indobay, inc.

Big News…indobay has a new home!

2011-05-27T09:07:00.003-04:00

I’m pleased to finally announce that after many weeks, indobay has moved!
I hope you will join me at my new home. Click the photo below:

Yes... that's right!...indobay has MOVED and can now be found at the URL http://www.shopindobay.com./ I hope you'll come on over and see what I've been working on for the past several weeks. Don't forget to change your RSS feed and links over while you're there.
See you soon!
Tania
Psst...this old version will remain online for quite a while but will not be updated with any new content. All the good stuff will be on the new site. Head on over now. : )

Happy Friday…

2011-05-20T08:56:00.001-04:00

{image via A Thousand Words Tumblr}

Oh how I hope your week has been a pleasant one! My week has been a good one filled with fulfilling shop orders, minor house renovations (pics soon) and a mishap earlier in the week which had me rushing our carpenter to the ER. Glad to report a few stitches later and all is well.

The other major thing going on behind the scenes is the designing and building of the new indobay website which I am planning on launching next week…Yay! There are still lots of tweaks here and there that I could make but sometimes you just have to know when enough is enough and choose to set it free.

Thanks for your patience as I’ve been posting less and less in preparation of the launch of the improved indobay site! I hope you will like it!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Happy Monday with a new feature…The Blog Trail

2011-05-16T11:33:00.001-04:00

{image via French by Design}

Hi all! I hope your weekend was wonderful and that your week has started off well.

Some of you may have noticed that a while ago I did away with my blog roll that I had on the sidebar. I did this not because I no longer visited these blogs but because I felt like I wasn’t giving due attention to places that inspired me almost daily. There had to be a better way of giving these lovely blogs a more honorable ‘shout out’.

So in my quest to try and get really creative in featuring blogs I love, I realized it was better just to keep it simple.

Welcome to the Blog Trail…a new feature here where I will spotlight one of my favorite blogs every week. I love supporting and featuring lovely finds so why not do the same for blogs. Hopefully I will introduce you to some new sites or possibly reintroduce you to some old favorites that you may have forgotten about.

(image via French by Design)

Today I’d like to start with a site I visit almost daily, French by Design. French by Design is the lovely blog of Si, a French woman living in the U.S. with a passion for Scandinavian design and industrial era vintage finds. Her eye for great design is impeccable and I find myself anticipating reading her blog daily. Si also has an incredible shop of the same name as her blog where she sells her fantastic vintage finds. This shop is definitely worth a visit!

Here are a few items from Si’s shop that I am coveting at the moment:

I hope you will visit Si and her lovely online world {here} & {here}.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Simple Lesson learned…My “aha” moment…

2011-05-06T14:16:00.001-04:00

{print by Honeyboo}

I am a mentor. Did I ever tell you that? Every week I go to my son’s school and meet my little girl. I was told she needed some extra help with math.

I started mentoring this little girl in February and in all this time we have not dipped into math at all. My mentee (is that even a word?) never seems to remember to bring her math book with her and so every week we just sit and talk while she eats lunch. We spend about 30 minutes just talking about what she has done that week at school, how things are at home, what I've been up to, my family and other bits of this and that.

So today as I was busy working on my new website, & finishing up an order I was doing some mental fussing about not wanting to go meet my mentee today. I just had so much I wanted to get done. I even thought about just not showing up thinking I really wouldn’t be missed. “We never practice math anyway”, I thought.

However, I showed up and learned a valuable lesson!

My little girl had a big smile waiting for me when I appeared. She didn’t have her math book as usual yet this time I didn’t care. She grabbed her lunch, came outside to meet me and explained how she looks for me every week. We found our usual bench and began our weekly catching up session. She told me about a new book she had and so we took turns reading to each other.

My “aha moment”…it wasn’t about the math!! Duh!

Here I was feeling badly every week because I felt like I wasn’t doing my job. I was suppose to be helping her with math, wasn’t I? Yet, I was helping her. For those 30 minutes I was connecting with her. I was listening thoughtfully, sharing and just being with her.

It made me think about life in general and this journey I’ve taken of living more simply, and embracing the “real” simple moments in life. I write about living Simply, living Lovely. I strive to create handmade products that embody that sentiment. I really do make a conscious effort to bring simplicity into my life as much as possible. But, I am human.

It took this nine year old, sweet little girl to remind me of what is really important. It isn’t always about the “doing” but about the “just SIMPLY being” and connecting. So I think for the remainder of the day, I will put the orders away, shut down the computer and just connect to what really matters. The rest can wait til tomorrow.

Had any “aha” moments lately? How do you reconnect to what is truly important? How do you embrace simplicity in your life?

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you will take time to be kind to yourself.

As always, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or feel free to email me at tania@shopindobayinc.com.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Simply Thought{FULL}…

2011-05-05T10:41:00.001-04:00

Sending out the positive today with much love!

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

{image from a thousand words tumblr}

What’s New Wednesday…A Call for Your Help

2011-05-04T13:35:00.001-04:00

Hi there! Hope your day is going along smoothly. I on the other hand experienced some technical difficulties this morning called “my car won’t start!” a.k.a.—a VERY DEAD battery. Luckily all I needed was a quick dose of AAA and a car mechanic…problem solved!

So speaking of technical…part of my 2011 goal of growing my biz included designing and creating a brand spanking new website.

Ya see, the site I have now is really just a blogger blog that I’ve kind of rigged into a “make shift” website. However, I realized if I am serious about growing the business I needed my website to reflect this growth and function like a “real, grown-up” site.

So with all that being said, I have been working quite diligently and obsessively to get my site functioning the way I would like. If I haven’t already mentioned it, I decided to ATTEMPT to create my website without hiring a web designer, but with the assistance of web designer Tara Gentile and her webdesign course. This has been an absolute crazy ride full of anxiety, frustration, “aha moments”, pride, defeat, and triumph. I can say without a doubt that this has been a challenge that I have embraced fully and that I’ve developed a love/hate relationship for. My Mr. keeps telling me to go ahead and hire a web designer but I scoff at the idea! He should know me better than that…I will meet this challenge head on as I usually do.

So, as much as I would like to do this on my own, I realized I am not building this site for me. I am building it for YOU. Therefore, I would like to ask for your help.

I want my site to be pretty and reflect me and my brand. More importantly I want it to function so that all the information that you as a visitor would want and need is right there for you to peruse and share easily.

If you have a few moments, I would love your feedback about what functions you would like to see on the new indobay inc. site.

When you visit a website, what are the things that frustrate you as well as make visiting someone’s site a pleasure. I know for me, if I don’t see an easy way to contact the person, I usually won’t take the time to find out how.

Whatever information you think would help me in my endeavour will be highly valuable. If you see a website that you love, please feel free to share the link with me and let me know what it is about this site that you love and that makes you want to go back to it.

Feel free to leave me a comment below or if you’d prefer, you can e-mail me at tania@shopindobayinc.com.

If all goes well, I am hoping to launch the new site at the end of this month. Wish me luck and thank you so much for your feedback. I really do appreciate it.

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

{click photo for source}

Tuesday Love…Henrik Bonnevier

2011-05-03T09:56:00.001-04:00

As I was browsing the internet, I stumbled upon the photography work of Henrik Bonnevier and was instantly smitten! He has a way taking everyday objects and transforming them into art. I’m loving all the color in his photos!

Love, love, love everything about this photo above. The mix of wood, leather, wit and whimsy. Brilliant!

I now have a new appreciation for the beauty of bubblegum machines.

If you are craving more of Henrik Bonnevier’s work visit his website {here}. You can also find more of his work {here} which is where I found all of the above photos.

So what did you think? Are you a fan of color in photos or do you prefer a more monotone aesthetic? Any photographers you love and want to share. I’d love to hear youR thoughts in the comments.

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

Can I get an AMEN for another GIVEAWAY…

2011-05-02T13:05:00.001-04:00

When someone’s email begins with, “I love all of the happiness that is going on in your shop”, how can you not just give them whatever they want!

All kidding aside, I received this sweet email from Brooke from Grace and Light Studio asking if I would help celebrate her birthday week by doing a giveaway. She had me at the first line of her e-mail so of course I couldn’t resist taking part in her celebration.

I also was so thrilled that she understood what the bottom line of indobay was all about…simple, functional products made to make your heart & home happy!

I love, love, love GIVEAWAYS and spreading some indobay happy around so head on over to Grace and Light Studio to see what I am giving away! Grace and Light Studio is hosting a number of other giveaways in celebration so please take time to check out some of the other goodies {here}.

This giveaway ends on May 5th, 2011 at midnight
The winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will be announced on May 7th, 2011

Good luck!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

Happy Monday in the Garden…

2011-05-02T12:07:00.001-04:00

Hi all! Hope your weekend was a good one. My family and I took a quick little getaway trip to St. Augustine, Florida, the nation’s oldest city. Luckily for us, this hugely charming city is only about an hour and a half from our home.

We visited with friends, heard lovely stories about many of the old homes dating back from the 19th century, indulged in some good ol’ fried oysters and catfish, swam in the ocean, and simply enjoyed each other’s company.

Upon our return home, we had these lovelies waiting for us…

We planted our veggie garden about a couple of months ago and it has totally EXPLODED!! We planted cherry tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, snap peas, basil and cucumbers and everything is growing. Last year, we barely had anything. However, this year the veggie God’s were good to us!

We think the difference is that we used compost from a mushroom farm which our plants are obviously loving and thanking us for. There is nothing better than going out to your own chemical free garden and harvesting what you need for your meal.

Garden… we thank you!!

Anyone else planted a veggie garden this year? If so, how is it going? What do you think helps your veggies/fruit grow well? Would love to hear from you in the comments.

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

A big HELLO & a $6500 Giveaway…

2011-04-28T21:19:00.001-04:00

After a bit of a blog break I’m back to tell you about a HUGE giveaway being hosted by Laura Winslow Photography in celebration of all the mamas. One person will win it all- that’s $6500 worth of goodies from 138 fabulous vendors right in time for Mother’s Day! Yours truly is participating with a $40 Gift Certificate from the shop just for you.

