Boo, weather, boo.

I am not a fan of the heat.  Despite being fortunate enough to live in a climate with very limited humidity, Colorado is still too hot for me right now.  Makes me lazy, sleepy, and uncomfortable.  I desperately need to buy an AC unit for my studio... I sweat just sitting in there!  Does not make for a productive day, I'll tell you that.  But enough of my whining!

I'm going to blame the heat on my late post featuring the talented Ardent Reverie.  Just go with it.

I absolutely love this Message in a Bottle necklace!  Such a sweet, memorable, personal gift!  Perfect to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, as bridesmaids gifts... so many great uses!  Delicate and feminine... so perfect.

Other than obvious style and flair this cute crocheted beanie has, and the hundreds of occasions it would be perfect to wear to, it is such a steal: $8!!!  I'm still in shock.  And quite possibly must have it.  Obviously, Ardent Reverie has quite a selection of accessories:  crocheted hats, feathered hair clips (check out the pic below), necklaces, scarves, and paintings! 

This Faitytale Romance feather clip is so fancy and festive... those feathers are such a gorgeous range of greens and blues!  And I know I listed paintings earlier.  These are not what you'd expect...

This painting is fabulous, no?  "Lurie" is stunning.  But what if she glowed in the dark, too?

Seriously cool.  Ardent Reverie is the collaboration of two crazy sisters (their words, not mine!) living in San Diego, and is a great collection of fun accessories for you and your home.  I'll leave you with a great summer accessory:  the Not So Scarf!

 
I love the tassel, the braid... such a perfect, classy summer scarf.  Want more Ardent Reverie?  Need more?  Then check them out on their blog!!

So little time... to shop!

I can't believe we're half way through June already.  This is bound to be my busiest month this year (hopefully... I can't handle much more!), so naturally I also have a very determined cold... that I got at my last show.  So I'm a little behind with blogging and whatnot.  I know I promised cookies and pictures... maybe next month.  I am literally booked until then.  So to keep your mind off the delicious recipes I keep promising and not sharing, I'll give you a little eye-candy instead:

CK Silver!  (This shop name really makes me want to yell, "Hi ho Silver, away!"  I'm such a nerd.)  Anyway, CK Silver is an amazing jewelry shop on Etsy, and is a serious distraction to my busy schedule :)  Featuring collaborative jewelry from the mother-daughter team of Marilyn and Cindy, CK Silver specializes in sterling silver, pearls, semi-precious stones, and Swarovski crystals.  Inspired by the beauty of nature, CK Silver sells earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and has a great "Jewelry of the Month Club" -- now THAT'S something I'd love to get in the mail!

Enough talk!  Gaze...

I love these Spring Bouquet earrings!  So pretty and carefree, yet so classy with rose quartz and freshwater pearls.  If you've read any of my posts about jewelry, you'll know I have a thing for pearls...  like this gorgeous freshwater pearl bracelet:

Did I mention the jewelry arrives in a beautiful gift box?  So you can treat yourself, or your friend, or your mom, or me...

So this is seriously the best idea ever.  This alone makes CK Silver a fabulous shop:  the Pearl Jewelry of the Month Club!!!  Yes, I'm excited.

This is just so great.  They also have a Gemstone Jewelry of the Month Club!  So what's so great about the Jewelry of the Month Club, you ask?  I'll tell you what!  You get to pick the earrings you want!  See the little numbers in the picture above?  You pick your favorite three sets, and once a month, they send you one!  How fun is that?  These Washington ladies have a great thing going here! 

I will leave you with some earrings that remind me perfectly of summer:  refreshing cool ocean blue icicles... enjoy your weekend (and don't forget to check out CK Silver's blog)!

Some people!

Some people have almost no talent (it's sad, but true).  Some people have a little bit of talent (the average Joe).  And then there's Viola of Crochetize.  This lady has so much talent and vision (and patience!  Look at those tiny designs!) that she stands alone.  Viola makes stunning crocheted gloves wearable art:

Gorgeous!  Her gloves, like these black fishnets, make me wish I lived in Victorian times... or a Steampunk future!  

Hello Alice in Wonderland!  I just love these fingerless cobalt blue gloves, especially with the little bow!  And how sweet and romantic are these gloves with the heart cut-out? 

So pretty and delicate!  Viola of Crochetize says she is "hypnotized" by knitting, and I'd say her pieces have the same effect!  Based out of Lithuania, I'm sure she has a lot of romantic influences to be inspired by.  If you'd like to learn a bit more about this talented lady, be sure to find her on her website, her blog, and on Twitter.  And don't forget to order yourself a pair of her beautiful gloves for your next dinner party, romantic date, costume party, or as a gift for a special friend!

Trying not to be a downer :(

So I've realized a lot of my posts start out kinda negative, and I'm going to try to write them with a more positive twist from now on.  Well, not now.  In the future.  My weekend show was a horrible disappointment (my husband is determined to point out the positives, but that's slightly harder for me).  I sold one thing in a 6 hour weekend show.  I didn't even make back the show fee, let alone make any profit.  It was miserable.  The show was poorly attended (and organized) despite being told repeatedly by the organizer that we'd have a great turnout.  I also now have a cold.  So that's nice.  My view is that it was by no means a success.  My husband's view is that I sold something, which is better than nothing, a few people signed the guest book and took business cards so they might be customers in the future, I currently have items on consignment in a local store, any exposure is good, and I have several custom orders to do.  I guess it's just disappointing and frustrating to put a lot of time and effort (and money) into being in a show, and have such a small return.  I have another show at the end of June, and I kind of feel like it will be the same story.  Both of these shows are brand new (not nice annual and anticipated events), so I'm trying not to worry that the second show will be a waste also.  Getting exposure is good, but it needs to translate into sales, because right now the show fees are coming out of my pocket at the expense of other things.  How do you stay positive when things don't seem to be going your way?

On the positive note I was promising, I have two delicious cookie recipes to share with you soon.  One for the Crunchy Sesame Cookies I made awhile back (bad photo to be included), and the best sugar cookie recipe I've had to date.   

Wait, the weekend's over?!

I am told it is.  Which is sad because I got less done during this past three-day weekend than in a normal two-day.  Boo.  The laziness has also crept into the week, and this is not a week to slack!  I have a show on Saturday, the parents are coming to visit tomorrow, I need to go to the Post Office, and there are still several more bags I need to make by the weekend!  Gah.

So instead of all that, I'm going to do something fun, and that is share Nevita and Boutiqueaholic with you.  This shop should be your go-to for summer clothes!  Nevita's current style reflects the glamour of "Sex and the City 2," so if you love classy beach tunics and matching summer scarves, stop on by!

 

I love this one!  It's a set of three: you get a great little belt, chiffon scarf, and tunic in pretty pink and brown.  Another favorite summer piece:

How pretty is this fabric?  So lightweight and perfect for the beach, BBQ's, lounging by the pool.  These tunics are also size-adjustable; tighten or loosen the belt as needed.  That is so great!  Especially when we're all going to summer parties and probably not watching what we're eating... guilty over here.  Her scarves are great, too.  Long enough to wrap once, twice, three times, use it as a belt, a headband, so many options and so many colors!  This scarf is such a beautiful turquoise color!

And how stunning is this fiber and beads necklace?  I love the tassel!  And I love the color: volcano red!  Love!  Nevita's one busy, crafty, and talented lady!  So go check out her shop, Boutiqueaholic, and then find her on Twitter, Flickr, and don't forget to check out her fun blog!  Lots of European trends to catch up on (and she also does photography!)!  I'll leave you with my favorite item in her shop: