For years I've purchased some of my favourite gifts for loved ones from Etsy sellers. I love that I can ship items directly to people, and many Etsy sellers will even gift wrap and include little gift cards for the recipients. This year is no different - I've compiled some collections of my favourite items for him, her, little ones, and others in my "Etsy Tastemaker" collection. So here you go! My 2013 Etsy Holiday Gift Guide...

See more of my gift ideas for her 

See more of my gift ideas for the Mr. in my Gift Ideas for Him
(I purchased the stamped luggage tags show above for Aubrey last year and he loved them!)

See more of my gift ideas for Babies & Kids

I have some other collections on the go that I'll showcase later, but I thought these three would get your mind working for creative ideas on gifts for those on your list.

xo Lindsay

*This post contains affiliate links. (Click on the link to read more about affiliate links on my blog) - Lindsay 

I love the concept of pop up parties, but in reality can be a bit hard to do.  Especially with a toddler in tow.
So I thought how cool would it be to create a pop up space at home -  a little extraordinary in the ordinary, a little bit of fantasy for just one evening.

I wanted to set the table up in the garden surrounded by fairy lights, but some heavy rain storms meant it had to be plan B, our wide hallway.  I threw down a rug and moved our outdoor table and pillows indoors for the evening.  Then I strung the glass doors with fairy lights and lit candles to create a romantic glow of light.

Watermelon and lime agua fresca kicked off the evening, followed by a delicious Mexican inspired menu made by my amazing hubby.  Wraps with lamb, pomegranates and honey coriander yoghurt, or deconstructed chorizo with jalapeno green sauce, chunks of pineapple dusted with salt and chilli powder, and a grapefruit granita with a mojito sauce to finish.   Delicious!

I found gorgeous bunches of natives in yellows and oranges at the flower seller this morning. 

Wax flowers, pin cushions and kangaroo paw form a zesty base that could be Christmas or fiesta.  I made a low arrangement for the table centre with a few candles, finished with white plates and white napkins.  Fresh, fun and simple.

Sitting on cushions on the floor with the glow of candlelight and fairy lights, what fun.

The space was transformed, it didn't look like our house at all.  All the fantasy of a pop up party, with all the comforts of home and a fully equipped kitchen close at hand.  I didn't use anything I didn't already own, I just moved things into unexpected places.
I hope you are inspired!  Go on, string up some lanterns or fairy lights, and throw a pop up party of your own at home too.  Make sure to tell me what you created!

All images by Eva Burgess of Build House Home, except 5th image by Graeme Myburgh.



 



Okay, so I know that it's not Sunday now for most of you but for those of us here on the West Coast we still have about an hour left and I am determined to get this post in before midnight so I can still call it SUNDAY Night Inspiration. Ha!

 

I know, it's really okay...I can give myself grace when I don't get these written early enough to schedule a post but to be quite honest, as much as I would like to plan these posts, they don't always work that way. Sometimes when I think I know just what I want to share with all of you, what's really on MY heart is not really what's on God's heart. Since this is the reason I write these each week anyway {to share God's heart for you, me, to inspire and empower you} I wait.

 

I wait until the very last minute sometimes just to hear it. A word...

 

Tonight it was just one...CAPTIVATING. Wait. What? What does that mean?

 

I was sitting and thinking...well, actually kinda freaking out that I hadn't posted this just yet and it was already after 12 noon.

 

Maybe I just wouldn't post this today? Maybe it would be okay to just leave this one blank and let the one from last Sunday soak in a bit more? What would people think? Would they think I am an inconsistent blogger? That they couldn't follow and trust to find the series here, right here, each Sunday? Come on Lord...I need to share my heart and I need you to GIVE ME a word for your girls {and some of your guys} right NOW.

 

So there I sat, all stressed out when it came.

 

Now, I know I probably say this each and every week...but I will do my absolute BEST to keep this one short and sweet.

 

You are captivating. And not only are you captivating but HE is captivated by you. Not because of your beauty {but you are beautiful}, not because you're a good dancer {but I am SURE you are}. Not because you have the best outfits or your hair is JUST right or because you didn't yell at your kids today {thank you Jesus} but because you are made in His image, created with a great purpose to fulfill.

 

Now this may seem like a little thing. It may seem like something that really just doesn't matter...all of this "captivating" mumbo jumbo...but, here's the deal:

 

Another word for captivating...capture. Can you believe that God is SO in love with you that you capture his heart? And that His love is so big, so deep, so wide that He wants to capture yours? And in the midst of your life and day-to-days and all of your working and doing, His love is so magnified that it captures others.

 

I know this is a lot of captivating and capturing and I really don't want to make this complex. So, simply put...God wants us {His girls} to be SO captivated, so caught up, so CAPTURED by Him and what He has placed in us, what He called us to do whether it be for a season or for a lifetime so much so that it overflows into all that we do until people begin to take notice.

 

And then before you know it, God working through you...through your gifts, through your smile, the gift of a free coffee to a stranger, through that change of a diaper and a spontaneous convo in a public restroom {come on I know I am NOT the only one} CAPTURES another one's heart.

 

She {that stranger, that friend from years ago, fill in the blank} is then raptured, wrapped up in, swaddled and captivated by you and the God shining through you.

 

So, it all starts here...with knowing that you are LOVED by your Creator and that He loves YOU and is captivated by YOU. You are captivating. You are loved. You are worth it.

 

Praying for you this week {and for myself} that we KNOW it, feel it, sense it, experience it...the captivating love of Christ. There's nothing like it in this world.

 

 

Kim Walker is one of my faves. Please take a moment to listen to the words of this song. Really sums up the heart of this post.

 



 









A few weeks ago I was at Ikea looking for the Ranarp clamp light for Oscar's room, when I happened across the Ranarp work light. For some reason I felt it necessary to grab two work lights to just "try" out at home - originally intending to put them into my office. It turns out that they found a home in our bedroom.

I was unsure about the look for a few days, wondering if they looked too much like work lights, but in the end I've come to the conclusion that they are a welcomed addition of modern into a room that has a lot of "traditional". So it's a nice juxtaposition. Also, they sit on our Rast Hack - It's an Ikea side table party over here.

Now I just have to time my next Ikea visit so I can actually go on a day that they have the clamp lights in stock. Those babies are hard to get a hold of.

Happy Friday! I'm off to pick Oscar up from pre-school, but before I do - I wanted to post my newest family member. Although his name is up for debate (Lionel perhaps?) he is proudly displayed in our kitchen. Get this. He's a cookie jar!

Made by Imm Living, and purchased from Le Tablier Blanc at the gift show I was at - he's a welcomed addition to our home.  (You can see more Imm Living items here)

Have a lovely weekend! xo Linds