cosy up.

Taking a Break...

2008-10-24T17:13:00.006-04:00

Me with my adorable nephew Robert

I suppose I've already been taking a break from blogging for a few weeks (months?) now...life has just been keeping me very very busy. So I guess this is just a more formal announcement that you might not be seeing me around much for a time. I will continue to be helping my mom out with the shop and posting photos to flickr so I'll still be around. I also have a facebook page and would love to add some more friends if you'd like to keep in touch. Thanks to all of my dear blogging friends for all of your encouragement and support. I will certainly be checking in on you from time to time and will be sure to say hello! Until then!

xo,
Tracey

Cosy Up for Fall Sale

2008-10-09T09:15:00.000-04:00

What: Cosy Up for Fall Sale
When: October 10th through October 12th
Where: cosy up your closet

Buy any one item and get the second item 25% off!
Refund will be issued at time of purchase or a revised invoice may be sent upon request.

Now is the perfect chance to cosy up your closet for Fall!!

Just a little toot of the horn...

2008-09-30T20:24:00.006-04:00

I was over the moon tonight when I found out that a few of my mom's lovely ladies had made it on to not one, not two, but THREE treasuries!! And though I missed it, one of them graced the Front Page today!! A perfect way to end my day of naming blessings, I'd say.

Below are the screen shots of the girls from their moment in the sun. Stop by and say hello if you have the time!

mellowmix by modflo {{Lyla Scarf & Front Page}}

Plums & Kiwis by LizardsJewelry {{Kate Scarf}}

BLUSH by tortillagirl {{Rebecca Cowl}}

Happy Traffic

2008-09-30T09:25:00.003-04:00

I am especially in need of a post like this right now as I have definitely learned how important it is to stop for a moment and take in the blessings that surround you, not only when all is well in the world, but during the dark times as well. I'm focusing my gratitudes today specifically on my commute to and from work. Anyone that lives, or has lived, in Atlanta will understand why this can be the most trying time of my day. So for the past few weeks I have purposefully set my mind on finding the beauty to be seen in the 2 1/2 to 3 hours I spend behind the wheel each day and today I want to share some of them with you.

1. The pretty pink leaf that fell on my windsheild last week and cheerfully fluttered under my wiper blade for several blocks.

2. Seeing a highschool boy walking down the street with a dozen red roses in his hand and a huge grin on his face.

3. The playlists I created for my morning and afternoon commute. {I don't believe there is anything better than really great music to ease the stress of a long drive}

4. The weather cooling just enough to turn the a/c off and roll the windows down.

Now it's your turn, what has made you smile lately?

Monday Mosaic

2008-09-29T13:05:00.003-04:00

1. believe, 2. Untitled, 3. shewascompletelyexhausted, 4. Untitled, 5. bliss, 6. in desperate need of more coffee, 7. Beach Bike, 8. my magic Christmas bicycle........., 9. central hk ．pen ft, 10. dreams, 11. Pretty laundry on the clothesline, 12. Untitled, 13. flight, 14. Dusk, 15. “As is the gardener, so is the garden”, 16. Untitled

2008-09-27T22:13:00.000-04:00

my end of a very long summer mini-playlist

2008-09-27T21:51:00.005-04:00

p.s. I have a full-fledged, honest-to-goodness crush on Andrew Bird and have had Armchair Apocrypha on permanent repeat on my iPod for over a month.

Keeping Busy Staying Afloat

2008-09-18T12:38:00.006-04:00

Hello dear friends! (if there are any of you left out there)

I am alive and well and doing my best to stay afloat, grabbing bits of debris as they float by and busily constructing a make-shift raft for me and my husband. As it stands I am spending most of my time on the internet trying to get new items posted to the shop, so I apologize for not replying sooner to those that have sent me encouraging words. Please know they have been received and are being used to keep me cosy and comforted.

Speaking of cosying up...my mom just celebrated her 60th sale at the shop! Hoorah!! I have so much work to do as she has heaps of new treats just waiting to be listed and we still hope to put together a big Fall sale in the next week or two - so please check in from time to time.

Lastly I send many heartfelt thanks to the wonderful Rachel at Fog and Thistle for featuring Miss Piper on her blog this week. She looks just lovely amongst all her other cosy picks for Fall!

Hi Strangers!

2008-08-14T12:44:00.008-04:00

I am sending my apologies out into the Internet for the ages it has been since I have updated both the shop and my blog.

Just as I thought my cosy little life was settling down, my whole word was flipped head over feet. To give you the shortened, slightly less complicated version: my home is for sale, my husband is looking for a job and I am staying with my sister to save money {due to that which I just mentioned}. Needless to say both my time and Internet access have been severely limited.

Anyway, Husband and I are doing well and managing as best we can to weather the storm, but we are both looking forward to and praying for a return to normalcy very very soon.

That being said, I did manage to find some time to add some new lovelies to the shop last weekend and hope to add a whole bunch more this weekend. Although I have stopped adding them to the shop, my mom has not quit creating more and more amazing cosy goodies and I cannot wait to share them all with you!!

Also be looking for a Fall Celebration Sale coming in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I will be doing my very best to check in on everyone and say hello as time and circumstance allow. Thanks so much for all of your kind and thoughtful comments while I've been away!!

Merci, Blaze!

2008-06-20T16:05:00.009-04:00

A million thanks to the lovely Blaze for featuring our cosy little shop and her custom scarf (seen above) on her charming blog this week! My cup runneth over!! Please do stop and pay her a visit and don't forget to say hello!!

I have also had a few inquiries about a shop update and to answer, yes, there will be one in the next week or so. My mom has been working her fingers to the bone and has heaps and heaps of new and comfy cosy treats just waiting for their debut!

Now if I can just get my personal life straightened out long enough to take some photos and type the listings...wish me luck!!

Hope you all have a tremendous weekend, I will be catching up on my blog reading and can't wait to see what you've been up to!

Wardrobe

2008-06-17T12:26:00.002-04:00

Today I am dreaming of an old and very large, beautifully hand-carved mahagony wardrobe brimming with treasures from my new summer love, rebe {also known as "little shop of lovelies specifically created for Tracey"}

Summer Love

2008-06-15T19:59:00.003-04:00

1. Untitled, 2. Tender, 3. 後ろ, 4. white on white, 5. rosée d'été, 6. a love note to life, 7. Jane, 8. Untitled, 9. hefinallywokeup

YOU

Uninvited, the thought of you stayed too late in my head.
so I went to bed, dreaming you hard, hard, woke with your name,
like tears, soft, salt, on my lips, the sound of its bright syllables
like a charm, like a spell.

Falling in love
is glamorous hell: the crouched, parched heart
like a tiger, ready to kill; a flame’s fierce licks under the skin.
into my life, larger than life, you strolled in.

I hid in my ordinary days, in the long grass of routine,
in my camouflage rooms. You sprawled in my gaze,
staring back from anyone’s face, from the shape of a cloud,
from the pining, earth-struck moon which gapes at me

as I open the bedroom door. The curtains stir. There you are
on the bed, like gift, like a touchable dream.

