Simply Sharing...

In honor of my quest to regularly post to my blog this year, I am going to start sharing other blog posts that I have found throughout my reading during the week...kind of like having a featured blogger, but using their blog links, rather than having them rewrite...

I will, of course, have an occasional featured blogger, as well...but, for now...

I was so excited to read this post by my friend and fellow Etsian, Dionne. She found a lovely Etsy shop full of "farmhouse chic" items for our homes. Being a huge fan of the "Farmhouse Chic" decorating style, I felt obliged to share her article with y'all.

http://notesfromdionne.blogspot.com/2010/02/farmhouse-chic.html

Enjoy! :)

 

For more items like this one, go to:

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

Fall Weddings - Part 2

One of the first things that my husband and I decided on when planning our fall wedding was that we would stay within our small budget. Invitations were the first item that I wanted to take care of, and we opted for a medium-sized guest list. We have a lot of church family, and we didn't want to leave anyone out. In order to save money, we decided to create our own invitations, rather than spend money ordering them. I went to a local office supply store and found some autumn patterned stationery. I designed the wording on my parents' computer, and we printed them out. They were beautiful, and they cost us next to nothing!


When we figured out how many guests we were planning for, we started looking into food options. When reflecting on autumn and the splendor that it beholds, we considered the bounty in harvest time. A cornucopia of foods was our final decision. Again, we were sticking to a small budget, so we took a trip to our local Sam's Club. We spent less than one hundred dollars on food for our wedding. No kidding. We bought whole chunks of deli meats and cheeses. We took them to a friend of ours who owned a local restaurant at the time, and he sliced them for us. My mother and some of the ladies from our church rolled them and placed them onto disposable platters that we had purchased. We then asked our friends and family to consider making a dish to pass, and we ended up with a fabulous buffet feast.

Our decorations followed suit with the seasonal bounty theme. Gourds, pumpkins, candles in autumn spice scents. Vines. We brought nature into the rooms. Why pay a fortune when you can find inspiration in your back yard or along the roadside?

We didn't need to spend a fortune in order to have fun, either. We looked at who we knew and chose our photographer and our d.j. from that list. We were blessed by both with very reasonable pricing. Another lady that we knew from church blessed us with our wedding cake. It was her gift to us for our big day. Think about who you know. They are usually more than happy to contribute to your celebration and will give you lower prices than those who are in their business for the money.

These are a few more tips for planning a fall wedding on a budget. I hope that you've found some useful pointers!

Below are some fabulous table setting finds that are available on Etsy.com. To see the designer's shop, please click on the photograph. It will take you directly there.


Left - Right: Cotton Bird Designs, Mary Wibis, Beadz2Pleaz

Left - Right: April Hiler Designs, Tim Wilson Glass Art, Sunshine And Ravioli

Left - Right: Chester and Donkey, mooshoopork, flores del sol

Fabulous Friends Friday!

It's Friday again! This week, my Fabulous Friend is Kelli Sincock!
I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Kelli on my recent road trip to visit
family and friends! If you have the opportunity to meet a fellow Etsian while travelling or because they happen to live in your neck of the woods, I highly encourage it! There may be a new Fabulous Friend for you out there! :)

Please tell us about yourself…
My name is Kelli Sincock. I'm 43 and married to my sweetie, Austin. We've been married for 9 years and have two cats. Sadly no kiddos. We live in Northern Virginia but we are both from California. I love crafting (just about every type of craft), I love nature, I love to sing and to dance, and my heart belongs to the Lord.

What is your first crafting memory?
My first crafting memory (besides the basic crayon coloring addiction) was in junior high taking my first art class. It was the first time anyone really noticed my drawing ability. The teacher just fussed like crazy over my drawings. It was kind of embarrassing but also exciting because I really loved to draw.

How did your shop get its name?
It's my name. :-) Actually, I didn't realize when I signed up for etsy that the user name would be your store name. So, I just signed up with my name and decided to keep it.

