Featured Shop: velvetwoods

I often find myself browsing on Etsy at shop after shop, like I am sure many do when they have the extra time. I love all the connections you end up with. One shop ends up leading you to another and another.

I came upon velvetwoods not long ago and fell in love with many of the photos for sale. The coloring is great! I hope you enjoy this feature and the lovely photography of velvetwoods of Australia! (all photos copyrighted by velvetwoods, used with permission)

I contacted the seller and asked if she would like to write something about her work, so enjoy her own words!
"Nature and everything in this world sparks my mind with a kaleidoscope of colors to create art. A culmination of interacting with this world and my mind’s dream world allows me to escape to my own dreamland that is full of lush vegetation with magical dream like qualities. They help me invoke the mystical and the shaman in me.

I literally trance out when I’m working on my photographic art work, I find it such a liberating experience to be able to leave the mundane worries and experience the flow of creating something. When I create my work, I go to places that speak to me about peace and beauty. I see beauty in all things that’s full of endless possibilities.

My work represents the magic in nature and the childhood memories of nature being a place of make believe. They say flow is important to one’s life, I feel my flow strongly when I’m creating art."

So please pay a visit to this shop to show your support for a fellow Etsy seller!
There are prints just waiting to be purchases!

My home decor project

I just thought I would share some home decor projects I have been working on for my house! My mom gave me a few old frames, thrift store finds, a few months ago for a project I wanted to do. I finally did it!! There is still one thing left to do though. Here is a photo progression of the items until today!

old frames + spray paint

equals:
I put them up, here is what I have so far. I should note that the tan colored
frame with the hook will also be painted white! It was a last minute decision of mine to add it to the grouping for balance.
Not the best pictures but they will do for now. :)

(ignore messy desk! the books on there fell over while I was doing all this!)

Tomorrow will be a feature on an Etsy seller!

Friday Favorites List

I would like to point out that three of the shops above have zero or minimal sales so far. Genoire and picoandco have not had a sale yet. Velvetwoods has had two.(get to their shops by clicking items above)

Please visit their shops and share support to the Etsy shop newcomers! I think their shops are great. I don't think you will be disappointed by clicking! All have great prices as well.

Today I'm sharing some links

I just entered an awesome giveaway, go check it out and enter! It's for a customized postcard pillow. Ends Aug 27th!
http://kellyannstudio.blogspot.com/2009/08/cutest-giveaway-yet-enter-today_20.html

My mother recently wrote nice posts about growing up in NYC and also living in a small town in PA. Some people who follow me also follow her already, but if you don't, be sure to visit her blog and read her charming entries and cool Etsy finds!!
ConsidertheLillies09.blogspot.com

If you are into silly humor, check out this link with a "letter" written on a Starbucks napkin. I personally found it hilarious. It has to do with using the bathroom, just to warn you! But there is no profanity or weird pictures. So it's safe to view!
dear starbucks

I think I want to do another giveaway soon as I approach 100 followers (wow!!). I am not sure what to give. I know people have different tastes and I want it to appeal to many people. Maybe a gift certificate type prize would work best? I'm still not sure what to do.

There's nothing like a cup of coffee in the morning...

Coffee Flickr finds:

1. Heart Shaped Coffee cups, 2. anyone for coffee?, 3. Heart Shaped Coffee Cup, 4. Kawaii Cute Japanese Mug Cup-Decole-The LIttle Red Riding Hood, 5. the coffee pot, 6. heart in coffee... trying for the virgin mary tomorrow, 7. Morning Coffee, 8. Coffee + Cream, 9. Morning Coffee - 2007,

I am writing this late at night, scheduled to be posted in the morning. So, sadly I don't have coffee at the moment. But tomorrow morning I will definitely be making some! I hope you enjoy the items above that I found on flickr. Maybe they will inspire you to get some coffee (hehe) or help you have a better day! Look at that awesome middle picture - the giant coffee pot!