-Carol Ann Duffy

Lost and Found

2008-06-11T12:52:00.002-04:00

Silkscreen - 5x5 lost and found bird by urbanbird

I know I seemed to have dropped off the planet without leaving any notice, but I am here and all is well, I just have not been near the computer for a very long time. Partly by choice and partly by circumstances, but things are starting to settle down and I am hoping to be back on-line very soon. I promise I am very much looking forward to a enjoying a lovely cup of tea and a few happy hours spent catching up with you.

Until then,

T.

Rodney{or some Thursday inspiration}

2008-05-29T12:58:00.004-04:00

"Every time I open my eyes, it's an opportunity to see something different."
- Rodney White

Waiting

2008-05-28T07:15:00.007-04:00

The songs that have been visiting this month...

Track 1 - This Conversation. by The Submarines

Track 2 - Such Great Heights. by Iron and Wine

Track 3 - I Will Follow You Into the Dark. by Death Cab for Cutie

Good Things.

2008-05-27T07:53:00.011-04:00

A weekend to-do list of reading, laughing, napping and soaking in the sun

3 days of absolutely amazing weather

Pink cheeks, shoulders and knees and lots of newly acquired freckles

Finishing a good book and starting a new one

Baking THE yummiest peanut butter cookies ever

Spending precious little time on the computer {Which = No shop update = I have lots of catching up to do!!}

Reaching 50 sales - Thank You Blaze!!

A shortened work week ahead...Yay!

How was your weekend??

Summertime

2008-05-21T12:29:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for all of your well wishes, I am fortunately feeling much better this week....I think it was your lovely comments that did the trick! I'm still having some technical issues with my digital camera so I am going to have to postpone the shop update until this weekend. But in the meantime {and with the blink-and-you'll-miss-it spring season here in Georgia}, I have been pleasantly daydreaming of long summer days, looking forward to some of my most favorite summertime things and thought I'd share a few {or five} of them with you.

1. short stories 2. surf music 3. sun tea 4. sundance indie films 5. swimsuit cover-ups

So as June starts to peek her sunny head around the corner...what are some of the things you love most about Summer?

Words

2008-05-20T13:32:00.002-04:00

1. I'm Sorry 2. Henry et Anaïs 3. booksalongtheseine 4. Still Life With Love

WORDS

Be careful of words,
even the miraculous ones.
For the miraculous ones we do our best,
sometimes they swarm like insects
and leave not a sting but a kiss.
They can be good as fingers.
They can be trusty as the rock
you stick your bottom on.
But they can be both daisies and bruises.

Yet I am in love with words.
They are doves falling out of the ceiling.
They are six holy oranges sitting in my lap.
They are the trees, the legs of summer,
and the sun, its passionate face.

Yet often they fail me.
I have so much I want to say,
so many stories, images, proverbs, etc.
But the words aren't good enough,
the wrong ones kiss me.
Sometimes I fly like an eagle
but with the wings of a wren.

But I try to take care
and be gentle to them.
Words and eggs must be handled with care.
Once broken they are impossible
things to repair.

-Anne Sexton

Palettastic - Part II

2008-05-18T14:39:00.004-04:00

Well, as luck would have it, I am experiencing technical difficulties that are preventing me from being able to list our new creations today as I had planned! I hope to get these kinks worked out by tonight at least so I can add a few new items each day during the week instead. This is unfortunately the kind of week I have been having...however, tomorrow is a new day and I am certain this rain cloud has run its course.

That being said, I won't let my run of bad luck keep me from at least sharing the sources for my previous palettastic post. So, without further ado, I am pleased to introduce you to the new ladies that will *soon* be gracing our shop.

Ariel

Camille {in brown}

Camille {in green}

Palettastic!!

2008-05-15T12:42:00.007-04:00

I am very sorry for the sparseness of posts lately and hope you won't give up on me altogether, I have come down with another cold and things at home have been, well..busy would be an understatement. But I am hoping to do a big shop update this weekend and get back on track before month end {Ack! Where did May go?!?!}.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to take a few of the photos of our new creations and run them through the palette generator over at Big Huge Labs and just see what happened. I love all the names of the colors...mongoose, silver chalice, brown bramble, deep koamaru, toledo. My hope is it will pique your interest and you'll stop by to see what we have up our sleeves this weekend!

The Trees.

2008-05-12T16:06:00.003-04:00

1. anyone home 2. My first Orton in the valley of the sheep 3. existence 4. spent

The Trees

The trees are coming into leaf
Like something almost being said;
The recent buds relax and spread,
Their greenness is a kind of grief.

Is it that they are born again
And we grow old? No, they die too.
Their yearly trick of looking new
Is written down in rings of grain.

Yet still the unresting castles thresh
In fullgrown thickness every May.
Last year is dead, they seem to say,
Begin afresh, afresh, afresh.

- Philip Larkin.

Picnic

2008-05-07T13:59:00.003-04:00

With the beautiful weather we've been having lately I've been feeling very much like toting a basket full of yummy treats to a shady spot under a big oak tree, laying a quilt down on the cool green grass and listening to the lovely sounds of birds chirping, bumblebees buzzing and dogs barking. The perfect time of year for a picnic.

Lucky #10

2008-05-07T07:30:00.001-04:00

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I am pleased to announce the winner, the lovely Julia of The Red Otter Shop. Hooray!

Miss Clarissa is eagerly awaiting her trip to her new home! Congratulations Jewels!

Among the Multitudes.

2008-05-05T08:00:00.003-04:00

1. white on white, 2. 75/366: Yellow is..., 3. the far-off hum, 4. this church has stood since the 1100's, 5. crawling flames, 6. the door, 7. open gate, 8. gauzy afternoon, 9. looking up

AMONG THE MULTITUDES

I am who I am.
A coincidence no less unthinkable
than any other.

I could have different
ancestors, after all.
I could have fluttered
from another nest
or crawled bescaled
from another tree.

Nature's wardrobe
holds a fair
supply of costumes:
Spider, seagull, fieldmouse.
each fits perfectly right off
and is dutifully worn
into shreds.

I didn't get a choice either,
but I can't complain.
I could have been someone
much less separate.
someone from an anthill, shoal, or buzzing swarm,
an inch of landscape ruffled by the wind.

Someone much less fortunate,
bred for my fur
or Christmas dinner,
something swimming under a square of glass.

A tree rooted to the ground
as the fire draws near.

A grass blade trampled by a stampede
of incomprehensible events.

A shady type whose darkness
dazzled some.

What if I'd prompted only fear,
Loathing,
or pity?

If I'd been born
in the wrong tribe
with all roads closed before me?

Fate has been kind
to me thus far.

I might never have been given
the memory of happy moments

My yen for comparison
might have been taken away.

I might have been myself minus amazement,
that is,
someone completely different.

-Wislawa Szymborska

Miss Crowland

2008-05-02T06:20:00.000-04:00

Inspired by Jaimee's post at Mondern Classics a few days ago, I have chosen a wonderfully talented silhouette artist for my feature today. Miss Crowland is a lovely shop, named after its lovely owner whose beautiful work has a life and personality that embodies everything I love about this art form. Each piece is sold as a PDF, making it both environmentally friendly and, with no shipping costs, friendly on your pocketbook too! Please do stop by and pay Miss Crowland a visit, both her shop and blog are simply charming.

