facebook page

I created a Facebook page for my Etsy shop! 

I'll be trying to post over here occasionally, but I will keep the Facebook page completely up to date.  If you're interested in keeping up with my shop, please visit the page and follow it! 

etsy shop reopening

Hello hello!  It's only been a year and a half since my last post...  Obviously there are many new things to say, but the main thing is that I'm reopening my etsy shop!  I'm dipping my toes into the water by renewing a couple of items from long ago.  5 years ago, to be exact.  Time is so strange.  These pictures were taken in a house I no longer live in, before I had a baby or any concrete plans of becoming pregnant.  Now I have a three and a half year old kid bouncing around the house!  And yet it feels to me that I only took these pictures a few months ago.

To sum it up with a quote from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, "Everything is different, but the same... things are more moderner than before... bigger, and yet smaller... it's computers..."

Plaid Pink A-Line Skirt - Extra Small

Beautiful 1960s Pleated Mauve Midi Skirt - Extra Small

These two skirts aren't exactly in season for anyone in the northern hemisphere, but I had to start somewhere easy, and renewing the items I still have is as easy as it gets!  If you are a very small size and live on the bottom half of the world, you're in luck!  I pondered these skirts in a blog post way back when.  I was smaller than I am now, and they were still too tight on my body... yet I considered keeping them.  I'll just say that comfort rates much higher on my list of priorities these days, so there's no point in keeping them.

This shop reopening is sparked by the fact that Audrey will be starting preschool two days a week in the fall.  I'm so looking forward to some time to myself, and I plan to start adding new items to the shop!!  

If you're one of my readers from the good old days, please leave a comment and let me know what you're up to!  I've missed you all.

owlette collective

So many people commented on Audrey's spiky bonnet in the last post that I just wanted to tell you where I got it!  A friend gave it to us when I was pregnant, and that little bonnet kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the tiny companion that could wear it.  Of course she found it on Etsy... at owlette collective.  I checked over there today, and look at the adorable things they have in stock!  I couldn't keep these to myself.

Blue Green Zig Zag Spike Bonnet

Pink Circus Owl Bib

Gray Green Two Tone Vest

It's hard to keep such precious baby accessories in stock, I'm sure, so there are only a handful of items in the shop -- but they're so worth browsing!  They have some amazing bear cub bonnets as well, which you can see in the sold section.  I'd love to get one of those!  Every baby deserves a special hat.

Happy Saturday!

Here's a little Etsy treasury that I put together just for the fun of it! 



Lovely vintage breakfast things and cute art prints, all in honor of my love of breakfast and coffee.  I could eat breakfast foods for all 3 meals in a day.  Sometimes.. I do.  Shh!  And after skipping out on caffeine for nearly a year, I have recently rediscovered a huge love of coffee.  It's so essential for groggy mornings.  I limit myself to one cup a day to keep the magic alive.

What's your favorite breakfast food?  Happy weekend to everyone!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway if you like neat free things!  Only a couple of days left - I will be drawing a winner on Monday!

paper flowers and pinwheels

Time for a Baby Sloth History Test, for those hardcore readers with a good memory.... Do you recall this post?  Nearly 3 years ago, a lovely lady sent me some cookies to help promote her Etsy shop.  Now Lauren is back with a new shop called Ellie Soo!  She contacted me about helping promote her shop again, and I was more than happy to sign up for some free samples and business cards.  Today I received this sweet package in the mail.

Ellie Soo specializes in handmade cards and gift sets.  Lauren has put together some really neat little gift baskets that you can have sent directly to friends and loved ones.  Whether you want to wish someone well or show your love, she's got you covered with origami rose bouquets and feel-better gift sets! 

Origami rose bouquet!

My favorite things in her shop right now are these sweet sets of origami roses.  The stems are made from pens or markers and colored pencils.  Such a cool idea!  Head on over and check out her shop!

This post brought to you by a baby that takes real naps* now!!!  Not pictured.
*As opposed to fake naps (sleeping in my arms all day long).  I finally figured out how to put Audrey down to sleep in her crib, and it's awesome.  I have time to DO things!!

perspective

A very dramatic robin

I wanted to thank everybody who joined in on the conversation yesterday. I'm planning to reply to everyone in turn, when I have a bit more time. In retrospect, it looks like I was whining. A little self-indulgent whine is allowed on personal blogs, right? But there were some valid thoughts in there. Sometimes it's easy to lose perspective, and the comments I received did help me gain some. I've been trying to balance a lot of areas in my life lately, as well as trying to be more true to myself -- there are plenty of awkward moments in the process. Thanks for sticking with me!

