Etsy Treasure Tuesday: Jalmodovar

There's not much in Jalmodovar's shop at present, but I wanted to post it today anyway because I love these things SO MUCH.

Especially this one.

(All images by jalmodovar, linked to their sources in the Etsy shop.)

Giveaway at oh, hello friend!

You guys have to get in on this! Danni of oh, hello friend is doing a giveaway of two packs of beautiful japanese washi paper tape from happy tape! This pretty tape makes me so happy, I can't even tell you how much, and I'd be a terrible friend if I didn't let all of you in on the secret. Here are some of my favorites. Visit happy tape, see all of the other beautiful choices, and then enter the giveaway over at oh, hello friend!

More New Items

I'm on fire, people! Twelve new items listed in the Etsy shop tonight! Check them out here, and be sure to pay special attention to my new Bridal Line if you're a soon-to-be new bride.

And can you believe it, there's even more to come! I'll be posting a dozen more new items next week, so keep your eye on the shop.

For goodness sakes, someone please buy these already. I'm way, WAY too tempted. Which is a precarious place for me to be, because I have a husband with a mug fetish, and the one by three feet of cabinet space that we can currently devote to our mug collection currently houses no less than 52 mugs. For two people. I'm not kidding.

(Images by sassboxclassics, a lovely vintage shop.)

DIY Thursday: Silhouette Message Board

Apparently, I have a fascination slowly mounting to an obsession with both silhouettes and message boards, as evidenced by these previous posts, here, here, and here. Imagine my delight, therefore, when I stumbled upon this DIY project at countryliving.com, which has a big section full of crafts and simple DIY projects, by the way. Now, I can make Message Board Silhouettes (and you can too)! Just download the silhouette patterns provided here, and follow the instructions found here.

This Is What I Want.

A pretty, functional place to work, where everything has a designated place to reside, but is also easily accessible.

Right now, my workspace is a large dining table inherited from my husband's grandmother which is both too big and too tall to be a useful or comfortable place to multitask. My sewing machine sits on the backside, unreachable from the front, and my jewelry supplies eat up one whole side so that I'd have to move everything completely to be able to sew. What I really need is two smaller, dedicated surfaces specifically designed to do what they're supposed to do -- i.e., a jewelry bench and a sewing table. Livy found hers (above) on craigslist, then painted it a gorgeous soft aqua very close to the beautiful color I blogged about here.

Her little craft closet is a really tiny space (mine is too -- just a corner of a multipurpose room that also houses our computer and music collection), but she's organized it so effectively that it's perfect for all kinds of craftiness. The sewing table doubles as a flat work surface, and all of her tools and supplies are up on shelves and pegboards.

I'm going to spend some time thinking about how I could make my space both more suited to what I need and also do it inexpensively. At any rate, something has got to be done. Suggestions anyone?

New Items Up In the Shop!

I've added ten brand new pieces to the pink street designs Etsy shop since Monday. And besides that, I re-photographed everything which was already in the shop; it's a completely new look. I'm still tweaking some of the photos to make them more clear and less grainy, so please excuse the ones that look a little messy, but I'd really like to hear your thoughts on whether or not I accomplished the "come in and look around around a bit" welcoming feel I was hoping to achieve (see my post here where I explain a little further). I'm still learning a lot about styling and lighting and taking appealing photos, and it would help so much to get some feedback from all of you!

Here are a few sneak peeks. To see all of the others, go here.

Etsy Treasure Tuesday: Christinas

I'm a sucker for linen, lace, and pretty vintage fabrics in pastel florals, three things which many of the hand-sewn items in Christinas' Etsy shop combine. Here are a few of my personal favorites; aren't they charming?

I love the linen and lace purse, and I think the little hexagon pouch with a leather flap is one of the cutest small clutches I've ever seen. And there's no doubt that the sweet vintage buttons she adds to most of her pieces are genius. Which ones are your favorites?

(All photos by Christinas, linked to their sources.)

Little Letters

Dear Allergies,
I see that you and I are to have an epic battle. But if you beat me this time, I'll be back armed with more antihistamines and decongestants than ever. Beware my retribution, which shall be swift and silent.

Dear Husband,
I'm sorry I woke you up this morning with my violent sneezing. And I'm sorry I sound like a ninja when I sneeze. (I know it isn't ladylike, but what can I do?)

Dear People Who Re-Opened Cold Stone,
You are my hero. Thank you. Thank you. Again and forever, thank you.

Dear Boris Becker,
I'll be a tennis star too someday. You just watch and see.

Dear Etsy shop,
I'm sorry I had to take some items away from you. I'm working on some updates, and I need just a little more time to make you beautiful again. Your day in the sun will come, don't worry.

Dear Hot Hot Summer,
I hate to be impolite, but I'm quite tired of you now. Can you move over and make a little room for Autumn?

Dear Stray Dog Who Hangs Around Our House,
You're very cute, you really are, but I can't take you in. I'm sorry. I tried that experiment once, and it failed quite miserably.

Dear PBS,
I know that you need support from viewers like me, but could we please return to regularly scheduled programming now? I'm having Masterpiece withdrawals here.

Dear Everyone Reading My Blog,
Thanks. That's awfully kind of you. Please leave a comment once in a while, so I don't think I'm just talking to myself all the time.

First Friday Art Trail Tonight!

I'm really excited about getting to participate in Lubbock's First Friday Art Trail again this month! I've shown my work in the Art Trail for close to two years now, since November of 2007, and have only missed participating three times, each of which has been because Alderson Mercedes, the location where I set up, decided to take the night off for a holiday weekend.

Last month was one of those times, as July's Art Trail fell on the 3rd. Alderson's night off freed me up to take a short weekend trip to Dallas for the holiday, but I'm so ready to get going again! And I mentioned on Wednesday that I have big plans for some significant changes to my table display, and I'm so excited to test out my new ideas and get everyone's feedback tonight, as well as to show off all of the new pieces I've been working hard on for two months! I'm going to try my very hardest to remember to bring my camera and take photos of my table after I've set it all up, and I'm hoping for a good turn out tonight and a few new admirers of pink street designs!

DIY Thursday: Paper Doily Garland

A couple of Fridays ago, I wrote a post about Livy of A Field Journal, whose talent and photos and craft ideas and illustrations and knowledge of art history I admire more than I can say. She posted an absolutely beautiful tutorial on her blog this week showing us how to make lovely, ethereal banners out of simple paper lace doilies. I'm seriously considering making some for myself to hang up at my own birthday party. I have some gold paper doilies which would be gorgeous suspended from an aqua or bright pink seam binding. Have a look at Livy's, plain white doilies paired with a soft yellow binding. Beautiful.

And here are the instructions for making it, which were provided at Project Wedding, the blog for which Livy developed the project.

Supplies You'll Need:

1. Doilies, assorted sizes: Paper doilies come in a variety of diameters, the larger the diameter the easier it will be to align each doily half while sewing the garland. For added variation, try alternating between small and large sizes. Use the size of the doilies to estimate how many you'll need for the desired length of your garland. Since we'll be cutting them in half, one doily will create twice the diameter in garland length.

2. Double fold bias tape

3. Thread to match bias tape

4. Scissors or paper cutter

5. Sewing machine

Directions:

1. Cut doilies in half: You can fold one in half first to determine the center, and then use it as a guide for cutting the others.

2. Prepare to sew: If you've purchased bias tape, iron out any creases in the bias tape resulting from it's packaging. Pinning doilies in place prior to sewing is an option, however I found it easiest and most efficient to position each doily while sewing.

3. Sew the garland: Sandwich the doily halves between the fold of the bias tape, placing them end to end, and carefully sew along the edge of the bias tape.

On the Docket

Docket is a funny word. Ever noticed?

Anyway, my To-Do list for this evening includes the following:
1. Tasty dinner with lovely husband at home.
2. Folding and putting away of laundry which has been sitting in the dryer for two days.
3. Preparation for Art Trail this Friday, including experimentation with new display ideas and props.
4. Possibly some photo taking in hopes of having a new Etsy banner up soon.
5. At least one episode of Flight of the Conchords, Season 2, which just released on DVD yesterday, and which my very good friend Netflix made appear in my mailbox today!

I wish my To-Do list for this evening included these things too:
1. Dinner here with lovely husband.
2 Trip to Cold Stone for sweet cream and raspberries. (By the way, and can I just say "Holy Crap!," Cold Stone now has cupcakes?! And I'm supposed to contain myself!? Unlikely. Extremely unlikely.)
3. Not folding and putting away laundry which has been sitting in the dryer for two days.
4. Time for a bit of creative magic in the way of jewelry-making.
5. One Mmilllllliioooonn Dollars. Ah, ha, ha.

