Spring is officially here, with all of the hailstorms and tornadoes that it tends to bring in the middle parts of the country. However, the storms bring rain and I’m just delighted at all of the flowers that are making their debut performance in my garden.
These lovely necklaces from Elva Fields are a great way to really celebrate springtime. I love the vintage elements and the bright, punchy colors. How very delightful.
1. Something about this pendant necklace from Tundra Dear seems like a relic from another time. I love the rich texture and finish.
2. This illustration from Valentina Design really grabs me with its exuberant colors and patterns, and the little sayings are lovely as well.
3. I don’t know why but I am absolutely obsessed with address stamps. I guess I just get bored writing my return address all the time. Get your own personalized stamp at Sugar Letter.
4. I’m not usually a big fan of clocks (I hate seeing my life literally tick away) but these lacy, plastic designs from And Furthermore are pretty fantastic.
5. These night landscapes from Amanda Friedman are amazing, not only for the originality of the subject but also for the fact that they’re not post-processed at all. Photoshop has its place but it’s no substitution for gorgeous photography.
I went to a friend’s house last night in order to help her sort through some of her grandmother’s stuff. Little did I know that by sort through, she meant, give me a pillowcase full of costume jewelry.
I felt a little embarrassed leaving her house with that much gold – I kind of felt like a pirate! I’m looking forward to wearing a lot of it, but then a lot of it is going to get pulled apart and turned into something else.
I love my friends.
1. There’s jewelry, and then there’s art that you wear. This necklace from Irregular Expressions definitely falls into the latter category. She has many more subtle items in her shop but I just love how this pieces pushes the boundaries.
2. I like everything from Wren Handmade because you can see her hand in every item that she makes. There’s a style that transcends, whether it’s a recycled paper garland or a handmade doll. I want to hang these garlands everywhere.
3. My favorite types of food always involve those that use lots of spices, like Indian or Thai food. I’ve got a wonderful spice rack in my kitchen full of interesting flavors, and I might have to add a few of these from Urban Spice. Merlot Sea Salt? Yes, please!
4. This sign pretty much speaks for itself. YeeHaw Industries is one of my long-time favorite etsy shops, and for good reason. Lots of silly, quirky paper goods in an old-fashioned style – what’s not to love?
Thanks to this week’s fabulous sellers!
I cannot get enough of these fabulous earrings from Owlita. They’re over-the-top but I think that the natural materials balance it out nicely. What could be easily called a “statement piece”. Sign me up!
1. I know that it’s pretty retro, but I’ve developed an obsession with salt and pepper shakers. My favorite pair that I have is a set of bejeweled chrome skulls (they look even better than they sound) but this ceramic avocado duo might just overtake them. Find them at Daina Ceramics.
2. Yet another instance of me plotting what use I can make of awesome calligraphy skills without wedding invites to address. Frankly, if I ever make good on my dream of writing/illustrating a children’s book, I would want Primele to write the captions.
3. I adore the delicacy and feminine quality of Elephantine‘s jewelry. They are the kind of pieces that you would never have to or want to take off, and just about everyone (no matter how picky) would like.
4. Now that Polaroid is even a more part of the internet consciousness, good photographers are popping up everywhere. Jeffrey With 2 F’s is a great Polaroid photographer, and now you can purchase prints!
5. I want to hang one of these bubble chandeliers from Jean Pelle all over my house. Once I do that, I’ll start to wear them (jewelry is also available). You’ll have to see how cool her pieces are for yourself.
Thanks to this week’s sellers!
There’s a store in Savannah that sells art purely made by the students, faculty and alum of Savannah College of Art and Design, or SCAD. I had heard about this place so I was very excited when I happened upon the shop itself. It’s stuffed to the gills with artwork, jewelry, textiles, and many wonderful things. I think that it’s great that they are supporting their students so much they’re even selling their work. My art school didn’t even tell us how to get into gallery shows! Lucky for anyone not living here they’ve got a great website that is filled with this artwork so that you can shop at home. They’ve got…
fine art…
and jewelry…
home decor and lots lots more. One of my favorite features is the button that allows you to be informed when your favorite artists add new items! That way you won’t ever miss your next big find. You can find the SCAD shop here.
1. John W. Golden has an amazing skill of creating digital images that look like old-school illustrations. His pieces have tons of color, texture and humor. And his prices are reasonable as well! A win-win situation for everyone.
2. Who doesn’t love a big of faux bling? This gorgeous “sapphire” from Treasure Field takes the shabby chic look to the extreme. I love the tongue-in-cheek aspect of it. And the color is great as well.
3. Rosa Murillo‘s illustrations are whimsical and colorful and happy. I love her illustrative style. And all of her pieces just have such personality – they’re great!
4. For all the polaroid lovers out there, here’s a little journal to document your film and your sarcasm. A place for a picture and a fill-in-the-blank area to go with it – what else could you need? My polaroids are always slightly weird, so this journal from Cracked Designs would be perfect for me.
5. I have a life-size realistic rubber lobster that lives in the cheese drawer of my fridge. I bought it one day on a whim, and the drawer seemed to be the place that it wanted to live. I like that its antenna shock people who have never been to my house before. Needless to say, I have an affinity for fake shellfish, and this leather shrimp brooch from sacaclaques fits right in.
Thanks to this week’s sellers! Make sure to check out their shops for lots more great stuff.
1. You know that I love anything made from recycled materials, so this lamp made from wooden hangers by Organelle totally floats my boat.
2. I’m not sure if it is a fall thing, but I’ve been really into felt lately. This necklace transforms a staple craft material into something more sophisticated and modern. And of course, the colors are just perfect for the changing seasons. Find it at Gugaw.
3. Hooray for bunting! This little pretty is a great fall decorating accessory, and the double-sided flags mean that you can hang them just about anywhere. I like Knitty Bitties‘ shop especially because of all the great fabric choices.
4. It’s a little bit macabre, but I’m constantly picking up bones and stuff that I find in the woods. I think that it’s because of the archaeology training. If you don’t want to go searching for them yourself, you can find something like these lovely moose antlers at ReDesign Technologies. You can also find paper clip chandeliers, which are a little different than moose antlers, but still awesome.
Thanks to this week’s sellers!
I’ve fallen in love with this blog, and I don’t even live in there! Portland Loves: local is what every city should have – a website dedicated to great food, local businesses and everything that makes a place unique. If I ever get the chance to spend some time in Portland, I’m going only armed with the information contained in this fantastic blog. The lovely writers, Misha and Amy, subjected themselves to a barrage of questions for my lovely readers. Here’s what they had to say!
1. What did you have for breakfast this morning?
misha// a voodoo doll donut from our fabulous local donut shop, VOODOO Donuts. They were left over from my birthday breakfast! YUM!
amy// Stoneyfield vanilla yogurt, vanilla almond granola, and local wildflower honey.
2. Are you both originally from Portland? If not, where did you come from and what brought you to Oregon?
misha// I am kind of from all over the US. Born in Pensacola, Florida, grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, a few years in Seattle, Washington and finally the Portland area since high school. We moved around alot for my mothers job! I tried moving away after high school only to miss Portland too much and move back after only two years. I will probably still live in other places from time to time, but will ALWAYS come back to Portland, it is my home!
amy// I am originally from Portland, but only lived here until I was five, then spent the rest of my formative years in the Seattle/Tacoma area. When I was able to move away from home, I moved to Bellingham, WA, which I loved and lived there for almost a decade. While living there, I met my husband and with him, I moved to Boston so that he could go to grad school. We lived in Boston for two years before returning to my original home (and where we’ll stay!), Portland, OR. We’ve been here for a year now and we love it!
3.. How did you two meet?
Amy and I met at a art/craft show put on by Handmade NW in fall 2008. She and her husband had just moved here from Boston and we were both interested in trading our art work for each others. We’ve been friends ever since, hanging out, talking art and business, coming up with new ideas to keep doing what we love most.
