Summer Makes It So Easy

I did my first visual/songwriting collaboration!  Amazing artist, and longtime friend, Brian Demeter, just completed a series of paintings titled Oceanus that I used as inspiration for a song.  


I kept the chords simple; I imagined it being played on the beach around 5:30 p.m. with the air extra breezy but just starting to cool off.

Click here to see all the paintings from this gorgeous series.

You Wouldn't Have Me Any Other Way

My husband showed me this song the other night and I've been completely obsessed with it since.  I absolutely love the video with the vintage-inspired images and her cute collection of butterfly wings and it has a hot air balloon (always a good thing in my world).

The song itself is so beautiful.  I love the lullaby piano and her harmonies.  The words are so visually vivid while still so sweet.

  You know how there are quotes you wish you'd said or ideas you wish you'd thought of?  Well, this is a song I wish I'd written.  

Sweet as Honey

Honey Harvest from Kinfolk on Vimeo.



I saw this video by Kinfolk on Vimeo the other week and thought it was just so magical.  There's something about bees and honey, I think, that make me feel hopeful.  So, I hope you have a delightful weekend and a perfectly marvelous March!

Will It Be Spicy? Will It Be Tangy?

Several of the books I read growing up had canning and preserving in it so I had such a longing to experiment with making jams or preserves!  Those gorgeous jars filled with colors and shapes sounded so romantic to me.  

When they started playing this commercial on the Cooking Channel, I felt that longing all over again.  

Have any of you canned before?  Any suggestions for getting started?

And In July, a Lemonade...

From Vital

From Yevgenia

From Route 4 Glass

From Jo Clark Design

I wanted to do a post on handmade glassware for lemonade during these beastly summer months (and for Southern Hemispherites, relief from that beastly heater) and, lo and behold, there are approximately one zillion gorgeous/adorable shops that sell handmade glassware!  I was trying to think of how to make this into a weekly series - "Glassware with Emma"- but decided to focus on the subject at hand which was tumblers for lemonade.  


So here are some of my amazing finds from Etsy that will bring your summery lemonade-drinking up to an art.  


Just as a warning, there may be a wine-drinking post coming up sometime...


P.S. Maggi is hosting a giveaway for my latest c.d. on her blog!  Be sure to go by and enter!

Paper or... Paper the Filigree

Mermaid Paper Doll

Dragon Paper Doll

Mermaid Paper Doll

I stumbled upon this shop, the Filigree, when it was featured on Etsy's front page.  I think I played with paper dolls more than real dolls when I was little (in actuality, I know I played with paper dolls more).


These are beautiful and a little bit eerie but I would have loved to have had several of these to play with as a child.  They are made by Martin Obakke and Celena Cavala - a husband and wife team - he does the art and she makes the dolls.


I take back what I said before - I think I want one now!


What do you think?  Were you a paper doll person or a dolly doll person?

Give Me an Earl over a King Any Day

Earl Grey Solid Perfume

Earl Grey Shea Butter Soap

Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Earl Grey Caramels

Earl Grey Lollipops

I know it's not quite the season for hot tea, but, to be honest, that's never stopped me from drinking it!  One of my favorites, Earl Grey, is such a gorgeous flavor and tastes like how I imagine a field of flowers smelling after the rain.


But why limit the perfect flavor to drinking it?  Here are some (of many, believe it or not, fellow Earl Grey fans) Earl Grey treasures found on Etsy.

Earl Grey Cream

And here is my very, very favorite Earl Grey blend - Earl Grey Cream made at my favorite local tea shop, infusion tea.

Mirror, Mirror...

My Song Sketch from this week featured a song that was in an Ava Gardner film. My mother loves Ava Gardner; she thinks Ava is the most beautiful woman ever (besides me and my sisters, of course. Haha!). Now, I completely agree that Ava is stunning, however, classic-black-and-white-film-actress-wise (purely looks) I prefer Lauren Bacall or Rita Hayworth or Dorothy Dandridge.

But the actress I think I'd like most to look like from that era is Gloria deHaven. I've seen her in Two Girls and a Sailor and The Thin Man Goes Home most often and I find her completely captivating. I also adore her gorgeous voice (which you can hear here).

What about you? Which black and white beauty would you choose to look like if you could (not that you wouldn't want to look like you but if you had to look like someone else, say)?

And... today is the last day to enter in my giveaway!

A Gift Wrapped Life Feature Friday

All images found on A Gift Wrapped Life and originally found here, here and here

There are few things that make us humans happier than gifts - both giving and receiving. And a gift that is beautifully or interestingly wrapped takes the gift from the "Ooh gift!" level to the "Oh. My. Gift." level.

I have this, really quite sad, delusion that I'm a great gift wrapper and buy fancy ribbons and double-sided tape only to end up with a (I hope endearingly) clumsily wrapped gift. But at least I try, right?

A Gift Wrapped Life is the Paris, the chocolate mousse, the sauvignon blanc of gift wrapping. Endlessly inspiring and a complete feast for the aspiring gift-wrapper's eyes, this blog is one of my favorite reads.

What do you think? Are one of those talented enough to make the wrapping as special as the gift?

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

You're In My Hair

First one from here (I love the snowflake one!), second one from here, third one from here (I own this set!)

I absolutely love hair pins. They're such an easy, effortless way to look gooorgeous. There are a ton of beautiful ones on Etsy but I love these ones from Crushjewels. Most of the pins on Etsy are plastic but these metal ones are so lovely and romantic.

What is your favorite effortless beauty bauble?

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P.P.S. I have a brand, new original album out! If you download it and looooove it, please write a lovely review on the site from which you purchased it!

Have Me Under Locket and Key

First one here, second here and third here

I've discovered this perfectly enchanting Etsy store, The Blue Balloon, because I met the perfectly enchanting proprietor on Twitter! I adore her stationery, photos and rings, and am desperately in love with these exquisite lockets!

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P.P.S. I have a brand, new original album out! If youdownload it and looooove it, please write a lovely review on the site from which you purchased it!

Macarons Vs. Cupcakes

Photo from here

I've read that macarons may be the new cupcake. I, who love cupcakes entirely, find that difficult to believe.

However, I have not ever had a macaron and, in their favor, they are exquisitely beautiful.

What do you think? Have any of you had macarons before?

Photo from here

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!