items i love (uncommongoods)

uncommongoods necklace gift

If you have been following my blog for awhile now, you will have noticed that I tend to stray away from cheaply made, overly trendy items. I much prefer all things that are unique and hold a certain meaning. UncommonGoods is one such company that sets itself apart from all other online markets. It is a place where those who are looking for truly memorable gifts can visit and find something special for everyone in their lives. Operating out of the Brooklyn Army Terminal, UncommonGoods offers mostly handcrafted items, each with its own story of why it was created. Several pieces are even made from recycled materials. Additionally, being a certified B Corporation ensures that they are also interested in resolving environmental and social issues. With sustainability and creativity being two of the company’s many goals, you can be sure that they offer only the best products.

With our anniversary and several family members’ birthdays being just around the corner, here are my favourite picks for some really exceptional gifts.

uncommongoods necklace

1. Links of Love Necklace.

About: “Artist Beth Lawrence created this stunning yet simple necklace, along with a bracelet and a pair of earrings, while she was pregnant with her first child. Thoroughly modern and extremely meaningful, her pieces subtly represents the ineffably strong connection a mother shares with her child. A gold filled ring adorned with twisted wire is permanently entwined with a smaller, sterling silver hoop and suspended from a sterling silver chain. A wonderful gift for new mothers, grandmothers, sisters, or best friends, the joined pieces are evocative of the infinite connection we possess with the special people in our lives and a reminder that they’re always there for us as we carry on through life’s struggles and successes. Handmade in Nashville, Tennessee.”

More jewelry can be seen here.

uncommongoods men's kit

2. Working Man’s Hygiene Kit.

About: “This all-natural set was created by a mechanic who let his dirty, damaged paws drive his inspiration to design products for dudes. The manly salves, scrubs and balms included are specially made to meet the needs of the working man. From soothing sore feet, to healing cracked lips and knuckles, to buffing the dickens out of dry skin, this kit goes beyond simple cleansers to get the job done. Handmade in the USA.”

More birthday gifts can be seen here.

uncommongoods diy gift

3. DIY Cinema Lightbox.

About: “Turn weddings, birthdays, and clever turns of phrase into feature film-worthy displays with this retro light box. Back-lit like a real marquee, this lightweight, battery-operated design offers three slotted lines to accommodate the included letters and symbols. Set up the portable piece at your wedding reception’s welcome table, in front of the birthday cake, or in your little one’s bedroom and let the creative messaging begin! Made in China.”

More wedding gifts can be seen here.

uncommongoods blog

You can learn more about UncommonGoods by visiting their blog here. They even offer tours of the studio! More importantly, every time an item is purchased, $1 is donated to a charity of your choosing. I can’t wait to order a little something from their website.  Talk about a favourable way to help change the world.

This was a sponsored post. I’m thankful for the brands and websites that I can partner with!

<3

Emory

Hello, Followers:
Blog // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter

a week of valentines: hearts and stripes pillow diy

HeartFlagPillow11There’s nothing more difficult than choosing a suitable handmade Valentine’s Day gift for your male significant other. The two go together like fashion and mathematics. They just don’t jive. 

Each year I view this as a challenge that I am more than willing to take on. I scour the Internet in search of projects that I think my husband would enjoy receiving as a gift. Then I work my magic, and attempt to put a Valentine’s Day spin on it. A manly gift adorned with hearts? I accept! 

Pillows are something that almost everyone enjoys. Burlap pillows are even cooler. Authentic American writing and memorabilia is a guaranteed fit for any man cave. Top it off with some hidden girly additions on one side and you’ve got a recipe for an amazing gift that is strong enough for a woman but made for a man.

These are the materials required to make your own Hearts and a Stripes Pillow:

HeartFlagPillow3Authentic Potato Sack/Burlap Material 
Fiber Fill
Fabric paint
Paintbrushes
Thread
Needle
Scissors
Scrap wood

Steps:

1. Measure and cut the burlap to the desired size for a pillow. If you’re using a sack, try to leave the sewn sides in tact. This will make things much simpler in the long run!

HeartFlagPillow42. Place a scrap piece of wood underneath the side of the material that will receive the motif.

HeartFlagPillow63. Using the fabric paint and brushes, begin decorating the pillow.