4. What was your inspiration for starting the Portland Loves: local project?
misha// For me it was just my love of Portland and how tied to the community we all are.
amy// One thing I’ve noticed about people who live in Portland is that they love it here! So when Misha approached me with the concept, I immediately felt that it was a great idea!
5. How do you decide which businesses to feature? Do they contact you or do you just go around town writing about your favorite places?
misha// Currently we are just writing about our favorite places. Also, I rarely leave home without my camera and if I happen upon a place that I think would be perfect for the blog, I ask if I can take pictures and then send Amy there to do a write up and vise versa.
amy// We also try to be mindful of what we feature in that we don’t want too much of the same thing. We like to mix it up a bit.
6. If you had to describe Portland with three words, which would you choose?
misha// beautiful, green + friendly
amy// charming, creative, vibrant
7. Everyone’s always going on about how awesome Portland is – tell me, what’s one thing that you don’t like about it?
misha// Well everyone expects us Portlanders to say the rain, but really I LOVE the rain and its a little secret of ours that it doesn’t rain as much as people think. Oh wait, you asked what I don’t like, well…I would have to say the amount of available jobs and the quality of pay. But that is another great thing about Portland is that you don’t live here for the quality of pay, you live here for the quality of LIFE!!!
amy// well, I totally agree with Misha on this one, but I would have to say also that after living in Boston for two years, one thing that I miss is the diversity. Portland just isn’t as diverse as I would like it to be.
8. If you can, please walk us through your dream day in Portland. Where would you eat, where would you stay, what would you do, etc.
misha// I live in the SE neighborhood of Portland, it is a great balance of beautiful houses and local businesses. Each morning the smell of Stumptown Coffee wakes me and draws me into the local coffee shop a block away. After a nice STRONG cup of jo, I ride my awesome red bike to my favorite breakfast shop, Cup N Saucer on Hawthorne, for the #7 Sour Cream and Chives tofu scramble with home fries and spelt toast. Then I would probably do a bit of vintage clothes shopping, maybe hit up the antique mall’s in Sellwood. Lunch would have to be at the Bonfire Lounge for happy hour. They have great food and stiff drinks for uber cheap!! Then I would take a short hike up to Mt. Tabor Park and sit to watch the sun set over the city. For dinner it would be a toss up between The Farm and Pok Pok.
amy// For my dream day, I would wake up early and watch the sunrise. then I would head to my favorite neighborhood cafe, Dragonfly (in NW Portland) and grab a mate chai before heading to my studio/boutique (someday!) where I would work on jewelry for a few hours. then I would head out to meet a friend for brunch at the Tin Shed and have my favorite breakfast, the Everything Naughty. after brunch, I would do a little vintage shopping and spend some time in my favorite boutiques, Flutter, Moxie, Tumbleweed, and Pistils Nursery. in the afternoon, I would work some more in my studio, then head to a yoga class. for dinner, I would dine at the amazing Veritable Quandary with my wonderful husband. he would probably have sea scallops and I would have Chilean sea bass. mmmm….. delicious! oh, and of course, I would enjoy a glass of wine or two!
9. What do you both do when you’re not writing for the blog?
misha// Goodness, what don’t I do?! I am a full-time photographer and graphic designer. I started my business called Ashton Photography + Design [www.mishaashton.com] in 2001. Mainly I do abstract film photography that I sell at art shows, craft fairs and boutiques.. When I’m not doing that, I am a full time wedding photographer. I have also started to get into pregnancy, new born and kid photography as well. I am always working to perfect every avenue in photography.
amy// well, I am a jewelry designer and have a full-time business called Amy Olson Jewelry. I sell my work online (http://amyolsonjewelry.etsy.com) as well as at shows and in boutiques. I also work at a darling boutique that sells my work called MInk in SE Portland. All of these things keep me quite busy!
10. When you’re buying products online, do you look for something that’s made locally first?
misha// Online, I always buy from independent designers and artist from all over the world. I buy my local items from locally owned businesses or directly from the artist/designer themselves. I completely gave up shopping at stores like Wal-mart, the mall and other such places over 10 years ago.
amy// typically, when I buy online, I go straight to websites like Etsy where I can look for handmade items. I also like to buy locally, which I can usually find at shows around town. like Misha, I don’t remember the last time I shopped at Wal-mart or the mall and that is because I made a decision long ago not to shop at these kinds of stores~ Wal-mart especially!
