Just.... Wow.... Trifonic - Parks on Fire Official Video

I had to post this video because it's just amazing, both visually and sound-wise.

Me lately

Hey guys! I just wanted to share a few things with you. As I write we are having an awesome thundering, windy night-time storm here in the desert. Thank you monsoon season! Anyways, there have been so many positive things that have been going on in my life lately that I have been doing a perma happy dance. Some rather crappy things have happened too, but the positive MUCH outweighs the bad! I'll update you later but I mainly wanted to just vent my happiness for now and tell you that I will soon be doing an introduction post. I realized that I never really officially introduced myself and said what I'm all about. So that will be coming soon. Until then, here's the music that has me moving. :)

Loving this. The Knife - Live - Marble House

Here I go!!

So, I'm a big procrastinator. *rewrite* I USED to be a big procrastinator. I'll explain.
For a while now, I've been wanting to go bigger with my shop. Really find my niche and market to them accordingly. I've been wanting to do other kinds of networking, such as tweeting again, which I did a while back and it just didn't stick. I want to start it again now to get myself out there. And I don't mean, get my shop out there. I want to meet new people, I want to let them know who I am and make new friends. I want to advertise in new places, maybe try paid advertising. In order to have an effective paid advertisement, I'll need to find websites that jive with my style (research). I want to have a more engaging blog.
Basically, to sum it all up, I want to let go. I want to put myself out there. I want to put myself out there and not be afraid that I'll be rejected. I want to let everyone know who I am and what I stand for. I want to have a positive difference in people's lives.
The reason I've been keeping myself from doing all this? Fear. I was afraid that people wouldn't take me seriously. I was afraid that people would think I'm ridiculous. I was laying low, not showing too much of myself because I wanted to please everyone. I didn't want there to be a person out there that thought anything less than neutral about me.
Part of this change in attitude was brought about because I hit a goal in my shop. I wanted to write an ad for craigslist, and pay for ads, talk to big blogs about featuring my shop. But I figured if I had less than three pages in my shop it wouldn't be worth it and they wouldn't take me seriously. Well, today my shop hit three pages. The third only has one thing on it, but it's three pages darnit!!

So, I finally hit that, but aside from that, I've been reading some really great articles. Some about my Etsy shop and some on personal development. It's interesting because the ones on personal development are unquestioningly affecting the way I handle my shop too. Anyways, as you may have guessed, one of the articles I read today was about fear, and how it can hold you back and keep you from trying new things and living the way you want to. It was on StevePavlina.com. The article was called The Courage to Live Consciously.
I just recently found his site (through the Etsy forums no less) and it has a wealth of inspirational and educational articles. The article I found in the forums was titled How to Build a High-Traffic Web Site (or blog). That one is WELL worth the read. It's not just good for getting traffic, but for being a real person too.
A good forum thread I read that helped kick my butt and make me want to get out there was Etsy Opens Doors, but....
So there it is. I've decided I'm not going to sit idle (sp?) anymore. I'm not going to let fear keep me from getting out there. I'm giving myself the permission to go out there, take some risks, meet new people, challenge myself and have fun. Now who's coming with me!!??

Death Is The Road To Awe

I watch this every so often and I think I'm due for watching it again. It's tied with Interview with the Vampire for my favorite movie. Also, I LOVE this song. So here it is for you guys to listen to. (there is silence for the first 25 seconds, so don't try to turn up your volume)

"This is more than a film. It is an experience and a philosophy. It has a soul. It has a heart and at its centre is love both transient and eternal." -said by youtuber ebutyou272




Here's the link to it too.

Back at it

Handmade Nevada turquoise and gunmetal leaf earrings

It has been a looooong week and a half without my computer. I was having Etsy withdrawals! So it was the hard drive that went out, well, both of them actually, well one went out a few months ago and we've just been going on one. But, back to normal now. I made new items and took some pics in my absence. We've had the computer hooked up for just under two hours now and I've already edited pics and posted two listings, that's what the pics in this post are of.

