Weekly Feature 3: Something Blue

Because everyone needs a little "Something Blue" in their life...

Sky Filled with Poppies, sugar & creamer set

So sweet

Today's Something Blue feature is Alina Hayes whose pottery & jewelry has an ethereal quality to it, so beautiful...and I'm in love with the unexpected flower elements she uses. Now a fellow Californian, Alina is originally from New York.  She has some wonderful items in her Etsy shop, be sure to take a look!

Petit Tuile Earrings in Turquoise Matte

Really unique

This is what Alina had to say...

Q: How would you describe your 'style'?

A: My style is a balance between contemporary and traditional, but I still tend to lean on the modern side.

Q: What inspires you?

A: I get inspired by nature, plants and flowers.  Organic shapes and colors, other potters and artists.

Q: How long have you been selling on Etsy?

A: I have been selling on Etsy for 11 months :)

Q: What is your favorite shade of blue?

A: My absolute favorite shade of blue is the Robin's Egg Blue. I love how vibrant and rich it is and that you can incorporate it in almost everything.

What a weekend!

Vintage tiara comb

At the risk of this turning into a post about how miserably hot it was this weekend, I shall instead focus on what got done around here (and when I say "here" I mean my humble abode/workspace)

First and foremost, I listed almost all of the SaMpLe SaLe items on Etsy!  That took most of Saturday and thankfully the husband entertained the child for most of the day (thanks honey).

The SaMpLe SaLe currently features bridal headpieces, hairvines & combs but I will be adding hairpins & jewelry over the next week so keep checking back.  These items are greatly reduced and if you're getting married or know someone who is, stop by and grab yourself a fantastic bargain!  Besides, the jewelry isn't just for "brides", so even if you're NOT getting married, take a peek.  And, maybe it's just me, but I think every girl should own a tiara...and wear it, regardless of what day it is.  I even came up with the concept of "Tiara Tuesdays", where every girl could wear her beloved tiara on Tuesday, therefor making "just another day" special. 

C'mon, you know you want to.

The other accomplishment this weekend was finally getting the weeds out of the planting bed in front of the studio.  I was waiting for that insidious grass to die, Die, DIE!...and it finally did.  I won't bore you with a picture of a patch of bare dirt though.

Weekly Feature 2: Something Blue

Beach Cottage Shabby sign

Grab your towel and a good book!

Well, here it is already week 2 and I'm thrilled to share with you my latest "Something Blue" find from Signs by Diane. These wonderfully charming signs are all hand crafted by Diane & her husband Pete in Bucks County, PA.  I came across Diane's beautiful signs perusing Etsy where you can see many more of her lovely creations.

Romantic Cottage Chic sign

makes me want to curl up with a hot cup of tea...

Diane was happy to share a bit of insight on what inspires her...

Q: How would you describe your 'style'?

A: I would describe my style as "shabby cottage style"!  Though I live in a new home, I fantasize about having a cute Victorian cottage with lots of gingerbread and a wrap around porch...on the beach.  Maybe someday!

Q: What inspires you?

A: I get my inspiration from going to my local flea market and "treasure" hunting!  I also get ideas for signs just by driving around and noticing all kinds of signs on the road!

Q: How long have you been selling on Etsy?

A: I registered on Etsy in April of this year but started listing in my store in the beginning of May. So glad I did!  My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner!

Q: What is your favorite shade of blue?

A: Well, blue is probably my favorite color and I love many shades of blue. I just love vibrant shades like cobalt mixed with softer, lighter shades as in a lovely blue sea glass bracelet.

Party on the bridge

On Saturday evening we headed over to the Colorado Street Bridge (aka Suicide Bridge) for the annual "Bridge Party". This event is put on by Pasadena Heritage, a truly valuable organization dedicated to preserving & protecting the historic, architectural, and cultural resources in Pasadena.  Not only is this always a really fun evening but just by attending you get to help a good cause, what could be better than that?

The tickets cost $15 for adults & $7 for children 7-12 years.  A bit less if you buy them online, in advance.  The stunning depiction of the bridge featured on the tickets is from a painting by Pasadena resident and über talented artist, Kenton Nelson.

Strolling through the crowd

We arrived around 7pm and strolled through the park entrance checking out the beautifully restored vintage cars and, of course partaking in some very refreshing Craftsman "Heritage" beer. Crafstman Beer is brewed right here in Pasadena and is one of my favorite micro breweries (I'm not biased, I swear!)

