stuff by xtine

Friday Favorites

2010-11-12T20:16:00.002-05:00

Some awesome stuff on my Etsy radar that made it into my Favorites list this week...

Shop my favorites here.

A cat's daily planner.

2010-11-07T19:39:00.001-05:00

This comic made me laugh so hard I wheezed and slapped the couch like a crazy person.

(Via Bug)

Must have this sofa.

2010-11-06T00:30:00.000-04:00

It's gooooorgeous. And pink! And probably costs way more than we can afford. But if I can't have it in my house, at least I can look at it.

Snow White remix

2010-11-05T00:23:00.002-04:00

So. F-ing. Awesome. :)

(Via Best Week Ever)

LEGO Frog Dissection

2010-11-04T16:53:00.000-04:00

This is just gross.

LEGO Frog Dissection » Man Made DIY « Keywords: frog, dissection, awesome, lego

I refused to participate when we did this in biology, and now I remember why. Blech. However, the fact that it's made of Legos makes it pretty freaking sweet.

Blurry bokeh hearts ... for dummies.

2010-10-23T14:26:00.001-04:00

Have you heard of bokeh?

It's like, blurry photos. But not just blurry. Apparently the term "bokeh" refers to the *quality* of the blurriness in the background of the photo.

I don't really get it either. Basically to me it just means that your photos are freaking magical and gorgeous.

A few examples of bokeh:

Search Flickr for "dreamy bokeh" and see what you get. Soooooo pretty!

And here is a kitty yawning. But it is not bokeh.

Yeah man, see those pretty soft backgrounds? I HAVE to learn how to do that.

You can do this too with bokeh:

Whaaaat? I could have SWORN up and down that that was a Photoshop effect. NO! It's just sweet freaking bokeh light.

So I found this tutorial online about how to make your own bokeehhhh shapes photos with your DSLR camera.

Hooray! It looks so easy! Any moron can do that. Uhh, sort of. It took a lot of trial and error, but I finally got it.

Materials:

DSLR camera. It says you need a macro lens, but I don't have one and I was able to do it. It just took me a while to figure out what settings I would need.

Some twinkle lights. You need little pin pricks of light. A regular lamp won't work. It's not small enough. I used a sad mashed Christmas tree that I found in my closet. My cats kept trying to eat it.

A lens hood. See the tutorial for this. You sort of have to guess on how to make it because there aren't directions. But there is a picture, so it's sort of self explanatory. Sort of. Mine did NOT come out as nice as I wanted.

Here is what it's supposed to look like:

And here is mine:

But it works and there were no light leaks so whatever. I'm pleased with it. (Although I will never take it out in public.)

A tripod. Don't even bother if you don't have one. Your pictures will just be a blurry mess without it. I used a cable release too so my fingers didn't even shake the camera.

Ok. Now, if you're like me, that stupid tutorial doesn't make any sense whatsoever, so I will explain it in idiot terms.

Directions:

Put your fancy new hopefully-not-ghettorific lens hood over your lens.
You need to use the fully manual settings on your camera.
Find the number that is like 5.6 or 8.0 or something point something, and make it as small as possible. (This is the aperture. The smaller the number, the bigger the aperture, which makes absolutely no sense at all and they basically did this to make photography as confusing as possible. If you really want to know about aperture, Google it. I don't even know what it does aside from it makes my pictures look sweet when the number is small.)
Find the shutter speed, or the number is is like 1/250 or 1/400 or even 1/4 or just 1". This is how many seconds the shutter will be open. So like 1" is one second. Long time! 1/4 is a quarter of a second. 1/400 is one four hundreth of a second. Again, this is confusing because the numbers that look "bigger" ie. 1/400, is actually a smaller/shorter shutter speed. This is how it works in my head, ok?
Now aim your camera at your twinkle lights.
On your lens, put that on manual focus and twist it all the way to one side. Take a picture. Did you get your shape? Is it upside down? If it's upside down, twist the lens focus thingy all the way in the other direction. Take another picture. Shapes right side up? Sweet! You made bokeh!

Here is my first ever attempt at bokeh. I think it turned out pretty awesome, for my first time, and with a completely electrical-taped up hideous lens hood heart thingy.

If you try this effect, show me your results! I'm dying to see what you turn up with :)

Stuff I Love

2010-09-27T14:42:00.001-04:00

Stuff I love as of this very second in time:

Film cameras
Pugs
Kitty bellies
Shortbread cookies
Neapolitan ice cream
Dreamy photographs
Super fine point gel pens from Japan
Sleeping with the windows open
The color lavender, violet, lilac
Kawaii strawberries
Peonies
Fried brocolli
Birkenstock sandals
Vintage kitschy planters
Bonfire smells (always)
Rearranging furniture
Stud earrings
Flickr
Containers
Fresh limeade
Ludacris
Short haircuts
Open fields
Alphabetical lists
Cold water
Holga
Acrylic paint
Plastic flower cabochons

What do you love today?

My other ride.

2010-09-13T03:07:00.000-04:00

If I don't have this, I will die.

(Via SickForCute.com)

Momocheet's Cupcake Bakery

2010-09-12T12:02:00.000-04:00

I have found what is easily the most adorable time waster on the internet, ever.

Build you own kawaii cute cupcake at Momocheet's Cupcake Bakery!

Here's what I made:

(While you're there, make sure you turn the music off or you will suffer an aneurysm.)

Flickr Backgrounds App

2010-09-11T16:04:00.002-04:00

If you can use apps on your phone, you need to get the Backgrounds App.

It rocks. They have the best backgrounds anywhere and they're all super high quality and they're all FREE.

Plus, there is a Flickr pool for the Backgrounds App where you can submit your own photos to appear on the Backgrounds App so people can use your pictures on their phones!

When you do an app search, you'll recognize the Backgrounds App by their graphic, which looks like this:

So start submitting your awesomest pictures, please (especially mushrooms and/or sparkly stuff). I want to use them on my phone. Thanks.

CIC Team Saturday!

2010-09-11T08:56:00.000-04:00

Green with envy... Some colorful green stuff from the Crafting in Color Team!

Apple Green Shoes by Linda Boucher

lindaboucher

Mushroom Stud Earrings - Cream and Brown Toadstool Earposts

tizzalicious

Small zipper pouch---Turtle March

simbiosisbyjulia

6 Wool Acorn Decorations, The Greens

greenbaboondesigns

I am totally in lust with that painting by lindaboucher of the green shoes. I kept wishing there were more angles because I really wanted to see what the heels looked like :)

The mushrooms earrings by

tizzalicious... well, I don't know if you know this or not, but I love love love mushrooms.

You could always use an extra little pouchie to help organize your purse. I love the one here with the turtles by simbiosisbyjulia.

I want a whole huge basket full of felted acorns by greenbaboondesigns, in every color of the rainbow.

Curly.

2010-09-10T13:56:00.001-04:00

(Via CAT PARTY)

That is all.

Plum Crazy

2010-09-09T21:17:00.000-04:00

So I made a treasury on Etsy today.

Originally I made it to include the sparkly purple soap dish with the amazing photo that I am so proud of that I listed in my shop yesterday (top left corner):

But then I decided to remove it and feature someone else's awesome item and spread the love:

Hope you like! :)

Have you made any glorious fall treasuries yet?

Leave your link in the comments and I will click & comment and tweet about it for you!

My little helper.

2010-09-09T11:00:00.001-04:00

Joe helping me take item photos. She is my sweet baby angel meow-meow.

Do not judge my ghetto fabulous light box. It gets the job done and cost zero dollars.

Also, take a gander at the new soap dish I listed in my shop last night:

How 'bout that photo, eh? It looks totally out of place in my shop because all my other item photos suck, but that's ok. :)

More sparkly soap dishes in my Etsy shop!

Vintage Postcards

2010-09-07T21:14:00.000-04:00

Found these totally amazing (slightly goofy) vintage postcards in an antique shop this weekend.

The package says "Beautiful Cypress Gardens, Florida" (which closed in 2009) and you got 12 postcards for $0.50. On the bottom of the packaging it says "Reproduction From Kodachrome Originals." Kodachrome is a type of color film produced by Kodak between 1935 and 2009 (according to Wikipedia). There is no date anywhere to be found, but based on the quality of the photographs and the bathing suits worn by the "aquamaids," I think it's safe to assume they are from the 1940s or 1950s.

