Shop Sale

I thought it was about time for a little sale in the Miz.November shop.  If you only knew how many things I have stockpiled in my workroom, just waiting to be photographed and listed.  It's ridiculous.  But there are plenty of older items that need to find good homes first.  Lots of stocking-stuffer-size art.  Several bags. 

It's the perfect time of year to stay home and shop online.  Coupon code STAYHOME20 will get you 20% off your order through December 2, 2013. 

Happy Thanksgiving!  Spread the love. 

Newness

New jewelry is being added to the shop.  
This one went in tonight and there are more in the works. 
And some collaboration pieces with exotic wood elements are on the way, too!
Woo hoo. 

Thinking About....goals and ambitions.

The past few months, my mind has been focused on what the hell I'm gonna do for an income. As most of you know, I quit my job at an auto body repair shop over a year ago. I had dreams of putting all my time and effort into my Etsy shop and, hopefully, seeing it flourish like all these other shops seem to do. But that hasn't happened. And I'm having to fall back and rethink my goals once again.

You see, the hubs and I are planning on building a house this year. The plan is drawn and the pricing is being figured. I hadn't mentioned it before because I don't like to jump the gun. I didn't want to get excited about it and then it not happen. But now that we are on the verge of getting the loan, I am panicking. I had been making a little bit of money here and there painting houses, but not enough to feel like I was contributing to our income. And, so, now I am faced with the thought of having to get another job.

I probably don't have to tell you just how much that thought drains all of the joy right out of my soul. I have never been happier than I am being able to stay at home. While other people dream of high profile jobs, making tons of money, I dream of being the artist that I was born to be. But Lord knows I have a tiny little problem with making things happen.

So, for the first time in my life, I have set some goals. And a time limit. (gasp!) I have until May to get some painting done, photograph it, weed out all the crap in my store, put together a somewhat cohesive collection, and totally re-vamp my Miz. November store. And then........well, who knows? But that is what I have so far. I have some things to discuss with you in the coming weeks, so I hope you are willing to give me your opinions and words of advice. It's now or never, people. And I hope I have your support in trying to make my dreams come true.

This is only the beginning. Maybe.




*those awesome earrings that I am wearing up there are from Tribal Style. Don't they look bad ass?

The New Thing.

Remember when I told you that I ordered new business cards and I promised that I would show them to you? Well, I did. And I'm here to do just that. Brand spanking new Miz. November business cards.......


I searched thousands of business cards online. Several websites. I looked at layouts until my eyes started to drift together. I finally ordered from Zazzle and I have to say that I absolutely love them. Zazzle was super quick and very affordable. I know we all wish we could have letterpress business cards, but let's face it, they cost more than I can fork over.

So, why did I order new cards, you ask? Being that I have a very unreliable amount of business in my Etsy shop? And, honestly, it seems like a futile attempt?

Well. Because I am trying a different route. It may take me a few months to get things together (it always takes longer than it should), but Miz. November is changing courses a bit. I don't want to make any promises, but I am planning on adding a generous amount of artwork to the mix. And I am narrowing down the other items to try to create a certain cohesive "look". I am trying to get rid of my current stock by placing them in a few stores. I already have several pieces in a shop in Asheville at the moment. I am going to try to not be all over the board, like I usually am. Instead, I am going to stick with a few of my favorite patterns and try to make the best products I possibly can. Do fewer things, but do them better. Get my drift?

I plan on narrowing my goals down and getting serious about accomplishing some things. So I will share those goals with you when they become more clear and you can help keep me accountable. Doesn't that sound fun!? Haha. (Just go with it.) ;)

Hugs and Sunshine
~Jo~

Ring Envy

I bought myself a Christmas present. Do I feel guilty about it? Well....I did a little bit until my husband bought himself a Garmin and a new Xbox. And a puppy. And is thinking about trading his motorcycle. Yeah. I don't feel guilty anymore. We are not made of money, but apparently the hubby doesn't know that. Anyway. On with my story.

I bought myself a ring from Huismus on Etsy. And a few days before Christmas, this beautiful package showed up in my mailbox!

