Chakra Pennywhistle

I have been a fan of Chakra Pennywhistle for awhile now and it seems that each new collection gets better than the last! Currently made up of three collections: recycled, handmade and organic, Chakra Pennywhistle creates an array of home products- mainly pillows inspired by everything from nature to early american decor. My favorites are the pillows recycled from vintage money bags shown above. Shop her etsy store right here.

Adorable Rooster Dish Towel. Made from natural unbleached cotton, this towel is large enough to double as an apron or as an oversized dish towel.

Loving this simple throw pillow. Made from organic cotton twill and stuffed with raw organic cotton, the design for this pillow was hand drawn and printed with a water based ink. So elegant and clean!

Fruit Tart Yum....

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a relaxing weekend, wanted to share some pictures of a delicious fruit tart that I received. Yes, it is a bit early (my birthday is still a week way), but my Mom surprised me with this delicious and beautiful tart on Friday (thanks, Mom!) So sweet and tangy- and way too much for just the two of us, half of the tart is on its way to work with T!

Hayden-Harnett Daphne Swimsuit

In honor of Friday, and a possible sunny weekend (yeah finally!~) I wanted to post this super cute Hayden-Hartnett suit. I am loving the one piece styling with the adorable button front and ruffled leg openings. So perfect! The suit is detailed with a sweet print that was hand drawn. Unfortunately, they are sold out of my size, but maybe yours is still available! Check it out here, as well as the rest of their great looking swimwear collection. Have a great weekend! xo

Pin Cushion

I'm not much when it comes to sewing (I usually leave things like re-attaching a button to Todd), but if I were I would definitely pick up one of these hand made pin cushions. Made from hand carved wood and antique kimono fabric, this is most certainly the most elegant pin cushion I have ever seen! Pick one up at Abitare.

Photographic Eye Candy

Loving these photos from Roman Krikhell. Check out all his beautiful work on his flickr page.

Flora Tee by Eliza + Axel

A must have, I am loving this Flora Tee, by Eliza + Axel. Definitely at the top of my summer must have list! Embellished by hand, this simple, yet beautiful tee features delicate rosettes along the neckline, hem and back of the shirt. Available in black, white and naked. So pretty, a perfect piece to dress up or to wear casually.

New Branch Apparel

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a great weekend! Ours was a working weekend, but unfortunately the rainy weather did not help in our getting all of our new pieces photographed... We did get a few new things photographed and they will all be up in our shop starting today. Check out our new Lucky Horseshoe design, and our new Whale design featured above. Hope you like them! Watch for tea towels and pillowcases in these designs coming soon!

Although we didn't get to photograph all of our new pieces, we did get some cute pics of Pixel. She was very excited for her modeling debut!

This Is Not Ikea

I discovered This Is Not Ikea when I was on the hunt for unique and bargain priced outdoor vintage furniture for our deck. I really wanted things that were one of a kind, not pieces that I would go to my friends' houses and see in their yard too! This Is Not Ikea was created on the premise that for the same amount of money that you spend at Ikea on things that will fall apart and are mass produced you can get a beautiful vintage piece that is quality and that has (and will) stand the test of time. They really do have an amazing selection, and the fact that it constantly changes is an incentive to visit often! (fiberglass chairs, vintage alarm clock, vintage wet floor sign)

Zoumou

I am loving the beautiful necklaces made by Australian artist Zoe Sernack for her accessories line, zoumou. Inspired by Art Nouveau designs, she has created a range of laser-cut products including necklaces and earrings all with a nature inspired edge. Perfect to wear dressed up or with a casual tee. Check out the Secret Garden and Gypsy Moon collection, my personal faves.

peppersprouts

Just discovered the sweet little shop peppersprouts. Run by a full time graphic designer, peppersprouts specializes in handmade home pieces including coasters, pillows and other little lovelies. Being an animal lover, anything to do with home and nature usually catches my attention and the "Foxy Trivet" above is no exception. Laser-cut from thick felt, this hot pink trivet is the perfect addition to the tabletop. I love the kissing fox design around the edge- that mixed with the great color- perfect!

Who doesn't love a great silhouette design? Check out these cool Silhouette Wood Coasters. Hand drawn silhouettes have been cut from Colour Rumu wood, that has been finished with tung oil to protect them from moisture. Almost too pretty to set a glass on!