It is super easy to enter so don’t wait and head {here}. Wishing you lots and lots of luck!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

To Jackson, with love…Happy Birthday to the Best Dog in the World!

2011-04-12T10:43:00.001-04:00

Today is our lab’s 15th birthday! As I watch him sleeping next to me as he so often does while I’m working, I find myself becoming sentimental, if not a little (ok, a lot) teary eyed.

Quite often as human beings we think of ourselves as the more intelligent group. Yet, I have learned so much from our four-legged friend.

I’ve learned about unwavering LOYALTY:

No matter if we are having a bad day or how upset we may become when he gets into mischief, he takes it all in stride. He still looks up at you with those big brown eyes as you’re fussing and huffing and let’s you know he still loves you no matter how grouchy you are at that moment.

I’ve learned what it means to be STOIC:

I looked up the word Stoic because I wasn’t sure if this was exactly the word I wanted to use to describe Jackson:

sto·ic/ˈstō-ik/

Noun: A person who can endure pain or hardship without showing their feelings or complaining.

Stoic is exactly the right word!

As I mentioned, Jackson is 15 today. With wisdom, and many experiences under his collar, unfortunately, there also comes the aches and pains with getting old. This past year, our friend has been presented with some challenges yet he NEVER complains, winces or lets on how uncomfortable he might actually be.

Jackson can no longer go on walks with us, not even short ones. But watch out when he’s sleeping! His body gets going as if he is not walking but chasing after those squirrels and maybe the occasional duck in the lake.

He has difficulty going down steps and struggles to then get up those same steps. Getting up and down is no easy task for Jackson yet he does it with as much grace and dignity as he can muster.

Some days are better than others. There are those days where he just seems so very tired. Those are the tough days that make us anxious that he may not be with us for much longer but those are also the days that make us grateful for the time we’ve had together.

I’ve learned true DETERMINATION AND WILL:

Old age may have done a number on his ability to move quickly and with ease, but put a bowl of food out or toss around a tennis ball and…well, it’s a MIRACLE!! You’ve never seen a lab move so fast! You would think he’d been pretending all this time that he is as old as he is.

Most importantly, I’ve learned about HAPPINESS & LOVE:

To see our “old man” is to be in the presence of absolute happiness and unconditional love. Through all the challenges of getting old, one thing has not changed. His heart continues to beat strongly & is full of love for his family and just about anyone he comes in contact with. If we ever question how he is feeling, his wagging tail lets us know that through the good and bad he is a happy, happy dog!

Happy Birthday my friend!

Happy Monday…I’m still here.

2011-04-11T10:41:00.001-04:00

{image via A Slippery Maiden}

Hi all! I hope your weekend was something to talk about…in a happy, good way! I had my sister in law visiting from California which is always fabulous!

I didn’t want you all to think I’ve run off to some deserted island, although getting away for a few days sure sounds nice. I’ve been making, making and making for shop orders and for a local craft market which is this Sunday…yikes! Between us, I’m soooo not ready for the market. But,it’s not in my nature to throw in the towel when things get a little rough.

I’m hoping to have a few days to breathe again after this Sunday and I’ll be back to blogging and business as usual.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

The Simple List Mug & Your Opinion…

2011-04-05T13:55:00.001-04:00

I’ve been working on a wholesale order and prepping for a local Craft Market that I’m super excited about. After printing many of my Simple List Towel I got the idea that it might look really sweet on a mug. My initial thought was a very simple, clean, black & white aesthetic like my Rise Drink Shine mug. But then I toyed with the idea of adding a small pop of color by using a color called Peacock Blue for the check marks. I like it but I’m just not sure. What do you think?

So here is where you all come in. I’d love your creative input:

Would you keep it all black & white or add the pop of color with the check marks?
Do you like the blue for the check marks or should I keep the pop of color red like in the Simple List Tea Towel?

3. How about adding red stripes to somewhat mimic the tea towel?

4. Should I just leave it as is?

As always, tell me what you think in the comments below. Thanks for the slight diversion from printing, and packaging but it’s time for me to get back to it.

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

Wednesday Giveaway…

2011-03-30T09:02:00.001-04:00

About a month ago, Diana from the wonderful blog, Express-O, contacted me about doing a giveaway. As soon as I entered her world over at Express-O I was hooked. Diana blogs about all things lovely including fashion, food, architecture, handmade and design. I was thrilled she wanted to include me in her Wednesday Giveaways, a weekly feature.

To find out what I am giving away, skip on over to Express-O. It’s a fab giveaway if I do say so myself! Diana has so kindly provided lots of opportunities to enter and win. So don’t wait any longer & good luck!

As always…

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

Welcome to My Tea {towel} Party!…

2011-03-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

{teepees & rivers tea towel}

I love tea towels, dish towels, whatever you choose to call them. I love making them, I love using them and I especially love giving them. A bottle of wine wrapped in a lovely tea towel is one of my favorite gifts to give. I’ve ordered some SO pretty that it’s really difficult for me to use {or give them away} but I eventually do. They just make the kitchen so much prettier and drying dishes feel less like work. I thought I’d share just a small sample of some of the towels I’m coveting at the moment:

{leah duncan-love her work!}

{Studio Patro}

{skinny laminx}

{manusmade on etsy}

Just in case you were wondering about some other uses for tea towels here is a great post I found on Apartment Therapy that lists 8 fantastic uses:

8 Uses for Tea Towels

1) Keep them in the bathroom as guest towels. We like the patterns and textures of tea towels in the bathroom for drying your hands.

2) Use them as placemats or napkins. A set of color-coordinated tea towels in various patterns brings new life to a table setting.

3) Line shelves inside cabinets. Tea towels on kitchen cabinet shelves can absorb excess water from freshly dried glasses. Just remember to take the towels out and wash them every once in a while.

4) Sew throw pillows. See Martha Stewart for the how-to.

5) Use them to keep rolls hot. To serve warm bread, my mom lines a basket with a tea towel and covers the bread to keep it from cooling.

6) Line a tea tray. This is the original use for tea towels, hence the name. They were designed to absorb spills when serving tea.

7) Wrap a gift. A present wrapped in a tea towel gives the recipient two gifts, and creates reusable packaging.

8) Make a table runner. Sew a set of tea towels end-to-end to make a patchwork table runner.

The original post is {here}.

*After note: After already posting my tea {towel} party I stumbled upon these beauties from Keep Calm Gallery. I just had to share ‘cuz I’m loving the typography towels. See {here}.

Do you have any other ideas? Please feel free to post in the comments. Thanks much!

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Happy Monday…

2011-03-28T09:26:00.001-04:00

Call me odd but I love Mondays. Mondays for me represent a new start, a clean slate and the beginning to what I’m always sure will be a great week. Also, my son and my Mr. head back to the office and school so I’m free to create with no interruptions. Nice!

However, I found this picture over at one of my favorite blogs, French by Design and thought it was pretty darn funny. I do remember the days when I felt the same way. Fridays couldn’t come fast enough yet Mondays lurked so close by.

This week my Monday and my week will be a bit different since my litte mr. is on Spring Break. I have a large order to fill for a brick and mortar, and am attempting to also get items made for the local Spring Market I will be a vendor at in just three weeks. Yikes…keep breathing Tania, keep breathing. Luckily Grandma will be scooping up my little guy tomorrow for a day of fun for him and a full on day of making for me.

I wish you all a lovely start to what I hope will be a great week!

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Simply Thought{FULL}…Finding Balance.

2011-03-24T23:05:00.001-04:00

{Beautiful photo by Hannah Mayo Photography on etsy}

So as my craft business has started to grow a bit and I am spending even more time working on getting orders filled, I’ve started to feel like other parts of my life are getting a wee bit neglected. I won’t even begin to tell you about the pile of laundry that keeps threatening to fold itself {oh how I wish you would}. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining as I’ve worked very hard in growing my business and I’m happy to see some small successes. Yet, I sometimes wonder how I will be able to handle it all.

Lately my thoughts have been about my life, my work and the idea of BALANCE. If my biz grows even more, which of course I want, will I be able to handle it? My priority is my son and my partner. Will I still be able to be there for them the way I want to be? Aside from anyone else, will I be able to take care of myself the way I know I should? So many questions lately.

Ask almost any woman I know what the most difficult part of their day is and the typical answer is finding enough time to get “it” all done. That “it” is different for all of us but the eternal quest for BALANCE seems almost universal. Between taking care of home, family, your work in whatever form that takes, and many more responsibilities life can get a bit hectic.

Through my own experience I’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t have it all or do it all, at least not all at the same time. Now some folks might disagree with me. But for the average working woman with a child/ren some things just have to give from time to time or else that thing that gives just might be your sanity.

Which brings me back to the point of trying to find BALANCE. For a long time balance to me was something to attain. It was a state of being that I strived for because it meant that finally I would somehow magically be able to do it all and do it all effortlessly. I realized in my search for balance I was just adding one more thing to my already too long to-do list and setting myself up for failure.

Balance now represents something different to me. Balance doesn’t mean trying to do it all but rather knowing when to take away a little here and there when you have too much going on in another area of your life. For me today, that meant that the pile of laundry did not get folded. And you know what, the world didn’t end just because it didn’t get done. I’ve also come to realize that balance doesn’t always look nice and neat. It is inevitable that at certain times in your life some areas, such as work, might carry a heavier weight. But eventually you will be able to shift some of that weight and attention back to other areas in your life. This process of shifting and “balancing” will probably continue as you move through your life because that is life and that is just fine.

P.S. I will soon share with you a new shop that will be carrying indobay products. Hint: indobay is heading to the windy city!

So I was curious how you all go about “balancing” your life? Any thoughts on what “balance” means to you? I’d love to hear some of your ideas and feedback in the comments. Thanks! :)

Happy Monday & Block Printing tutorial with Urban Outfitters…

2011-03-21T12:29:00.005-04:00

{image of a linoleum block I carved to create a teepee}

Hi all! Hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you were able to feel Spring in the air!

