I XOXO WATSON KENNEDY: SMALL BIZ SATURDAY SEATTLE-STYLE

To celebrate Small Business Saturday, I will spend the day working and shopping at Watson Kennedy, one of my favorite shops in Seattle.  Run by tastemaker extraordinaire and soon-to-be-published author Ted Kennedy Watson, Watson Kennedy recently celebrated 15 years in business. There are two shops in downtown Seattle. I will be stationed at the market location and we will be serving mimosas.

The outpost by the Pike Place Market is densely packed with all things pretty, colorful and scented, novels, travel guides, design books, and all sorts of diaries and journals waiting for words and pictures, as well as sparkl  jewelry, assorted glass and ceramic objets, Le Jacquard Francais dish towels, and a curated lot of vintage delights.

In honor of Small Business Saturday, my fabulous retailing friend Ted, the "Sound of Music" with Carrie Underwood, here are a few of my {Watson Kennedy} favorite vintage things.

CALLING CARDS

Ted found these at Brimfield and the moment he did his heart stopped. 

Ted says: They just harken back to a slower, more gentile time.

Jane says: My heart stopped too. The fonts are exquisite and the names, wonderful. I want to know why Miss Mckenzie  only invited people for tea on Wednesdays.

SEED VIALS

Ted says: I just thought they were so cool looking--the vial, the seeds, the label.  I love certain objects just because of the feeling they evoke in me when I first spot them.  

Jane says: They reminded me of small vials of glitter that I saw in my friend's kitchen years ago. And the little red labels are the cutest things ever.

DOMINOES

There are always dominoes at the shop, old and also new.

Ted confesses to a lifelong attraction and says: I think they are just the most exquistite objects.  Just think of all the stories they could tell.

Jane says: I usually like embellishing old dominoes with paper but these I wouldn't touch. They are perfect, as is.

HOTEL SILVER

Ted says (of toast racks in particular): These bring back such great memories for me. The family I lived with when I went to school in London had one and it was put to good use each morning. Seeing one of these filled-up with toast just warms my heart.

Jane says: I would rather be in a a posh London hotel right now using this stuff.

This Saturday and beyond...

Support neighborhood businesses and independent entrepreneurs.

XOXO: Wrap Fabulous

I received two gifts recently that were wrapped so beautifully that I wanted to share.

Homemade wrap from years worth of pictures.

I XOXO the gift wrap made by my friend Robin. She incorporated tons of photos of our families at different points in our lives. Robin used Pagemaker, importing all the shots on an 8.5 x 11" template, turning images any way she wanted and moving them around till she was happy with the layout. She printed out a few pages and taped together as needed. The wrap is now up on my bulletin board, and it makes me smile.

Map wrapped gift holds the cutest mini RV ever!

Last week I received a gift covered in map wrap. Creatively folded and tied up with a jute ribbon, this prezzie came from VP+C, one of my favorite marketing/p.r. firms. The map motif was directly related to the present which was a miniature RV. Totally wanderlusty! 

Heading to a bday party in a few days. Ribbon is recycled (see above) and "50" is passed from one person to the next.

So while you are stashing your hand made and store bought gifts, and thinking of others, remember the wrap counts. Make that part of the gift and make it personal.

SHEEPSKIN STYLE

As I scoot around the internet, I am amazed at how many sheepskins I see flung casually over the seats of chairs. For someone who likes feeling cozy and dislikes being branded on the backs of my thighs with any wood or wire chair seat pattern, the tossed furry thing makes a lot of sense. One part "Sex in the City" and one part "Mad Max", I like the sheep skin thing (I might even WANT one for my desk chair), even if I do think the indispensable photo stylist's tool of 2013 is a bit overused.

As you scroll down, it'll be more fun if you do it to Beyonce's "Single Ladies"

"If you like it then you should have put a skin on it....."

Photo: Style by Emily Henderson

Photo: Sacramento Street

Photo: Blood and Champagne

Photo: Independent Fashion Bloggers

Photo: The Post Social

Photo: Emmas Blogg

Photo: Hickory Chair pinterest

MGBW's Otto Tibetan fur cocktail bench comes this way!

If you're wondering where to get yer skin on, here you go....

Ikea $29.99

Ooh la la PINK via Fur Throws

Oh my - something for everyone: Ultimate Sheepskin

Even Walmart has them.