Check out this awesome video from 1956 of the water ski show at Cypress Gardens.

Apparently, Cypress Gardens is slated to re-open as Florida's Legoland in 2011, which I think is very very sad. See this article for more info.

Anyway, some of the postcard photos are credited to "H. W. Hannau." I wasn't able to find much information about this photographer online, although I did come across the name in reference to some other postcard photographs, and more interestingly, photos of the famous pin-up model, Bettie Page.

The postcards in the pack are from 4 different publishers:

Natural Color Publishers in Miami Beach, Florida
Palm Color Card Co. in Miami, Florida
Lakeland News Co. in Lakeland, Florida (which I could find no information about)
Robinson Color Process in Orland, Florida (couldn't find any info about this one either)

Canon Eos Rebel XS

2010-09-05T11:09:00.000-04:00

Got a new camera this weekend - a Canon Eos Rebel XS digital SLR.

It's pretty freaking amazing. I'm up at my in-laws house in Milan, Ohio this weekend for the annual Melon Festival so I've been practicing with my new toy and trying out different effects in Photoshop.

Check out some I've done so far (I'm obsessed with the vintage look):

Keep your eye on my Flickr photostream. I'll be adding more photos as I take them!

I eventually plan to sell prints in my Etsy shop, so watch for those too!

TOP SECRET PROJECT - Text Color ... Your votes needed!

2010-07-28T17:40:00.000-04:00

Ok people, I need your help.

Remember that car picture I posted the other day? I'm making a logo out of it for my top secret project, and it's going to be rainbow (which is freaking sweet) but I need your help deciding what color text to use.

Do you prefer the hot pink, or white, or another color?

Leave a comment with your thoughts! Thanks for your help!!!

TOP SECRET PROJECT

2010-07-23T10:53:00.000-04:00

I've got a super exciting, top secret project in the works!

Here's a sneak preview:

Can you guess what I'm up to? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

List of Artificial Sweeteners

2010-07-07T11:22:00.000-04:00

In an effort to get a handle on my headaches, I am have decided to start avoiding artificial sweeteners at all costs.

The problem is that artificial sweeteners go by lots of names, so reading food labels and lists of ingredients can be kind of confusing.

I put together a list of all the names artificial sweeteners go by, in case you're interested in avoiding them too:

Aspartame
NutraSweet
Equal
Sugar Twin
Acesulfame
Kacesulfame K
Acesulfame potassium
Ace-K
Sunnett
Saccharin
Sweet and Low
Sweet 'N Low
Sweet Twin
Necta Sweet
Sucralose (the name Sucralose is very similar to sucrose [table sugar])
Splenda
Neotame
Stevia

I put this list of artificial sweeteners together from a couple of different sources. If you know of others that I am missing, leave it in the comments!

Etsy Love Treasury With Alphabet Items

2010-07-01T11:11:00.000-04:00

I made a pretty alphabet treasury using the letters E-T-S-Y in honor of my favorite, favorite website. :)

(Click on the image to view the Treasury live on Etsy.)

My Treasury was on the Etsy front page!

2010-06-25T14:19:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I entered a really fun contest on the Claire & Me blog by making an Etsy Treasury.

(For those who don't know, an Etsy Treasury is a handpicked collection of 12-16 items curated by Etsy members based on a color, holiday, type of item, or any other theme. Basically, it's a gift guide or wish list!)

I ended up co-winning the contest, and on top of that, my Treasury was featured on the front page of Etsy.com last week!

Check out the screen shot (courtesy of CraftCult.com):

For winning the treasury contest, I was awarded a lovely handmade greeting card by Claire & Me, and because my treasury made it to the Etsy front page, she also gave me a Target gift card, woo!

The greeting card I chose was the "Dude Card" in blue:

I'm planning on giving it to my husband for his birthday. Even though he already saw it when it came in the mail. And even though he reads my blog. Oops.

Anyway, if you love making treasuries, make sure you check out the Claire & Me blog for more fun treasury contests!

Not sure how to make an Etsy treasury? Check this helpful blog post for more info!

You can access Treasury East here! Or the old Treasury and Treasury West are still up too!

CIC Team Saturday

2010-06-19T05:29:00.000-04:00

Sweet, fruity melon! Perfect for summer!

Check out these adorable juicy items from the Crafting in Color Team on Etsy.

Don't forget to check our team's search listings on Etsy for more awesome, colorful goodies!

Happy Saturday!

Sashimi earrings - Sterling silver, red avenurine, dyed quartz, aqua semiprecious stone.

jennyhoople

SALE Cool Melon Shea Butter Lotion - Cucumber and Melon Scented Vegan Lotion

BLSoaps

Summertime Button Adjustable Ring SALE

featheredpeacock

RASPBERRY MELON -THE TUTU DARLING - AN 8 inch CUDDLEHUGS EXCLUSIVE WITH FREE COORDINATING FLOWER CLIP

cuddlehugs

Melony Pouch - Handknit cellphone pouch

MsAnchovy

Silk scarf hand painted.Summer breeze.

silkstory

Stuff on Etsy - Colorful Fondue Pots

2010-06-17T10:39:00.002-04:00

Ever since Devon and I had fondue for my birthday last week, I am completely obsessed with the idea of getting a vintage fondue pot.

Here are some of the colorful options on Etsy:

(Guess which one is my favorite!)

Groovy Orange Flower Enamel Pot - vintage 1970s

TipsyTimeMachine

Fondue Pot with Stand and Forks

BingoBox

Kobenstyle Baby-- Dansk enamelware fondue pot in yellow sungold. Made in France IHQ PRICE FIRM

delc

Green Fondue Pot with Colorful Skewers

GoodEyeVintage

Vintage Mushroom Ceramic Fondue Set

RetroClassics

Vintage Cathrineholm Fondue Pot Set .. Lotus Pattern in Chartreuse

TheFancyLamb

Red flowers. Vintage enamel pot.

Kultur

Set of Rainbow Fondue Skewers

RogueRetro

Stuff That's Awesome - Squirrels, Squirrels, Squirrels

2010-06-15T16:26:00.001-04:00

I just found this awesomely random t-shirt on Headline Shirts. It made me giggle.

I'm certain it will make you think of that offensive song by Motley Crue! I was going to embed the video here but it has strippers in it!

Summer Solstice Treasury

2010-06-14T12:29:00.001-04:00

I made this sunshiney Etsy Treasury collection this weekend and I think it's very worthy of appearing on the Etsy front page!

I'd really appreciate your clicks and comments!

P.S. Some Crafting in Color Team members are featured :)

Stuff on Etsy - Asymmetrical Necklaces

2010-06-14T04:53:00.000-04:00

I'm obsessed with these girly, flirty handmade asymmetrical necklaces! Check out these pretty finds from Etsy:

Salmon Pink Rose with Czech Frosted Aqua Beads Necklace

lunashineshine

Garden Rose--Vibrant Orange Enameled Flower and Peridot Green Faceted Stones--Asymmetrical Style Necklace--Ref-9514

lecollezione

Hand Sculpted White Flower And Amazonite Asymmetrical Necklace - Gold Plated

MadeWithClayAndLove

Wildflower Asymmetrical Necklace

ChelseaVanTol

White dove gunmetal necklace and earring set - bird, vintage aqua beads, gunmetal chain

RowanOliviaJewelry

Red and White Polka Dot Necklace

Lovables

Yellow Rose Layered Necklace

divinerose

Tangerine Slice Lucite Necklace

madcandy

Stuff on Etsy - Bright Color Frames

2010-06-13T12:38:00.000-04:00

1: Upcycled Decorative Frame- Kitschy Garden Gnome
2: Rectangle picture frame painted in bright yellow shiny gloss
3: Painted Wall Mirror in Bright Orange High Gloss Finish
4: Lilac Brocade Frame
5: Glitter Deer Portrait in a hand painted wood frame
6: Nursery Rhyme in Lime Green , Vintage Upcycled Handpainted Frame with Novelty Fabric

CIC Team Saturday

2010-06-12T03:17:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday (thanks to everyone who made a purchase during the 50% off sale in my shop!) so I will tell you that I have been thinking a lot about cake lately.

Check out these adorable cake-themed items from the Crafting in Color Team on Etsy and try not to "Squeee!" or salivate!

