I put together a little holiday glam look book of items that would make any outfit more festive. Enjoy!

bow | necklace | ring | collar | earrings

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Umba Box has been keeping me plenty busy the last few months. It’s such a wonderful feeling to own your own company; it’s so rewarding. I definitely work so much harder these days, but you know what? It doesn’t feel like work.

We celebrated Thanksgiving with his parents who came to DC for a few days. I cooked my first official holiday meal, and dangit, I should have taken pictures of it. We went fairly traditional, but tried to make things a little healthier (except for the brussels sprouts seared in bacon fat), yet still tasty.

While they were here, we took a half hour drive from DC to Annapolis, MD. We also took our new pup, Latte, with us. We rescued her from the Humane Society a few weeks ago, and she’s just about the cutest thing ever (she snores during naps!). Annapolis is a gorgeous town, nestled between two rivers (maybe one river and one creek?), near the Chesapeake Bay.

I’ve got a lot of nervous energy this morning. It’s quite a big day for me. I am currently on a bus to the Big Apple to be in the “tech section” of the audience for The Martha Show. I’ll be live tweeting and blogging this afternoon, reporting all of the fun things that will be airing on the show. I’ve long-loved Martha, so it’s such a thrill to be picked to do this. I’ll let you know when the episode goes live, but if you want to follow along today, be sure to follow me on Twitter!

Additionally, my newest project Umba Box (edit: link fixed) launched this morning! Umba Box is a unique monthly subscription service that finds the best of the best in the handmade world and sends it to subscribers each month. As popular handmade sites continue to grow (not naming names, but rhymes with Betsy!), I’ve had to spend increasingly more and more time searching for products that wow-ed me. Umba Box does the scouring for you. All you have to do it subscribe for $26/month, and wait for your handmade goodies to arrive in your mailbox each month.

The Hubs and I were at Ikea last week picking up some organizational items. It feels like I’ve bought so many, but somehow I still feel disorganized. While wandering, I saw a few cute succulents that I wanted to add a little life to our living room. I got it home and was bored with the plain pot,s so I decided to spruce it up a bit. I had some recycled sari rope (the shop appears to be currently sold out) that was just screaming to be used in a DIY. So I busted out the hot glue gun and got to work. Here’s how it turned out:

That’s it for now! Happy Monday, loves!

Grace Bonney used an excerpt from her new book to show us how to make wax seals out of wooden dowels. I’ve always loved the elegance of wax seals, but never found a need for them (our wedding invitations weren’t that formal). What a perfect project!

It’s fairly simple and only requires a few specialty items (fine-tip wood burning tool being the most exotic, and some of you might have those in your possession already). If you want to learn how to make these, turn to page 213 of her book. This book is seriously worth the price, and is FULL of awesome inspiration, projects, and DIY how-to basics. I’m so excited to continue to comb through it while curled up on the couch with a cup of tea.

Here are some pics of Grace and the attendees at the event. I’m not going to lie, I took advantage of the opportunity of taking pics around Anthro without looking like “that girl.” Thanks to Grace and the Design*Sponge team for a wonderful morning!

a fab photo backdrop courtesy of ritzy bee events

Another Trader Joe’s employee that I talked to was a little more helpful and shared my enthusiasm. He told me that pumpkin trees are not pumpkins at all, but rather a relative of the eggplant. Go figure. He stressed that these should not be eaten, though a little Googling suggests that these are used in stir fry in Southeast Asia. Eat at your own risk, I suppose. They’ll last a few weeks, and the stems should be trimmed every 3-4 days.

I think they’re so fun to add a festive touch to an autumn centerpiece for a dinner party. They look great on their own, but these could definitely work as an accent in an arrangement, too.

Have you ever seen used these fun little guys? If so, how did you use them?

[source: work is not a job via ashappyaskings]

This blog started as a journey to figure out what it is that I love, what motivates me, and where my passions lie. It’s been such a great year of growth, and I feel so blessed that you all have joined me on my journey. I never expected the blog to take off like it has, but am so thankful for your dedication.

