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!!