shoptalk: mixed media and bling

aurora borealis rosary - available

My shop on etsy

debuted a few weeks ago,

and in spite of not finding time

to market it, stuff is beginning

to sell.

aurora borealis vintage crescent brooch - available

Confession:

selling vintage costume jewelry means

I can continue to scour tag sales

with added incentive.

vintage pearl collar necklace - available

vintage rhinestone brooch

My art has been sold

 via word of mouth and

a Chicagoland boutique.

Etsy may or may not be a good fit

for finding homes for my collages.

Osa on Zebra collage - available

Vintage book covers were my canvas

where layers of vintage text, illustrations,

acrylics, dupioni silk, muslin, and other

embellishments tell a story.

Each piece has an original pieced together

poem constructed with random text from the

book.

Help me, I love them all.

They're vintage inspired yet modern.

Success in the marketplace

won't change

how and why I create. 

one of the Big Hair collages - available

I create because it brings joy.

art can be fun - available

I create because it stretches me.

a collage inspired by faith - available

I create because I am called to.

a piece on a side table - available

I create to spread love.

And if the result pleases

someone else...

all photos mine

Well then,

I'd say that

constitutes

a bit of a

mind blowing

crazybeautiful

miracle.

*strikes Mary Katherine Gallagher superstar pose*

"ETSY SHOP!"

linking today with Wow Us Wednesdays

For You

my collage

Today this post is for you...

Bella Luna...i love her to the moon

no matter where you are or how you

found your way here.

North Shore Oahu...my favorite place on planet Earth

If this finds you at a moment

of discouragement or defeat,

may I invite you to re-capture

an encouraging vibe here?

they just showed up in my kitchen...

Because...

you matter.

Because...

you are loved and chosen.

Because even if it feels like you just can't...

a French prayer chair and rosary

ALL PHOTOS MINE

you truly can.

I am so grateful for you reading me,

sharing your lovely,

and following along.

I cherish your comments

and just feel extra thankful

for you today.

Hugs.

I am linking up with Tuesday's Treasures, Elements,
A Beach Cottage, and Savvy Southern Style

you say goodbye...i say HELLO

Don't know why it's terrifying

to pin down a few key objectives to

define this little blog...
not doing this for kicks,
actually responding to
a challenge set forth
by a DEFINE YOUR BLOG party.

my kitchen where i often blog.

Oh wait. Yes, I do.

a painting from '09

Because for a few years a million things
 have terrified me--a season of high anxiety.
To cope I have wrapped my self up in as much

serenity and peace as possible.

all images mine

Initially this blog was a private catalog for just me.

But it's the sharing part that makes it truly

worthwhile and where my heart leans.

Though I'm totally paranoid
(of successful bloggers who go on
record saying "do this for more followers"'
or "be personal but not TOO personal"...) 

and easily bored and prone to wander

and seeeeeriously terrified to define
and reduce the blog to a few sentences,

I do see its value.

my girl

To stay centered and accountable.

To alert readers so they're informed of whether

to return for a fix or run like h***.

 

collaboration with nick harner

Ready for an 8th grade cheerleading

H-E-L-L-O blog-defining cheer?

(see, told ya i'm 45 going on 14):

*H*

h o n o r  c r e a t i v i t y .

Because it's divine.

It has been my passion for as long as I can remember.

For some of us, it keeps us breathing.

*E*

e x p l o r e  l o v e l y .

So many diversions and distractions out there!

We can help point each other toward higher ground...

toward the light.

*L*
l i v e  m o r e  s o u l f u l l y .

Not gonna go all preachy.

That's not my style.

But the reason it's critical for me personally

is that left to my own devices, i'm a selfish sucky loser.

I have to TRY to live more soulfully with intention.

As a child, it came naturally.

As a cynical hormonal bombshell, notsomuch.

*L*

l a u g h  e v e r y d a y .

Blessed with perfect health, a brilliantly peerless personal life,

and an absence of stressors big and small?

Outstanding. This blog will be a bore to you.

Some of us need the medicine of laughter to heal.

*O*

o b s e r v e  b e a u t y  i n  i m p e r f e c t i o n .