Don't forget to check our team's search listings on Etsy for more awesome, colorful goodies!

Happy Saturday!

Fimo Polymer Clay Cupcake Ring

kitschtique

Strawberry Kiss Mini Cake Playfood/Ornament or Pincushion

swiedebie

Red Cherry Chocolate Fudge Cupcake Polymer Clay Food Charm Earrings Handmade by Roscata

roscata

Cute and Fun Rainbow Cake Slices Earring Studs

MistyAurora

Love Bunny Sweets Deco Compact Mirror

glamasaurus

Sweet Cake Necklace

RusticRainbow

Happy Birthday To Me! (Part 2)

2010-06-11T22:52:00.001-04:00

I had such a fun birthday!

I spent most of the day napping, which sounds lovely but really it was because I'm taking some new medications for my headaches and they knocked me out. And I played with resin and had a lovely sale in my Etsy shop and snuggled with my kitties.

When Devon got home from work, he gave me presents and took me out to dinner!

He got me a Squishable Narwhal (I already have the octopus because he got it for me last year! Or maybe it was the year before...?):

They are highly adorable stuffed animals and they are SUPER SOFT and cuddly so you should get one.

And he also got me a spoiler for my PT Cruiser, which I think is partially a Happy Birthday To Devon present, but that's ok. :)

And he got me the most adorable card:

Awwwwww! Puppies.
He always gets me the best cards. :)

We had dinner at this amazing fondue restaurant called The Melting Pot, and they had red roses and a birthday card for me waiting at our table!

They also took our picture so we could remember our memorable fondue forever and ever:

We had amazing fondue... first we had a cheese appetizer with bread and veggies for dipping, then salads. The entree was meats and veggies cooked in a delicious broth.

The dessert was totally the best part though... Bananas Foster white chocolate fondue with fresh strawberries, bananas, Rice Krispies treats, pound cake, brownies, marshmallows, and cheesecake for dipping.

Dinner made us both sick. No literally. We both had diarrhea afterward. I think just because the food was so rich. But it was soooooo worth it. And that's why they make Pepto-Bismol!

I said, "Thank you for taking me out to dinner" and Devon said, "Thank you for having a birthday so we could come to this awesome restaurant!" hehe

I am so lucky to have such a fun, thoughtful husband. Which is really the best birthday present of all!

Thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday today! <3

Happy Birthday To Me! ...And A Big Freaking SALE!

2010-06-11T00:01:00.007-04:00

Today is my birthday!

I am 26 years old today. (That number is creeping frighteningly close to 30. ...Oh god, I'm going to have a panic attack.)

by 3liz4

In honor of my birthday, I'm having a big freaking sale in my Etsy shop!

All items 50% off! Today only!

(All purchases on Friday, June 11, 2010 will receive a 50% refund via Paypal [not including shipping].)

Hurry over to my Etsy shop to get super cute resin pendant necklaces, funky rings, sparkly glitter earrings, kawaii soap dishes, and more!

Happy birthday to me! :)

Pssst... I'm having a sale!

2010-06-09T20:55:00.003-04:00

by ajft

((Watch my Etsy shop on Friday June 11, 2010 for crazy discounts on sparkly handmade resin goodies!))

Favorite Activity: Garbage Picking

2010-06-03T12:10:00.001-04:00

Half the furniture in my house is either second-hand or plucked from the side of the road on trash day.

Check out this incredible mid-centrury vinyl chair we garbage picked earlier this week:

Isn't it gorgeous?! It's in great condition! It has some scratches on the edges of the vinyl, and a typewriter sat on it for a long time and left marks (we garbage picked the typewriter too!), and it was filthy, so we wiped it down with Krud Kutter and it looks good as almost-new!

So excited to put it in my living room. When we picked it up, we thought we might recover it with funky fabric, but honestly it cleaned up so nice that I don't think it needs to be covered.

Rainbow Cake Earrings

2010-06-02T10:31:00.000-04:00

Dude. DUDE.

Check out these crazy awesome earrings I just saw on Paper*Cakes blog!

Normally I try not to steal other people's Etsy finds posts but holy cow, I couldn't help it! They have amazing taste over there at Paper*Cakes, so if you aren't following their adorable blog already, get your butt over there and do it. If you like girly, frilly, cutesy, kitschy things, you will be delighted every single day!

The earrings are made of polymer clay and you can find them in Sea of Creations' shop on Etsy. There are lots of other really cute clay creations, including sushi charms and buttons!

Flamingo Hatchet

2010-05-31T21:07:00.000-04:00

My husband Devon and my brother David were playing with one of the plastic pink flamingos from our luau this weekend and seeing how far they could drop-kick and/or fling it.

And Devon flung it at me. But I wasn't scared!

For more luau-y goodness, check out the photos from our amazing party this weekend on my Flickr photostream!

CIC Team Saturday

2010-05-29T04:24:00.017-04:00

Our post-wedding reception luau is tomorrow (!!!) and I'm so stinking excited! Check out these amazing tropical -themed items from the Crafting in Color Team on Etsy since I have Hawaii on the brain. :)

Don't forget to check our team's search listings on Etsy for more awesome, colorful goodies!

Happy Saturday!

Tropical Blosson Handmade Colorful Ceramic Brooch

by: leslee6

Fish Lips Wall Art Quilt Wall Hanging Tropical Batik Colorful Applique OOAK Handmade

by: CinfulArt

Lemon Lime Hoop Earrings CLEARANCE SALE

by: featheredpeacock

Frogs from the Rainforest Paperbella Decor Wall Hanging

by: paperbella

Plumeria Perfume Oil SAMPLE VIAL - Tropical Floral Scented Perfume Oil

by: BLSoaps

TROPICAL Stripes - Scrabble Tile Pendant - Fun Affordable Gift

by: jessejanes

Gemini Constellation Ring

2010-05-25T08:57:00.000-04:00

I came across this AMAZING ring this morning and I had to share it.

It has the Gemini constellation on it! I'm a Gemini! I'm such a Gemini that I got the constellation tattooed on my foot!

The ring is by Garnet Girl Designs and there are other constellations to choose from too. She also sells lots of other gorgeous shiny gemstone jewelry! You can check out her shop here.

Weekly Inspiration - Hawaii

2010-05-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

We're gearing up for our big post-wedding reception luau on Sunday, May 30, 2010 so I've really got Hawaii on the brain lately! I'm so excited for the party! It's going to be so much fun!

We've invited like, everyone we know, and there will be a pig roast and 2 kegs of beer and karaoke and corn hole and I have a fabulous blue dress that I'm planning on wearing and it's going to be lovely and wonderful and magical and NOT STRESSFUL (yeah right).

The invitation postcards my aunt and I designed. I think they're pretty freaking awesome :)

And for some weekly inspiration, check out these stimulating Hawaii- and luau-themed photos from Flickr:

by libraryman

by luixs

by hawaii

by sgtgary

by Hawaiian Sea

CIC Team Saturday

2010-05-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

I'm feeling really girly and flirty and feminine today (which is weird, because I'm still in my ratty pajamas) so check out these gorgeous floral-themed items from the Crafting in Color Team on Etsy!

Don't forget to check our team's search listings on Etsy for more awesome, colorful goodies!

Happy Saturday!

Aqua Floral Earrings - Free Shipping

by: pulpandpaisley

pretty tulip square pendant chain included buy 2 get 1

by: visibility

3 LOVELY Flowers to embellish Lamp Shades, Pillows, Hats, Handbags and would add perfect touch to any of your Sewing, Home Decor or Chic projects.

by: priya123

Flowers Polka Dots Lampwork Sterling Silver Crystal Bracelet - Petals and Polka Dots OOAK

by: GlassRiverJewelry

Blue and Yellow You're Quite Lovely Note Cards (set of 8)

by: DawnCorrespondence

Ceramic Tile Coasters Set of Four - Spring Flowers

by: craftyluna

Coloring is for grown ups too.

2010-05-20T20:15:00.001-04:00

I just found these awesome little My Little Pony coloring book page thingies in my My Little Pony sticker pack!

Side note / shameless self promotion:

NEW My Little Pony resin pendants coming soon! Click here for ones that are currently available.

So I scanned them into my computer and colored them in in Photoshop. Bucket fill tool thingy, heck yes!

I think the second one is pretty awesome. I'm a fantastic color-er, if I do say so myself.

Check my Flickr to download these images for free so you can color them in too!
...Or print them out for your kids... Yeah.

Sprinkle Bangle Sadness

2010-05-19T11:30:00.002-04:00

Very sad sprinkle bangle that got mangled yesterday because I mixed the resin incorrectly and it was all sticky and soft and gross and I couldn't save it and I might have ruined my mold. Very sad. :(

Recent Impulsive Purchases

2010-05-18T16:49:00.000-04:00

I'm not very good at saving money. I'm supposed to be helping my husband save money for a couch, a house, a honeymoon... but I frequently accidentally buy things he thinks I don't need. Here are some recent examples:

Secret Handshakes-PRINT-from the Friends Forever series

by myzoetrope

KEEP CALM AND EAT A CUPCAKE, 8x10 Print-(Color Pink Lemonade) BUY 3 GET 1 FREE

by KeepCalmShop

vintage mushroom wall hangings

by leVintageMaison

I seem to be on a wall hanging kick. Maybe that's because a large percentage of wall decorations in our apartment are Mopar-related (his favorite car brand...we're such hillbillies).

Anyway YAY for pretty things to put on my walls and look at!

Delta Society Pet Partners

2010-05-17T11:21:00.001-04:00

I have always wanted to take my cats to work with me... who wouldn't want a couple of cozy soft kitties snoozing in their laps all day?

So I came up with this genius idea that my cats will just have to be trained to be certified therapy kitties.

And this is how I'm going to do it:

Delta Society - Become A Registered Pet Partners Team

Not sure if I'll actually take the plunge and go for it, but it's nice to know that if I do decide to commit, there is a simple process and training program to follow. But I don't think Soph would make a good therapy kitty. She would bite everyone.

Soph:

Joe:

Scrabble Afghan

2010-05-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

I'm dying to make an afghan with my new crochet skills, and this Scrabble afghan is probably the coolest one I've ever seen:

I might have to replicate the idea.

Oh who am I kidding. I'm too lazy.

I'd love to see someone make a Monopoly one though. No! Game of Life!! Yessss!

Vandalized Tea Party

2010-05-16T00:20:00.000-04:00

I came across these "vandalized" vintage dishes via the WHORANGE blog and had to share because I think they're crazy awesome / hilarious.

My favorites are the ones with dirty words which you can find on Etsy by TrixieDelicious, but make sure you check out the blog post because they are all worth a peek (and snicker).

Awesome Places to Buy Promotional Materials for Your Small Business

2010-05-03T16:46:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but I recently rebranded my entire shop.

My blog has a new background, I have a new Etsy shop banner, and I even made a new Twitter avatar, all featuring these cute little rainbow glitter hearts I made with resin.

Branding is basically when all your promotional stuff looks the same. Same colors, same design, same font, same graphics. Everywhere. Online, in print, in your shop, your sign at craft shows, etc. It's important to have a specific brand because it helps people recognize you no matter where they find you. If they see your rainbow glitter hearts in one place, they'll remember your rainbow glitter hearts when they see them somewhere else.

It has taken me over a year to get my branding down to a science, and I am REALLY happy with the result. What do you guys think? Did I do a good job?

I certainly hope so, because I just bought a butt load of new advertising and promotional materials. I got new business cards, little magnets to toss in packages as freebies, and new ad blocks to use when I advertise online. And I spent more money than I care to admit. But I'm hoping it will be worth it in the end!

The following websites are my top favorite places to design and buy promotional materials for my Etsy shop.

These links are my gift to you. This list is over a year in the making!

Regular Business Cards
123Print.com
Pretty inexpensive (100 single sided for $4 plus shipping, add $15 if you want double sided), and they have a lot of features. You can upload your own design for free (VistaPrint.com charges a couple bucks if you use a custom design).

MiniBusiness Cards
Moo.com
Best little mini cards ever (100 for $19.99). They have a sweet custom design program. Mini moo cards look REALLY professional (IMHO) and they come in a free cute little plastic case instead of a crappy cardboard box.

Weirdly Shaped Business Cards
UPrinting.com
CIRCLES!!! They offer circle business cards! Crazy! (They're expensive though, starting at $69.)

FREE Business Cards
VistaPrint.com
Limited selection and generally has the VistaPrint logo somewhere on it, but if you need something super cheap, go here. But don't sign up for their promotional emails because they email EVERY DAY and it's really annoying.

Postcards
UPrinting.com (again)
$40 for 100 full color, one sided postcards. Best value anywhere. Plus they offer a free graphic review process to make sure your images will work when they print them. We actually used this company for our wedding reception invitations!

Buttons / Magnets
PureButtons.com
If you need inexpensive freebies to toss in your packages, use this company. I highly recommend using the templates they provide for designing logos (requires some experience with graphic design) otherwise your images will turn out all weird when they print them. I learned that the hard way. Bummer.

Car Graphics
Etsy.com
I have a vinyl decal on the back of my car that has my Etsy shop and tag line. I'm not sure if I've gotten direct sales because of it, but I have gotten emails inviting me to participate in craft shows from it! The seller on Etsy that I got my decal from is no longer active, but there are lots of other shops that offer them (see link above).

Stickers
Zazzle.com
Really nice quality stickers, and they discount the more you buy. You can upload your own designs for free and even sell your creations on their site. I buy these to hand out, stick in orders for freebies, and stick on all my out going packages.

Where do you buy promotional materials? Do you make your own? What experiences have you had?

Share them in the comments!

Friday Favorites

2010-04-30T14:25:00.000-04:00

Some awesome stuff on my Etsy radar that made it into my Favorites list this week...

Clockwise from top left:

Stuff on Etsy - Carnival!

2010-04-21T12:06:00.000-04:00

I saw a bunch of cool circus-themed stuff on the Etsy front page this morning and I was like, OMG I have to look for more circus stuff!

I remember going to see the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth at the Cleveland Gund Arena (now it's called Quicken Loans Arena, lame) when I was a kid and I was always TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY by the sparkly costumes on the ladies that rode the elephants!

Here are my carnival picks for today! Enjoy!

Clockwise from top left:

Vintage Clown Cake Topper by: HeyYoYo

FIRESIDE scented Steam Scrub, 8oz - cinnamon, spice, cinnamon and nutmeg tempered with cedarwood, and sage by: SteamBathFactory

Aqua Teal and White Stripe Cupcake Liners (45) by: CupcakeSocial

Squirrel Art, circus, parasol, animal art by Amber Alexander by: amberalexander

Under the Big Top Thank You by: charmedbeginnings

SALE. Cotton Candy Carnival. Needle Felted Dangling Cotton Candy Earrings. by: HeatherBays

Tattered Punk Rock Princess Carnival WRAP AROUND , wearable art by lana AOA by: CrudeThings

50 Jumbo Circus Clown Popcorn Bags by: ThePartyFairy

Ferris wheel 4x4 inch fine art photography by: enamorphoto (center)

50% OFF SALE TODAY ONLY!

2010-04-13T15:00:00.001-04:00

I'm having a HUGE SALE in my Etsy shop! TODAY ONLY!

Everything will be 50% off!
EVERYTHING!!!

Things are going fast, so make sure you get your items before they're gone!

To get the discount, you can either:

Buy whatever you want and I'll refund you 50% via Paypal

Email/convo me first, tell me what you want, I'll change the prices to reflect the sale, and you can purchase your special listings

Either way, you get 50% plus free U.S. shipping!

Orders over $50 (after the discount) will also get a free set of sprinkle bubble magnets!

Remember, this sale is for 4/13/10 only, so don't miss it!

SHOP HERE:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stuffbyxtine

HUGE SALE TOMORROW!!!

2010-04-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday April 13, 2010,

look for a HUGE SALE in my Etsy shop!

Everything will be 50% off!

EVERYTHING!!!

To get the discount, you can either:

Buy whatever you want and I'll refund you 50% via Paypal

Email/convo me first, tell me what you want, I'll change the prices to reflect the sale, and you can purchase your special listings (You can pick your items now and I can change the price ahead of time to reserve them for you!)

Either way, you get 50% plus free U.S. shipping!

Orders over $50 will also get a free set of sprinkle bubble magnets!

Remember, this sale is for 4/13/10 only, so don't miss it!

Make sure you come back tomorrow to check it out!

