RWL: The Office

May 15, 2013May 15, 2013 | leftylex

On Thursday NBC will air the final episode of The Office. I thought that I was ready for this, but apparently I’m not. I have been an avid Office fan for over 7 years and truly love the show. I’ll admit that there were definitely some seasons that I preferred over others, but as a whole, I think that the show is dynamite. So in honor of the wonderful characters, actors, and writers of The Office, I present you with this week’s Rainbow Wish List.

Unlike all other RWLs, I cannot explain why I love each of these items. All, of course, have Office references, so if you don’t watch the show, then my explaining them will not do the show justice. And if you watch the show, then you need no explanation as to why these items are amazingly awesome.

I will say this, personal bias towards hoops aside, the Justice Beaver and Meredith’s Panties items are my absolute favorites from this list! These are pure, comedic gems! Of course, even those who don’t watch The Office will recognize the “That’s What She Said”, but these little hoops will only be loved by true Office fanatics.

And now I’m feeling nostalgic! It’s been a good run Dunder Mifflin, Scranton. A very good run.

RWL: Chalkboard

May 8, 2013May 8, 2013 | leftylex

Chalkboard is all the rage. Yes, we know that. Everything from actual chalkboards to chalkboard paint to chalkboard style of lettering; we can’t seem to get enough of chalkboards! And while I’m 100% positive that this is a design choice that we will look back in decades to come and say: Oh, that was so 2011-2014, I am quite enjoying it now.

Let’s take a look at some fabulous, Etsy chalkboard finds!

Red & Orange: I love these boards, they’re chalkboards (of course) but they are elegant enough to grace any mantel and not look childish.

Yellow: I envy people with handwriting like that. My cursive is fine, but (being left-handed) my printing looks like a 10 year old boy’s!

Green: I feel a particular connection to those mint green mason jars because I have had nearly identical jars in my cupboards for about two years now. I love that I can use throw whatever in the jar and appropriately label it. I’ve even used the jars to house salad dressing and painted a bigger square on the jar so that I was able to git the entire recipe; I thought that I was just so clever.

Blue: This is a ring bearer’s “pillow”! This. Is. Genius. I want to get married all over again just to use this. How freakin cute? And it works two-fold as your pillow and your something blue. So cute!

Indigo: Love the simplicity of this art piece, love the message, love everything. And now I want to embroider it onto a hoop!

Violet: This little invitation makes me want to throw a party. That purple shade contrasted with black and white is the perfect amount of pop. Add in the fact that the lettering is absolutely adorable (and that my own birthday is on this invite) and you have yourself the perfect invitation!

Are these not the cutest? To check out more from each artist, simply click on the image which will take you directly to their Etsy shop. Have fun and happy Tuesday!

RWL: Lace

April 16, 2013 | leftylex

About a month or so ago a senior neighbor of mine moved away and into an assisted living community. This woman learned how to sew at age 30 and had slowly become quite the seamstress over the past 50+ years. The result of this was an absolutely enormous stash of fabric! If you are or have ever been a quilter, then you know exactly how fast your stash can grow; now imagine how large this would be after decades of “scraps”! So during her last week as my neighbor she called me over to her house and said: dear, I have a few scraps of fabric I want to give you. “A few scraps of fabric” was, in actuality, four trash bags busting at the seams as well as a few specialty pieces from Japan that were carefully preserved separately!

Thank God that I have a giant attic and lots of crafty friends or else I have no idea what I would have done with all of that fabric! This weekend, I finally cracked open one bag and stumbled upon some lovely yardage of vintage lace. It made me realize that I know little to nothing about working with lace so I began searching for lace items on Etsy to see what others do with it. I was quite taken by all of the lace pieces I found, henceforth we have a lace inspired Rainbow Wish List this week. Enjoy!

Voila! Aren’t they just lovely? And isn’t that little chubster in the yellow outfit just to die for? So many rolls!

Now let’s see what becomes of my lace yardage. Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone!

