Showing posts with label New Year Resolutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Year Resolutions. Show all posts

Monday, January 17, 2011

Etsy Monday! Resolution Edition, Issue #15: Stay In Touch

Welcome to yet another Etsy Monday! Issue for our New Years Resolutions!

Sometimes I find myself so busy with projects that I forget I have friends!  Ideas can pile and pile up and I find myself so immersed in work that a good few months could go by without a phone call.  It's something that I'd like to improve on this year; spending more time with friends and family that seem to go by the wayside of the fruits of my labour.  I have extended family in Western Canada (Alberta and British Columbia) who like to send handwritten letters and small gifts; receiving these packages always brighten my day.  There's no feeling in the world that's better than receiving handwritten correspondence; an artform slowly dwindling away.

For this issue, I'd like to feature a few sellers that can help you stay in touch with the people you love!

LaPapierre.etsy.com
This lovely shop originating from Quebec, Canada is on a mission to keep "snail mail" alive!  Julie enjoys writing letters (as quite prominently stated in her Etsy profile) and provides the world with beautiful stationary in her Etsy shop, La Papierre, to make it a better place "one letter at a time."  And a little surprise for yourself when you open your La Papierre purchase - a matching bookmark and postcard!  Visit Julie's shop for more surprises!


The Ballerina Letter Set

Monday, January 10, 2011

Etsy Monday! Resolution Edition, Issue #14: Get Organized!

Here we continue stoutly with our resolutions!  Here, we shall continue to support each other and ourselves in these endeavours, and with sound will and strong heart, we better ourselves for a new year of challenges, adventures and victories!

First thing's first - let's clean up!

I am in a constant state of reorganization, as most of you must be, as well.  My stepmum has turned me on to 'alternative repurposed storage'.  In our house growing up, she was using vintage suitcases turned sideways as sidetables to armchairs, doubling as storage for Christmas paraphernalia.  A wire dress form, nicknamed 'Gertrude' and dressed for the changing seasons, served as a reading lamp beside the couch.  A vintage bureau was also rescued from a recycle centre, completely refinished and turned into a hutch for her gardening tools.  The list goes on and on with what repurposed treasures were around the house, and you'll certainly see that inspiration around my apartment.  (You'll see some pictures soon of some of my own 'alternate repurposed storage!')  Not only does everything have its place, but there's a quirkiness to the place it's in.

I like to work in an eclectic, but 'reachable' space.  I have mementos from friends, photographs and art, and a few collections of random things; Happy Meal toys, Buddha statues, souvenier pens and pencils, buttons and pins (I blame my father - he had a rather large collection growing up), action figures, postcards, coins ... and I'm probably forgetting something.  I have a goal in mind, which consists of a large armoire with a few wall shelves, but I'm still looking.  Here are a few Etsy shops that can help you stay organized and display your possessions like works of art.

bluebirdheaven.etsy.com
Jessica started bluebirdheaven after finding a few antique printer drawers and falling in love with their "rustic look and spatial composition."  With her passion to release her ideas into the world, to "create, reuse, renovate, and reconstruct" - and to deal with that tangled mess of jewelry - she has created these wall-hanging organizers that serve as a frames for your jewelry pieces.  Best of all - it's an easy way to coordinate your jewelry with your outfit!  Jessica is a sustainable architectural designer by profession, which has helped in her training to integrate nature, beauty and function in all her creations.  These printer drawer displays are a near-perfect example of that integration.  I love these displays, and this is right up my alley when it comes to 'repurposed materials!'  I would love one of these for my own workspace!

Dark Stain Printer Drawer Jewelry Holder

Monday, January 3, 2011

Etsy Monday! Resolution Edition, Issue #13: Be Good To Yourself

Happy New Year to all of you DIY lovers, crafty people and artsy-fartsies!

As much as people may deny it, everyone has their own personal list of 'New Year's Resolutions'.  It may be the same promises you keep to yourself every year to better yourself in some way, to go on a new adventure, to try a new hairstyle, to pick up a new hobby, or to drop a bad habit.  For January's Etsy Monday! issues, I'd like to try to help you with whatever 'resolutions' you have for yourself!

My resolutions every year fall in the generic categories a lot of the time; I find that specific resolutions always seem to disappoint me.  The whole thought process of making resolutions for me is to reflect on the year that has passed, and see what I've learned from an entire year of new experiences, people I've met and accomplishments I've made.  There is one resolution, however, that I do make every year for myself - and it's to be good to myself, to remember that I have friends and family who love me as much as I love them.  I do think that people tend to forget to take care of themselves as much as they are generous with other people - I know I can be!  So, may I present a few Etsians who can certainly help you feel good about yourself, so that you can be better in everything you do in 2011!

FusionSweets.etsy.com

The first thing I think of when it comes to treating myself is candy.  Who doesn't?  There's nothing like a sweet, tasty confection to indulge in!  Then, may I suggest feasting your eyes on Fusion Sweets - baked goods, candies and other sweets infused with Eastern and Western influences.  Kay and Angela, a mother-and-daughter team "with a passion for eating, baking and traveling [sic]" experiment with combinations of unique flavours and spices.  Pick up a little treat for yourself and tell a friend about the shop - they'll treat you to a "referral discount!"  And if you're in the Michigan area, they offer free pickup - that might be dangerous for your sweet tooth!

Taro Butter Caramels

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