Wedding Present

My friends are getting married this Wednesday, February 29th - that's right, leap year. They're a creative couple, always preferring to go the original route. So, I thought they'd appreciate a unique, handmade gift. Well, handmade by someone. Not by me.
I got them a walnut colored wooden picture frame with their initials carved and burned into the wood in a little heart. It was made by a super friendly artist on Etsy, Morgann Hill. In any case, since I couldn't make the gift (why don't I have a woodworking set? Drats!) I decided to at the very least make the wrapping as cool and unique as I could muster.

Let me tell you - this took some time. More time than anyone should probably spend on something that will be ripped open in minutes. If I thought sewing up the rabbit by hand took years, stamping their names across the paper with individual letter stamps took centuries. But I did it, and I'm glad. I think it turned out pretty cute, don't you think? 

On a related note, I think I'm developing carpal tunnel. 

Also, I was on Pinterest earlier today and stumbled on a great idea from Kate Spade. Behold, the Wardrobe Planner:

This brings up burning questions: what kind of genius came up with this? How many times have I been on a trip abroad with way too many clothes in my suitcase that aren't appropriate, and way too few clothes that are? Why can't I think of something like this? Why am I only writing in questions? Can carpal tunnel affect the brain?

Button Bouquet

Crafty types seem to be able to do almost anything with their magic hands. Build a shelf? No problem. Plant a garden, whip up five-course meals, sew a wedding dress from scratch using a trillion beads the size of microscopic photo plankton, done didly.
I consider myself a crafty crafterson, sure. But there is one thing I can't do to save my life, and that is keep a plant alive. You want to talk about a brown thumb? I have a thumb that developed gangrene and slowly decayed until it fell off.  I've tried it all - simple potted flowers, house ferns, and terrariums (easiest maintenance, huh? Tell that to the rotted clump of cactus at the bottom of my trash bin) and my latest conquest, a purportedly unkillable succulent from Ikea that is currently withering away on my counter. Like all things from Ikea, I assumed it would be easy assembly. Oops.
So, in the quest to find a truly permanent plant, I made a bouquet from colorful buttons and copper wire.

These "flowers" are easy to make, especially if you have some needle-nosed pliers to grab the wire and twist for you. I think it would be especially cool to use vintage buttons or do a color scheme, like all green and white buttons, but personally I was just tired of seeing brown in my plants and went for the full rainbow. 

This particular set was made for my best friend's birthday, and I'm happy to report that after two years her bouquet is still bright and colorful, no matter the season. Even infrequent watering patterns and chew-happy hellion kittens can't affect these blooms. 

Of course, they're even more adorable in these vintage bud vases, with a couple small buttons tucked in them for "water". I plan on acquiring some cool glass beakers and flasks to house another button bouquet soon, and I'll update you when I do.