I have been blessed lately in my shop TheCozyNest! On Sunday I sold three items! And last Thursday I sold an item. It's very encouraging. It also means i need to start new designs and projects for the shop! I have so many ideas in my head, and so much fabric that can be used for the ideas, but the time to actually make the items? That is the issue!

Featured Shop: SpaceAgeLove

I wanted to feature a shop I recently found on Etsy that has a fun retro feel. It's called SpaceAgeLove.


I mentioned the shop recently already, but wanted to do a more detailed mention. First of all, the name of the shop is perfect. Secondly, the prices are great! How cute and retro!

retro kitsch & vintage-inspired aprons by miss jille

I contaced this lovely seller and asked about info to put along with this post, and so I am going to use the bio from miss jille's Etsy profile:

My shop features items such as retro & vintage inspired aprons and other kitchen accessories. All items are made from patterns I've drafted myself.

I have my BA in Fashion Design from Wayne State University and
have been sewing or crafting in some form most of my life.

I'm too nostalgic for my own good and am always on the lookout for vintage inspiration for my items. I also work with a lot of repurposed materials and vintage fabric/trims.

Besides sewing, in my spare time I love thrifting, going to flea markets and antique stores, used book sales, museums.. I read a lot, I love cats and I watch The Golden Girls as often as I can, so basically I am an old lady in my mid 20s!

So please go give a visit to SpaceAgeLove!

Treasury + Me & My Mom!

Treasury titled "crafty!" put together by ThatSomething.

The above picture would take you to the actual treasury page.

I really like this treasury my pillow cover is a part of! It's very cute and all about making things!

Here is a picture of me and my mom the other day. My parents are here for another short visit. They miss us all, especially my son, their first grandchild! So they don't like to go long between visits. My mom got new glasses which have a similar look to glasses I had. I don't wear glasses all the time, but I need them for watching tv or driving at night to see more clearly and not squint. We look alike in these! My mom is too cute!
The necklace in this picture I bought from ThatSomething, who made the above treasury! You can't see the necklace clearly so I will post another picture. I got it for $12 and last week she was havbing an awesome deal in her shop + free shipping so I couldn't resist! It is made of vintage pieces. I know, I make jewelry myself! But I don't deal much with vintage myself and you know how it is-more fun to buy something someone else made!
If you noticed that this shirt looked similar to the pink one, it's because they ARE the same shirt in different colors. :P The necklace wasn't quite sitting right on me, I forget to shift it, but you can see how cute it is!

Have a wonderful Saturday and Sunday!

Special Weekend Offer to Blog Readers

I shared this offer all week to the facebook "fans", and want to share it here for this weekend! Valid until Sunday night. (midnight, wherever you are!)

In the clearance section of coffeeandcream:
Buy one - Get One 50% OFF!!! (50% off an item of equal or lesser value)
Follow the above link to the clearance section!

Just please write "blog offer" in message to seller or send me a convo ahead of time letting me know you are going to use the offer. Your money will be refunded within 24 hours through paypal OR ask for a revised invoice before paying. You don't technically have to be a blog follower, as I know some people follow privately instead of publicly in the follow list. You just have to use the code "blog offer" and that's it!

Things to share

Head on over to Lillyella, one of my favorite blogs, to see today's "Couture de Jour" ensemble. The items were chosen by ME and selected to be today's ensemble!

Also wanted to share some new items!

Here are newer pillows and one pillow cover. I listed a couple of these
last night and will list the rest tonight, probably.

And some new jewelry items. I love the anchor!

Have a wonderful Friday night!!

The Pencil Skirt!

I decided to look around Etsy for pencil skirts - new and vintage. It's such a classic look that crosses decades. I found a lot of awesome items! Here are just some of them, above. I don't think I can pull off a pencil skirt right now. But there were some shops I found that make custom skirts and other fashions, for all sizes!

I definitely like vintage and retro style. I don't actually dress that way, but I would more often if I had to right pieces of clothing.