11. What is the biggest local trend you guys have gotten into – for instance, do you have backyard chickens?
misha// Oh man, I would LOVE to have chickens and my own little garden, but sadly I do not…yet! I ride my bike every chance I get, whether its just for fun or to run errands or meet up with the ladies at a bar for girls night. I do as much of my grocery shopping from the local food co-op, and I recycle practically everything I can. To me though these don’t really feel like a trend, just part of everyday life that everyone should be doing around the world.
amy// well, I think that what I have gotten into the most is spending less time in my car and doing more walking and bike riding. Portland is great about promoting alternative forms of transportation and I try to make the most of that! I also do my best to support local farm stands and picking my own produce. I hope to one day have a farm where I can garden and keep chickens, but for now, I do what I can!
12. What kind of music have you been listening to lately?
misha// I am currently in love with Queens of the Stone Age, the Death Proof Soundtrack and a New Zealand band called the Eastern who I met last summer playing in front of my art booth at First Thursday in the Pearl.
Ive been kind of lame these days an not going out to local shows, which is a bad habit because we have so many great musicians.
amy// I realized recently that I must really like music that is soulful because lately I’ve really been into Cat Power and Antony and the Johnsons. I love the mixes that my husband makes, which are very diverse and fun. the latest mix, Summer 2009, consists of songs from some of my favorite artists such as Jim White, The Handsome Family, Girltalk, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and Neko Case. I really love music and simply can’t live without it. Portland always has amazing shows going on and the most recent ones we plan on attending are Girltalk, Daniel Johnston, and M. Ward.
13. If you were trapped on a desert island, what three items would you make sure to have with you?
misha// my nikon f100 film camera, a holga 35mm and all the expired slide film in the world!
amy// my jewelry-making supplies (can that count as one?), my camera, and a sketchbook/pencil.
14. What is your best garage sale find?
misha// Hands down, a mini seafoam green guitar amp that my boyfriend adapted for my iPod. That way when Im working in my studio, people can hear the music and not just me singing horribly out of tune.
amy// my husband I have a vintage camera collection and many of our cameras have come from garage sales~ I think these are my favorite!
15. In a perfect world, outside the constraints of reality, what would you be doing?
misha// Living and traveling all over the world taking photos, having gallery shows of my work on every continent and being able to speak the language of everyone I come into contact with, while still having a home to come back to in SE Portland.
amy// I would be living on a little farm near the river where I would have alpacas and donkeys, as well as a dog and a cat, of course! I would have my work in various boutiques throughout the U.S. and would be able to travel all over the world to look for gems and supplies. my studio would be in a converted Airstream Bambi.
16. Who in your life was a creative inspiration for you?
misha// My parents bought me my first slr camera when I was 14 years old and have always supported and encouraged my dream of being a photographer. They have purchased my art from every show they’ve been to and refuse to allow me to just give them the pieces they like best!
amy// my grandma is my inspiration. she was a professional craftsperson all her life and has taught me almost everything I know. I have definitely inherited all of her ‘creative’ genes! and I am lucky enough to be living near her again in Portland.
17. What’s the next hottest thing you think everyone should be checking out?
misha// Old school film photography!! Polaroid photos, cross processed photos, lomo cameras, twin lens cameras. FILM’S NOT DEAD!!!
amy// well, I don’t know if I’m the best person to answer this question, but I’m really excited about community supported agriculture, community gardens, and farm shares. there are so many options out there as far as price ranges, proportions, and what you would like to receive that it has become easy for everyone to either grow their own food or be able to support other local farmers in the area.
18. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
misha// Do what you love, oh and to always remember the Rule of Thirds.
amy// to be honest, I haven’t received too much advice in my life, but I’ve always believed in what Misha said- do what you love!
