Weekly Ring Envy~with love~

You know I love you, right? You know how to tell that I love you? I comb the internet for images of the new DVF power rings by H. Stern, that's how. These babies are not easy to come by. Bergdorf's will let you look at them, as will Neiman's and the H. Stern website. However, they will not let you copy the pics. (why so stingy?)

But don't worry. Some other folks out there are smarter than me and I hunted them down and copied theirs. And it's all because of the love.

I know. It's kind of painful, isn't it? Such beauty at a price that I could never dream of paying for a piece of jewelry. But I tell ya, that Diane should have been making jewels all along.

*images from here and here.

zippidy doo da

For those of you who don't already know (if there are any), dealing with insurance companies can be like dealing with Satan himself. I have a pain in my left temple. My patience is wearing thin. I want to throw something.

*think happy thoughts* *think happy thoughts* *think happy thoughts*



This is part of my job. Yay.



Thankfully, Daniella, from Dress Design Decor knows where to find the prettiest stuff in the whole world. And she posts them for my very own viewing pleasure. (well, okay. everyone else's, too) I am totally smitten with these pics by Steven Chee. I LOVE this photo. This is perfection in my head right now. Rocks and grass and worn in jeans. A long sleeve shirt. Nice and easy. Very Bridgette Bardot, too. The heavy lashes and nude lips. This is another one of those photos that leave me with a longing in my heart. Maybe it means I should go for a hike. I don't know.

In other news: God is a little unhappy with me for not spending enough time with Him lately. So, the sky is overcast. The air is cold. And the wind is kind of brutal. Romantically overcast, may I add. But still not good for pictures. I just seriously wish you could have seen the beautiful pics I had of my purses, as I may never be able to re-create the same look.

Happy Tuesday, all. I hope you don't have to deal with any insurance companies.

breathe deep

* new work from yumiyumi

The weekend has arrived. And it's looking pretty rainy. The ground around here is like mush from all the endless showers. The chance of taking new product pics is looking pretty slim.

But I have been feeling creative lately. I have that desire to create. So maybe by the time I actually get to take some photos I will have some brand new stuff to add to the shop!

Before heading out for the weekend I wanted to share this painting from Yumi Yumi. I love the colors. It just feels so peaceful; and you know I love things that feel peaceful. The little petals and the drapey dots on the bottom are so delicate. Pretty. Pretty. Pretty.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I think the rain is going to change everyone's plans around here. But I would be just as happy to stay home and create. :) Till next time.

~Jo~

I Give Up

I'm so upset that I'm shaking right now. After taking all my de-stash photos during lunch and then finding enough daylight to photo a pile of purses after work, I was so excited. I had some really beautiful photos. AND THEN...... I plugged my camera into the computer and erased every damn one of them. Well, not just those, but a ton others, too. I know I am not the only one to ever do this. But how the heck was it sooooo easy to screw up that big? I still don't even know how that just happened. It should not be that easy to erase 200 pictures. Seriously.

I'm speechless. Someone needs to fix the dang system so that it clarifies what the crap is about to happen.

Weekly Ring Envy and Random Rambling

Okee dokee. So it's Wednesday and guess what .............. yep, the sun is indeed shining. Kinda crazy, right? It shines while I am at work. It goes behind the trees by the time I get home. It does know, Elise. It does. But I hurried home at lunch and munched on potato chips while I shot some pics of de-stash. (you know. supplies that need to go do their thing in someone else's home instead of mine. de-stash) So, thankfully, I can get a few things listed in the shop. Maybe I can catch enough sunshine this evening to take some more photos. Fingers crossed.

I've still not accepted the arrival of fall. Been feeling a little emotionally uneven the last few days. My hubby has been coming in at night and watching Band of Brothers (again). I was in a total creative mode last night, but I couldn't escape the sound of guns and bombs in the living room. So I just ended up scowling at the husband all night.

Anyway, I could keep rambling, but I won't. SO...... in honor of changing seasons and the lovely early autumn breezes, I give to you a set of undulating rings by Embellish Jewelry. Now, there is just something about these rings. Something that reminds me of breezes through the treezes. They are so smooth and curvy. Very soothing. (unlike ridiculously realistic war movies.) If only I could find a pair of earplugs this pretty. ;)

I know I'm a little obsessed.

Okay. Seriously. How could you possibly say that this red hair doesn't rock? The hair, folks. Not the tight-rolled pants. The hair.