And just so you know, I did go ahead and list that plaid skirt in my Etsy shop! It's been almost 2 months since anything was added to the shop, so that was somewhat refreshing.

shoes and things

It's Monday again! These Mondays just keep happening, don't they? Let's ponder some things.

Yikes, sharp-lookin' ankles.

Like these shoes. I really think these shoes are adorable and they fit me perfectly, but I'm also not sure I'll really ever wear them. So they may or may not be going into my Etsy shop soon! Oh, my poor, neglected Etsy shop. For some reason I just can't make myself get back into the habit of regularly updating. I think it will live on, but just barely.


I have been trying to spend less time on the internet and more time in real life, so here's my blanket apology for not visiting and commenting on blogs as much lately! I will do what I can, but I'm hoping to make a permanent shift of habits and it may affect my blog posting and commenting. You may not even notice it, but I thought I'd mention it just in case you do.

As someone who doesn't really have a job and stays home every day, the internet can be a good thing and a bad thing. Yes, it's an amazing source of information and inspiration, but some days I get information and inspiration OVERLOAD: seeing endless creativity from other people stifles my own creativity. And I end up wasting a lot of time. Last week I began limiting my time online, and the change was almost instant-- I felt a major surge of energy and accomplished so many things that I've been putting off. I know I can't expect every day to be like that, but I feel I should give myself the chance to have those days, and that means less sitting around in front of the computer! I need to take action to make things happen: an obvious fact that can easily be forgotten when I'm distracted. And that's what the internet feels like to me so often: a big distraction.

Diana totally nailed the feeling in this post about taking a blog break. I'm trying to make my daily schedule more well-rounded, and also pushing myself to try new things instead of getting stuck in the same old ruts!

what i need right now...

...is one of these vintage owl cookie jars. Full of some delicious cookies, of course! Today is turning out to be a little bit stressful - let's do some owl therapy! Haha, seriously, every time I get stressed out it really helps to go to Etsy and just put in some exciting keywords ("owl cookie jar" or "dinosaur robot" or "oxford heels") and just browse away my cares!

Winking Owl! - $42 from PotKettleBlack

Exciting owl! - $55 from iamthemandy

Art Deco Owl! - $100 from RetroRedeux

I think all of these guys are amazing. And I'm glad to know the winking owl is out there -- my mother-in-law has the exact same cookie jar in a lighter cream color!

Hope you're all having a better Thursday than I am! Let's not speak of my problems and perhaps they'll go away. :)

a little etsy update

I'm sorry there hasn't been too much of interest or substance on my blog lately: there is a crazy amount of packing and moving-related stuff going on over here! We're doing one final walk through the house tomorrow and then signing closing documents on Friday. Yep, in 3 days Robert and I will be homeowners! We are already planning our first night in the house: it's a celebration between the two of us that will hopefully involve some Girl Scout cookies.

I promise to share some pictures as soon as I can! It's not my house yet so I don't feel comfortable creeping about with a camera (though I'm sure that's perfectly normal), but soon... Ooh, let me give you some teasers: built in 1962, hardwood floors, exciting paint colors. Use your imagination!

Now, enough daydreaming. I've done one last mini update in my Etsy shop. Some of these things have finally come out of the what-should-I-do-with-this pile and made it into the shop!

This dress!

This skirt!

This apron!

This rain coat!

This dress!

I will be putting my shop into vacation mode on Thursday evening and it won't be back up until things are settled at the new place. So if you're interested in any of these things, go ahead and buy them so I don't have to move them to the new house. Haha!

Oh, oh! And can I just tell you about how brave and strong Robert is? He slipped on the ice while biking today and got all banged up (physically + busted his new cell phone). However, he continued his trek to work (it's 4 miles each way) and stayed there all day. I think I would have cried a lot about it. But again, he's manly!! :)

the storque!

Today is becoming quite exciting: one of the items from my etsy shop was featured in a library-themed article on The Storque! This is something I realized after making 2 sales (which was equal to half of my stock at the time.. haha) and receiving 3 random messages that just contained questions or compliments about my shop.

