Spring Market Finds from France & Finland!

Published on: 2:23 AM

by Chris Ellibee

 

Now that winter has retreated to the Artic (fingers crossed!), we’re seeing the first signs of warm weather. The piles of dirty snow are melting, the sun is staying out for a few more minutes each day, and the red-wing blackbirds have returned to our neighborhood marsh. But, what’s our favorite reminder of spring’s re-appearance? The arrival of the latest shipments of warm-weather ready bags and totes from Europe.  Here at the office, Sue and Therese are excited to share these fun and colorful accessories. The perfect companions for trips to the beach, farm market, office, or an outdoor concert.

 

Artiga—Magescq, France

 

Vibrant rainbow colors make the signature Artiga “look.” These bags represent the connection to the outdoor lifestyle, so prevalent in southwest France, where they are designed and made. In the late 1990s, Quitterie Delfour purchased a small dress maker in Magescq. As the new owner, she decided growing the business meant adding products and Quitterie saw the future in fashion accessories crafted in the traditional Basque canvas of the region. All Artiga products are constructed from natural cotton or a linen and cotton blend.

Click on any of the bags for more product information

The southwest coast of France is beautiful and filled with rich history.  From the pristine beaches to the prehistoric and cultural sites.  You will never want to leave this beautiful part of France.

French Cinch-Top Tote

French Large Reversible Tote

French Stripe Espadrille Handbag

French Wine Tote

 

Klo Design—Turku, Finland

Located on Finland’s west coast lies Turku and it’s here where Dani Aavinen founded Klo Design. Dani and his talented team of designers create an evolving collection of stylish accessories, homewares, clothing, textiles, and furniture. Many of the fabric designs and colors are riffs on Finnish nature themes—pine boughs, pinecones, squirrels (how cute are the squirrel bags?), and birds. Dani believes in combining good quality and timeless design in all Klo products.

Torku, Finland is the oldest city in Finland with archeological finds dating to the StoneAge and the city founded in Medieval times. Located on the Baltic Sea, it was a always a market town and still remains a major hub in Finland.

Finish Small Messenger Bag

Finnish Shopping Tote

Finish Small Purse

Finnish Squirrel Messenger Bag

 

Where we shop…. first in Aquitaine on the southwest corner of France near the Spanish border and then onto Turku, Finland on the Baltic Sea

 

 

 

Discover where we shop:

Aquitaine—www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr

France—int.rendezvousenfrance.com/

 

Discover more:

Turku Touring—www.turkutouring.fi/en/tourist-information_en

Visit Finland—www.visitfinland.com/

 

Chris Ellibee

Co-founder and CEO of EuropeanMarket.US, an online boutique offering distinctive European homewares, accessories, crafts, antiques, and toys. He’s the former editor of
several Better Homes and Gardens magazines, including—Bedroom & Bath, Beautiful Interiors, and Holiday Celebrations. A proud graduate of the University of Arkansas (Go
Hogs!), Chris started his career in public relations in Washington, DC.

You can find Chris here:

Twitter @EuropeanMrkt
Facebook:  European Market
Pinterest: European Market
Website: European Market website
YouTube—EuropeanMarketTV

 

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DIY Spring & Easter Decorating Ideas for your Front Door!

Published on: 11:46 PM

 

by Karin Lidbeck Brent

 

It’s time to celebrate and welcome Spring – it is here!  In most parts of the country, people are breathing a sigh of relief after a grueling winter.  AND… since Easter is just around the corner, these great DIY decorating ideas will work for your holiday and Spring decorating! You can find most of these materials at your craft store or in your own garden.

Baskets from Crate & Basket adorn this front door and stoop.

 

 

Nest in a Basket

birds nest

Materials

• 1 big squat round bottom basket (www.crateandbasket.com)
• 1 bag of green moss (Spanish moss)
• small 6” bird’s nest
• small bird
• pussy willow branches

1. Using a glue gun, attach a wire to the top of basket for hanging.

2. To create your diorama, use the glue gun to build up layers of moss in the bottom of basket, filling from front to back. Make it slightly higher on one side.

3. Glue bird’s nest on left hand side on top of moss as seen in picture.

4. Push stems of pussy willows into the moss using glue to hold it if necessary.

5. Add the eggs to nest then the bird to the pussy willow.

 

 

The Umbrella Bouquet

Umbrella Bouquets filled with tulips!  If the tulips begin to wilt, you can replace them very easily.

 

Materials:

• classic Umbrella with handle
• 24 tulips
• large sandwich bags
• medium to large rubber bands
• wide ribbon

 

Process:

1. Gather three grouping of tulips, 8 stems in each bunch.

2. Place each group in a plastic bag, tie with a rubber band at the middle and slowly drizzle water from the  faucet into the bottom of each bag filling about 2 inches of water in the bottom.  Make sure the stems of the tulips are all in water and the bag is pulled up tight around the stems.

3. Hang the umbrella on the door.

4. Tie a ribbon around the umbrella about a third of the way up from the bottom.

5. Place the three bags inside the top of the umbrella; one on the right, one on the left and one in the center. Position it so the  flowers are arranged in between the metal stays splaying out at the top.

 

The Flowered Egg

Welcome your Easter company with this floral egg!

