Such Pretty Things

New Martha Stewart Crafts

I was in Michael's the other day and I noticed that they were clearing out the Martha Stewart section.  I immediately got a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I am a big fan of Martha's products (and packaging!) and I was worried that the bad economy might have taken it's toll.  But, fear not, my concerns were unwarranted. They were just clearing out to make room for all her cool new products!

In addition to the many new scrapbook papers and tools, Martha has come out with some fabulous new craft items.  The first is her incredible new selection of glitter and glitter kits - just in time for the holidays.

You may remember how much I loved my glitter set last year.  Well, now Martha's expanded the selection to include Iridescent glitter...



Foil flaked glitter...



How fun is this?  It looks like flakes of gold leaf!



And this fabulous tinsel-like glitter!





I am also super excited about the new flocking products.  Have you ever tried the technique of "flocking"?  I have always wanted to, so now here's my chance. The flocking powder comes in a rainbow of pretty colors.



I am also in love with Martha's new sticker collections.



The colors are beautiful.  Here are some of my favorites...



These taffy stickers look good enough to eat!



And I am crazy for these glittery confection stickers...



Finally, these sparkly photo corners are a must have for any scrapbooker!





So, have you seen Martha's new products in a store near you?  Which are your favorites?

Happy Weekend!

:-)

Jessica

Magnolia Bakery, New York

Hi All!  Sorry for my almost week-long absence - we've had a really bad cold going through the family and I had someone home from school with me almost every day last week.  :-(  We're not completely back on track, but I thought I'd pop in a write a quick post on my recent trip to Magnolia bakery in NYC.

Magnolia is a charming little bakery on Bleeker Street in the West Village (although they now have a total of three locations throughout the city).  What I love about Magnolia is it's homey, old-fashioned appeal.

Every day, hundreds (thousands!) of people (mostly tourists!) line up to wait their turn to get inside and select their yummy, pastel-hued cupcakes.

Although Magnolia has become somewhat of a pop icon - having been featured on popular shows like Sex and the City and Saturday Night Live - it still retains it's humble, simple aesthetic.

The cakes remind you of ones your mom used to make...

So, is Magnolia worth waiting in a line that goes around the corner block?  Most definitely!

Have a great day and I'll try to be back soon...

:-)

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Mirrored Holiday Mini-Bar

I am thrilled with my latest Target find!  It's a beautiful mirrored tray that's totally glamorous!

It's very well made and has a very high-end look to it.  What I love about this tray, is that you could use it for so many things - as a serving tray, to hold a pretty perfume bottle collection, or to organize papers on your desk.

With the holidays fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to turn mine into a holiday mini-bar.  I like to have a bar set up when guests come over, but I'm never really sure exactly which bottles of this and that I should include.  So, I decided to do some research on bar essentials over at Martha Stewart. Martha has a great list of must-have items and you can find it here.  Some of the items I already had, but a few I still have to get.  It will come as no surprise to you, that when picking bottles, I tend to go for the prettiest ones in my favorite colors!  :-)

After choosing my bottles, I added some crystal glasses and a silver mercury glass filled with pink roses.

All set up...

The great thing about this "min-bar" is that it's compact and portable, so you can place it on top of any table or buffet...or simply carry it from room to room.

Happy Tuesday!

Jessica

O.K., I lied...

...our pumpkins were ORANGE!  ;-)

Happy Halloween!

XOXO
Jessica

Halloween Disclaimer and Costume Choices

You may have noticed the conspicuous absence of Halloween over here at Such Pretty Things.  It's not that I'm the Halloween Grinch or anything like that.  I love how excited my girls get planning their costumes and I certainly love all the candy.  It's just that...well...it's the colors.  Orange and black.  Black and orange.  Not my favorite color combo.  Plus, I kinda really despise the color orange.  Sorry, orange-lovers.  I just do.  And it's really, really hard to avoid orange when Halloween comes around.  So, yes, not my favorite holiday, color-wise.  I do try to make the best of it though.  For example, I try to find non-orange-colored candy.  Like this pretty pink and purple candy corn that I found at Target.

But mostly, I just focus on the costumes.  While no final decisions have been made as of yet, my girls are leaning towards ballerina costumes this year. Here are some little peaks at the major contenders...

