Deck the Halls ~ Merry Christmas!

I just spent the whole day wrapping presents and listening to Christmas carols.

After a couple hours, the novelty of that wore off fast. Ha!

But really, no exaggerations, when I wasn't out helping my dad shop for my mom-- it's our very last-minute tradition-- I was at home, sitting uncomfortably on the floor, surrounded by rolls of paper, swirls of ribbon and a bevy of bows.

The Christmas music did make it better though. I love Christmas music. And singing along to Christmas music. Especially the classics sang by music legends. Like Nat King Cole. Bing Crosby. Frank Sinatra. Eartha Kitt. You know the ones. They all kept me company while I folded and taped.

Despite all the hours and effort, I'm excited for when my family will tear into all my hard work tomorrow morning. Only in a few hours really. It's already after midnight here... I hope they like their gifts!

Before I head to bed and listen for reindeer hoofs "up on the rooftop"-- see, still got those carols in my head-- I thought I'd show you what my house looks like at Christmastime. Like I mentioned in my last post, we didn't have a tree until about a week ago. Why? Well, because we recently got new, hardwood floors! Bye, bye carpet! You can sneak a peek in the photo above, and see a sliver of our new furniture, too.

Anyway, let the mini-house tour, well, living room tour, begin:

Every year my mom turns our staircase into candy cane land. I love it.

These bells were my mom's mom's. That would be my grandma. I never met her, unfortunately, but I hear wonderful things all the time. These bells are very special. And they hold our mistletoe. Kiss, kiss!

I have claimed the task of setting up the nativity set every year. See, this bit of Christmas decor is very special to me. My grandma, my dad's mom, hand-painted each piece. I am totally biased, but it is the most beautiful nativity I've ever seen.

I always set up the little animals differently. I can never remember what I did the last year. This time, the cow is peeking in from the side of the manager. But the stars of the scene never change-- and I always put in baby Jesus last.

Our fireplace-- that my dad designed-- gets dressed up, too. My mom hangs garland from the mantel and sets up all those little stuffed animals on the hearth; they're from her work (Starbucks!).

Oh, Christmas Tree! Sparkling at night. It's the real thing. We like the pine smell.

Reflecting in the mirror... Don't you love my snowman? I made that in elementary school. We had to bring in one of our socks for his cap! I remember being very upset back then that there wasn't one more black pom-pom for his mouth. I had to put a brown one in the middle. Even then I was a perfectionist-- and enjoyed symmetry.  :)

Did you "deck the halls" at your home this year? What are your Christmas decorating traditions? Whatever you do, I hope it is wonderful. Because guess what? It's here! :) Merry Christmas, my loves. I hope your day is full of joy and laughter with friends and family. Because no matter what is under the tree, it is the people in our lives who are our true gifts.

xoxo,

Roberta Grove

I was thinking the other day that I haven't posted many lovely Etsy finds lately. Lest you think I have not been browsing Etsy with my usual intensity, which is so not the case, I thought I'd share with you this perfectly edited vintage shop I stumbled upon the other day.

Meet Roberta Grove, a "wonderland of vintage goodies" curated by Los Angeles Etsian, Jannay. (She has a blog, too.) I love all of the vintage finds she has listed in her shop, from gorgeous antique books whose pages have wonderfully browned with age to vintage home wares that would add a touch of whimsy to any room.

I rounded up a few faves to share:

Pair of vintage cobalt glass candlesticks and set of 5 vintage Bauer nesting bowls

Vintage Polaroid 320 Land Camera and wooden storage drawer

Antique book bundle, poems and fiction

Vintage Fire-King cream and sugar set and handsewn feedsack quilt

Have you found any lovely Etsy items or shops lately? Do share!

Living brightly

I'm a colorful girl. One look in my closet would reveal this as true. I don't wear much black, usually preferring to don pretty pastels and summery shades. Maybe it's the California girl in me, but I just like color.

The same goes for my design sensibility. Growing up, my room was as girly as a room could get. Think pink pink pink with a floral bedspread that perfectly matched the rosy wallpaper that perfectly matched my grandmama's hand-painted wall plates-- also in a floral motif. It was a bit uncanny how it all went together. And I loved it.

