Whatever Weekend – Shoes and Tattoos!

Today, I fell in love.

With these:

 

Gipsy Dharma has some of the most beautiful, handmade, leather, festival-style boots I’ve ever seen!

I’ve wanted a pair of boots like this for years now, as the hubs and I frequent our local Scarborough Faire, and see handmade shoes like this on the regular. It doesn’t hurt that I secretly want to be a fairy. (Shh…) I’m also a lover of shoes that keep me close to barefoot, which is hard to find in a boot. If you’re curious about why going barefoot is so good, check out this link. As for me, I’ve always enjoyed going barefoot, and continue to do it for health reasons (as someone with FMS, it’s important to me to walk consciously to put less strain on my body,) but I am a girl, after all, and this girl loves her shoes! Could it get any better than custom-made by hand?

The designer is based in the UK, but she’s obviously accustomed to selling internationally. There’s no shortage of detailed info on her shoes and clothing, including measuring and sizing tips to help you avoid returns. She’s also eco-conscious, which, of course, I appreciate, and her customers are clearly very happy!

In other news, I’ve found a great tattoo artist who I’d like to do a tattoo I’ve had in mind for years now. Her name is Shanti (which means “peace” in Sanskrit, in case you were wondering,) and she specializes in Art Nouveau style. My idea is somewhat general right now – a celebration of life garden with specific flowers to represent specific loved ones and important events in my life, placed on my hip, and wrapping around to my lower back. I have plenty of notes on possible flowers, and would love a swirly, Art Nouveau style background to tie it all together. So, I need an artist with a good sense of botanical work, and I also want bold, rich color, and after looking at some of Shanti’s portfolio, I’m confident she’ll be able to provide just that. Look at this beautiful Iris (a cover-up, no less.) The color variation and attention to detail really drew me in.

 

I’m excited to work on sketching out some designs and meet with Shanti after I’ve saved up enough money to sit through at least an hour-long session!

Share the Love,

Chelsea

Tuesday’s Treasure – Yuletide Cheer

Click on the images to shop DFW local, handmade small businesses!

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Chelsea

Tuesday’s Treasure – Have an uncommon holiday!

Have someone on your “nice” list who dances to the beat of a different drummer? Let our latest Etsy treasuries guide you to unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for the season!

For nomads:

For glam rockers:

For horror movie buffs:

Pinteresting People – 5 Pinners to Follow

It’s easy to sign onto Pinterest and quickly fall down the rabbit hole of beautiful images, yummy recipes, DIY projects, wedding planning, kid activities, crafts, fashion, funny quotes, and cute animals! Needless to say, there are plenty of interesting (or “Pinteresting”) people to follow, but if you’re looking for some new content, here’s a list of some of our favorite Pinners.

Etsy Fort Worth – Ok, so we may be a teensy bit biased here, but, really, our team pins some awesome stuff. There’s everything from member items for sale to DIY and craft projects to fun themed boards like “Sweet Nostalgia.” Who doesn’t love pictures of The Muppets and Bob Barker? While you’re there, you can follow individual members from our team by looking to see who’s pinned some of the content.

Offbeat Home & Life – Ever heard of Offbeat Bride, the awesomely wacky site for all things nuptially related? If you haven’t checked out their sister site’s pins, do not passgo! Even if you don’t think you’re “offbeat enough,” trust me – you are. You will love Ariel and her team of weirdos, and they will love you back.

Alison Erion – I have no idea who Alison is, but if you love vintage and antique fashion (among other things, like sewing, quilting, and homesteading) she is one lady to follow!

Tiinia Auler – Tiinia has become a good friend of ours, and she happens to be a fabulous makeup artist in the DFW area! She pins some of the most gorgeous makeup and fashion inspiration, and some of the most bizarre and beautiful images. I see something excited and new from her every day.

Stephanie Robot Pop – Stephanie pins some of the most colorful and geekerific things I’ve seen, and I love it! Follow her and add some sunshine and rainbows to your day.

Of course, you can also follow us, if you haven’t already! Our business account, LoveAndEyeballs, is full of Etsy fun and what inspires us, or you can follow me personally here.

Share the Love,

Chelsea

All bound up.

It may seem a little weird, maybe it conjures up images of whips and chains, but there’s no need to be scared – body harnesses are harmless (unless you’re just really into that “50 Shades of Grey” stuff.) You can find everything from leather to chain, plain to outrageous, to suit your level of comfort. Harnesses can be worn under or over your clothing, or layered between a shirt and jacket. They can also be worn in the privacy of your own home in lieu of lingerie!

The last time I talked about venturing into the world of harnesses, I mentioned I was using vintage crochet pieces that my grandmother made while she was alive. The effect is just like I hoped: a perfect mixture of soft and hard, edgy and sweet. The pieces are lightweight, they can be easily pinned to clothing, and the style works in any season.

Here they are, listed in the shop:

Tuesday’s Treasure – A little of this, a little of that

Escape From The City

Red and White (Made In Texas)

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any treasuries, so I thought I’d share a couple from the end of last year that I thought you might like. The first one is clever, titled “Escape From The City,” featuring city and travel themed listings, including our JuJu Eyeball sparkly roach earrings. The next treasury follows one of my favorite themes – local! It’s also a Valentine theme, I suppose, in red and white. This is the first time any of my new harnesses have been featured – exciting!

(I apologize that I didn’t post these treasuries sooner – some items that were featured have already sold.)

So, if one of your new year’s resolutions involves buying locally, or supporting handmade/artisans/small business (and good for you for making that resolution,) this is a great place to start. Etsy can be a little overwhelming, even if you do a specific search, and treasuries can be a quick, aesthetically pleasing way to shop.

The weather has been consistently sunny for the past few days here in DFW, so I think, after a quick trip to the pharmacy, I’ll break out the new camera the hubby gave me for Christmas and take some photos for the shop.

Hope your new year has been wonderful so far!

Share the Love,

Chelsea

 

First show of the season – Art Hunger

Just wanted to share some pictures of our first show of the season, and our first show representing our newest shop, JuJu Eyeball!

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The day was slow (we guessed that about 20 customers passed by our booth,) due to little advertising, a festival down the street blocking traffic, and an electrical outage issue on the block. We did make some new vendor friends, and made a couple of great contacts with customers! Mom sold a couple of her sand castings and that was it, but the booth fee was very inexpensive. We ended up spending a little money on ourselves and for Christmas presents, and my husband (while running home to get the purse I forgot, and the wallet he didn’t realize he left at home until he was on his way back) brought one of our good friends back with him, so we ended up having a great time.

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Chelsea

Jewelry SALE & Reader’s Special!

In celebration of summer, when the weather’s hot and the fashion’s cool, we’re having a sale on select jewelry up to 50% OFF!

15% OFF Minty Fresh Ring, $6.80

Sale ends midnight (central time) on June 30th.

Plus, we have an extra special treat for our blog readers:

Use coupon code “toocool12” at checkout, and receive 10% OFF* of your purchase!

Happy summer, and thanks from the bottom of our hearts for reading our blog.

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Chelsea

*10% OFF coupon code applies to regularly price items and already discounted items.

Expires midnight (central time) July 31st, 2012.*

Fresh & Clean

I didn’t realize how much I missed making Etsy treasuries until I finished this one at about midnight. 🙂

Click on the image to check out these beautiful items and the shops where they belong.

 

Friday’s Favorites – Old School Dress Up

I’ve seen some amazing vintage and vintage inspired super feminine spring outfits on Etsy lately! If I had the money, I’d buy them all, but, alas, I must “window shop.” Look at all the pretties!

Share the Love,

Chelsea