Please notice the presence of pastels...

ruffles...

 

delicate velvet millinery flowers and satiny ribbons...

and tulle bows...

But not a bit of orange in sight!!!  :-)

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

XOXO
Jessica

Fishs Eddy, New York

Good morning, everyone!  I had every intention of doing a Target Tuesday post today, but the weather is not cooperating.  It's cold and dark and the lighting is just terrible, so no picture-taking for me today.  :-(

Instead, I want to share with you another one of my favorite New York shops.  It's called Fishs Eddy and I think you'll really like it.

Fishs Eddy sells all sorts of very reasonably priced dinnerware...and everything has a very cool vintage, country feel to it.  The store decor is so pretty...

I love all the displays.

In addition to classic white dinnerware, you'll find many different patterns of china.  Fishs Eddy started out selling original items from old restaurants, diners, country clubs, and hotels.  Today, much of their stock is new, but almost everything has a vintage, antique look.

A perfect place to pick out some new dishes for a newlywed or for your Thanksgiving table.

Those aqua-rimmed plates are a must-have!

How about a new gravy boat?

They have a wonderful selection of glass cake stands, too. And they are all made from the original antique molds.

This aqua blue pitcher would match my glasses from my blog banner, don't ya think?

Fishs Eddy is so much fun.  Definitely put in on your list of places to visit the next time you're in NYC!

:-)

Happy Tuesday!

Jessica

Fishs Eddy
889 Broadway at 19th Street
New York, NY 10003

Toll free: 877.347.4733
Phone: 212.420.9020
Fax: 212.353.1454
Email: info@fishseddy.com

Autumn Leaves and Serendipitious Ribbons

Every Autumn, we take our annual family drive to the mountains to see the changing leaves in all their glory. It's always so beautiful - like a postcard come to life.

So, we're driving along, admiring the scenery and trying to find a cute place to stop for lunch, when we pass a sign that says "Hagerstown".  Now, I am not personally acquainted with Hagerstown, Maryland, but for some reason, the name rang a bell.  It took me a minute and then I remembered reading an article several years ago that mentioned there was an Offray Ribbon Outlet in Hagarstown.  How very serendipitous!  It was bit out of the way, but after a little cajoling, I got my husband to agree to take us there.  The outlet is a little bit off the beaten-path, on a semi-industrial looking road.  The building is quite nondescript on the outside, but on the inside there are bargains and treasures to be found!

How about a 100 yard roll of ribbon for $1.29!

Everything in the outlet is arranged in large cardboard boxes set up on tables.  It''s very well organized, but you may have to do a bit of rummaging.

The colors and selection are terrific!  I was expecting to maybe see some pea-greens and mustard-yellows colors, but they had ribbons in every color of the rainbow.

And you'll find all types of ribbons at the Offray outlet.  Some with a better selection of widths and colors than others, but there were grosgrains, sheers, and wired ribbons.  My favorite are the satins...

 

You'll find polka dots, florals, and stripes, too!

I bought primarily from the "sale" tables where everything was around $1.00 to $1.50.  If you are looking for larger quantities of a specific color, they are a bit more expensive - but a huge roll (50 to 100 yards) can be had for about $5 to $10.  A major deal for ribbon of this quality.

You'll also find gift-wrap bows, some fabrics, and grab bags of ribbon remnants.  For anyone who is planning a wedding or just loves scrap-booking or wrapping presents, this is THE place to go!  The woman at the front desk told me that the inventory is constantly changing, so they never know exactly what they are going to get in.  You can call ahead though and they will try to help you find what you are looking for. 

If you live nowhere near Hagerstown, they have another location in Berwick, PA.  And if you live nowhere near Berwick, it's still worth a trip.  I am already sorry that I didn't buy more and I can't wait to go back!

