Beach Vibe at Urban Outfitters

Browsing over Urban Oufitter's Swim catalog makes me itch to go to the beach. Nope, I'm not a good swimmer, but how I love the waters and the sun.  These swimsuits are so adorable, I think :)

mixed print bikini ; striped swimsuit with bow
peplum one-piece swimsuit ; flower power bikini

Also found these light summer dresses that I think would be great for walks around the island while shopping souvenirs.  I'm imagining fresh breeze blowing on my hair while enjoying a tall glass of pinacolada under a cool shade.  Oh, how I wish we could pack our bags and fly to a beautiful island right this moment!  (this Weezer song, playing on mind as I'm typing this). So, are you dreaming of the beach too?    

floral tank dress ; striped tank dress ; quirky pattern sundress

Featured Handmade Shop: Dahlia Soleil

I would like to introduce you all to Paulette, the designer and owner of the Etsy shop, Dahlia Soleil.  She is an artist who is specializing on machine embroidery.  Paulette lives in New York with her lovely 10 year old daughter, Dahlia Soleil.  In her shop, you can find a mix of crochet and embroidery collection like beanie hats, head band ear warmers, and iron on patch appliques.  Please take a moment to read my interview and visit her Etsy shop or check her out on Facebook.
.

And if you happen to be in New York on the 27th of April, stop by at the opening day for the Hester Street Fair.  Paulette will be there to showcase some of her new work.  Come up, say hi, mention her Etsy shop and receive a special discount.

Let's get to know the Entrepreneur:
 

Why the shop name? 
My shop name is the name of my daughter.

How old is your shop?
My etsy shop was started in 2006 so almost 7 years old.

What inspired you to start your own home business? 
I wanted to earn an income and still take care of my daughter at the same time.

What was the toughest challenge you faced so far and how did you get over it?

The toughest challenge so far is juggling my business and being a mom.  I haven't quite figured it out yet really, just going with the flow at this point. 

What tips would you want to share for aspiring home based entrepreneurs like you? 

Have a back up plan financially.  Sometimes the sales are great and sometimes not so great.  You have to plan for the slow times.

Let's get to know the Artist:

What are your inspirations? 

Nature is my inspiration. I grew up on a small island called Barbados with really rich colors everywhere so I pull from those memories when I am crafting my pieces. 

Can you give us a peek on the creative process involved in your craft? 

I crochet and machine embroider so each one is different.  I start with embroidery software to create a design.  I like to call it the Photoshop for stitches.  Then I transfer the file from the computer to the embroidery machine.  Sew it on to felt and then iron on adhesive to the back to create an iron on patch applique.

What are your top 3 favorite picks from your shop? 

Crochet Hat in Wheat and brown  

Iron On Patch Sloth Applique

Slouchy Beanie Hat with Sloth Patch Applique

Let's get a bit personal :)

What do you do when you're not busy in your shop?

I really love exploring New York City.  In this pic I'm exploring Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in in Manhattan.

What's inside your bag? 

Dried cranberries, phone charger, bottle of water, a pen, a newspaper to do the crossword puzzles and a tampon. 

What are your favorite shops? 

My favorite Etsy shops are Meg Roberts and The Soap Seduction. My favorite real world shop is forever21. 

What makes you smile? 

When I cut into an avocado and it's good, a ripe mango, my BFF Stacia and the love and support of the people in my life. 

What is your message to your customers and the people who support you?

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to be a full time artist and the ability to be there for my daughter.  Every sale and compliment confirms to me that my "job" as an artist is the perfect "job" for me.

~*~*~*~

BIG THANKS & HUGS:

Dahlia Soleil

Create An Instagram Photobook with BLURB

It's official! I'm an Instagram addict.  It's barely a month since I began sharing photos there but there's no stopping now.  I have fallen in love with it like everyone else.  I love the fact that you can freeze moments in a click and file all those little things that made you giggle or smile.  I like that you get to choose effects to transform your photos in an instant. And I love that you can share photos straight from your mobile phone on the spot.  I'm too lazy to upload photos on my computer. I'm also following a couple of people there and it's amazing how glimpses of daily life can be so inspiring.  

Wouldn't it be nice to have a real copy of those precious pictures so you can watch them from the pages of an album? I think photobooks would make interesting pieces of decor at home.  It's cool because BLURB has made it so easy to turn your Instagram photos into a photobook.  Today, I gave it a try and here's what I came up with: 

Yeah, you can say I still feel that little jig inside for having made my very first DIY.  I'm thinking maybe I would be brave enough to try out other projects these coming days and how about compiling all those DIY crafts into a book?  

It's very quick and easy through BLURB.  You simply sign up with your email, username, and password to make an account and you can begin creating books online. Here's what the interface looks like if you will make your own book.

I chose the Instagram Photobook option. You will need to sign in to your Instagram account so BLURB can access your photos and basically,  just drag and drop the photos you want to include in your book. You can see on the bottom all the photos from my instagram account.  I only selected a few pictures for this book and I have yet to make more DIYs and take snapshots of them.

You can choose from different layouts for the cover and the pages, the font styles and colors, the background ~ you can customize everything from the design, the size, and the type {softcover, hardcover (dustjacket or image wrap)} of book you prefer.  Once you're done, you can save it as draft online if you wish to have have it published at a later time.  You can do edits later if you want to make some changes.

