Vera!!!

I struck gold this morning and when I spotted some beautiful patterned sheets at a garage sale and got the pair for 5 bucks! I didn't realize they are a Vera Neumann pattern until I got home. If you haven't heard of her yet, she was a textile/pattern designer widely known for her fantastic array of scarves. These are just a few of her gems. Snatch up your very own vintage Vera scarf for under $50 at this etsy shop.

Yelena Bryksenkova

I'm in love. Nevermind the delicate water color work or the inticing flattened perspective, check out those patterns on every inch of these little masterpieces. View more of Yelena Bryksenkova's work here. As with many artists, her sketchbooks are something to be admired as well.

Found via Book By It's Cover sketchbook series.

Treats in the Lou

I went to St. Louis last month to visit some friends, and I per usual dined at some new interesting restaurants and did some shopping. I found this adorable artisan plate from Norway and its match at Treasure Aisles.

Marshmallow pie from Kakao Chocolate. Their prices are pretty steep because all of the chocolates are handmade. Bacon has been the hot addition to sweets lately, usually unsuccessfully, but their bacon pecan brittle was really a perfect blend of flavors.


We stopped at Fritanga, a Nicaraguan Restaurant, where I pretty much had the choice of fried cheese, plantains, or fried cheese with plantains. It was really delicious though. How could you go wrong with fried cheese?

Spruce Home & Sugar Mama's Bakeshop

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Austin again, mostly to check out the upholstery store Spruce Home. Unfortunately, I learned that their cheapest fabrics run in the $40 a yard range, and the ones I was lusting over run around $100 a yard. It was still fun to find new inspiring artisans. The fabrics above are hand-printed in Melbourne by Ink & Spindle.

This amazing fabric is by Raoul Textiles and runs $274 a yard.

We also stopped by Sugar Mama's and tried some baked goods. The cupcakes were not my favorite, but this cookie sandwich with mint icing filling was AMAAAAZING.