A pristine 1951 Buick Woodie

There are three separate stages along the bridge where live bands play and several local restaurants are there as well serving their most popular dishes.  Among the many, tasty treats we enjoyed was a delicious Chinese Chicken Salad from Minx Restaurant in Glendale.

All in all it was a great night, the weather was perfect (although I was wishing I had brought a light sweater towards the end of the evening) and the company entertaining.  And I even managed to pass out all the Moo mini cards I brought with me...

I can't wait for next year!

A view of the former Hotel Vista del Arroyo, now the home of the 

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

A work in progress...part 2

Well, it's not a hugely noticeable difference, but progress has been made!  The backyard studio and home of Something Blue, is looking better, if only slightly. The before picture is at the bottom of this post, in an attempt to spare you from too much scrolling (thoughtful, aren't I?)

My husband installed the new fence, which not only looks great but keeps the oh-so-nosey neighbors at bay.  And as you can see, the tangerine tree has been drastically cut back.  Good for us, not so good for the squirrels, who love to perch themselves in the branches while eating tangerines and laughing, yes, laughing at our 3 dogs. This drives our dogs insane...which, in turn, drives ME insane.  I am so very happy to have that problem solved, at least until the next tangerine season. 

Also pictured is the patch of dead, overgrown grass (see that little dog?  That's Wrecks, one of our 3 Jack Russell "Terrorists".  He looks like he's in trouble, doesn't he?  That's because he's always in trouble...hence the name.  But, I digress) I have been killing that crab grass over the last few weeks because I have learned that you can't just pull out crab grass...it comes right back, with a vengeance.  So I'm making sure it is D E A D, before starting on that planting bed there.

You can also see (if you squint) that the real grass, St. Augustine, is starting to fill in.

Stay tuned...

The first "before" shot, June 08

Mini Moo cards have arrived!

I received my first order of Mini Moo cards on Monday and I must say I'm quite pleased!  The quality is far better than I expected.  Even the box they're packed in is pretty cool. It's a hard, white plastic that will certainly be useful long after the cards are gone. I can't wait to start handing these out and including them with my orders.  My only complaint is that the reverse side text is not as customizable as I would have liked, as far as text styles and colors.  But I love that when you download your images from flickr you can include the name of the item (if you have named your photos appropriately prior to this step).  You can see an example of this in the last photo.  

I also ordered the Mini Moo card holder which I was really excited about.  Unfortunately when I opened my package the cardholder was nowhere to be found...I sent a quick e-mail to customer service which was answered the following day by a real, live person named Daniel. Impressive. Daniel told me he was sorry for the inconvenience and a new cardholder was on it's way.  That's my kind of customer service.

I decided to have half the cards printed with the Bridal line and the other half with the Everyday line.  I already have my favorite images and it will be hard not to pass those out first!

Here is an example of the images I chose....

Bridal line & Everyday line

Reverse detail

Now that have these fabulous little cards I'm trying to come up with more ways to use them.  I think I'll poll my fellow etsians...they are always so creative.

Pssst! There is a coupon code for 15% off your first Moo order! (wish I had known about this ahead of time)

So, I thought I would share....the code is: 2RB2CK

Weekly Feature: Something Blue

From here on out I'll be doing a weekly "Something Blue" feature showcasing the wonderful artisans whose work, like mine, is available on Etsy.  This feature's theme will be...you guessed it, the color blue. It happens to be one of my favorite colors (surprised?) so why not indulge my visual senses, and yours of course, with this new weekly feature?

With great pleasure, allow me to introduce Bird Watching.  A self described nature lover whose delightful, hand drawn bird pendants will capture your heart...

Blue Chickadee Pendant Necklace

Isn't she cute?

Light Blue Bird Pendant Necklace

Irresistible!

I had an opportunity to ask the designer some questions and here is what she had to say:

Q: How would you describe your 'style'?

A: I'm not sure I have one set style.  I am in to so many different things, it just depends on what I like at the moment.

Q: What inspires you?

A: Nature definitely inspires me, as well as looking at all the other great shops on Etsy!

Q: How long have you been selling on Etsy?

A: I have been selling on Etsy since March of 2008.  So, about 5 months or so.

Q: What is your favorite shade of blue?

A: I like the pure, primary blue the best, I think!