While my shop hovers in the spotlight briefly, I'm trying to get as many new items added as I can. I know I've been a bit lazy about things, and this is a big push in the right direction.

For any of you who have just discovered my blog because of the Storque feature: Hello! Thank you so much for visiting and saying nice things.

Check out the feature here. I hope everyone else is having a nice Thursday! Mine has been full of pleasant surprises.

happy shoes

A little while ago, Anne at a cup full of sunshine tagged me with the Happy 101 award. I'm supposed to list 10 things that make me happy. I started out doing that, but felt that things were getting a little repetitious. So I decided to cheat, and I hope no one minds -- I'm going to show 10 pairs of shoes from Etsy that make me happy!

These are in no particular order. I didn't even pay attention to size or price, because I'm in no position to be spending money on shoes at the moment. Feel free to buy any of these and then take lovely pictures in them so I can live vicariously through you! (Click the pictures to go to the listings.)

Saddle shoes!

Ah, the beads on the ends of the laces!

Exciting boots!

Fancy wingtips!

The embroidered Zodiac logo is killing me with cuteness..

So snappy and bright.

Perfectly awesome.

Aren't these beautiful?

Totally ideal boots.

A sweet pair of wedges.

Ahh, wasn't that nice? Ogling shoes is just therapeutic for me, somehow! I found all of these a couple of days ago when I was doing some comparative pricing for a pair of shoes I listed in my shop. I became highly distracted, as you may have guessed. Happy Friday!

shiny buttons

At long last, I've done a very small update in my Etsy shop! Nothing too exciting, just a couple lots of buttons. I was going through an old sewing box yesterday afternoon and found plenty of things I don't need or want. It's small, but it's a start! My shop was really starting to empty out.



Today is turning out to be quite exciting. It's snowing hard and sticking! Robert was just let out of work early. I'm hoping to get some fun snow pictures this afternoon. It's probably not much snow compared to what some places get, but you wouldn't believe how excited I am. C'mon, I'm from Texas!! I did live in Colorado for a few years as a kid, and my snow memories are quite dear to me! I think that's why I'm so thrilled. I hope this keeps up on into the night, because some of my favorite times as a kid were laying out in the snow (in my hot pink snow suit) watching it come down. Happy Friday, everyone!

thanksgiving break

I hope everyone is having a splendid week. If you're in America, you probably get a few days off for Thanksgiving - hooray, long weekend! I'm heading to Houston today and won't return until Saturday. I won't be blogging from there, so I thought I'd say so long for the moment.

Horse and Buggy skirt from stephaniebracciano

But I couldn't leave you without something pretty to look at. Yesterday I began trolling Etsy for possible Christmas presents. While going through my favorite shops, I spotted this skirt -- isn't it amazing? I love it!

And on that note, goodbye for a little while!

the ostrich set

Hello! Just wanted to pop in and mention that there are two new items in my Etsy shop! A matching purse and pair of shoes, ostrich style...


Both of these things belonged to Robert's grandma. She called me a few weeks ago to ask if I would like to sell some of her vintage clothes! I agreed: a week later my father-in-law knocked on the door with a box full of shoes and purses, and a few items of clothing.


It seemed right to start by listing this pair of items, which she called "the ostrich set." I think that's so cute! They're not even the same brand, but they do match quite well.


This shade of pink is not my style, but I do find the well-worn shoes very charming for some reason. I think the purse is made from synthetic material, but the shoes are made from real leather that's embossed to look like ostrich skin.

Anyway, since I'm doing this for someone else I'm going to try to be efficient about it and get everything listed quickly... Hopefully I'll have more items to share very soon!

shiny shoes

Hey, everybody! Can you believe it's already November? It's surprising to me, especially upon realizing that I didn't list anything in my Etsy shop at all during October! I just sort of fell out of the habit. However, I'm hoping to begin listing some neat items that have piled up around here - for de-cluttering purposes as well as to make some extra money for buying Christmas presents!


So, ogle these shoes with me. Aren't they dreamy? Some of you long-term readers may remember them from this post back in May: I bought them from a burlesque dancer. I've been hanging onto them because they fit me and they're so perfect, but... every time I plan to wear them in real life, I walk around for a few minutes and end up putting them back in the closet. They're a bit tight on my toes, and the heels are almost 3 inches. I feel silly wearing them!


