DIY Whiteboard Calendars

It's back to school time! I always enjoyed school as a kid and the loved excitement of a starting a brand new school year with new school supplies and a new calendar. I'm not in school anymore, but I still try to get a fresh start in my workspace at home by getting organized. Lately I've been feeling a little overwhelmed with my to-do lists, supplies I need to remember to order, suppliers that I have to call. The lists that I jot down on paper aren't doing the trick any more. What good is a list when you tuck it away in a purse or a notebook and then find it 2 weeks later?

I stopped on my way home from work last week and bought a big white board to help organize my calendar and task items. I'm thinking I'll do something along the lines of these projects:

This DIY from SFGirlByBay (top image and below image) uses colorful washi tape to divide up the spaces and color-code task items. I like that you don't have to commit to anything on the board - it's all removable!

This project from Little Green Notebook (one of my favorite home project blogs) uses wood trim to make the board feel like a piece of art instead of office decor. Simple and pretty.

If I had a whole wall to devote to a calendar, I'd totally set myself up like this one at Design Files.

I'm excited to start mapping out my own calendar. I'll show you how it turns out!

Kate Spade's Hopscotch Drive About Town

Have you seen the Hopscotch Drive About Town Collection by Kate Spade? So great! The sketchy, retro-style streetscapes with stylized cars and buildings are right up my alley.

These salt and pepper shakers are so adorable!

All of these items would look great in my little retro kitchen. ;)
Images from Bloomingdale's.

An Afternoon at West Elm

I had a wonderful time at the Etsy Pop-Up Shop on Saturday! Here are a few photos of my display snapped with my iPhone.



It was so nice meeting some of my Etsy customers who said they came out to the event just for me. How sweet! I also met lots of new people and got to connect with the 5 other sellers who were there. All in all it was a great afternoon and I went home feeling really excited about my business and future opportunities. I also have a few new products that I'll be listing in the Etsy shop soon.

I didn't get a chance to snap photos of the other sellers and their displays but definitely check out their shops:
Unique jewelry and hairpins: iluxo by Mariko
Lovely hand-thrown ceramics: RossLab by Rossella
Cool screenprinted tea towels: The Heated by Cristina
Beautifully simple paper goods: 45Wall Design by Traci
Fun French food illustrations: Géraldine Adams Illustrations by Géraldine

Popping up with Etsy and West Elm

If you're in the California Bay Area don't forget to stop by West Elm in Palo Alto today from 1-6pm for the Etsy Pop-Up Shop! I've whipped up a few special items that will make their debut today, like these colorful zippy! I hope to see you there.

Recent Thrifty Finds

I've found some good things at the thrift shop on my last few trips! Here are some of my recent finds.



A set of two Temporama plates and bowls! Score! I've always loved this pattern. They are in near perfect condition and were around $1 each.



This great covered casserole dish was calling out to me! It's marked "Japan" on the bottom. It's a nice, functional piece that'll look good on the kitchen table. Now I just need to find that risotto recipe I brought back from Italy...



I couldn't resist this little bowl with its cool hand painted pattern. It was on sale for 70 cents. How could I pass it up?! I think I'll use it to catch loose change or earrings that I'm always taking off as soon as I walk through my front door.

Are you starting to see a trend here? Vintage ceramics are my main thrifting weakness. That and furniture, but those pieces are harder to find...



I also snagged the coolest little cut-out vase in a nice shade of green. I can't quite make out the maker's mark on the bottom, besides "PAT. PEND DESIGNS CARMEL". Bonus that it's a California-made piece. And I grew up around there, so, more points for that. I may have to do a little more research on this one.



It looks nice with my collection of other thrifty find vases! I paid around $1 each for these, besides the Heath bud vase that I bought on my trip to the factory. I found and picked those giant dandelions over a year ago and they're holding up great! I love how they look on my bookshelf.