{Etsy Love}

No rhyme, no reason, just really love these Etsy items...

1. Mustard Clutch - I so love this and have blogged about this bag before...{clearing throat, my birthday is coming up in October}

2. Stacked Antique Gold Necklace - I bought this necklace for my sister several months ago, and I am thinking I should have kept it for myself! Maybe when I visit her in LA I can steal it {as she loves to "borrow" my stuff - lol - sorry T, you do!}...or I may just buy one of my own!

3. Gold Dotted Notebook by Bailey Doesn't Bark - I received these cups last year for Christmas and I more than adore them. The notebook above is so lovely and for only $17 it's a must have. Love love love...

4. Mustard Organic Cotton Fabric - I really like this simple and modern pattern and would love to make a couple of pillows out of it.

5. Rustic Handmade Stacked Ring - so elegant, so simple, an I love the mother of pearl stone in the center.

6. Vintage Fedora Hat - you know me and hats...nuff' said!

Great finds eh?

{Travel Journals}

I promise Flourish isn't going to turn into a blog about my trip to Italy next month, but I'm just so freakin excited - I can't help but to plan and talk about it. While I'm away for 10 days, I will not be able to blog, however, I plan to have several guest bloggers entertain you while I'm away. Because I do want to share every detail of my trip with you once I return {I mean you deserve at least that after having to listen to me about it for the last several months}, I'm on the prowl for the perfect travel journal so that I can write a daily entry of all my experiences as I travel through the various Italian cities. In addition to something that's durable, has lots of pages, and has a convenient space for my pencil/pen, I would like something that has space to hold all my little findings (receipts, menus, matches, etc.). I've done a little research and am thinking of choosing one of the options below. What do you think?

1. O-CHECK TRAVEL JOURNAL - "JOUR": Available in grey or brown, the diary features a durable soft cover, tabbed stickers, various planners, ruled and plain note taking pages and an inner rear storage pocket.

2. Baggage Check Travel Journal. This is journal was originally on the Fred Flare site, but it's no longer available. {booo...} If someone can find this for me, I promise I will bring you back a gift from Italy!

3. Travel Collage Journal from Paper-Source. I really like the organization in this one, and the secure place for my pencil. Not wild about notebook portion as I'm not sure if the pages are really secure.

Hmmmm....decisions, decisions.

{Lovin Anthro)

This weekend {in between shopping for a new car - still in negotiations} I got to do a little fun pre-Italy shopping with the girls. I had every intention of buying some comfy shoes, and great messenger bag, and a few outfits...but of course I found several things I wanted {and felt I needed} but just not for Italy, sigh...

Now a shopping trip with the girls without going to Anthropologie wouldn't be complete ~ the moment we passed by the store front we immediately started our oooo and ahhhh chants. After about 45 minutes of drooling over...well - everything, I did good and only bought this amazing blush colored infinity scarf, and some $4.00 Japanese tape - score!!

While we're talking about Anthropologie I thought I'd share a few of my current handbag and shoe crushes:

{My fave fave - top left...you know me and sparkle. The bottom right cognac purse is also fab}

{Ummm...I'll take one of each in a size 9... please and thank you!}

Don't you just love Anthro???

{Weekend Plans}

TGIF Peeps!!!

{Obsession Confession: Japanese Tape}

I have an obsession confession...I LOVE Japanese tape {I'd have to say my friend Ros probably loves it more...lol - inside joke - she's bought LOTS} but I really love the idea of taking a plain gift bag, or gift box and decorating it up with this awesome tape! BUT, you don't have to stop there - after doing a search around the web, I found several great photos of DIY projects that kicks using this tape up a few notches...check em out:

via

{After seeing some of the inspiration above, I made this candle holder last night by simply wrapping some wire around an old jar, adding a few beads, wrapping a few strips of tape around jar, and dropping in a tea light. I kind like it! What do you think?}

If you too have been inspired and are looking to buy some Japanese tape of your own, then you don't have to look very far - it's everywhere. My favorite shops are:

Cute Tape

Happy Tape

Pretty Tape

Origamisan

Happy Shopping & send me your DIY pics!!