SHOP HERE:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/stuffbyxtine

Friday Favorites

2010-04-02T09:16:00.001-04:00

Some awesome stuff on my Etsy radar that made it into my Favorites list this week...

Clockwise from top left:

Quitter!

2010-04-01T10:06:00.000-04:00

I quit smoking 2 years ago today!

In honor of my smoke-free anniversary, here is a list of things you can do instead of smoking a cigarette:

Bake a cake
Eat a peach
Pet a kitty
Squeeze a baby (but not too hard)
Smell a flower

And here are some pretty things to look at instead of smoking a cigarette:

Waiting for Spring

by: ClaudiaKayPhoto

101 Cottage Chic Buttons

by: JamboChameleon

Anette

by: EyePoppingCouture

Vintage Crochet Trivet/Potholders (Set of 2)

by: AMarigoldLife

Florence the Lovely Bunny

by: Kodomo

Linen, lace and silk mushroom

by: Octavi

HAND ETCHED Sterling Silver Wrapped Pretty Tree of Life Dichroic Glass Pendant Necklace

by: uniquedichroic

Oh, and feel free to buy me presents today. I deserve it! :)

Two sales on SBX this week!

2010-03-27T10:57:00.000-04:00

You guys! I had two sales this week! So far 2010 has been really slow for my Etsy shop (I hear this is a trend after the holidays), so 2 sales in one week was pretty exicing for me.

Plus I got the nicest email ever from one of the buyers who told me what she loved about my shop and what got her buying, which is invaluable feedback. Plus it was just really really nice!

Anywhere here's what sold. Watch my shop for more sprinkle bangles. Those appear to be a hot item! (Sign up for my Etsy shop RSS feed to get instant notification when I list new items.)

Did you have any amazing sales or compliments this week? Leave them in the comments.

I may like to toot my own horn (who doesn't?) but I also really like hearing about other sellers success. It means we win as a handmade selling community! :)

Weekly Inspiration

2010-03-26T10:20:00.002-04:00

I was originally trying to do scheduled posts every day and Weekly Inspiration was supposed to be on Mondays, but I'm not very organized so that sort of fell through. Plus blogging for the Crafting in Color Team takes up a good chunk of my blogging energy.

So that's why this Weekly Inspiration post is happening at the end of the week. Oops!

I wanted to share some awesome pictures from the CIC Team Flickr Pool. These are some images that were added recently and I freaking love them:

by merwing✿little dear

Just straight up SO CUTE. Love the little flower embroidery!

by jnhkrawczyk

Just awesome. Those glasses rock.

by stitchesandpurls

If you look closely, the item is photographed on handmade paper with the shops logo! Subliminal advertising = so clever!

by LunaMichelle

Prettiest paper (or is it fabric?) ever! Love it on the yellow background.

by pennydogaccessories

Resin!! So shiny and I love the colors!

Soul Food Fundraiser at the Local Girl Gallery

2010-03-22T13:43:00.000-04:00

On Saturday night, Devon and I went out to Lakewood on the west side of Cleveland to hang out at the Local Girl Gallery. A friend of mine at work had suggested that I donate some crafty handmade items to the Soul Food fundraiser which was going to raise money for a church that provides hot meals and food to the hungry.

So of course I said "Heck yes I'll donate something!"

I ended up making a big gift basket of resin goodies and everything had to be food-themed so I used lots of candy and rainbow sprinkles :)

Here are some photos from that night. The fundraiser ended up raising $3600!

My goodie basket. The pendant and earrings on the stand are mine too. My gift basket plus the cute cupcake purse behind it sold for $55 at the auction! (A little low, I think, especially considering that my basket was worth $125+ but that's ok because it's all for a good cause!)

I just love that rainbow ribbon and I can't wait to use it for something else :)

A shot of the gallery.

Another shot. There were SO MANY people there! It was crazy!

Knitted fruit and vegetable hats for babies. This was by far my favorite item up for auction!!

The cards are by a friend of mine from work (Dawn) and the adorable cherry jewelry is by another coworker (Jessica)! (Check out Jessica's jewelry shop here.)

14 Jobs I'll Never Have

2010-03-18T03:48:00.000-04:00

14 jobs I will never have (and I'm OK with that):

• Police Officer •
I have WAY too much anxiety in my normal, every day life. I would not be able to function if my life was always on the line!

• Brain Surgeon •
Again, too much anxiety. What if I sliced something incorrectly?! Also, I don't feel like going through that much schooling.

• Engineer •
My husband is an engineer. It sounds soooooo boring. (Sorry, babe.)

• Pro Basketball Player •
I'm too short and chubby. Basketball was my least favorite sport in gym class. But I loved archery! Maybe I could be a professional archer. I could be Mrs. Robin Hood!

• Movie Actress •
It would be lovely to make kajillions of dollars, but eh. I'm not really that interested. Plus, the paparazzi sound like a bunch of jerks.

• Barista •
My first ever job was at a coffee shop when I was 15. It sucked. If I ever get the opportunity to do that again, I'm gonna pass.

• Geologist •
That's right up there with "engineer" on my list of Most Horrifically Boring Jobs Ever.

• Arachnologist •
Yeah, I had to look that one up. It's a scientist that studies spiders. No thanks. I get shudders just thinking about it.

• Ghost Hunter •
I've seen tons of ghost hunting shows on TV, and if they ever once actually had any tangible proof, I might look into it because it sounds kind of awesome.

• Flight Attendant •
I hate flying.

• Taxidermist •
I don't think I need to explain this one.

• Underwear Model •
Also self-explanatory.

Side note: Do NOT search for stock photos of underwear models unless you want to look at porn by accident.

• Repo Man (or Woman) •
I keep seeing previews for that movie with Jude Law. Creeeepy! Damn he's super hot though.

• Nun •
Too late to get married to God. I already tied the knot!

What job do you never want to have?

Makeup Review - Coastal Scents Eye Shadow

2010-03-17T09:52:00.000-04:00

I suggest you try Coastal Scents eye shadow if you love any of the following things:

Bright colors
Excellent quality
Cheap stuff

Per the urging of my little sister-in-law, I splurged and bought this amazing eye shadow palette from Coastal Scents.

It has 88 colors! EIGHTY EIGHT!!!

They have a matte palette and a shimmer palette. I got the matte one, and it is freaking amazing. Not only was it only $20 (yes, seriously!) but all the colors are bright and awesome and they are such good quality!

I was like, really, 88 colors for $20? Come on, there's got to be a catch. But no! No catch! The color lasts all day. Now ok, I did use Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion underneath (another product I highly recommend) but that's ok.

Check here to see their other palettes. They have a warm colors palette, brights, and pallets for lips and cheeks. You can also create your own custom color palette or take a look at their other mineral makeup.

I wore a bright green shade for St. Patrick's Day today:

So if you love makeup, I highly suggest you check out Coastal Scents. I know you won't be disappointed! In fact, you might be completely addicted! :)

City Mommy Giveaway Winner!

2010-03-16T12:05:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Dawn who won the City Mommy giveaway for a $25 gift certificate to my Etsy shop!

The giveaway is over, but you can view the forum post on City Mommy here:
http://cleveland.citymommy.com/?q=node/6254

Make sure you check out the rest of the City Mommy website - it's not just for moms :)

You can also check the winner's Etsy shop where she sells adorable hair bows and flower head bands.

Dawn chose the following items from my shop:

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! I really appreciate your support!

Lord of the Far Island

2010-03-11T21:25:00.000-05:00

Usually, I can tell if I am going to like a book just by reading the first page. With Lord of the Far Island by Victoria Holt, it only took the first sentence:

"The dream disturbed my sleep on the eve of Esmerelda's coming out ball."

Sushi Cat

2010-03-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

I just came across this adorable game that is so cute and kawaii that I had to blog about it!

It's called Sushi Cat.

Any idiot can play it. It requires about zero skill.

The goal is to make the little round blue cat eat as much sushi as possible and thus grow fat enough to activate the automatic doors that prevent him from getting to his round pink kitty lover.

I'm not kidding.

Some sushi gives you extra points and may activate a SUSHI FRENZY!!!

So go and waste some time playing Sushi Cat. It'll probably be the best part of your day.

If you don't giggle, something is wrong with you!

Photography Tips

2010-03-03T12:44:00.000-05:00

If you search the Etsy forums or the Storque, you will find a kajillion pages on how to improve your item photos. But that's ok because this post is different.