But once I got into my teens, I wanted a change. My obsession at the time was all things stars and I had just begun my love affair with the color yellow. (Up until then, my favorite hue was cerulean. Now the colors of the sea and the sun hold my attention equally.)

So what did I do? I painted my bedroom the brightest shade of yellow I could find. My parents questioned the choice but went with it (gotta love 'em). I accented the look with stark white Ikea furniture and pops of blue. A star mobile, star rug and many other star-shaped things completed the look. And you know I had a cheap copy of van Gogh's "Starry Night" hanging, too.

I simply loved waking up in that room. It was hard to be blue, shall we say, in a space that was so darn happy. Today, however, my living quarters aren't so vibrant. Beige walls and a brown couch are fine but I long for something more cheery, especially since my home is my office, too.

One day, I will have a house full of color, full of pattern and texture, full of ... life. Till then, I will just dream. And look at design magazines (ha!). I pulled some photos for future inspiration and I think it is safe to say that, if I had my way, my home would look something like this: (click *** for source)

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

***

Do you daydream about how you would decorate your ideal digs? Do you go for in-your-face brights like me or perhaps something more classic and subdued? Do share!

Top image found on Oh Joy! a while ago. If you know the direct source, please let me know!

In the mail...

So a funny thing happened the other day. (I say that as if what I'm about to tell you is unusual when really it is quite commonplace, but go with me.) I saw the beauty pictured above on Etsy shop Vintage Avacado and fell in love (or lust, whatev) at first sight. Its pretty teal blue hue, random red keys and snap-on case had me at hello.

It was easy falling head over heels though-- I've mentioned my obsession with vintage typewriters before and my desire to have one that I could proudly display on the Parsons desk that I don't have but will someday. Typically, the desktop companions I have gushed over are in the $400 range. Not a splurge that I can even come close to justifying on my reporter's wage. But more than its undeniable gorgeousness, the best part about the Smith-Corona Corsair I am showing you now is its affordable price tag (let's just say it was under $100). Still, I stared longingly at the pictures for two hours (I'm not exaggerating) debating if I should or shouldn't take the plunge.

During this back and forth, the little researcher in me came out as I Googled "Smith-Corona Corsair." Thanks to this website, I learned that in the 1960s a British subsidiary of Smith-Corona made the Skyriter, which was designed for students and people on the go. Later in the decade variants of the machine came out under the labels of Cougar and Corsair.

Due to the sheer number of typewriters produced and sold, Smith-Coronas are not exactly rare; however, they were one of the most popular brands and the company pioneered the portable typewriter. Sounded good to me.

About an hour into all this, the boy realized I was still staring at the photos on Etsy and said to just buy it already (that's always so easy for him to say!). The inner debate continued but in the end my simple want won out. That's right, this pretty baby is in the mail and on its way to me. And with any luck, it will be on my doorstep by the end of the week.

Funny how an old 60s typewriter can make a girl so dang happy.

P.S. Things were made all the more marvelous when my mom and dad said they'd pay for it since the coat I got for Christmas didn't work out. Yippee!

P.P.S. Sorry I haven't popped over to your blogs in awhile to say hey but I am hoping to catch up with ya'll this week!

Unique L.A.

Yesterday I journeyed to the 2^nd annual Unique Los Angeles Holiday Show at the California Market Center, which is located in the fashion district of downtown L.A., just a mile or two from the Staples Center.

I heard about the show, which is the largest independent design show on the West Coast, on Danni’s blog, oh, hello friend. Danni was there along with more than 300 other designers and artists who were showcasing their goods—almost all of which are made in America. Yay for homegrown, local products!

The two-day event started Saturday, but the boy and I went Sunday. Though we live just about 45 minutes from downtown, we don’t venture into the city that often, so it took one wrong turn and a few circles on the one-way streets around the center before we found the venue and a parking spot.

Once inside the event, it was like sensory overload. There was so much to see! Neither of us had ever been to an event like this, an expo if you will, so when we entered the Green Room—which featured the work of eco designers, of course—on the lobby level, we were still getting our bearings and trying to figure out what to do with ourselves.

