Ocean Inspirations

I know I've been missing in action for awhile again...but!... I have a really good reason, promise!

I went to Hawaii for 10 days.

:D

We spent spring break on the beautiful Big Island with my husband's parents, his siblings and their families. We all stayed in a big, beautiful house near Kona, on the West coast of the island. This was the view right out of the backyard:

(Ocean + Sunset = Inevitable Beauty.)

Pretty amazing, no?

The home was so open, with huge sliding glass doors everywhere and exterior hallways. Even just sitting in the living room, you could enjoy the feel of the balmy ocean breeze all day long!

Sorry, I don't mean to brag. ;)

I did have access to the internet while we were there, but you can probably guess why I wasn't around the world-wide-web much!

(Cute kids, cute hubby.)

We returned home a week ago and I really miss the sound of the ocean lulling me to sleep every night, and days full of excursions that wore my kids clean out! But I can say, I was truly happy to come home again. A long vacation with 3 children under the age of 6 was definitely a bit of work, as you can imagine!

(Even Hawaii can't save me from doing laundry!)

Inspired by my days on the ocean, I had a few fabulous finds I wanted to share with you!

I love swimming, the beach and the ocean, but I have to confess...my aversion to wearing a swimsuit often gets in the way of me loving those things as much as I could. Shopping for swimsuits stresses me out to the max. I tend to avoid it at all costs. However....I think I may have found a swimsuit company that has nearly cured my hatred of swimsuits!

Hapari has so many cute styles and options to choose from, and they are flattering! I absolutely love them! I bought two swimsuits from them last summer, when I was 6 months post-partum with my daughter. I was terrified to wear a swimsuit, but I was surprised how much I liked the way they looked on me, and even better, how supportive they were!

Love their cute Bandeau Tankinis, new this year!

I particularly love that they carry plus sizes, and they have a good selection of swim skirts and shorts. They have a lot of great styles if you are one of those ladies that likes to cover up a little bit more in swimwear, like me.

I was actually happy to wear my suits again in Hawaii! I didn't feel stressed at all wearing them at the beach, and I even wished I had bought a new one for our trip, just for fun! They also sell swim cover-ups, junior swimsuits, men's swimwear, and Shores, their own line of those fabulous half-tees that are so perfect for layering!

Hapari suits are not what you would call cheap, but I think they have very reasonable prices for how well-made they are. Tankini tops are pretty much all $49, and bottoms average about $30. $80 for a suit might sound expensive, but I've found most swimsuits really aren't very much cheaper. And for me, the cost is worth it to have a quality-made suit that makes me feel comfortable and confident!

So go check 'em out! They have a ton of awesome reviews, and they ship quick! If you are local to the Utah County area, they also have a small shop in American Fork. Hope you find something you love!

Something else I love?

Pretty nail polish!

Finding time to paint my nails is a luxury these days, but before we went to Hawaii I wanted to paint my toes a fun, ocean-inspired color. I hit the jackpot when I found "Radiant" by Revlon. It's full of pretty blue, green and silver glitter and reminds me of mermaids! I meant to get a cute picture of my sparkly toes in the Hawaiian sand, but it didn't happen. So here's a cute shot of the polish courtesy of the ever-helpful Google!

Speaking of mermaids...

I did pop online a time or two while I was in Hawaii, and I think I literally *gasped* when I caught my first glimpse of the amazing new Mermaid Party designed by my favorite party expert, Kim at The TomKat Studio!

Kim's daughter Kate turned 5, and Kim created an absolutely gorgeous, Ariel-inspired soiree for her and her closest friends. The party had so many amazing details! I can't help but adore it even more for the abundant use of my favorite color, Aqua. ;)

That little girlie is so lucky to have such an awesomely creative mommy! I may just have to throw this party for Kara someday! Kim makes it super easy to use her creative genius as inspiration for your own parties...she gives specific information on what she used for each element of the party and where she purchased just about every single product. You can find the whole Mermaid printable collection Kim designed, along with many of the exact products she used, at her very own, fabulous and brand-new shop!

Can't wait to see the party Kim comes up with for her little girl next year!

I miss Hawaii, but here in Utah it is beautiful right now...I love seeing the trees blossoming, the green reemerging, and the longer hours of sunshine. I am so excited that spring has truly arrived! On the warmest days (like this week...in the 80's, wow!), I even taste a little touch of summertime that gets me all giddy inside. 

And the view off my own back porch isn't too shabby...

