Hawthorne Threads

Holy Temptation!

Now that my only public show for the Fall is over, I have convinced myself that I will now have the crafty time for all those projects that were quickly placed on the back burner over the last month. And of course, that requires digging into my massive amounts of crafting supplies.

But a girl can think about adding to her stash right? Right?

Well, regardless of what you said, I'm sure thinking about it. :)

Hawthorne Threads is full of gorgeous designer fabric, Japanese fabrics, and home decor fabrics (have you seen the Love by Amy Butler yet? I want the Trumpet Flowers home dec and the Paradise Garden Flannel).




Also, some really great sewing patterns if you like the boutique feel. I think these little cupcakes by Sandi Henderson would be rocking gifts for crafty friends.

Okay, what are you waiting for? Go drool!

More Artprize!

A little taste of what's waiting for you in downtown Grand Rapids...

How much do you love me?

Enough to buy me this?



Okay, how many of you crafty gals just sighed and said "me too!" ? It looks that good doesn't it? And it's also available in white and black (and a mini table version).

If you want one for yourself, check them out at http://www.theoriginalscrapbox.com/. Enter this code when you place your order to get $100 off your shipping: 100Writes

Yay for ArtPrize!

If you are not from the Grand Rapids area, prepare to be very jealous. If you are from West Michigan, get your fanny downtown and have a good time! ArtPrize features 1,262 artists sharing their work throughout downtown Grand Rapids. I'm talking serious eye candy and inspiration. I felt like a five year old at a carnival...and this carnival doesn't end until the 10th so you better believe I'm going back to finish seeing EVERYTHING.

Our first art spotting was "The Furniture City Sets the Table for the World of Art" which is not only an incredible sight, but also shows how the choice of venue plays into the power of the piece.





And next, we checked out the well publicized Nessie on the Grand. I have a feeling this will be one of the boys' favorites.


More to come...

I Feel Fall Coming...

and I am pumped! I LOVE Fall. I love colorful leaves, warm beverages, cozy sweaters, round pumpkins...and I could go on.

The soon to arrive Fall weather is sneaking its way into my workspace, inspiring the new Copper Harvest necklace. I picture it with a soft jersey tee and floaty sweater. Mmmmm...

How much longer, Mom?

I know, I know...where have I been? Well, let me tell you that when I throw a temper tantrum about a redo gone wrong, I really throw one. And part of that temper tantrum was me picketing the blog. I went on blog strike because it was a constant reminder of my failure.

But now, I've cooled down (yes indeed, it takes awhile) and I'm back with some Fall treats. If you have little ones, you might be in the same "yeah, it's six weeks until Halloween but we're in full decoration mode" boat. My four year old son started decorating in August, so I think we'll be plenty ready by the time the 31st rolls around.

Some wonderful Halloween treats available on Etsy...


I don't have a wee one anymore, but how cute are these?!



Wonderful, vintage style gift tags.



Can anyone say "coolest mom ever"? I think this house would earn me the title.


And there's so much more...with over a month on the countdown, I'm sure I'll get to share another group of favorites!

Q is for Quitter

I don't even have the appropriate words to express how furious I am with my workspace redo. Despite what I thought was thorough prep, there is paint under the blue tape on the wood trim and now the tape is pulling huge chunks of paint off the wall. Come to find out you are supposed to remove the tape immediately after you paint. I am clearly a painting amateur and all I can do is curse and cry.

So I am quitting. Blah.

Workspace Redo Day 5

Thank God for Belgian Creme. Seriously. I am slowly watching the green hued Lotus Flower disappear and the relief is overwhelming. As a girl who loves intense colors and frequently makes the mistake of putting them on the wall, it's kind of funny to watch myself fret over which "white" I want in my space. I'm hoping Belgian Creme is it, considering I'm already $30 over my paint budget.

And I picked up pegboard yesterday...or rather, Dave picked it up for me. I'm in the process of spraying it white, so it'll look all crisp and clean. I love the idea of hanging beads and tools and being able to change up the layout with hooks. Here are some fun pegboard pics:


This one has a frame and is more colorful than mine, but I like the variety of goodies on it.


I need to get some baskets like the ones on this pegboard.


Oh man, this pegboard is making me wonder if I should rethink my spray point choice.