So, like I said in my previous post, I've been reading all your guys' posts but just not commenting much since it was a pain on my phone. Now I'll be back at it full force! And I'm so excited to be since I made two sales right before the comp crashed!

*sigh* back to normal, or at least as normal as before :-P

Handmade brass and teal wood bead necklace

Get well soon, sweet computer

My poor comp is dead. :( At least for now. Zeb thinks it's the hard drive, which is what the guy said too when we brought it in to the shop. It's supposed to take three to five days to fix. Three to five days!? It's only been two days and I'm already going stir-crazy. Mostly because I've been adding more items to my shop and made two sales last week! Which was awesome! But then a day later my comp crashed. I was all excited and even more motivated after the sales, but now I can't list anything. :( I guess I'll just use my time to make more stuff and take more pics. So there it is.
I'm still reading all your guys' posts, I'm just not replying as often because it's a pain on my phone. So, at least I should have a bunch of new items and pictures by the time I get my poor computer back.
Here's to looking on the bright side!

Seductive Vampire Makeup Tutorial

I need to try this sometime. :)



And I realize my blogger is set up so part of the video is cut off, So if you want to see the full size click here.

Universe on your finger, Etsy finds

Hey guys. So I listed this ring today and just had to show it to you. It's made from a vintage cabochon. The cabochon is mesmerizing. It looks as if it's made of glass and inside it contains the universe. I really love it and am going to make myelf one.

Now, I love things that have to do with space, so I did a search. Here's some stellar finds from other Etsians.


Here is a flask from COGnitivecreations that features the Ursa Major constellation.

Constellation map pendant from InmostLight

Vintage Illustrated Children's Book from WillowGlenDrive

Starry Night Wall Graphics from Michellechristina

In the fields of stars fine art photograph from InmostLight

Starry Night Ring from Missyindustry

Stargazer reusable sandwich pouch from Cottontopquilts

The Starry Night Vinyl Skin Decal for iphone from CoolDecal

Starry Nights Night Light Electrical Lamp from Glyntpottery

Celestial Constellation Tshirt from Nonfictiontees

Hope you all enjoyed my starry finds! Which ones do you like best?

Nothing says it's Summer like...

a hotdog (turkeydog actually), macaroni salad and a cold glass of sweet tea! Yum! I know that it's technically not Summer yet, but when it's 100 degrees outside, it sure feels like it's Summer!

Such Great Heights-The Section Quartet

If you like "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service you have to give this version a listen.

Wordless Wednesday- polarized

Back in apt, and henna update

So after it rained in my apartment, Zeb and I went to stay with my parents for a week. Now, I love my parents, but being back home with them made me realize just how much I love having my own space, my own kitchen, my own BED!! On one of the last nights there we had some yummy margaritas and lounged around outside under the almost full moon.

In the next pic you can see how my henna was doing. That was 12 days in and it had faded to a nice mellow orange. It seems like the lighter it got, the quicker it faded because it only lasted about 4 more days after this pic. I washed a ton of dishes after we got back to the apartment and did some good scrubbing and cleaning and it took the henna right off. Barely any was left after that.

But now we are home. The carpet still has to be cleaned so we can't move all of our stuff back into the bedroom yet, but it's still good to be home! I have taken my shop off of vacation mode and am going to be adding some more items soon.

It's raining in my apartment

So Zeb and I were gone for two and a half hours today. We came home to water dripping from our ceiling. It was streaming in through the fan in the ceiling in the bathroom, down the walls, and through the ceiling. It was coming in through the bathroom, the bedroom and it started to puddle under the ceiling paint in the livingroom but it never came through, thank goodness. Luckily, we weren't gone for long so none of our belongings were damaged as we were able to move things, or tarp them and put bowls around. As you can see in the picture the water is coming down as a nasty yellowy orange.
Apparently, the person on the third floor (we are on the bottom floor) left for work with their water running. Oh, and they had a candle lit too. The water soaked through the second floor apartment (who wasn't home) and then down into our apartment. I guess the person above us didn't have renter's insurance which is unfortuante because the water damaged their bed and computer and I'm sure other things.
So here's another part of the story. Earlier in the day the water to the building was turned off for about a half hour. I'm guessing for some kind of mainenance. So what I'm guessing happened, is that the person was in the shower when the water was shut off. What I assume happened is that they didn't actually turn the faucet off. Then they finished getting ready and left for work. When the water came on, their shower faucet must have still been on. That's my theory.
We don't have renter's insurance, which is fine this time since nothing of ours was damaged, but tomorrow our insurance agent is getting a call now that I know how irresponsible our upstairs neighbor is. :)