I have spent the past few weeks gathering information and talking to Etsy sellers, and I have come up with a list of some fabulous tips for taking really great item photos for your Etsy shop.

So if you are looking for some tried and true tips that really work for real, actual human beings, read on.

Keep in mind too that most of these sellers have dinky little point-and-shoot cameras (not crazy expensive, high tech photography equipment) and they are taking amazing photos with them!

Ok, here we go:

From Janie of LifeArtDesigns:

"Don't be afraid to experiment with your camera. You can always delete. And become best friends with your manual. Lastly, be patient, your photos will improve if you keep working at it."

From Just A Note-Cards:

"Use a light box. That's the first theing I did to improve my picts. Also, I know this takes more time afterward but, photoshop your images because using a light box will add a yellow glow to your picts."

From Lauren of Black Cat Crafts:

"Make yourself a light box. There are tons of tutorials on the web and they're pretty easy to make. Great for photographing jewelry!"

From Michelle of Michelle's Clay Corner:

"I agree with the light box. I made one not too long ago and it really helped. I love using outdoor shots in the warmer months when my flowers are in bloom I use background flowers that compliment my clay figurine colors. Or sometimes just the green trees in the background look nice. Lots of great light is key but diffuse it so shadows don't come in to play. Also an interesting pose or shot for the first display photo is the best way to get people to click on your item."

From Laurel and Ivy:

"For taking pictures of clothing, picking a distinctive background that you love is key. It takes some trial and error, but staging photo shoots in various locations lets you test things out. Also, lighting is key! Every location is different, so knowing at what time (i.e. 2-3 pm) gives your setting the best lighting will help you structure your day and get the best photo results."

From Fish Princess Designs:

"Get to know your camera settings. Take some sample shots using them. Test out what changes you can make using the white balance controls, macro settings, etc.

Invest in a tripod-it will help you take much sharper shots with even the most basic camera!"

From Beth of Wilde Designs:

"Honestly? My best shots have come when I put a pretty background down and take the shots in front of a nice sunny window. Someday I will perfect the light box, but for now those are the absolute best experiences I've had."

From FunRetro:

"I'm not very good when ti comes to staging, but what has helped me a lot is NATURAL lighting. You wouldn't believe how many compliments I have gotten since I changed my lighting (and lots more sales too)."

Thank you to all the sellers who gave their advice for this post! You guys rock :)

Victoria Day

2010-03-01T16:05:00.000-05:00

I just said the stupidest thing ever.

Pt: "I need an appointment in three months."
Me: "How about May 24 at 1:00pm?"
Pt: "Ok, that sounds good. You know, it's Victoria Day in Canada that day. It says so on my calendar."
Me: "Oh really? Uh. I'll have to wear my special hat then!"

Fortunately she was a sweet little old lady and thought that was a really good idea.

...Unless she was making fun of me. :/

My husband goes, "Why did you say that? You’ll probably have to make a special hat then…"

Ughhh what an idiot. I hate when my mouth moves faster than my brain!

Weekly Inspiration

2010-03-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

Some inspiring images from Flickr that make me want to create something fabulous or that just make me feel happy! Enjoy:

by abductos

by JuditK

by clappstar

by youngthousands

by ZEDZAP

New stuff and a sneak peek!

2010-02-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

I added a ton of new items to my Etsy shop this weekend. (I've been a very busy little crafter!)

Check out some of the stuff I added:

Jelly bean pendants for Easter!

Sprinkle rings!

Glitter hair bobbies!

A new soap dish!

Here's a sneak peek at some items coming soon:

City Mommy

2010-02-26T09:13:00.000-05:00

My Etsy shop is featured on this website for moms in Cleveland called City Mommy. It's run by a woman who graduated from my high school which I think is really cool!

Check out my shop page: http://cleveland.citymommy.com/?q=node/6141////62

I'm going to be doing a giveaway on the site coming up too so that will be fun :)

Friday Favorites

2010-02-26T09:10:00.000-05:00

Some awesome stuff on my Etsy radar that made it into my Favorites list this week... I felt like going pink this week :)

Clockwise from top left:

Office Abuse

2010-02-23T15:04:00.000-05:00

Most of the patients we see at my office are really nice. Very friendly. They call me sweetie, sometimes, and always compliment me on my handmade jewelry.

But every once in a while, someone has a bad attitude.

I know we all have our good days and our bad days, but I really do not believe there is any reason to be rude and belligerent as demonstrated by the following message that we received earlier today while we were on our lunch break.

(And might I note that this is literally word for word. I wasted 5 minutes listening to it over and over and copying it down because I really could not believe that it actually happened.)

2/23/10 1:11pm

"My name is ______. Dr. Smith (1). John. Or whatever the hell his name is. Stupid. I don't know who would name their kid that name. Uh. And I think it's 2.5mg of Klonapin or whatever the hell it is. I don't know. But uh, I'm out of it. It's a little yellow pill. I'm sure the pharmacist knows (2). But I don't have any left at all, so I would appreciate it if you do it as soon as possible. You make enough money off me, you know. You don't even have Monday appointments (3). That's ridiculous. You have an easier job than me (4). It better be done in two days (5). I will be calling back and I'm not happy so make sure it's done. (6)"

(1) I changed their names to protect the innocent.
(2) Notice he never actually provided a pharmacy phone number. Or a phone number where we could reach him to ask him who the hell he thinks he is talking to us like that.
(3) The doctor works at another clinic on Mondays and Tuesdays.
(4) Do you work in a coal mine? Are you a rocket scientist? No? Then shut up.
(5) Our medication policy states that it generally takes 2 business days to process a prescription request between appointments.
(6) ...

Janine (the other receptionist) and I were basically speechless. Text doesn't even do it justice. I wish there was a way I could record it and take out all the HIPAA privacy protected information and play it for you guys because it was totally unreal.

It just slays me that someone could act like that when they are asking for a favor.

Anyway. Neither of us are very interested in helping this guy out. Unfortunately, that's what they pay us for, so we're going to have to.

Janine just called him and got his voice mail and left a message asking for a pharmacy phone number with emphasis on the fact that we would be more than happy to help him if he provided us with the information we need. Haha that was awesome.

I feel better now that I vented.

I wonder what adventures we'll have tomorrow! :)

Tutorial Tuesday

2010-02-23T11:21:00.013-05:00

I love graphic design and playing around with Photoshop. I almost studied computer graphic design in college, but alas I was not accepted into the program. ($&*@#$!!)

But it's still a beloved hobby of mine. I try to make all the graphics for my blog and Etsy pages, and I think I do a pretty darn good job! I'm always trying to learn new techniques and tricks, and in my search for cool tutorials, I found this fun one about how to make a cute panda face with Adobe Illustrator CS4.

I think it would be really cool to apply these techniques into making your own cute little face for a Twitter avatar or Etsy icon.

You can view the full tutorial here.

Weekly Inspiration

2010-02-22T13:54:00.012-05:00

Somehow I managed to find only fuzzy inspiration this week. Enjoy!

by Roger Smith

by Warm 'n Fuzzy

by Sharon Taylor Photography of Kettering

by Rakka

by Eric in SF

(Shut up re: gray bunny, huh! SO CUTE)

Glasses and headaches - good news!

2010-02-18T14:58:00.000-05:00

I had an appointment this morning for an eye exam with a new eye doc. The doctor I saw two years ago was kind of bitchy and made me feel like I was lying when she asked me "Which one is better? This one or this one? Ok now which one is better? This one?" so I decided to find a new doc.

Anyway, so I had my appointment this AM and he told me that the reason I am getting terrible headaches is because one of the medications I am on to help me sleep (Gabapentin) causes your pupils to dialate a teensy bit which causes a teensy bit of blurriness in your vision. Combine that with the fact that I'm a teensy bit nearsighted and that I work on a computer for 8+ hours a day, and BAM! HEADACHES!!!!!

LADIES AND GENTLEMAN WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

*dance dance dance*

The doctor also said that the prescription the other bitchy doctor gave me two years ago was WAY TOO STRONG. (Actually he said "too God damn" strong but I don't want to offend any readers!)

So basically I have to a) stop taking that stupid medication (that hasn't really been helping me sleep anyway) and b) get new reading glasses!

Hooray, new glasses!