(Lake + Mountains + Sunrise = Ain't Bad Either.)

;)

Hope your spring breaks were wonderful!

Almost Ridiculously Amazing: Etsy!

(More than 2 weeks without a blog post...yee-IKES! Sorry for slacking! Life is always busy busy busy, as I'm sure ya'll can relate!)

This post has been a long time coming! I've been wanting to write about my new love affair...

With ***Etsy!***

(Love these adorable vintage tulle corsage shoe clips! You can find 'em at the Etsy shop here!)

If you have not yet become acquainted with the vast awesomeness that is Etsy...

You NEED to.

And I don't just mean introduced!

Most anyone who likes pretty things and has the internet has heard of Etsy....

...has probably at least given a passing glance to Etsy...

But I guarantee if you really sit down with Etsy for awhile, search it out, get to know all that it has to offer...

You. Will. Be. Amazed.

If by chance you're not that familiar with it, this is the best way to describe it:

It is the largest craft fair in the *world* -- online. It consists of hundreds...or probably more like thousands...of individual sellers and shops, selling any kind of product hands can make: blankets, quilts, clothes, dresses, costumes, jewelry, bath & beauty products, home decor, party decor, craft supplies, photography, art, even shippable edible items. It's also a wonderful resource for buying and selling vintage items.

Etsy is a place where people with creative talents can truly shine, and share their art with those who will truly admire and appreciate it!

One thing I love so much about Etsy is how it empowers people...most of them women...to use their talents, to do what they love, and support themselves doing it. It connects those who are artists in the handmade community with those who are searching for handmade products that they can't find locally or they can't create themselves. This amazing online marketplace has created opportunities for people with artistic and creative abilities to overcome the concept of "starving artist" and become successful entrepreneurs!

I also think Etsy has helped promote a resurgence in the popularity of domestic skills. Generations ago some of those skills...like sewing...were common across the board. Now sewing skills have become a prized commodity, especially as some say it's become a "dying art." Well, I think Etsy is proof positive that it's not a dying art anymore! People have started to appreciate more and more the value of buying beautiful, quality handmade items directly from the creators.

Etsy gets me excited...can you tell? =)

And for good reason! It provides a way to search what is essentially on online database of artisans from all over the world! If I want something hand-made...pretty much anything at all...chances are I can find someone who's either already selling it, or someone who could be commissioned to make it. The possibilities are endless!!!

For example...I really wanted Kara to have a beautiful handmade party dress for her birthday. But, I don't sew. At all. I do know several people who can sew, but only do so on occasion, and I waited way too long to ask someone to make me a dress. So, I took to Etsy!

It wasn't long before I came across the shop Vintage Pearl. This gorgeous boutique is absolute eye candy, filled with oodles of incredibly lovely and unique vintage-inspired clothing, jewelry and hair accessories. Shop owner Angela (a wife and mother to 3 beautiful girls) impressed me immediately with not only her obvious talent as a seamstress and a designer, but her talents as a photographer as well. And did I mention? She's completely gorgeous and models many of her creations herself.

Yep, that's her!

As part of her shop description she wrote:

"Years of desiring unique vintage clothing for my girls and photography clients inspired me to create my own! To be both photographer and designer allows me complete creative control. This keeps inspiration from each idea's beginning to the photographing and listing of my item, as well as the love of creating a unique piece for my customers, complete when I ship my art off to it's new home! It is a joy from start to finish for me."

To me, that perfectly sums up the fabulous concept of Etsy! It's a place where artists can truly find fulfillment doing what they love and make beautiful creations that other people can not only enjoy, but be inspired by as well! I can tell you right now....using Etsy has me more and more excited to learn to sew! Because every single one of those crazy-talented seamstresses was a beginner once too, right?

Sorry...I keep schmoozing. =) Back to my dress search...

As I looked through Angela's creations, I fell in absolute love with this aqua and rose floral fabric in one of her dresses that she stated was "rare and out of print."

However, the style of dress I loved the most was her knot dress with apron (also in gorgeous vintage-inspired fabrics).

I sent Angela a message through Etsy asking her if she could create a custom dress for me, made with the beautiful aqua floral fabrics but in the style of a knot dress with apron instead of a sundress. She was so accomodating and created an absolutely perfect dress for me! And not only that...I let her know that I was kind of late getting around to ordering a dress and asked if I could make a rush order. From the date of that first conversation to the day the dress arrived on my doorstep was a grand total of about 7 days!