RWL: Polka Dots

April 11, 2013April 11, 2013 | leftylex

I have absolutely no idea why polkadots was the first thing that came to mind for this week’s Rainbow Wish List. Actually, when I stop and think of it, I do have two polka dot dresses, two skirts, and even a polka dot swimsuit. So those tiny little circles must have subconsciously willed themselves to be this week’s theme. Sneaky little devils! Okay ladies and gents, here we go…

Red: This is honestly the thing I want most from Etsy at the moment. Yes, this tiny little panda bear plushie. I am currently obsessed with the name Jia so I was pleasantly surprised to find this cute little panda donning that very name.

Orange: I absolutely adore this swimsuit! I only believe in wearing one-piece suits and love vintage style suits; add in some polka dots and you’ve got yourself a Lefty Lex approved piece! I might have to force myself to go to the beach this summer if I were to buy this little number.

Yellow: Every since buying my lovely Betty Bow (http://www.etsy.com/shop/hellobettybow) I have become obsessed with these gianormous hair accessories. This particular bow is lovely because it’s crisp, nicely pleated, and (of course) my favorite color. I know that this is meant to wear as a hair clip, but I would also like to see it affixed to Ellie’s dog collar; that pop of color on her black and white coat would be wonderful!

Green: Are these not the cutest little shoes?! Of course, I have no use for tiny little baby shoes, so I’m not 100% sure why I included them in the list but they were too cute to pass up. And that particular green is the perfect spring time shade, don’t you think?

Blue: Ah, the increasingly trendy washi tape! If you’re not familiar with Japanese washi tape, it is all the rage in crafting at the moment. It’s particularly popular for card making, scrapbooking, gift wrapping, and many forms of decor. It also doesn’t ruin items the way traditional tape would. And this tape looks exactly like a blue and white polka dot dress that I have, which is probably why I gravitated towards it!

Indigo: A day rarely goes buy when I am not wearing some form of a scarf/cowl around my neck. (I know that I live in SoCal, but I get cold really easily.) Needless to say, I am a giant fan of this little polka dot infinity scarf; great shade, great length. Just look at how it magically turns a plain white shirt into a complete outfit. Magic.

Violet: I seriously need a glasses case like this! Although, I’m positive that I could sew one for myself. I tend to use giant purses and always feel like I’m going on a treasure hunt every time I try to find my sunglasses in said giant purses! Not to mention the fact that not housing them in a case would prevent them from getting scratched up… and then maybe I wouldn’t lose my glasses so easily.

Well, there is your polka dot fix. Hope you enjoyed it. Now to sneak in just one more…

RWL: China

April 3, 2013April 3, 2013 | leftylex

Ni Hao everyone! International adoption still extremely heavy on the brain over here, so I thought that we should have a Chinese themed Rainbow Wish List this week.. geared towards designing a Chinese inspired nursery. Hmm…

Red: Year of the Dragon print; I can’t decide whether I like this particular print or frame more. Either way, it’s a super cute print commemorating 2012 as year of the dragon. It’s simple, playful, and perfectly suited for a Asian-inspired nusery.

Orange: This is an amazing origami (Japanese, I know) lantern made of Chinese Hell Money. It’s amazing! I like that the color is energetic but not overpowering and the texture adds tons of spunk (and spike!). And best of all, it is actually a light! Simply fabulous.

Yellow: First off, I loved every single print from this artist’s shop. That being said, I chose this particular print because I love that particular shade of yellow! Come on, you know that I’m a yellow kind of girl. The Chinese characters beneath the bunny images are actually the poem of the Little White Rabbit. I’d never heard of this particular poem, but if you check out her Etsy shop (by clicking on the photo), you’ll be able to read it.

Green: Are these not the cutest little shoes? I’ve made several pairs of baby booties in my day so I can appreciate the pain that the designer underwent to make this lovely little pair. The embellishments on the sides are really what kill me! That is a lot of tiny beads to have sewn on those tiny shoes. Patience!