I love Springtime because for me there is such a sense of renewal and energy. This time of year is when I feel the most energized to create, organize and to also try new things.

So as I was thinking about what new things to try I started wondering about all of you and if you also get that same desire to be more creative and to try something new. Then I started wondering if any of you would like to try what I do which is Block Printing. Just in case you aren’t sure what block printing is here is wiki answers definition:

"Block Printing" or "Woodblock Printing" is a method used to print text, images or patterns on textiles and later paper. This method was widely used throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity.
How it worked:
Patterns and letters were carved into wooden blocks, so that the letter or pattern is chiseled and protrudes so to speak from the wooden block.
These blocks are then coated with Ink, and brought pressed firmly and evenly onto the paper or cloth.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_block_printing#ixzz1HFYJBVf8

If you’ve been following my blog for a little while you’ve definitely seen images of what I create. My napkins, tea towels, pillow covers and even the images I use for the journals are all created using the block printing method. Some folks have asked me why I chose block printing instead of screen printing or printing images using computer resources. Well the truth is that I did go to fabric design school for a little while where I was learning how to create images on the computer which could then be printed onto textiles. Even though to a large extent this would have been easier this wasn’t the direction I wanted to go. The images were just “too perfect” for me.

{spring & whimsy cotton hand printed napkins}

I like the imperfections and the more weathered look that block printing creates. So that venture in Fabric Design school was many years ago and it wasn’t until fairly recently that I felt that itch to get creative again.

About a year and a half ago I picked up this book by Lena Corwin, Printing by Hand and this book, Lotta Prints, by Lotta Jansdotter and the rest is history. I read each book cover to cover, ran out to buy the products they suggested to get started, and basically taught myself how to block print using rubber blocks and then later, linoleum blocks. indobay inc. became a result of my passion for something I only recently really came to know.

So if you have a creative itch that you are wanting to scratch how about trying block printing. I would suggest the books above to get you started because they are very easy to read and understand. However, there are also tons of resources online. If you Google “block printing” you will see a variety of sites and links.

Here is a video I found from Urban Outfitters that I think does a good job of presenting block printing in an easy way. In the video a rubber block is used to carve out the images. If you are new to block printing I think this is a wonderful way to begin. The rubber block is much easier to carve into than linoleum and actually quite pleasant to work with. The video mentions obtaining the supplies at Urban Outfitters but you can find at any art supply or craft store. Dick Blick, is also a great resource.
I hope your creative juices have started flowing and that you give this printing method a try. It really is quite addictive once you give it a try.

If you have any questions about the block printing method please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments. I LOVE talking about what I do and would be thrilled to offer any tips or resources that might help. Happy Printing!

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Help for Japan…

2011-03-17T21:42:00.001-04:00

Friday, March 18th is Bloggers Day of Silence for Japan, so I will not post tomorrow. If you would like to do something to help Japan, here is a link where you can make a donation. The proceeds go to the tsunami/earthquake victims.

Thank you.

indobay hits the East Coast…

2011-03-17T21:23:00.001-04:00

I started indobay inc. in October of 2009 with the goal of starting a business where I could create & deliver happiness to everyone including myself. My goal has always been to somehow balance passion, purpose and profits, along with family. Truth be told, at times I do become impatient. Growing a new, online biz can be a slow process especially when you are a one woman show that has to wear many, many hats. However, growing my biz authentically and in a steady pace where I can have some semblance of balance in my life is essential.

Part of my plan in growing my biz in 2011 was to be able to have indobay products in shops across the U.S. and abroad. As I have shared with you already it is happening…slowly, but surely.

I am happy to announce indobay products can now be found at the following shops:

Mezcla

Peachtree Hills

2320-A Virginia Place, Atlanta, GA 30305

and…

Clay, Wood and Cotton

Visit the shop in the Hudson Valley

149 Main Street | Beacon, NY 12508

I’d like to ask you all for your help. If you know of a shop where you are located or elsewhere that you think might be a great fit for indobay products I’d love to hear about it. Please feel free to contact me in the comments below or email me at tania@shopindobayinc.com. Who knows…maybe I will one day be in a shop near you! :)

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

What does Monday, a teepee and a river have in common?

2011-03-14T13:28:00.001-04:00

Hi all! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. In our household, Spring arrives early with the onset of little league baseball. So from now until the end of May, our weekends are pretty much baseball oriented. Sitting on hard metal bleachers isn’t so bad when the sun is shining and the temperature is reaching towards the high 70’s. No complaints here!

So what does that picture of a carved teepee have to do with baseball you might be wondering? Absolutely nothing but I’m super excited about it! So much so that I couldn’t wait til “what’s new Wednesday” to show you.

I’ve been slightly obsessed with images of teepees, feathers and stones. So it only seemed inevitable that some of these images would show up somewhere in my products. So in between working on a few wholesale orders I’ve been carving, designing and block-printing.

I always begin with sketches before I carve. Once I have the image carved and ready to print, the next step for me is figuring on what medium I’d like to print the image on. For example, some images look great on napkins but not so great on a tea towel or notebook. It really is a lot of trial and error and testing in the beginning stages.It really is these first designing and playing stages that I absolutely adore! After a few tests prints, I was really happy with the way the tea towels turned out!

So without further ado…I’d like to introduce you to the latest addition to the indobay family, {teepees & rivers}. I imagine dreaming big dreams in a teepee by a gentle, lazy river…

You can find teepees & rivers here.

I’d love, love your feedback if you have a few minutes. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below. What do you think about the grey and citrus green together? Do you have another color combination that you think might suit this design as well? Thanks in advance! :)

Simple {lovely} list

2011-03-11T10:08:00.001-05:00

I swoon over these sweet finds…

My Jenny Girl Limited Edition Print 5 x 7 by Leah Duncan

Posenby Owl-Brown by Abigail Brown

OLIVE OIL Drops / Print by anek shop on etsy

Laundry Birds off white hemp/organic cotton by pippijoe

ladder cup by villarreal ceramics

This video from the Zero Waste family. So inspiring! My family and I are still practicing moving towards zero waste and doing quite well! It can be quite addictive. :)

Happy Weekend to you all!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

Simply thought{FULL} Thursday…

2011-03-10T09:02:00.001-05:00

{source: it’s mary ruffle}

Hello Monday…

2011-03-07T20:50:00.002-05:00

As I’m writing it is now Monday evening but, nonetheless, still Monday. I didn’t want to go without giving you all a sneak peek at some of what is heading to an Atlanta shop first thing tomorrow morning. I have been working feverishly to get these items made, packaged and shipped. Even though I did feel a little overwhelmed at times I had such a blast crafting it all and making sure it was leaving looking just the way I like…simple, but lovely!

Watermarking the journals is so meditative for me. I just love the look of the water mark on the inside of the journals…so subtle but so pretty!

Just recently started printing on a new 100% linen that I’ve purchased from this wonderful shop, Acorn Papery. Printing has never been so good. Truly, the linen is so beautiful that at first I don’t even want to print anything on it. I just want to admire it’s white linen yumminess. Then I print and the result is just so lovely!

Lots of wine tags were cut, glued and printed along with linen tags printed with words like, “happy”, “renew”, “play”, “dream” and “joy”. Making these little guys make me very happy!

You will also be able to find my Spring & Whimsy napkins, Simple List Tea Towel and my Vintage Modern Tea Towel. I really am so excited! Once the items have actually reached their new home I will let you know the shop and where to find if you happen to live in the Atlanta area.

Thanks letting me share. :)

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

what’s new…

2011-03-02T22:59:00.001-05:00

Today I took a tiny break from prepping some orders to play with color. These are some color combo’s I’m experimenting with at the moment. What do you think?

Do you have any color combo’s your loving and feeling inspired by lately? If so, let me know in the comments. Feel free to send me links to color pics you like as well. Who knows, they just may show up in one of my designs.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Can you help?…

2011-03-01T11:22:00.003-05:00

I was recently contacted by a woman who only knew what I made but nothing about “my story”. She was contacting me to see if I could help with an auction she was putting together to help a friend who had recently lost her husband to cancer. This is a young mother with two children, ages 2 and 5 years old. In receiving this e-mail I was instantly taken back to the year 2003 when I suddenly became a young widow with an 18 month old baby. Needless to say I jumped, actually LEAPED at the chance to donate a few items to help what has now become an online friend.

Valerie Koop is the woman and she chronicles her journey through grief & coping so beautifully here. I leave my comments hoping, if only to let her know I was once there, what she is feeling is normal, and that after a long dark period there really is light at the end of the tunnel.

If you are inclined to check out the auction, which I hope you will, please visit the House of Koop {here}. When I lost my husband, friends did something similar to raise money for my son and I. I cannot express to you how that single act of kindness, not to mention how helpful the money raised was in paying bills, etc, helped put a smile on my face after feeling like I had lost the ability to smile.
The auction runs till tomorrow, March 2. Thank you. :)

P.S. Just thought...even if you don't actually bid on anything, would you mind pressing that "retweet" button below or posting on your Facebook, etc. Much thanks & appreciation!

My architect hero…a special Tuesday Interior Love

2011-03-01T09:54:00.002-05:00

Those that know me really well know that I am notorious for changing things around in my home. A side table that once graced the living room is not safe from possibly ending up in a bedroom or even a bathroom. I just can’t help myself. Yet, there is one item that is consistently in my living room, within arms reach. It is the above book, Bohemian Modern by Barbara Bestor. This book is my design bible and Barbara Bestor is my design guru.

