DIY Ring Bearers Sign: Vintage Chic Wedding Style

So, typically I leave all of my DIY craftiness blog posts for my other site over at Sublime-living.blogspot.com - BUT today I am going to share a little freebie with you. I am SO full of joy over the union of these two precious peeps, I just can't contain it. So here is a little design love for you. 

I made this sign out of an old vintage cupboard door. I painted the perimeter a blush pink and the interior panel with chalkboard paint. Then I designed a layout I liked in my design software, grabbed a pencil and pressed the design into the paint. It was very faint - as I use it for spacing and overall layout but like to add my own touches to it.  If the thought of free-handing it stresses you out - simply get carbon or lead up the back of your paper with the side of your pencil tip and then tape to front of board and trace firmly over the printed image. Then remove paper and draw over the trace marks with a permanent chalk pen.

Here is a lil' Freebie Love for those of you wanting to get your crafty on for your WEDDING!

I will be posting a lot of our DIY projects over at Sublime-Living once we get the photos. Make sure and check back soon!

Meet Lily, My New Girl: Vintage Mannequin Dress Form Beauty

Don't ask me how -or- why... but this new addition to our family has had the name Lily bestowed upon her. We found her  as we were passing by a garage sale. SCREEEEEECH - we came to a sudden stop in order to snatch this little treasure up.

At first I wan't too sure about her. She was vintage alright, and she had character, but I wasn't sold on  what I would do with her with that bow on her chest. Still I couldn't pass up on the extremely low penny it required to make her mine. Turning it quickly was an option with the low listing price we could still make money on with a re-sale.

Well, after taking some ebay photos with her I am now IN complete LOVE with her. She is a delight. I will post some of the ebay pics I took later to show you how nicely she displays treasures to be sold. .

She is a wonderful addition to our family. I can't tell you what we have been doing all these years without her. Welcome Lily!!!

ENJOY: Autumn is in the ATMOSPHERE

Can you hear it? Have you seen it? 

The wind has started it's dance premiere of fall 2012 with the leaves as it's partner. They are swinging, swaying and dipping their way into winter.

It is one of natures most beautiful acts. 

As the seasonal curtain of fall opens it boldly introduces colors that are so vivid & stimulating. The bright yellow, orange & reds all swirling together. The cool, crisp touch of the air on our skin may leave us feeling chilly but the warm, rich colors that cling to the trees and carpet the ground resonate deeply in our souls. 

Somehow fall has a way of swooping onto the scene of what appeared to be a blank stage. Was summer really that far off in the distance? No, not really. Did summer give a poor performance that left us feeling in want? Most certainly not. So, what is it? For me I think it is the display of splendor that delivers an invitation to all five senses. Change is in the air - and we can't help but participate. 

Grandma's old canning jar converted

 The Five Senses of Fall:

1. Sight: gorgeous rich colors
2. Touch: crisp air, cozy soft clothes
3. Smell: cinnamon, apple, pumpkin & spice 
4. Taste: cinnamon, apple, pumpkin & spice :)
5. Sound: the wind, the crunch of leaves                      

So here is my response to fall's gracious invitation: 

My pledge to fall:

I will do my best to fully & completely appreciate all you have to offer. I promise to take the time to focus my view & give my full attention on your beauty at least once a day. I will snuggle into cozy warm, richly colored clothing & accessories that reflect your beauty.

One of my favorite creations: Chunky Cowl
So cozy! 

I dully promise to inhale and ingest the bounty of the season. (Sounds oh so appealing, doesn't it?) Baked apples, pumpkin custard & spiced cider BEWARE! And... I commit to listen. Listen to the children laughing as they frolic in the leaves, the chatter of friends meeting indoors over a cup of chai, the crunchy sound of leaves beneath my feet as I take a stroll, but the BEST OF ALL...the sound of my Creator speaking to me in and throughout
 His B E A U T I F U L creation. 

Great are the works of the Lord; 

they are pondered by all who DELIGHT in them. 