Tree Motif

I love various motifs for house decor and accessories. Trees are still one of my favorite choices. Here are some bare trees. I love the bare tree look. (click pictures to see the etsy listings)

Tags from my mom's shop $2

Tree decal from ten23designs $16

From me - at thecozynest, pillow $16

chocolate bird purse from LittleMaryMoo $14

Who am I? Find out more if you want!

I thought I would write a little about me - who I am and how I got here so far! Don't worry, it won't be too long winded. (I hope!)I was thinking recently about the various connections we make and how it would be cool to know a little more about everyone.

So in case anyone would like to know a little more about me, here goes! You might learn things you would not have guessed!

I have one sister who is about two years younger than me. It's just me and her! We have been close our whole lives and still are even though she also lives in Alabama now, where my mom and dad moved. My mom has a blog too and she also sells on Etsy.

I graduated high school in '98 when I was 17 years old. Went to college, and held some part time jobs during college. Worked a year at World Relief, and the longest job was just over 2 years at a Chrysler car dealership in our area doing cashiering, customer service, and warranty paperwork. I actually liked that job a lot because I felt welcomed and at home after awhile. During my last year of college I didn't work due to my changed classes schedule and trying to get all my classes done. Then I graduated college in August of 2003 with a BA in Sociology from USF.

On Sept 18th, 2004 my husband Sujeet and I got married. He is from India and we actually met online back in 2001! The funny thing is neither of us was looking online for anyone. It started as a random meeting(planned by God in my opinion!) on aol IM. We had talks about religion and other things, actually debated each other about subjects, and became friends. It's funny how it can turn into love over time, because it did! In October 2003, my father and I went to India and while there I got engaged. I came back home and after going through a trying time of separation and various paperwork and other things that I won't bore you with, my then fiance moved here so we could get married that September in 04. (I won't even tell you about that pesky hurricane season!!)

I had a hard time finding a good job with my sociology degree. I had a couple jobs after college, only one of which actually required a degree, any degree. That was at a private school(Montessori) working mostly with pre-schoolers. I only stayed there about one year and then I became a stay at home wife before becoming a stay at home mom. I wanted to be that, even though I also wanted to go to college. I like learning a lot! I'm part nerd. But not full nerd, at least not in my own mind. :D

My husband and I have been married almost 5 years now! Our one child, our son Kavi, is a year and half old. My husband works in the IT field. I like creating and being crafty, but also have loved singing and dancing since I can remember. I am not a great singer, but I like doing it and also play guitar(also not fantastic at that!). I used to play often at my church and lead songs. We are Christians and that affects my daily life and what I do or don't do. We have the Indian culture mixed into our lives because of my husband. It's very neat. We live in Florida near the west coast, north of the Tampa Bay area. The Gulf of Mexico is not very far from where I live. Yet I rarely go see it anymore. Shameful!
If you want to know more about any other aspects of my life, I have written many entries at my other blog EastMeetsWest, which I started in 2005. I don't write in it as often because I am more focused on this one right now. But there are over 300 entries over there.
Then and now!

Taj Mahal 2003, wedding 2004




Me and Kavi 2009, Daddy and Kavi 2009

Favorites List

I thought I would share some of my current things marked as a favorite. I kind of have a mental block about what else to write about today, so I wanted to at least share this! Notice especially the adorable pot holders from SpaceAgeLove. Very cute shop! And great prices! I noticed many of the items I recently marked had red or blue or both!

Happy Independence Day to India!

Today is India's Independence Day. It became a sovereign nation on Aug. 15th 1947, after being ruled by the British.