Henna, day one

So here's day one of the henna, well, after it was washed off that is. I mixed it with lemon juice and added some sugar and lavender oil. I let it sit over night and then some, so it was on for just under 12 hours. The pic was taken about 10 hours after I removed the paste. It's a nice dark rust orange/brown color and from what I've read it will darken over the next day. If I see a difference I'll take more pics and post them.
So I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Drawing is definitely not one of my strong points but all of the instructional videos I watched broke the steps down so the designs seemed managable. I think it turned out pretty decent. My leaves are a little wonky and there's other areas I could have done better, but it still makes me smile every time I look at it.
I will mention though that my skin feels a little dry. I'm assuming that it's from the lemon juice that I mixed in with the henna. Not to mention, after it dried a bit I put on a sugar and lemon juice mixture to protect it. But it's not bothersome, just something I thought I would note.
So I think in the next day or so I'll do one on my foot. I really enjoyed the actual process of "drawing" the henna on. It was slow and fluid, rather meditative. I could see myself coming home from a stressfull day, getting out my henna and drawing away. :)

Henna tattoo

So I watched some youtube videos about henna. They were by user Free Hand Mehndi. She has some really great videos where she does designs but she also has some awesome informational videos too that show you all you need to know to do your own henna tattoo. So I got inspired and decided I would try my hand at it, literally. lol. So, as it turns out, she has an Etsy shop, freehandmehndi, where she sells a complete starter kit for only $12. Good deal! So I got the kit, followed all the steps in her videos and now the henna is drying on my hand. I'm going to let it sit overnight and then I'll take it off tomorrow. I'll post an update pic tomorrow so you guys can see how it turned out. :)

A nice dose of somber gloom

So I stumbled across the video of this musician yesterday. Her name is Zoe Keating and she plays the cello. She creates beautiful masterpieces by recording herself playing and layering the recordings together. Amazing! Also, I thought the mood of the music went perfect with my new gothic cross necklace. Here's both.

Naturalistic Pantheism

So I'm not one that likes to debate religious beliefs. They are a personal choice and as such are not up for debate. What feels right to someone may not feel right to another. But the beauty of this is that there are as many different paths as there are people, and we are free to choose our own. With that being said, I am playing this video, not because I think it is "The Truth" or "The Correct Belief" but because I think it is beautiful and it stirred something in me.



Also, I realize that this is off-center and I can't get it to show right, so click here to watch it on youtube.

Spammy convo! Or is it?

So was in the Etsy forums and saw a post about someone who is being spammy and sending around convos saying "sorry you aren't included in my treasury but would you take the time to look at it anyway?". So a bunch of us etsians reply saying how low, annoying and disgusting that is. A few mins later I get a convo titled "You aren't in my treasury" and inside was a link to the treasury. I get a little mad and think, maybe I should go to the treasury and post a comment saying how I don't appreciate their spam. So I click the link and as I'm scrolling down to the comments, not even bothering to check out the treasury, my fingers are stopped in their scrolling tracks. My earrings? What?
Prankster! 42things took the first few people who posted in that forum thread and made a treasury with them. It was a good laugh, thought I'd share it.
Here's the treasury I'm NOT in. :-D

Interesting mythological info -Scarab

Hey guys! So I have always thought that scarabs were interesting and love jewelry that uses scarabs, but I've never known the history behind them. While writing up the listing for my scarab necklace, I thought it would be interesting to find out what it represents. Here's what I found.

