Etsy Update the Second

I'm just tickled to announce my first pair of antique typewriter key earrings are in my shop! I love these Art Deco settings - they make great fancy earrings.

Find these pretty earrings here in my shop.

They are asterisk and underscore on one and question mark and slash on the other. They make a great gift for a budding writer or anyone that loves to read and write. When I finished making them I was sorely tempted to keep them for myself I love them so much!


I put fancy filigree settings on the back to make them every bit as pretty as the front!

And there are actually three settings on each earring - the back filigree setting, the main Art Deco setting and also a scalloped edged base setting - just look at them from the side...

These are really cool earrings - I've got to make myself a pair!! Check out my shop for bigger pics.

Also - another necklace in my shop...

A beautiful antique white key with a simple black font - this 'S' necklace makes me wish my name started with that letter!

Grab this pretty necklace here at my shop!

I love all the crackly shabby chic goodness in this key! So pretty. I put it on a delicate filigree setting and it just shines.

So many pretty pieces to make still - so little time. I'm waiting for an extremely slow package to come so I can finish off some pieces. Have a great day!

Etsy Update - Two New Necklaces - Parisian Charm

I'm super proud of my latest design in my shop - a versatile piece packed with Parisian Charm and Romance...

An Antique Typewriter charm necklace/bracelet! There are two ways to wear it - as a necklace...

SOLD

Or as a bracelet...

SOLD

I've spelled out PARIS in antique white keys plus a black Back Space key, two Fleur de Lis charms, a tiny Eiffel Tower and Skeleton key charms.

SOLD

It's a bracelet with an extra length of chain allowing you to wear it as a necklace. I made one for myself first and loved it so much I made another one for my shop.

Available in my shop here.  SOLD as of 12/5/12

The photos don't do it justice - this piece is beautiful in person!

SOLD

And I also found a new pretty shade of pink pearls for the balloon animal pendants - I've added this great color to my shop last week. So pretty!

SOLD

Available in my shop here.



SOLD



Check out my shop for other great Typewriter Key jewelry, Balloon Animal jewelry and more!!

Happy Monday!

Green with Indie Craft Fair

This Saturday (March 10th) is the Green with Indie craft show!! Be sure to check it out if you are in the St. Louis area. It is this Saturday at the Webster University gym. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm - one day only!!

There will be many vendors there with wonderful crafts featuring upcycled materials. There is quite a variety of items for sale. Just click on the link at the top or the picture and check out their vendor list for a little taste. I went a few years ago and it was so much fun - there was also live music and there will be food available outside. I'm thinking of applying for a booth next year, maybe.

So if you are in the area, don't forget!! Check it out.

Fashion Fri - I mean Saturday: Cute AND Practical Sandals

Is anyone else as frustrated as I am at the lack of cute practical sandals in the stores? For over a decade or so I've mourned the lack of decent sandals to wear with shorts or pants when running around in the spring and summer.

It seems to me sandals are sorted into two categories these days: Super Dressy Tart (high heels and bling) or Rock Climbing Butch. So they are either too fancy to wear every day or they are super athletic (not to mention ugly) and the exact same style being sold in the mens department. Ugh.

Well the other day I searched zappos.com for some alternatives and found these:

Wedge sandals by Cordani. Only problem is they are $180 and I wasn't quite prepared to shell that much money on a shoe I can't even try on so I went to Amazon and found the exact same shoe for much less! The dark brown ones were $126 - still pricey, but the gray ones were $75 or so.

They have since run out of this color, but they still have the more expensive 'black' (I think it is really dark brown) ones. Only a few left so if you are interested hurry up and buy them. They arrived super fast even with free shipping and they are very comfy and nice looking in person. Exactly what I wanted. I'd buy the other color, too, but I'm still on a budget.


So my mother saw the sandals and loved them so much she was going to buy some until she found these sandals by the same company:

Cute, huh? She snatched them up as there were only a few left. I'm not sure how practical red sandals are, but they were too cute to pass up.
And then I saw these recommended under the listing for those shoes and ended up buying these by Jambu.