It is a sad story. But now they're up for sale! To be entirely honest, I didn't know they were really vintage at first. They look brand new, but they're by Johansen -- a quick Etsy search will show you some other gorgeous vintage shoes by the same company!


Here's what I learned from my research:

• The Johansen company has been making shoes since 1876.
  
• They are now owned by a company that makes the standard Oxford shoes for all branches of the US military.
• Johansen also produces the Paradise Kittens brand, a pair of which can be seen here!
  

Once again, the collective sigh of so many people wishing for tinier feet! Or, more realistically, wishing that there were more vintage shoes available in bigger sizes!

I'm going to try to get around to adding some actual clothes to my shop this week as well. Hope everyone's week is off to a good start!

wedding gifts - etsy favorites

Lately I've spent much time on Etsy looking for possible wedding gift ideas. I need to get something in the mail pretty soon for my cousin, who's getting married next month. The wedding shower is coming up quick, so I'm looking for something unique!

She's registered at a couple of stores and I could just go get something on the list, but I would rather make a present or buy something handmade-- keeping the couple's tastes in mind, of course. That's where the registry list can come in handy: look at the sort of things they want, and then find something similar... No one will care in the end and you might come up with a better present!

Anyhow, since I've been doing all this searching I figured I would share some cute things I came across! I haven't decided on anything yet - I'm giving myself a week, and if I haven't made a gift myself by then, it will be time to buy something! [I'm going to try to paint some pottery next week - hopefully I can think of something nice to do!]

lab partners card by cutiepiecompany - $4

botanical cocktail napkins by Kainkain - $26

super sweet cream and sugar set by soule - $26

Just some ideas! I think cloth and ceramic gifts are my favorite. To be honest, I've become smitten with everything in all 3 of those shops...

cowboy boots!

Hey everybody! I hope you're having an excellent week so far: mine feels a little surreal. I just wanted to make a quick post about these boots I just listed in my Etsy shop!



Pretty cute! These are size 7 - they're a bit roomier than some size 7 shoes and they almost fit me comfortably... but I can't realistically see myself wearing red boots in public. Not brave enough! I had fun pairing them up with an outfit for the photos, though.

I've got some other neat pictures from this week, but I had a migraine this morning and I totally feel like I'm moving in slow motion today. I'll be back another day when I can think clearly!

little feet

It's been a while since I did any serious thrifting, but earlier this week I definitely had the urge. I wasn't specifically looking for things for my Etsy shop, but I did find two pairs of shoes that I couldn't pass up. And... since they don't fit me, they'll be going in the shop!

These beauties - Paradise Kittens... could they have a cuter name? - are a size 5.5

Riding boots! Size 7

I was really hoping the boots would fit me: they're exactly the sort of thing I've been looking for! They're just a half size too small. I did manage to squeeze them on my feet for a few photos, but it was not enjoyable at all. So, all you ladies with smaller feet than me: keep an eye on the shop this afternoon if you're interested!

cake stands

Happy Monday! I hope everyone's week is off to a good start so far. Nothing exciting has happened for me yet, but I wanted to drop by and share something with everyone. Miss Olivia Rae of everyday musings has opened an Etsy shop: love liv. She's selling some gorgeous little cake stands over there! Here are my two favorites.

the stella plate

the eliza plate

Wouldn't these look amazing holding a pretty cake? Or just about anything? I think so. Olivia definitely has a knack for finding lovely vintage pieces and putting them together! Be sure to visit her shop!

five senses friday

It's been a while since I did a five senses friday post - normally whenever I remember these, it's not a Friday! But you get one today.

Put an embroidered thing in my Etsy shop - finally!

Got lipstick all over this ice pop thing I was eating. - gross/neat!

This week's sensations!:

See: It's been dark and rainy all week. Lovely to watch.

Hear: Rain, thunder, quiet time! Also been enjoying this Bat for Lashes song a lot this week.

Taste: Spicy foods and popsicles. Veggie tacos! (check out the recipe!)

Smell: Rainy outdoors, strawberry lip balm, cooking peppers.

Touch: The fabric on my latest embroidery project was sort of thick and my fingers got very sore of pushing the needle through.