I could never really pinpoint my design style and when people would ask, my standard answer was, “I don’t have any one particular style. I just surround myself with the things I love.” However, I knew I loved a modernist aesthestic but with touches of whimsy and playfulness always. I love a mix of wood, glass, concrete, clean lines mixed with pops of bright colors. An unpretentious mix of vintage, with junk store finds is right up my alley. It’s also important that my home incorporates a seemless blend between inside and out. I am fortunate that my home has many windows and fantastic light. So when I first saw Barbara’s book I knew this style was ME! When people ask me now I still shy away from actually labeling my style but I know that the Bohemian Modern aesthetic is definitely what catches my eye.

Since discovering Barbara Bestor’s book a few years ago, I have been slightly obsessed with her work as an architect. I guess you could say I exhibit slight stalker-like behaviors when it comes to the work of Ms. Barbara…but only in the friendly, non-creepy way, of course. She always designs these fabulous homes that feel so bright, warm, friendly and lived in, which I love. No showcase homes for me!

These images are of Barbara’s first home in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles.{I have to admit I am also slightly obsessed with this creative, electic neighborhood in California.} My goodness…it takes a special vision to see the potential in what the pre-existing home could be.

This is Barbara Bestor’s new home also in the Silver Lake area. I love the contrast of the concrete exterior with the warm interior which is nestled with warm woods, pops of bright colors and playful elements. I am absolutely nuts over that disco ball!

I have looked at these images countless times yet never get tired of looking at them and always find inspiration in this space.

Here are some images from one of my favorite spaces, The Floating Bungalow in Venice, CA which Ms. Barbara also designed.

My heart swoons…definitely a serious case of house infatuation! If you are craving some more Bestor eye candy then I urge you to head over to her website which has more architectural gems that she has designed.

Thanks for indulging me in my architect crush. :)

{all images via here}

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Hello Monday…

2011-02-28T13:07:00.002-05:00

Hi all! I hope you had a lovely weekend. My weekend was full of Little League baseball, block-printing, planting a veggie garden (well, I must admit my Mr. did that), and my nephew’s 11th birthday party. In a nutshell, pretty darn nice!

If you remember from this {post} I’m knee deep in preparing to send indobay products to a few shops in the U.S. However, I snuck away to one of my favorite inspiration sites to find images that inspire me to pause for a moment and take a deep breath…

There’s nothing like the purity of white and space to calm the soul.

{all photos via Ditte Isager}

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

be careful what you wish for…

2011-02-25T14:02:00.002-05:00

…it just may come true.

So for 2011 my goal for my small indie biz was to grow the wholesale side of things. Every week I have pitched to certain shops, online & brick and mortar, that I think indobay would be a good fit for. The response at first was slow and I was a bit disappointed but figured, heck, it’s only February. The year is still young. Well, in the last few weeks a few requests were granted and I am happy to report indobay inc. will soon be in Atlanta and New York! I will reveal the stores once my items have actually arrived to their new home.

So what does that mean? This lady is staying contentedly busy. Sometimes I get overwhelmed and think, how will I accomplish the biz side and the household, family side. Then I just remember to breathe and just keep doing what I’m doing. It will get done with heart and with care…it always does. Wish me luck! :)

So please pardon some of the organized chaos I have going on…

My biz has definitely taken over our small abode lately. No room is safe these days. I think it’s just the risk of running a biz from a home studio. Luckily my boys have been ridiculously understanding.

I’m secretly hoping that one day my mister will get so tired of all my “stuff” everywhere that he will beg to turn the garage out back into my studio.

Nothing wrong with dreaming.:)

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and I’ll see you all next week!

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

and the Giveaway winner is…

2011-02-22T13:11:00.001-05:00

Hi all! I hope you had a lovely weekend. We’ve been having quite the warm weather here in Florida so much time was spent outdoors on the new benches (pics soon).

Well, I indulged in the President’s Day Holiday yesterday and spent the day with my little guy who was off from school. So I know I am quite late in announcing our Valentine’s Day Giveaway. So without further ado…

{photo via the big harumph}

…to announce the winner… {drum roll please}

KATIE!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This really was a lot of fun so please look for more giveaways. Thanks so much for everyone that participated…I really do appreciate it! :)

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

said simply, said SO DARN CUTE!

2011-02-18T14:00:00.000-05:00

{via house of milk}

{via 16 House}

Awww…just a HUGE dose of ADORABLE to make you smile.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Spring is knocking & so is the hammer…

2011-02-18T09:40:00.001-05:00

You may remember almost a year ago when we went from a very tiny, enclosed deck with no fence for the dogs to…

…a newly expanded, no railings, slatted roof, SO much better outside space. Here’s {the original blog post} just in case you missed it.

Well at that same time we also made plans to have an L-shaped seating area built so that we could actually use the space as an outside living area. This picture below was our inspiration.

And finally, almost a year later it is being built. Here is the space before…

…and below is the progress so far. Right now all there is to see is the framing. However, by the end of today it should look much different. And hopefully by tomorrow it will be ready to actually sit on. Let’s hope…

There’s my Beagle, Snickers…always has to be in the limelight.

So far, so good. :)

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Enter the Press Room with Stijl Magazine and indobay...

2011-02-17T10:19:00.004-05:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More fashion

It's finally here...yay!! The sweet Marjolein Bos, founder of Stijl Magazine in the Netherlands contacted me to ask if she could feature my shop in her February issue...heck yeah!

The interview is in Dutch so I've included the actual interview questions/answers that I submitted to Marjolein.

Here it is: 1. How did you come up with the name? Indobay is actually a fictitious name created by my partner. It embodies a state of mind and a feeling. I was looking to launch a small brand of lifestyle goods that served as gentle reminders of a slower more thoughtful way of life. I had this vision of working on my designs and products from a cozy, almost shack-like (but in the best possible way) studio. I pictured my little shack flooded with light. This space would be simple and unpretentious and just the most lovely space to create the home goods that I imagined. My little place would be the epitome of living a simple but lovely lifestyle where one could walk around all day barefoot if you so desired. Creativity, ease and a general sense of well-being would ooze out of its every crevice & hug all those that entered. indobay just seemed like the perfect “place” to bring my designs & dreams to life.

So, no, an actual studio in a place called indobay, doesn’t really exist (at least I don’t think it does). My little studio is nestled in a light filled room in my home in the downtown area of Orlando, Florida. Yet every time I’m working on what I love I am immediately transported to this magical place that exists only in my mind, my heart and in every item that I create!

2.What are you selling? I just adore working with cloth, paper, wood and clay. I sell simple hand-printed & hand-illustrated modern goods such as tea towels, linen/cotton napkins, banners, hang tags, hand-formed clay magnets, wooden eggs hand-printed with thoughtful sentiments and ceramic mugs. All my items are meant to be simple reminders of living Simply, yet living Lovely.

3.Do you buy the products or do you design them yourself? All items in the indobay inc. shop are designed by me. The design process is absolutely my favorite part of product making! Coming up with an idea for a new design and then seeing in what way I will present it makes me so very happy!

4.How many products do you sell in your shop? At this time I sell a little less than forty products. I certainly am not short on new product ideas but finding the time to execute all my ideas can be a bit of a challenge.

5.What is the cheapest item, and your most expensive? My least expensive product are my small Moleskine Cahier journals that I watermark with a design. My most expensive items are my block-printed pillow covers.

6.How are business going? I launched my small brand a little over a year ago. As I’m sure you know, growing a small independent brand takes time, passion and a lot of hard work. However, 2011 brings great promise!

7.What is your own favorite? Hmmm...this one is a little difficult as I truly only make items that I love. However, if I have to pick one I would say it is my Simple List Tea Towel. It is an all-cotton tea towel with vintage inspired red stripes printed with Modern Text that reads:

List: milk, eggs, bread, love, laughter

I love it because it represents the idea of being happy with living simply & lovely by surrounding yourself with lots of love and laughter and very little unnecessary material items.

8.What are your ambitions? My ambitions are pretty simple. Like so many other artists I’d like to make a living doing what I love. I want to be able to continue to grow my business organically and authentically. I love what I do and I’m confident that as time goes on I will get busier and more demands will be placed on my time. Yet, my family is my priority. I strive to grow my business in a way that allows me to be creative and successful. At the same time, I don’t want my business to get so big that my life priorities become unbalanced. Being successful to me doesn’t necessarily mean making a ton of money but rather making enough money to be comfortable yet still finding the time for the other parts of my life that make me happy too. I’m so excited to see where this creative journey leads me!

Marjolein truly was so wonderful to work with! So if you have a few minutes, please check out her lovely magazine! :)

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

A Place for Everything & everything in it’s place…could it be?

2011-02-16T15:06:00.002-05:00

This new gadget has made its way around the internet but just in case you missed it, let me introduce you :

NoteSlate, these are the nice, friendly folks.

Friendly folks, this is NoteSlate which could very well be GENIUS! A simple, lovely way for me to FINALLY have one place for all my scribbles, doodles and notes that I am infamous for having in way too many notebooks.

This is the mission of the makers of NoteSlate:

Mission
“This low cost gadget is very useful for everyone in a daily life. You can keep it anytime with you. Every day you need some notes, meeting notes, sketches, concentrate on your work. This e-paper tablet could help you to make that process as simple as possible. Immediately. The low consumption technology is enough for that .... Our target are all the people out there (creatives, managers, accounts, planners, future thinkers, writers, drafters, teachers, children, schools, geeks, all living people also in the third world, who needs to grab ideas on the paper and are still doing that with pen. And for the lowest possible price, it will be accessible for all the parts of the world. And the highest value it has are your own notes, ideas,...”

They had me at “low cost gadget” and the fact that it sure can save me from keeping one more notebook and help simplify life just a bit more. Therefore, I’ll take one please…in June, 2011 that is, when they launch officially.

So what do you think? Would you use one? How do you keep track of all your lists, sketches, notes, etc. now?

Love Carries All…including a GIVEAWAY! Happy Valentine’s Day!

2011-02-14T09:54:00.002-05:00

{photo via Rococco Company}

Happy, Happy HEART day!

I wish you all a day full of sweet hugs, kisses, and all things that make you HAPPY!

Any special ways of celebrating? I'm celebrating by GIVING AWAY one of my Simple List Tea Towels.