Blue: And we’re back to Year of the Dragon… block edition this time. This has to be one of those toys that gets put on the dresser and not in the toy box; the details are design are just too cute to ruin with slobber! I love the pastels used and the almost vintage look of the block. I was born in the year of the rat, so I highly doubt that my own block would look quite as cute.

Indigo: Yes, I know that I’m fudging a bit on this week’s indigo… again. But it is rather a tough color to find in its purest shade. That being said, I am diggin’ this Asian themed print quilt and our imaginary nursery was going to be quite a chilly place if we didn’t add a blanket or some sort to the RWL. Over the past 5 years I’ve made more baby quilts than I can remember and the simple patchwork of this quilt is very reminiscent of many of them.

Violet: I absolutely adore the design of these city skyline prints! I may be biased as I do have 4 (yes, 4) of these prints in my own home. After taking a couple of trips to Europe, I wanted a visual, daily reminder of all the fun that Husband and I had at each city and then I stumbled upon Bird Ave (www.birdave.com) and subsequently purchased city prints for: Roma, Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisboa (Lisbon). Now I was a bit confused when I found this Beijing print on Etsy because it is most definitely the same designer as my prints are, but the seller is different and Bird Ave no longer sells on Etsy, they only do direct orders through their website. Hmm, very interesting….

And there we have it folk, the initial makings of a cozy little Chinese-inspired nursery! You like?

RWL: Wedding Time!

March 19, 2013March 19, 2013 | leftylex

As I mentioned yesterday, my brother-in-law is getting married on Friday. I suppose that I’ll forgive them for barging in on our anniversary month (wink wink). M&T live in Chicago where it is currently freezing, so they were so smart to have the wedding here in San Diego where it is (almost) always sunny and lovely. And I figured that since this is a once and a lifetime event (hopefully!) I would dedicate this week’s Rainbow Wish List to the wedding and other lovey dovey mushy stuff. Enjoy folks!

Red: This darling little ring bearer’s pillow is original. It’s not white satin and lace with the expected silky ivory ribbon. Nay, this pillow makes a statement! It’s bright, bold, and red; the heart shape just adds to the fun.

Orange: I love table numbers, they truly are one of the unsung heroes of weddings. Just imagine the confusion that would arise at the beginning of a reception without table numbers! I remember how long my own took to make, yikes! My table indicators featured seashell names, not numbers… which is probably why they took so make. But who wouldn’t want to sit at the opihi table? Anyway, I like the fancy flare of the table number above, the imperfect, hanging hearts are right up my alley. Good design!

Yellow: These little peg people are cake toppers… and they are adorable! M&T’s wedding colors are yellow and grey so this actually fits their theme quite well. And what initially drew me to this topper is that it looks as though it was custom made for them. M has dark hair and tan skin (well, he did before he moved to Chicago) and T is a Nebraska-born blonde. This really should be gracing their cake!

Green: I am a giant fan of this boutonniere! Even though Husband wore a white rose boutonniere at our wedding, I now much prefer a groom’s boutonniere to be a bit more masculine. And this little greenie says formal, but not girly. It is perfection; masculine perfection.

Blue: If you search for “something blue” on Etsy one million items pop up! Literally, one million. I went back and forth on different blue finds but finally settled on this lovely hanger because it’s frickin’ awesome! I love the shade of blue that the actual hanger is and I am in awe of anyone who can bend wire like that. I always have a difficult enough time untwisting wire hangers when trying to make smores!

Indigo: Okay, I might have cheated a bit on the “indigo” this week, but I only did that because I really, really like this tank top set. I wish that my bridesmaids and I would have worn something like this on my big day. I like the designer’s use of lace alongside the cotton. Clever, clever.

Violet: The card holder! Um yah, I forgot to buy (or make) one of these for my wedding. This bird cage card holder is a vast improvement over the traditional gift wrapped shoe box! I adore the simplicity of the extras added to the cage; the designer definitely understands that less is more.

Just in case you wanted to know what M&T look like; this is them. I’m positive that you’ll be seeing much, much more of their wedding around here over the next few days. I’m gonna have my first blonde sister!

