Kitty cat onesie set

I will stop short of calling myself the crazy cat lady since I only have two, but I do love cats. My friend Loren had ordered a kitty cat onesie set for her soon-to-be new daughter so I decided to list it in the shop. I know I am biased, but it sure is cute!

Kitty cat onesie - You pick the fabric {$22}:

And just so the dog lovers don't have all the fun, check out this little set with a matching paw print on the seat of the pants {$30}:

More office chic sets

Whew, I am officially done uploading the new office chic sets. Here are the rest of them:

New office chic sets

I spied some new (and self-proclaimed "fancy") Amy Butler paper in the store the other day and have been a busy bee cranking out some new office chic sets today:




Andy's going to be out of town this week for my birthday so we had an early celebration over a delicious dinner at North this evening. I think it's officially my new favorite restaurant in Austin. The chicken lasagna is to die for and the tiramisu is unlike anything I've ever tasted. Not to mention the service.... it's dining perfection!

Ceramic delights

I don't like Mondays (even when they're disguised as Wednesdays), but I am enjoying this Tuesday-turned-Thursday. I had so much fun with our good friends Trish & Jen this past weekend - what a pleasure to have a few days off of work with dear friends. We didn't do much but eat, drink and be merry (with a healthy helping of shopping).

One of the highlights of the weekend was our trip to Embellish Nail Salon & Boutique. What an adorable little nail spa experience!

Everything was so cute (and pink!) and we had a blast sipping our mimosas over manicures, pedicures, and good company.


So now it's back to reality and work, unfortunately. So while I pretend to pay attention to this conference call, enjoy some of my favorite ceramics from around Etsy:

Crazy Leg Wall Vase by Jodie Flowers ($40):


Single Owl Candlestick or Bud Vase a la Macrame by Laura Walls Taylor ($12):


Cream Toasted Marshmallow Texture Vase Trio by Judi Tavill ($38):


Mod Porcelain Vase--Turquoise and black and white by Shoshona Snow Ceramics ($30):


Gardener's Perfect Vase for Blooms - Robin's Egg Blue by Red Hot Pottery ($24):


Rainbow Volcano - Porcelain bud vase in lemon by Pigeon Toe Ceramics ($18):


Large Triple Dipper by Red Hot Pottery ($40):


Carved vase in white by Marymeestudio ($34):


Porcelain flower vase by Ning's Wonder World ($46):


Robin's Egg Blue Floral Vase by Red Hot Pottery ($28):


Jumbley coffee mug by d. hergt design ($24):

New burp cloth sets

I love Sundays. It's the one day of the week I feel I can truly relax since I am not in a race against the post office. This morning I made breakfast and began some leisurely sewing on a couple of new burp cloth sets.

Burp cloth set in soft watercolor floral and pink garden trellis prints ($15):



Burp cloth set in turquoise zinnia and cherry polka dot prints ($15):

Packaged in my signature clear wrap with label and a bow!

I am so excited that our dear friends Trish & Jen are coming to visit for Memorial Day weekend... there's lots of planning and preparations to be done! Jen and I share a love of all things Martha but I think she's got me beat in the hospitality dept. She's quite a cook and an entertainer so the pressure is on! Actually, the best part about spending time with them is that there is no pressure whatsoever. We're all able to find pleasure in the little things so I look forward to a relaxing weekend with good friends, good food, and some fun times out on the town.

Animal Rescue - May/June Events

BellaBlu designs is a proud sponsor of two Southern Cali animal rescue groups this month. I was contacted by two lovely volunteers from So Cal Bulldog Rescue and Southern California German Shepherd Rescue asking for donations for their upcoming silent auctions. I've been working hard this weekend on some cute little packages to send off and decided to create some Bulldog and German Shepherd business cards to include with my goodies:

I hope my items go for top dollar!

It's a rainy Saturday here in Austin and I've been working hard since I got up. I had several large orders this week (including some adorable shower favors) so am pleased to report everything is en route to anxious recipients across the country.

Don't forget to check out the BellaBlu designs virtual table in this month's Poppytalk Handmade market.

p.s. Thanks to Jan for including me in the Poppytalk blog on Friday!

Poppytalk Handmade

I am so very excited to be a part of the May/June Poppytalk handmde market! The current theme is Paper Pops! - Papergoods and Art. Visit the virtual BellaBlu designs table and while you're there, check out all of the other talented artists and wonderful handmade goods. I'll be writing more later and will also link to the Poppytalk artist blog where I'll be dropping in with guest posts throughout the month.

Roy Lichtenstein

I am a graduate of the Ohio State University Dept. of Art and still browse the website from time to time to see what great things they're up to (funny, I think the Internet was still just a twinkle in someone's eye when I was in college. Ah, the good ole low-tech days...).

Tonight I discovered an interesting passage from one of my fellow alumnus, Roy Lichtenstein, on the OSU art dept's home page. You may recognize Lichtenstein's pop art, which was heavily influenced by American advertising and comic book style:

Whaam! 1963, On display at Tate Modern in London

So here is the passage:


From the OSU website:
These words, penned in 1949 by our distinguished former student and colleague, Roy Lichtenstein, still evoke the essence what the making of art aspires to be. It also reminds us all of what is required of the people and place that provides the opportunity for creative exploration and artist fulfillment. Read more.

Pet Toys and Treats

Happy Friday! I am thrilled this week is over and the weekend is upon us. I haven't been feeling well this week (no swine flu to report) but I am starting to feel better and look forward to a relaxing weekend.

Enjoy some handmade treats and toys for our favorite furry friends!

Peanut Butter Dog Cookies with Free Toy from cindi m h - $6.50 {Bonus! Proceeds benefit Best Friends Animal Society}:


Large Fleece Dog Tug Toy with Handle from Rescue Me Tugz - $5.50 {Bonus! Proceeds benefit Great Dane Rescue}:


Cat Toy, Catnip Dr. Seuss look from Sea Turtle Lover - $5:


Two Hand Knit Wooly Mice Cat Toys from Cattitude Creations - $10:


Tug-o-war Braid and Squeeker and Recycled Tennis Ball from Woof Purr Creations - $7:

Kit and Kat the Chocolate Cats from Tumus - $30:


Organic Catnip Bakery Grab Bag of 5 from Catzilla Crafts - $39:


Catnip Cat Toys Zoo Pal Monkey from BonvoyageCat- $7.65:


And how cute is this shop? The Modern Pet on Etsy:

Woodland Friend Organic Hemp Cat Toys - $10:

4 oz. Wild Caught Salmon Treats - $14:


Make your own dog collar kit (makes two kits) - $14: