10 things I love – Dream of the sea

1. This gorgeous photograph from WildWildernessPhotos on Etsy has got me yearning for salty shores. $45

2. I even miss hurricanes and the thunder storms of summer. Photo from MizXtina on Etsy. $25

3. How about a magical ocean accessory to wear out on the board walk. This starfish hair clip if from dreamsbythesea on Etsy. $25

4. Sweet mint green sea glass was used to make this stunning little necklace from  jennreeseSEVEN on Etsy. Perfect for an evening walk on the beach with my love and my favorite maxi. $29

5. I really have to get my hands on one of these fun high waist and cropped tube top suits from Nicolelebreux on Etsy. Bottoms $60 and top $45

6. I am so in love with Tumbleweeds. Aren’t these just the shades one need to be lounging down on the beach, with their inlaid turquoise and Mahogany veneer catching some rays in style. $145

7. These crochet beach shorts from katrinshine on Etsy are just the cutest things ever with their scalloped edge and their lacy design. $150

8. Every beachy lady needs a nice pair of sandals for hanging around the pool and I just love this pair. These handmade leather sandals with ribbon ties from GreekChicHandmades are the perfect bathing suit foot wear. $39

9. How about this gorgeous made to order crochet bikini in sweet mint green from Eleonoraesposito on Etsy? Yes Please. I can’t get enough crochet ever. $150

10. I am going to need a pretty big durable beach bag for carrying everything I need to the shores to hang out. How about this market style bag made of french linen with leather straps from Ikabags on Etsy? I love it and it looks so durable. Which is exactly what I need. $89

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I am a little under the weather today and taking time to stay hydrated and just relax and unwind, dreaming I was at the beach in the cool water. I think I put a little to much on my plate these last few weeks with all of the different projects I am working on. I’ve got to sit down and figure out a timetable to balance this madness. Although, I kind of love being super busy. It keeps me motivated and moving.

Will you be taking any beach trips this summer? I love the beach and would live by the ocean year round if I could.

Getting in front of the Lens – What I wore #3

I have deemed the month of May my “conquering fears” month. So I am stepping out and doing things that I am not necessarily comfortable with and I plan on sharing them all with you here on the blog. There are a lot of things I am working on, little by little. This is the perfect space to share my journey and progress.

One of the goals I want to work on is getting comfortable in front of a camera again. And what better way is there to work on that than an outfit post? AH!

It really isn’t so bad, especially when you’ve got a cute boy to smile at on the other side of the lens. This is my out to lunch outfit. Teehee. I met James downtown and we had a little bite to eat at a deli across from his work on his lunch break. It was sweet and lovely to get out of the house despite the dreary gray weather.

Normally I wear this outfit a little bit more casually with a sweater instead of a coat, but I thrifted this coat back in April and it was too cold to wear it until this week and it will get too hot to wear it soon enough. At first James and I thought it was a riding jacket, but after wearing it out to dinner with James’ aunt for my birthday she told me that it looks like a lady’s kilt jacket. I am a super sucker for velvet and so I just had to grab it from Value village. Plus it was only $7.99 and I had a 15% off coupon. Score! I really did well that day and came home with lots of really neat items. Actually thrifted my skirt on the same trip as well. It is one of the softest cotton skirts ever with a bright purple print and pockets which I love.

The shirt is one of my new favorites that I found at the swap and blogger meet up while I was away in Peterborough weekend before last. I love the jersey, the color, the cut, everything about it. And lookey here, two new pieces for the shop. Though I do want to add a few feathers to the tassel necklace, before it is finished. I think both pieces compliment each other. I am going to create a third shorter piece to finish it off a wearable set of three.

Aren’t turkey feathers amazing? They are pretty much the most inspiring feather in my stash right now and I have so many different feathers from so many birds. I just recently received more turkey feathers though so to me they are still kind of new as I had used up all my others back in December at a craft fair.

A few months back I posted on Kijiji that I was looking for naturally molted and salvaged feathers from a variety of birds and I got a reply about turkey feathers. A sweet lady had saved the feathers in her cedar chest after the turkey had accidentally been hit by a car in her area. I am so glad to be able to breathe new life into these feathers and let them flaunt their natural beauty. They are definitely my favorite.

I love the sweet brass button details on the coat. So stately, yet almost dainty in a way, and very pretty. I also love my ring. It took time to get used to wearing something that big, but I truly love the design and it is also an antique so it’s that much more meaningful and special to me.

Off on the walk that is life.

Do you have any goals you are working on? What are some of the methods you use for keeping yourself motivated?

Wish me luck as I conquer another fear and make my first ever customer call for my new job today! Eeek!

Hillery

Mini Shop Update and a change of pace

Wow. Where have I been the last four days? I don’t even know where to start, it’s been a jubilant whirlwind. Despite the weather being not so nice these past few days with rain everyday and cold temperatures – it even snowed a little last night, this weekend has been filled with joy, creativity, and so busy busy busy. I am working on starting a new job, which I am really excited about. Friday was a conference call morning, which is an interesting new experience for me, but I’ll tell you more about that later. James and I got our new little camera the Cannon G12. Oh my, it’s heavenly and such a life changer, having a camera around to explore with. I’ve also been busy with the shop! Over the weekend I got a chance to do  a little shop update. Here are just the first two newbies!

I love this bracelet so much! I recently won a giveaway on Eva’s blog Runaway Thrift were I won those awesome studs on the bracelet. I was really excited as I used to use studs on my pieces way back in 2009  when I sold them at Roller Derby Bouts in Atlanta. It’s been a lot of fun to play with them again. I am slowly adding more jewelry to the shop and will be adding more fascinators as well as the weather gets better. Suppose to be more rain tomorrow, but Wednesday should be my day.

It is such a relief to finally be able to update the shop. It truly is like a burden has been lifted. I even got a little creative kick just being self reliant. It’s really nice not to have to rely on others and boy is it a lot less stressful taking your own photos than coming up with the funds, 20 perfect pieces, find models,  have a non windy, warmish day, and pray that they will look fantastic as tiny thumbnails. I am also excited to be learning photography again. This is an interest that has been put on hold for quite some time.

Impromptu photo shoot jewelry organizer. A little behind the scenes action for you there. The purple bike is mine, isn’t she a beaut?

Crafting is my passion. I am really happy there is a space like Etsy for folks like me who just love to make things and get them out there. Someday I hope crafting can be an even bigger part of my life. It is where I feel the most joy and the most comfort with just being me.

A few months back when I was just starting this blog a wrote a little post on the 5 Ways Crafting has helped me become a Stronger Woman. It only seems fitting to reiterate those feelings and embrace that passion continuously through out this journey.

There are some exciting changes about to happen in this space. You may  see a little less, or a little more, or simply just see me in different ways as this space evolves. I have enjoyed the journey and the exploration so far and cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Give away on Friday April 20 on Krysten’s Blog, Why Girls are Weird

Hello all you lovely people. I just wanted to pop in and share a little bit about this cool little giveaway I am hosting today over on the lovely Krysten’s blog, Why Girls are Weird.

Everyone knows how I love to barter and trade right? Well Krysten’s one great lady that shares this same passion. And we’ve paired up to put on this fun giveaway. See, that’s what I love about the blogosphere – folks take care of each other.

Anywho, I am really excited to be giving away this necklace! It’s one of the new pieces that will be going up in my shop. It’s a pretty antique bronze chain with little pops of color from fun and enchanting Swarovski crystals with two little two bars of turquoise colored glass beads. Oh and the sweet little cluster of pheasant guinea feathers really pulls this all together for a fun and flowy, boho feel.

So if you have time, stop by and take a look around Krysten’s blog. I am sure you’ll be glad you did!

I’ll be back later on with a little post on some of my thrifty finds from our last  visit to Value Village. For now I am off to eat my yummy steamed spinach sandwich!

Bohemian Caravan Inspiration

Wanting to live better and be more comfortable in our tiny apartment, I am constantly hoarding ideas and inspiration to organize and decorate our space. One of my main sources for inspiration is the Gypsy Caravan or Roulettes. Bright, colorful, and compact these dwellings make good use of every inch of space.

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James and I’s bedroom, with it’s dormers and funny closet, is a little lacking in functioning space as it currently stands. Our dream is so really utilise every nook and cranny. To not only make room for long term storage, but also active storage – book shelves, day to day clothing storage, and also as odd as it sounds – long term food storage with a light controlled place to store our home canned goods. We want the bedroom to be a place we escape to, find cozy, comforting, and romantic. And a space that also functions well, with adequate storage, and is an easy place to get ready for the day.

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We’d like to achieve this by lofting our bed for built in storage underneath, and at it’s foot, working with the slope of the roof. We’d also like to add a reading area in the window dormer with functioning storage underneath and and space beside with a mirror and a little storage to function as a vanity so we both aren’t squeezing into the little bathroom in the mornings.

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We have similar hopes for our spare room which is almost exactly like our bed room. We’d like it to function as an office as well as have a space for two guests to enjoy themselves. We also want it to be a space that can easily transition when we have our first child (another 5 to 7 years down the road).

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We are in this apartment for the long term and we are excited to find the best ways to organize the space, find the furniture that works, build what we can, and get rid of what we don’t need.

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For more information on these images or on roulettes/caravans check out Jeanne Bayol or her blog. Her work is amazing!

Wild and Free – An Etsy Treasury

A little treasury I put together today in honor of Spring.

Wild and Free a Spring Gypsy

Bent to the Wind Wi… SimplyLodge $25.00	Unconventional Wedd… RawHemline $99.00	Tiny swarovski crys… arisafukumoto $5600.00	Long Single Feather… Cloud9Jewels $26.00
Vintage Gypsy with … shinyobjectiti… $3.50	Grassy Field Etheri… LincLinePhoto $30.00	Soft Silk & Cashmer… RubyChicOrigin… $117.00	Soft Pink Bleeding … giftforallseas… $24.00
Spring Flower Art P… MarascaPhotogr… $18.00	MATURE…Haunting G… Lovalon $7.00	Tall Grass Field Su… PhotoAntics $20.00	Frida Kahlo sleepwe… AidaCoronado $125.00
Sunshine Daydream -… HeadCaseByG $34.00	Spring Photography … CarolynCochran… $33.00	Vintage Bohemian G… LEXIBAGS $4.00	Tall Grass 2 – Orig… katiehellinger $28.00

So I’m back, to the velvet underground
Back to the floor, that I love
To a room with some lace and paper flowers
Back to the gypsy, that I was
To the gypsy, that I was

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.