Kara looked so beautiful in her special dress....like a darling little milkmaid. Perfect for her shabby chic 1st birthday party!





One more thing that enamors me about Etsy is that I love the idea of purchasing things that can become heirlooms and keepsakes. I wanted Kara's party dress to be something special, and even though I couldn't make it myself, I took a small part in it's creation. I imagined what I wanted, then I looked and looked until I found someone who could help me make my little vision a reality. And not only was it perfect for her first birthday, it will be something I will cherish for a lifetime! And if I'm lucky, maybe I'll get to see it on my little granddaughter someday. =)






























I also ordered some beautiful fabric bunting banners for Kara's party, through the Etsy shop Blue Sky Bunting. The shop owner Judith was actually located in England, but I was so in love with these beautiful and hard-to-find specialty fabrics ("Tilda" fabrics by Tone Finnanger, a European designer) that I paid to have these banners shipped "across the pond." Judith was an absolute pleasure to work with! I must admit, I've never been to England, but I'm a sucker for romantic British literature, and I love England for all of it's beauty and history. It gives me a little bit of glee knowing these banners have a touch of British charm! I can't wait to be able to reuse them for tea parties and fun phootshoots!

I adored the "mini" bunting that I used on my mantle...so tiny and sweet!

It will have a permanent home in my daughter's bedroom!

If you love the bunting banner trend, another one of my favorite Etsy shops is Starlit Nest. Shop owner Alison makes not only amazing banners, but gorgeous coordinating quilts and doll quilts! I plan to purchase some of her items for some fun photoshoot ideas I have...probably the only reason I haven't ordered yet is because I have no idea how to decide between her hundreds of gorgeous designs!


























I also discovered a little secret about Etsy that I have to share with you:

If you need someone to design a logo, a blog template, an invitation or most any kind of printable product, Etsy is a fantastic place to look for graphic design services! Many designers have premade options but will customize designs for you as well.


























I wanted to have a beautiful invitation made for Kara's birthday, and I lucked out when I found Clarissa of Poofy Prints! I loved her style and contacted her asking if she could design a custom invitation for me. Even though she was technically taking a break from her work at the time, she was incredibly kind and agreed to create one for me. I ended up having her design adorable matching cupcake toppers and favor tags as well. And she was able to rush all the designs for me!

See how amazing all these artists are? I could go on and on! My first experiences with Etsy were 200% positive and every shop owner was wonderful to work with! I gotta say...the more I interact with people in the crafting/handmade community, the more I come to see that they are so incredibly *nice*! It's all the more fun buying pretty things when the people you're buying them from are genuinely friendly and kind!

So if you haven't ever used Etsy...go check it out! If you've looked into it just a tiny bit, go search around a bit more...you'll be surprised at the vast offerings and just how specific you can make your searches! And if you already know and love Etsy, well...I'm happy to join your club. ;)

Here's a few more shops I'm in love with:

Little Town Boutique - Etsy is *the* place to look if you're looking for pretty hair accessories for girls and ladies! There are *gazillions*! I first heard of Little Town Boutique through the fabulous photographer Skye Johansen. She's been photographing my kids for 3 years now and she has the most gorgeous (and ginormous!) collection of headbands and flowers, many from Little Town! That's my little newborn baby girl modeling one of their pretty creations.

The Wheatfield - This shop is brimming with cute, colorful, whimsical and inspirational art prints! I love this "What a Wonderful World" print. But really, I could buy every single thing in this shop!

Yvette Inufio Photography - Oh my. Yvette creates the most delicious and dreamy vintage-inspired photographs! She states that all the indoor photographs are taken inside her own home...I wanna go live with her! I love this print, titled "There's a party in my room and my only guest is the light."

Kandid Designs - Katie offers professional logo and marketing designs, and I love her style! All her logos are so classy with just the right touch of whimsy. Most of her logos are premade, but you can have her tweek them or customize them to look just how you want! Someday...someday, I hope to be a photographer, and looking through this shop makes me want to pick out a name and get a logo right now, just for the fun of it! (Am I the only weirdo who loves a good logo?)

Like I said...I could go on and on! Don't let me take any more of your time...get Etsy-in'! ;)

Easy Lollipop Planter

You know what's awesome?

How truly easy-peasy this cute little ditty was to make!

While shopping for Kara's party I happened across some cute pink mini swirl pops at Michael's. I decided to use them as favors, and they looked so pretty displayed in this adorable planter that I assembled all by myself!

