Bows & Sparrows is Moving!

Hello, lovely readers! Just a heads up, the time has come for Bows & Sparrows and Blogger to get divorced. Yup, that's right, B&S is moving onto to bigger and brighter things...namely its own URL: www.bowsandsparrows.com. Hope you'll join me over there! xoxo

More Love for JA

{Adler Pipe Match Strike by Jonathan Adler}

My love of Jonathan Adler continues to grow with the advent of these two new pieces: the Adler Pipe Match Strike and the Peacock Lollipop Holder. Seriously. Love them both!!!

{Peacock Lollipop Holder by Jonathan Adler}

Coat Check

{Violet by Soia & Kyo}

This fall weather has me on the hunt for a new jacket, and right now I am all about these structured wool coats by Soia & Kyo. I love the structured necks, oversized buttons and asymmetrical closures that seem to dominate the fall/winter 2010 collection. Just have to decide if I'm willing to dole out the $350 that all the coats I want seem to cost.

{Lucie by Soia & Kyo} 

{Sherita by Soia & Kyo}

Underpinnings & Other Lovely Things

{silk satin cat sleep mask by Naomi Lingerie}

I am seriously in love with the delicate underpinnings and sleep masks created by the ever-so-adorable Japanese designer Naomi (couldn't track down her last name). At any rate, they have a very roaring '20s feel to them and I would like nothing more than to stock my entire lingerie collection with them...unfortunately, the $35-$40 price range is too steep for my wallet. Of course, the sleep masks are only $18 and the silk satin cat sleep mask would surely give new meaning to taking a cat nap. Check out the Naomi Lingerie shop & the blog for more info. In the mean time, below are just a few of my favorite pieces from the collection. Swoon.

{striped chiffon sleep boxer - sakuranbo by Naomi Lingerie} 

{boudoir stripes sleep eye mask by Naomi Lingerie} 

{dots voile flower sleep boxer by Naomi Lingerie}

{white chiffon sleep boxer by Naomi Lingerie}

Count Me In

{A violent, sensual, sensitive girl T-shirt by Every Little Counts}

An ex-boyfriend of mine once bought me a T-shirt that read: "Irish temper, Italian attitude" - which I refused to wear! At any rate, I have no doubt that if we were together today he would buy me this shirt by Every Little Counts - which I would gladly sport. The Brooklyn-based graphic T-shirt line is the brainchild of husband-and-wife design duo Amy Snider and Adam Schwartz, and each piece is hand printed with eco-friendly, water-based inks. Oh, and while the clothes in the shop may be for the lady-folk, the sultry models are sure to entice the men.

Heads Up, Seven Up

{Mustard beau skirt and tea top by Sarah Seven}

All I have to say is I want, want, want this mustard beau skirt and tea top - like right now!!! Not to mention, all the other totally covetable clothes (like this, this and this) by Portland, OR-based designer Sarah Seven. This lady makes some amazing pieces. Oh, and I should mention that 5% of all her Etsy shop sales goes to some great charities. Enjoy more pics of her work over on her blog.

Sharing Different Heartbeats...

Into everyone's Friday, a little "Heartbeats" must fall. Oh, and if you haven't heard Jose Gonzalez's acoustic version...you must go here now!

Hella Stacked!

{slim staking rings, mixed metal by Kate Szabone}

I must have this set of nine slim staking rings!! Of course, I plan to order them all in yellow gold because I'm not really a silver kind of girl and, well, rose gold makes my skin crawl. Luckily, Etsy seller Kate Szabone will customize orders to your liking...provided you have a "convo" with her to work out the details. Now, I just need to figure out my ring size.

All I'm Sayin' Pretty Baby...

{La La Love You print by SparklePower}

I have been a Pixies fan since I first heard them back in junior high. Unfortunately, the band broke up around that same time. At any rate, I have always loved "La La Love You" - although, "Gigantic" is by far my absolute favorite song - and this print by Etsy seller SparklePower makes me happy. The 8.5" by 11" giclee print is available in an assortment of color combos - although, I'm partial to the "aqua" or mental-hospital green, as I like to call it.

Bloggin' Ladies Series

{screen grab from Femmena Mala}

Stephanie, over at Femmena Mala, was kind enough to include me in her Bloggin' Ladies series, a weekly column featuring Q&As with inspirational female bloggers. *Totally blushing that she thought of me* At any rate, you can check out my interview here.

Count Along!

This video always makes me smile. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

I do! I do!

{Jane Birdcage Veil and feather  hair piece (sold separately. Both by Lo Boheme}

If I knew anyone getting hitched, I would so send them over to Lo Boheme. The online boutique is chock-full of swoon-worthy wedding accoutrements - think veils, headbands, hair pieces and garter belts. Don't see the picture-perfect item in the shop? No worries, many of the vintage-inspired pieces are made-to-order...just make sure you order well in advance - especially during wedding season, when the turnaround times can be lengthy.

{Tallulah bridal headband}

{custom garter deposit}

Happy Birthday, Darcey!

{Darcey's birthday, 2004}

Happy birthday to one of the best people on the planet - my darling friend Darcey. Her creativity, intelligence and compassion seriously makes this world a better place. Happy birthday, lovely lady!

Desk Job

{here's a before shot}

A couple of weeks ago I scored this awesome mid-century modern desk thanks to my friend Rosemary, who first discovered the post on Craigslist. It wasn't in the greatest of shape - as it had served as a desk for several kids in the family - but my friends are pros when it come to refinishing furniture and they promised to help me restore it to its rightful state. So, I forked over the cash, loaded the desk into my friend Sarah's Volvo station wagon and stored it in Rosemary's living room until it was time to work our magic. The top was covered with water stains and one of the kids had carved into the top that they "were here." There was also what appeared to be a pentagram carved into the top. Needless to say, I was a little concerned that we weren't going to be able to get rid of some of the darker, deeper blemishes.