19. What is your most treasured possession?
misha// my 24-85mm macro lens for my nikon f100. I love abstract detail shots, especially when people cant figure out what the full images really are!
amy// oh dear, this is a hard one as I have so many lovely things that are so beautiful to me. one in particular is my great great great grandmother’s Singer sewing machine. it’s truly exquisite.
20. What’s next for Portland Loves: local?
misha// Personally, I am very excited for some of our upcoming week long reviews. Portland Fashion Week is coming up and we have so many wonderful fashion designers, make-up artist, models and fashion photographers here in Portland. It will be so hard to choose who to feature!!
amy// I’m really excited about a variety of guest bloggers that will be writing on our blog as well as promoting different events around the city.
21.If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
misha// Other than EVERYWHERE, I would have to say Malta is at the top of my list right now.
amy// you know, I haven’t been overseas yet, but I’ve always dreamed about visiting Paris as I know I’ll fall in love. but, at the same time, if I could go anywhere tomorrow I would go to Boston because I really love Autumn in New England.
Thank you to Misha and Amy for the great interview! And make sure to check out Portland Loves: local!
1. This lovely pendant reminds me of something you’d find in an alternate universe 50 years ago. I like the juxtaposition between the hard metal military elements and the presence of a face. It’s like a really awesome locket. There’s lots more mixed media-type jewelry over at Metamorph.
2. I can’t even express how cool this vanity from Vanity Case is. Made from a vintage suitcase, it holds a mirror and all sorts of bottles and the like. I think it looks a little bit like a traveling apothecary. I like all of the little drawers and places to hide things – it would be like an ever-evolving sculpture. There is also a “liquor cabinet” option that’s pretty cool.
3. I don’t know if it’s because everyone I know just went to Burning Man, but I’m digging these earthy accessories from Iron and Fire. Meant to be worn by men and women alike, this particular feather creation could be a necklace or a hair charm or who knows what. This item might not be up everyone’s alley but I just love the photo styling and how well everything fits within an overall aesthetic.
4. Wool, felt, stripes? I’m in! This market bag from New Moon Rising would be perfect for fall. I can just see it bursting with squash and other late-season produce from the farmer’s market.
5. Speaking of fall, this picture really captures a lot of that feeling for me. Beautiful colors and late-afternoon sunshine. It’s almost an abstract painting with its shallow depth of field. Urban Design has lots of wonderful photographs that are all really-well composed and feature color very prominently.
Thanks to this week’s sellers!
I’ve tried experimenting with resin over the years, with varying degrees of success. The people at Dinosaur Designs seem to have elevated resin to an art form. Unusual jewelry and housewares can be found at their online shop. From their website:
Olsen, Ormandy and Rossler have managed to intersect the boundaries between art, craft, design, fashion and business without pause, and have applied the same creative energy and focused vision to each new opportunity. They have forged an important place for themselves within Australian design history, not only through their longevity and popularity but also through the distinctively Australian character of their work, with many of the colours and forms they use evoking the casual lifestyle and vibrant natural landscape of Australia.
I like how organic-looking everything is, which is a real contrast to the raw material that they’re using. I’m already plotting what I would do with one of those fabulous bowls.a
Stacy has been one of my very good creative friends for years, so I was excited when she agreed to do an interview! Here it is, for my dear readers:
1. What did you have for breakfast this morning?
A bowl of oatmeal with organic milk, wheat germ, golden flax sprouts, and sliced apple bananas with a dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract for good measure.
2. What do you find most inspiring about where you live?
Our little house and our garden makes me HapPy. And that keeps me inspired everyday in countless ways. Everyday I stare out my windows and see the beautiful green and colorful lush garden outside. Oranges, reds, purples, pinks, shades of greens, chartreuse, silvery whites from the plants and flowers. Dark grays, chocolate brown, white from the homes outside. Terra cotta pots, light green lichen on the trees, light pale gray white from the hanging Pele’s hair. Curling ferns, spiky leaves, long straight leaves, short round leaves…so many shapes too numerous to count. And this is only from my back garden.