Over the last month and lots of brainstorming sessions, I’ve finally figured it out. Horray! I’ve found that I love curation and discovering handmade products, and would do it all day if I could (who wouldn’t?). I love the stories that artisans can share with consumers that the Big Box sellers just can’t match. It’s so much more enjoyable to buy something when you feel connected to the person who made it.

My new project brings together the best from the handmade community. Called Umba Box (umba is Swahili for “to create”), it is a monthly subscription that delivers products from amazing artisans to your door. Right now, it’s focusing on non-size specific women’s items such as accessories, jewelry, home goods, stationary, and bath products. As this grows, I would love to add men’s and children’s lines too! When you subscribe to Umba Box, each month you will receive a pretty little surprise package in the mail all wrapped up and ready to be enjoyed by you or a loved one. You can get a subscription for yourself or a friend, but it would be great if you did both.

I have already partnered up with some artists and designers who have some seriously rockin’ products ready to go. Some of our producers are even going to make special editions that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. How cool is that? This is why I love handmade.

I’m still pulling levers and pushing buttons on the Umba Box web site, so I expect it to go live in the next week or so. In the mean time, I would be honored if you would give us your email so we can let you know when we are officially open! If you need a little more incentive to fork over your email address, I will be sending out a coupon to our subscribers for their first purchase.

(I promise I will never spam you! That’s so uncool.)

Thanks for all of your encouragement, friends. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions about this! I will still be blogging here on a (hopefully) regular basis), so don’t go anywhere! <3

Zanzibar looks pretty cozy in her new window hammock, don’t you think?

[all photos by Stamp 48]

Cue shoe clips. I’ve seen these floating around boutiques and handmade shops recently, so figured it was about time to do a round-up. They’re so perfect for adding life to even the most boring sole. Here are some of my favorites:

sources (clockwise from top left): ban.do for BHLDN | the bow makers | No 144 | lemon ring | the headband shoppe

To start your Monday off right, I wanted to share some prettiness from Dodeline Design. I saw this new line in her shop recently, and knew that you all would just adore it! I love that the design comes in a desk calendar, and birthday + thank you notes. Sarah is based in Charleston, SC, where she’s been designing stationary for a few years now. Her designs are always so full of charm. She also writes a lovely blog, which you should definitely check out!

source: dodeline design

In the Editor’s Letter in the September 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living, Pilar Guzman calls this the “Second Layer”, which takes time to develop. After the initial unpacking of a new home, things seem in place to the naked eye, but that extra layer of finishing touches and rearranging to make sure the space works well takes time. She recalls Kevin Sharkey writing that “creating a home that reflects your personal style, and the actual living that goes on in it, is a process that happens over time.” The Thorps agree.

Here’s what we’ve come up with. I call it Farmustrial Chic. Farmhouse + Industrial chic. Ladies and gentlemen, let it be known that Stamp 48 coined that phrase (And google confirms no search results. So there, it’s mine!).

Jackson Dining Collection, World Market | Catalina Sofa, Crate & Barrel | Cormac 2.5′x6′ Runner, Crate & Barrel | 2-Pack Curtains, UK H&M | Decker Coffee Table, Anthropologie | Ladder Bookshelf, Home Decorators | Ikea Ingolf | Marin Green Salad Plate, Crate & Barrel | Papillions Plate, Anthropologie | KitchenAid Stand Mixer, Target | Ikea Kanist | Kitchen Cart, Target | Glass Cloche, World Market

Thankfully we have most of these pieces already. Previously, we had a wingback chair along the east wall, and a round kitchen table in the middle of the room. We hardly used this section. It was literally half of our tiny room. On the kitchen side of the room, we have such limited counter space, that we’re going to add in a kitchen cart in the middle of the room where the round table was. Not only will this give extra counter space, but will give us more desperately needed cabinets underneath. Next, we’ll add a rectangular table where the wingback was, which will again be more functional (and compact). Win-win.

Have you gone through the process of creating a “Second Layer”? What pieces have you swapped, added, rearranged, or gotten rid of in a room that you had previously considered “complete”?