What's Not To Love: Maddie On Things

Maddie is a rescue coonhound. Her owner, documentary photographer Theron Humphrey, has discovered that she possesses an astonishing ability to balance on most anything. Now he has a blog and a book with photos he took of Maddie. On things. Or sometimes the things are on her.
Like this:

You better watch this video to warm your cockles even more! And if you're in the States, Maddie might even come and visit your town. I'm so jealous!
© Photos - Theron Humphrey - Maddie On Things

Of Men And Cats

My brother knows me well. He sent me this link a few days ago. And by golly, did it lead to the best website ever! 
Je vous presente: Des Hommes at des Chatons!

You get the gist.
Meow!
© Text - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

What's Not To Love: Cross Stitch Necklaces from Blend

The lady behind Blend goes by the name of Crystal, and I stumbled upon her covetable cross stitch jewellery on Instagram. Crystal stitches up colourful geometrical patterns and then makes her mini canvases into beautiful pendants. 

These photos are from her current shop inventory, and you can get updates on Crystal's business and her life on the Blend blog.

 

Oh, and just in case Santa is reading: the teal polka dots are to die for!     © Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).  

What's Not To Love: Aníbal Vallejo

When I first saw Aníbal Vallejo's work I was instantly taken by his style. The Colombian artist combines thread, fabric and paint to create his mixed media canvases. His subjects look sleek, but have a slightly eerie and forlorn quality to them. The embroidered details are painstakingly immaculate, which might be attributed to the artist's background in fashion design.
Make sure to visit Aníbal's website to discover more of his paintings.

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© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

What's Not To Love: Cat Versus Human

If you're a cat person and have a furry f(r)iend in your life, I am pretty sure you will love Yasmine's blog Cat Versus Human. If you are a dog person, you will probably not get it. If you embrace both the existence of felines and canines, you should definitely go have a look.

Yasmine draws scenes from a life with cats, and they are so accurate that they make me chuckle every time she comes up with a new one.

Here are 3 of my favourites:

So true.

I do this maybe every other day. 

I guess the undersides of the kibble don't have that stale smell yet.

Mae and Missy. To a tee.

Go visit and enjoy!

© Text  - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

What's Not To Love: Dandelyne (Psst! Giveaway!)

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Dandelyne is the brand new embroidery venture of my brand new favourite creative person, Sonia Lyne from Melbourne. Sonia makes beautiful necklaces for which she lovingly creates little stitched people, hearts and animals in miniature embroidery hoops. The tiny hoops are designed and made by Sonia herself and measure 4cm or 5.5 cm across (that's 1 and 9/16 or 2 and 1/8 inches). They are made from pine ply and come with a choice of silver plated or antique bronze plated chains.  

Sonia just recently opened shop and has since been working up a storm to fill her virtual shelves. She says “I am a newbie to the ETSY world, opening my shop only last November. My goal was to open it by the end of 2011 which I achieved. Then I closed it down for 6 weeks to take a holiday. My little mini hoops evolved over my break and I must say I AM IN LOVE WITH THEM … is it o.k. to say that about your own stuff?!” It definitely is in your case, Sonia! 

Using all kinds of different fabrics and DMK embroidery floss to create her pieces, every necklace is as individual as the cute characters that Sonia thinks up. Just have a look for yourself and make sure to check below the pictures for a special announcement!

Sonia also offers truly personalized items, with initials of your choice or an embroidered image of your loved one. Oh, and the announcement? To celebrate the launch of her business, Sonia has generously offered a giveaway. The prize is a necklace of the winner’s choosing from the selection available at Dandelyne. Lucky winner!

Here is how you can enter:

1) MANDATORY - Visit the Dandelyne shop and leave a comment below, telling me your favourite item.

2) OPTIONAL - For another entry, like Dandelyne on Facebook and leave a comment if you did so.

3) OPTIONAL – Add Sonia’s shop to your Favourites on Etsy and leave a comment after you did.

4) OPTIONAL - For a fourth and final entry, why don't you either blog or tweet about this giveaway? If you do, please leave the link to your blog post or your tweet in another separate comment. You can use this tweet if you like: Win a cute embroidered necklace from Dandelyne! Check out @Live_Long_Day's blog to see how: http://www.allthelivelongday.com/2012/02/whats-not-to-love-dandelyne-psst.html

Please make sure you leave one comment for each action and that you provide some kind of contact detail that I can reach you at in case you win. The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.

The giveaway will close at midnight (GMT) on Sunday, 11 March 2012 and I will draw a random comment and announce the winner on Monday, 12 March 2012.

GOOD LUCK!

 

© Text - All The Live Long Day. All photos courtesy of Dandelyne - Sonia Lyne. 

What's Not To Love: Handmade Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling. The actor. He loves you, Girl! He would never screw you over. Obviously he's a feminist, a lover of books (you can often meet him at the library), and has a keen interest in fonts and biostatistics. Plus he's Canadian. For real!
And did you know that on top of all this, wonderful Ryan is every crafty gal's dream companion? Meet Ashley from One In The Hand. Now meet her creation, Handmade Ryan Gosling!
I bumped into handmade Ryan when Fourteen Countess tweeted about him, and now I'm in love. He cracks me up big time!
I could not resist creating my own perfect Ryan:

You see, that's what he's like. Check him out! 

Thank you, Ashley, for giving the handmade community a place to go in those times when friends, other halves, housemates and maybe even we crafty girls ourselves despair. Oh, and thank YOU, Ryan!

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

I Like Looking Like Other People

I never understood how people can get upset and worked up over somebody else wearing the same outfit. I find it hilarious when it happens to me and I usually compliment the other person on their good taste.

Consequently, I love this new-to-me website, I Like Looking Like Other People. It's full of pictures of workmates & friends who found themselves in accidental matchy-matchy situations.

 All photos via I Like Looking Like Other People
 © Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Winter Warmer Recipe Swap - Inspiration

                                              

Have you joined the Winter Warmer Recipe Swap that Fiona and I are organizing?  There are 8 days left before the sign-up deadline and I would love for you to take part! It's all about exchanging your well-loved recipes with other people who like to cook.

When you write down a recipe for somebody else, do you get all artistic? I for one always try and add some kind of doodle or a fancy font. I'm not in any way artistically inclined, but I like to personalize recipes that way.

There is an awesome website called They Draw And Cook. It is full of illustrated recipes that are very much artistic and I love to browse it just to look at the amazing designs.
I chose some of the images I found there to serve as inspiration for the swap. Of course you don't have to get fancy at all, a lovingly handwritten recipe is enough in itself, so let these awe but not intimidate you!

Adam James Turnbull

Kristen Nohe

Alison Berry

Jessica Barnes

Nate Padavick

Jackie Mancuso

Anne Lizotte

Adela Kang

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).