Just a swingin'

Courtesy of Coastal Living, photo: Colleen Duffley

I'm having this!!!

Well, not this exact one, but a similar one. I've always wanted a patio swing bed and now I've got my chance. When my daughter was younger and used to have tons of sleepovers, I bought a beautiful, high-end futon for our family room so she and her friends could stay up late, watch tv and not be cramped into her bedroom. Now that she's older and sleepovers are more private (and rare) occasions, I've decided to appropriate the futon for my own use.

You may not know this, but I love to build things. I've built several pieces of furniture from scratch, converted others for better use and functionality and also created some more utilitarian items for my work area. So this is right up my creative alley!

I've drawn out my plans and this promises to be a pretty simple conversion, requiring only some extra supports, heavy-duty hardware, good quality rope and ingenuity. I think it'll make a perfect addition to the patio!

I'll share photos as soon as it's done.

Beads, anyone?

~Eternity Wave~

Lots of new beads in my Etsy shop right now. With just 6 days of school left, I'm trying to stock up before the little darlings are released.

~Pink Gold~

~Tangerine Dream~

~Antiquity~

~Lagoon Spacers~

Thanks for looking!

Scenes from yesterday

As always, we spent most of our Memorial holiday at the beach. This year, instead of showing all the photos I took, I thought I'd share some of Anna's. She snapped all of these with her little $30 Kodak point-and-click.

She hates having her own picture taken, but I did manage to capture one of her off-guard.

Never too grown up for ice cream!

Treasuries really work!

Very reasonably prices, free shipping and so many beautiful and fun fabrics it was hard to choose!

Today I was in a treasury that included this adorable little item from Bitsnpiecesetc. I hardly ever buy anything for myself, but I fell in love with it and ordered two - one for me and one for Connor's teacher. I thought it would make a perfect little end-of-the-year gift for her, with a gift card tucked in the pocket. (although, seriously, what better gift could she possibly get than the fact that it is the end of the year?)

I love Etsy treasuries. I used to make them all the time. I loved the challenge of coming up with a theme and a fabulous name to match, of finding just those few perfect items among thousands, the fun of sending out sweet little notes to all the sellers included. It was quite a creative outlet.

Yes, I do realize that my entire life is a creative outlet, but this was an outlet from my outlet.

Anyway, I don't have the time to spend on treasuries anymore, but I still love being included in them. Not for marketing purposes or to try and make sales, but because it gives me an opportunity to be exposed to different artists and crafts people's creations. Creations that I probably wouldn't otherwise find on my own as I stumble around, clueless about searching tags, what's hot, what's trending, etc....

Dinner out

I had a chance to get out and meet a new friend last night. When I heard jewelry designer Lorelei Eurto was going to be in town, I couldn't resist a chance to get together.

We'd exchanged beads and jewelry a few weeks ago and I became an instant fan of her work, so it was a happy coincidence that she was going to be working in Orlando for a few days. My friend and fellow Etsyian(er?), Kelly came along, too, because she covets my Lorelei bracelet and loves to meet new people (plus, it's always a bonus to escape the 'burbs in the middle of the week).

Kelly makes unique paper crafts, scrapbook kits and adorable vintage assemblages. You can find more like this in her Etsy shop, Gongy and Squish

Trying to get two kids out the door to different sports and make my way across town in rush hour traffic was a little tricky, but Lorelei was an angel. Her B&B was surrounded by restaurants and outdoor cafes. There was a soft, food-scented breeze whispering through the ancient oaks that line the street but, even though she was starving after a long day trapped at the museum, she patiently (only one desperate text!) waited for us. Thanks, Lorelei!

This is one of the funky, eclectic pieces in Lorelei's Etsy shop right now!

Anyway, we had a quick walk down a quaint brick street, ate relatively healthy food and had some good convo. It was a nice break from the daily grind and Kelly and I got tons of good advice and info. Plus, we got to make a new friend in the bargain.