A Spring Lookbook & Giveaway Winner!

I literally gasped when I came across sarahseven's shop on Etsy. Her creations are probably the most romantic and beautifully feminine pieces I've ever laid eyes on. Although the weather has been rather bipolar lately, Spring surely is on it's way and having one, or two, or three (or all) garments from the shop would make for the perfect Spring lookbook.
The dresses look like something out of a fairytale- the pastel colors and soft fabrics are so dreamy and utterly perfect for Spring. And with lovely names like Rosalie's Lipstick and Summer Skin, it's hard not to swoon over them. The best part? Each purchase gives back an accumulated ten percent to three different charities! Now that's conscientious shopping.

P.S. A special thank you to everyone who supported the Interrobang zine giveaway!
I have randomly selected a winner through random.org so congratulations to Lizard! I will be contacting you shortly.

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The Final Pages

I've been on a rather frenzied search across a good portion of the internet as well as local stores such as Borders & Barnes & Noble for a new journal. My recent journal is almost completely filled and has been with me for over four years. I purchased it with googly eyes and a gift card my Godmother had gifted me a couple months before my fourteenth year. I was so in love with this journal (considering it was one of the prettiest things I owned, so grown up looking and worth more money than I would have ever phantom spending at once on my own account) that it remained completely empty for nearly two years. I couldn't bear the thought of ruining its beauty with ugly handwriting or scribbles and adolescent thoughts.
When I finally got the courage to write in it, it became the bearer of the many layers of myself. I would write anything from quotes and ideas to lists and scratchy doodles. I suffered a long four years of an on again/off again love for it; going for periods of time were it would follow me wherever my destination was and other times when it would be forgotten in the shadows of my desk or between piles of paperbacks on my bookshelves. And now after the transformations it has endured with me, I am ready for a new one.
Surely you must see why it is so important that I chose the perfect journal. After all, it has to endure me more than I have to endure it. :)

Etsy has proved to be one of the best places, with the largest variety of journals that have caught my attention. Moleskines are sounding very appealing and although I was originally on the lookout for a larger journal, a smaller one that can be a lot easier to carry around sounds like a good candidate. And it doesn't hurt that they have beautifully illustrated covers, does it? Not one bit.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Do you have a journal?

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Art by Catherine Campbell

Saying Catherine Campbell has talent just might be an understatement. She must have something else, something that that enables her to produce an array of appealing and flawless prints by using watercolors and other media, such as paper in her Little Papercuts collection.

Visit her Etsy for a variety of artwork and her blog to be kept up to date with her artwork as well as be doused with plenty of links to other artists' work.

P.S. On more personal terms, I have opened up a Formspring so if any of you have questions feel free to ask.
And there is a sale going on in my little Etsy shop!

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New in the Shop

I just added a new addition to the shop.
A vintage inspired necklace with a very storybook feel.

The Alice Necklace

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Powder Blue Etsy Shop

Long time followers might recall that my dream is to live in San Francisco and study creative writing and photography. Long time followers might also recall that I've been wanting to open up my own Etsy shop for quite a while. Well it finally happened!
Powder Blue features a collection of vintage apparel (right now highly concentrated amounts of 1980s apparel) and will soon hopefully be featuring some of my photography as well as more handmade and decor items.
I'm extremely excited to finally be running my own little store. My main focus is to bring quality items all the while expanding my little bank account for the future.
I have a few ideas about handmade items I would like to work on but I would also like your personal opinion.
What items do you love to see in Etsy shops?

Click here to see the shop.

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Art By Rosiemusic

Another collection from a very talented artist, Rosiemusic, has recently caught my attention. Her Etsy shop even includes printed t-shirts among a large variety of artwork printed on different materials. If you like what you see you might want to take a look at her photostream for a multitude of photos of her work.

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Clare Owen's Ilustration

There are many things I wish I had the ability to do beautifully. Illustration is among the top. Looking at the work of Clare Owen just intensifies my desire. Her delicate sketches and artwork are just the type that, If I ever got passed stick figurines, I'd love to master. I'd recommend you visit her blog and her Etsy shop where you can buy her artwork in many forms.

P.S. On a more personal note, I'm leaving to Riverside, California tomorrow to go visit my grandma who just underwent surgery. I've received a few packages in the mail recently and I'll be sharing them with you all once I get back.

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The Black Spot Books

I've always loved Antler Magazine for its rich diversity of artists featured in each publication. While reading various interviews in the newest edition, Margaux Kent's quickly made its way to my favorites. Perhaps because I am an avid book/journal lover myself or a lover of things handmade, I decided I had to further my search. My first stop was her Etsy shop where she sells all her creations that range from journals to jewelery to photography.

