Thursday, a newborn, and Etsy

Image courtesy of cherylzibisky

This Thursday and Etsy post is all about the creature who seems to be popping up everywhere- the newborn. I feel as though I always know someone who is pregnant or who just welcomed a little one.

I don't think I could ever tire of looking for new baby gifts. All that sweetness and cozy...and although I am certainly no stranger to Target or Gymboree, there is something extra special about the handmade baby options on Etsy.

If I had my druthers, I would get all the newborns in my life a giant box filled with goodies like these....

The perfect blanket:

 Essential organic cotton baby blanket courtesy of organicquiltcompany

And some receiving blankets for swaddling and making any surface more snuggly:

Receiving blankets- set of 3- green urban courtesy of gingerfreckle

A personalized burpcloth set- a snazzy little welcome to the world:

Panel and monogrammed burp cloth plus wash cloth gift set in blue whales- custom and cute courtesy of littlegreyhouse

A set of beautiful bibs, because even constant drooling can be fashionable:

3 Baby Bibs- you pick- made to order courtesy of redcharlotte

The perfect diaper caddy to hold changing essentials and make life easier for everyone:

Diaper Caddy courtesy of baffinbags

Say "no" to harsh winds, beating sun and germy looky-loos....in the prettiest possible way:

Infant Car Seat Tent/Canopy Cover in "Happier" by Deena Rutter courtesy of hipbabyboutique

Anything knit or crochet makes for a classic new baby gift. I am partial to something with ears....

Crochet Teddy Bear Hat for Baby Boy or Girl- 3 to 6 months-Light Tan Brown courtesy of amotherscrochet

Awwwww.....baby booties:

My Eloise courtesy of MyBabyandCompany

Sometimes moving away from the "supplies" is the way to go- a first toy, unique teether or some correspondence papers that are just for the new Mr./Miss...

One Small Gnome Doll for Baby-Organic Cotton-Eco Friendly- your choice of five styles courtesy of tadpolecreations

Penguin wooden teether teething toy Natural Modern Organic courtesy of threeleavestoys

 

Baby Thank You Cards -Baby Laundry- courtesy of sweetbellacards

Often you can come across that perfect thing for the nursery. I loved these vintage children's silhouette prints:

Images courtesy of VintageJaneToo

I love the idea of these pop art boy/girl face pillows for any nursery. A very cool addition to any style baby room:

Image courtesy of vintagejane

Of course this round up of new baby gifts is only the beginning- Etsy has unlimited ideas and options for the little ones in your life, so you have start early!

Cathy Cullis

"Bunny we shall be close"

I am massively in love with the mixed media/embroidery/book collage work of Cathy Cullis. There is something both incredibly Victorian about her work as well as undeniably modern. She's just so creative and inventive - I can't handle all the loveliness... 

Also see Cathy Cullis's flickr, blog, and etsy shop.

"all sorrows shall be gone"

"never stop dreaming"

"somewhere else"

"I shall be here for the dreaming"

good grief....

....these arrangements are gorgeous.

All images courtesy of Saipua

So many Alices

Burton's Alice from tengossip.com

On March 5th, Tim Burton is set to release his vision of Alice in Wonderland here in the states. I feel as though the buzz surrounding this film is near deafening and I'm very curious about the finished project. When I saw the first still shots and press from the movie I remember thinking it was an interesting choice for Alice. Later, I realized that is because I have an image of "Alice" that has everything to do with long blond hair and a blue dress and for some reason anything that deviates from this seems odd. I'm a little ashamed to admit that is probably because I was first exposed to Disney's Alice and that is the image that stuck (despite reading numerous beautifully illustrated versions of the tale), but really there are so many Alices out there. Lewis Carroll's story, first widely published in 1865, has inspired illustrators, animators, photographers, and film makers for well over a century. Burton is certainly not the first to put forth his version of our gal and her Wonderland and, undoubtedly, he won't be the last....

