The Vintage Pearl

Have you visited The Vintage Pearl? I just discovered this wonderful site today, and I will definitely be going back. Everything item on their site has a wonderful handmade look to it, and all customized items are handstamped. I could spend thousands in their store and still have more on my wish list.

I saw this adorable Peas In A Pod necklace on NieNie. (If you haven't read her blog, you simply must. It's fabulous. Full of inspiration, happy stories, and adorable photos.)

And this Dainty Drops necklace.. I will definitely be buying one. What a perfect way to feel more connected to my little girl.

This T-shirt! Definitely bookmarked. So cute. Who wouldn't want one? Maybe I can get away with more photo-taking when I'm wearing this ;-)

I'm also deeply in love with this Messy Nest necklace. Sooo cute!! I love the idea of the eggs representing children.

Versatile Blogger Award

Last week I was given my very first Blogger Award! Staci from CraftyStaci was so very kind and passed the award on to me. I just met Staci last week. She was the one I talked about in this post about the Etsy shop for charity. Like I said, this is the very first award I've received and I am super excited about it!

There are two rules for this award. First, I am supposed to tell you seven things about myself. I don't consider myself that interesting, but I'll give it a shot! I decided on a list of things that you probably did not know about me, and never would have guessed. Those are always fun ;-)

1. I am very opinionated. Like super-duper over-the-top stubborn.. When I think someone is doing something wrong/immoral/unethical I get so incredibly pissed off. Usually I don't outwardly react on those feelings though. I just vent on Facebook or something and move on with my life.

2. I love nature, but I am totally NOT a tree-hugger. Yes I recycle, I live in Oregon for goodness sakes. If you throw a pop can away you're likely to be taken down at gunpoint haha. But I do not wear peace signs, protest logging, or shop for organic products. I love to go on hikes, I love to feel the fresh clean air, and I love to photograph the beauty of it all.

3. I drove a big lifted redneck truck in high school. I worked on it with my Dad, and I love that truck to death. It is so very much NOT eco-friendly, politically correct, or practical. But it was fun to drive, loud, and powerful. No one ever cut me off, tailgated me, or brake checked me. No one ever treated me like some 'stupid girl' either when I was driving that.

4. I grew up a HUGE tomboy. My Dad was always working on a car in the garage, and I was always hanging over him, pointing to stuff, asking "What's that? What does it do? Why is it broken?" My oh-so-patient Dad spent the whole evening explaining everything to me, and I soaked it up like a sponge. I now run the front counter of the family auto repair shop with him, and I love it.

5. I went hunting with my Dad every fall. Yes I killed Bambi's mom. Don't hate me. My parents raised me to respect animals of every shape and size, and we were always grateful for the ability to feed ourselves this way. We did everything 100% legally, and we used every inch of the animal that we could. We were not some violent trophy hunters looking for the biggest rack to show off. We were just looking for some healthy meat to feed ourselves.

6. I was also raised very religious. I'm Mormon. It has been a struggle for me growing up. Being in a small town, I was often the only Mormon in my class. We are quite easily one of the most misunderstood religions, and it hurts me to see how harsh people can be. I've been called every name in the book. I've been accused of worshiping Satan. I've been told I'm not a Christian, and I'm going to Hell. I've been asked if I have horns, and believe in an underwater castle. I even had someone throw a bible at me and scream "Devil Worshiper!" I hold no animosity towards any of these people though. And I love to answer any questions anyone has about my religion. I am not trying to convert anyone. I just want people to understand that we're not as weird as you think we are.

7. I am not the crazy over-the-top conservative that you probably think I am. I do not make my opinions based on my parents' opinions or my religion. I do think for myself. I absolutely hate it when someone makes an assumption about me, based on a few simple facts. I love to dress up and do my makeup, even though I drive a big truck. I do love animals, even though I hunt. I do have gay/lesbian friends, even though I am Mormon. I strongly believe that you cannot judge a book by it's cover. And I believe even more strongly that passing judgement on someone is one of the biggest sins you can commit. I choose to believe what I do, and you have the right to do the same.

Now for the second part! I am supposed to pass this award on to 15 other bloggers..

