare feet from stepping on some gooey grody bug, we say “Let there be Light”.  Target’s offering Free Shipping for all outdoor lighting items below.

I like the metal flowers and the clear lanterns with a metal lid.

And finally… just for kicks…  I’m a little late in posting this but surely there are a few of you late in blog-drooling too (or you just don’t mind slobbering all over again)….  We look forward to sporting J.Crew’s incredible fall collection.  Coming Soon but wish it were sooner.

The artist and her subject/work.

You can see more of Alexa’s work here and here.

Martha Stewart shows you how to make your own cement pots. Like in the picture below, these pots make the perfect tiny pot for planting your succulents.

I want to use this method to make a cement candle holder that looks like this.  Now, I fully recognize that this project will most likely turn into cement-all-over-my-faceandhair mess, but I’m determined to try!

For those chilly Spring evenings, I’m loving this argyle throw, and it actually looks pretty easy to make.  I think this would be a super cute baby shower gift.

This picture is majorly inspiring me to embroider something.  The use of negative space is so modern and super cool looking.

And if you want an amazing song to listen to while you are crafting, I can’t get enough of Radical Face’s Welcome Home (which came out 3 years ago…why am I just now hearing it?!).

And what would crafting be without the perfect snack (hint: it would be lame).  So for the perfect snack make these candied pecans. They are delcious and really easy. A few notes: I subbed vanilla extract for the water and when you whisk the egg whites make sure to turn on your go-go-gadget-super-fast-whisking-arm to make sure to incorporate lots of air into those egg whites.

This past Friday, though, was a project/opening put together by those talented individuals of our congregation’s Visual Arts team and was a reflection on Wisdom through the Psalms and Proverbs.

Each installation has its own story and its own relevant reflection covering lament and joy and perplexity…No matter what your spiritual beliefs, these well-known books express much of the inexpressable parts of the human condition.  Well, this bit from the site says it better than I can…

These works are at times simple, and at times complex. Reflecting the very nature of the Psalms themselves, the works occupy a visual space that is at once both literal and metaphoric. Feathered wings hanging from the ceiling cast a shadow inviting reflection on both celestial beings and the bone structure of nature’s aviators. A bed cloaked in astro-turf at once invites comfort and questions our modern attempts to harness and recreate nature’s ubiquitous forms. “Questioning Clocks” use simple icons to reflect universal questions constant from ancient minds to modern times.

Unfortunately the descriptive “statements” are absent from these iphotos.  But still- they’re cool to look at.  And perhaps you’ll just have to come on over for a visit.

A week ago, my friend Norman Silva was in a terrible fire and has been hospitalized ever since. Norman has third degree burns on 70% of his body and has been through multiple surgeries since the fire, and he faces a long road to full recovery, but I’m happy to say that so far his progress has been good. If you live in the Louisville area, chances are you have met Norman, or have seen his ceramic work at one of the local coffee shops. (His coffee mugs often have words stamped into them with metal type, and he likes to sign the bottoms with a fish.)  Please keep Norman and his family in your thoughts and prayers. If you would like to check on his progress, or leave a note of encouragement, please visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/normansilva.

Embellished sweaters for the kids

Have any of you tried your hand at needle felting? Is it hard? Or perhaps, so addicting that you are currently wading through a pile of adorable handmade animals just to get through your house?