Workspace Redo Day 4

So, today was unproductive. I am bummed. The wall color is awful...it's ivory but the limey yellow hue is killing me and while it isn't intense, it's just enough to make you say "is this yellowish or what?" So, I went back to Home Depot and got a new can of paint...this time white with a little hint of peachy pink so I'm hoping it agrees with the lighting and I can get back to work.

I also went and checked out some desks. Nothing is really making me swoon. I did get the chance to browse a redecorating magazine though and saw some fun ideas. I also decided that I'm going to go a little industrial and put up peg board (I've loved that stuff since childhood - don't ask me why!).

Hope your weekend has been more successful than mine! I'm looking forward to a drink with Dave, maybe a pair of earrings for me, and a happy Sunday.

And while this photo has absolutely nothing to do with the post, every post needs a picture right...and how cute is this little owl?! It reminds me of one my mom had when I was a kiddo.


By fruitflypie on Etsy

Workspace Redo Day 3

In a perfect world, there would be no such thing as a budget and all deadlines would be met. I would search google images for rooms that make me swoon, call up the experts, write the checks, and live in craft room bliss.

Can you tell that I'm stressing a bit? I nearly had a meltdown last night when I realized that two coats of primer wasn't enough (damn strawberry pink!) and there was no way I'd be moving supplies back into my space on Sunday night. Then, I decided to go out and buy some new drawer pulls and knobs (retail therapy, right?!) only to find that there was nothing my style in my price range.

So, today's adventure will be a search for some of my favorite drawer hardware:


I love the beach, so these starfish were an obvious choice.


Anthropologie is full of beauties, like the Granita knobs.


Some simple brushed silver with just enough detail - Gravyr from Ikea.


Pretty Melon knob - again from Anthropologie.


I'm seriously considering these Zinnia knobs from Anthropologie.

And tonight I'm going to have a drink and remind myself that I am not a professional stylist, that I am not creating a room for a design blog, and that the whole point of this is to create a space that I like better and give myself more space to create. Phew.

Workspace Redo Day 2

Okay, so I'm thinking this house overhaul may be quite the undertaking. Today, I planned to patch and prime and put two coats up in my workspace. Yesterday, I pulled out pretty much everything that was in there...and should I feel brave, I may someday show the before picture so that you truly understand just how much was in there. Seriously - it had gotten to the point of just dumping stuff on top of stuff. But, I digress...


Dena Designs for Free Spirit

It's already mid-afternoon and I've only patched and done one coat of primer. Because the strawberry pink was so intense, that whole wall and a half will need another primer coat. I'm starting to think my Sunday night deadline will be pretty tough considering I have the two kiddos until Dave gets home and then a coffee date.


Paula Prass for Michael Miller

One of the challenges of my workspace is that it tends to be dark, so I'm thinking that putting a light color on the wall will brighten up the space...or at least keep it from looking too much like a dungeon. I selected "Lotus Flower," a nice ivory in the yellows family...but hopefully not too yellow. And a big rule in this house is "No painting the trim!" so I'm looking at white furniture to help keep the room bright and in order to stay within the budget (which is pretty sad), I'll be engaging in some facelifts with spray paint.


Heather Bailey from the Pop Garden collection

And finally, I've got curtains on the brain...I'm leaning towards something colorful, but will have to wait until I see the finished wall color. Some favorite fabrics from my stash are scattered throughout this post.


Anna Maria Horner for Free Spirit

Wish me luck!

Workspace Redo Day 1

Standing in the doorway debating going in.

Wondering where I should pile up everything I'll be pulling out.

Worrying about finding the perfect wall color.

Daydreaming about a new desk.


A little small, but I like the baskets {Pottery Barn}


I'd be so tempted if I had a bigger room to work with. {Pottery Barn}


If I had over $1,000 for a desk, I might go for this craft armoire. {overstock.com}


This may be the winner...not technically a desk, but certainly the space to spread out work on. {ikea.com}

Workspace, Here I Come!

So, my house needs love and attention. Trapped in the architectural wasteland that was 1979, this house is most definitely not my style. I got to pick our first home with its Arts & Crafts details and built-ins, huge windows pouring in sunlight, and hardwood floors (some of which I got the pleasure of painting white!). Dave got to pick this house. He's constantly reminding me that it has potential, but all I see is the overwhelming amount of brass and cheap wood details and the ever gloomy lack of natural light.

Typically, I pout about it...I blather on about my first baby and how it was "perfect!" for me...I daydream about my future beach house...but I don't do anything about this house.

Until now.