In the same vein as the trivet, this kissing deer design dances around the outside of this sweet mirror. A perfect addition to any wall decor. Created from Italian poplar and painted a soothing light green.

Lunchtime at Plastica

Everyone is looking for a way to save some extra change, and bringing your lunch to work is one way to do it. Check out Plastica for some stylish options that will make lunchtime more fun than just a boring brown bag!

Loving these Bento Box kits, featured above, perfect for lunch or a fashionable picnic. Made of melamine and features stacking boxes with divisions within (no touching food, please!) enclosed by a metal bracket. I love the bright colors, and they are dishwasher safe- making clean up a cinch.

Check out the OOTS! Lunchbox. This guy is great and features a lid shaped to hold a water bottle under the strap. Inside the box are 5 perfectly fitting containers that are microwave safe, so that left over pasta from dinner can be easily re heated at the office. Too cute!

Garden Re-do

Good morning! Hope you all had a lovely weekend- luckily for us the rain stopped here for an afternoon (finally) for Todd and I to (almost) complete our garden re-do. I thought I would share the results with you all!

We have been slowly working on our side yard, as it was a complete mess when we moved in. After a lot of weed pulling, mulch laying and patio building we finally have something that we can sit and enjoy! Check out the before and after below.

The yard was pretty much weeds, barren "grass", dirt and piles of leaves when we moved in. We pulled all the weeds, put in two garden beds and a little brick patio as well as sprucing up the lawn with some grass seed. We have plans for adding a grape vine and honey suckle, but at least all the tough work is done for now!

Mirasol Farm Jams

Happy Friday! I thought I would end this week that has been grey and rainy for its entirety with some bright and cheerful jams from Mirasol Farm. Located in River Falls, WI. on a retired dairy farm, Mirasol Farm makes everything from organic soaps and lotions to mouth watering jams that really caught my attention. Packaged simply and created with some delightfully fresh combinations like Raspberry Lemon and Wild Grape Cardamom, the jams are sure to brighten up your morning toast! They also offer a great 5 jar sampler pack, which would make an excellent gift for a jam lover!

Savant Romper

I've been on the hunt for the perfect one piece romper for the summer and I think I finally found it! I am loving this one piece tailored looking romper from debut label Savant. The perfectly baggy proportions and cross back makes it at once stylish and comfy- perfect to work in and skip off for a walk with the dogs in. Available at I Don't Like Mondays.

Saipua Soaps

I came across the beautiful soaps by Saipua and was instantly in love. I am a sucker when it comes to clean and simple packaging and the beautifully wrapped soaps really grabbed my attention. Handmade in small batches, each bar of soap is hand cut , air dried and cured to retain a quality product. Perfect for a hostess gift, or to decorate your own vanity, you can pick up some of these little beauties here, or in select boutiques.

I am extremely partial to the whale packaging (maybe its because we have our own whale design in the works..) on the saltwater soap featured above. Made with nori seaweed and crushed sea salt.

Oh so sweet! Check out these travel soaps. Scented with essential oils and wrapped in Cavallini paper decorated with vintage maps of Paris, Rome and New york. Now wherever you go you can smell delicious!

Also available, limited edition soy candles. Available in either Cedarmoss or Wisteria/Lilac these pretty glass candles come packaged with a hand stamped label.

Branch Kids Biplane Tee

Besides coming up with new designs and seeing the final product come out just as you would envision it, my favorite part of the design process is definitely seeing a customer living in and enjoying our wares! One of our fabulous customers sent along a sweet picture of her adorable son, Cade, sporting our Vintage Biplane Eco Tee. This shirt is so cute, so soft and I love the worn look of the fabric, and its made with a blend of recycled polyester and organic cotton. You can pick one up for your little one right here. (Thanks, Kristin!)

Babooshka Boyfriend Cardigan

Happy Monday guys! Sorry to have neglected the blog for the last week- we were dealing with a sick puppy (after a trip to the vet and some antibiotics, Pixel seems to be back to her crazy self although the vet found nothing wrong with her...), plenty of orders and working on new designs and styles. Lots to look forward to from Branch Handmade in the coming weeks!

I just found this great new piece by Babooshka available at Fey Handmade. I am loving this super comfy and oversized cardigan, it may not be exactly right for the weather here right now, but when something looks this great its hard to resist!