The Wonder of Etsy.

Of course, many of you are intimately acquainted with Etsy (as are your PayPal accounts). It's fairly new to me. But Josh found me that fabulous River Song Tardis journal there, and I just received another journal from an Etsy store. One of my favorite qualities of Etsy artists is the care with which they package their creations--often with yarn or ribbons and thank you notes. This one came with a bookmark made of an antique book spine.

After reading a post about up-cycled books on Oh, Hello Friend, I thought about how amazing writing "within the covers" of one of my favorite books (especially if I didn't have to be the one to cut it up). So I followed a link from the post and ended up at Pigsey Art's store. There, I spotted (gasp!) and ordered this gorgeous Under the Lilacs (Alcott) journal.

The cover is in excellent condition, and interspersed through the blank pages are illustrations and pages of text from the original book. Swoon!

Oh, and my friend Hannah of the Smarty Art blog has a new Etsy store you should check out here!

More Shimmer Clicks.

Butterflies and Roses Zoe is 20, married, and an English Lit student in England. She writes about her art projects, her books, and her plans for the future.

The Quiet Life of Violet Violet is 26, married, and very close to having her first baby. She has overcome incredible challenges and is living a gorgeous, artsy life.

Bloglovin' I think Bloglovin' is pretty cool because you can collect all the blogs you read in one place. You can follow blogs without having to sign up for accounts on different hosting sites.

Humdrum Star This is Josh's new tumblr page, so of course, I think you should check it out.

Soul Food Cafe You can get lost here for hours.

Pansy Lane  Hope's travels, crafts, adorable outfits, and pixie prettiness.

Whatever happens, don't say 'Awwww' Just in case you need to remember that the world has sweetness.

(Image: http://wearethewastedchildren.tumblr.com/post/5048860622)

Shimmer Clicks.

Sofia's Journal Sofia is English and almost exactly my age. Her blog, full of fascinating lists, decorating ideas, and fashion and beauty reviews, inspired me to start this blog.

The White Library Beautiful ideas for events, recipes, and decorating. I haven't read much because I've been too busy looking at the photos.

We Heart It This is a fun, inspiring, and addictive website. It's full of gorgeous images from all over the web, and you can form your "Heart," a kind of collage of images that speak to you. Josh calls it online scrapbooking. I've found many of the images you'll see here on We Heart It.

The Making of a Mrs. Sarah is another English girl who has been living in the US and is learning about what it means to be a wife. Be ready for insight and humor.


Minnie's Cakes If, like me, you've ever found yourself thinking about beautiful cakes (or if, unlike me, you've ever thought about making them), check out this gorgeous blog.

Le Re Nua Leah is getting started on a blog about love and healing. If you have Irish blood or an Irish spirit, you'll enjoy this.

(Image: http://favim.com/image/67560/)