* yes, of course it's from the Sartorialist, and hopefully he won't kick my hiney for stealing a pic. I asked for his book for my birthday. That should count, right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn here in the States and I am having some serious seasonal denial. I think that most everyone would agree that this summer just didn't seem to last as long as it should have. I feel like I didn't even get time to enjoy it. Now there are the end of summer chores to do. I have been successfully putting them off for weeks now. Cleaning the windows. Bringing the sweaters out and packing away the tanks. Hand washing all my swimsuits before storing them away, too. It just doesn't seem right; cold weather being right on our heels.

But I'm trying to keep my head up and stay productive (despite the gloomy, sleep inducing weather). I'm still toiling away at getting organized and simplified. The closet above makes me giddy. I love organization and this closet makes it look so easy and so fabulous. This is my dream closet. A place for everything and everything in its place. Plenty of light. Open and airy. I can just see locking myself in my closet to read new magazines! One can dream, right?

* photo from House Beautiful

Weekend Update

Okay. I just thought that I owed you guys a little end of vacation week update. Unfortunately, it isn't as good as I had hoped for. But, it's okay.
I did get a LOT of yard work done. Trees cut, bushes dug up, lots of stuff planted, bulbs in the ground. No grass seed sown. No fill dirt in the yard. But I did have to do a lot of the work in a drizzle of rain. So, I did pretty good on that front.

As for the shop..... I have two and 1/2 t-shirts finished, a pile of de-stash to photograph, a few more things in the works. However, the weather is not prime for good photos. I have things lined up and ready to go, but the sun has yet to shine through. I'm not going to say that it was a complete failure. I've just been put on a rain delay. That's all. PLEASE, keep cheering me on . I'm really trying, here. Really.

I'm dreading Monday. Being off just reminds me that I should have married for money so I could stay home. Marrying for love is completely overrated. Hee. Hee. Hee. Just kidding.

Love Ya
~Jo~

Vacate Update

Hello, dahlings.

Just dropping in to say that vacation time seems to go waaaaay too fast. I have gotten some yard work done. And a few t-shirts for the shop. A little bit of cleaning. But then....... it starts raining. Yes. It started yesterday afternoon and is still going at it. It is slightly difficult to do yard work or product photography when the weather is like this. I guess this is what I get for relying on the Farmers Almanac to tell me what the weather will be like.

But I'm not giving up. I'm still working on stuff and hoping that the sun comes back out. So, keep your fingers crossed for me.

Love to you all,
~Jo~

Drop your anchors here, dahling.

You are all familiar with how giddy I can get when I run across something amazing. You know how I can't wait to come share it with you, like schoolgirls on the playground. And you know that it's Friday and I think you deserve something crazy beautiful to look at before you kick off your weekend. Enter Chatham Girl.

This seriously talented lady makes seriously stunning pretties that bring to mind an era of excess and adornment. She enjoys taking old hats and such and refurbishing them to surpass their former splendor. Her shop is insanely beautiful and poetic. And the photography......... well, there's no need for words.

Once again, if I were a guy, I would totally be crushing on this red headed doll. That lovely face and porcelain skin. Those gorgeous grey eyes. Girls that can pull off this hair color and still look painfully beautiful make me very jealous.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. And be sure to look up Chatham Girl.

Weekly Ring Envy

I know my Ring Envy posts have been a little sporadic here lately. Sometimes I will find five rings in one day. Other times I can't seem to find anything. This week, though, I found a real beauty. This ring is from jennykim on Etsy. I spotted it on a front page treasury one evening and gasped at its perfection. I know I say that about all of them, but don't you agree? I love when something as delicate as a flower is imitated in something as strong as metal. I love that it has a little cluster of blooms instead of just one single flower, too. This is one very talented designer.

The Dilemma

I am soooo not a big spender. We've talked about this before. But I'm taking my vacation next week from work and I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying home. So, I've been thinking that I deserve a special treat; maybe a purchase that I wouldn't normally make.

My favorite spa sent me an e-mail saying that their massages are on special this month. Ahhhh. I love a good massage. That's really hard to pass up. But I've been eyeing the collection of boots from Born. I'm such a sucker for shoes. And the foreshadowing of fall is making me crave a pair of boots. I don't want the "uniform" winter boots. I already have a pair of those. High heels, tight fit, mid calf. No. I want a pair of soft leather, flat sole, would look insanely awesome over my jeans kind of boots. Boots like these.

And, people, have you ever pulled on a pair of Born shoes? Oh......my......gosh. They are so comfortable. I could wear them all the time. Or, at least that's what I tell myself.

I have been known to buy shoes and boots before and then not wear them enough to justify the purchase. But, on the same note, I used to have a pair of black combat boots with buckles up the side that I wore until they hurt my feet.

If you haven't noticed, I'm kinda leaning towards a pair of boots. But the massage would be nice, too. What do you think? I can't do both. I gotta choose.

