Where does the time go?

Sitting here at my computer, I am just blown away that my daughter is turning one tomorrow.  Where does the time go?  I can remember bringing her home and holding her tiny body in my arms, putting clothes on her for the first time, first time on the subway, first time she slept more than two hours, first bath...I really could go on and on and on.  How can the first year already be over?

Though there really is no comparison, I do feel similarly about Sofia's Treasure Chest.  It has already been up and going on Etsy for eight months and it feel like just yesterday that I was setting up the site, taking pictures (bad ones at first) and getting my jewelry made.  I had so much oomph back then, working on jewelry nearly every night.  I'm sure I'll get back to that soon....

Found some other really cool stuff on Etsy, I really am a total junkie, and not just because I'm a part of it.  Check out this onesie from Shop to Adopt!  Seriously, how cute is that?  But almost even better than the rocking guitar suit is the rocking picture of that adorable baby.  That alone kind of makes me want to buy this for my daughter.

These resin flower rings are all the rage, but this one from Forever Andrea really speaks to me.  The color is so deep, just a great red.  I like the detail and the size, a really fun piece.

And these Mermaid Green Shell Eco earrings from Jaydemia are not only beautiful, but the shell beads are handmade, super cool and impressive.

Old stuff and new stuff

There are a lot of things that I couldn't have imagined liking if you asked me about them ten years ago.  Among the top picks: staying in on a Saturday night, cooking dinner almost every night, eating popcorn for dinner, and going antiquing. 

To be frank, I always thought that antiquing was just looking at someone else's old crap.  Considering that I don't even like library books because of their musty library smell, being in an antique shop seemed like the last place in the world I would want to be.  But while on vacation in New England, my husband (who loves antiquing to look for cameras and watches) convinced me to go with him to a couple of shops.  And lo and behold, I realized that they have some really amazing and unique jewelry finds and I was quickly hooked.  It was like they were finally speaking my language.  Last week, I amazed myself by saying to my husband "I'm jonesing for a good antiquing trip."  Life never quite manages to be what you thought it might.  I like that.

So that is how I got to love old stuff, but new stuff is always fun to find.  And I love love love these adorable crocheted hats by Crafty Crochet 4 Kids.   It's like wearing your own little muppet on top of your head.

And the best thing is that you custom order them, size and color, so that you can get just what you want. 

Love the old stuff, love the new stuff.  It's all good stuff.

The challenge of staying creative

I have to admit that my creativity seems to go in fits and starts.  Sometimes I get an idea and I'm at my crafting table (a.k.a. dining room table) into the wee hours of the night.  And other times, like last night, I feel totally tapped of any ideas.  I took out some great silver coin freshwater pearls and just basically stared at them, willing them to make themselves into something interesting.  They did not comply.

The more hectic that life gets, the harder it seems to get my creative juices flowing.  I have this theory of how my brain works.  I call it resource allocation.  When the rest of my life is on cruise control and nothing special is going on, I have all these resources to commit to being creative.  But when there is a lot to juggle, just getting through the days is a challenge, and I have only enough resources at the end of each day to sit on the couch and write this blog post. 

Thankfully, other people don't seem to have that issue and finding things that I really like actually helps to get my brain bubbling.  Or at least simmering.

This black leather cuff from Felicity Style is so great because it looks kind of tough and edgy, but then has the detail of those sweet flowers that make it feminine.  I like the combo of masculine and feminine in one piece.


 I think that getting a massage also helps with my creativity.  Not really, but I'll make any excuse to get a massage.

For the kid in us all

Though I love to shop for things for myself, I find that most of the time now I'm cruising around online looking for things to buy my daughter.  I have heard anecdotally that you spend a lot more money on stuff having a girl than a boy.  I have no idea is this is true, all I know is that with the amount of adorable things for little girls out there, I'm in trouble!

Here is a great example, how cute are these little amigurumi animals from Teslas90?  I had no idea what amigurumi means, so I emailed Sarah, the owner and creator of these cuddly buddies and here is what she told me.  "Amigurumi is Japanese for small crochet stuffed animals It literally comes from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll."  Cool, huh?  The things you learn while shopping.

 Though I'm patiently waiting for Sofia's hair to really grow in and make these hairpins usable, I still like window shopping and making note of things I like for the future.  This trio of frolicking in the forest hairpins from Moncherie43 is really quaint and girly.  I'm not super girly, so I get to live vicariously through my daughter now.  Poor girl!