The little shabby chic planter was about $8 at one of my favorite little local shops, the Forget-Me-Not Boutique in Lehi. They sell vintage/antique items and refinished furniture and I have to pop in to wander around for a few minutes every chance I get! If you don't yet know of a shop like this in your area, find one...they are so fun!

The little faux roses were on clearance at Michael's for about $.80 a bunch (Michael's, how I love thee!). Each bunch had several stems of flowers on it, and I used a wire cutter to clip them off for use individually.

Then I just bought a few blocks of green floral foam at Walmart! One block fit inside the planter completely but still left about 2 inches of space, so I cut a piece of foam from another block to make it fit nice and snug.

Then you just stick the flower stems in the foam! Rearrange them as necessary to get the look you want, make sure you've completely hidden the foam....

Then stick in your lollipops and arrange them how you want...

and Ta-da! Cuteness!

The swirl pops looked adorable all on their own, but I loved the tags I had designed for the party so much, I just had to add them to the front! I loved how it turned out!

I'm sure you can find these lollipops at craft and party stores and online, but I love that Amazon carries them, and many are eligible for Amazon Prime! Go here...they have sets of swirl pops in this same size (about 2 inches wide) and in lots of different colors, so you can give your party a very custom look!

And if you're the cake-pop making kind, I think this would be an adorable way to display cake-pops! (I am totally afraid of trying to make cake-pops...or more specifically, to try and decorate cake-pops. But, I think I'll have to overcome that fear very soon...my oldest son keeps begging me to make them!)

I loved this idea and it could be used in so many fun ways...you could make it using just about anything for a container! A box, a bucket, a basket...I think a pail with a bunch of daisies and some multi-colored lollipops would be adorable!

And another great thing: after the par-tay is all over, this doesn't become obsolete! Without the lollipops this becomes a cute little home decor item!

So.....

You know what's not awesome?

After my lollipop planter was all assembled, I put it up on top of my tall entertainment center so my little boys couldn't meddle with it...

...And then COMPLETELY FORGOT to put it out for the party.

=(

I don't know how I didn't notice it up there!

But such is the crazy mommy-brain-ness that hits me full-bore when I am in the midst of party-throwing!

And as one could probably guess, my kids sure don't mind having a few extra lollipops around! ;)




P.S. I know I already said it, but I absolutely adored these pretty shabby chic tags (and matching invitations!) I had designed for Kara's party...



I found an awesome designer on Etsy who created these lovely tags kuh-RAZY fast for me...I waited far too long and decided pretty last minute to get some designed, and she was so wonderfully accommodating. I used several vendors on Etsy while planning this party and it was my first time really seeing what it's all about. I fell in love with that amazing online marketplace! There is so much incredible talent and beautiful handmade work to be discovered! I'll be writing a post soon about all the different Etsy shops I purchased from and the beautiful products they make...products which are not just decorations or clothing, but heirlooms to be treasured for a lifetime! 

Fabulous Fancy Frames! (That Don't Cost an Arm or a Leg!)

I love this fun and funky trend that's going on with frames right now! I've been planning on hanging a trio of my daughter's adorable newborn photos in her nursery for forever, but I didn't want to go with the same old frame styles. I wanted something pretty...something classy...but something different. Something whimsical and sweet. When I first saw these frames on Etsy, I knew they were perfect!

The prices, however, quickly made my heart sink. I found similar frame styles available through several different sellers, but the prices were about $40-$60 for an 8x10, and $70-$100 for an 11x14! Yeee-ouch!!! A trio of frames would eat my wallet alive! And that didn't include shipping! I sat on the fence for quite awhile, and I was *really* tempted to just take the plunge and buy them. 'Cause I loved 'em!

I'm sure glad I didn't drop that much cash! One night I was lucky enough to stumble across a blog post by The Crafting Chicks, a fabulous crafting blog that I had never read before, about Poppyseed Projects. I came to find out that among many other awesome products, Poppyseed Projects creates unfinished, ready-to-paint frames in the same styles I had been looking at, for a fraction of the cost! You can buy all their products online, but I lucked out because they just so happen to have one little shop right here in Utah, just a half hour away from me!

Poppyseed Projects specializes in carrying unfinished products and premade kits for so many adorable crafts! This means you have all the materials you need to make something, but you save a bundle! And, you get to customize it to fit your style!