Giving

2008-04-30T06:07:00.001-04:00

In honor of the upcoming holiday and the end of our Mother's Day Sale in the shop, I will be sending pretty Miss Clarissa home with one of you! Just leave me a little comment here with your contact info and I will be drawing a name next Tuesday and posting the winner this time next week. Good Luck!!

I also wanted to share a mini mix tape, three of the songs that have been keeping me company this month.

Track 1 - Volcano by Damien Rice
I think this song would be on my life soundtrack - marking the end of a very difficult part of the journey.

Track 2 - Empty by Ray LaMontagne
Often played on the ride home, I listen to this when my soul needs quieting.

Track 3 - Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
This is quite possibly my favorite song of all by a man who truly had the voice of an angel.

What songs have been turning in your head lately?

Blessings and Butterflies

2008-04-29T07:36:00.000-04:00

Butterfly Print by rochelle31

I am grateful for a rainy Sunday afternoon with a cup of tea and a good movie.

I am grateful for the butterfly that flew alongside me as I sat in traffic on my way home last week.

I am grateful for the {short but sweet} time of year when neither the furnace nor the air conditioner is required.

I am grateful for the weather this weekend cooperating just long enough to get some much needed yard work done.

I am grateful for the amazing sunrises I have witnessed on my morning commute these past few weeks.

I am grateful for a new friend at work and her ability to make me laugh just about every day.

Your turn...what are you grateful for today??

Lullaby

2008-04-28T06:06:00.004-04:00

1. sleep 2. nighties neatly tucked away 3. Untitled 4. little 5. you + me (love) 6. Untitled
7. garden 8. PINAFORE 9. 072

plum jam for a house

2008-04-25T09:08:00.009-04:00

plum jam for a house
by Samantha Lamb

I am on the mend and will be back to my regularly scheduled programming next week. I wanted to thank everyone for their well wishes and leave you with a little something lovely to look at and ponder as you head into the weekend.

The details make life holy. If you want a little happiness in life don’t forget to look at the little things. It is a poet’s work to see the incidental, pluck it, place an appropriate silence around both sides and see the profound in what passes for a passing moment. It is an artist’s job to as much discover art as create it. Prayer is a way of making the common profound by pausing, tying knots around a moment, turning our life into a string of pearls.

~Noah Ben Shea

Under the Weather

2008-04-23T07:48:00.005-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, I've not been feeling that well the past few days and spending most of my time resting and recuperating. I'll be cooking up something new very soon, but in the meantime, I hope these adorable little tissue holders by LAMdesigns cheer you up as much as they did me.

A Sunday Kind of Love

2008-04-20T17:19:00.002-04:00

1. Untitled, 2. Funny Things are Everywhere, 3. backroom, 4. my loves, 5. 046,
6. hotel lovely, 7. Waves, 8. down time, 9. naturals, 10. Untitled, 11. softness & light, 12. ., 13. ( heart ), 14. my coasters, 15. Softly, 16. stools & chairs

ATLAS

There is a kind of love called maintenance
Which stores the WD40 and knows when to use it

Which checks the insurance, and doesn’t forget
The milkman; which remembers to plant bulbs;

Which answers letters; which knows the way
The money goes; which deals with dentists

And Road Fund Tax and meeting trains,
And postcards to the lonely; which upholds

The permanently rickety elaborate
Structures of living, which is Atlas.

And maintenance is the sensible side of love,
Which knows what time and weather are doing
To my brickwork; insulates my faulty wiring;
Laughs at my dryrotten jokes; remembers
My need for gloss and grouting; which keeps
My suspect edifice upright in air,
As Atlas did the sky.

-U.A. Fanthorpe

For Mom.

2008-04-19T11:21:00.013-04:00

Some new girls have been added to the shop and we are running a sale for Mother's Day. Get a little something soft & cosy for your mom on her special day and get yourself 20% off!

Need more gift ideas? Here are a few of my favorites for mom.

Royal Buffet

2008-04-18T07:23:00.003-04:00

I visit this shop and just daydream of a charming tea party in a cosy little cottage with marvelous butterfly mobiles fluttering about the halls and pretty packages sealed with twirled paper toppers and those whom I love the most sipping raspberry flavored tea and smiling at all of the surrounding finery.

Royal Buffet is kept and cared for by Mollie and Annie, who describe themselves as "wives, mothers, artists, and enjoyers of life." You can learn more about these talented ladies on their blogs and through the Royal Buffet website listed below.

Royal Buffet
Mollie Greene
Annie Bastine Koelle

Please be sure to visit the section of their site "Cat Has Tongue: What to Say Inside A Card"

I'll leave you with my two favorites from their list...

These are flowers that I'm sending with this card. Flowers and love buried somewhere inside with the stems.

When you whisper in my ear your moustache tickles. Later I remember and smile.

Making of a Model{our weekend project in pictures}

2008-04-17T07:17:00.002-04:00

Part II of my post from last week.

In case any of you are feeling saucy and might like to try this yourselves, I'll share a material list and a few little pearls of wisdom.

Materials We Used:

Putty {to fill in some holes in the fiberglass form}
Medium-Grit Sandpaper
3-8 oz. bottles of Elmer's Craft Bond Tacky Glue
3 yard of fabric {though we had plenty left-over}
2 yards ric-rac {trim around top hem of ruffle}
1 roll of measuring-tape ribbon {trim around waist}
Scissors
Sewing Machine {to make ruffled skirt}
Glue-Gun {to attach ruffled skirt}

Lessons We Learned:

1. Wear thick gloves when you are working with the dress form in it's bare/fiberglass state. We learned this the hard way and were plagued with prickly fiberglass bits in our hands for the rest of the day. No fun.

2. Cut up all the strips of paper or fabric before you start dipping it in the glue. This seems like a no-brainer, but we were so excited to get started we only cut a few pieces and when we ran out were all covered in goo and had to clean up before we could cut some more.

3. Start this project early in the day so that you can monitor it while it dries and push out any air bubbles as they form. We left our little lady to dry overnight and woke up to find she had developed a rather bubbly personality, as it were. You can re-wet the form and try to work some of them out, but it is much harder and you aren't going to get them all. We ended up just having to accept her for who she was, bubbles and all.

This was such a fun project and at the end of the day my mom and I felt so proud of ourselves we celebrated with a bottle of wine and a chick-flick. Despite the one hiccup with the bubbles, we couldn't be happier with how our new little model turned out!

Meet the Gals

2008-04-16T07:59:00.003-04:00

A few new girls have been added to the shop. From left to right, meet Clarissa (in white), Danielle, Clarissa (in blue), and a mini version of Carly. I am loving the color they bring to the shop. More lovely ladies will be joining us this week so stay tuned!

8 x 10

2008-04-15T12:22:00.008-04:00

Image copyright Ryan Berkley Illustration

1. I am grateful for getting to watch two beautiful blue jays build a nest while I ate my lunch at the park near work.

2. I am grateful for ordering the yummiest slice of real key lime pie I have ever tasted last night at our anniversary dinner.

3. I am grateful for what the last 3 years of marriage has taught me about what it means to love someone.

4. I am grateful for returning customers.

5. I am grateful for the inside jokes I share with my husband and for making him laugh when I mention one of them.

6. I am grateful for the beautiful, small stretch of road on my drive home from work with trees arching over me on either side and blooming wisteria vines hanging from their branches.