Keeping the love alive

Some days life seems like an incredible balancing act being a new mom, starting a new business and being a wife.  And I must admit that the role of wife is probably the thing that falls by the wayside the most.  Thankfully, I have a husband who is understanding, supportive and just all around wonderful (most of the time :)  And it's nice to know that I can easily find some things that can help create a lovely atmosphere and mood for a nice relaxing evening in.

This lovely Tiffany blue damask bird painting by 202 Designs creates an altogether peaceful and sweet feeling that can only help to set the stage for a date night at home.  It is 8x10 and I am actually kind of amazed that you can get cool, original artwork for under $25!

This sexy and chic handmade chiffon top from Sish will definitely add a little sauciness to the evening.  I love the satin flower detail on the high neck.  It has a flowy and sexy feel that I'm really diggin'.

And finally, sometimes it's good to just lay it all out there (men are not so great at subtlety) with a great card like this from Red Letter Paper Co.  It's also cool that this card is printed on recycled paper from a carbon-offset, wind-powered facility, and comes with a 100% recycled envelope, and is also mailed to you in a 100% recycled envelope.  Green, simple, and to the point - you can't go wrong.

I'm off to set some candles, get dressed and keep the love alive!

The Golden Age

When I was in my formative fashion accessory years, silver was all the rage.  I don't think I owned a single piece of jewelry that wasn't silver, so its nice that there are so many great gold tone pieces out there right now that I can explore.

This is a piece from my shop that I found while antiquing in New England.  I was so excited when I found it because it has such a unique shape and it is so well made.  And I totally dig that gold mesh and Art Deco look.

And this gorgeous calla lily necklace from RMSmith09 also caught my eye.  First off, I love Calla lilies, so I was automatically going to like this one, but the detail in the flower is so beautiful and I like the pearl accent.

For something a little edgier, I like this skeleton key necklace from A Bead in Time Jewelry.  Tiffany's may have started the key trend, but this one has a little bit of rock and roll in it and I like it!

Every time I cruise around on Etsy, I find so many things that are interesting and unique and it really makes me wish that I was born a trust fund kid.

Sweet!

Around my house, I'm all about cupcakes nowadays as I'm getting ready for my daughter's first birthday party.  So, you could say, I have cupcakes and sprinkles on the brain.  These things help me get my sweet fix without gaining another five pounds (which I really have gained "testing" different cupcake and frosting recipes)!

How sweet is this cupcake party set from TLC cards?  It comes with eight cards and envelopes, eight cake toppers and eight treat bags, all hand made. 

And here is a clever way to celebrate your love of sugar with this great falling sprinkles necklace by 2 Little Kisses.  I love that it is made with real sprinkles!

This adorable little girl's hugs and kisses dress from Ashryla is a different kind of sweet, but sweet nonetheless.  I love the bright pattern, and brown and pink is one of my favorite color combos.

Yummy!!

All things nocturnal

This entry should really be about my daughter, since she has taken to being nocturnal for the past 3 weeks, but instead is about fabulous handmade items that come alive at night.

I like the whole owl trend right now (they are among my faves at the Bear Mountain Zoo), and here are great items that feature some cuties.

I love this wonderful shop called Square Paisley Design, and they have a bunch of REALLY cute owl items.  This adorable barn owl necklace is one of my faves.  So cute!

Ok, I grew up watching the "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" commercial, and have always thought that owl was a cutie.  The owl that is featured on this unique owl and nature bib necklace by Fabricate By Anna so reminds me of that wise Tootsie pop eating owl.

And I can't let the owls get all the hype, how cute is this fat bat stained glass decoration by Ogden ArtHaus?  His whimsical, chubby little body is such a great design and I l-o-v-e his one little snaggle tooth. 

Cross your fingers that my daughter's nocturnal ways subside soon - it's not quite as adorable on her as it is for the owls and bats!

Feathers and Flowers and Bling - Oh My!

Headbands are so hot right now, and it's really fun to find interesting ones at cool handmade shops on Etsy.  BTW, if it sounds like I have drunk the Etsy Koolaide it's because I totally have! I really love Etsy, not only because they make it so easy to run a shop and share your goods, but because they really try to foster a sense of community among so many different kinds of artisans.  I find it to be a really encouraging environment.  How many websites can you say that about?

I like the whole headband thing because it reminds me of being a little girl, when life was carefree and fashion was my favorite blue snowflake sweater dress.  But these headbands are fun, sophisticated, and elegant.

This amazing feather and bling headband comes from Isle of Owlie (Fancy Feather Headband). 

I like this sweet felt flower headband from Zantastic Store because it's fun for women of all ages (Hip Hop Hairbow).

This headband from Blue Birdies Nest is such a great color and I love the fabric rosettes on it (Mauve Flower Headband).

