#3 - A Literary Love Affair, Part II

This is my last day of freedom before classes begin again. It's a beautiful, sunny day, though, so maybe I'll get to enjoy it before hiding in my books until May.
As an English major with a concentration in literature, I can never get my hands on enough books. I always have one with me (in my huge purse that I carry my life in) and I work at a library part-time. To put it simply, most of the time my life revolves around literature. Yesterday I laid all of my focus on the lovely and fabulous Miss Jane Austen, but today I am presenting you with some of the most interesting literary inspired items that I have seen thus far.

1. Lippy Lady Lip Balms

I received a set of these as a gift and I love them. The orange lip balm is so smooth and tastes sweet. Each tube has a quote about lips or kissing from a famous literary mind, such as E.E. Cummings, John Keats, and others. These are a good treat for oneself and a lovely gift item for Valentine's day. The lip balms also come in peppermint and vanilla and are available in the Lippy Lady Shop.

2. Sylvia Plath Paper Doll

Paper dolls are a wonderful thing and have represented many famous figures over the years, but this, by far, is now my favorite paper person. Sylvia Plath spilled her thoughts out onto paper, so it is only right that she herself be represented in such a way. She comes complete with outfits, a typewriter, and the famous oven that she used in order to commit suicide. Kudos to Lisa Perrin of Le Lapin Triste for this wonderful item. She has several beautifully done paper dolls in her shop, so be sure to take a peak!

3. Anne Sexton Pendant

Anne Sexton is always associated with her pal above, Sylvia Plath. Sexton was also a confessional writer and suicidal genius. Sexton is from the state where I hale, Massachusetts, and I have always had a love for her poetry. This pendant is an elegant tribute to a wonderful mind in poetry. Just Be Designs is the creator of this item as well as a Sexton charm bracelet and jewelry that represents many famous and fabulous people.

4. Shakespeare Gifts by Immortal Longings

I have been a fan in silent admiration of Elizabeth Schuch's work for quite some time now. Her Shakespeare inspired art is absolutely breath-taking. From journals, prints, and pocket mirrors to beautiful leather book marks and calendars - this shop has it all. The items feature noteworthy characters and scenes from Shakespeare's works that have been interpreted in a lovely and elegant fashion through Schuch's art. I simply cannot admire the shop enough!

5. James and the Giant Peach Print

When it comes to children's literature, my heart immediately gravitates toward Roald Dahl. As a child, and even to this day at 19 years old, I am in love with his tales and read them over and over again. When I found this limited edition print I couldn't help but smile. This piece and other lovely artwork by Elle J. Wilson can be found in this shop.

6. Little Women Tote

I first read an abridged version of Little Women in my fourth grade class. That brought on my first trip to the Orchard House in Concord, MA. Now I make it a point to visit Concord every 2 or 3 years to visit Louisa's home as well as places that are important to other literary masters such as Emerson and Thoreau. I also try to read Little Women every year or two around Christmas. I am lucky to live in New England and have one of my favorite authoress's homes so close by. This tote made me smile the instant I saw it. The quote is a favorite of mine, and likely a favorite of every ardent Alcott fan. The creator is the owner of the shop Tea and Virgina Woolf Before Bedtime. The name of the shop alone is reason enough to head over and check it out! She has totes available with quotes from Alcott, Woolf, Plath, and Bronte.

7. Alice in Wonderland Blocks

There is a great deal of hype surrounding Lewis Carrol's Alice now that Tim Burton's version of the classic is set to hit theaters this March. I am a fan of both Alice and Burton, so I am interested in seeing his interpretation. I must say though, that there has always been something intriguing about the little girl who fell down a rabbit hole. I have been fascinated with her since the age of 4 and the love just never stopped. There are hundreds of fabulous Alice items on the market right now, but these blocks are the most original and wonderful item that I have found. They make great decorative pieces for Alice fans and The Aviary has several sets and sizes of the Alice blocks that have different texts and illustrations.


I could go on all day, but those items are at the top of my list of literary inspired goodies.

I am now dipping into the realm of literature in my shop by saving and upcycling classics. Libraries and used book stores discard so many copies of classic books because they no longer look perfect. I have taken it upon myself to clean these books up and give them a new look. I recently revamped a copy of Frankenstein with a beat up cover to give it a clean, designer look that is now for sale in my shop.



I will be updating many more classics and selling them soon.

Now that my head is swimming in fantasy lands, words, and poetry, I think that it's about time that I whipped out a batch of chocolate chip pancakes and enjoyed a good long escape into a book.

x's and o's