:-)

Jessica

BERWICK OFFRAY OUTLETS:

Hagerstown Outlet

857 Willow Circle
Hagerstown, Maryland
Tel. 301 745 4714
E-mail: OffrayOutlet@berwickoffray.com
Regular Store hours:
Tuesday – Friday 10:00 - 5:00 and Saturday 10:00 - 4:00
Closed most Holidays

Berwick, PA Outlet:

2017 West Front Street (RT. 11)
Berwick, PA 18603
Tel. 570 784 1985
Fax 570 784 6551
E-mail: theoutlet@berwickoffray.com
Visa, Master Card, Discover, and Cash
Regular Hours January - March:
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 9:00-4:00, Saturday 9-3

***it is suggested that you call ahead to confirm hours

ABC Carpet and Home

One of my favorite New York shopping destinations is ABC Carpet and Home. ABC is not your typical shop...it's actually two huge department stores devoted to the prettiest and finest home furnishings and rugs. Kind of like Anthropologie on steroids!

At ABC, you'll find tons of high-end home furniture, antiques, lighting, carpets, and linens.  Walking in the front door is like walking into a beautiful, magical world of prettiness...

 

ABC is know for it's gorgeous chandeliers...

This aqua beaded one was my favorite.

 

And this white china rose one is so lovely...

 

ABC has a nicely edited collection of antiques - like these pretty floral china pieces.

 

There are tons of home decor and tabletop items.  I especially love these glitzy napkin rings...

I would love to set a table with this shabby-chicish dinnerware...

 

They were just starting to put the Christmas decorations, so I will have to go back again soon.

There is lots of antique and vintage-inspired furniture...how fab are those French dining chairs???

The children's department is incredible.  So many pretty and unique things to decorate your nursery or child's room...

 

 

The dress-up clothing is straight out of a vintage storybook.

 

 

There is an entire floor devoted to bedding, bath and linens...in every style and color imaginable.  I want this bed!

This one, too!

Piles of pillows on every surface...

 

And some fanciful toiletries.

 

One of the great things about ABC is that you never know what you'll find.  I was shocked to come upon this basket of vintage wallpapers.

If you are planning a shopping trip to ABC (and you should!), here are a few tips:  Remember to bring a big, fat wallet - these are NY prices (i.e., expensive) - and please allow yourself enough time to really wander around and take in every little detail. The store displays are truly beautiful, with incredible attention to detail...

ABC Carpet and Home: 888 & 881 Broadway, New York, NY 10003  Ph: 212 473-3000

:-)

Have a pretty day!

Jessica

Target Tuesday: Tutu Lamp

I was happy to find this pretty lamp at Target last week.  It has a simple white base and comes with a sweet pink shade.  And the price tag can't be beat...only $14.99!

It was a little too modern for my taste, so I decided to embellish it a bit. I have several very old lampshades with tulle ruffles around the shade base and top, so I thought I would attempt to replicate this romantic look.  I started by finding some pale pink tulle netting in a matching shade.  I cut it into very long strips, layered one strip on top of another, and sewed a gathering stitch down the middle. The result is a double ruffle of tulle very similar to the trim on my antique lampshades!

Next, I adhered the ruffle to both the top and bottom of the lampshade, being careful to make my joints neat and even and allowing the tulle ruffle to peek out a bit over the top and bottom of the shade.

As a final step, I embellished the lamp by adding a few millinery flowers plucked from a vintage hat.

I just love the result - the fluffy ruffles remind me of a fanciful ballerina tutu.

You could obviously use this simple technique on any lampshade.  If you don't sew, try adding a length of ruffles taken from an old petticoat.  

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Tinsel Trading Goodies

A lot of you were curious about what I bought at Tinsel Trading last week, so I thought I'd show you a few of my goodies.  I couldn't leave without some authentic vintage "tinsel"....

Aren't these old metallic threads beautiful?

It was hard to choose from that wall of millinery flowers, but I am always partial to my forget-me-nots.  Especially when they come in velvet!

You have to admit that the new reproduction variety pale in comparison to these beauties.

I am also crazy for aqua blue millinery flowers.  This one had the prettiest petals...

So delicate.

I already had some of these in my collection, so I was so excited to find more...

The colors are the perfect faded pastels.

These pink blossoms were too pretty to pass up - so shabby and sweet.

I also had to get some of these millinery stamens.  They are so intricate and I love the colors...

I have so much more to show you, but it will have to wait for another day.  I'll be back tomorrow with Target Tuesday!

Have a great day!

:-)

Jessica