Complete with shiny paper and a tiny black box; Simone had also included three gorgeous tags to use on gifts. I am a sucker for presentation, and the presentation of this gift was perfect. Tiny handmade confetti spotted the inside of the box, which (of course) held this most amazing ring!

I am in love with it! It is everything I was hoping for and more. The craftsmanship is beautiful. Its wide band and large face feel warm against my finger. It's comfortable. And the big chunk of creek jasper is........it's hard to find words. Let's just say it speaks to me.

Look at it! Like a beautiful painting that I hang on my hand. The colors. The patterns. The metal. I am so glad that I splurged on this ring. I have a feeling it will be with me for many many years. (I also have a feeling that it may not be my last purchase from Huismus.) I highly recommend Simone's work if you are in the market for some new jewelry. Check her out.

I have other random news to share with you guys later. I don't want to muddy up the ring envy. One thing at a time. ;)

Clean Up

I'm in the mood to do some cleaning.
I have that unstoppable urge to get rid of things. I think this happens every year around this time. It must be my brain's way of simplifying things before the holidays. Regardless of what it is, I need to clean up!

I think it's about time to have a big ol' sale over at the shop. I am sick and tired of looking at all this stuff. I want some peeps to take this loot home with them! This is my goal for the week, friends. Put everything in the shop on SALE! It may take a few days....but this is the plan.

Thanks for tuning in. I'll catch up with you again this week, I hope. ;)

*pic

Natural Beauty

Sometimes we run across things that have such deep beauty that they make us stop in our tracks. This week I ran across an artist whose work made me do just that.

Joycelyn Merchant is the artist behind these magnificent pieces that had me enraptured from the moment I laid eyes on them.



Joycelyn hand crafts each piece completely anew, so no two are exactly alike. Each one carries individualized marks and character from hand forging techniques. This is not a story of reproducing a great design over and over. This is a story of personally breathing life into each and every leaf that she creates. And she has been creating these beauties since 1977. No wonder they look like they could have been plucked straight from the tree.


Her earrings, pins and pendants come in three finishes. Silver, gold and that gorgeous copper. Each one is just as beautiful as the last. The only question is which one to choose.

Take a moment this weekend to check out Joycelyn's store one Etsy, aptly named ginkgo. I promise that the only artist who can make these leaves any prettier is the Artist who made the trees themselves.

~ Dreams & Adventure ~

I'm sensing a new trend coming on.

* lovely sweet william

* Ten Things

* Vector Cloud

* mini mae store

* spilling beans

Does it make you want to fly away?

Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, full of dreams and adventure.

Keeping in Touch

I have a few friends that I very rarely get to see. Besides living forty five minutes away from each other, our schedules rarely open up at the same times. But I still love to know what is going on in their lives and keep in touch as much as possible. So, we kick it old-school and write to each other! Cards, letters, brightly colored envelopes. Those are the ingredients for a smile in the mailbox. So when I ran across these darling pennant letter writing kits from Briones + Co, I was quite smitten. What a cute idea!

You and a friend either split the kit, or each buy your own. Then you write each other letters on the little pennants. As the letters come in, you string them up. And after a while.... ta da! You have a sweet garland of letters from someone you love. How much fun is that? It would also be a great way to get kids and pre-teens into the art of letter writing. I mean, in a world of texts and tweets, it would be such a shame for the written word to be forever lost.

When was the last time you wrote a letter? I hope this inspires you to get out your pen and paper. :)

Etsy Love

Well. Thank goodness it's Friday! It has been another long week here at the shop. I'm glad to be going out of town this weekend with friends for some fun and sun.

I've been collecting some pretty awesome Etsy finds in my favorites lately. They are just perfect for spring and summer. I figured it's a good time to share a few with all of you. Enjoy.

How sweet is this Tea Party Dress by Amanda Archer? Pretty darn sweet! I love the colors of this one. But if you lean towards to solid end of the spectrum, she makes the same design in other colors and fabrics.

I am a very cold natured person. Once the sun goes down I have to have something covering my arms. I thought that this little shrug top with shawl collar looked just perfect for cool spring evenings. Once again, My Lola Fashion makes these in multiple colors.