I just ordered some from the best website ever, Zenni Optical, which you should visit if a) you need new glasses and b) you like inexpensive things. And c) if you like crazy frames!!

I ordered THREE PAIRS and only spend $62, including shipping. Niiiice. Now, it'll take 3 or so weeks for them to be delivered to me, but that's ok. It's worth the wait.

Check out the frames I ordered:

https://www.zennioptical.com/cart/product.php?productid=1370

Heck yes! :)

https://www.zennioptical.com/cart/product.php?productid=959

In the red/black stripe, of course. Because it doesn't look red, it looks hot pink!!

https://www.zennioptical.com/cart/product.php?productid=581

In the black and clear purple. Oooh, ahhh.

Now come on. You would NEVER find glasses like that at your optomotrists office! And if you did, they'd cost you $200!

So, if everyone could do me a favor and pray really hard that changing my medication and wearing reading glasses at work will help/fix my headaches, that would be sweet! ♥

Your Photography Tips!

2010-02-18T09:07:00.002-05:00

I'd like to do a post with a compilation of item photography tips from other online sellers.

by Arty Smokes

If you have any helpful, interesting, useful, random tips for photographing or editing your item photos, leave it in the comments with a link to your shop and I'll include it in my post!

This is a great way to get some exposure for your shop, show off your photos, and help other sellers :)

Stuff on Etsy - Mood Rings

2010-02-17T05:38:00.000-05:00

Remember mood rings? Those groovy rings that changed color depending on your "mood?" (But really I think it was just your body temperature.) Those were cool. And your best friend always freaked out whenever yours turned black... "OMG are you mad at me?" hahaha

Some of these aren't actually color changing mood rings (and the middle one is a necklace!), but they're still pretty cool:

Clockwise from top left:

Tutorial Tuesday

2010-02-16T10:28:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for jewelry making tutorials, I have found the website for you!

JewelryLessons.com

They have tons of awesome tutorials for making all kinds of different jewelry, and there are new tutorials added all the time! There are also really interesting articles, user forums, tips, and all kinds of other goodies. You can even sell your own tutorials on the site! I could spend hours surfing around.

You do have to pay for the tutorials, but they're pretty inexpensive and they're all rated by difficulty (easy, intermediate, advanced) and have reviews by people who actually used the tutorial.

I can't wait to try some of the tutorials out!!

Weekly Inspiration

2010-02-15T13:07:00.005-05:00

Some inspiring images from Flickr that make me want to create something fabulous or that just make me feel happy! Enjoy:

by y-a-n

by wishymom (Stephanie Wallace Photography)

by BleuhMeuhDesign

by Martha★

by cwalker71

(The kitty one is totally my favorite, hehee!)

Yoga For Fat People

2010-02-13T11:51:00.000-05:00

I ordered a yoga video the other week that I read about in Real Simple (my favorite magazine ever ever ever), and I finally got around to trying it yesterday and it was HAAAAAAARD. I know no one ever said yoga was supposed to be easy, but come on.

The video is called Yoga to the Rescue : Neck and Shoulders. It sounded really simple and awesome for stress relief so that's why I thought I'd try it. I think it will be wonderful once I get a little more flexible. :)

I am a beginner yoga student, and this was supposedly a beginner video, but I must be a beginner beginner extra plus plus because this video was freaking hard. And also the instructor was a skinny bitch with rock hard abs and she was very nice but I still felt very squishy and out of shape.

So, because I was feeling squishy and a teensy bit grumpy and sarcastic, I did a Google search for "yoga for fat people." I didn't actually think I'd get any results, but I did! I was so excited! Because let's be honest, fat people who are just starting an exercise regimen exercise very differently than skinny/in-shape people.

I found this video that I'm so excited to try! It's called Yoga: Just My Size and it's for fat people, hooray!

They have it for like $55 on Amazon.com which is completely insane, but I found it on OverStock.com for like $8 but it's out of stock so I'm waiting for it to become available and then I'm going to order it and try it and get really skinny and make everyone jealous and make my own yoga video and wear tiny, slutty skirts and be rich.

No just kidding.

But I am very excited that I found it and I'm really looking forward to trying it! It makes me really happy that there are so many different options for us squishy folks because seriously, losing weight and getting in shape sucks and is the hardest thing ever (harder than quitting smoking for me, I kid you not), so it's really nice to know that there are options and help is out there and it doesn't have to be quite so hard as we think it is. :)

Friday Favorites

2010-02-12T11:01:00.000-05:00

Some awesome stuff on my Etsy radar that made it into my Favorites list this week...

Clockwise from top left:

Cutest Commercial Ever

2010-02-11T10:25:00.001-05:00

I am a sucker for animals. I can't help it. It's like something snaps in my brain when I see a fuzzy creature and I have to immediately make very loud, squawking baby-talk noises.

Anyway, this is my favorite commercial of all time, I think. I thought I would share it with you, because I laugh every time I see it.

The description from YouTube says, "In this spot from Travelers, featuring music by Ray LaMontagne, we follow along as a worried dog searches for, and ultimately finds, the smartest way to protect his most prized possession." Aww.

I always want to scream, "PUPPIEEEEEES" when I see it. Hope you enjoyed :)

Stuff on Etsy - Glasses

2010-02-10T10:16:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I complain about chronic headaches a LOT. Like, every single day. It's horrible.

For a while I thought it was caused by eye strain, but then I got glasses for reading and computer work and they didn't help. At all. Very sad.

So I've been trying other stuff ... medication, acupuncture, more medication, relaxation, uh, I think that's it.

Anyway I still think it might be eye strain, and if it is, I am totally getting a sweet pair of glasses on Etsy! Here are some I'm considering:

Clockwise from top left:

geeky Sunglasses - Turquoise

Fab 70's Vintage RENAULD Oversized Light Brown Plastic Tortoise Glasses, Jackie O Style

Satin Brown Womens Cat eye Eyeglasses Frame 1950s 1960s

Vintage 1970s Red Aviator Mirror Sunglasses by RIO made in JAPAN

Daisy Vintage Sunglasses

Retro 1980's Black Framed Sunglasses with Green Lenses

Lime Green Reading Specs--vintage eyeglasses

Vintage Purple Plastic Sunglasses by PATHWAY

VTG 60's 360 Round HOT PINK Mosaic Eyeglass Frames (center)

Tutorial Tuesday

2010-02-09T09:27:00.006-05:00

I found this easy / inexpensive tutorial for making really cute pencil toppers out of pipe cleaners and little heart shapes!

You could probably substitute the craft foam for sturdy cardstock if you wanted to. I think they would look cool with pretty patterned paper. I also think it would be fun to add glitter, but I think adding glitter to anything is a good idea so I might be biased. :)

I think I might make a bunch of these for my office!

You can view the whole tutorial by clicking here.

Stuff on Etsy - Yellow Valentine

2010-02-08T14:33:00.001-05:00

I know that pink and red are the traditional colors for Valentine's day, but what about all the other pretty colors out there?

Check out some of the gorgeous Valentine's day items on Etsy in yellow:

Clockwise from top left:

Guest Blog Post on Cuteable!

2010-02-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

Check it out!

I was invited to write a guest post for the adorable blog Cuteable! I wrote about my favorite kitty cat items on Etsy. Meow!

Make sure you check out the rest of the blog because there are lots of cute items listed daily!

Thanks for letting me do a guest post, Lynsey! ♥ ♥ ♥

Happy Groundhog Day!

2010-02-02T09:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Groundhog Day!

Today is the day when that famous little rodent, Punxsutawney Phil, makes everyone miserable by predicting either a long winter or an early spring. It's NEVER an early spring. EVER. At least not in my memory.

But anyway, let's celebrate with some totally random groundhog themed items from Etsy! Hurrah!

Groundhog Hair - print

by: amberalexander

Brigid the Groundhog

by: mamaroots

Groundhog Magnet - Punxsutawney Phil

by: PearsonMaron

Will Predict Weather for Seeds and Nuts print

by: FullFrogMoon

Gunther the Wool Groundhog

by: WhimsicalWoolies

Groundhog (woodchuck, marmot) amigurumi CROCHET PATTERN

by: planetjune

Groundhog 8 x 10 inch print - Brushfolks Style Groundhogs in a groundhog

by: maryjill

GROUNDHOG

by: roughandperfect

Stuff on Etsy - Blue Valentine

2010-02-01T10:06:00.023-05:00

I know that pink and red are the traditional colors for Valentine's day, but what about all the other pretty colors out there?