7. I am grateful for the smell of freshly cut grass that is often in the air this time of year.

8. I am grateful for being graced with my first ever blog award, from the lovely Miss Jemima Bean over at Quality Time.

And in the spirit of this post, I pass along the honor to ten of the blogs I am grateful to have found.

So, to Modern Classics, The Red Otter Shop, picciolo, Blaze Danielle, Cicada Daydream, Fog and Thistle, stichado, JLC Studio, Emmaroseart and last, but not least, The Comforter, I declare your blogs to be E for Excellent!

For my Husband, On our Anniversary

2008-04-14T07:30:00.002-04:00

Photos from our elopement to Savannah, GA - April 14, 2005

the traveler

i am an island

i have forests with secrets they trade just to
feel the wind blow through their leaves

you learn the trails from my toes to my knees
and make maps on your palms

i have rivers that spill stories over rocks
and smooth their sharp edges with time

you paddle through my veins and weather rapids
searching for the source of their whispers

i have meadows with golden grass
that burns (passion) like wildfire

you sleep in my hair and calm the flames
with the rhythm of your breathing

i am an island
undiscovered until now

until you
discovering me

-T
{this is the first poem I wrote for my husband when we were still dating}

Flying Star Toys

2008-04-11T08:48:00.003-04:00

Today I am featuring the incredibly talented Florence Forrest, who operates Flying Star Toys. Her creations are extraordinary works of love, each one expressing a tenderness and charm that will instantly melt your heart.

From her profile she explains, "The soul of a toy is the most important ingredient, my art is just this. The little beings should look gently at you as if they had always existed and you have just happened upon them. I've had the pleasure of making toys and practising embroidery since childhood so for me quality is an indispensible part of my work as an artist and toy designer."

The craftsmanship and care she puts into each piece makes them worthy of family heirlooms, little treasures perfect to pass on to those you love most.

You can see more of her work on her website here and learn more about the artist from her blog here.

Hello Dolly!

2008-04-10T09:17:00.009-04:00

My mom has a very good friend who is a seamstress and kindly let us borrow her dress form to use as a model for our scarves when we first decided to try to open a shop up on Etsy. We had her with us for about two months, but a few weeks ago she had to go back home to model a prom dress in-the-making.

So until recently, I had been on the search for a dress form replacement and found a inexpensive one on eBay that arrived just the other day. Unfortunately, when she came I could see why she was such a deal, the stretchy white nylon cover was pretty atrocious with a cheap looking, very sparkly gold band around the waste and a hastily glued on foam underlay that made her look lumpy and misshapen. Yuck.

But I would not be so easily defeated! I decided we'd just make a new outfit for her to wear and she would be good as new! I sketched out my idea, pulled off the chintzy nylon cover and ripped that stinky old foam from her form and started sewing. We've gotten all the fabric cut and patched together and with a little help from our seamstress friend I am hoping she'll be strutting her stuff in her new digs by this weekend!

I can't wait to see how it all turns out! And just in time too, as my mom has a hefty stack of new creations that are just waiting for their photo shoot...

Chloe and Rose

2008-04-09T21:01:00.005-04:00

Two of our girls have been lucky enough to each be chosen for some very lovely treasuries.

Thanks so much to Julia of RedOtter for featuring Rose in her Peaches and Cream collection:

And jaidub for selecting Chloe to be a part of her Cool and Crisp collection:

They are very much enjoying their moment in the sun!

Spreading Lies.

2008-04-09T08:45:00.003-04:00

LIES I'VE TOLD MY 3 YEAR OLD RECENTLY
by Raul Gutierrez

Trees talk to each other at night.

All fish are named either Lorna or Jack.

Before your eyeballs fall out from watching too much TV, they get very loose.

Tiny bears live in drain pipes.

If you are very very quiet you can hear the clouds rub against the sky.

The moon and the sun had a fight a long time ago.

Everyone knows at least one secret language.

When nobody is looking, I can fly.

We are all held together by invisible threads.

Books get lonely too.

Sadness can be eaten.

I will always be there.

Happily discovered via Please Be Still and absolutely too wonderful not to share.

Tea

2008-04-07T07:19:00.000-04:00

1. the pinkness of petals 2. baby princess chair 3. dishes too 4. sakura 5. circles & spoons 6. butterflies in my coffee 7. Heart Chairs Closeup 8. descended 9. welcome... 10. morning love 11. evening 12. pink tea 13. Untitled

TEA

I like pouring your tea, lifting
the heavy pot, and tipping it up,
so the fragrant liquid streams in your china cup.

Or when you’re away, or at work,
I like to think of your cupped hands as you sip,
as you sip, of the faint half-smile of your lips.

I like the questions – sugar? – milk? –
and the answers I don’t know by heart, yet,
for I see your soul in your eyes, and I forget.

Jasmine, Gunpowder, Assam, Earl Grey, Ceylon,
I love tea’s names. Which tea would you like? I say
but it’s any tea for you, please, any time of day,

as the women harvest the slopes
for the sweetest leaves, on Mount Wu-Yi,
and I am your lover, smitten, straining your tea.

-Carol Ann Duffy

Not easy being green...

2008-04-06T12:06:00.003-04:00

Before I get started on my taxes this afternoon (Yay!) I thought I'd post some of my projects in progress. {Including a little painting mom and I have been working on for cosy up your nest - which we can hopefully get organized enough to open this month!}

I've been having a relationship with the color green lately and it's becoming serious. I haven't been seeing any other colors in quite some time and even when I go out, you know, just to see what else is out there, I am drawn to green like a bird is drawn to fly south for the winter.

It is only a matter of time before we move to the next stage in our relationship and start planning our future together. I can already see wee little mittens and scarves, bags and brooches and wraps in pretty shades of sage and mint, olive and pistachio fluttering about the house.

And before we know it, they'll be ready to leave home and be put to work in the shop, looking for more glamorous and exciting lives somewhere new...

S. Tudyk

2008-04-04T17:04:00.008-04:00

Clockwise from top left: 5 companion, R building, golden rectangle relation, map 16

I am swooning over the artwork of Shannon "Sam" Tudyk, whose work can be found in her shop on Etsy as well as on her website here. Her work is the best of both worlds, appealing to both the artistic and analytical halves of my personality. It is the perfect art for a spreadsheet loving, graph making, organization obsessed, artistic, creative craftster like myself.

Her profile describes her as "inspired by accounting ledgers, numbers, maps, vintage papers, trees, road signs & symbols, found objects, typography, dilapidated buildings, overheard conversation fragments, dreams, and African wildlife."

Yes, I am in love, it is for certain.

Chaos

2008-04-03T12:59:00.002-04:00

Family Chaos I by canyouhearme

It seems that almost every area of my life at the moment is surrounded by a whirlwind of chaos and stress. Most of which I don't mention here because, well, that is not why I started this thing and I have come to realize that this blog has become a quiet place of solace and comfort for me, a place I can come to focus on the blessings in my life as well as the people and things that bring me happiness {and endless inspiration!}. To be able to share that joy with a small audience and be given such encouragement along the way has been the most meaningful part of keeping this online journal.