I then visited Etsy's handmade blog, The Storque, where I stumbled upon a video about the process of her work (which is really neat). You can view the video here or you can watch the same video which I have provided below.
I was also very pleased to discover that, like me, she is a vegetarian. Thus, when she makes her leather bound journals she does not purchase new hides. Instead she hunts for old leather and personally, I think that makes her work even more profound.
Margaux also owns another Etsy shop where she sells vintage finds. I encourage you to visit Plundered to find a variety of vintage treasures.

P.S. Make sure to check out the short film she and her husband made entitled "An Ever-Sure Antidote To Despair". It is so good.

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I feel like I've been on my deathbed the past couple of days. I unfortunately caught the swine flu and have been confined to a torture chamber of fever, body aches, cough, boogers and everything else that sounds unpleasant. To top it off, Mother Nature just didn't want to wait to deliver that monthly gift she so generously gives me every month.
Thankfully I'm feeling okay enough at the moment to take advantage and squeeze in a little blogging. My head is still a bit fuzzy and my stomach is still horribly unsettled. However, I cannot hide that I've started feeling the anticipation of Halloween which is a couple days away (I'm just hoping that I will be recovered enough to be able to enjoy Halloween for the wonderful holiday it is).
I've decided this year I'm going to be Little Red Riding Hood. Below is a little sneak peak of my costume that is almost entirely made by my grandma.



I've somehow failed to mention that I'm taking part in the photoswap hosted by the lovely Rhianne of For the easily distracted. My excitement increased when she recently emailed me to let me know that my photoswap partner is a fellow from South Africa! My mind is already bubbling with ideas of possible photos and I cannot wait to see what he has come up with.

Also thanks to Rhianne, I found out about another amazing swap going on in a girl and her blog. With Christmas in the distant future, what is sweeter then a gift swap? If you are interested, you can sign up here.

And just because Autumn is still is not over, here are a few Autumn inspired pieces that I've added to my covet list.

1*| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

*If anyone knows the Etsy shop these gloves are from, please let me know ASAP.

Lastly, if you haven't already noticed, I did change my blog title. That would make this the third time I've changed it since I first made a blog almost a year ago. I promised myself that this would be the last time and honestly, I think it will. I'm quite content with the name.

P.S. Remember that you have until Friday to enter the latest giveaway I'm hosting. If you haven't entered yet do so here.

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Shira Sela: Giveaway

I found the lovely Shira Sela via Etsy and was immediately drawn to her artwork. Her nostalgic sketches and use of ink, markers and digital color attracted me instantaneously. I found the brighter colors against more neutral backdrops to be very alluring. When I took a closer look at the prints, I noticed that they were not merely beautiful pieces of art but also frames that so graciously created a story through metaphorical detailing.

So I am more than pleased to partner with Shira and host my very first giveaway! Up for grabs is the beautiful print "Never Alone" featured below.

To enter simply visit Shira's shop on Etsy. Then leave a comment here mentioning which print you love the most. Just to keep comments a bit more interesting, please mention why you would like to win this print. This giveaway is open to international readers and a winner will be chosen randomly on Friday, October 9th.

To find more of Shira's work and learn more about her, visit her website.

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And That's A Wrap

"It's what's on the inside that counts"- A good, solid quote that provides a positive basis to live your life. But is it always true? I don't think so. At least not when it comes to incredibly cute packaging!

With my upcoming etsy shop in the works, I am becoming even more fascinated with all aspects of creativity.
I know just how wonderful it feels to receive a package you are anxiously awaiting for. However I'm sure everyone can agree that receiving that said package in a lovely arrangement is truly the icing on the cake, the cherry on top. So I was delighted when I came across Utterly Engaged and the DIY Gift Wrapping Tutorial they featured in the third issue. For all you bloggers with your own etsy shop, or for anyone who just fancies creating dainty little packaging, this tutorial is worth taking a look at.








P.S. If you are wedding crazy (like me) or just like to look over different wedding related archives, then I highly recommend you check out Utterly Engaged for a multitude of different DIY projects and inspiration.

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Etsy Finds

I quickly want to share some beautiful fabric finds from the lovely etsy store Ponder and Stitch. It is run by a really nice blogger named Amy who also has a dear little blog that is worth checking out. I think fabrics make for beautiful jewelry, as in the case of the bracelets featured in her shop. I'm also in love with the little pouches.
Well, I have my Spanish class in about an hour so I'm off to finish some reading. Have a lovely day!

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