Fiskars to the rescue! (again)

We are on our way to make this purchase:

$199 of push mower heaven. Getting green. (And getting in some strength training and cardio, too.)

Thanks for perusing; blog you again soon.   tIO x 

Banner Day! with Bookity

As I continue to search for banners to celebrate and feature, my blog folder and Etsy favorites are filling-up dramatically! So many creative people out there; I love it!

Today's creative banner is courtesy of the wonderful  Bookity. In business since August, Bookity's mission is to recycle unwanted, unusable books, hence the clever name. Here's her engaging Etsy shop banner to start: 


The simplicity and charm of these creations, especially this banner - the "Paper Shakespearean" garland, is what I adore most:

And frankly, I like to say the shop name: "Bookity". So catchy!

More Bookity inspirations:
               

She may be based in Reading UK (which is wonderful planning on her part, really), but she ships internationally, happily upgrades shipping if you ask, and invites custom orders "in the spirit of adventure and the creation of shiny things". Best of all is Bookity's motto: "have sewing machine, will make." In fact, I think it's this 'inveterate optimism' that pervades and draws me in! "That's the spirit!" I cry. And the ticket to beautiful, repurposed, handmade items from Bookity. Check it out.

This week, in the calm before the storm, I am going to try to catch up on some reading, Wolf Hall in particular.

So... 'read on, McDuff', and make it a banner day!   tIO x

PS: Find more Bookity at the Bookity blog, on Facebook at the Bookity fan page, and on twitter at @bookityshop.

Banner Day! with NottyPooch

Today's banner comes to us from the clever and crafty Etsy shop of NottyPooch:



Based in Penang, Malaysia, Huey and Wah are the two owners of NottyPooch design and own two naughty pooches, Xiao Bi and Coco, the shop's namesakes. They are also responsible for all of the cleverness and craftiness that results in their "eco recycled banner accessories and cool tshirts".

Here are some examples of their beautifully transformed banners:

 <-- a sleeve for Macbook   <-- an iPhone case

 <-- a casual tote   <-- a long wallet

Clever and crafty, right? In production on Etsy since early 2008, the duo can also be found tending to their blog: http://www.nottypooch.com/mydogdiary/, fanning their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/nottypooch, and following (and being followed) on twitter: @nottypooch.

With their backgrounds in the fine arts, passion for life, and commitment to producing great, practical accessories in eco-friendly materials, NottyPooch provides us all with another fun "reason to be unique". Two paws up for that! And for the free international shipping!

Toddling off to the antiques shops now, lovelies, to do some recycling and eco-friendly shopping of my own. Make it a banner day!