Okay. Is this not the most adorable dress you have ever seen? I am always won over by the nautical look. This Sailor Pin-Up Girl dress is from 007 Fashion. In the designers own words, its so cute that even a Bond Girl would wear it. I agree.

I have to say that I am not super crazy about the whole ruffle trend that's happening right now. However, Coralie Beatrix has changed my mind about wearing ruffles. Her Ruffle Tease have made my heart crumble. They are somehow both darling and edgy at the same time.

Happy weekend, dolls. Hope to see you back here next week.

*Olive You*

Today I am really loving the combination of olive green, pale blue and orange or yellow. It feels very spring, and I could use a shot of spring right now.

Darling dishes from walmart. (no joke)

Adorable poster from thewheatfield.

Super awesome necklace from Anthropologie.

Please don't kick me for being so slack in posting lately. It may be a while before things pick back up around here. Please bear with me. (I'm asking nicely.)

Zeelicious!

My, my. The sun is finally shining today. There is blue up above. And we just had a big birthday dinner for my dad. All is well.

Its the perfect time to share with you the work of photographer Zee Longenecker.

This teacup image was on the font page of Etsy. The moment I saw it I knew I had to see what else was in her store. And Wow! what a store. Zee is no one shot wonder. She is an incredible talent with an eye for color and light.

Don't these photos make you smile? I especially love the heart drawn in sprinkles. (Sprinkles are always one of my favorite things.)

Zee was generous enough to let me post some of her pics for you to see. Please take a few moments and visit her store. You'll find gorgeous shots of spring blooms, technicolor carnival pics and much more.

*Happy Sunday, dolls.*

Shine

Today the world outside my window is covered in a thick layer of ice. Last Friday brought snow, followed by just enough sun to start melting it, followed by a drizzle of rain, followed by freezing temperatures, which has resulted in the current ice storm we are experiencing now. It seems like this winter is never going to end.

I am, however, determined to stay optimistic! And what better way to do that than with massive doses of color? My inspiration comes from an interior makeover that I saw on Design Sponge a while back. I don't remember what the before shot looked like. I just know that this bright, airy space is full of happy colors, shapes and textures. And look at those dining chairs!

One of the colors that I love is the cool aqua blue, which sort of grounds the space and makes it feel peaceful instead of psychedelic. A touch of zen on your hand? Try this gorgeous ring from One Garnet Girl. I had seen this ring before and my mind just kept wanting to tie its image with the one above.

Then, of course, any time I am needing a color fix I head over to Pretty Lil Things. So vibrant! You can find a darling little doll face clutch to match just about any hue mood. Is that not the cutest thing ever?

Wherever you are; warm or cold, sunny or rainy, I hope you are safe and warm and smiling. Happy Tuesday all.

Bright One

Seeing as it is Monday and I am on a serious color kick right now, I thought I would share with you one of my biggest art crushes of the moment. Yellena's art has been catching my eye on Etsy's front pages and in treasuries for quite some time now. It's hard not to be attracted to the beautiful floaty nature of these paintings.

I mean, look at those colors, would you.

Like magical, colorful sea life, they seem to be living and breathing. I am just itching to buy one of these lovelies to have as my own. The prints are a great price. I just can't seem to decide which one I want! Maybe I will decide by February and I can buy one for my Valentine's gift to myself.

Please visit Yellena. She was ever so kind enough to let me share her work with you. The least you could do is check out her shop. :)

Happy Monday, loves.

Mark it down.

Here we are, at the end of another year. Time to make resolutions. Time to clean out and start over. Time to buy calendars! I am quite fond of having a big wall calendar for keeping track of appointments and important dates. But what better way to brighten your year and remind you of what day it is than a little desk calendar from Etsy? There are tons of choices. Just search calendars and you will get some 200 pages of results! Here are a few of my favorites.
This one happens to be at the top of my list, both literally and figuratively. The magical world of The Nebulous Kingdom makes me smile. Such sweet, fantasy-like images. And the colors break my heart.