For a chance to win:

leave a message in the comments telling me a simple but lovely way you like to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

For extra entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Sign-up for my e-news {here} & receive an exclusive discount code with each newsletter.
“like me” on facebook {here}
“follow” on twitter {here}

I will randomly choose a winner this Friday, February 18, 2011 and announce the winner on Monday, February 21. Thank you so much for entering and Good luck! :)

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Happy Weekend…

2011-02-11T19:14:00.001-05:00

Wishing you all a beautiful, colorful weekend!

{image via Sunday in bed}

A wall you can see through…brilliant solution!

2011-02-10T07:03:00.002-05:00

I love the simplicity of this see-through wall. Hard to tell but there is actually glass between the wooden frames. What do you think?

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

{click photo for source}

This i like…accidental art

2011-02-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

{click photo for source}

What to do when you have a rather large, missing chunk of plaster on your wall…FRAME IT! Instant art…brilliant.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

What to do when your sick… 101

2011-02-08T14:53:00.001-05:00

So my little guy is on the mend…yay! Back to school tomorrow but in the meantime…playdoh, spongebob, and a host of other games have been our best friends.

A good friend of ours recently sent Ty this game of Mancala. Have you played before…quite addicting! It’s our new favorite.

Off to try and get some work done while the little man is napping {or at least pretending to be napping}.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Good Morning Monday…

2011-02-07T11:29:00.001-05:00

Lots of resting going on in our home as I am tending to a sick little boy…stuffy nose, coughing, sore throat with a bit of the “grumpies”. Poor lil guy is hardly ever ill so this being sick since Friday is really getting to him. So for now, lots of rest, board games, movies, tea, hot soup and *snuggles* (my favorite part).

{lovely photos via myan art studio}

Hope to be back here really soon because that will mean my little guy is back on his feet! Be well. :)

{click top photo for source}

*live SIMPLY, live LOVELY*

Mengsel Giveaway…

2011-02-03T13:45:00.001-05:00

I love supporting fellow makers and I’ve been a fan of Mengsel for some time now. I popped over to her blog to see what she’s been up to and was thrilled to see she is hosting a giveaway for her lovely silk-screened heart prints in pink or blue. I’ve already put in my entry. How about you? Go {here} to enter. :)

Be Linen Movie

2011-02-03T06:25:00.001-05:00

http://vimeo.com/16474921

This beautifully made video is a tribute to linen. If you can appreciate the simple beauty of this material you certainly will enjoy this film.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

What’s New Wednesday…Paper Making

2011-02-02T10:17:00.001-05:00

{click photo for source}

Hi all! Hope your week is going along well. This week for me has been moving along way to quickly…how is it Wednesday already?

Anyhow, today I wanted to share this FANTASTIC project that I found on the zero-waste home blog. As you may recall, my family and I are practicing consuming less to waste less. So far, so good. However, my thrifting itch is wanting to be scratched BIG TIME! Nothing wrong with thrifting as it is definitely a way of reusing items. But, I really don’t need anything new right now and we are on a 30-day consumer fast. So, for now, my thrifting urge must be stifled.

{a slight pause so I may refocus…}

Ok, so back to today’s project. If you are a parent and your child is like most school children, the amount of papers coming home weekly is staggering! Yes, we do recycle those that we don’t keep but I was curious about finding a way to reuse them. That is where this paper making (actually recycling) project comes in.

The zero-waste family collects school papers from throughout the year and at the end of the school year uses those same papers to make stationary for the kids’ teachers…brilliant! Not only is this a lovely gift for the teachers but also a way of possibly making the teachers aware of the crazy amount of paper consumption in our schools. Even if you do not have children, I’m sure you have lots of papers coming your way that you might want to reuse.

So while I haven’t tried the project yet it seems simple enough and doesn’t require much in the way of supplies but does require some time and a little effort. Definitely worth it! If you interested, here is the how-to right {here}.

If you try it out, let me know how it goes and I will do the same. :)

*live SIMPLY, live LOVELY*

Simply Thought{full}…Living happily with less

2011-01-27T11:14:00.001-05:00

{photo via aesthetic outburst blog}

So if you’ve been following my blog over the last few days, you are aware that my dedication to living lovely with less is definitely in high gear. I have lived this way for some time now but the notion of moving towards “zero-waste” was somewhat new to me. It always seemed a bit unattainable until now. I’m slowly educating myself on all the items that are actually compostable rather than just putting them in the recycling bins. Here is a recent list I found if you are also interested.

My partner, my son and myself have embarked on a 30-day “consumer fast”. For the next 30 days we will not buy anything outside of basic necessities like food. The 30 days is really just a formality. We will not all of a sudden go crazy buying stuff we don’t need after 30 days. However, we thought having an totally attainable goal would be a good motivator for the little guy. We have adopted the mantra “REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS RECYCLE”. My partner who is a minimalist by nature is totally on board. My son however, is not as eager but willing. We asked him this morning what he was going to tell his grandparents if they wanted to buy him stuff (which they so often do for no reason). His response was, “I can’t have that because my parents won’t let me have anything anymore.” I can only imagine the phone calls that would illicit from the grandparents. We thought it better if he thanked them kindly and told them he just didn’t need it. ;)

So, although I will still post my usual ramblings and inspirations, I hope you will join me as I keep you posted of our progress towards living simply, living lovely and maybe one day in the near future living with zero-waste.

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Inspired by The Johnsons…

2011-01-26T12:13:00.002-05:00

So if you read my post from this morning, you’ll understand these bags and the contents in them. I awoke ready to conquer our ‘stuff” with our bookshelves being first to be tackled. Don’t get me wrong I love books and I enjoy having them around. But when your child has so many books that he doesn’t even know what he has anymore, something's gotta give.
I read him the story about The Johnsons at breakfast this morning. Let me just say that this concept is not foreign to my son. He has been brought up with this notion of living with less but there is something about telling a nine year old that he will need to part with some more of his toys that can bring about a moment of silence. However, he knows the drill because we do this at least twice a year. Yet, this time we discussed our goal of not bringing “stuff” back in after getting rid of it. That was where the silence came in. He’ll be fine.
So this goal of zero-waste is something I am striving for. I know it won’t happen over night and I know it will mean my family and I being very conscientious about what we consume and probably inconvienced at times, but isn’t it worth it in the end? I will keep you posted from time to time of our progress.
Just in case you are interested, here is the Zero-Waste Blog. I’m heading over there right now. :)

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

The Garbage Truck does not come a knocking here…

2011-01-26T08:04:00.000-05:00

I’m sure this story may not be new but I just came across this story {here} and was absolutely flipping out at their efforts and commitment to maintaining a lifestyle of zero-waste.

At our house, we are very conscious of not creating a lot of waste. We do compost and recycle yet always wonder what actually happens to all that paper and plastic waste that fills our bins. I have also been on a serious purging mission. What this means is that I have been going through our home and assessing what we have. If it’s something that is truly loved and makes us happy it stays, otherwise it is donated. We also have the rule that if something comes in, something must go out. This works well for the most part but we aren’t as diligent with this rule as we could be. So even with all my efforts, to read about a family like the Johnson’s inspired me to see how I can cut down even more waste at home. This family seriously has no waste! The cardboard boxes from cereals, pasta, milk cartons…you won’t find any in this home.

I urge you to read their story {here}. I warn you now, you will want to jump off your chair and start collecting for The Goodwill. ;)

Do you have any tips for cutting down on waste that you would like to share? Please leave in the comments. Thanks!

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Tuesday’s Interior Love…Homes on Wheels

2011-01-25T10:02:00.002-05:00

So these may not be the interiors that you are use to seeing here but as soon as I saw them I knew I had to share them with you. The images are from artist and photographer Jane Lidz’s book from 1979, Rolling Houses: Handmade Homes on Wheels. I just adore the nostalgic feel of the photos, and the idea of existing in such small quarters which in turn means living with what is most important.

{images found here and here}

Oh how I could see rolling along the road in this beauty of wood, glass & metal! Actually quite modern if you ask me. So any takers for a road trip? :)

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Simply Thought{full}…

2011-01-13T10:40:00.002-05:00

{image via Laurel Denise}

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Simply Thought{full} on a Thursday. It’s time for a new sentiment that is simple in it’s presentation but so full of thought, questions and possibly answers.

I am a strong believer that the answers we seek are always revealed to us if we only take the time to get quiet and listen.

What answers might life be whispering to you today?

*live SIMPLY, live LOVELY*

What’s New Wednesday…

2011-01-12T13:01:00.001-05:00

…includes all matters of the heart. Some new and some not so new but old favorite’s have been added to the shop.

Can you tell I have LOVE on the brain…

{click here to go to shop}

*live SIMPLY, live LOVELY*

Tuesday’s Interior Love…

2011-01-11T12:38:00.001-05:00

Lately I have been drawn to rustic wood mixed with black or dark gray but always with a mix of white. What do you think?

The splash of chartreuse in this last photo is just icing on an already lovely cake!

*live SIMPLY, live LOVELY*

{all images via emmasdesignblogg}

Walter Bosse Brilliance…Modern Handmade Bronzes

2011-01-10T12:24:00.001-05:00

"All my work's purpose is make as many people as possible happy and to bring gleams of hope into their daily life, which it usually needs. I avoid living in luxury as much as possible because in fact for many of us even the bare necessities are luxury" -Walter Bosse

I am not a collector. By that I mean I tend to buy things I love but never really amass a large group of any one thing. HOWEVER, I would absolutely collect these gorgeous handmade modern bronzes! I am just so head over heels in LOVE with them all. I am quite smitten with the mix of sweetness, character and slight quirkiness…right up my alley!

Walter Bosse first started producing his collectible figures in the late 1940s, using a unique method of patina on polished brass. The patina is then polished off to reveal shiny brass beneath…stunning!

If you are interested I would head over to this {site} or {this sweet etsy shop} that also sells a few of the pieces.