I'm vowing to go room by room, to remove all the extra "junk" that is piling up and stressing me out, to add some color and personality...to finally put up curtains! And my workspace is up first.


Not my space, but one I think is beautiful - found on designmom.com.


If my mom is reading this, she is cringing right now and asking herself "didn't we already paint that room?" Why yes Mom, we did. But we painted it during my crazy "This house needs color!" stage and made my typical mistake of going overboard with color. I'm fickle with decor and I like making changes, but for some reason I always forget that this is easiest with a neutral background. My workspace is bright "strawberry pink" and a nearly equally intense aqua blue. Yes, it seemed perfect at the moment and no, it surely isn't neutral.


What a darling way to display my "clutter" - seen on toriejayne's Flickr stream.

So now, I'm sifting through images for inspiration and dogearing the Ikea catalog (which'll work until the day I actually have the money for that $3,000 armoire). And most of all, I'm reminding myself DAILY that white or cream walls are mandatory.


Ikea's BERGSBO bookcase - love the glass doors!


A table leg that also stores stuff - good or bad?


Yum, this rug from naturalarearugs.com is not in my budget, but my toes are BEGGING!

New in the shop!

Thank you!

My pickle pot was PACKED this weekend.



Thank you to everyone who participated in my Weekend Deals Sale. I hope that you all love your new handmade pretties.

Buying Handmade

Every time I attend an art or craft show, I hope to find something unique that I just have to have. Sometimes, I come home empty handed and other times I find something to get excited about. This weekend, I went to Holland's "Art in the Park" show. Just as I was entering the park, I saw this vase on a humble display. It immediately caught my eye (and I could have sworn it whispered Take me home). Thinking better of spending all my cash at the first table I saw, I passed it by.



But as I browsed, I kept thinking about that vase. I tried to ignore it, tried to talk myself out of going back. But where will you put it? It's not even your colors! You're trying to declutter, not add more. Well, you know I just HAD to leave the same way I came in and take one more peek at the vase...assuming it was there.

Well, it was and boy am I glad that I stopped. The artist who created the vase, Ryan Michel, was clearly excited about his pieces and quickly explained how Alice in Wonderland inspired this whimsical piece...making me want it even more. I just love when someone shows enthusiasm for their craft and now I have a story to tell whenever someone comments on my new vase...well, once I find a place for it. ;)

Hi, I'm Catherine...

...and I'm an addict. It's a hard thing to admit...no, I didn't need that 2 yard cut of paisley print satin. Nope, I don't have a plan for that bright red corduroy. On occasion, I get brave and turn to the woman behind me in line at the fabric cutting counter and say "I'm a fabric addict" quietly under my breath. This confession usually elicits a smile and something along the lines of "you should see the tubs filling my guest room closet - my husband doesn't even know about those" which makes me feel like I don't really have a problem. But as you can see, I sure do:



I decided to get my toppling piles of fabric organized in hopes that peeking through years of "finds" would inspire a little bit of actual sewing. I've got some patterns for adorable Summer tops and have been meaning to whip up a bag for awhile now.

The best part of reorganizing overflowing craft supplies is refinding the forgotten favorites. I'm drooling over the Amy Butler/Anna Maria Horner/Anna Griffin shelf:


And I'm itching to chop up some of this home dec fabric for Fall totes:


Now that I've spent way too many hours of my life folding and stacking fabric, I realize that something needs to change. I'm thinking I need to give up visiting craft stores and online fabric sites...at least for now.

New in the Shop

Triple Charm, a delicate sterling necklace, has three discs that can be personalized with either letters or stamped designs. I'm super excited to now have a new letter style which looks so elegant without being stuffy...and the chain can come in any length 16-20".

I Love This Shop!

Ideas for redecorating my house swirl around my head in the busiest moments of my day. I daydream about furniture and organization ... but most of all, I think about color.


Yellena's work is fabulous - full of color and captivating. I find myself drawn to her abstract and organic work...imagining what each piece means, what her inspiration was.




BONUS: Yellena's shop announcement offers a buy 2, get one print free. Click on this post's title to visit the shop. Hurry! :)

New in the Shop

Some days, I'm in the mood for jewelry with a little edge...just a touch of attitude. The new "Rock Chic" jewelry in the shop has just what I'm looking for - contrasting metals and a casual but sexy look. The lariat and long earrings are available now, with a few necklaces and earring styles looking to launch in the coming weeks.