This gorgeous Parisian photography comes from Little Brown Pen. How pretty would this be sitting on a kitchen counter? The gelato shot? Yes, please.

It doesn't matter how old you are, or how tough you try to act, you cannot deny that joo joo has the goods to make you smile. And once used, these little prints would look so cute framed in a child's room. Okay, or yours. I won't tell anyone.

Leah Duncan has a very interesting style of artwork. Like a folksy, Aztec, tribal, block print batik. Lovely, muted colors and adorable animal kingdom characters make this calendar fit in just about anywhere.

Finally, if you have not seen the beautiful illustrations from Immortal Longings, you are in for a treat. Each print is a still from one of Shakespeare's plays. If you aren't into Shakespeare, don't worry. These art nouveau style depictions are breathtaking regardless.

I hope you have a great weekend. If you get a chance, please visit some of the shops above. They are all very talented artists. These desk calendars are a great, affordable way to sneak some new art into your home.

Luv ~Jo~

Let's Hear It for the Boys

Most all of us have a guy or two on our holiday shopping list. And, lets face it, guys can sometimes be pretty hard to shop for. Finding something for the boys on Etsy is not always too easy, either. But there are some awesome choices out there. You just have to dig to find them.

I love this jacket from CHONCORDIA. It has the look of a snowboarding jacket, but its made for casual street wear.

Does the boy like tattoos? Mine does. And he's always wondering if there is a better ointment to use during the healing process. Mirasol Farm makes this herbal tattoo salve to heal your new ink up and to keep it looking good on down the road. This would be a pretty cool stocking stuffer.

Hurt Couture has to be one of my very favorite Etsy finds of all time. I mean, where else can you get a nice leather belt with a self defense weapon built right in? Exactly. This simple looking buckle pulls out to reveal a shiny, sharp dagger. (not recommended for guys who like bar fights)

I had to laugh out loud when I read this shirt. Yes, this is my sense of humor folks. Etsy is the place for witty tee shirts. This one is from Not Your Moms Vinyl. I also highly recommend Signature T Shirts.

Guys need to carry things, too. I prefer they look manly when doing so, and these duffel bags from RAGGED Edge Gear look plenty manly. Check out the store, because they have lots of color and size choices.

I hope you find something on this list that would make the man in your life smile. Of course, you may just find something that makes you smile, too. Happy shopping!

Rock Candy

Raw Naked Gemstones!!!

I love a beautifully cut diamond as much as the next girl. I love polished stones and metals. I love refined jewels and I would never suggest that we toss them aside (unless you're tossing in my general direction). However, there is something to be said for elements in their natural form. Especially gemstones.

How gorgeous are these naturally formed stones? They look like colorful sugar crystals spiking up from their bedrock. Proof that God is a master jeweler. I'm sure you have seen the popular druzy rings and pendants. I've even seen big chunks of stone fashioned into votives and paperweights. And I love them. What do you think of them?

These two amazing examples come from My Cellar Door. And they are quite affordable. (and you know that if I am saying that, that it's true)

What You Need For Fall ~ punk doll edition

Just in case you couldn't come up with anything to spend your money on this season, I give to you a selection of Etsy delicacies sure to make you hungry. This is the Punk Doll edition. I've got more to come. Barbed wire hoops. Sexy and sharp. I bet you won't run into anyone wearing the same kind! These are made by Girl Tuesday Jewelry. The barbs are actually filed down and flattened so they aren't uncomfortable to wear.

Raw gemstones are becoming quite fashionable. I love the way they look. Magical and mysterious. This one comes from The Social Cellar.

You gotta love anything that makes you think of track suits and boom boxes. And that is exactly what comes to mind every time I look at this ring by Steven Shein. Just be sure to take it off before break dancing.

And finally, this is something that I have been lusting over for a long time now. I want a hoodie from SCHiZO soooo bad. Her designs are always so clean and meticulous. They are close fitting and crazy azz supa fly. LoVe. lOvE. Love. LOvE. Gotta save my allowance for one of these. ;)

Hope you enjoyed. I'll be back next week with a more classic edition. Have a wonderful weekend all.

Love ~ Jo