Happy Monday everyone! This post is partly about Lockette and also a little about my weekend along with some great news about a press mention that I’m really excited about… First, these darling handmade cards by Priscilla Locke of the Lockette {Paper & Fabric} shop on Etsy are a nice way to kick things off today. Priscilla (don’t you love her name by the way, so old-fashioned and darling), recently opened her shop where she makes all things by hand using fabric and paper, “I hand cut all the pieces and fuse them to card stock. This tactile element gives my stationery a unique look and feel, and the combination of fabric + paper is a modern twist on the traditional paper products out there right now. The fabrics I use range from bold, graphic prints and colors to subtle patterns and simple silhouettes.”

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Okay, now for the more personal from me-to-you bit. :) I hope you are rested and inspired from whatever it is that you did over the weekend. We had beautiful weather on Sunday so we went to a big flea market and to lots of antiques stores (New Hampshire has some great ones) — what a great way to spend a lazy Sunday! The flea market was the first for me of the year and it got me pretty excited about Brimfield (May 12-17) next month and all the fleas I plan to attend abroad this year before the cold weather sets in again. Flea markets are great! I didn’t find much yesterday but simply roaming around was inspiring enough, plus I secured an entire brown bag full of vintage wooden spools for only a $1 so I will soon embark on a crafty project to put those to good use.

Along with all the fun browsing I did, we went on a nice nature walk and I spent time cleaning my home, I used a ton of ec0 cleaning supplies which made me feel great about the chore and an added bonus — they worked better than the chemical-loaded stuff I normally use AND they smelled great. I raided the cleaning supply aisle at Lowe’s recently and found a ton of products I’d not seen before, in addition to the full line of Method products (they’ve added some great new things by the way)… so if you have a Lowe’s nearby I suggest checking them out for ec0-cleaning supplies. I couldn’t get over the variety! I also spent nearly two full days offline, which felt great and I honestly recommend it from time to time. It really helps to unplug now and then. But then, right when I was feeling so proud for staying away from the computer, I decided to send a quick email and….

I discovered that decor8 was in the London Financial Times (both print and online in the House & Home Edition) yesterday in an article called A Blog’s Life which quickly reminded me that though unplugging is good, I still really love and value the web and feel so grateful that I’m part of the blogosphere and this wonderful online network of bloggers. This was a really nice way to finish the weekend! The article is here if you’d like to read it. The FT editor, Caroline Taylor, approached me months ago for an interview but like the many interviews I’ve given I only half expected it to ever show up in print — lots of articles get cut. Just when I was beginning to lose hope - viola! there is was! The article spotlights several other blogs in addition to mine so it was nice to be in such great company alongside Susan Serra, Danielle DeLange and of course Patchwork Harmony (this blogger is the same lady who wrote the article - small world!). So inspiring and encouraging to see blogs and their popularity be a subject of interest enough to the FT to run a story on it. What a testimony to all bloggers that we’re making progress in reaching many to share our passions.

(image from lockette)