And I would venture to say that if I had let them select the items in the RWL, these two little gems would have most likely appeared. They are giant Norte Dame and Nebraska fans! And I am now wishing that I would have thought of buying these for them at an earlier date. Oh well!

RWL: Disney

March 13, 2013 | leftylex

Very early tomorrow morning Husband and I will be trekking up to Disneyland. Woohoo! I love Disneyland. We go each year for our anniversary and it’s something we always look forward to. With this trip just a short 24 hours away, Disney is hard on the brain right now. I suppose I’ll just have to whistle while I work to make today go by extra quickly! Without further adieu, may I present to you, my Disney Rainbow Wish List.

Red: That red little pendleton coat shown in the first photo is actually a vintage piece sold in Fontierland back in the 1960s. How cute is it? Even thought it isn’t overly obvious that it’s Disney, if you use your imagination I’m sure you can picture Minnie Mouse strolling down Main Street in it.

Orange: Keep Calm and Cruise On. This combines two of my all time favorites: cruises and Disney. I have long told Husband that as soon as we adopt, we will be taking our kids on a Disney cruise. Don’t the commercials always make it seem like an absolute blast full of magical Disney goodness? Seriously, how cool is it for a little girl to be able to eat with the Princesses?

Yellow: In case you didn’t catch the immediate Disney connection to those cute little maryjanes, they are painted to look like Snow White’s apple. I’m pretty sure that if we had a daughter, she would be rocking those little kicks tomorrow, they are so much fun! Now, if only they came in women’s size 10…

Green: Okay, I probably should not have selected two Snow White inspired items but I adore Doc. Doc has been my favorite dwarf since I was a little girl. Why? Well, I guess I identified with him since he seems to be the big brother of the group and I am the eldest child in my family. He seemed to be the ring leader and the one who looked out for the others and I suppose that’s how I viewed myself. I love the artist’s take on Doc, brilliant!

Blue: This Aladdin thermos brings be right back to 3rd grade! I’m almost 100% positive that one of my classmates had this. Although I find Robin Williams rather annoying now, he was dynamite as the Genie. And which little girl did not want to be Princess Jasmine and fly on a magic carpet? Little did I know at age 8 that I would meet the real voice of Jasmine at age 28. (See how I sneakily incorporate Lea Salonga in nearly each of my posts? So sly!)

Indigo: I love this Walt Disney quote. Let’s face it, the man was a genius. I’m convinced that my sister (Dee) is in love with him. She did some type of biographical report on him when she was in middle school and has been enamored ever since. I will admit that I too have watched at least 3 film biographies on the man. And no, I do not believe that he is frozen somewhere.

Violet: Disneyland is the only place that adults are encouraged to wear goofy looking hats! It’s awesome! Where else can you walk around with mouse ears on your head and not get mocked? Nowhere! I have my own pair of ears (with my name stitched on the back, of course) and I wear them every year. It’s too fun not too. However, this little Alice in Wonderland inspired hat/fastener is a more elegant take on the alternative crazy Disney hats. This hat says mad, but not too mad.

Now, if only I did cross-stitch I just might tackle these princesses. Well, that’s this week’s RWL my fine folks; now more excited to go to Disneyland than I was earlier!

Wait, what was that? You wanted to see the behind the scene clip of Lea Salonga as Princess Jasmine? Well, okay…

RWL: Lucky Seven

March 6, 2013 | leftylex

In five short days Husband and I will have been married for SEVEN years! Seven! I can hardly believe it. And for some strange reason I am more excited for this anniversary than I have been for any other. I’m not exactly sure why, it’s not the big 10 year quite yet, but I’ve been anticipating it nonetheless. So with seven on my mind this week, I present you the seven inspired Rainbow Wish List. Enjoy!

By taking a quick look at this RWL you can tell that it’s a bit different than most. Most of the items are strictly number sevens so there isn’t much desiring of any of these items, but I would love, love, love to have the lovely yellow item: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!