4. Once you’re done that, set it aside and let it dry.

HeartFlagPillow85. After the paint has dried completely, sew the three sides of the pillow together if they are not already done so. Then stuff the pillow to the desired thickness.

6. The final step is to sew the last side together. Once you’re done that, you’ve completed the pillow!

HeartFlagPillow12HeartFlagPillow10Is this not the coolest gift ever?

 <3

Emory

Hello, Followers:
Blog // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter

potomac office musings.

1.jpg(Image via Potomac Trading Post, Ltd.)

Hello, Friday readers and fellow Pinterest enthusiasts! I wanted to share with you my inspiration behind my office space. I’ve never had an office outside of my home before, so this was a new venture for me. The space that I’m renting is full of character. It has original hardwood floors, thick baseboards, high ceilings, and crystal doorknobs. In addition, given that PTP is primarily an antique store, I had no other choice but to keep with a more vintage theme. However, I’m trying to appeal to a more masculine market, so I didn’t want doilys and other kitschy vintage items laying around. In the end I aimed for what Potomac has always instilled in my mind, images of the outdoors, the rugged, the folksy, and the imperfect, all combined in earth tones.

These are my office musings photographs:

BeFunky_06.jpg(Image via Pinterest)

01(Image via Pinterest)

BeFunky_05.jpg(Image via Pinterest)

BeFunky_02.jpg(Image via Pinterest)

BeFunky_04.jpg(Image via Pinterest)

Do you like them? Does this make you want to travel to my store and come and buy my inventory? Now’s your chance!

<3

Emory

potomac trading post, ltd. webpage and launch.

PTP LogoHello, October! I cannot quite believe that you are here. Not only does today mark the first day of the new month, but it also marks the eve of the launch of Potomac Trading Post, Ltd. That’s right, friends and family, PTP will be opening its doors on Thursday, October 2!

10Why tomorrow you may be wondering? Well if you take a peek at my Store Hours, you’ll notice that I’ll only be open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, from 11 am until 6 pm. Tomorrow marks this first Thursday of the month, so I thought that it would be a great day to launch my new store.

12Feel free to take a look at the website, and please stay awhile! You can read my back story on the About page, see my Vintage items, Handmade items, and Clothing for Men and Women. I also have a Photography page and an Instagram account. All of these pages will be updated on a daily basis, so check back often!

WritingPadI offer worldwide shipping on most items. If anything catches your eye, you can either buy it through its direct link, or else email me at potomactradingpost@gmail.com, and I will send you an invoice for any items that you may fancy. How cool is that?

Have a good Wednesday, everybody! Wish me luck!

<3

Emory

ptp on instagram

Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 9.49.19 PMIt’s officially Friday! You know what that means, right? It means that I have gone a week without discussing my new store, so today I am going to hit you with another post! Ok, so maybe you didn’t know what that meant. 

Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 9.50.04 PMI’ve already begun to promote Potomac Trading Post, Ltd. on my personal Instagram account. With over 400 followers, about 30 of them were nice enough to add PTP to their accounts, too. Then one day earlier this week, I had logged onto Instagram and to my surprise I had gained over 40 followers within a span of a few hours. My initial reaction was that my account had been spammed or hacked. Then I noticed that I was tagged in someone’s photo. It turns out that a local IG account heard about my store, and began promoting it on their page!

Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 9.52.01 PMI was so happy and felt so honoured to have this great support from my city and its residents. Saskatoon is growing more and more artsy every year. I feel that if I’m going to be starting up a store like Potomac Trading Post, Ltd., with its antique, handmade, collectible, and wearable items, this is the city to do it in. It is the largest in our province, and yet it is still a small city by most standards. I hope that the store will become a big fish in a little pond. That way, when it’s about to burst out of its surroundings, I can take it to the lake or the ocean and expand it there. In the meantime, baby steps.

Screen Shot 2014-09-18 at 9.49.40 PMThese are some of the photos that can be found on the Instagram account for the store. Please add PTP if you would like to support a small business, and have yet another line of communication to the girl behind it all. Me.

<3

Emory

  • Hello! My name is Emory. I am a wife, mother of four (three on earth in heaven). This is our life on the Canadian prairies.
    email: helloscarlettblog@outlook.com

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