Cocktails, Darling?

There is something so wonderfully divine about having a cocktail party. Not a hang-out-in-jeans party, but an actual get-dressed-up-and-sip-from-real-stemware kind of soiree. Something elegant and swanky. Something that Holly Golightly herself would attend. 

I'm long over due to play the hostess role that I cultivated for many years before my little one arrived. Lately I've had the urge to hide the stuffed animals, put away the plastic toys and remove the miniature potties from the bathrooms – at least just for one night. I've been itching to pull out my stilettos, unpack the martini glasses and turn on a bit of Dean Martin for an evening reminiscent of a time long ago. 

While I contemplate actually planning this cozy cocktail event, I've designed my latest treasury, The Soiree, as my inspiration and motivation. So break out the bubbly and enjoy these glamorous sellers!

The featured shops: laralewis, RockZombieOldies, stemmefatale, makye77, LovelyVintageEtc, wheredidyougetthat, retrovertigo, allunique, Lorinczi, vintagestyle101, thevintagetreehouse, ardithanngray

The alternate items: thepickers, PhoenixDoveVintage, retrochique, MarciG

L.A. Made on the Front Page

The tumbleweeds have been rolling through my blogs, Etsy shops and pretty much every other area of my life that doesn't involve a nearly three-year old little girl, some form of cartoon characters and cold medicine. I thought the older my daughter became the more time I would have to work on all of my fun projects. Nope. Instead my very talkative, demanding, creative child keeps my days filled with play dates, gym classes, ballet and Disney characters. Oh, and did I mention germs? It seems lately I have become a germ magnet picking up every nasty virus - including pneumonia - from every snotty kid that we come in contact with. It's been a real blast.

The last few months my treasury making days came to a complete standstill until yesterday when I just so happened to check in on Craftopolis and it just so happened to be within six minutes of a treasury opening up. Sweet. I used to plan out my treasury ideas in advance, painstakingly selecting each item for its design and theme. Not yesterday. Yesterday I went over to the local listings and quickly browsed through artists from Los Angeles.

There were so many incredible shops that this treasury was actually really easy to put together. It's like the puzzle pieces were shouting at me and within a matter of minutes L.A. Made was created.  I used to email all of the artists included in my design, but again between the haze of Dayquil and the energy of my kiddo, I didn't bother. I didn't have time to bother. In fact, I nearly forgot to check in on the treasury itself.

Thanks to Twitter and to Atomique47 who tweeted about her beautiful clutch being included in my treasury, I checked in. In fact, I just so happened to check in as it made the front page of Etsy! So, not only did I happen to snag a treasury at just the right moment, I also happened to be online to actually view my front page in real time - in the middle of a Saturday afternoon. Sweet!!

I'm taking it all of this "just so happened" luck as a sign that I need to make a little more time for my projects again. They are good for me and my soul. I miss them and this blog. Here's L.A. Made - this one's for you, Los Angeles!

Tick, Tock...

I don't know where time is going these days. The hours fly by and before I can blink, another page on the calendar has turned. It's almost time for turkey yet I am in disbelief that the year is almost over. Where did it go? Specifically where did the last month go and why haven't I updated this blog or snagged more treasuries lately? Oh yeah. It's that thing called time. That thing that I seem to be losing more and more of lately. With all of time honored clichés that I could spout off right now, I found it only fitting to create a treasury dedicated to this crazy thing that we never seem to have enough of.

So here it is… Tick Tock. If you can't stop time, you might as well watch it slip by in one of these whimsical clocks created by these incredible time keeping artists: 1byliz, IMOTIME, bethberg, finkgifts, zulasurfing, MantaWave, StarlingInk. DecibelProductions, thestapeliacompany, YOUgNeek, StJoshua, QuiteRightSlick

Three's a Charm

I am so thrilled to have my roses featured in three very cool, very different treasuries this week! Big thank yous to: WickedGems for featuring my coffin pendant in this very vampy treasury, JooJooLand for designing such an enchanting layout and including my pink rose ring, and last but not least, Danikamon for actually making a beautiful, glow-in-the-dark treasury!