Check out some of the gorgeous Valentine's day items on Etsy in blue:

Clockwise from top left:

Stuff on Etsy - Hot Pink Supplies

2010-01-30T11:48:00.015-05:00

My new favorite thing to search for on Etsy (it used to be kawaii or vintage mushroom stuff): Supplies! Particularly in specific colors. Today I searched for my favorite color ever, hot pink! And I almost had a heart attack because there are so many awesome crafty supplies in that color. Check them out:

Clockwise from top left:

Most of the results were beads and cabochons but there was also some gorgeous fabric, ribbons, and all kinds of other goodies. Try a supplies search in your favorite color if you need inspiration!

Friday Favorites

2010-01-29T08:41:00.010-05:00

Some awesome stuff on my Etsy radar that made it into my Favorites list this week...

Clockwise from top left:

Xtine's Crafty Safety Tips

2010-01-28T12:02:00.000-05:00

I hurt myself a lot. Maybe you can learn from my mistakes.

by josef.stuefer

1) Always wear safety goggles when using the drill or Dremel so stuff doesn't fly into your eyes. (Get a snazzy looking pair so you don't feel like a dork.)

2) Your teeth are NOT needle-nose pliers. (I have chipped a tooth twice. You'd think I'd learn.)

3) Pull your long hair back into a pony tail when handling toxic substances. (I get resin in my hair pretty frequently. Aside from being annoyingly sticky, I think this can poison me.)

4) Cut away from the body when using an X-Acto knife or box cutter. (Don't come crying to me when you stab yourself.)

5) They're not kidding when they say "Work in a well ventilated area." (I generally ignore this rule and frequently become dizzy from fumes.)

6) The tip of the soldering iron is REALLY HOT. Don't touch it. (No matter how curious you are.)

7) It is not a good idea to file your nails with your Dremel. (However, sandpaper is just fine/safe.)

8) When using spray paint, always spray down wind. (Otherwise it will blow back in your face and make you sad.)

9) Don't eat food where you craft. (You might end up with a stomach full of glitter.)

10) When using adhesive, particularly super glue, do NOT glue your skin together. (This should be self explanatory.)

Do you have any safety tips? Leave them in the comments!

Twitter Giveaway WINNER

2010-01-23T15:58:00.023-05:00

We have a winner for the Twitter retweet giveaway!

Congratulations to Rachel, @ThatTweetThing!!!

You won the sprinkle bangle bracelet!

Please email your shipping info to stuffbyxtine@gmail.com so I can get your prize in the mail!

For those of you who didn't win but had your heart set on it, I'm offering a special discount to all my Twitter followers:

Just make a purchase from my Etsy shop by 1/31/10 and use the code "Twitter" in the message to seller section at check out to receive 25% off your entire order!

(I'll send your refund via Paypal.)

♥ ♥ ♥ Thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway and make sure you're following so you can catch the next one! ♥ ♥ ♥

What's new in my shop?

2010-01-19T08:53:00.000-05:00

I was a crafting machine this weekend and I ended up listing a bunch of new stuff in my shop!

Check it out:

There are some cute glow-in-the-dark magnets, some pendants with happy jungle animals, and just about everything is iridescent and glittery, hooray!

Check out my shop for these and more colorful, funky handmade goodies :)

Stuff on Etsy - Handmade Journals

2010-01-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

I love to write, but I never seem to have anywhere pretty to jot down my thoughts. Something about writing poetry in an $0.89 spiral bound notebook from Office Max just doesn't seem appealing to me.

But look! Etsy has hundreds of gorgeous, inspiring, clever notebooks, all handmade by crafty people! Problem solved!

Clockwise from top left:

Twitter Giveaway: WIN THIS BRACELET

2010-01-17T13:23:00.000-05:00

Follow me on Twitter and you could win this bracelet!

It's a retweet contest so you will have to follow me to get the tweet!

One random retweet will win on Saturday 1/23/10. (Max 1 retweet per hour, please!)

Thanks and good luck!

Friday Favorites

2010-01-15T08:50:00.001-05:00

Some awesome stuff on my Etsy radar that made it into my Favorites list this week...

Clockwise from top left:

Stuff on Etsy - Purple and Gray

2010-01-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

I read in a magazine that purple and gray is the hot new color combination, and there is no shortage of purple and gray stuff on Etsy! Check out some of these pretty finds:

Top to bottom, left to right (like your read a book!):

New items coming soon!

2010-01-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

I am so glad the holidays and my wedding are over and done with so that I can get back to my regular routine and back to my Etsy shop! For most of December, I was way too busy to even think about Etsy. I had to put my shop on Vacation because I was too busy to ship out purchases (so I missed the bulk of holiday sales, sad face) and I hadn't touched craft supplies in weeks! It was terrible.

But now it's over, and I started making jewelry again this weekend so I have lots of new goodies to add to my shop this week! I even bought some new glitter sets which I am VERY EXCITED about...

(I love you, Martha.)

There are some funky glass pendants, a couple of crazy glittery resin pendants, a brooch, and a new sparkly soap dish that will be new in my shop coming soon.

Some sneak peek photos:

So keep your eyes on my shop... or on my Twitter or on my Facebook fan page... :)

Are you a fan yet?

2010-01-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

Stuff by Xtine is now on Facebook!

Become a fan: http://tinyurl.com/ycnajh8

**There will be special sales and promotions just for Facebook fans, so make sure you become a fan!**

Stuff on Etsy - Kitty clothes

2010-01-04T12:25:00.001-05:00

I'm a closet crazy cat lady. Really. I've never put clothes on my cats, but these handmade kitty ensembles were too cute not to share:

Clockwise from top left:

Sparkle for the New Year!

2010-01-01T08:33:00.003-05:00

I'm obsessed with sparkly stuff. I love it. Ask my husband. I am very often covered with glitter! It's my favorite craft supply!

I decided my New Years Resolution, instead of being something I'll never do like "get in shape" or "learn a new language" shall be to STAY SPARKLY!!!

I checked the word "sparkle" in the thesaurus, and here are some of the twinkly synonyms that showed up:

Noun: animation, brilliance, coruscation, dash, dazzle, flash, flicker, gaiety, gleam, glimmer, glint, glitz, glow, life, panache, radiance, scintillation, shimmer, show, spark, spirit, twinkle, vim, vitality, vivacity, zap, zip, élan

Verb: beam, bubble, coruscate, dance, effervesce, fizz, fizzle, flash, flicker, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow, scintillate, shimmer, spark, twinkle, wink

I think striving to be glowing and bubbling and full of life, radiance, and spirit is the best New Years Resolution I've ever had.

Happy New Years everyone!

NotAlwaysRight.com

2009-12-31T10:01:00.046-05:00

An email conversation between myself and my husband from earlier this week:

Me: "What was that funny website you were telling me about that you thought I'd like? StuffPeopleSay.com or something?"

Hubs: "Check your chats from last night. It was like itsnotright or something. "

(Sidenote: We often communicate via Gmail chat in our home. Sometimes when we're in the same room. It's sad."

Turns out, the website I was thinking of was NotAlwaysRight.com, or more specifically, the customer is not always right!

Basically it's a huge collection of hysterical, real* stories from people working in retail where they had a silly, strange, odd, bizarre conversation or experience with a customer.

I insist that you visit! It is absolutely hilarious! No seriously, you will get sucked in and spend hours on it. It's horrifically addictive.

I'd like to share with you my own personal NotAlwaysRight story from several years ago when I was working at a major clothing retailer. The customer I was helping was pregnant and she was looking for some clothes for her new baby. I was trying to explain baby clothing sizes to her. The conversation went like this:

Customer: "I don't understand these baby sizes."

Me: "Well, the sizes are really just guidelines. '0-3' means it should generally fit a baby zero to three months old. '3-6' means three to six months old, '6-9' means six to nine months old..."

Customer: "Does that mean after the baby is born?"

True story. I love stupid people! :)

*I do not really believe that all of the stories on NotAlwaysRight are real. In fact, some of them sound like downright BS. Particularly the one with the guy smeared in poo/the old lady in the car wash.

(Kinda) Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-30T11:26:00.003-05:00

Are you ready for New Years Eve yet? This guy sure is.

by State Library of New South Wales collection