We soon ventured up to the penthouse level, the 13^th floor, to see the rest of the offerings. Unfortunately for me, the show came at an extremely tight time financially—oh how I wish the show had been next weekend when I’d have a new paycheck to spend! Well, maybe it is a good thing I don’t have much money in the bank, otherwise I probably would have come away with bags and bags of goodies! There were so many wonderful things, it was like Etsy in real life. In other words: heaven.

Since I couldn’t shop till I dropped, I simply window-shopped. Or table shopped. You know what I mean. Booth after booth displayed new eye candy in all forms: clothing and accessories, bath and beauty, stationary, jewelry, house wares, artwork, ceramics, toys, photography, screenprints, edibles. See what I mean with sensory overload?

Walking around the show, I satisfied my urge to shop by picking up business cards and flyers from tables I liked. Kind of like hearting on Etsy, right? That way, I can “revisit” their shops later, aka when I get paid.

It’s hard to pick favorites out of the stellar crop of sellers that were on display, but here’s some who caught my eye:

:: Lori Koop ceramics- website, Etsy shop

Lori creates beautiful pottery that has a sense of whimsy and poetry about them, perfectly imperfect as she calls them, and they are different than a lot of other clay work I’ve seen. Even as we talked she was working a piece in her hands. She had the cutest little birdhouses, too, which I entered a drawing for (fingers crossed!).

:: Rock Scissor Paper- website

This boutique of colorful finds offers journals, mugs, coasters and owl paraphernalia that simply made me smile.

:: Scarlet Glass- website, collection

Sunny Scarlett crafts beautiful pendants out of glass and prettifies the pieces with images from nature. My favorite is the platinum peacock feather pendant that is strung on a sterling silver rope chain.

:: Steppie- website, Etsy shop

This shop is filled with all things adorable, but I was especially taken with the panda-printed tees and totes, as well as an “I Am A Ninja” tank in heather gray that looked super comfy.

:: Sharon Montrose Photography- website, Etsy shop

I think most everyone in the blogosphere has seen her gorgeous animal prints but if not, click over immediately. I love the deer and the owl and the raccoon and the baby chick and … you get the idea.

:: v is for violet- Etsy shop

Too cute plushies. Makes me feel like a kid again. (I had one heck of a stuffed animal collection as a child!)

:: anemone letterpress- website, Etsy shop

I love all things letterpress and there were several letterpress printers at the show. This is just one that I stopped to browse at after seeing a funny Mr. Roboto "thank you" card. Who wouldn't love getting that in the mail?

:: Dewi Designs- website

Light and delicate hand sewn jewelry that is like a work of art for your neck—it is even sold in the Museum of Contemporary Art gift shop! My favorites are the globes necklaces, though I don’t think the photos on the website do them justice. They are even more stunning in person.

:: p.o.p. candy- website

This Santa Monica-based shop sells yummy, all-natural butter crunch candies that come in flavors like almond, pecan, rosemary almond and a multi-nut blend. I tried the pecan and it was pretty much the best brittle ever; not too hard or sticky. Just perfectly crisp and sweet. It is so good, the owner told me they sold out of their confections on Saturday and had to spend all night making more for Sunday.

And finally, a special shout out to ex libris anonymous, which sells journals made from vintage hardcover books, for getting us into the show for free!

Though I showed great restraint at the event, I did walk away with two pretties, thanks to the boy. He bought me an iridescent Lacey Oak leaf necklace charm from London Manori and some happy tape—colorful masking tape—from oh, hello friend.

On a side note, Danni was as sweet and friendly as you would imagine from reading her lovely blog. It was my first time meeting a blogger “in real life” and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but even as shoppers flooded into her booth to check out all her beautiful items, she kept chatting with the boy and I. Before we said goodbye, we took a quick photo.

I probably could have stayed all day at the show but after about two and a half hours the boy was getting tired. And we were both hungry. So we headed out into the crisp scarf-worthy air of historic downtown, battled the typically congested L.A. traffic getting out of the city, and ended our trip with a stop at In-N-Out.

Who could ask for a better Sunday?

I hope your weekend was just as nice! And if you are looking for some fabulous, handmade presents for the holidays, check out the list of vendors who set up shop at Unique Los Angeles this past weekend. I’m trying to give as many handmade gifts as possible this Christmas, but more on that later…

P.S. It's been pouring rain all day here in Simi Valley! I guess winter, or at least El Nino, has finally come to So Cal. But it really makes me not want to do anything except snuggle on the couch and drink hot cocoa.