Yay headbands!!

What inspires you?

Art is about inspiration and I'm always looking for things and people that inspire me.  One of my biggest sources of inspiration is my daughter, Sofia, who my Etsy shop is named for.  But not always in the way that you might think.  Here is an example. 

I bought Sofia this kind of AWESOME dress from Baby Gap and I just love everything about the way it looks, especially on her (I am a little biased).  I was watching her wander around the house and I was just struck with the desire to make something that captured the feeling of that dress for me.  Here is a picture of her in that dress...

  And here is a picture of the bracelet I put together with that image in my mind.

Of course, it's not exactly the same, but there was something about the feeling and flow that just translated for me.  This bracelet is black onyx woven together with very fine silver metal wire into little clusters that are roundish and pokey and shiny and cool. 

So where so you find your inspiration?

Plays well with other

Having a partner in your creative endeavors is not always the easiest of things.  Especially when that person is also your partner in life.  Though I did not start Sofia's Treasure Chest with the intention of sharing it with anyone, over the past few months it has evolved into a partnership with my husband, who collects amazing vintage cameras and watches.

It has been a learning process, but we are getting some synchronicity now and it is fun to add a new facet to our marriage and relationship.  Here are some really cool cameras and watches that have come from his collection (VAST collection) of vintage and antiques.

This is a vintage Bessamatic Voigtlander camera.  I leave all the actual knowledge up to my hubs, I just comment on how cute or not cute I think the camera is.

Really cool looking camera: Kodak Retina 1 Type 010 Camera.

And, seriously, how adorable is this Official Boy Scout camera?  This is one of my favorites that he has pulled out of his camera storage boxes.

Then there are the watches...oh, the watches!  There are a few watches that I would love to put up on Etsy, but he's not quite ready to part with yet.  But here is the coolest watch, in my humble opinion, that he has allowed me to list.

This is the Nautilus Swatch Watch with artwork by Italian artist, Mario Fani.  This is, I am told, a very collectible item.  Once again, I leave the knowledge to my hubs and I just say "Oh, I love the bright colors!"

These are a few of my favorite things....

Though I do try to love all my children equally, I have to admit that I have my favorites.  And here are some of my favorite handmade and vintage items right now (a salve to my other items is that my affections are fickle and I often change my favorites list!).

These are apatite chips that have been woven together to form these funky, little, blue planets that hang from one and a half inch long sterling silver ear wire.  To me, they are simple, but still interesting.  Funky, but can also be worn with more classic clothing.  In a word, versatile!  And it doesn't hurt that they are my absolute favorite color. 

In the vintage world, I am so loving this bright, happy, yellow necklace.

 
It is long & chunky and I love the big, bold beads.  But who are we kidding, it is all about the color!  It is a totally saturated yellow that pops on any dark color and it just the epitome of summer, sun and fun.  I have found all of my vintage wonders on the East Coast, especially in New England.  I love antiquing in Vermont and New Hampshire and, actually, am jonesing for a good buying trip soon. 

One of the great things about being on Etsy is being a part of the handmade community and getting to know other amazing artists, like Maite at Tamsy Trends.  This is a beautiful pair of fairy cluster earrings with red and gold that I am totally diggin' right now in her Etsy shop.

  (Click on the picture for a larger view)
 www.etsy.com/listing/62828558/fairy-cluster-earrings-with-red-and-gold

If you haven't checked out Etsy before, wander around on it for awhile.  I guarantee you will find some really cool things!

What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

I have yet to meet anyone in life who doesn't like ice cream.  I have met the unfortunate souls who are lactose intolerant and cannot stomach (literally) the sweet spoonfuls of heaven, but even they can't say that they don't like it.  And what's not to like?  It's creamy, soul satisfying, and there are enough flavors to tempt anyone's palate (examples: garlic ice cream, avocado ice cream and my favorite - bacon ice cream!) . 

I kind of feel the same way about jewelry.  I have yet to meet a woman who doesn't like jewelry.  Sure, there are women who don't own, wear or buy a lot of jewelry for whatever reason, but they usually will admit that they like it.  And what's not to like?  It's sparkly, fun, can change your look in a minute and helps you express your personality so much better than clothing (but maybe not shoes).  And unless you live in Hong Kong or have lots of extra cash lying around, having custom clothing made is not very feasible.  But you can find interesting, unique, and affordable jewelry fairly easily, especially on Etsy.com.

So, if you are interested in finding a new, fun piece of jewelry to wear while you consume a sugar cone of your favorite ice cream, check out Sofia's Treasure Chest on Etsy.com - see link in my profile.