So today, when my burdens feel considerably heavier than usual, I wanted to offer sincere thanks to anyone that visits me here and tell you that each of your kind comments lighten my step and without realizing it you are all helping me find my way through.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Not in Kansas Anymore

2008-04-02T09:50:00.003-04:00

I got myself a little treasury last night. I had this idea after I heard Tori Amos' version of Somewhere over the Rainbow on the drive home from work the other day. You can check it out for a limited time here.

Joyful.

2008-04-01T09:35:00.002-04:00

I am grateful for getting to see my sister-in-law this weekend and feel my little nephew kicking around inside her belly. There is absolutely nothing else like it in the world.

I am grateful for the look on my mother's face every day over the last week when I told her we had sold another of her scarves at the shop - {our Spring Sale was a huge success!}

I am grateful for finding and falling in love with two new artists this week whose work makes me catch my breath and nearly brings tears to my eyes. I am so head over heels.

1. A million thanks to Blaze Danielle for introducting me through her Penny Playlist to Iron and Wine and the prettiest song I have heard in a very long time. You can listen to it here.

2. Thanks also to Holly at decor8 for her blog of the week post on Jen Renninger's blog, 365, without which I might never have discovered her artwork and that would have been a tremendous loss.

I am also grateful for the unpredictable weather that comes with the transition of seasons, for sitting out on the deck drinking margaritas Saturday afternoon in sunny, 75 degree weather and driving out at lunch in a swirl of snow flurries on Tuesday. Such things will keep you on your toes.

I'd love to know...what are you grateful for?

Dreams

2008-03-31T07:14:00.004-04:00

1. Long way around 2. cold things start to burn 3. Sunlight scatter 4. love always 5. Think too much.. 6. Untitled 7. tordu 8. but i love it. 9. minnesota spring 10. hive 11. LINGES ANCIENS 12. anyone home 13. gockel 14. Seamstress Sorceress 15. First Born 16. hemlock

Dreams

All night
the dark bud of dreams
open
richly.

In the center
of every petal
is a letter,
and you imagine

if you could only remember
and string them all together
they would spell the answer.
It is a long night,

and not an easy one -
you have so many branches,
and there are diversions -
birds that come and go,

the black fox that lies down
to sleep beneath you,
the moon staring
with her bone-white eye.

Finally you have spent
all the energy you can
and you drag from the ground
the muddy skirt of your roots

and leap awake
with two or three syllables
like water in your mouth
and a sense

of loss - a memory
not yet of a word,
certainly not yet the answer -
only how it feels

when deep in the tree
all the locks click open,
and the fire surges through the wood,
and the blossoms blossom.

-Mary Oliver

And the winner is...

2008-03-30T19:52:00.005-04:00

I am home from my last minute trip this weekend and have drawn a winner for our Spring giveaway. I numbered the comments in the order given and used a random number generator to pick the lucky winner.

So our cosy little brooch will be finding a new home with the lovely Elisabeth of Jen Elisabeth who left the sixth comment at 9:38 AM on March 24th.

Congratulations to Elisabeth and many many thanks to everyone who commented! I hope to do another giveaway very soon, they are such fun!

Just a friendly reminder...

2008-03-28T10:45:00.001-04:00

If you'd like the chance to win this pretty spring pin, throw your name in the hat by commenting here or here.

I will draw a name and announce the winner Saturday evening. Good Luck!!

Please note: I had to go out of town last minute and don't have much time on the computer so I will be doing the drawing Sunday evening when I get home

Assortment.

2008-03-28T10:10:00.005-04:00

Instead of featuring one Etsy seller this Friday, I've chosen my favorite picks from several of the lovely ladies that stop by my blog and say hello from time to time. Thanks to each and every one of you for the support and encouragement you have given me - I am honored to be amongst such talented company!

Clockwise from top left:

1. Tea Drinker by Blazedanielle
2. Lavender and Chamomile Linen Sachets by cicadastudio
3. Fabric Box – Balance by picciolo
4. Vintage Tie Catnip Mouse Toy by ModernClassicsHome
5. Watership Down Series - Bronze Bunny by FogAndThistle
6. Hello There Spring - Pillow by stichado
7. Wandering - 8x12 Print by calobee
8. 3 Heart Magnets by tizzalicious

Addicted.

2008-03-27T13:12:00.005-04:00

Help. Please. I just can't stop...

Making Paper Dolls

2008-03-26T14:34:00.004-04:00

WARNING: I take no responsibility for what this website may do to your budget. No joke.

What I want to know is, how long has Polyvore been around and why hasn't anyone told me about it before?! This is quite possibly THE most fun way of wasting time on the web I have come across.

Basically it is like dressing a paper doll, except the clothes and shoes and accessories are real and when you are done you can buy your carefully crafted ensemble and wear it yourself!

Here is what I wish I was wearing today, while I was shopping the flea markets and drinking a cold lemonade. (Instead of sitting on the computer picking out clothes I can't afford!)

Want to create your own spring wardrobe?! Start here.

I can promise you many more hours (and I'm sure just as many dollars) will be spent here...don't say I didn't warn you!

Resourceful

2008-03-26T08:27:00.008-04:00

I have been fortunate to stumble across a lot of valuable resources lately that have informed and inspired me and I just wanted to share them with you here.

For anyone out there like my mom and like myself, that is just starting to try and sell their work, it can be a frightening and overwhelming journey. In the two short months since we have opened our shop I have already learned so many things the hard way. So, when I find little nuggets of wisdom from those with much more experience and, more importantly...success, I devour it, digest it and do my best to put those lessons into practice as soon as humanly possible.

I am sharing what I have collected with you this morning, in hopes that you may find some undiscovered treasures of information.

Spotlight: Etsy Success Stories: AllysonHill

Yesterday I read a wonderful spotlight on AllysonHill {featured at The Storque on Etsy} where she shared how she got started on Etsy and how she had built her business. I especially appreciated her system for keeping track of her orders and will be making myself an identical checklist this weekend.

the dailies: marisa from creative thursday

A few lucky clicks the other day lead me to design for mankind, a marvelous blog with too many fabulous features to name here, but the one I find I look forward to the most is The Dailies, where a working artist shares photos from and describe the schedule of an average day in their life. This week, the talented Marisa from Creative Thursday was selected and if you read this post, be sure to check the comments where Marisa, and some of the previous artists featured share how they transitioned into selling their art full time.

BUILDING A BUSINESS: Selling on Etsy for Dummies

To add a cherry to the top of these terrific scoops of enlightenment, I was visiting all of my daily reads this morning and was delighted to find that Modish had included a post and it was addressed directly to me! This is, as Maddy (creator of Modish) puts it, "a mini directory of great articles and discussion threads of some of the most frequently asked questions." Check it out, you won't be sorry!

Last, I'll leave you with a couple colorful sprinkles of forum threads I've found most helpful and reference often.

Newbie Guide - The premier 2008 edition!

How artists and crafters can make more money

If you have some helpful hints or lessons learned, pretty please share the wealth with the rest of us!

Blessed.

2008-03-25T15:09:00.011-04:00

pink mist

I am grateful for the days I have been able to ride home from work with the windows down and the wind on my face.