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

Follow Your Bliss in 2011…

2011-01-05T10:44:00.001-05:00

{Follow Your Bliss Fine Art Photo by Irene Suchocki}

HAPPY NEW YEAR & WELCOME 2011!

I hope you all spent a lovely holiday! I know I did and actually took a couple of extra days to be with myself and reflect on the year ahead. Did you make any resolutions for 2011? This year I did not for no other reason than there wasn’t anything “new” that I wanted to resolve to accomplish. My goal is always pretty much the same which is to live a life that is authentic and that keeps me on the “path of happiness” and living the life I imagine for myself and for my family.

For 2011 I wish you all the same. May all the hopes & dreams you imagine become your reality!

~live SIMPLY, live LOVELY~

Warm Holiday Wishes…

2010-12-22T10:30:00.001-05:00

{image via irene suchocki}

With only a few days left ‘til Christmas the excitement is bubbling over at our home! My eight year can barely contain himself and even our Beagle has gotten into the Christmas Spirit!

I will be scarce here until probably the New Year. However, I did not want to leave without wishing you all the most splendid Holiday Season filled with Good Cheer, Holiday Magic & Wonder!

*~*~*~*~*~*MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!*~*~*~*~*~*~*

FREE SHIPPING WEEKEND…

2010-12-17T10:10:00.001-05:00

{image via Olive Manna}

Can you believe only eight more days til Christmas! Have you already shopped for everyone on your list? There’s still time. As a little holiday gift to you I am offering FREE STANDARD SHIPPING on all orders (no minimum purchase required). Shipping fees will be refunded through Paypal. So what ya waiting for…go SHOP.

WISHING YOU THE HAPPIEST & LOVELIEST HOLIDAY!

*live SIMPLY, live LOVELY*

I’ve died and gone to wallpaper heaven…

2010-12-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Do I really need to say more?

{image via Bodie and Fou}

My new Canadian friend…

2010-12-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

This sweet little caribou just arrived to my home and I couldn’t be happier!

He is part of Paige Russell’s Muzo Collectibles. I am really coveting this adorable Polar Bear too…

and these Trio of Trees…

But for now, my new little friend is nestled sweetly among my crocheted snowmen. He makes me very happy.

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

Tuesday’s Interior Love…

2010-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

You may remember this home from this {post}. I recently ran into this home again on The Selby & I almost lost my mind…seriously! More GORGEOUS photos for me to drool over!

If you want to see more of this stunning home click {here}!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

We have a winner…

2010-12-13T10:53:00.001-05:00

Last week Heather hosted a giveaway of my Holiday Banner.

{drum roll please}…

And the winner is….click {here}.

Congratulations!!!

Happy Blooming Monday…

2010-12-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

It’s been a tradition in our home for some time now that every Christmas we anticipate the blooming of the Paperwhites. They have bloomed and are so lovely!

So, today I send you Good Cheer, Smiles and of course…sweet blooms!

Happy Holidays!

Natural Simplicity for the Holidays…

2010-12-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Braxton Home Collection…Natural simplicity with a Danish/Swedish aesthetic done so right! Check out their beautiful online catalog {here}. You can also find their Christmas Collection {here}. I’m quite smitten!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

What’s New Wednesday…

2010-12-08T11:00:00.001-05:00

My Happy Dots have dressed up a bit for the Holidays in their finest Silver! Add some festive twinkle & a silvery sparkle with these handmade modern magnets...

This is a perfect stocking stuffer for that friend on your list who is a Design Minimalist at Heart! If you are looking for more gift ideas check out my December Newsletter. I have some ideas for every personality on your list. It’s easy to sign up. Just go {here}. There’s a special holiday gift for you inside!

You can find them {here}.

P.S. Be on the lookout for my Twelve Days of Good Cheer coming soon!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

Enchanted Christmas Village…

2010-12-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

How lovely is this Glistening Christmas Village! I think I may have gasped aloud when I first saw the images via A Field Journal blog. You can find a tutorial on how to make them yourself. Now here is the kicker…they are made from CEREAL BOXES!! I think I may have just heard you **gasp**! ;)

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

La La Linen Giveaway…

2010-12-06T09:25:00.001-05:00

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I spent a festive weekend celebrating Hanukkah with family. The latkes (potatoe pancakes) were warm and delicious, the dreidels were spinning and the Menorah was lit! Since we are a “dual” religion family we also put up our Christmas tree this weekend. So as I’m writing this, it’s cold outside (38 degrees in Florida is down right COLD) but toasty inside with the lights of the tree lit & lovely.

With the festive, happy holiday mood running high in our household I couldn’t wait to tell you about another Giveaway over at La La Linen. Heather has to be one of the sweetest people I have come across lately & she is a genuine LOVER OF LINEN. If you can appreciate all things linen you will no doubt love Heather’s Blog. I find her blog quite charming & always leave with that warm, cozy feeling. Heather recently purchased my Holiday Banner which she is so generously giving away!

So when you have a moment head on over to Heather’s Blog to get the details on how to enter. She has made it super, duper simple for you. You might want to grab a cup of something warm and delicious before heading over to La La Linen. I have a feeling you might want to stay there a while. ;)

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

What’s New Wednesday…Sayulita, Mexico

2010-12-01T12:43:00.001-05:00

Hola…Buen Dia! That’s my leftover spanish from Mexico which by the way was fabulous! As some of you may remember, my family and I spent the Thanksgiving Holiday abroad. If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend the little surf/fishing town of Sayulita, Mexico .

(Local surf shop & my boys)

The mountains, ocean, sunsets were so brilliant! Sayulita had just suffered through a big flood in September which folks said changed the landscape of the beach, not particularly for the better. Nonetheless, this gal did not complain.

My favorite part was going into town and just taking in the vibrant culture. The colors, the colorful nature of the locals, the festive vibe in the town square even on a Monday night! The locals do not appear to have a lot by way of money. But what they lack in money & material items they more than make up for in spirit and a sense of community.

(Town Square)

The architecture was also one of my favorite parts. I promise I barely took pictures of people but of buildings and just places about town.

(Even their gates were pretty!)

This building was one of my favorites. It had cut outs for windows in the shape of hearts. How lovely is that!

I felt very fortunate to be able to end our days in our little casita with my boys and friends. Where we stayed was quite lovely!

As much fun as we had it’s always nice to come back home! Thanks for letting me share. :)

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

Spectacular Holiday Giveaway worth over $2000!

2010-11-29T13:03:00.001-05:00

Yes, yes…you read that correctly!! Laura Winslow is a fabulous photographer who is hosting this super FANTASTIC, very GENEROUS Holiday Giveaway! 59 shops, including yours truly, have combined their time, efforts and goods to make ONE WINNER very happy!!! With 14 ways to enter I’d be negligent if I didn’t urge you all to at least try your luck with one entry.

So skip, run, jump, whatever suits your fancy over {here} to checkout.

Good luck my friends!

Does Free Shipping sound good to anyone?

2010-11-19T13:23:00.001-05:00

So my family and I are going on a trip this weekend all the way through to the Thanksgiving Weekend. Sayulita, Mexico here we come…so darn excited!!

All of next week I will be disconnected somewhat from the online world. But I did not want to leave without giving you some good news. There will be WORLDWIDE FREE SHIPPING all throughout THE BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAY WEEKEND!! Woo hoo!! That means free shipping from November 26-November 29!! No special code needed. Your shipping costs will be refunded through Paypal. It’s that easy! Just visit my shop & enjoy free shipping.

So I’m off to get ready for my trip. I hope you all enjoy a lovely Thanksgiving with friends and family. I just wanted say a big THANK YOU to you all! Even if you don’t comment I know some of you visit regularly and that means so much to me! I am grateful! :)

Have a super fantastic week & Happy Thanksgiving!

indobay is headed out West…

2010-11-19T12:50:00.001-05:00

{Bella Vita}

Happy Friday!

Sorry for my absence this week. If you remember this post from last week then I’m here to say “my cup STILL runneth over” but all in a great way! I have been very busy filling individual orders and a wholesale order that I am sooo very excited about! Soon some of my products will be in stock in a sweet shop in Oakland, California called Bella Vita...

Having lived in San Francisco for many years I am very familiar with this charming area of Oakland and could not have been happier to prepare my goods to be shipped westward. If you are in the area please go take a peek & tell the shop owner I said hi!

Bella Vita

5407 College Avenue

Oakland, CA 94618

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

{photo source: Bella Vita’s Facebook Page}

Tuesday’s Interior Love…

2010-11-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

The home of Lyn Gardener is the epitome of light * bright * & white with a healthy dose of girly!

{images via Design Files}

My Cup Runneth over…

2010-11-12T06:32:00.001-05:00

{My Cup Runneth Over Print by Whimsystudio}

Happy Friday! I hope your week has been a lovely one.

I have had a fantastic & very busy week. One of the biggest & best parts of having my own craft biz is being available for all my son’s activities. The flip side of that is finding the time needed to attend to my craft biz and all those activities. Sometimes ‘somethings gotta give’.

So with a week filled with two field trips, tennis practice, basketball practice, my fiance’s business presentation dinner, a sudden small rush of orders (and one very special order that I can’t wait to tell you about), that ‘something’ was the blog. As much as I love meeting you all here, this was one of those weeks where there just weren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done.

So I look forward to next week where (hopefully) I can resume some of my favorite features like What’s New Wednesday, Simply Thoughtful, and The Simple {lovely} List.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Tuesday’s Interior Love…

2010-11-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Do you believe in Love at First Sight? If you don’t, you just might change your mind after seeing this stunning Townhouse in Brooklyn.

So for all you “skeptics”, have you changed your mind yet? ;)

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

{Source: The Brooklyn Home Company found via ink & wit blog}

The Simple {lovely} List…

2010-11-05T09:44:00.001-04:00

I have so many lovely links this week that it is going to be hard to narrow it down to just a few…there’s always next week!