So I was inspired to create a spotlight that represented India whether by being Indian or being in the color scheme of India's flag: orange, white and green.
My husband is from India and still holds Indian Citizenship, though he is also a permanent resident of the US(aka permanent green card holder). Anyway, that is why I am mentioning this holiday today! :)

Reasons I love Anthropologie

Anthropologie kitchen by ChristinaD on Polyvore.com

I would love all of these items in my kitchen! I don't go to an Anthropologie store very often- maybe a couple times a year. But when I get the chance to go, I have the most fun looking at all the housewares. Not really the clothing. I can't really fit into the clothing and it's so pricey. But sometimes you can find great deals on clothing and gorgeous housewares/kitchenwares, etc. Once in awhile I look at their website's sale section, and you can find some good deals. I want to visit their store again soon. The closest is about an hour away.
Check out their sale section online!

On one of those recent silly quizzes we all take on facebook and other places, one question asked where would you max out your credit card? Well, I wouldn't choose to max out my card anywhere. But if I HAD to choose somewhere anyway, it might at Anthropologie, buying all items for my house. Since I am the bargain shopper type, I don't see myself buying anything expensive from there though. But it's all so pretty!!!

Wanted to share...

... items at coffeeandcream in my new "Storybook Collection"!
"Storybook collection", a collection of items I made that remind me of old storybooks and fairy tales. I plan to add a few more items soon, also.

Fall? What's that?

I am always a little bitter every year when Fall is supposed to be happening because I live in Florida. And it's hot here, and will be warm even while it's cooling down in many places around the country. I don't like the weather here. I have never embraced it as acceptable to me. haha. I was born in NY but have lived in FL since I was almost four years old so you'd think I would be used to the weather here. I also wouldn't want to live where it snows and snows and snows during the winter because I don't think I could handle that now. But I want mild/moderate weather and it's perfectly like that where my family now lives in Northern Alabama. There are once in awhile chances of a light snow up there, which sounds so nice.

I still decorate for Fall at some point here, even if it's hot outside. A chance for a cool day sometimes starts in October. But it's unpredictable!! So while I need to plan for Fall in the Etsy world, it's hard when it's so hot outside!

Fairytale Yellow Bird Collage

Fairytale Yellow Bird Collage
Originally uploaded by Kim Naumann - Curiouser & Curiouser Designs

I found this on flickr. I think it's so adorable!

I am working on some new jewelry pieces and I'd like to have a certain collection name. I am thinking "storybook", because the pieces remind me a little of a cute storybook. That doesn't mean they are little girl-ish. But something about them...a fairytale/storybook style.

Cool!! Weekend Deals Gift guide.

So I submitted my shop coffeeandcream into one of the Weekend Deal promotions threads in the Etsy forums. I didn't get picked for the Etsy find's weekend deal email of course. I had checked on Friday and I don't think I was in the weekend deal gift guides either, yet! Well today I am, on the first page of the gift guide! The last on the right, top row, the bird with flower there. Yay! Too bad the gift guide is near the bottom of the gift guides page!

I am in this guide for offering 20% off orders to anyone who uses code "weekend deal" in note to seller during checkout on Etsy, valid until tonight, Sunday, 3AM E.S.T., 12AM P.S.T. I go to 3AM here so that it's available until midnight for the west coasters!

I sold these earrings overnight, to someone in Sweden! I am sure most of the Etsy sellers who might read here know the importance of an international shipping option. I just shipped pillow covers that were purchase from The Cozy Nest to Thailand last Tuesday!

These earrings suddenly recieved about 4 new hearts in a short time, but I don't see it in a treasury. So I wonder how did so many people decide to look at it and heart it within a short time? Don't you wish you could know exactly how. I will relist these once I get some new kidney wire earring pieces.

Saturday Night: Dresses

I never wear a dress these days. I would like to have something to wear a dress to sometimes. But I am definitely not the type who wants to wear a dress every day. I like my jeans. I can dress up jeans with a nice shirt and accessories. But still, if I had a good reason to wear a pretty dress, it would be fun.

So I found some dresses on polyvore to share.

The first set is just all around cute in my opinion. I'd like to have all these items.

cute in black and white by ChristinaD on Polyvore.com

I would hope this dress above looked cute ON. Sometimes you can't tell unless you try it on, right? The dress you think you'd like the most may look horrible on you, while a dress you hardly noticed at first looks great. It's a tricky thing!