I was a bit scared at the idea of painting my own frames at first, because I had absolutely zero experience with painting. Painting anything. But when I went into the shop the first time, the ladies there were beyond nice! I told them I was a 100% beginner at not only painting, but pretty much all things crafty, which I'm sure was obvious as I asked them question after question! They were so informative and I left the store knowing I could absolutely do it!

All ya gotta do: Spray paint the frames, then sand a bit around the edges for a distressed look. Bam! Cuteness!

I bought a bunch of different size frames, but all in this cute "bracket" style...my absolute favorite!

They were $16.50 for an 8x10 opening, $24.95 for an 11x14 opening. Sooooo much cheaper! If you order products online, the shipping costs depend on where you live and what sizes you order. But even with the shipping, these are far and away more thrifty than any of the other similar styles you could buy elsewhere!

They have several other really cute frame shapes as well, and a little birdie told me they have more frame shapes in the works. The Poppyseed Ladies also told me they are working on creating sets of frames in different sizes and/or shapes that they've combined into attractive configurations for photo walls. I would *love* to buy frames for a pre-arranged wall display without having to work it all out myself!

The colors I chose were the main colors in my daughter's room: pink and aqua blue. I absolutely love that color combination! I tested a couple of different shades of spray paint in two different brands and ended up choosing Krylon Gloss spray paint in "Blue Ocean Breeze" (purchased at Walmart) and Rustoleum spray paint in "Candy Pink" (purchased at Home Depot).

If you don't have broken-down cardboard boxes or anything else hanging around to paint on, you can find 9 ft x12 ft plastic drop cloths at Dollar Tree, or probably any dollar store!

The ladies at Poppyseed Projects told me they normally only use one coat of paint and no primer, but they advised me to do more than one coat of paint if I chose a lighter color. They said that lighter colors may not show up well on the edges, so to make sure to try and coat the edges of the frame. I definitely found this to be true! Since the frames are made of MDF/compressed wood, the paint kind of "soaks in" a little bit. My husband, the contractor, had suggested I try priming the frames before painting to make the color adhere more effectively, buuuuuut I was lazy and didn't. =) I think next time I will definitely prime to try and get the colors to "stick" better! I've heard from several reliable, experienced furniture/decor painters that Kilz Spray-on Primer is an awesome product, and it can be picked up at Walmart or any home improvement store.

(After one coat of paint. You can see the splotchy parts...definitely needs a second coat!)

After spray painting 2 good coats on the frames and completely drying them, I used a 100 grit sanding sponge (so much easier to handle than sandpaper!) on all the outer edges of the frame and the edges of the opening for the photo. I tried some higher grit sponges...150 grit and 220 grit...but they were so fine they just weren't getting the job done.

I was afraid I wouldn't be very good at artfully achieving the "distressed" look, but it was really pretty easy! I think I am even going to go and sand them a little bit more....I think I was scared to go overboard the first time I sanded them.

The Poppyseed ladies told me they use a palm sander/electric sander for distressing their frames...they just do a quick and easy once-over on all the edges. I came to find out that my contractor hubby already has an electric sander, and I'm thinking I need to get some practice with it, because I will definitely be buying more of these frames!

For my very-new-to-craftiness-self, I think the frames ended up looking great! Plus they were perfect to use for Kara's shabby-chic/vintage rose themed birthday party. I loved them so much I just had to display them on her dessert table!

I still need to hang the three I've got for Kara's wall. Hopefully I will get it done soon...I am the worst in the world at hanging pictures! Note that the Poppyseed frames don't come with hangers installed on the back...you need to purchase them separately. I also love them displayed on a cute easel!

And I gotta remind you....Poppyseed Projects offers sooooo many other awesome products! Along with  frames they have photo blocks, clocks, quote boards, vinyl art, antiqued subway art plaques, wood letters...so much crazy fun stuff you'll wish you could buy out the store! All their products are sold as unfinished kits, which include all the pre-made materials and detailed instructions. Everything is so wonderfully affordable! If you're located near their store they also offer craft nights and classes!

Some of my favorite Poppyseed items right now...

Their subway art plaques! Love this one for St. Patrick's Day...

And the plaques look SO cute layered with a frame...

and I absolutely adore this personalized bird decal with 12'' wood letter!

Poppyseed Projects is definitely one of my most favorite crafty
discoveries ever! Head over to their online shop now, and don't
forget to like them on Facebook for product updates and fun news!

Happy crafting! ;)