Have you seen this musical? It’s amazing! It’s a very sweet story, the choreography is awesome, and the costumes are bursting with color. I have yet to see this on stage, but one of the high schoolers at my church is going to be in a performance this spring so I’ll have the chance to see it then. I’m sure that she is going to knock it out of the park! Here’s a snippet if you’ve never seen it:

And my final plug for why seven is an awesome number… dialogue from The Seven episode from Seinfeld:

“I defy you to come up with a better name than Seven.”
“Seven Costanza… You’re serious?”
“Yeah. It’s a beautiful name for a boy or a girl. Especially a girl… Or a boy.”
“I don’t think so.”
“What, you don’t like the name?”
“It’s not a name. It’s a number.”
“I know. It’s Mickey Mantle’s number. So not only is it an all-around beautiful name, it is also a living tribute.”
– George and Susan, in “The Seven”

Happy Tuesday everyone!

RWL: Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2013February 13, 2013 | leftylex

Well, just two short days until Valentine’s Day. Truth be told, Husband and I are not the biggest Valentine’s Day celebrators. I have two reasons for permitting this: 1) my birthday is in January (just a few short days after Christmas) and 2.) our wedding anniversary is in March. So I am never truly in the mood for another obligatory festive celebration. Husband should be so happy, he gets off easy!

However, I am not a total Valentine’s Day grinch so I present to you, this week’s love themed RWL!

Red: I like to think that one day I’ll be the kind of mom who makes uber cute traditions for my kids like making the same love theme breakfast each Valentine’s Day. Perhaps I’d have a cute little bowl like this cute little white and red heart number. It would of course be accompanied by an equally cute mug, plate, table runner, and other heart themed paraphernalia just to complete the effect. And probably an embroidered napkin or two (let’s keep it real here).

Orange: Hello. Also, I love you. This is my kind of card exactly: super weird, simple, and to the point. I like cards that aren’t entirely expected. This card is able to capture the love and Valentine’s Day effect without being red, pink or covered with little cupids. I’m also a giant fan of the letterpress look, magnificent!

Yellow: I adore this little yellow print and think that it belongs in my craft space. I love the many shades of yellow (none of them are annoying primary or neon shades) and I quite fancy the font as well; sweet and simple.

Green: This is actually a fridge magnet made of tile. I think that I’m drawn to this piece because it reminds me of Gaudi’s Parc Guell in Barcelona, a home of many, many tiles. If you are not familiar with Parc Guell, then you must take at least two minutes to check out some of the photos on this site: http://www.parkguell.es/en/gal.php. You will not regret it, I promise you! This is the most whimsical place I have ever been; it literally feels like you are stepping into a fairy tale when you’re there. Hop a plane to Barcelona right now and let the whimsy begin!

Blue: For some reason or another I keep find myself crushing on useless little felt objects. No offense to the artist intended; of course these little blue felted hearts are not useless. If they can make someone smile, then they have purpose. But for practicality’s sake, not much use is achieved through tiny felt hearts… but I love them! Perhaps they’d look cute in a shadow box? Or placed together with other goods to make a unique centerpiece? I’m sure I could come up with a few good uses for these little guys should they make their way to my house!

Indigo: Okay, I know what you’re thinking here in regards to my indigo pick: that it’s not really indigo. But it is, it’s even titled Indigo Heart! So there, I win! This is actually a photograph of a door that belongs to an old, old house in Monaco. And although I have never been to Monaco (Southern France, but not Monaco) I can imagine that this door would belong to an old romantic house in a neighborhood with only cobblestone roads and surrounded by oodles and oodles of flowers. If only you could see the image in my mind!

Violet: Remember being around age 8 and thinking that nothing in the world was cooler than wearing broken heart best friend necklaces with your best friend? That is exactly what these pendants remind me of! Is that not the precursor to the engagement ring? It basically says: hand’s off, this best friend has already been spoken for!

Okay, just one more because for some strange reason I felt drawn to this strange little image. Happy Valentine’s day everyone!