I'm So Excited ...

About Date Night tonight!

Not sure where we're going to eat yet, but we'll probably see the new Harry Potter afterward, then maybe, just maybe, ice cream.

And I've had a pretty crappy day, preceded by a not too fantastic weekend, so I think a little indulgence is in order for both of us.

Also, two more thoughts. 1: I'm so ready for fall to get here, and 2: I miss my long hair. I don't know why I continue to cut it off every year. Remorse inevitably follows.

Etsy Treasure Tuesday: Pink Street Design and Seaside Vintage

Before I get started on today's real post about the lovely Etsy shop I'm featuring, I want to tell you about the terrific Summer Sale and Promotion I'm doing in my own shop!

First, details about the promotion:
My two year Etsy-versary is coming up in September; help me get to 100 sales by the end of the month! Every customer to place an order from now through the entire month of September will receive a free pair of earrings with their purchase, any person to place an order on my birthday, September 22nd, will receive the earrings AND 22% off their order total (refunded through PayPal). Plus, my 100th sale will receive an extra-special gift in addition to the free gift earrings! Help me celebrate Pink Street's First Year on Etsy!

And to make this promotion even better, I've marked down many of my sale items even further, and have added several more to the Sale section. Check it out here, and give one of them a new home!

And now that I've made that very exciting announcement, I'll move on to what you're probably here for: today's real Etsy Treasure Tuesday post, featuring Seaside Vintage, an absolutely lovely shop full of beautiful vintage items for the home, which would fit in perfectly in a pretty little shabby-chic cottage by the ocean, or in a regular home in a regular place. Here are some things I would love to have in my home, even though it's quite inescapably land-locked (except on the rare occasion when it rains/floods in Lubbock).

I love the gorgeous old carved feel of this non-wood wall shelf; it would look fantastic repainted in black, brown, or a brighter color, but I think the traditional gold has a lovely charm too.

I think these vintage fabric iron-on appliques would be so cute added to a fabric bag or purse, or ironed onto a plain white flour sack or solid tea towel to jazz it up a little (which would, by the way, look beautiful in my/your red kitchen).

This gorgeous apothecary jar would be beautiful and helpful in a bathroom or on a vanity or dressing table.

But this vintage faux wood wallpaper is my absolute favorite. There are sooo many possibilities here, because it's paintable. It would look fantastic not only on the wall, but to make a DIY headboard, revamping an old piece of furniture as a sort of veneer, or in a frame or shadowbox as a background/handmade mat for some handmade artwork. (At this very moment, I'm having to try and talk myself out of buying it all up instantly.)

(All photos by Seaside Vintage, and linked to their sources.)

Something Surprising

In one of the opening scenes of "The Wedding Planner," Kathy Najimy, speaking to her apparently non-native florist, says, "Pierre, I love you but if you use another carnation in my bouquet I will deport you, ok?" That's precisely how I feel. Not about deportation, of course, but about carnations. I feel that I have a hard-earned and perfectly justifiable right to be a flower snob, having worked my way from a customer service position (or "box girl," as we were more familiarly and affectionately called) to one of the senior designers at the most respected flower shop in town when I was going through college. We had a few hard and fast rules: red roses are inferior to every other color, and certainly to the better-bred English and garden roses; a spider mum would never, for any reason, set foot in the shop, and even the small pom-pom mums we carried in the fall were dubbed "rovers" instead, to try and disguise their real identities; and carnations were strictly forbidden unless specifically requested by an adamant customer for funeral work only.

And so, imagine my utter surprise when I visited Saipua two days ago, saw this gorgeous arrangment, and realized that there are at least a dozen carnations tucked in among allium, scented geranium, coxcomb, and clematis, and given a place of honor in a silver mint julep cup! Followed by the realization that I like actually it, love it, in fact, despite that! Maybe this is one of those Elizabeth moments, when I discover, to my chagrin, that I have been too quick to judge my fellow creatures (or flowers, as the case may be), and that I have to change my mind completely about a strongly held long-time opinion. I'm willing to do that, and even to admit to it publicly, but I'm not sure I can go any further. To ask me to put carnations in any of my own arrangments may be going a little far. Just yet. I need a little more time. {Sigh of resignation.}

(Arrangement by the incredible designer nicollete camille, found via saipua, the lady behind which is Sarah, another brilliant florist whose designs I adore.)