Scoutie Girl

a little bit of creative thinking and a lot of engineering genius go a long way in this collection of goblets and tumblers. after starting their humble beginnings as mere wine vessels, they have been transformed into elegant and unique, um, wine vessels. seriously, they are off the charts on form & function, stretched convention, beauty & duty, economy of materials…all of my favorites. can you hear me clapping right now?! purchased in sets of 4, you can select clear or frosted; with a motif or without. you can even have your company’s logo sandblasted onto the surface for long-lasting brand exposure. lots of options!

$30-52 from green glass company

this is a bit off the beaten path for me, but i really like the concept and follow-thru on this blog and thought you might, too. three ways to wear vintage is a new blog that does just what the name says: styles 1 piece of clothing 3 different ways…almost like merchandising a store display. you can see from the images above that she mixes it up pretty well, too – so you’re sure to find a style idea that fits for you. it’s really a great reference for out-of-the-box, quick fashion in general. she sells the featured vintage clothing on her ebay store for about $10 in most cases. shirts, skirts, shoes, dresses…have fun!

$5-10 from beautoria vintage

just rec’d an update from spoonfed art about their new ‘wares….silverwares to be exact. i wrote about this indie company back in february, and i distinctly recall being completely in awe of the entire collection. nothing has changed. teaspoons provide the foundation for this tiny, tiny collage art, which is then frozen in place with a special resin concoction. the new collection (seen above) features smaller, more oval-shaped spoons. all are insanely gorgeous! spoonfed art supports NEDA, the Nat’l Eating Disorders Association. Designer: Karin Collins

$85 from spoonfed art

love the simple, clean lines of these playful pillows – i can see them paired well with many decor styles. borne from a desire to have more than a boring white lampshade, this designer drew upon her background in fashion design and art to create a collection of lampshades and accent pillows that are sure to put her work in many spotlights! her refreshingly unfussy designs are drawn by hand and then screen-printed onto linen with water-based inks. each item is handcrafted – nice to know. sizes for pillows are 10"x16" or 14"x14" and include a velcro-closure for easy removal. Designer: Dana Killion

$50-75 from garnish

earlier this summer, we adopted a second crazy dog. i waited a good while to post about this goofball b/c i wanted to make sure he would work out with our family. [see more below] in the meantime, i’ve been keeping an eye out for "boy-dog" gear – it seems Jen from Bowchies read my mind b/c she dropped me a note about her redesigned website and updated items…both are smashing! she makes an array of collars with colorful, geometric fabrics and ribbons. she’s also added these sturdy and stylish shoulder bags with clips and tons of pockets for water, poop bags, biscuits and toys! coming soon: leashes and harnesses…so your trip to the dog park is complete (once you supply the dog, of course). Designer: Jennifer Johnson

$26-125 from bowchies

Scout (l) and George (r)

Georgie is the new guy in the house. he’s a 9-mo-old Great Dane mix. Scout is a Catahoula, about 9 yrs. old. she is very tolerant of George’s antics, and they play like freaks! gets pretty wild and woolly in our house! we’re having a great time, and we’re so lucky we kept at the search for #2 for about 2 years now to find just the right one. both beasts were discovered on petfinder. the coloring on George’s face is split right down the middle: black on the right, speckled on the left. his nickname {currently} is the "phantom menace" – star wars meets phantom of the opera. Scout has accumulated quite a few by now: big mama, thundering tarnation, lanky swiper, masked marauder, mistress of doom, devil dog, artful dodger, frumpleface, ET, jar jar binks, nervous and smelly….i could start a blog just on this…reader contributions would be a must! p.s. that chair in the background is Scout’s spot…so we have to keep it despite the hideous pattern!