In egyptian mythology the scarab was an important symbol of creation, transformation, renewal, coming into being and everlasting life. This was because of its association with Kephri, the god of the rising sun. It was believed that each morning Kephri would push the morning sun out of the darkness, into our world, and across the sky. The dung beetle, or scarab, was tied to this because of the way they prepared for their young. The dung beetles would lay their eggs into a ball of dung that they would roll across the ground for a while until they finally buried it in the ground. Once the larva hatched and matured into beetles, they would "spontaneously" emerge out of the ground.
The pushing of the ball of dung across the ground and the "spontaneous" emergence of the babies was tied into Kephri pulling the sun out of darkness and then pushing it across the sky. For this reason, scarab beetles are often depicted as pushing the sun, or an orb.
Scarabs were also used during egyptian funeral rights. Prior to burial, a scarab amulet would be placed over the heart of the deceased. This was referred to as a "heart scarab" and the purpose of this was to ensure the rebirth of the deceased in the afterlife.

Just a little tidbit for you guys. I thought it was interesting so I figured some of you would too. :)

Two links for free Moo!!

Hey guys! Just thought I'd link this forum post. In it, Pixiebell gives two links that you can go to so you can get TWO sets of free Moo cards. You just have to pay shipping. ($5.50 for one and $6 for the other) I just ordered mine. Today is the last day. Hurry! :)

Treasury by CampbellJane

My new cross earrings have been featured in a fabulous "Gypsy Goods" treasury by curated by CampbellJane. I love anything gypsy so I was very honored to be in this particular treasury. Upon going to CampbellJane's shop, I was greeted with a rather interesting style of artwork. It is, in her words, "folk art with a colorful contemporary touch." And that it is! Here are my two favorite paintings from her shop.

The first "Colorful Christ" (print) is one of my faves because if you look in his eyes you can almost see his pain, but at the same time, his expression looks rather serene. I love the juxtapostion there.

I enjoy the second one "Love Grows" (also a print) because I am a true romantic when it comes to humanity and how I think the world should be.

You can click on the pictures to be taken to her listings and you can do the same for the treasury, as long as it's still active. :)

Thanks again CampbellJane for featuring my earrings!

The new shop is under way!

So I've made some changes in my shop. I made a new banner, a new avatar and uploaded my first item that goes in the new direction. Above is a pic of my avatar and first item. I've gone through my shop and tweaked my old titles, shop title, descriptions and shop announcement so they are more SEO friendly... I think.... and changed my prices so that I will be able to do wholesale in the future. I've been reading up in the forums a lot and have found some awesome tips. Sometime later on I'll post links to the threads that were really helpful to me. So how is it going with you guys? Have you tweaked your shop to be more SEO friendly?

I'm baaaacccckk!!

Hey guys!! *kisses* Sorry it's been, what, four months since I've posted. Everything is fine. I just got kind of down about my shop, and then I moved so I had to put it on vacation mode, and just kind of left it there for a while. In my absence I've done a lot of soul-searching and I think I know who I am a bit better now. I feel like a new person and am ready for a new adventure!

I'm looking to take my shop in a new direction. I'm wanting it to have a vintagey-old-attic-filled-with-relics kind of feel. I've gone through my shop and taken out all the items that won't fit the new shop mold. The pic above (sorry it's crappy, I took it with my phone) is of some vintage sheet music, manuals and books for props and a vintage inspired blouse to go on the mannequin I bought for taking pics. (The herbs aren't for props... well... heck, I guess that would go with the theme though...)

I've made some new jewelry pieces out of antiqued brass and silver. Now I need to re-take pics of the pieces that are already in my shop and then take pics of the new items. I have, I think I counted 21 pieces to add. I'm also going to make a banner that is more cohesive with the feel. I'm so excited guys!!

So how have you all been? I hope all is well. Please update me on anything new with you guys that I may have missed in my absence. Once again, I'm sorry it's been so long and I thank all of you that are still following me! You guys are awesome! *muah*

Oh, and here's a chill song I'm listening to. Just thought I'd share, maybe some of you will like it. :)