It's huge for me; always has been.

My natural inclination is to be perfectionistic;

to see anything less than perfect as "fail."

But what i know to be true is there is

beauty in the broken,

the tattered, the loved.

It's how i want this blog to feel.

It's what i want my life to reflect.

I typically write posts 
stream of consciousness style

in one fell swoop.
Which is why i often recommend you
read me with tenderness and a modicum of caution.

all images by me...miss angsty blogger

Thank you for listening.
I probably made the blog defining
process much more complicated
and painful than it ever has to be.
But being complicated is one of my
special talents.

Hope you'll follow and join the journey.

Stay lovely!

linking up with lovely Sarah's
Define Your Blog party.

peek inside my windows (2)

Feel like peeking?

Ok, but I've got a burrrrnnnnnrning question for you to answer:

HOW DO YOU GET MOTIVATED

TO SPRING CLEAN?

Cuz it is HIGH TIME i kick the booty into high gear

and get down and dirty like a bad mambajamba.

(even i am shocked at how lame i am.)

I got a wee start over the weekend

but my list of chores keeps getting lonnnnnggger.

AND.

Isn't it surprising how quickly things around the house

start to feel outdated  and passe even when you thought

you were achieving a timeless look 5 years ago?

Today's post is a sort of to-do list.

all images mine

1.

Extract granny from the dining room.

despite my modern canvases, it is still too precious and unsexy.

not that grannys can't be sexy...just striving for milfy not gilfy.

2.

Inject more texture and personality into the kitchen.

i need rugs and probably some contemporary and oganic strokes.

there's a phrase painted above the window over the sink you can't see that

reads LOVE LIVES HERE.

and it does.

3.

Figure out those *%#$ shelves.

they were a friggin mess when this was snapped.

honestly they are different every week because

i am never satisfied.

4.

Hello? The screen porch needs therapy!

a rug, new pillows, and maybe some curtains will lift her mood, yes?

5.

Figure out how to replace bulbs 18 feet in the air.

when you're not a masochist.

6.

Keep the calm, but puhhhhleeease lose the boring factor.

functionally, the room works great.

7.

Sew a laundry bag to go in the antique hamper.

my sewing skillz? this should be interesting.

8.

Find an alternate location for the dress form.

this is our closet, and my man says she creeps him out and must go byebye.

9.

Find properly scaled accessories.

these are a SCALE FAIL.

10.

Replace the dried hydrangea.

and i'm sick of the teal.

wanted to show off the antique stained glass we

put in the WC to steal natural light from the downstairs hall.

11.

Lose the dollar store silver chargers.

it's only the laundry room, but they've over stayed their welcome.

original landscape by aimless olive

12.

Find storage for a teeny powder room.

need to hide the Febreeze and extra rolls.

btw, yes. that is COLOR on the walls: Nurture by Glidden.

do i sound edgy?

i'm just exhausted and keepin it real.

and sadly out of chocolate.

The appointment book is full this week:

scrubbing and organizing

while my man works magic on the basement.

If your week promises something different...

YAY! LIVE IT UP FOR ME!

Hope you'll follow this lovely journey.

Hugs.

linking with romantic home and common ground

peek inside my windows (1)

This is our home,

and as much as I can

I try to keep things

simple and spare.

I'm easily overstimulated,

and there are already

such big personalities

living here 

*cough*

that it's just not

necessary for rooms to shout.

Not even

the grown men in the house

can resist the swing.

I am a fan of

DIYs and inexpensive finds

(or FREE finds...benches in dining room

were found curbside).

I snag accessories

for pennies at the flea market

and shop eBay

(even our tub was an eBay find!).

Important art is not

in the budget.

I create some,

find pieces on etsy,

and barter with my friends.

For me, painting and creating

are lovely lovely therapy.

Even the huge Marie Antoinette

chandelier above was

scored on eBay for cheap!

The architectural fragment

above our bathroom mirror

is old and French.

Thanks for taking a peek!

If you're visiting via Miss Mustard Seed,

or from the linky parties,

I'd love it if you decide

to follow and take this lovely

journey with me.