Happy clicking…

1. Wood & White…I’m loving the simplicity of these white “rocks” (see image above) made from reclaimed wood…http://www.etsy.com/listing/36858804/white-facet-rock

2. These Paint Palette Typography Cotton Tea Towels are spectacular…http://www.etsy.com/listing/60085279/paint-palette-typography-cotton-tea

3. These earrings are so sweet! A perfect mix of metal & a delicate design…http://www.etsy.com/listing/54604316/silvercube-earrings-almond-tree

4. The Sequoia Wrap-chunky, soft grey wrap that I am coveting, especially now that the weather has FINALLY cooled off…http://www.etsy.com/listing/57210904/the-sequoia-wrap-grey-marble

5. I have a weakness for illustrative art. I’m LOVING this fantastic illustration by Virginia Kraljevic of my Hometown of New York..http://www.etsy.com/listing/58440959/new-york-new-york

I hope you all enjoy your weekend! And as always…

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

Can we pretend today is Wednesday?…

2010-11-04T17:00:00.001-04:00

So yesterday I was all ready to post my “What’s New Wednesday?” feature when I made a crucial mistake with my shop site…a major rookie mistake! I made what I thought would be a slight change to the indobay inc. shop. Long story short, I ended up changing some html codes and ended up back to my original template. Months of tweaking and customizing my shop site, GONE!!

Lesson learned: Always BACK UP!!!

So instead of posting to my blog I spent most of yesterday redesigning the shop site. I have to admit, it was one of those bad good things. I actually like the way the shop site turned out better than the first time! Yay!!

So…What WAS new on Wednesday? How about this quirky modern take on a holiday banner? It is my interpretation of stockings hung with care. You can read about the newest addition to the indobay shop here ;)

So what else is new? Good News! For those of you who are signed up for my newsletter, your exclusive discount code awaits you in your e-mail! Remember, the code is valid for only two weeks so don’t wait too long! If you haven’t yet signed up for my updates and exclusive discounts it’s easy. Just go to the e-mail signup form on my sidebar. Soon you’ll begin receiving monthly (sometimes a little longer than a month) e-news & special discounts just for subscribers. :)

And speaking of new…how about taking a peek at my New Shop Design! Feel free to let me know what you think.

As always…live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

Simply Thoughtful…

2010-11-04T13:53:00.001-04:00

{image via The Love Shop}

Simple words to live by!

Hope you are all having the Most Happy of Days!

TRICK OR TREAT…

2010-10-29T10:36:00.001-04:00

{My son’s chalk drawing}

We wish you a SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN WEEKEND!

The SIMPLE {lovely} LIST…

2010-10-29T06:45:00.001-04:00

{image by Sande74}

Here are some more links to things that made me happy this week. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration from them!

1. If you a slight voyeur like myself and enjoy peeking into the homes/studios of others you’ll like this site. Quick tip…you probably will need to use Google Translate. Well worth the translation. : http://freundevonfreunden.com/

2. I love prints and I love quirky sayings. These black & white prints fit that bill perfectly! http://www.theresesennerholtshop.se/echarge/

3. This Gift Guide is fabulous! It’s curated by Irene from Bloesem who I think has impeccable taste! http://bloesem.blogs.com/bloesemgifts_2010/

4. I love this round up of calendars. Just a heads up, this links to only Part I of 4 parts. They are all so very, very YUMMY! http://decor8blog.com/2010/10/28/2011-calendar-round-up-part-1/

5. Some very sweet “shout outs” from this lovely photographer…thank you Twiggs! http://aplacefortwiggs.blogspot.com/2010/10/random-stories-stories-from-tania.html and this equally lovely maker, thank you Jacqui!…http://bloomingnihon.blogspot.com/2010/10/guest-post-tania-of-indobay.html

6. I’m smitten by the simplicity of these lovely vessels…http://www.etsy.com/listing/59361993/small-hanging-vertical-pod-vase

7. This charming photo makes me want to fall into sweet slumber…it’s just so dreamy! http://www.etsy.com/listing/59921718/let-me-feel-the-fresh-breeze-5x7

Happy Friday!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

Simply Thoughtful…

2010-10-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

{print by Pennywishes}

Every morning when I drop my son off to school I tell him I love him and then some little saying that goes with the day of week. For example, on Mondays I might say, “Have a Magical Monday!”. Thursdays tend to be the same, “Have a Thoughtful Thursday!” I don’t tend to stray from this saying. For one reason, it can be a little hard coming up with different words that begin with the same sound as the word Thursday. But mostly because I want to instill the value of being a thoughtful person.

So what does being thoughtful mean? For me, thoughtful means being considerate and well-meaning towards others. However, it also means being mindful and giving thought to what you say, what you do, and how you live. I don’t mean this in a self-conscious way but simply having an awareness of your choices and how they can affect others and our world. Even the items I bring into my home tend to be items that are thoughtful in nature. For example, thoughtfulness may be conveyed in what the item symbolizes, how it was made, or maybe it’s the artist him/herself who I know to be a thoughtful person.

One thing I love are thoughtful sayings or quotes. They can be brilliantly simple in their words but profound in their meaning.

So today I thought I’d start to present simple thoughts on Thursdays. This allows me to start collecting on this blog some of my favorites and at the same time being able to share them with you.

I love this first quote, “never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do” So simple but it can bring up some tough questions & ideas that really make you think.

Are you doing what you were meant to do? If the fear of failing were not there what would you be doing? Do you let the opinion of others get in the way of your dreams?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. :)

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

Bloesem Gift Guide…

2010-10-26T12:33:00.001-04:00

For those of you that may not be aware of Bloesem, it is my absolute FAVORITE BLOG ever! Every morning, after taking my son to school, I anxiously drive back home, pour another hot cup of coffee, turn my computer on and visit this fabulous source of everything lovely! Irene’s aesthetic and eye for design in so brilliant in my eyes.

Well, Irene has put together a Gift Guide which I am so thrilled about! She has impeccable taste and I’ve just been so excited to see what goodies she has gathered. You can just imagine my elation to see my Vintage Inspired Modern Text Tea Towel included under kitchen gifts!! Thank you Irene!

If you have a few moments, head on over here and see what goodies you can add to your wish list!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

The SIMPLE {lovely} LIST…

2010-10-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

{wood slice embroidered rings by ixela}

Here are some lovely links to things that made me happy this week…

1. Perfectly, imperfect wooden book that I’ve recently purchased. I can’t wait till it arrives! http://www.etsy.com/shop/oliveandbrown

2. The sweetest little “hope & heart” miniature clay house http://www.etsy.com/listing/55656808/hope-and-heart-miniature-clay-house-pink

3. A gold triple wrap ring. I typically don’t like gold rings but this one caught my attention in it’s lovely simplicity http://www.etsy.com/listing/59434856/triple-band-simplicityclosed-band-14k

4. Sweetest print called Sofi and the Owl http://www.etsy.com/listing/57096292/sofi-and-the-owl-big-print-117-x-165

5. This “wood slice” embroidered ring. Just the right amount of whimsy and pretty! http://www.etsy.com/listing/52005059/wood-slice-embroidered-ring

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

That Thursday Festive Feeling…

2010-10-14T11:05:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow morning I’m heading out to Los Angeles for my long time friend’s wedding & I’m so excited!!! A fabulous time is about to be had by all that will be there! So in honor of the festive mood I am in I’m leaving you with this most charming paper shop I found on etsy, The Paper Tie Affair. I am so smitten with all the colors and mix of papers…just lovely! I love garlands and I actually keep a few around the house all year round. It instantly creates a festive feeling! I’m thinking of adding a few of these lovelies…instant happy! What do you think?

Wishing you all a super duper fabulous weekend and I’ll be back next week!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

{images: The paper Tie Affair}

What’s New Wednesday? Hint: Gumdrops…

2010-10-13T12:27:00.001-04:00

Well, not really gumdrops but certainly inspired by these little sweet lovelies!

If you remember, a few weeks ago I was searching for a name for my newest mini magnets. Those of you that participated in helping me name them were so sweet and came up with some awesome prospects like:

“happy dots”

“magnamellows”

“dottie mags”

After seriously agonizing over the name, I decided to go with…

{DRUM ROLL PLEASE}

“happy dots”

Many thanks to the sweet designer of Madgem Designs for coming up with the name! My original names were “color drops” or “color pops” which I liked and may use some other time. But, as soon as I saw the word “happy” I was sold!

So I’d like to formally introduce you to What’s New This Wednesday…

Happy Dots can be found here!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY with All the Luck in the World…

2010-10-12T12:32:00.001-04:00

{handprinted & embroidered pillow}

Recently I posted about the value of products that just make someone or yourself happy. I like to think that there really is genuine value in creating such items that bring you joy and make you smile.

{good luck charms}

All the Luck in the World is that shop for me! Jane is a graphic designer from the Netherlands who creates the most charming recycled and “restyled” items that are so lovely you can’t help but smile when you look at them!

{positive wall decoration}

You will often find the plus sign (+) in her work as a sign of positivity. How happy & fantastic is that!! I found Jane over at Poppytalk and was smitten by her creations immediately. So much so, that I instantly knew I had to contact her right away and ask if I could share her work with you all on my blog.

{a Happy Showcase}

Jane’s blog is just as charming. So when you find a few moments of quiet in your day, grab a beverage, kick your feet up and meander over here.

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY & Enjoy!

Guess who’s 40 today?

2010-10-08T11:21:00.001-04:00

ME!

I love birthdays! I am so grateful for every year that I have the opportunity to love, be loved, learn, & just enjoy life with all it’s wondrous twists & turns. Can’t wait to see what the second half of this life journey has in store for me!

Happy, Happy Weekend!

Purchased item + HAPPY= Value for Customer???

2010-10-07T09:30:00.000-04:00

I am in the middle of taking an e-course for small craft businesses (specifically online shops) which is bringing up a lot of questions for me. Good questions, but questions & some doubts nonetheless. I am absolutely fascinated, intrigued, slightly obsessed with thinking about why people purchase the things they do. What is it that drives people to spend their well earned money on something handmade or not? What is it that drives me?