Just my type

If I had $300 (or $600) to spend frivolously, I know just what I would buy: a beautiful, vintage typewriter. At least, that's what I would tell you I would buy at. this. very. moment. My wants are ever changing so who knows what I would purchase with that chunk of money tomorrow-- maybe I'd have a moment of depressing clarity and put it toward rent?-- but tonight I have been drooling over the dozens of vintage writing machines that can be found by simply searching "typewriter" on Etsy.

Here's a few that I would happily display on my shiny white Parsons desk from West Elm. Oh, wait. I don't have one of those. Looks like I'll be needing a more substantial amount of superfluous cash to make this fantasy become a reality. No matter. Let's just pretend for now.

Say hello to these gorgeous desktop-- or laptop-- companions.

Turquoise 1950s Royal Typewriter, seen at Poetic Home 

The Olivetti Valentine, the "Ferrari" of typewriters, seen at Poetic Home 

1972 Smith Corona Classic 12, seen at Lovely Vintage, Etc. 

1950s Seafoam Green Royal Quiet De Luxe, seen at Poetic Home 

1960s Olivetti Underwood Lettera 32, seen at Sarahendepity 

I know there is an old, dusty typewriter sitting somewhere in my parents' house, but it is nowhere near as pretty to look at as these. Right now its a toss up between the two Royals-- turquoise and seafoam-- for my No. 1 spot.

So, anyone else out there obsessed with typewriters like me? My boyfriend doesn't get it, but what kind of writer would I be if I didn't feel strangely drawn to the familiar clickity-clack and ceremonial ding that reminds of days gone by?

Collectibles

This post by Dionne got me thinking about collections. When I was little, I had a couple of collections. Some were pretty meaningless though and most unintentional. Stickers. Pogs. Barbies. Fortune cookie fortunes. Stuffed animals by the hundreds. 

But the one thing that I actually actively collected that I was really proud of was my rock and shell collection. I would pick up interesting rocks off the ground and scour the beach for pretty shells. I would then tuck them safely away in a pink music box—you know, the kind with the spinning ballerina? Then, when my geologist uncle would come for a visit, I would take them all out to show him and he would tell me their “stories.” What they were, where they most likely came from… I think I still have that collection somewhere in my room at my parents’ house. (Do you see now why I loved this amethyst necklace so?)

Currently, I don’t really collect much. Although, I am most certainly a pack rat. But I think a collection has to be more than stuff you don’t want to throw away. It has to be on purpose, don’t you think? Anyway, I do have about 20 or so shot glasses that I have picked up during my travels. And I have nearly every single Glamour magazine for the past four years. As well as an overflowing jewelry box and tons of strands of necklaces hanging on my wall. Oh, and debt. Seems that’s easy to collect!

I want to start a real collection though. Something legit. I would love to collect more old books, like the ones I bought awhile back. I also have a thing for figurines, particularly ones of little birdies and owls. Though, I won’t say no to a couple of friendly squirrels or a big-eared deer.

See, I have already begun my search for collectibles. Here are some promising finds I came upon while browsing Etsy.

1. Martha (vintage owl figurine) from ethanollie's shop Trampoline

2. Ceramic bird by Monkeys Always Look

3. Lil Squirrel Desk Buddies by BROOKLYNrehab

4. Ceramic Deer Figurine Vintage Design Celadon by Fruit Fly Pie

What do you think? A little too grandma-ish? A collection like that could potentially turn my house into a pile of knick-knacks. At the same time, I quite like the idea of a lovely little bird perched on my bookshelf or a pair of critters by the keyboard on my desk.

Full disclosure: I bought the bird. And the owl. Sign me up for Shopaholics Anonymous.

P.S. For those of you wondering where I got the Maple Ginger Snap gelato, I just picked it up at my local Vons. I am pretty sure you can get it at most grocery stores if you are dying to try it!

P.S.S. I had Chinese food Friday night—yum!—and this was my fortune: “You have a strong instinct to take care of the people you love.” Not exactly a “fortune” but one for the “collection," I'd say!