Blogger's Favorites -- Lynn of Satsuma Press + A Giveaway!

This week's list belongs to Lynn of the insanely lovely letterpress line, Satsuma Press. I had a chance to get to know Lynn a bit after I posted her calendar in my roundup, and I can safely say that she's not only incredibly talented, but also incredibly kind... She is a wonderful mother a gifted artist and is endlessly supportive of other independent artists (the proof is in her list below!)

Lynn has also kindly offered to give away one of her gorgeous 2010 calendars to one of my readers. Just leave a comment on this post by Tuesday at 6pm CST, and I'll announce a winner on Wednesday!

I can't wait for you to get to know Lynn a bit better through her favorites! So without further ado, herewith Lynn's list. Enjoy and have a lovely weekend!

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I was really excited when Joslyn asked me to write a favorites list for her lovely blog. I am a list making fool and it also turns out I have an awful lot of favorites, so it was harder than I thought to narrow this list down to a manageable size. I tried to include some things that haven't already been listed – and I hope you see something you love too, particularly with the holidays around the corner. It probably goes without saying, but the true favorites aren't listed here – that is, my 5 year old son, Liam and my husband, Ben; my friends; my home; my studio and letterpress printing ... These are always at the top of the list, but here are some more tangible top 20 things (because I couldn't seem to make my list any shorter!)

So, in no particular order, with love for each and every:

• House plants in white ceramic pots. I bought the filigree pattern one at the Portland grocery store, New Seasons, but it is also available here. The leaf pattern one is from IKEA.



• Orla Kiely mugs. I bought these on eBay (make sure you check the worldwide option when you search.)



• Kitchen linens. My favorites are from Elisabeth Bentz and Skinny laMinx. Elisabeth and I have done several trades – linens for letterpress – and we'll both be at the Sunday Best Holiday Sale in Portland the weekend after Thanksgiving. Heather of Skinny laMinx and I have recently collaborated on some lovely letterpress stationery and gift tags. Heads up – there is going to be a giveaway soon featuring an apron from her, a teapot from Heath Ceramics and some stationery that Heather designed and I printed for Heath. Check my journal for details.



• Field books. I've recently converted from Moleskine Notebooks to these Field Books by Russell + Hazel. And I love a good mechanical pencil, too – plus these come in great colors and different lead thicknesses.
  
  

• Tea. I drink a lot of tea. My daily one is PG Tips, but I also love a good green oolong. You can buy excellent loose leaf tea from Imperial Tea in San Francisco. The gaiwan (covered teacup) is also from Imperial Tea. The yellow (upside down) one is from White Forest Pottery and the dark orange one is from another all time favorite, Heath Ceramics. The origami placemat is from Modern Twist).



• Necklaces. I love these necklaces, which seem to be really the only two I wear. They are from NY based Local Library. These are Lauren's little wings and silver fringe. I also have my eye on this one. I also love the combination of ochre and grey. The yellow hair clip is from Anthropologie and the grey one from J. Crew.



• Food magazines. My favorite is Donna Hay, but I also enjoy Gourmet and Bon Appétit. I also especially love The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater, most likely available at your local bookstore, but also right here.
  
  
• Knitting. I like a project that I can come back to when I have a little free time (which isn't often). I most enjoy making sweaters for little kids. My favorite pattern is for an owl sweater by Penny Straker. This one is my son Liam's, knitted in Blue Sky Alpaca in copper
  

• Bud Vases.I love these little bud vases with these little yellow flowers, which I only recently learned the name of – craspedia.



• Pretty stamps. It makes all the difference for your packages – and I send a lot of them for my online shop orders. It's easy enough to find the good ones – just go to the USPS website. Also good for pretty packages – glassine envelopes and patterned Japanese masking tape (like I did for my 2010 calendar. Don't forget to leave a comment here for a chance to win a calendar for yourself!



• Wooden spoons. The best ones found mostly at antique stores, but the middle one is from the oh-so-lovely Herriott Grace.
  


• Japanese paper. So, so beautiful. I'm using it for a new project – the first ever Satsuma Press Perpetual Calendar. Check my journal for updates. You can buy your own sheets of chiyogami and katazome online at the The Paper Place.
  
  

Images clockwise: Modaspia, Max Wanger, Yu-I Chan, Pigeon Toe Ceramics, NPR, Powells

• The Fiji Dress by Modaspia. I sent Ursula some fine wale rust colored corduroy to make me a Fiji Dress a few weeks ago and – I am a creature of habit – I wear it all the time. Really. I just noticed this brand new and perfect shirt.



• Max Wanger's photography, although I may be biased because he shot my wedding line for me.
  


• The stunning prints of Yu-I Chan. She has nothing in her shop right now, but here are some fine examples, here and here.
  
  
• Classic children's books, like Little Bear and Frog and Toad, which I now read to Liam and which are helping him learn to read by himself. We also love books on CD for after school, especially Charlotte's Web read by the author, E.B. White and pretty much anything by Roald Dahl.



• Portland Restaurants, which I miss so much ever since we moved to Corvallis, a small college town about 90 minutes south, eighteen months ago. Can't-go-wrong favorites – Pok Pok, Toro Bravo and my friends' cafe, Little Red Bike.



• This American Life everything about it.



• These disc chimes by Portland-based Pigeon Toe Ceramics. Lisa will also be at the Sunday Best Holiday Sale.
  
  
• Buckwheat butter cookies with cocoa nibs. Best cookie ever. Find the recipe in Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert or here via Orangette.