Once in Michigan, we stopped at the darling empire known as Cherry Republic. I was floored by their graphic design – isn’t it amazing? I was also impressed by their singular focus on the cherry – they sold cherry salsa, cherry soap, cherry hot chocolate, 12 kinds of cherry ice cream, cherry wood products, 6 kinds of cherry soda, cherry wine, etc. See for yourself here.

In between moving and starting a new job, I completed two small (or small-ish) projects: calligraphed escort cards for a wedding, and a birthday card for J.

What do you think?

As I sit at home packing boxes all day in preparation for the big move, I’m really wishing I had some Happy Tape in my life. I think it would, well, make me happy, and what more can you ask for from tape than that? {Besides a certain stick-to-it-iveness… hardy-har-har}. I could even use it to color-code boxes for different rooms – now that would really make me happy.

Purchase here.

The more design-inclined among you may have heard of a company called Hable Construction. As far as I know {and at least in blogging circles}, they are most famous for producing a fabric pattern called “beads.” This particular pattern comes in many lovely colors:

Unfortunately, it is also:

a) only available “to the trade”

and

b) only able to be purchased in a 3-yard minimum

and

c) ridiculously expensive (as in, purportedly $70 a yard. Yeowtch.)

Also falling under the category of “unfortunate” is the fact that when I decided that I was going to make placemats for my new abode, I got my little heart set on this fabric. Before I was aware of points A, B, or C.

Since there’s no turning back in affairs of the heart such as this, I went looking for similar patterns at dissimilar price points. Here’s what I found.

First, there is a way around the whole “to the trade” thing if you’re inclined to pay what Hable’s asking. Decorati is a great source for access to previously off-limits goods, and they do appear to carry almost all of Hable’s patterns {see them here}. I’m not sure exactly how it works, as I’ve never ordered from them before, but it’s definitely worth a shot for those non-designers desperate for the real deal.

Next in both price point and look is the “Hotty Dotty” pattern from Maine Cottage, above. It also appears to be pretty close to the Hable fabric in terms of weight and feel. It retails for $50 a yard, but there is no yardage minimum. They offer three color combinations but two are currently unavailable {the one above – ale/buttercream – is the one currently for sale}. Purchase here.

For a similar price {$42}, Kiitos Marimekko offers a pattern called Pienet Kiivet. It only appears to come in light green. Again, no yardage minimum as far as I can tell. Purchase here.

Lastly, we have an option from Amy Butler’s Miwestern Modern line called Lotus Full Moon, shown here in Tangerine. At $8.98 a yard from Fabric.com it is certainly the budget-conscious choice, but for that price you’re {or I’m} not going to get the lovely linen weight and feel of the Hable original. Purchase here.

So what did I pick? Stay tuned to find out…