Frecklewonder

blog love :: super ninon and her super les monstrìs

i am a huge fan of these amazing creatures made by tania of super ninon. originally from italy, tania now lives in berlin.  she began sewing clothing for herself and her friends and drawing lots of little monsters. so naturally, she decided to combine her love for them both and her project "les monstrìs" was born, in 2004.

i discovered her on flickr a long time ago, and have been secretly loving each and every one of these little guys. did you know that each little monster is one of a kind?! i have a serious appreciation, not only for her creative design, but also for her ability to execute- especially after my own failed attempt at making some little dolls over the holidays for dotty and her bff pia. they were super cute in my head, but when i got them put together, they were super wonky. and not so much cute. so kudos to tania for such amazing work!!!

it was a tough choice to narrow it down to this group- they're all so special, and have so much personality, don't you think?!

read the super ninon blog HERE
shop the big cartel shop HERE
shop the etsy shop HERE
peruse her monster gallery HERE

blog love :: what i wore

ok, so i absolutely adore this blog. there are so many street fashion, street style, fashion related blogs out there, but this one stands out for me, and i'll tell ya why.

the photos: which are just fantastic. the colors, the composition, the styling and the gorgeous new york backdrop. it's all just so good.

the girl: jessica is absolutely A-DORABLE, you can't help but love her. she is creative and inspirational as all get out with her outfits, mixing vintage and new, working in things like hats and gloves (which, let's get real, ain't easy for everyone), sporting a huge range of looks from long pucci print dresses to ultra feminine dresses + heels to making even the most simple jeans + chucks look a-mazing. but on top of that, she's just really like-able.

the vibe: and this is really just more about jessica, but i really appreciate that she isn't snobby about fashion, and i think that sometimes fashion blogs can really come across that way. jessica seems super approachable and genuine, which i dig. plus, i like that there isn't a ton of over-thinking and discussion about fashion, which honestly, can seem sort of fluffy to me every once in a while. you know, lighten up it's just fashion, right? it is what it is, and she does it so well.

                              all Images courtesy of Jessica Schroeder, What I Wore


so if you don't already have her blog WHAT I WORE added to your blog roll, puh-leeze, what are you waiting for?!

blog love :: keith's notes from the country

my friends keith + chris bought the cutest little country home earlier this summer and keith has been blogging about their weekends spent up there ever since. just wanted to share with you a few of my favorite posts, in case you hadn't stopped by the fred flare blog in a little while.

i double dog dare you not to smile.

the original notes from the country post:

honor market:

 

37 flowers:

 

 

and beautiful bottle:

 

i love reading keith's notes from the country- his perspective on life and everything else, big and small, makes me smile, makes me laugh, makes me proud and inspires me a ton. and i always wish i could give him a giant hug. he is officially one of the sweetest peeps i've met through frecklewonder.

and, ps- keith just celebrated his birthday, so head on over + say hello, wish him a happy birthday and tell him freckle sent ya! 

congrats again, to keith and chris. the little country cottage is beautiful and i couldn't think of anyone more deserving :)

*all images courtesy of Fred Flare

blog love:: shutterbean

today i share with you Thee Blog that has been my absolute go-to blog for delicious recipes. i can't tell you how many times i've needed to an idea- whether it be something you can whip up for a simple gathering,  a little something to have on hand for neighbors around the holidays, or something delicious you can really sink your teeth into for dinner- i promise you, it's alllllll good.

don't even get me started on the sweets, good lordies. 

and as if the foodie stuff wasn't enough to get you goin', there's much more in the way of inspiration: check out her posts on organizing, decorating, and travel .

shutterbean, aka tracy, not only makes amazing stuff, provides the recipes and simple, easy to use directions- she takes *gorgeous* photos of her process. there are so many times that i'm in the kitchen and i think about grabbing the camera only too late. usually it's all i can manage to grab a picture of a meal once it's been plated. so, instead, i drool all over tracy's photos and do my best to recreate the yum for my family. i am always telling her how much i wish we could be neighbors. wouldn't she make an amazing neighbor?!?!