1. Amy @ Lots of Pink Here!
2. Jodi @ Pleasant Home
3. Karen @ Karen Thompson Design Studio
4. Serena @ Farm Chicks
5. Ashley @ After Nine to Five
6. Ashley @ Under Those Neon Lights
7. Angie @ Oh, How Delightful!
8. Mandy @ Sugar Bee Crafts
9. Vanessa @ V and Co.
10. Adrienne @ Right Here, Right Now!
11. Halsey @ Spunky Junky
12. Ashley @ The Shine Project
13. Stephanie @ Somewhat Simple
14. Maria and Michelle @ From the Same Nest
15. Virginia @ Gingercake

Thanks again to Staci @ Crafty Staci for sharing this award!!!

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Update: The wallet that I posted has already sold, but more will be up shortly!
I just added 2 new items to my Etsy shop!!

P.S. I'm being featured today over at One Me, Two Monsters. Go check it out!!

My First Trade!

I recently had the joy of participating in my very first trade!! One of my favorite bloggers had been searching for a cute camera strap for her fancy new camera. I've seen hundreds of tutorials for making camera strap covers online, but I've always wanted to make my own strap, instead of a cover. BUT I don't have my own SLR yet.. just a little point-and-shoot.

When I saw her quest, I decided to take the plunge. Heck, the worst she can do is say No, right? Well thankfully, she said Yes!! I was so excited. I did my research and saw how other people were making theirs. I figured, Heck, I can totally do that! I changed the way the strap was assembled, and added some interfacing with my padding. (Two things I had not seen anyone else do yet). My first attempt was a flop.. tossed that one in the scrap bin. Attempt #2 was perfect! I literally almost jumped out of my chair when it was all done.

I'm planning on selling the camera straps in my Etsy store, I just need to round up some more supplies and get to sewing. I'll be posting photos of the camera straps when they are all done and ready to buy.

My main reason for posting though, is that I wanted to show you the beautiful jewelry that I received from her in trade. She knew I had a love for owls, and came up with this collection for me. I'm so incredibly excited! She even made them on a longer chain for me. You can visit her blog, After Nine to Five, and buy her jewelry at her Etsy Shop. This whole trade process was so easy, I definitely plan on doing it again. If you are ever interested in trading, please let me know! Leave me a comment, send me an email, whatever!

Blog Guidebook

Have you heard of it? If not.. you should definitely sign up. It's kind of like Yellow Pages for blogs. Blogs are listed under different categories, so you can find new blogs similar to yours. I think it is an awesome idea, and I can't wait to browse some more! I love meeting new people, and finding new things to try.

They are also a blog in their own right. They post about various conferences and gatherings, and they also feature/spotlight blogs. They even have different resources, classes, and blogging tips. Definitely a blog that you will want to bookmark.

There are several different options when you sign up to be listed in the Guidebook. The simplest package is the free one. It's just a simple text listing in the book. For anything from $20-$40 a year, you can get more complex packages with better listings, including your own button! They will also spotlight your blog or etsy shop for $10-$15. Definitely worth the investment I would say. I'm starting out with just the free package though, since I'm still a baby blog haha.

Click on the adorable little button below to go check it all out!





PS If you sign up now, you get a free upgrade for your listing to include your button for one month!

Discovering

Things have been rather slow at work this morning, so I got some time to explore the blogging world. =] I came across these two lovelies that I simply HAD to share with you guys. If you haven't joined, you totally should!!

1.) Buy Handmade: This one is awesome, and I can't believe that I didn't find it sooner! There is a pledge for us to sign, "I pledge to buy handmade for myself and my loved ones, and request that others do the same for me." What are you waiting for? Go there! Sign the button and grab a badge to post on your blog.



2.) Trade Handmade: Love this idea too! The idea was started by Ashley at Under Those Neon Lights. I found the information and button over at Secretly Loves Pink. You can read all about it here. Basically, the idea is to promote yourself and also support other crafters at the same time, by trading! I've done this several times, and I love it! You can trade pretty much anything. I've traded wallets and camera straps for things like blog design, business cards, photo shoots, and jewelry. I'm definitely signing up for this one!