Fabric Love

While at another estate sale last week I came across a bag of what I thought was real suede. But it turned out to be faux suede. No big deal though because I love it just the same. :) It was the colors that really drew me to the bag. The best part is that I got the whole lot for 50 cents. I was thrilled! I knew exactly what I was going to do with them. Rosettes, lots of rosettes! Stay tuned for the finished necklaces. They are so so sweet and just perfect for Fall.

August

Dear August, where have you gone? I don't know about ya'll but this month has just flown bye. It has been a while since every weekend has been jam packed with functions. Birthdays, baby showers, end of the summer pool parties, and sadly a funeral. Ups and downs emotionally this month but happy to be surrounded by great family and friends. And in the weeks in between I have been as busy as possible getting ready for a festival right around the corner in September. I also had the chance to do a tiny bit of sewing. Made a taggy blanket for Ms. Mya who will be here in October. Hope she likes it as much as Wren loves his. 

Determination

This summer for us has been full of so many firsts. Wren was a newborn last summer and we hibernated and focused on being first time parents. But this summer has been so full of adventure and seeing life thru new eyes. Leaves, bugs, trees - lets just say all of nature and the outdoors in general. He is all about it. :) It has been such a fun and busy summer that I feel like I have lost track of time. I realized this weekend that it was already August. August!? I have a festival in less than a month! I have been making jewelry here and there but nothing for a show in one month. Yikes!!!
So, this is where I had an epiphany as I was watering our garden yesterday. We have a lower rock garden and when we were creating it the ground became so hard that nothing would grow there. Well, to our surprise right under our bird feeder, stray sunflower seeds have begun to grow and this weekend they began to bloom. Watching these flowers bloom is the perfect culmination of  one great summer. The obvious is watching our child bloom everyday with the newness of everything. And then your probably wondering what do these sunflowers have to do with making jewelry. I thought to myself  if  these sunflowers can grow through the rocks then I can find the motivation and determination within myself to get my toosh in gear. To start creating again. I've been having an ongoing battle within myself. I didn't want to miss anything with Wren this summer so that meant I had to put my jewelry biz on hold. Which I did so willingly. But, I am determined to figure out how to be both creator and nurturer. It was one of those moments where you look inward and feel a peace wash over you! And a voice that says you are a great mother and it is not selfish to want to get back to work! So with that said, this week is all about creating new pieces and getting my toosh back to work!! I will post pictures soon on what I hope will be a wonderful new fall line.

Blooms Abound

I have just posted more Flower Garden Necklaces in my etsy shop! I Love making these necklaces and I love wearing them. They are just so cheerful! There is something so satisfying in creating each one. I take time to make sure each necklace is unique and one of a kind. It starts with a bit of crocheting, a flurry of flower making, a hunt for the right vintage buttons, and then the adorning of the perfect vintage brooch or re-purposed piece of jewelry. Add the right vintage chain and ta-da the sweetest statement piece!

Estate Sale Love

 Last week I went to two estate sales, which if you know me by now made for one happy gal!! The excitement I feel is heightened when they are good sales. And they were! I got some great pieces but my favorites were this sweet silver platter, a set of bumble bee cuff links, a single vintage clip on earring (soon to be re-purposed into a necklace), and a sweet, sweet, cross stitched comforter! I bought other items but I had to control myself. There was a ton more I wanted to pack up and take home with me. :)

There are also deer, birds, rabbits, dragon flies, living among a series of trees it is so stinkin sweet :)

Summer Past And Present

Last year we had a couple of ducks show up and swim every morning. This year we have only seen them a handful of times! Love ducks :)

Growing up in a small town in the south was so much fun especially in the summer months. Exploring all day and sometimes into the evenings, fire flies, and lots of kids in the neighborhood to play with. I started reminiscing about my childhood after Kenon asked me about how summers were around here. We were driving Wren around on the golf cart before his bedtime and saw these boys playing in a creek.  I had a flood of memories rush back to me after kenon's question and the boys just playing away. I immediately remembered playing kick ball in the street out the front of our house. I remember my sister and I getting lost in our imaginations as we navigated our way through the woods along the bike paths. There was this giant tree that fell across a small creek in the woods and we named it the Bridge To Terabithia just like the book. It was our magical forest kingdom. And now that I am older and have a little one of my own. I can't wait to see how his imagination will conquer the summer. So far this summer has been so wonderful and busy. Wren loves swimming and riding on the golf cart aka the go go!! Chasing bubbles and the ducks at the pond down from our house. Kenon and I also decided to landscape our back yard ourselves. A huge endeavor! But now that it is done, we are pretty proud of ourselves and completely happy with how it turned out. Honestly though the best part of this summer is just being. Taking it all in knowing that new memories are being formed and loving every minute of it.

A Birthday and A How To

I love making gifts for my family and friends! I believe it is more personal to give a gift that is hand made :)  For one of my friends, who just celebrated her birthday, I made her a mini cake plate or what I liked to call a cup cake plate. She has been collecting cake plates lately and I looked and looked for them in all the antique stores I visited while on vacation. But none to be found.
However, I did find this really beautiful flower plate and thought I just need to find a base to match and I can put this cake plate together myself!! I found a sorbet cup and turned it upside down to make the base. This was such a fun and easy craft to do. The outcome turned out wonderfully and my friend loved it. :)
So give it a try and tell me or send me pictures of what you all come up with! I will post them :) It really is fun and like I said the outcome is wonderful! You will love this easy peasy craft project!
What you will need:
A vintage or new plate (any size just make sure your base can handle it)
A base (  different sized cups, candle holders, etc....)
E6000 glue ( let it set for at least 12 to 24 hours) make sure it sits on a flat surface so that the pieces don't slide.
That is it!! Have fun :) You could also get more creative and make multi layered plates that hold candy or flowers! Let your creative juices flow :)