It's pretty neat I think!  I would love to create a photobook of my dogs, my favorite recipes, my family, ~ it would be exciting to make these and actually order.  

I'm inviting you to visit BLURB and give it a try.  Don't worry because you can start making your book online for free, like I did, save it, and just order when you're ready.  You can also make a Facebook Photo Book, or a photo book from the photos on your computer.  And did I mention that you can also sell your books and get royalties?  If you order now, you can save 15% off your entire order until April 30th.  Just use the promo code APRIL15 on your checkout.  So, what do you think of my book idea?

The Day for the Outdoors Sale At One King's Lane

I know that a lot of you are excited for Spring.  For us who live in the tropics, we can already feel the heat of summer.  These are days to enjoy the outdoors, have picnics in the park or by the beach, or hold afternoon barbeques in the lawn.  In line with the fine weather, HGTV pairs with One King's Lane for the Day of the Outdoors Sale, (Wednesday, 4/3 - Friday, 4/5)!

I'm imagining buffets in the garden with family and friends so I picked up some great finds from the Help Yourself collection.  I love that the Bumble Bee teapot is now only $12, and the 3-pc Creamer, Sugar & Saucer set is now just $18.  I like the Mason Ball jar, striped straws, dotted napkins, and checkered plates - they would look cute together. If you like window shopping online like I do, check out One King's Lane, browse over the various collections on sale today, and find practical interior design tips by HGTV. I'd love to know what caught your eye?

Feeling Crafty: DIY Rossette Fabric Corsage Necklace

I'm excited to be sharing my very first DIY project on this blog. The reality is that I'm not a very crafty person but I definitely appreciate handmade things and I am in awe of creative people. I love discovering DIY crafts; I enjoy looking at photos of the step-by-step process; I collect DIY tutorials on Pinterest, wanting to try my hands on various projects but haven't found the time or the compulsion to do any of them.

Yesterday, I saw this project on A Few Pretty things and I felt this itch to actually create something.  Today, I stopped imagining and just start.  And so, here it is, a rossette I made out of pretty fabric scraps which can be worn as a corsage necklace or a brooch.

This isn't a complicated DIY.  You can trust me when I say this because I'm definitely a beginner in this field.  I was quite hesitant to do this but then I really wanted to give it a shot.  If you're not skilled in cutting patterns, sewing and putting things together, like I am, but would like to try your hands on crafting, this is one project that you can do.

The only tools you need are needle, thread, scissors, a necklace chain and a compass or a circular ruler.  You can also use jar lids to draw circle patterns on your fabric like I did.

Of course, you will need some scraps of cloth with different patterns.  I've been saving these, wanting to do something out of them for the longest time.  It's an awful waste to throw away scraps of pretty fabric when you can turn them into something nice again, isn't it?  For my rossette, I chose to combine dotted denim; black, cotton cloth with smaller dots; and a cambric shirt in blue & white stripes.

The next step is to cut circle patterns in three sizes out of each fabric.  I chose the dotted denim to be on the center so I made four circles of those in equal diameter.  Don't worry if the edges are not perfect as long as they are round.

I folded three of the circle denims in half twice and stitched the bottom corners.

I assembled my circles one on top of the other, and stitched them all in the middle. Then I sewed the three half circles side by side on the center like this: 

When I was done, I realized that my black, cotton fabric was too soft so I needed an extra layer.  I cut two larger circles using the same blue & white striped cloth.  I stitched the sides of these two circles to make it one so it would be strong enough to hold the entire rossette without folding down.

And this is the final output.

I know this is a very simple DIY but I'm happy that I was actually able to finish it.  Think this one's going to be special because it's my first.  Have you done this kind of project? If yes, I'd love to see what you've made.  If you would like to make your own, you can also check out these tutorials on these blogs: denim & sweater fabric brooch by A Few Pretty Things; corsage necklace by Polka Dot Chair.

~*~*~*~

Joining the link-up at:

J

ModCloth Top Featured in The Carrie Diaries

Do you watch The Carrie Diaries? I don't get to watch it so often but it is interesting to note that for the second time around, a clothing piece from Mod Cloth was sported on the show.  At the beginning of episode 112: "A First Time for Everything", Carrie Bradshaw was spotted wearing the Up in the Tee Tops from ModCloth. The orange peplum blouse is printed with green trees mixed with azure and coral patterns.  Carrie paired it with a statement necklace and a shorter necklace in gold chain.  Pretty :)

My Etsy Picks: Pastelicious Photography

Hello :)  I'd like to welcome the first day of April with this week's Etsy Picks which circles on fine art photography prints in sweet, pastel-icious colors.  What a treat for the eyes!

 Seaside Town : Alice B Gardens

Pastel houses in Burano Italy : Eye Poetry Photography

French Village Street : Marasca Photography

The Banjoy : Jillian Audrey Designs

Endless Summer : Nostalgique Images

Bowl of Buttons : Alice B Gardens

Vintage Radios : Lola's Room

Macaron Platter : Alice B Gardens

Feathers in the Sky : Photography by Karina

Ferris Wheel :bomobob

Pink Sweets : Kris ONeal Photography

By the Sea : Cassia Beck

Pastel Threads in Vintage Spools : Lola's Room

Flying High : Lola's Baby

Pastel Books : Collective Photography

Pastel Carts : Four Trees Photography

Which of these prints would you like to decorate your wall?