Glorious and majestic are his deeds,

and his righteousness endures forever. 

He has caused his wonders to be REMEMBERED;

the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
Psalm 112:2-4

Here is one of my favorite fall looks. The soft, soothing loose knit infinity scarf in a creamy, rich mustard bamboo yarn softly draped around the neck. Pair the cowl with some edgey earrings made with a worn black & brown leather with silver circular elements and you are fitted for the season. 

Baraka na wewe,

 (blessings to you)

Kimber

Turning junky to funky...

Nothing like taking an interesting piece of history and creating a new way to appreciate it. That is what frequently drives me to get my hands -a- working. 

Example: Rollers turned Cuff

Retro curlers - vintage pieces that have a design standing on their very own. The holes in the metal punch with the wire & red rubber closures...very interesting. Inspiring really.

$24.99 on etsy

gotta have the earring option!

$19.99 on etsy

These earrings have already been on the move. This is the last pair I have available until I locate more rollers.



Check out my etsy store - we are getting ready to leave for our outreach trip to the Kibera Slum, Nairobi - Kenya and then off to Arusha, Tanzania for the month of August. All of the sales on my etsy store go towards our outreach trips.

Thanks for stopping by!

New TRIBAL CHIC Line w/ Paper Beads from AFRICA

These earrings were inspired by my LOVE for AFRICA. I picked many of the beads up on one of the outreach trips our family went on to Tanzania & Kenya. Some of the others were purchased through Fair-Trade from women in Kenya. 

Many times when we are working with the Maasai we watch the women sitting around in groups doing their beadwork. I imagine the same with these beads - women sitting around conversing about their lives with treasured friends while their hands are busy working away on these colorful recycled magazine beads.

I have worked hard to keep a primitive, tribal look to each pair of these staying true to the origins of the beads.

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

$24.99

De-cluttering for 2012 = Timeless

Now this isn't something that I handcrafted. It is a watch that I purchased years ago. It never fit me quite right though, so it sat in my jewelry box...abandoned & lonely. Being the ebay seller I am and re-evaluating EVERYTHING we have in our home, I decided this little treasure needed a place to feel loved & cherished. So to ebay it went.

I had checked into completed listings to see about what they were going for, and I was a bit disappointed but thought..."Hey - I am not wearing it anyway, something is better than nothing." So I listed it as an auction item. Little did I know there would be a bidding war starting on it two days prior to the end of the auction. This raises the sales price obviously. It was so fun to watch. My dear hub and I had a fun time watching it go up and up. At the end it sold for 2-1/2 times what I had started it at. Zippity-doo-dah!

Why do I post this you may all ask? Well - cleaning house, de-cluttering, and organizing for the New Year may just help you be more prosperous as well. With ebay, etsy, and Craigslist you have a lot of options to sell your unused items...and come out ahead yourself. 

I can make a couple of suggestions to help you decide where is the best fit to sell your goods based on my experience: 

• Etsy is the place to sell vintage wares (decor, kitchen, jewelry and apparel mainly) & all things handcrafted. It is a fun, artistic, creative group that admires all things beautiful. Vintage really moves here.  Everything is a fixed sales price (no auction option) so if you don't know the value you may want to try ebay first. 
• Craigslist is great for LARGE items that are heavy for shipping - or things that you know will go better locally. 
• Ebay is for everything else... items too recent to be considered vintage or don't have an etsy category. Ebay is also great for some vintage & antique, designer clothing, bags, brand name housewares, and man stuff. Yeah - I said MAN STUFF. What I mean by that is equipment, manuals, tools, sporting goods, etc. I realize that is generalizing and possibly offensive to some. In my life these fall under the HUBBY category though. Ebay also has auction option or fixed price (buy it now). It costs more to list as an auction item but as you can see with my watch sometimes it is well worth it. The bonus on my watch was I listed this item with a free listing promotion ebay put on for three days. SCORE! 

Well I hope this inspires you to start de-cluttering, re-evaluting and organizing your home. There are so many incentives to start, I hope one of them gets you going!