 

go on over and say hello, why don'tcha! tell her freckle sent you :)

*all images courtesy of Shutterbean Photography/Tracy Benjamin

blog love:: strawberry lemonade

hey ya'll! thanks so much for sharing some of your best blogs with me! i am bookmarking and making notes for future perusing. and would you believe this: after goodness knows how long, i am actually working on composing a list for the sidebar of all my favorite reads. gosh, it's only taken me, oh, 2 years or so? wow.

so i would like to share with you, one of my favorite blogs by one of my favorite people. 

strawberry lemonade written by the fabulous and lovely alex, is a fairly new blog- but miss alex is not new to blogging at all. she and i go way back to the good ol' days of live journal. but we first met on ebay about a zillion years ago. in fact, she is my first online-turned-real-life friend. we both share a love of vintage, which is what originally brought us together. if i recall correctly, alex had a pair of silver t-strap shoes listed on ebay, and i wrote her about them. and you know how the ol' saying goes- the rest is history. 

we emailed back and forth for ages, and eventually, like two giggly schoolgirls, we set up our first phone chat. we both laughed about how silly and nervous we felt. you know, when you get to know someone so well, in a less traditional sense-- on the internet-- hearing someone's voice for the first time can make ya kinda squirly! and let's face it- it wasn't that long ago that it might have been considered strange or at least taking a chance to meet someone online and pursue any kind of relationship with them, you know what i mean? this was definitely before the days of facebook and friendster and flickr and everything else.

but alex and i, we are like two peas in a pod. cut from the same cloth. she is my west coast bestie, that's for sure. often times, we will finish each other's thoughts. she cracks me up like nobody else. and in the summer of (04, i think?) we actually had the chance to meet face-to-face. it was so fun after chatting all those years to finally be in the same room. she and her hubby were such generous hosts, i spent a few days at her lovely home in SF, back when their little guy, wolfgang, was just a wee thing. such a treat.

anyhoo, i digress. the point is: i love this miss alex. and you will too. her blog is so fun, she is a hilarious, witty, smart, creative writer. she has a super fun job. a great eye. a wicked amazing sense of style. she is a fantastic mom. and she has two cute fellas in her life (her hubby greg also writes a hilarious, smart blog, so check that out, too).

a few of my favorite posts from the lovely alex (but really, you should catch up and read them all from the beginning! and be sure to say hello + tell her freckle sent ya!)

7 of my favorite things

slim aarons and the beautiful people

rhinestone cowgirl

and of course a girl without freckles is like a night without stars

keep the blog love coming!

share your blog love

now that i've got my gears turning again, i thought i'd pop back on for another post or two today. plus, i'm taking any excuse possible right now to take a break from photo editing. my eyes! they are fried.

on the topic of blogs- i was wondering- would you share some of your favorites with me? this probably completely contradicts what i said earlier about stepping away from the internet and all, but- i must admit- i do love it when i come across a new blog that is full of inspiration, beautiful pictures, wonderful writing, funny stories and happiness. i recently tidied up my bloglines a bit, and now i've got a little room for some newbies. so please share with me!

i will share with you a few of mine in a new category that i am going to introduce here shortly, which is yet to be named-- i swear i am really just typing this out as i am thinking it (how's that for being prepared). but i thought it would be fun to share our juicy little online reads with one another. you know, the ones that you see in the list that you click on first. i want to know about those. ok? :)

they could be crafty, lifestyle, design, decor, food, fashion, whatever. i love it all.

and on a totally different note, i just came across this:

how lovely is that?! those folks are giving one of those bad boys away- so if you're not interested in it for yourself, will you do me a favor and click on the link for me? thanks!!!

now get to sharin' your fave blogs!!! xo