I am grateful for a Saturday spent with my family, sitting outside on the patio, drinking margaritas and sharing funny stories.

I am grateful for springtime showers of cherry blossom petals.

I am grateful for being able to celebrate with my mother the mini successes that come with starting your own business and seeing it start to grow.

I am grateful for the endless creative inspiration I receive from all of the talented Etsy members I've stumbled across and bloggers I have met and continue to meet every day. Thank You!

So what are you grateful for today? Please share!

A little celebrating

2008-03-24T16:10:00.004-04:00

Gretchen made it on the frontpage of Etsy this afternoon! Yippee Skippy!

Monday Mosaic {and a poem}

2008-03-24T08:03:00.001-04:00

1. DWbg 2. 736ecc4d8c87c8e639b21a1501ed6efd 3. Eye language 4. Un fiore 5. black & white 6. the way you make me feel. 7. "Come here, I've got a secret to tell you..." 8. Untitled 9. Untitled 10. joyful 11. Spines 12. crophorse 13. Untitled 14. white napkins 15. green 16. .

after all white horses are in bed

will you walking beside me, my very lady,
if scarcely the somewhat city
wiggles in considerable twilight

touch (now) with a suddenly unsaid

gesture lightly my eyes?
And send life out of me and the night
absolutely into me. . . . a wise
and puerile moving of your arm will
do suddenly that

will do
more than heroes beautifully in shrill
armour colliding on huge blue horses,
and the poets looked at them, and made verses,

through the sharp light cryingly as the knights flew.

- e.e. cummings

Happy Spring!

2008-03-22T11:15:00.012-04:00

We just added several new flower brooches to the shop this morning and so I thought it was a good excuse to do my first giveaway! I picked this "pretty in pink" pin to send off to one of my lovely readers. Please just leave a comment if you'd like to be in the drawing and this time next week I will pick a lucky name out of a hat. She measures about 4" in diameter and is handcrafted out a of soft and cozy acrylic yarn. Perfect for your spring wardrobe!

We are also offering a 30% Off Spring Sale on all scarves (as marked) to, hopefully, allow you to stock up on your winter woolens and allow us to clear out some of our inventory for the coming warm weather!

Middleburg

2008-03-21T07:27:00.006-04:00

This week I chose to feature an incredibly talented artist, Susan Havens-Morris. Susan owns and operates the lovely Etsy shop, Middleburg, named after the 100 year old farmette in Illinois where she lives with her husband. The beautiful papier mache pieces in her shop are first sculpted by her out of clay before being cast into plaster molds and filled with 100% recycled ground newspaper. The results are charming creations that have a wonderful sense of warmth and character. Check out her Etsy shop here or you can also learn more by visiting her website Middleburg Folk Art Studio and her blog here.

Happy Shopping!!

Discovering a Trend

2008-03-20T07:40:00.009-04:00

Though I am not exactly sure how important it is to the lovely folks that read my blog, I have been trying since I started this site to add new Etsy favorites to my account so there are new and wonderful things on my sidebar every day for you to check out. I got to wondering yesterday how other people shop on Etsy, how they find their favorite things and what you choose to mark as a favorite tells you about yourself.

I tend to be a browsing shopper, not looking for anything in particular and rarely use the search feature on Etsy unless I am buying a gift for someone else and know they would like something specific. I think it would be fair to say that 90% of my favorites have been found by finding a shop that I like (usually through the front page treasury or recently listed items) and looking at their favorites, clicking on the ones I find interesting or beautiful and then looking at their favorites, and so on and so forth until I can't remember where I started from and have 10 or 15 new things I can't live without.

I have realized by looking back at the treasures I have chosen as my favorites, that I definitely have a certain style and am drawn to a particular color palette of soft, muted shades of blues, greens and pinks. I notice this in the yarn I buy too, I organized it the other night and was able to sort it into bags of cream, pink, blue, green and brown. I also appear to have a thing for flowers and birds and trees and birds in trees or flowers on trees, or birds and flowers or anything to do with a bird or a tree or a flower of some sort. It's not an obsession per se...I'll just call it a love of nature.

So I am curious to hear from you, how do you shop on Etsy or just in general? Are you a browser or a get in and get out kind of shopper? How do you discover new artists? Have you seen a style develop from the favorites you've marked? Inquiring minds want to know!!

Down the bunny trail...

2008-03-19T08:16:00.008-04:00

I have finally finished my cosy little cottontail bunny and, if I may say so, I think she turned out pretty darn cute.

I made some slight modifications, mostly to her face, on the pattern below because I wanted her to have a little more character. To get the shape, I sewed the button eyes on before I stuffed and using the same thread for both eyes, pulled it taut as I fastened it off. I decided against using two colors of yarn for a softer look and I also made a wee scarf in a pretty pink because she just looked naked without it!

I used I Love This Yarn! in Ivory for the bunny and Vanna's Choice yarn in Pink for the scarf (to make the scarf I worked 4 single crochets back and forth until I had a length I was happy with and added fringe)

Crochet Best Bunny Pattern
Note: This is a Lion Brand Pattern and you have to register on their website to view it, registration is free and allows you access to all of their free knit and crochet.

Happy Birthday Danielle!

2008-03-18T07:30:00.006-04:00

To my little sister, on her birthday...

1. I am grateful for the exact moment you decided to stop watching The Neverending Story everyday after school when you were little. Because I literally thought it was never going to end.

2. I am grateful for the memory of you pretending to be a Galapagos Turtle in a game of charades we played on a summer vacation at the beach. (After we had seen one at the Alligator Farm earlier that day) One of the top 3 funniest things I have ever witnessed in my entire life.

3. I am grateful that you allowed me to use you as my own real live doll and dress you up when the mood struck me.

4. I am grateful for the support you gave me in my painting and for being my biggest fan.

5. I am grateful that you want to grow closer and spend more time together as we are getting older.

6. I am grateful to have such a beautiful and vivacious woman as not only my sister, but my friend.

Happy Birthday Danielle! I wish you a year of more joy than you can imagine. No matter what it may bring, know that you will always have a home in my heart.

I love you.

T. (aka Sis-a-bis)

A handbag here, A handbag there...

2008-03-17T18:48:00.007-04:00

Meet Molly and Ella, the latest additions to cosy up your closet. They are ready for their close-up, Mr. DeMille!

More cute and cosy handbags are on their way. In the meantime, I would love to know what you think of these girls as they hang around and wait for their new home!

Update: Molly is already a star! Found her on this beautiful treasury - she got her close-up after all!

This morning.

2008-03-17T08:12:00.008-04:00

1. my favorite 2. Summer hallway 3. fate as malleable as clay 4. Untitled 5. Great globe
6. daaaarling !!!... have you seen my glasses somewhere? 7. word dice 8. IMG_6195
9. nighties neatly tucked away 10. ...welcoming a new addition to the family 11. ... glad the living room has south facing windows 12. Golden . . . 13. 7::366 14. Untitled 15. Untitled
16. *, 68/365

I will also be posting a shop update this evening when I get home from work. Please check back in and see what I've been up to!

{Speaking of the shop, make it an extra special St. Patrick's Day and take advantage of the sale going on at cosy up your closet!}

Playing Tag.