{water stains have never frightened me so much}

Lucky for me, Rosemary and Nathan really do know how to refinish furniture and they were more than willing to put in the elbow grease this job required. Armed with fine-grit sandpaper, we got to work sanding down past the stains and carvings as best we could. Then, we moved on to the tack cloth, removing any dust created from the sanding.

{here's the desk post sanding, pre tack cloth-ing} 

After the tack cloth, we rubbed furniture re-finisher into the wood using steel wool. Let me just say, that shit evaporates like nothing I've ever encountered. I swear, we'd pour a tiny amount into a shallow bowl and it would gone not even a minute later. Wild! At any rate, when we were done with that step, we used rags to apply the final stain and this is what the end result looked like:

{shortly after applying final stain}

 Isn't it beautiful?!! Oh, and remember all those water stains? Look now, they're gone!

{look!! no water stains!!}

After a week or so of the desk sitting in my laundry room drying and me dying to put it to use, I finally got to move it in the house. Isn't it lovely? Best. Find. Ever. Thanks to Rosemary and Nathan for helping me with the process - you guys rock! Here it is in my house:

{my computer is so happy with her new home!}

{close-up shot for your enjoyment}

One Fine Day

{675 Chair by Robin Day, available at Habitat}

What's not to love about the 675 Chair by British designer Robin Day? Seriously, it's a thing of beauty.

Faire Play

{I'll take the chair, foot stool, lamp, side table & the little wooden owl - thank you!}

This morning, my coworker and I hit up the Sacramento Antique Faire, a monthly outdoor marketplace featuring a variety of collectibles from hundreds of Northern California dealers. I made a point of bringing only enough cash to cover the $3 entrance fee...as I've been on a spending bender as of late. Row after row of antiques and mid-century modern finds, I found myself envisioning the most covetable items taking their rightful place in my home. Still, without any money, I had no choice but to resist...until my coworker offered to lend me some cash! So, I ended up borrowing $13 so I could buy a 1946 Kodak Brownie Target Six-16 (pictured several photos below) to add to my collection of vintage cameras. Thanks, Lindsay!! Pay you back tomorrow.

{These chairs seriously made me drool}

{Vintage fan, briefcase and flower frogs}

{Love the color of this Tom Thumb typewriter}

{The Brownie on the left came home with me}

{This seller had some awesome mid-century modern pieces}

{Maurice Gibb lunchbox, anyone?}

It's a Small World After All...

{Disneyland gets decked out for Halloween}

I have a ton of virtual relationships thanks to the beast we all know as social media and, every once in awhile, one of those friendships jumps off the computer screen and lands in the real world. Sometimes the online connection you make with someone doesn't translate to the real world (awkward!) and sometimes it does (yay!). Take for instance, my friendship with Our Designed Life blogger Monica Nicholson. We started "tweeting" with each other nearly a year ago and usually tweet almost every day - which is more contact than I have with many of my local friends. When Monica suggested I come down to Los Angeles for a visit I was a little hesitant, but I decided to roll with it. Luckily, Monica was super awesome and I had a wonderful visit with her. She chauffeured me all around the Los Angeles area - taking me on a tour of her city (Venice Beach) and the happiest place on Earth (Disneyland). It was a whirlwind visit, but I had a blast.

{You can't keep us in the dog pound!}

{Taking Mickey's ride out for a cruise}

{Me & Steamboat Willie - aka Mickey Mouse}

My Life is an Open Book...

I kind of love be giving writing assignments. It forces me out of my comfort zone and pushes me to be more creative...and having a deadline helps me actually get it done. So, when Beth Dotolo (of Hello, Splendor) invited me to participate in her Blog Crawl, I was thrilled. The theme was "My Life is an Open Book" and, after some serious brainstorming sessions with my uber-creative friend Darcey, I decided on a concept. But before we get to my life, be sure to read about Justina's over at Compai, and tune in tomorrow to read Suzie's piece over on Cupcake Monkey. Ok, without further adieu, here is my interpretation of the theme at hand. I hope you enjoy it!

1. Donyale Round-Frame Sunglasses by Oliver Peoples 2. Marcie Small Leather Bag by Chloe 3. NW3 Beaumont Leather Belt 4. Ted Baker All-Over Stud Clutch 5. Kate Spade Twirl Bow Cuff 6. Holden Bent Plywood Double Feeder

1. Salt.Optics Parker Glasses 2. The Poppy by EmersonMade 3. Elastic Flower Bracelet from Forever 21 4. Moleskine Sketchbook 5. Anthropologie Recollect Travel Bag

1. Skagen Chrome and Black Leather Steel Watch 2. Filson + Apolis Philanthropist Briefcase 3. Ray-Bay Original Wayfarer 4. Ignite Nylon Trapper Hat from ASOS

1. Picked A Peck Necklace by Elva Fields 2. Marc by Marc Jacobs' Petal to the Metal Clutch 3. Kate Spade Summerville Small Natia 4. F6491 Sunglasses 5. Apple iPhone 4 6. Stella & Dot Clover Single Wrap Leather Bracelets

1. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture 2. Victoria Beckham Sunglasses 3. Horn-Strap Suede Tote by Miu Miu 4. Sirtom White Hemp Purse with Bird and Cage 5. Aveda Wooden Paddle Brush