2 more days...

two more days, until solana's arrival! 

i just wanted to let you know that this could possibly be one of my last posts in a while.  i'll be in hiatus until our precious new cargo and i are settled at home.  my c-section is on friday, 29th of april, at 9 am...  i'll be in the hospital for up to 4 days. lil' man will be with my mister's parents - i'm going to miss him while we're at the hospital.

i will post a photo of our newest as soon as i get a chance and share our journey as a family of four with you - and it will be a busy and exciting journey, for sure!

i'll leave you with some cute custom portraits i found on etsy:

custom portraits from thepapermama (thanks to TART for introducing me to her work)

custom digital portrait by ohrobinwhite

custom hand embroidered family portrait by marysgranddaughter

custom portrait by nan lawson

custom carved rubber stamps by kozue

custom pop art portrait by superstudio

custom illustrated portrait by umbrellaclassics

don't you just love these portraits?  if you know of any artists that sell custom portraits, leave a link on the comment box, i love discovering new works...

happy blogging and reading, i'll be back before you know it!
xo, carla

paper doll love

i love paper dolls...  i used to have all kinds from vintage to mod.  i played with them so much that i couldn't keep them anymore.  though, i might start collecting some for me, i mean for solana ;)

here are some amazing finds from etsy:

collar paper doll by amanda atkins

black apple paper dolls

little miss and young master by mab graves

homeward bound betty by illustrated ink

personalized paper dolls by jordan grace owens of hollandsworth

frida khalo paper doll by le lapin triste

rockabilly kitty by mcollings

retro 60s mod style paper dolls by finch and willow

dress up doll (reusable fabric wall decals) by love mae store
(i know it's not paper, but it's the same concept)

the poppy tree paper dolls

eliza and little mina paper dolls by inking cap

... not including the countless vintage paper dolls that can be purchased and downloaded.  hope you love them as much as i do!

xo, carla

because i always wished i had hair like her...

sorry that i've been gone for what feels like forever!  i've been so busy, with so many things... we just came back from one of the best long weekend getaways, we potty trained our boy, etc...

i was just browsing through my drafts and realized that i forgot to publish this - i wrote it back in march 2010!  so, while i'm working on other things, i hope this entertains you.

i have very fine hair, so most of the time it's long, straight, parted either sideways or in the middle - nothing too exciting.  even when i was younger, i longed for thick, wavy, or curly hair.  back in the early 90's  i attempted to style my hair with the little flip in the front - which always ended up looking like a flat pancake stuck on top of my forehead (the photo below is what it was supposed to look like).  so, ever since, i've decided to get someone else to do my hair - a well-thought out solution indeed!

 

 (source: flickr)

i'm no expert hair stylist, but i've always been a fan of rockabilly / pin-up / 50's hairstyles.  the are so intricate and well, coiffed!  here are some of those hairstyles:  some modern, inspired, and original...

i love gwen stefani!

(source:  askmen.com)

  

(source: about.com)

  (source:  weheartit.com)

i can't forget about bettie page:

 

(source:  google.ca)

...and some inpired by bettie's look:

beyonce on video phone (source: google.ca)

  

(source:  weheartit.com)

the tokyo rockabilly craze (aka. tokyobilly).  check out the pompadour hair that the men are rockin'!  truly inspired by elvis!

(source:  littlenipon.blogspot.com)

 

(source:  weheartit.com)

here are some rockabilly inspired finds - hair, tattoos, 50's love:

art by jordan clarke at redbubble.com

you might recognize the girl in the middle, it's kat von d.  i love her - she is too cute!

 "the unappreciated gift" by sunnybuick

rockabilly / tattoo pumps at hipsterchic.com

art by adam isaac jackson

tattooed lady posable paper doll by illustratedink

fan of feathers rockabilly girl print by debStore

 tattooed lady print by missbrigette

pearl dress by fablesbybarrie

american hellbillies (spoof of american gothic painting) by nikscarlett

vintage boxer sings a rainbow print by pinkytoast

one of the reasons why i love rockabilly style, hair, tattoos, and the 50's???   this cult classic that i am sooo in love with...

do you have any favorite rockabilly inspired things, likes, etc?

happy wednesday!
xo, carla

i heart tattooed ladies

some wonderful things arrived in the mail today...  three tattooed ladies met me at work!

 (from left to right:  

"a new beginning 1953", "i'm your toy box", "and with unspoken ease i was your pet")

these tattooed ladies are my birthday gift!!!  and i love them to pieces - thank you, and i love you bryan and dom!   i was so happy to receive them, they certainly made my week.

i am amazed how many wonderful artists are in etsy.  amanda atkins, certainly, is one of them.  i've been eyeing her work for a while now, because she makes really beautiful paintings!  her etsy shop holds many more treasures, so stop by when you get a chance... her work will capture your heart!

she even has the most delicate and adorable paper dolls:

here are more of her paintings that i adore:

"remember when i loved you"

"adapting to you"

"rebecca and the raccoon"

"cecilia and beatrice"

"for antoine"

stop by her shop and let me know what you think...

amanda, thank you so much!!!

happy tuesday everyone!
xo, carla

please contact amanda atkins for permission, if you wish to re-post any images on your blog or any photo sharing websites.  each image is copywritten and watermarked to avoid any illegal distribution or reproductions.  thank you for your cooperation!!!

i really love munny!

i love munny, who doesn't?   these first caught my eye at an art shop years ago... they range from $ 10 - 200 for a 4 inch to an 18 inch vinyl figure!

 (source)

it's amazing what you can do to customize these amazing dolls!  you can  use crayons, markers, pens, paints, polymer clay...  the media that can be used seem limitless!  here are some images i found:

kodak brownie hawkeye flash munny (source) - for photography buffs out there

(source) - simply, cute!

bug jar munny (source) - i really liked the shape of the teeth!  dom calls it the "sock monster".

 heart munny by michael byers

munny speakers (source) - they really work!

 vega munny (source)

this is found here + 59 more...

here are some cute etsy finds too:

button eyes pink monster munny by babyfoot21

lil red hoodie by alfienumeric

 zombuki munny - this is my favorite on etsy!

some inspired by pop culture:

davy jones munny (source) - aaarrrgh!

buddha munny (source)

master chief munny from halo (source) - this is for you b!

yakuza munny (source) - the detail on this one is amazing!

 hello kitty nautical munny (source) - for hk fans everywhere!

gogo yubari munny (source) - kill bill!!!  she is such a cool villain.

spock munny (source)

super homer munny (source)

don't these creations make you want to customize one for yourself?  if you ever wanted to create an art doll without having to sew one, you can always get a munny!

happy wednesday!
xo, carla