3. What kind of music are you into lately?
I’m more of a TV DVD Movie watcher versus a music listener. If I don’t have the TV on, most of the time I’m just listening to the minah birds, doves, and other birds outside my home singing or talking to each other from one branch to the next while I’m tapping away at my keyboard. Not to mention my little lovebird chirping happily away in our home. When I’m in my car, the radio is on and this is the only time I really have music playing but for the life of me I couldn’t tell you what songs were playing.
4. Is etsy/creating your full time business? If not, what do you do in real life?
No, Etsy is not my full time business. I recently quit my full time job which was being an attorney with the Prosecutor’s office. I’m not practicing law at the moment but perhaps in the future. Right now, I’m doing a little of this and a little of that. So, along with Etsy, I’m doing real estate with my mom, helping with my relatives’ “marketing design”, and I have other projects waiting in the wings.
5. What is your favorite craft venture and why?
My favorite and so far only craft ventures are my Etsy shops…Stacy’s Designs 88, Blue Lovebirds, and Lilikoi Cottage. Yes, I have 3 shops. Crazy yeah? Stacy’s Designs 88 is my first shop and I recently opened the other 2 shops to start specializing. I’m still working on this “specialization” process which is taking a bit of time and energy. I love creating and then seeing my creations sell. It’s a thrill. I love communicating and working with my customers on their custom orders be it bridal parties, gifts, or for themselves. I really find pleasure when my customers love the jewelry I have created. It keeps me going.
6. Was there someone in your life who was a creative inspiration for you?
When I was growing up, my Dad and my Aunty Dorene were my creative inspirations. My dad is talented and can draw very well. He loves to sketch and doodle. He used to draw up blue prints when he first started working. I think he would enjoy painting but he’s color blind and I think that’s what stops him from pursuing it. My Aunt got me on the road to creating. When she was attending the university and getting her teaching degree, I was her guinea pig at a young age. So, I remember her teaching me how to make puppets with felt, and other art activities.
7. What else do you make other than art that you’re great at?
Hey, everything I make is art even if it’s not “art art”. I Love to bake desserts—my current favs are Red Velvet cupcakes. I decorate the cupcakes with cute cupcake tins, white white frosting, and different colored sprinkles. For our family dinners, I’m the one always assigned to create the salad. I love to make it both tasty, healthy, and colorful. My salads are more like fruit vege salads…like salad extravaganza! In my cooking/baking, I’m really into not only how it “tastes” but how it “looks”. My friend Laurie once told me she likes to cook bc it’s like creating art. Years ago when she said this, I couldn’t comprehend this because I was not into cooking. But, now that I cook, I totally get what she means. And besides Cooking, presentation of the food is also an art in itself.
8. When did you first start creating things?
My earliest memory of creating something was when I was in 1st Grade. I still remember a poem I wrote about a bunny rabbit. Hmmm, now that I think about it, I also used to have a favorite yellow bunny that I used to carry around everywhere. Was that poem an Ode to my Bunny?
9. What is your creative process like?
It’s hard to describe. Sometimes, I look at things and then an idea will literally pop into my head. Other times, a lot of things will be running through my head, I’ll play around with my materials, and then I get it into my head that I have to do “X” and then I start doing it. I like to complete a project and go with the flow until it’s done. But, I find it hard to stick to doing the same old thing. So, I’m always working on a new and different project. I can be creating a necklace, then move onto earrings, then start creating a Tag or card.
10. What’s a cool thing that you think everyone should know about?
I don’t want to sound corny but I think everyone should check out Etsy because there are so many cool handmade items to be found there created by artisans all over the world. I constantly meet people who know nothing about Etsy and I just have to tell them about it and get them hooked. It’s amazing, or maybe not so amazing, the number of people who haven’t heard about Etsy.
11. What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you?
Okay, I don’t know if I’ve had “crazy” things happen to me. But this happened to me when I vacationed in Paris by myself. On my way to Paris, I learned 5 words/phrases in French to get me by. Like “Can you speak English”, “Thank You”…you get the picture. I’m terrible at languages. Now, this was my first time visiting France and the first time being by myself in a Foreign country where English was not their primary language. I was a bit nervous about surviving my week in Paris alone.