So, long story short - I'm all ready for sandal season. LOL I can't wait to wear my new shoes!

All shoes are available at Amazon as of 3/3/12. Some may be available at Zappos, but more expensive. Sorry for lack of links, but it is 2 in the morning and I'm tired. Zzzzz...

Anybody else know of a good sandal available out there? My requirements are good arch support, a bit of a heel, but not too high and they must be CUTE. :)

Have a Great Weekend!

Fashion Friday - Spring Inspiration

Yesterday it was in the 60's and today there is a strong wind and it was so cold it snowed briefly. Brr! I found myself looking longingly at my favorite spring/summer dress that is currently providing inspiration on my dressform 'Chloe.'

Dress: Target last summer

Necklace: My Shop

Trunk: Tuesday Morning

I was recently saddened by Emily Martin (Black Apple)'s decision to post on her blog that she's no longer interested in posting about fashion and sharing her unique clothing ideas. I was first drawn to her blog for her fashion posts and ended up going through all her past posts, too. It was rather inspiring and fun.


I understand that her interests have changed and she's very busy with her work, but I can't help feeling disappointed. So, I just thought I'd post about a pretty dress and try to keep my spirits up until the weather gets warm again...


The necklace is one of my favorites, a miniature working brass telescope. It reminds me of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I imagine Anne Elliot looking through it while waiting for her Captain Wentworth's ship to return.

There is another one up in my shop if anyone is interested, FYI.

And the little trunk in the first picture is a cute one my mother bought at Tuesday Morning just a few weeks ago. It has a large Ferris Wheel and French text. Such a great combo. ;)

If anyone knows of other cute fashion blogs can you comment and tell me? I'm desperate for some inspiration! Happy Friday!

Best of Both Worlds - High Tech meets Retro Steampunk

I got an iPhone about a year and a half ago and I love it. I love the apps, the ease to text, the Internet access - everything. But I'm a retro gal - I like an old fashioned look. Even as a teen I hid my TV and stereo in my armoire so there was nothing modern sticking out in my room.

So last summer I found these cute covers for iPhones at Pottery Barn:

I hardly use it because I love using the phone so much, but it is nice to have, especially if I'm worried about scratching it in my purse, etc.

They are long gone from Pottery Barn now. They also had cute iPad covers with typewriters on them and iPod covers with little gramaphones on them. Very cute, but since I don't have those I didn't get them.

As I was searching I found this cool looking docking station they used to have:

Aww, isn't that cute? Not available at the stores anymore, but probably they have them on Ebay.

And I'd love to get an iPad someday, if I did I'd probably get something like this to store them in:

Cute! Available at thisnext.com

Happy Valentine's Day - And some words of Wisdom

Not everyone likes or enjoys Valentine's Day and mine is kind of a bummer this year, but I saw this posted on my Facebook and decided to share it since it made me feel a bit better.


Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short – enjoy it.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends andfamily will.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye But don't worry; God never blinks.
16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don'tsave it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive but don’t forget.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'dgrab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need..
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Comfort Food - Loaded Baked Potato Soup - Yum!

There's nothing like a hot bowl of soup when it is freezing outside so I decided to make on of my favorite types of soup last week. I usually only get to eat Loaded Baked Potato soup if I go out to eat, but I wanted to try to make it myself this time and it came out delicious!

I mostly followed a recipe I found online, but I did alter it a bit to thicken and also lower the calories a bit. So I swapped 2% milk for heavy cream and added some instant mashed potatoes when it seemed just a little too thin. But here is the basic recipe:

In a pot put about four cups of chicken broth. (Homemade stock or chicken stock from a can).

Skin and cut 6 medium sized potatoes into 1-2" cubes.
Cut 1 medium or large onion and add to pot
Boil with 2 tablespoons butter.
When potatoes are thoroughly cooked mash potatoes to preference (I accidentally mashed all of them and wished I'd left some chunks in it - some like soup chunky and some smooth)

Add 1 cup milk (or cream if you wish it to be thicker)

1-2 cups shredded mild cheddar

Season with salt and pepper to taste

Optional: add some sour cream to help thicken and make richer)
Also Optional: add instant mashed potatoes until soup is consistency you like.