This next set is dresses that may not be very exciting but they are the type of dresses I might try on for a couple of reasons. I think they would be flattering. They seem like they'd hang away from the body slightly to cover over the not so lovely areas! The material looks like a more stiff cotton, which also hangs better on me and hides things that NEED hiding! Look at that cute bird necklace too...

flattering by ChristinaD featuring Volcom shoes

I bought a dress made out of jean material like the one in the middle once for a casual wedding. It hung very nicely! So that's why I put that in there.

As for this weekend so far...
Today we saw some friends I hadn't seen in awhile, who had never met my husband yet! Living in separate states and other timing issues always seemed to come in the way of them meeting my hubby. So they met and I think they got along well! It's too bad they live all the way in Ohio now! We had a very nice time. :)

*Weekend Deal*

I also wanted to share a weekend deal special that I don't have in my shop's announcement. It's for whoever reads about it somewhere else! I mentioned it on twitter and will mention it here and on facebook.

20% off entire purchase, by using code "weekend deal" in note to seller during Etsy checkout.
Valid today through Sunday 8/9.

I am really trying to clear out items, if you couldn't tell! :P Only have sold one item in this shop since starting the sales. Hmmmm.

Newer Items

Happy Friday!

Above are two leafy items that I added recently to my shops! Cute tree earrings, and a new pillow cover make from IKEA fabric. The pictures of the cover are not as good as I'd like them to be. It's hard sometimes to really capture an item in pictures. I struggle with that at times, looking at so many extremely professional looking pictures people take on Etsy. I do my best with the camera I have. I wonder if anyone else ever gets a little overwhelmed by the challenge of needing excellent pictures for Etsy?

Featured

Last week, I believe, in the Etsy forums I saw a thread by someone asking who would like to be featured on their blog, so of course I said I would! http://etsystudios.blogspot.com/ features Etsy sellers, and I was happy to be picked as a feature.

I'd love if you went to take a look at it! :) http://etsystudios.blogspot.com/2009/08/colourful-and-creative.html

I won a giveaway, yay! And more to tell you.

I'm trying to get into the habit of writing scheduled entries here. That way I can write them at night before bed and have them posted the next day. The little boy is sleeping so I can just sit and do this.

I won this fun pack of papers which has new and vintage items from found paper co's blog! Yipee! I enter giveaways sometimes and I think the only other one I won was a couple weeks ago, but there were only two entries so both of us got the item! :)

I am having a BIG SALE in my shop coffeeandcream! The necklaces below are just some of those that have been marked down! I would like to clear out some pieces! I also have a lot of new supplies for adding new pieces soon. Click the picture to get to the necklace sale section! I also still have some $5 earrings left!

Favorite Shops Featured

I want to share some of my favorite shops, from a certain category of Etsy, from time to time.

Today I am sharing some jewelry shop favorites of mine!

#1 SoVeryCharming
I found this shop last winter I think, and loved it.

"Welcome to the magical world of So Very Charming! My jewelry boutique is devoted to one of a kind vintage, repurposed vintage, and indie bling." (from shop announcement)

The shop's name is very appropriate! Also the shop announcement says
**FREE SHIPPING to the U.S. and Canada on all handmade earrings and sale items**


#2 TimelessTrinkets Also found this shop last year before Christmas. Happy to say I own an adorable pair of earrings from this shop, bought for me as a Christmas present from my sister. I also own a necklace similar to the pear one, without the birdie.

"Welcome to Timeless Trinkets where you will find vintage button jewelry and steampunk designs made with a little bit of old, new, and sometimes a bit of both."(in shop announcement)



And my newer favorite:
#3 skeptis
Bright and fun.

"One of a kind hand-made jewelry ~ Each item is unique made from carefully chosen vintage and recycled items ~ you will not find anything like it anywhere!" (in shop announcement)


Notice that two of the shops above have one of a kind items!! Yay!