Hello There, Electricity

Wow.  I am so happy to be back behind this little computer of mine!  Hurricane Irene came and decided she didn't want us to have electricity for 4 days now.  I am staying at my brother's house tonight to keep from going stir crazy without power.

Take a look at the scene from my front door Saturday morning when Irene had her fun.

My poor little maple didn't know what hit it!  Fortunately, the 2 year old tree survived. 

The storm really was pretty scary.  A large majority of Virginia lost power and many are still without.  We were very fortunate our damage was rather minimal compared to some.  I am crossing my fingers when I go home tomorrow the power will be restored!

Did you feel that?

I have felt 1, maybe 2 earthquakes in my life.  Today we had the largest one since the turn of the century in our area(Virginia).  A 5.8 magnitude.  I just happened to be at Home Depot, in the lighting section when it hit.  My frist thought was that there was a large truck driving through the aisle and then it hit me-earthquake!  In a time like this, quick thinking is a must. But no, not me.  I stand there in the aisle of shaking glass hanging over my head thinking I should move or do something.  But I don't.  I just stand there bug-eyed and stunned like everyone else in the store.

Thankfully, the damage was fairly minimal to the surrounding areas, and no major injuries were reported.  The epicenter of the earthquake was about 25 minutes from where I live, and I know the quake affected other states as well.  Did you feel it? 

Fall into Fashion

Fall is just around the corner, which also means my birthday is rapidly approaching...Mom, if you're reading here are some helpful hints ;)  I love, love, love the summertime for all the easy, comfortable shorts, tanks and sandals.  BUT there is nothing like the beauty of fall.  We have actually been having fairly cool nights around here lately which has got me thinking about my fall wish list. 

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First up is a must! I have been carrying the same bag for years because I really love it and it's a classic soft camel colored leather satchel, but it's seen better days. Right now this is my top pick for it's replacement.

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I love blousey, flowey tops paired with skinny jeans and boots so this top would fit nicely into my wardrobe.

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Lightweight sweaters for sure.

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LOVE.

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And love.

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The perfect girly touch to even out the heavy boots and large leather bag.

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Throw in some fun accessories *wink wink* and voila!  Ready for fall! 

What are your fall must haves?  Is there something in particular you fall back on every year?

What's New?

It has been a week since my last post.  Where has time gone?!  Speaking of time flying, am I the only one wondering where the summer went?  Truth be told, my life has not been so exciting lately which is why I have not had much to blog about.  I have been filling custom orders and making new pieces for the approaching holiday season.  I did however manage to break away today with my mom and sister to go see The Help.  It was such a great movie.  The book was better, but it usually is in my opinion.  Anyone who has read the book already knows that it is pretty long and detailed as the story is told from three different point of views.  Lots of details were left out of the movie and it was still 2 1/2 hours long!  All in all, I would recommend it.

So I will share with you what I have been up to with the new shop pieces.  I have been totally obsessed lately with vintage enamel flowers!  To me, they are incredibly charming and whimsical.

This one is truly a statement piece with a vintage enamel flower accented by multiple strands of vintage chain and glass beads and pearls.

I can't get enough of these fun, brightly colored enamel flowers!  Perfect for the girl who wants something unique and fun to throw on!

A large part of my jewelry is geared towards brides; this is a piece that could be dressed up for a special occasion, or dressed down for those every day girly girls!

Another one of a kind piece using a unique vintage flower!

I've also added some new earrings!  These are made from vintage pink rosaline glass rhinestones.

The stud version of the vintage pink rosaline glass rhinestones.

And a few new milky jewel post earrings!

I'm still working on a bunch of new designs that I hope to have done soon.  I also hope to get working on my plate wall as I think I have collected enough plates to make a statement!  Will keep you posted!

Randoms from the Weekend

This past Saturday marked a pretty big milestone for me and my husband.  While we are coming up on our 3 year wedding anniversary in October, Saturday marked 10 years since he asked me to be his girlfriend!!  10 YEARS!  I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have this man in my life.  We celebrated in a very low key way with dinner and a little shopping.  It's not a wedding anniversary so we didn't go all out, but still a major milestone in our life together and worth celebrating!

My handsome brothers from left to right Seth, Chase, and Cole.

Sunday I spent the evening at my Dad's house for my brother's 18th birthday party.  I cannot believe he has grown up so fast.  It feels like just yesterday he was a rambunctious 8 year old. 

I have been reading The Help and am loving it!  It was hard for me to get into at first because I was having a hard time finding time to read it, but now I am hooked and don't want to put it down!  I am going to see the movie next week with my mom and sister(who has read the book as well).  Have you read the book?  What did you think?  Do you plan to see the movie?  I'll let you know what I think of it once I see it.

I added a new enamel flower necklace to the shop this weekend as well.  It's a fun retro color combo of coral pink and turquoise!  And you can go here for a special promo  ;) 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well! 

A few more for the collection

While antiquing this weekend with my sweet husband, I came across a few more plates to add to the collection!  I'm getting closer and closer to starting the actual wall, I just want to make sure I have enough to really make a statement.  I paid $12 for a total of 6 plates, so again they came in at 2 bucks a piece! 

My cousin and I joke that plates are the poor man's wall decor ;)  If you are looking at doing something like this yourself, my suggestion is to find dishes from local flea markets, thrift stores, and yard sales that are mismatched and unmarked.  The vintage plates that are marked by a well known, or rare maker can be pretty pricey.  I have come across plenty of them in my searches that I absolutely love but are on the expensive side for a project like this when you are looking for a large grouping. 

I've also had many of you ask me how to hang a plate on the wall.  You can find hangers at your local craft stores.  There are 2 types that I like to use.

This is an adjustable metal plate hanger which I use most often.  They come in several different sizes but each one will adjust a couple of inches to fit different size plates.

This one is an adhesive plate hanger which I also like because it is completely hidden in the back of the plate.  I think I will probably use this one on my plate wall.  It's the more expensive of the two, but I think I'd rather have a clean look and not have the hangers show.

Really, it's a personal preference as to which you choose to use.  The first option is less expensive and reusable, while the second is not.