Garnish with chopped bacon, shredded cheese and/or green onions.

There you have it - super easy, quick and simple. I had all of the ingredients in my kitchen and it is a hearty yummy soup to have on a cold winter's day.

Happy Monday!

Valentine's Day Book Rec

First post of the New Year. Sorry to have been so quiet.

I thought I'd share what I'm reading right now - an excellent choice for Valentine's Day, by the way: We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill.

A wonderful book that covers one of history's greatest love stories - that of Queen Victoria and her Prince, Albert. Anyone that likes history or romance will find this book rather interesting. It is one of the easiest to read - not dry at all, but more like a novel at times. The author gets you involved in the histories of the two and how they changed and grew through their relationship. I found myself swept away in reading it.

Victoria and Albert eventually had 9 children - five girls and four boys. The youngest, baby Beatrice was only 3 when her father died. Tragically, Victoria had only 21 wonderful years with her 'Dear Albert' and had to live 40 more as a widow - always pining for her dearly beloved. She kept his room exactly as he left it - with fresh hot water for shaving and a new outfit laid out every day as if he'd come back at any moment. A bit morbid, perhaps, but fitting for her passionate love for him.

All of the Victorian values of morality, elitism, religion, industrialism and improvement - all of these come, not from the Queen, but from her husband. He insisted on cleaning up the royal image - imposing much stricter guidelines and rules for running the court, their households and the country in general. In truth we should call them Albertian values - morality, modesty, efficiency, improvement, etc. How different would the world have been had Victoria never fallen in love and married Albert? Historians speculate that if Albert had lived just one more year he may have been able to prevent World War I, which occured many decades after his death. (I won't give away how - you have to read the book! ;)

Even if you've studied this era before (as I have), you'll still find a few interesting new facts and views on it. I'm only halfway through, but enjoying it quite a bit.

And whenever I read about Victoria I find myself wanting to watch certain movies, too. Such as Young Victoria and Mrs. Brown. Two very different times in the queen's life and both fairly accurate (with some artistic licence taken in both in concern for exactly who saved her from assassins, but you have to allow for some dramatic scenes to be altered to fit the stories, I suppose). Both movies are well acted and the costumes and settings are remarkable. Great movies to watch around Valentine's Day as they are very romantic, too.

Happy Friday!

Cottage Christmas Decor 2011

Hi, I promised a few photos of my main tree in the great room and here they are...


Decorated with the usual Scandinavian woodcut ornament, Santas and woven star on top. I also decorated the top of the china cabinet next to it. A very cute Santa with a bag full of toys and snow shoes.

Sorry the photos aren't better. I've been having some major back problems this year and I couldn't stand for long.


Mostly it is red, white and gold colors on the traditional green tree. There are skis, musical instruments, cardinals and glass ornaments with red wood beaded garland that looks kind of like cranberries..


I didn't have a good picture of my fireplace decorations as a whole, but here are a few close ups of my garland full of lights, berries and ornaments...
I love the globe ornament - from Restoration Hardware years ago. I have lots of them, actually and I hang them on my armoire door knobs and put them on bookshelves. I have a huge one and lots of medium sized ones. Don't you love old fashioned globes and maps? And they are Christmas-y because Santa needs them to navigate by on that special night!


Blurry photo, sorry. Lots of different Santas on my mantle as well as my one remaining brass reindeer that hasn't broken with the tiny wood sleigh. Lots of birdhouse ornaments because my mother loves them. Okay, so do I.

Lots of skis, too! Not that we've ever skied or are going to, but they are so cute! Even the birds ski - they left theirs just outside their little house.

No Gingerbread House this year, sadly. I just couldn't justify spending the money on it this year. I miss it... Next year, hopefully.

So now I'm busy making cookies and getting ready for Christmas Eve. I'm also having relatives visit just after Christmas so there is a lot to do! Hope you are all having fun during the Holidays!!