2008-03-15T19:43:00.010-04:00

I have been tagged by Miss Claudia, of stichado (hi Claudia!) and so I am obliged to share with you now 7 bits of randomness about yours truly.

1. I have a tattoo. An outline of a dove on my back I got when I was 23, after my first marriage ended. If I could do it all again I don't think I would have gotten it, but it was what I needed to do at the time and so I am happy with it.

2. I am half British, on my dad's side. He is the only member of his family that lives in the states...I have yet to visit England, but hope to very soon. At least before I turn 30.

3. When I was 2 years old I got Haemophilus influenzae type B meningitis (or the really bad kind) and had to be quarantined. I still have a scar on my ankle where I was fed through a tube.

4. I have a strange obsession with office supplies. I think it stems from my obsessive compulsive disorder. Anything used for some form of organization or list making and I must have it or my life will not be complete. My favorite place to shop because they have the prettiest of pretty office supplies is here.

5. As mentioned in number 4, I am a compulsive list-maker. I really should buy stock in Post-It. I have several lists of things too important to forget tucked in my purse, on my desk at work, scattered about the house, in drawers, between pages in books...you get the idea.

6. I am known for my inability to control my emotions and will cry at the drop of a hat. No matter the time or place, or how inappropriate it might be, and once I get started...forget about it.

7. I've discovered I'm a pretty handy gal since my husband and I bought our first home together. With his guidance and the guidance of the friendly folks at my local Lowe's and Home Depot I have lain tile, ran crown moulding and baseboards, repaired plaster, hung drywall, installed bookshelves and bead board and learned to operate a nail gun, drill, table saw, miter saw, tile cutter, level and a good old fashioned hammer and nail. Some of these projects I helped with and some I did all by myself (!). Some proof of our handy-work below.

Now enough about me, I'd love to hear something random from:

Sophie
Amber
Darlene aka "Anissa"

Tag gals, you're it!

LilyMoon

2008-03-14T15:44:00.005-04:00

I am swooning over the work of LilyMoon, who has been selling her charming illustrations on Etsy since June 2006 with much success. They are like being in a dream, the lovely kind you don't ever want to wake up from. She describes her work as "thousands of bits and pieces of imaginary stories - that's the theme of my prints...I get an idea for a story and then it slips away, back to wherever it came from... and then another story comes to mind...This series of prints are elements of those stories...may be you can fill in the gaps and tell me how they end...!"

Visit her shop here and find your own story to wander into!

Hook in Hand (or why I love to crochet)

2008-03-13T12:30:00.015-04:00

I am still in the beginning stages of my love affair with crochet, it was only the start of this year that my mom sat down with me and taught me the difference between a single and a double crochet, how to read the pattern instructions (that to anyone else looks like complete gibberish) and who has generously loaned me several needles and books and yarn while I build my own collection. Honestly, as of late, this little tryst has developed into an all-consuming obsession.
1. TerraBellaSpun 2. Sunnyside Ellen 3. cassiemarie 4. wildnwoolie2007
I love crochet because it appeals to all of the different sides of my personality. The counting, repetition and order of it all gives peace and harmony to my often flustered OCD tendencies. And the yarn, oh the yarn! The beautiful palette of colors and textures are almost painterly and inspire the artist in me. Above all, watching a pattern take form into a cosy scarf, an elegant shawl, or a stylish handbag just makes me happy.

I think it is the simple act of creating that gives my soul joy and crochet provides me that in a new form, with a new feel. It has also provided me something new to share with my mom and these past few months have brought me closer to her through swapping patterns, improving techniques, shopping for yarns or just sitting quietly together with a ball of yarn and hooks in hand.

Do please share what you are currently smitten with and why you think you love it so!

Giving Thanks

2008-03-11T09:30:00.007-04:00

I am grateful for waking up three days last week to this view and the sound of the ocean. Don't you wish every business trip could be in such a place?

I am grateful for being able to go on a much needed mini-date with my husband, sharing a cup of coffee, sitting in cosy, cushy chairs and talking about the week.

I am grateful for getting to stay in my pajama's all day on Sunday, crocheting and watching movies with my mom, sharing a bottle of wine, laughing, crying, talking, creating together.

What are some of of your everyday blessings from this past week?

A Mix Tape

2008-03-10T19:04:00.003-04:00

The ever charming Blaze Danielle is offering a sweet mix tape of her favorite songs to paint to. If her musical tastes are as lovely as her blog, I know this compilation will become a regular on my iPod!

Get yourself a copy by clicking her custom collage below!
Image courtesy of Blaze Danielle

Feeling Sentimental

2008-03-10T10:37:00.005-04:00

1. Untitled, 2. CRW_6623, 3. Studio, 4. Women's Day, 5. in flights of eye and ear, 6. sunflower, 7. Ava, 8. corner of my home, 9. dirty feet

Under Construction

2008-03-08T15:19:00.003-05:00

Mom and I have been busy piecing together some new creations for both shops the past few days and I can't wait to finish them up and get them listed. We are hoping the purses (No. 1 and 3) will be a nice transition into the warmer months at cosy up your closet along with some crocheted jewelry pieces that we plan to add over the next few weeks. This cute little bunny (No.2) will be a great Easter item for cosy up your nest, which we are expecting to open up by the end of this month. Will keep you posted as we get ever closer!

Please share what projects are keeping you buzzing lately. I'd love to hear or come check out your blog and find out!

handgrown pottery

2008-03-07T15:37:00.001-05:00

I am back from my little journey and pleased to present you with another of my favorites. Leesa Brinkley has only been selling her pottery on Etsy for a little over a year and already has had over 500 sales! Her nature inspired work and the simple love of life that comes through in each piece makes it easy to understand why so many others are drawn to Leesa's shop and the treasures that fill it. She offers a quote in her profile that renews my creative spirit and I share it here in hopes that it will do the same for you.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" -Erma Bombeck

Happy Shopping!!

Leaving on a Jetplane

2008-03-03T08:24:00.003-05:00

I'll be away on a business trip this week and will be back Thursday evening. Just in time for another Friday Feature! Until then, Adieu!
1. suitcases 2. In a Hurry 3. iso vintage suitcases 4. on my way 5. vintage suitcases 6. A Sailor's Suitcase

Elisa Shere Jewelry

2008-02-29T16:43:00.007-05:00

If I had the means, I think I would buy myself one of each and every lovely piece of jewelry in Elisa's shop. Her work is truly stunning in its simplicity.

In her profile, Elisa says "I love the relationship that women have with their jewelry. It makes us feel beautiful, feminine, powerful. It effects us in many ways, and even if a piece doesn't cost thousands of dollars, it is still precious to us. My biggest goal in jewelry making is to design something that becomes somebody's most treasured possesion. This is what inspires me to make jewelry."

I think she has achieved that goal, her shop is brimming with treasures.

Enjoy!

Framing.