 

Materials

• 1 styrofoam sheet (2?x 12? x 24?)
• 6 stems of silk floral hydrangea
• styrofoam glue
• floral wire
• white burlap or a 3? x 30? length of ribbon

Process

1. Cut out an egg shape from the styro foam sheet using the whole width of the sheet. Using a serrated knife, round off the edges on the front side of the egg.

2. Pull off the hydrangea flower heads from the main stem. This will leave you with a flower head that has a small plastic end underneath the petals. Place a small amount of styrofoam glue onto that end and push it into Styrofoam. Cover the entire egg with flower heads close to one another and slightly overlapping until the entire Styrofoam egg is covered.

3. Cut the ribbon from a piece of natural white burlap to about  3” x 30” and keep the edges frayed.

4. Write welcome with a brown fabric pen and pin it to the egg.

5. Use the floral wire to make a hanger on the back of the egg and hang it on the door.

 

Vintage Mason Jar with Daffodils

Any size Mason jar will do !

 

 

Materials:

• twine
• large Mason jar
• daffodils

 

1. Use the twine to add a decorative embellishment to the bottom of the jar and under lip by winding and fitting it close together. You can use your hot glue gun to adhere it to the jar.

2. Fill the jar partially with water.

3. Hang the jar with twine on a door or windows sill.

4. Add the daffodils

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watering can

Use a watering can filled with whatever is growing in your garden!

 

 

Materials:

• twine
• metal watering can
• daffodils

This is the same idea as above but with a watering can!

1. Use the twine to add a decorative embellishment to the bottom of the can.

2. Wrap the rope around the around nozzle and handle and hang the watering can from your door knocker.

3. Fill the can with flowering branches – what ever is blossoming in your garden!

 

 

All photos by Michael Partenio

 

 

 

Karin Lidbeck-Brent

is a renowned photo stylist, lifestyle expert and producer of editorial features for dozens of the nations leading magazines. As a stylist Karin is often found styling some of Americas most beautiful homes, gardens and entertaining features working along side the countrys best interior photographers.  In addition to her magazine work, Karin lends her styling and production expertise to numerous catalog, marketing, and television projects.

Karin is sought after for her floral design work, lifestyle ideas and DIY projects that inspire readers in many in the nation’s leading magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Traditional Home, Country Gardens, and Good Housekeeping.

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Colors of Spring: Pink

Published on: 3:49 AM

Welcome, pink! We’ve been waiting all winter for you.

Flirty and flushed, pink is the rosy dawn of a new season. This beauty pops up everywhere: The crabapple and the cherry blossom. The early edges of dawn and twilight. On the cheeks of your favorite folks as they bustle around outdoors.

Pink is innocence and renewal; everything old made young again. It’s enough to make you want rhubarb pie and warm tea.

We’ve been asking our friends on Instagram to to share their #wfmspring colors. Take a look at what's popping up pink…

 

Follow us on Instagram for even more pretty pinks with other colorful hues to come. Share your own photos to show how this springtime beauty shows up in your world by using the #WFMspring tag and become part of our "Colors of Spring" photo gallery.

We also have tons of pink-spiration on our "Colors of Spring" Pinterest board. We've enlisted the help of our friends at Gaiam, Etsy, Refinery29, Pantone, Camille Styles and Saveur to ensure plenty of fabulous springtime ideas!

Where does pink pop up in your life? Tell us below or show us on Instagram with #wfmspring.

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Spring Pantry Spruce-Up: Making the Most of Those Bits and Pieces

Published on: 2:17 PM

I love a good spring cleaning and as you might imagine, much of my ardor is focused on the kitchen. We’re starting to see the buds of a new season (well, most of us – in like a lion, out like a lamb, remember), but it’s still pretty chilly overall, so now feels like perfect time to scrounge around in your cabinets and get cooking.

After an informal office poll, I found these five (handy) troublemakers at the top of our list. For a new start, clean out your pantry, make something delicious, then head to the store for a refresh.

Tiny amounts of grains, cornmeal or lentils

This feels silly, but when you’re baking or following a recipe, often small amounts of a grain or bean will be left when the dish has already hit the oven. Use these tiny portions in easy gratins or tuck cooked lentils into your favorite veggie burger recipe.

Too many canned tomatoes

This is not a problem for me, because I love having extra cans at the ready, but this is definitely an item many of us stock up on when a sale is happening. Put those cans to good use and clear a little space on your shelves.

Miniscule amounts of nuts and seeds

I’ll admit I’m a bit of a collector when it comes to nuts and seeds – they all have a home in my kitchen! – but that means I frequently have just a teaspoon of sesame seeds or a handful of walnut pieces left from some other project. Granolas and snack mixes are go-tos for this category.

Soy sauce

Remember when you bought that last bottle of soy sauce? No? That’s the problem! Or maybe my problem, I always seem to have multiple bottles of soy sauce, shoyu or tamari on hand. Let’s marinate something, shall we.

Mystery bulk flours

I love the bulk section, but often I rely too heavily on my memory and astute sense of smell and forget to label everything I scoop up. A little extra mystery flour never hurt a pancake or muffin – plus, knowing me, the flour is probably whole wheat pastry flour, almond meal or quinoa flour, and that sounds delicious. (Note: these are also good spots for miniscule amounts of nuts and seeds.)

What’s on your list of spring spruce-up targets? Do you have any helpful recipes or strategies to get you of the pantry cleaning hump? Share your tips and suggestions in the comments section below.

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