I discovered Robes or Earth’s photostream on flickr while searching for photos of apothecary cabinets – and I think you’ll agree that it’s a find! The photos are from amazing museums around the artist’s home of Melbourne Australia – like “an open-air recreation of a coal mining settlement in the 1880s in rural Australia” – Coal Creek. The photographer – Penny Elizabeth Neal is also a salvage artist and craftsperson and creates amazing pieces of jewelry from vintage finds, which she sells on Etsy.

In fact, she has three Etsy shops –
Sparrow Salvage – the new shop with a more sparse, primitive feel.

Little Brown Sparrow (the old shop) for found-object jewellery, paper collage and more, all made from salvaged and antique things…

The Dark Woods for ragged taggle clothing, jewellery, goods and chattles with a dark, sparkly, earthy faery edge.

Check out the candelabra covered in wax!

The gorgeous shot of the apothecary cabinet

Check out the Robes of Earth Photostream. You’ll also see some photos of her studio where she creates her little treasures.

A few of her Etsy creations:

My trip to Boston in February left me with tons of inspiration and business cards from the plethora of adorable shops and boutiques. One of those shops was E.R. Butler & Co.; known for it’s fine architectural details, but what made my jaw drop was the beautiful porcelain treasures and jewelry. Here are a few of my favs. –

The Ted Muehling pieces were simply amazing – the candlesticks, and the exceptionally delicate porcelain vases and candle holders. I’m especially drawn to objects with elements taken from nature – so the “coral” luminaries and tulip tea light especially.

They also have a lot of unique, and stunning jewelry like these cuffs by Darcy Miro.

The Boston showroom.

E.R. Butler also has showrooms in NYC and Florence. See the site for details.
I want to thank Nina, at E.R. Butler, who was super helpful and enthusiastic to answer questions during my visit. It’s always great to meet someone passionate about what they do!

I was really grateful to Spirit Beauty Lounge for sending out two lovely soaps. One was from Skinny Skinny, an organic Lime and mint bar that is chicly and responsibly packaged and produce. This was great after the beach ( I spent the last three weeks visiting my sister in Tampa). The sent wasn’t overly herbal like a lot of herbal soaps – but refreshing. Did I mention the lovely packaging?

The other treat I received was Nostalgia Organics Lavender Flowers. It was really tough to use this one as soap – as great as it is – because the scent is so wonderful. I had it on my desk for awhile before testing it and every now and then I’d get a whiff and…instant relaxation. I love the smell of lavender. And then I tucked it between my clothes in my suitcase and everything smelled so ahhhhmazing when I unpacked it.

A great perk of these products are organic and responsibly manufactured – they say, “Spirit Beauty Lounge is a place where you can shop safe, knowing we’ve done the research for you! All of our organic and sustainable products come from companies who have clearly defined humane, ethical, and environmental policies ensuring the care of our planet and its inhabitants!”

Want some yummies for yourself or for a hard-working lady in your life? See all the goodies at Spirit Beauty Lounge.