John Tenniel's illustration from the 1st ed. Alice in Wonderland

Arthur Rackham's Alice and the Pack of Cards courtesy of art.com

Alice in Wonderland No 10 by Vladimir Clavijo-Telepnev

Mabel Lucie Attwell's "Oh Dear! Oh Dear! I shall be too late!" courtesy of childillustration.blogspot.com

Jessie Wilcox-Smith illustration courtesy of the-office.com

Disney's Alice in Wonderland courtesy of google.com

Lisbeth Zwerger's Alice in Wonderland courtesy of everypicture.com

Looking Glass 6 by Elena Kalis courtesy of google.com

Annie Leibovtz's Alice courtesy of fanpop.com

Image courtesy of thequeenbea.wordpress.com

Burton's Alice courtesy of fanpop.com

And they lived happily ever...ur... oh wait...

No matter what life you lead

the virgin is a lovely number:

cheeks as fragile as cigarette paper,

arms and legs made of Limoges,

lips like Vin Du Rhône,

rolling her china-blue doll eyes

open and shut.

Open to say,

Good Day Mama,

and shut for the thrust

of the unicorn.

She is unsoiled.

She is as white as a bonefish.

from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"

A friend of mine sent me a link to a photo project, called "Fallen Princesses" by Dina Goldstein because she thought I would love it and she was so right! I love the real looking scenarios, but with these very Disney-esque princesses still all dressed up.

Goldstein writes:

"These works place Fairy Tale characters in modern day scenarios. In all of the images the Princess is placed in an environment that articulates her conflict. The '...happily ever after' is replaced with a realistic outcome and addresses current issues."

I think these images are amazing and I can't wait to see the 2 that she has yet to shoot. And because I can't help but think of Anne Sexton's retellings of classic fairy tales found in her collection, Transformations, I've posted some snippets of the poems for your reading enjoyment.

This one day her mother gave her

a basket of wine and cake

to take to her grandmother

because she was ill.

Wine and cake?

Where's the aspirin? The penicillin?

Where's the fruit juice?

Peter Rabbit got camomile tea.

But wine and cake it was.

from "Red Riding Hood"

I must not sleep
for while I'm asleep I'm ninety

and think I'm dying.

Death rattles in my throat

like a marble.

I wear tubes like earrings.

I lie as still as a bar of iron.

You can stick a needle

through my kneecap and I won't flinch.

I'm all shot up with Novocain.

This trance girl

is yours to do with.

from "Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty)"

Cinderella and the prince

lived, they say, happily ever after,

like two dolls in a museum case

never bothered by diapers or dust,

never arguing over the timing of an egg,

never telling the same story twice,

never getting a middle-aged spread,

their darling smiles pasted on for eternity.

Regular Bobbsey Twins.

That story.

from "Cinderella"

vintage Disneyland

via We Heart It

I'm looking forward to taking many trips with Sweet Pea one day, but present-day Disneyland or Disney World are not on the top of my list. I would, however, consider it if we could travel back in time and visit the Disneyland of the 1950s....

Disneyland, 1957 by Ehlers Reynolds (via All Art is Quite Useless)

Disneyland Hotel & Monorail via cwalsh415

Tomorrowland, Disneyland, 1957 via monkey pants

Mickey and Minne Mouse, 1950s via Miehana

via Mallory Makes Things

photo by Allen Grant from the archives of Life magazine via ... I Love Tea!

spring shower

I think that nowadays there is an awful lot of the styling of life going on and less of the enjoying being in the moment. Sometimes it seems the quest for the perfectly contrived wedding shot or party theme has taken over....
That said, I still admire beautifully orchestrated gatherings- I can't help it.

This baby shower I swooned over is found at simplybloomphotography (spotted via say YES! to hoboken) ) and I like that it is full of ideas I would use for various parties. The invites with teeny, tiny paper flag bunting, the floating kites cake topper, and the hot air balloon garland- all fantastic.

Images courtesy of simplybloomphotography