2008-02-28T15:54:00.015-05:00

On a trip to IKEA this past Saturday I picked up 4 matching picture frames - nice deep ones with a white frame and a matching white matte. I used three of the four to frame the Ask, Believe, Receive print I had bought from the wonderfully talented Geninne a few months ago and I am so pleased with how they turned out!
I visit Geninne's blog regularly and find it to be a constant source of inspiration. One of my current obsessions I owe to her blog as she was kind enough to offer a tutorial on carving your own rubber stamps. After one look at the beautiful (and plentiful) collection she had created, I rushed to the art supply store, bought some carving tools and a rubber block and, as you can see below, have been hooked since!
p.s. The last frame came in handy for finishing off the collage I started over the weekend. I think it looks pretty cute in it's new home!

A method of blogging

2008-02-26T09:38:00.017-05:00

A long time ago, in a land far, far away, I used to write a different blog, one I started just because I felt like it and it was pretty snazzy and some people read it from time to time and all was good. Then, one dark and stormy day, my husband and I bought...The House. A creature who, just for its own amusement, would suck up any remaining time in your day and all the energy you have left in your body, chew it up, and spit it back out in a crumpled pile on the floor in front of you. Smirking all the while. So, that was the end of my blogging days for a long, long time.

But I refuse to let The House have the last laugh and have used the opening of our Etsy shop as an excuse to stretch my fingers and excercize the blogging part of my brain. (For those that don't know where that part of the brain is located, See Figure 2008).

To help get myself back in the swing of things, I tried to work out a kind of framework for my blog, ideas for topics to post about each day of the week. Monday: Flickr favorites mosaic, Wednesday: updates on the homefront, Thursday: random thoughts (Free Day), Friday: a favorite Etsy seller feature, Saturday: shop/project updates, Sunday: what is inspiring me at the moment

Tuesday was giving me trouble though, which is why I didn't post anything at all last Tuesday. But the little rascal came back around again this week, and so here I am again, and you, blog reader, are having to endure this novel of an explanation because I had no other ideas on what to post about. My apologies.

Anyway, for a while I was keeping a little notebook of daily gratitudes and was thinking maybe I would make Tuesday my day for sharing those gratitudes with you. Maybe I'll try to photograph some of them if I can, you know, just to mix things up a bit. What do you think?

I hope in sharing my blogging schedule and, as a result, my OCD tendencies, in this post I haven't ran off the 5 or 6 visitors that stop by. Hey, don't knock it until you try it! If you like blogging but have trouble constantly coming up with new and interesting topics, giving yourself daily "themes" can get the creative juices flowing. It helps me anyway, while my blogging skills are still rusty, and that cute little corner of my brain is happy - so it's a win - win situation as far as I'm concerned!

I'll give it a whirl anyway, unless I get some better suggestions from all my loyal readers. ;o)

More color love.

2008-02-25T08:18:00.003-05:00

A mosaic created in honor of my current crushes. Enjoy!

1. corner of my home 2. quit bugging me 3. put a tack in it 4. Livingroom 5. lamb 6. .iced oak. 7. Gherkins 8. It's not easy being green 9. stack

Color Story {delivered to my mailbox}

2008-02-24T14:49:00.013-05:00

I find I've been crushing lately on this color combination and I don't think I am the only one. Several of my mail order catalogs and magazines have been featuring beautiful blue, gorgeous green and cosy cream color combos.

What are the sources for this lovely layout, you ask? Well, clockwise from the top left Country Living, Pottery Barn (both small insets), Country Living, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion (both bottom photos).

As evidence of my love I am sharing with you the results of my frantic yarn shopping spree last night. I'm still glowing from the purchase!

I will no doubt be spending the rest of the afternoon looking for a project suitable for these yummy yarns. Wish me luck!

Nesting.

2008-02-23T13:55:00.007-05:00

This morning I spent time working on a collage* for our new shop, yet to be opened, cosy up your nest. My hope is to be able to get it stocked up over the next month or so and both my mom and I have been busy crafting some very cosy inventory. I am excited at how this piece is turning out and will be looking for a frame this afternoon to make it extra special.

foundling

2008-02-22T16:03:00.007-05:00

Every Friday I am hoping to share a fellow Etsy seller that is currently on my favorites list. For my very first feature, I have chosen a lovely shop full of, as the owner Betsy, puts it, "new things made from old things." Each item is like finding a hidden treasure and has a sense of history and romance that makes them all the more special. I am certain after one visit you will find her store to be as charming and noteworthy as I do.

Enjoy!

I think I can, I think I can

2008-02-21T12:56:00.003-05:00

In setting up shop on Etsy I've witnessed what a scary thing it can be to put something you have created out there in to the world, and hope that of all the hundreds of thousands of things to choose from as a consumer, someone out there will pick yours. Right now, all of the beautiful scarves and wraps for sale in our shop were made by my mom, Cheri, since I am only just learning to crochet (will be adding my own touch to the shop soon!). Shortly after I listed the first few items and sent emails to everyone we knew with a link to the shop, I think she had several minor panic attacks and slept all of 2 minutes that night from being in a constant state of worry.

My mom is such a wonderful artist, she is not herself if she is not creating something, and I know that everything artistic and creative in me came from her. Up until now, she has only sold her lovely creations to family, friends and sometimes co-workers. I feel like when you finally make the decision to try to sell your work to the masses, it is like drawing a line in the sand and can make you feel like whether it is a great success or everything falls apart, this one act will determine your future as an artist. I'm not saying it's rational, but I have a sneaking suspicion I am not the only one that feels this way. I would be curious to hear from other artists selling their crafts how they felt when they first took that leap of faith - and how or if it has changed with time and experience.

With Best Intentions

2008-02-20T18:31:00.010-05:00

About a year and a half ago, my husband and I bought our first home together, a bungalow built in 1935 with romantic notions of restoring it's charm and renovating it's sad, decrepit rooms into something special. Our own adorable little country cottage, if you will.

We have accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, and discovered we work well together on home improvement projects, but it was not without lots of blood, sweat and tears and I don't even want to talk about the money, God help us. To say the experience has been bittersweet would be an understatement.

Our new and improved focus is now on getting the house in good enough condition to sell and wipe our hands clean. Lessons learned. Wounds healed. Character built.

So currently we are finally making preparations to tackle the kitchen - the one project in our home renovations that we find reason after reason to scoot on down to the bottom of our long, long to-do list. The photos above were found on the IKEAFans website and are our inspiration. They are actually the exact cabinets we plan to order from IKEA and attempt to install ourselves. {For before pictures of our kitchen see below.}

Then again, as I write this I am thinking maybe we ought to start with installing the cabinets in the bathroom...you know, to warm ourselves up and get back in the swing of working on the house. Yes, I do believe that is the best idea I have had all day!

A Beginning

2008-02-18T09:51:00.013-05:00

1. C 2. O 3. The letter S 4. Y 5. Claire 6. U 7. P 8. Natalie

Dear Reader,

My hope is that this journal will be a place worth visiting from time to time, to share ideas and inspiration with old (and, I hope, many new) friends and family. I'll be sharing not only what is new in the shop, what my mom and I are currently working on and what is inspiring us creatively, but also some of my favorite handmade items sold by other Etsy members, updates on our home renovations, a weekly list of gratitudes and whatever else may be on my radar at the moment. Please share your thoughts and comments with me, even just to say hello, I'd really love to hear from you. I can't wait to see where this new road will take me...thanks so much for joining me on the journey.

Many blessings,

Tracey
xxx