My sweet little house by one of my favorite makers, Amber Dusick

So early on in the course I learned that as a maker my products should provide value for the customer. As a customer, you typically buy products because there’s something in it for you. Maybe that “it” is purely functional. The product solves a problem for you and so you buy it.

So this got me thinking, specifically about my products. What problems do my items solve? What function do they serve? Initially I began to feel a bit down as I thought about what I created. I started doubting the value that I brought to my customers and potential customers. Were my products really something anyone needed? Was I being selfish and creating products that were flooding the market with more “stuff” no one really needs? I mean really, who needs another pillow cover! Who needs a handprinted mug that says “happy, lovely” on it? And who am I kidding…wooden eggs that are handstamped with the words “live, simply”, who needs them?? Quite frankly, I DO! I really do.

My lovely print by Dana of Leililaloo

La La Love You by SFgirlbythe bay

As I think about the purchases (specifically from independant makers) that I’ve made this past year I have a definite reason for having bought them. It wasn’t that I necessarily needed these items. In fact, I don’t think I needed any of them, at least not in the basic sense of the word. So what was the value that these items provided?

I love my hairpins by Rebecca from The Ardent Sparrow

Each of these items made me very HAPPY! Every single item can still, even a year later in some cases, make me smile every single time I pass them by. I absolutely adore them! Some items, like the handmade journal I purchased recently, does have a specific function besides just being so darn lovely. Yet, I have written in it only two times. However, I keep it out when I am creating as a source of inspiration. These items each occupy a special place in my home. My home & my family mean everything to me. So you bet that the things I choose to buy will serve to make our home & time spent here more lovely! They make my house a HOME, truly!

my lovely, lovely handmade journal by RoughdrAft books

Wampus, our cat, nuzzled against “Nest” pillow by Autumn & Everything After

SO IS THEIR VALUE IN CREATING ITEMS WHOSE MAIN FUNCTION MAY ONLY BE TO MAKE THE RECEIVER BLISSFULLY HAPPY EVEN LONG AFTER THAT INITIAL PURCHASE? IS THAT REALLY ENOUGH? IF YOU ASK ME I SAY YES with a capital Y! Can I get an amen! :)

FYI-It’s American Craft Week – a week dedicated to celebrating the “the countless ways handmade objects enrich our daily lives and contribute to our national aesthetic and economy.” How will you support handmade this week?

What’s New Wednesday…

2010-10-06T12:22:00.001-04:00

So if you follow me on my Facebook page then you already know that what is new this Wednesday isn’t really new but has been tweaked a bit. I originally launched my Modern Messenger Bird back in March.

He was born out of a desire to try a new medium, which was clay, and also out of a desire to create something that when received by someone would make their hearts melt and put a smile on their faces. (actually this is my hope for all my items)This little guy’s sole responsibility was to send sweet messages of happiness!

So over the last few months this little guy has spread messages of LOVE, BIRTHDAY WISHES, & HOPE! That made me very happy!

So why the change to this little fella? The honest truth is he was just soooo time consuming to make! Lets just say the amount of sanding to get him to look that dapper made this gal’s hands twist & ache! I even took him out of the shop for a little while because, frankly, the $24 I was charging for him didn’t represent what I should have been charging had I factored in the actual time it took to get him ready for flight. I even purchased special tools that I thought would cut my time in half but that never really worked as well as the hand forming & sanding.

Long story a little shorter, I missed him and I loved the idea behind him. I just needed to find a way to maintain a similar aesthetic as the original but create him in such a way that made me feel good about making him again. I think I have done it! He’s smaller (less for me to sand), and shaped a bit different (easier for me to form) but still carrying sweet messages (this time on an egg hatched especially for you)!

{before} {after}

I recently made some as “Thank you” favors as part of Welcome Bags I put together for my fiance’s nephew’s Bar Mitzvah. I can happily report I enjoyed every moment of it!

P.S. I’m curious. If you also have a small craft biz have you ever had to “tweak” some of your items or do away with them completely to make it more cost effective for you?

indobay inc…the story behind the name…

2010-10-01T10:04:00.001-04:00

{click photos for source}

Over this past year I’ve had more than a few folks ask me about the name indobay. I guess they couldn’t really figure out what the name had to do with hand printed items for the home. Well, it really doesn’t…at least not initially.

indobay inc. is actually a name my partner was going to use for his small surf company he was launching on the side. However, when his “main” biz took off he just didn’t have the time to launch indobay inc. That is until I came along!

I was looking to launch a small brand of lifestyle goods that were modern in design yet served as lovely, gentle reminders of a slower more thoughtful way of life. I had this vision of working on my designs and products from a charmingly small, bright, almost shack-like (but in the best possible way) studio. I pictured my little shack flooded with light. This space would be simple and unpretentious and just the most lovely space to create the home goods that I imagined. In my mind it would be just a few steps from an idyllic stretch of land or a body of water where I could look outside the windows or step outside my door and be able to reconnect to nature and be inspired immediately. My little place would be the epitome of living a simple but lovely lifestyle where one could walk around all day barefoot, enjoying the warm breezes, indulging in a carefree, easy breezy way of life. Creativity, ease and a general sense of well-being would ooze out of its every crevice & hug all those that entered.

So here I was looking for a name for my small biz and here was my guy with a biz name he wasn’t going to use. indobay just seemed like the perfect place to bring my designs & dreams to life.

So, no, an actual studio in a place called indobay, doesn’t really exist (at least I don’t think it does). My little studio is nestled in a light filled room in my home in Orlando, Florida. Yet every time I’m working on what I love I am immediately transported to this magical place that exists only in my mind, my heart and in every item that I create!

{my actual studio}

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY!

Simple, lovely holiday decorating with West elm

2010-09-29T10:38:00.001-04:00

I’m always searching for ways to bring a “simple, lovely” lifestyle to my home. I recently found this video from West Elm with some brilliant, festive ways to add that touch of simple, lovely to your home during the holidays. The garland gift wrap is my favorite! What’s yours?

click on picture to watch video

live SIMPLY, live LOVELY

My interview with Dana of Leililaloo

2010-09-27T20:21:00.001-04:00

I tend to connect rather easily with other makers who exemplify a simple, lovely & authentic lifestyle. Dana the maker behind Leililaloo is one such maker. I won’t tell you too much because Dana has graciously agreed to visit with me soon when she participates in my Home {truths} series. But I will say that I recently purchased this charming print from Dana and it is more enchanting in person!

Recently I participated in Dana’s series about life as a mother balancing life, family and business. This topic is very dear to my heart and I made a point of being as honest with my answers as possible. Even if you are not a mother, I think you will find Dana’s Balancing Series quite helpful. I hope you will take a few minutes to check out my interview and the interviews of some of the others already featured. :)

Play the Name Game & win!…

2010-09-21T12:44:00.001-04:00

So I’ve hand-crafted some new itty bitty magnets that I will be adding to the shop very soon. I have a name in mind but I thought it would be fun to get your creative input on what you think they should be called. Here the facts about these tiny little guys to help stir up your creative juices:

*they are tiny at a little more than 1/4 tall & 1/4 wide

*they are made from polymer clay with a bright wash of color just on the fronts

*super strong tiny magnets

*my nephew says they look like the marshmellows in Lucky Charm cereal. Hmmm…I might need to place a disclaimer in my product description…NOT EDIBLE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! ;)

*they are organically shaped by hand. Basically this means they are sort of a cube shape but not perfect, just the way I like them. :)

So what do you think? Leave your ideas in the comments. On Monday I will reveal the name. If I decide to use your idea I will happily send you a wee set (4 in a pack) as a Thank you!

~create, love & inspire!~

There’s No Place Like Home {truths}…

2010-09-17T13:50:00.001-04:00

Join me as a few of my favorite artists stop by my virtual home for a cozy, comfy personal chat about life, art and all things in-between.

{coming soon}

It’s arrived!

2010-09-17T10:18:00.000-04:00

Oh how I wish I had something more interesting to show you than a narrow cardboard box but it’s what’s inside that I’m so excited about! What is inside holds the means for me to finally create something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. It was actually one of the original ideas that got me thinking about launching indobay inc. I wanted to design, and create this product for my own use, which in turn made me think about creating it for others as well. A whole lot of blah, blah, blah later, I did launch my shop but sadly never created this item…until now!

Ok, so I haven’t actually created the item yet but I’ve got tons of ideas on how I would like it to look. At least that’s a start. So off to do what I always do when getting ready to design a new product:

*imagine

*sketch

*imagine some more

*sketch

* tweak original design

*sketch

*more tweaking

*kick myself in the *%! to just GET STARTED!!!

Hope to have something to show you very soon. Wish me a little luck please. :)

~create, love & inspire!~

What do wooden hangers & art have in common?

2010-09-16T09:45:00.001-04:00

Most of the art you will find in my home is not some expensive creation from well-known artists but by my favorite artist, my son! I love how colorful and free his art is. Not an ounce of self-consciousness or self-doubt in his pieces! He does his thing and thinks they are just GREAT, which they are in this un-biased mother’s opinion. ;)

Anyhow, I’m all about finding quick and easy ways of hanging his many art pieces. Most times I frame them but for a quick & dirty art display it’s painter’s tape all the way, like with these…

How clever is this idea of using wooden hangers. I’ve always thought wooden hangers are a beautifully, designed utilitarian object. I actually might swoon at the sight of a well-worn vintage hanger. So it was love at first glance when I saw this idea…

{via freshome}

How fantastic is that!!!

~create, love & inspire!~

Commit to making a Living from your Art…

2010-09-14T12:12:00.001-04:00

What if we could change the perception of the artist’s journey to making a living from their art? This is a must watch, over and over, if you’ve ever experienced that pause from folks when you tell them you are an artist, that pause that makes you feel like they aren’t taking what you do seriously because it’s not a “real”job… Thank you Marisa for sharing this with me.