Oh! and you should definitely check out the Born website. The photos are amazing. I mean, just look at the few above. There are plenty more. Seriously gorgeous. Go look!

So, this is Tuesday?

It's been a fun weekend. I was actually off work yesterday, which is not the norm. We usually work on Labor Day, but not this year.
Friday was spent at a friends house playing old school Nintendo. No joke! The original Mario Bros. game.
Saturday was a day on the lake with friends. Jumping off big rocks. Playing behind the boat. And lots of diving off the side.
Sunday........ my girl got back from Jamaica. We did a little grocery shopping and then I cooked dinner for all of us.
Monday was drag racing. All day at the track. Hotter than the pits of Haiti. But it was a blast. The car is running great (finally!). 7:13 in a quarter. That's just motor, no nitrous, if you know anything about what I'm talking about.

I didn't have the digital camera at the lake, so I have no pics to share. Sorry. I have race pics, but I figure you couldn't care less about that stuff.

How was your weekend?

note

I just realized that not all of the blogs I follow were showing up on my Spots of Sunshine list. I fixed that little problem and I apologize that all the lovelies that keep me smiling on a regular basis were not basking in the sunlight.

~ luxury ~

I've been thinking about luxuries for the last few days, and how everyone's idea of luxury is a little bit different. It all started with the desire to buy a new hand cream. I was pondering the fact that I was going to spend more on a few ounces of hand cream than I will usually spend on a shirt. But, you see, I consider good lotion to be a luxury. And if the scent makes me happy, it feels even more luxurious. There are only a few things in life that I will pay full price for. Good lotion is one of them. My favorite undies is another. And then there are the things that I just can't pass up. Like cozy blankets. *photo from {this is glamorous}

I love blankets. I just can't pass up a pretty, soft, cuddly blanket at a good price. I keep them on the couch. I take them to the races. I throw them on the ground to sit around the fire pit. In the winter I tend to keep one wrapped around my shoulders while I tool around the house. A good blanket feels like luxury to me.

In a little shop at the beach, I came across the Lollia collection of candles and creams. Oh, my beating heart! This is luxury at its best. I have never smelled such amazing concoctions of happiness in my entire life. And what lovely packages! I sniffed them all and slathered a sample on my hands. It happened to be one of those days when I didn't feel like spending money and I passed on buying the cream. But for the rest of the day I would cup my hands around my face and inhale the beauty of Wish. And so, while considering my next purchase of hand cream the other day, I was filled with a longing for that lovely smell of perfect happiness and searched for a website. It was there that I met my destiny. I still haven't ordered yet. I'm having debates on scents and sizes in my head. But I will soon. And it will be pure luxury when I do.

What is your luxury?

Attention, please.

If I may, please direct your attention this way. I have an announcement to make. (clearing throat) You are about to witness a self made catastrophe. Don't blink. You would hate to miss this. I, with much reserve and nerve, have decided to set a goal. (Gasp! from the crowd) Yes, I understand your concern. Truly, I do. But I feel that setting a goal is my last resort in a desperate attempt to rid myself of the embarrassment and shame of my current sub-par creative performance.

So, here's the deal. I have the week of September 14th off of work. I chose this week because it is supposed to be the ideal time to reseed the lawn and do all my trimming and plant moving. I need this time in the dirt. But, I also want to use this week to take new photos of my items and do a Miz. November shop makeover. I will go into more detail about what I hope to accomplish later. But for now, I am going to leave it at this.

** The goal is to have my Miz. November shop cleaned out and ready to go, with new pics and a list of de-stash items, by Monday, September 21. **
And I expect you all to heckle the life out of me if it doesn't get done. Unless, of course, some other catastrophe prevents this from happening. Or as we say around here, "Lord willing."

Spreading the Love

After my little rant yesterday, I figured that I should share some good stuff with you on this rainy Tuesday. And I ran across two dandies last week on Etsy. See how that works? I throw off on the parts I don't like and then I share with you the pure streaks of genius. Yeah. Your welcome. I am not much of a clutch girl. I hate having to hold on to something while shopping. But this clutch right here has a strap on the back side to slide your hand through. Handy dandy, don't you think? Not to mention, the bold colors and shapes are absolutely eye catching. I just adore it. Ladies, this is Anne, from smlbags. Anne, meet the ladies.

Looking for something truly personal to cherish for the rest of your days? Well, here it is. The bright folks at fabuluster will send you a cool kit to make an imprint of someone specials fingertip. You send it back to them, and voila, they hook you up with an awesome one-of-a-kind fingerprint ring to keep forever and ever. *or hand down to someone you love. *or give as a token of your affection. Now, how cool is that?