Good Luck

Luck. Who couldn't use a little bit of it these days? Being born and raised in Las Vegas means growing up with all sorts of luck – both good and bad. There are lucky numbers, lucky charms, lucky pennies… And of course Lady Luck herself can be found in my hometown.  Luck is what fuels Vegas and the lure of fortune's offering is what makes people come back for more.  Including me. I may be heading there soon to visit family, but I'm not going to turn my nose at bringing a little good luck along.

Last night I luckily logged into Etsy right before a Treasury West spot became available. The first thought that popped into my head when I realized I had less than 16 minutes to come up with a design was, "What luck!" I then found this adorable golden kitty by JooJooLand. It's beautifully photographed and the colors are warm like the approaching autumn season. The rest of the treasury was based around this cute little guy and everything seemed to fall right into place. How lucky for me!

So here you go… Here are the 12 very lucky sellers from my latest treasury, Good Luck, and their beautiful creations: JooJooLand, ShySiren, cinnamonsticks, PsAndQs, LatigoMoon, wildcardpottery, ShiStudio, PunkyBunny300, F925, hybridtheory, Leelinau, JoyfulSpirit

The alternate items: arleebee, YaneShops, catondarlingandmoore, sewlutionsbyamo

Snow White

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved Snow White. Yes, that little girl would be me. My father made a big production out of taking me to see it for the first time in the theater and I remember getting all dressed up for the special event.  If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, without hesitation I would tell you, "Snow White." I'm sure the fact that I look very similar to Snow has nothing to do with it. Honest.

Flash forward to present day. I still love Snow White and her seven little friends. I still collect vintage and vintage looking memorabilia and best of all - I now have my very own mini-me, er, I mean mini-Snow in my daughter.  Thankfully she loves her as much as I do (ok, I admit it, she might have been influenced just a little bit) and just like me her first movie in the theater will be none other than - you guessed it - Snow White.

The movie comes to theaters about every 10 years so for us to be able to experience it on the big screen is incredible. To add to my excitement, it's playing at the very special Disney theater in Hollywood, The El Capitan. The El Cap provides a live action pre-show before the movies with dancing Disney princesses and an elaborate, interactive exhibit after the movie. I’m in Snow heaven.

Here's my latest Treasury -- a tribute to the Fairest One of All – Etsy style! Enjoy these enchanting sellers:   PaisleyChainsaw, strangeling, lildecalshoppe, solocosmo, vol25, Laloca, TheNebulousKingdom, whitemagic, thelibrarian, WideEyedMusings, blueoctober, dinolover77

The alternates: inkpainter, blinkphoto, SalvageNation, MuddyFeet

THE END.

Coffee with Cream, Please

Mmmmm. Coffee... If you read my last post about waking up before the roosters, then you know I need copious amounts of it to start my day. In fact, my wonderful husband is out on a java run as I type this. What a good man.

I love the way coffee smells, the way it tastes and they way it looks as the cream swirls around changing it from a dark brown to the perfect tan color. No lattes for me. Just a good, strong, fresh brew with cream only, please (preferably served in a large, white paper cup with a green logo on it.)

So here are some sellers to start your day. They are sure to perk you up with their wonderfully, caffeinated products. Enjoy!

The featured sellers: JDWolfePottery, Isotope, MapleHillFarm, joojoo, IntuitiveProductions, FortuneCookieCafe, jackandbee, TracyChong, SofaGarden, ArtSpot, karley, retrokitsch

Altnerates: EnchantedlyYours, fyberknitics, JanAndJonJewelry, FlirtBags

6 a.m. on a Sunday

Even though I'm generally up at the crack of dawn most mornings, there is something about Sunday that makes waking up before the birds just plain wrong. The kiddo is sleeping. The husband is sleeping. Even the needy cat is snoozing away this morning. Yet here I am sitting on my computer.

I have no real explanation for my early rising. I certainly wasn't trying to catch a worm - or a treasury for that matter. In my pre-coffee haze I sat down at my computer and to my surprise, I had 13 whole minutes before a treasury opened up. Even though my eyes were blurry and mind scrambled, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to curate even at 6:00 a.m. 

So here it is… my early morning, pre-Venti-coffee-with-cream treasury. There is no theme or real rhyme or reason to it; I was just inspired by this sly little fox created by the whimsical artist, MissBrigette and worked the design around him. I'm pleased. Enjoy!

