On buying handmade and new items in my shop

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Greetings!

Do you believe in buying handmade? I do. I was on etsy today and came across etsy's featured seller, Cathy McMurray and I was struck by her quote:

"Choosing handmade is choosing a slower way of life, one rooted in tradition and creative expression."

And I thought to myself, yes. This is true and this way of life is important to me. There is a huge movement to buy handmade. When you buy handmade you are getting something that was made with thoughtfulness, creativity, and heart. You are giving less money to the middle man and more to the person who actually put the time into making the creation. It is a good thing. Not to mention, you are getting something unique that you can't just go out to Target (no offense, I love going to Target) and get.

When you give your hard earned money to someone with a small business, you are helping them to fuel their passion! How neat is that? You get something fun and creative, and in turn you help someone to stay inspired and to keep creating beautiful things.

These are my thoughts on handmade :)

Also new in the shop are some decorative paper banners. I recently made this one for a friend's sister's baby shower.

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I think it turned out really nice and I think it will add that extra something special to the party. Her sister can also use it to decorate her baby's room with it when they are done using it at the party. If you are interested in having a banner made for your next celebration, whether it's a birthday, shower, or just something beautiful to have hanging up on your walls ( everyday can be a celebration in your home)! Please let me know. I would love to work with you!

Hope your Wednesday is full of creativity and enjoyment!

Kelly

Thursday Things: Pastels

I am so happy to bring back "Thursday Things" to my blog. It is a compilation of "things" I have noticed on the internet throughout the week that I would like to share with you! Enjoy!

Milk glass is one of my secret obsessions. I wish I had a whole collection of vases and creamy mugs to drink from. These are some I found on Etsy that I am pining for.

1. JaditeKate

2. MissMossy

3.Retropop

4. BarkingSandsVintage

Next up is Creative Thursday's adorable prints. I plan to purchase some when I have a little girl someday. Whenever I lack inspiration I always visit her blog. I think she has magical powers or something! You can visit her blog here

Next is this awesome painted silverware. And for the life of me I can't find the link for the blog that I first saw this on! You know how you are reading a blog you like and then you see another blog in the sidebar that catches your eye so you click on it? That's what I did and I saved this picture but I forgot to save the link. So I apologize. I like these retro colors though. They are really snazzy!

This is it for Thursday things. Have a great day and remember that tomorrow is Friday and that is exciting in and of itself!

bonus room

Here is my completed bonus room. The walls were white to begin with and there were no other accessories except for the rug. I went to TJ Max yesterday and found two pretty silver lamps marked down to $30.00 each and I also purchased the four pillows which were 20 dollars a set. It is amazing how a little color can transform an otherwise dull space. I already had the vase and the cherry blossom branches from Pier One, but they used to be sitting in a closet collecting dust. The painting is one I purchased a few years ago and had not found a good spot for it until now. I am very happy with how it turned out. The other side of the room has a weight bench and an office desk. It is kind of a multi-functional room. I would show you the other side but it is still a mess! Oh and the color is by Behr paint and is called Studio Taupe.

a handmade gift and living space updates

Lucky me!

I may be biased, but I think I might have the best in-laws on the planet. My mother in law made me this adorable felted purse. She has always been into sewing and this year she learned how to knit and felt things. She also sewed two other adorable little purses for me. Just out of the blue for no reason. I feel so loved :)

I also wanted to share an updated picture of my crazy art room (it is never this clean by the way). I bought this rug from target because it is so bright and fun. It makes coming into this space feel like home to me. I sometimes worry if my love for patterns can get out of control in some parts of my house, but I figure an art room should be a reflection of what I love and be inspiring. Isn't it fun? 

Lastly, here is a photo of my living room. I told you I like pattern. I had been eyeing the green pillow from Pier one for a couple months. It finally went on sale to 25% off. Patience pays folks. Abner was kind enough to pose by the fire place. He loves being the center of attention. 

My Workspace

I wish I had a before picture for you. The color of the room used to be a darker mossy/avacodo-y color. I never wanted to be in the room because it was too dark! Now it is bright and clean and better organized. The color of the wall is actually a brighter turquoise. For some reason my camera didn't capture the right color. I'm sure you can imagine it in you head :)

I am taking a trip to colorado so I won't be posting for a little while.  I hope the rest of your week is filled with fun and spring magic :) 

Paint on the Walls

Hi Friends.

I caught the painting bug today and I am really excited to share my pictures with you. I have lived in my house for three years and still hadn't painted my bedroom! I have always been a little weary of painting due to the high ceiling, but I decided enough is enough. No wall can stop me now!

Here is a little before and after:

Before.....boring walls

I was so excited when i finally saw the color on the wall! In this picture you can see that a ladder was necessary. It turns out that my ladder wasn't tall enough so I had to call my friend Erin and have her bring her giant ladder over. I am glad she came because she convinced me to continue painting the wall to the left, which you will see in the next picture. 

Thank god for that ladder! Here are the final results: 

I am so happy I painted. Now I actually want to hang out in my room. As you can see my style is pretty girly and fun. I love color and tend to shy away from the minimal look. I plan on painting my bathroom which is attached to my bedroom next and then the office/artroom. 

Hope you all have a lovely Monday evening. I'm off to watch Dancing with the Stars and John and Kate Plus 8. 

Peace out.

If I Had the Big Money

I would buy pretty much every clothing item at Anthropologie.....

And maybe some pretty accessories from Pier One like this Pillow

And....possibly this chair from Target