Favorite Etsy Shops and 25% off code!!

 

Hello pretty friends! Recently, I’ve been doing nothing but browsing Etsy for fun home decor items, particularly digital downloads of pictures I can frame to put on my walls. There are so many talented and creative people out there and I’m amazed by what they come up with! Below I’ve selected a few of my favorite shops with links to them so you can take a look at the cute stuff they sell!

Also, Spike the Punch generously gave me a discount code to share with you all for 25% off anything in her shop! Use code WITTYNPRETTY to get the deal! She has the most adorable things for sale like this Coco Chanel print below!

Ivana Illustrations

 

Paper Storm Prints

 

Macarons and Mimosas

 

Enjoy the fabulous art from these amazing girls!!

-LIZ

 

5 Ways to Love November

Today’s post is all about celebrating the last bits of fall and enjoying November! I feel like we jump from Halloween to Christmas too fast and don’t get to relish in the forgotten but equally important month of November. For whatever reason, we lump Thanksgiving and Christmas into one big event! The stores are stocking Christmas trees already, Hallmark channel is playing their cheesy Christmas movies, and I’ve seen more than one eggnog latte being sold. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving gets a little shelf filled with silly looking pilgrims and a turkey. In the spirit of enjoying this month, here’s 5 things to put on your to-do list.

How to Enjoy November

1. Take a walk- It’s amazing how very little people get to enjoy the outdoors. Whether you’re going to walk down a city sidewalk or a country road, go feel the crisp air and smell the freshness of it.
2. Bake a legit pie- Not a frozen one or anything that says “Marie Calendar’s,” a real one that you baked yourself from scratch.
3. Plan your Thanksgiving table- Whether you have a big crew coming or it’s you and your cat, bring out the linens that need pressing and the china you only use once a year.
4. Buy fresh pumpkins- The ones you carved for Halloween are probably a little soggy and rotten. There are plenty left to choose from at your local farmer’s market though! Create the perfect front door display for Thanksgiving!
5. Create a leaf garland- A Pinterest DIY that’s sure to be more difficult than it looks, but give it a shot anyway! You get points for creativity at least.

Share with me what you might add to this list with a comment below! Follow me on Twitter to find out what sweet thing my mom left for me as a welcome home present! Is it annoying if I say #blessed?

Personalized DIY

Happy Friday loves! I honestly didn’t think this week would come to a close but I’m so glad it finally is. My job has me busy (no I’m not a full-time, paid blogger) and I’ve been putting a ton of effort into it. I hit the gym a few times this week and find it really difficult to walk up and down stairs at the moment. First world problems, right?

Besides my typical activities, I took on a little DIY project earlier in the week and wanted to share it with you! I went to Michael’s Craft Store for some inspiration and found that individual wooden alphabet letters were on sale for $3. I bought an ‘E’ for ‘Elizabeth’ (I haven’t always gone by ‘Liz’), a hot glue gun, white paint, and loose pearls and clear gemstones.

I got home and painted the letter with the help of my little kitty cat, Muffin. Actually, she just sat there and watched me. I had to put on a few coats of paint because the wood was rather porous.

After the paint dried, I plugged in the hot glue gun and started glueing on pearls and gems. If I ever did this again, I would nix the gems and stick with pearls. Because the gems are clear, from a distance it looks like they’re just gaps where pearls should be.

 

Voila! It’s done and is a really pretty little desk accessory! There’s so much on my desk right now that it should come as no surprise to anyone that I rarely use the actual desk. I’d hang the letter somewhere in my room but I’m so tired of putting holes in my walls.

My little sister inspired this DIY when she and my mom were renovating the back porch. She used an ‘M’ for our last name and glued little shells on it. The project turned out so pretty and is a great accessory to have on the porch. Let me know what DIY projects you’ve taken on lately! I just might try one of them!

 

Mason Jars: A Love-Hate Relationship

I have many pet peeves in life. From messy desk tops to my pants creating an unwanted muffin-top, my little dislikes range from normal to crazy. One pet peeve that I rarely am brave enough to mention because everyone is obsessed with them is mason jars. You read that right. I can’t stand them… for the most part. There are a few times when I think they’re appropriate to use and about a million times when they’re just, dare I say, tacky.

What’s my least favorite use of these glass, Pinterest-y objects? Wedding decorations. Dear Lord, don’t get me started! At first, it was kind of cute, but then everyone thought so and all of the sudden every single wedding had mason jars. It is no longer clever to wrap twine around the tops of the jars to make bows and then put flowers inside. It’s also not unique to put lights inside and then hang the jars from the rafters of your barn/reception space. I’m not a hater, I’m just over this trend. Since I’m talking about trends I’m so over, I may as well mention my severe dislike of using chalkboards for anything at a wedding. It’s been done too many times.

Mason jars do have their purposes though, and these are a few of my favorite Pinterest-inspired uses.

1. Portable Mason Jar Meals– I really like this idea for salads as a slightly prettier way to carry in lunch to work. Tupperware just isn’t as cute.
2. Herb Garden– I don’t garden and never will but being able to grow herbs in my home for when I cook (if I cook) is really useful. Sit them in the sun and give them a watering everyday and you’ve got herbs!
3. Kitchen Storage– I hate opening a bag of nuts or popcorn kernels and having them spill all over my drawers after a period of time. Putting food items like that in a clear, glass jar make it easy to see and super organized.
4. Make Up Brush Storage– This is way cleaner than throwing it in a make up bin and you can actually find it without digging around for a few minutes.

How to Make Your Desk Look Attractive

I came across an article the other day about creating a chic desk or office. The main theme of it is making the space you work in function correctly and increase the chances of you actually wanting to be in that space. Right now, my desk is piled high with summer shorts I’m trying to find a place for, candles, and my InStyle magazine. And its dusty. I just don’t want to be in that space for long.

I browsed Pinterest for awhile and finally came up with a few items that I might actually enjoy being near or on my desk. These accessories essentially make the area warm and inviting. When I’m at my desk, I want to feel powerful and ready to take on the world, even if I’m in my sweatpants. I also want to feel feminine and pretty at the same time.

Starting with the Kate Spade boxes on the left, I think these are a really good way to conceal all those papers on your desk that don’t have a home. Plus, they’re decorative and just plain cute.

The picture frame may seem odd but I have a great idea behind it- make a collage. Put a canvas backing to the frame and then tack or tape pictures from magazines that inspire you. Call it your “inspiration board”.

Monogrammed note cards are just too cute to have sitting in a neat, little pile beside your computer. These ones are from Design Darling! I love having stationery sitting around just so I can look at something pretty.

This lovely jewelry tray can double for a paper clip holder, rubber band deposit spot, or whatever you tend to toss on your desk. If I don’t keep things in a central spot, then it will walk off I swear! This tray is from C Wonder.

The ‘Stay Golden’ print is actually a little something I designed. I just loved the font and had to use it. Having inspiring quotes or words framed on your desk really keeps you motivated throughout the day.

If you work in an office, then I’m sure you’ve noticed the fluorescent lighting you get to work with. I absolutely hate it! If you can, get a small table lamp to sit at your work space to give you adequate lighting that doesn’t require sunglasses! This lamp is from Target.

Finally, get yourself some pretty Sharpie markers like these metallic ones. Writing little notes will be a lot less boring! I also suggest finding office supplies like this gold Kate Spade stapler. Pretty things like these make everyday tasks a little more enjoyable.

If you have any tips for great office or desk spaces, then leave me a comment!