What is your favorite medium to use in your crafting, and why?
Oh dear. If only I could choose. I'm hopelessly in love with learning new mediums and processes. I was a Metalsmithing major in college, so obviously I like metal, but I also really like yarn and paint. And, well, I'd say I have a HUGE bead addiction! (That's an understatement!)

If you could learn a new craft, what would it be? Why?
I think it would be very interesting to learn wood carving. I think about Jesus as a wood carpenter and how He must have enjoyed working with the wood. I've not had a lot of experience with wood, so that would be a good one for me.

Tell us about your office. Then, tell us about your dream office.
Right now I'm kind of all over the place. I can't seem to find the place that fits me. I have all my tools and equipment in the sunroom. I have taken over the dining room table with beads and my computer and files are in another room. It's very disjointed and annoying to me.
My DREAM studio/office.... Oh, it would be a wonderful place! Large and airy with lots of windows. White walls. Lots of shelving and storage. Lots of wall space to hang up my materials so I can see them all the time. At one end would be my jewelry studio and at the other end would be my general work space with a long worktable where I could paint, draw, sew, etc... In a connecting room would be my photo studio where the lights and camera and computer stay out and ready to go at all times. And, of course, it would be wired for surround sound so I could listen to music from all angles all day long..... Ahhhhhhh....... It's my happy place!

What or who is your biggest inspiration?
Wow. Hmmm..... I have so many inspirations. It's hard to choose. Honestly, I have gone to so much art school throughout the years that I have been inspired my so many talented people. I'm not one to idolize people, ever. But I can take elements of their style, their talent, their knowledge, etc... and put them altogether to give me golden nuggets of inspiration.

Who is your biggest fan? How have they encouraged you?
That would be my husband. He is my number one cheerleader! He always brags about my jewelry to people and even gets people at work to order stuff from me. He's such a sweetheart. Everyone should have one like him!

What is your favorite item to create? Tell us about it.
I really like creating collage pieces utilizing various objects (some found, some created) to make art or jewelry. One of my favorite things to do is to go to antique malls and troll around looking for odd little bits and pieces that can be worked into a piece. It's like a treasure hunt. The only problem is I often don't want to part with the pieces once I've found them.

What are your business goals for 2009?
Might sound strange, but this year, my goal is to make my art my joy again and not my work. I'm going back to school to pursue a degree in counselling and I want to refocus my arts and crafts as that place I go to enjoy myself and to bring joy to others. I find crafting a very spiritual experience. I feel very close to God when I am crafting so I would like to remove the whole 'business' and 'money' factor from that time with Him. God has given me this gift of artistry and it all belongs to Him. I'd like keep that a personal relationship between He and I, and leave the 'world' factor out of it.

Kelli has four shops on Etsy:
Kellirene (Passion Flower Designs) ~ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5141483
Vintage Kelli ~ http://vintagekelli.etsy.com/
Kelli Belli ~ Supplies ~ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5308180
Bridal Palace ~ http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5572769

If you visit Kelli's Passion Flower Designs, right now 50% of EVERY PURCHASE will go towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer! Please support her! Here is a testimony and a link to her Avon sponsor page:

This year I will be walking in honor of a long time friend, Mandy. I've known her since junior high school. She is truly one of the most beautiful women I have ever known. She has been on her own personal battle with breast cancer and has handled it with such grace and faith. I am inspired by her strength of spirit and feel if she can continue through this very frustrating time with such positivity and courage, then I certainly can walk these miles in honor of her! Your donation means so much to me and to those who are struggling with breast cancer. Please consider a donation for this wonderful cause. Your encouragement will most certainly help me make it through ALL those miles! You can see my Avon Donation Page here:

http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk2009/WashingtonDC?px=4614690&pg=personal&fr_id=1760

Thank you so much, Kelli, for sharing yourself and your shop with us this week!