While I was at the Louvre Museum, I was getting a bite to eat at the museum’s café. This was probably like my 2nd day in Paris. From the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the museum café’s waiters trying to explain something to this Chinese National couple but they weren’t getting it. But I understood what the waiter was trying to say to them in French! So, I stepped in and explained in English to the couple what the waiter was saying to them in French. Luckily, they spoke some English so they were able to understand me. In the end, I had a happy couple and a happy waiter. It was at that moment that I knew that I could survive my vacation in Paris alone. I was so happy! Who would’ve thunk?
12. Where’s your dream vacation spot?
I have so many…I want to revisit Italy, England and France with Jimmy. Let’s see there’s also Spain, New Zealand, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Hong Kong…
13. What’s the last thing you bought online?
I’ve been trying to be good and not buy too many things. But, recently I bought some gemstones for a custom order, more Swarovski crystals, more Sterling Silver charms getting ready for the Christmas season,,,hello, my name is Stacy and I’m a online shopaholic…stop me please!
14. In a perfect world without the constraints of reality, what would you be doing?
If I could do anything and money grew on my tree, Jimmy and I would travel to wherever we wanted to first class and live it up wherever we went. We would go to all the top events like the Olympics, the Oscars, the Super Bowl. I would have my own craft show sorta like Martha Stewart but locally based in Hawaii. We would live in different places in the world like Tuscany, Provence, New York. And, then we would sometimes just sit by our eternity pool in our backyard overlooking both the Pacific Ocean and the mountains and enjoy the company of our family and friends.
15. Do you make a signature dish? What is it?
I think I make a mean Red Velvet Cake and a pretty sloppy (in a good way) Lasagna.
16. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Never go back, keep moving forward.
17. What’s your most treasured possession?
If there’s one thing that I can just stare at and feel happy that I “possess” it, then it would have to be my Grandma’s Miriam Haskell necklace.
18. Do you have any pets?
We have our one and only Tobey. She’s a Lovebird. But she thinks she’s acts more like a dog with feathers. Never a dull moment. My husband Jimmy can understand Lovebird chirps now. This means “open my drawer”, that means “hey, did you hear me? Open my drawer!”, and then that non-stop shrieking means “Hey Mom, don’t you know you need to open up my drawer!?!” We LoVe her like nobodies’ business.
19. What’s your best garage sale find?
My Best: Okay, I don’t have “Bests” but I do love the sewing box full of Vintage buttons, a Queen Sized chenille white bedspread, a Japanese Lacquered tea set…
The Thing that Got Away: I still mourn the loss of the Le Creuset deal of a century that I walked away from and regret til this day. The gal was moving and wanted to sell at least 5 different pots in different colors and sizes for only, get this, $75. I was young, naïve, not much of a cook, but I loved the look and the colors…didn’t even know what the brand was until later. My dream is to one day own a great set that I love. And, if I can find it at a garage sale for a steal that would make my day. Sigghhhh….
20. What are you most passionate about?
My passions come and go like the wind! Right now it’s trying to get down to a decent body weight and eating healthy. I’m even writing everything down in a Food Journal. And, I saw a dietitian. My mantras…Portion control, more veges and fruits, more exercise!
As a bonus, Stacy has offered 15% off any item in any of her 3 shops until September 20th! Just add “fan of the craft begins” in your note to seller and she’ll refund you via paypal. Thanks Stacy!
I’m not usually a huge fan of jewelry on men, but I think I would make an exception for these interesting pieces from AK Vintage.
Their women’s line is pretty gorgeous too. Everything is made from vintage chains and vintage leather gloves make an appearance in the detailing. I like her pieces because it sort of looks like a collection of great little finds from an estate sale strung on a chain.
OK everybody – here it is, the shameless plug.
I figure, fall is just around the corner, and with it comes cold weather. So I’ve got some new scarves/cowls in my etsy shop, along with some jewelry and some cool skirts I made from vintage slips and tons of other elements. You can check it out if you like (but no pressure) here.
Ok now – back to your regularly scheduled programming!