The sellers are: bagladymomma, thebrickkiln, fashionrefined, LuckyBluebirdArt, lesperancetile, thelittlefox, UnaOdd, chicallure, MissBrigette, kangas, KarenRadtke, signchick1

The alternates: TessaAnn, NinjaBowTique, MarsDesign, graphixoutpost

MissBrigette's (Brigette B.) blog: brigetteb.blogspot.com

Hurry Baaack...

Since my last Treasury was dedicated to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, it was only fair that my next one should give a nod to the Haunted Mansion.  Did you know it's the 40th anniversary of this ghoulish attraction? And did you know that in celebration of 40 spooky years the artist Shag* put his retro flair on the commemorative artwork? Combining the two is as brilliant as putting chocolate and peanut butter together.  Here are some fun facts about Disney's Haunted Mansion**:

• There was a real Madame Leota. The actress/Imagineer that portrayed the floating head was actually named Leota Toombs. So fitting!
• Tony the Tiger who made the phrase, "Their Grrrrrrreat!" famous was one of the singing statues in the graveyard scene.
• The voice of the Ghost Host is none other than The Pillsbury Dough Boy and Boris from Rocky and Bullwinkle. 
• Walt Disney passed away before work began on the attraction, but he played a major role in Mansion's development.
  

So on to my Treasury… A Ghostly Site which features some incredible artists and their other worldly items.  Featured artists: f2images, ParaNoire, jcmeixsell, cateanevski, sweetheartsinner, cedarjunction, labellefairy, visioluxus, BackCountryPrimitive, ACollectibleCachet, selfxpression, BrandyWine

* Haunted Mansion artwork on the right by Shag - www.shag.com  
**Fun facts found at About.com

Yo Ho, Yo Ho

I have a Disneyland pass and I'm not afraid to use it. The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean have always been my two favorite rides and last week we introduced them to my daughter for the first time. We contemplated whether or not this was a good idea since she's so young, but against better judgment we decided to give it a try. She would either love it like mommy or we'd be that screaming family running towards the emergency exits.

Well friends, I'm happy to say she takes after me. She loved the rides so much that we bought a CD that day with all sorts of wonderful Disney songs on it. Now all she wants to listen to is the "pirate song" and the "singing ghosts." That's my girl.

So here you go… my Yo Ho, Yo Ho treasury inspired by our recent visit to the Happiest Place on Earth. And let's not forget Johnny Depp… How amazing is that illustration by EssenseofUs? And the pirate coat by damselinthisdress? Wow… Enjoy mateys!

Here are the incredible artists that make up one of my new, favorite Treasuries:  CrankBunny, OrangeInk, EssenceofUs, cocoachuchu, santokivintage, SamyStClair,  siemprelalucha,  Leakhena,  graphixoutpost, seasonaldelights, ragtrader, damselinthisdress

My First FRONT PAGE Treasury!

I'm absolutely thrilled! I finally had a Treasury design make it to the front page of Etsy! There are hundreds of curated creations found in both the Main Treasury and Treasury West so to be chosen for the front page is an honor. The beautiful sellers who made up CORK YOU deserve a big round of applause for having such incredible items to feature.

Thanks to the kind comments left on the Cork You treasury, I was informed of being a front page winner. Otherwise I wouldn't have known since, of course, I missed it. And another big thank you  goes to Craftcult for creating their super cool Vault program that allowed me to see the glory and snag this neat widget to display here.  Enjoy!

Cork You

There is something so organic and interesting about cork. Its earthy, old world feel combined with a spongy texture makes it the perfect medium to create a wide range of unusual projects. And that's just what I've discovered in my latest Treasury design. From lamp covers to desk organizers to necklaces, cork is not just for wine bottles anymore.

Did you know that cork:
•    Is environmentally friendly?
•    Is impermeable?
•    Is fire resistant?
•    Is created out of dead cells on a cork oak tree?
•    Is good for insulation for both noise and temperature?
•    Was found in Egyptian tombs?

Pretty cool stuff. And here are the pretty cool Etsy sellers featured in my Treasury who made some neat things out of it: KamLampCompany, AmoreVivo, TheSmallObject, Uncorked, Amoronia, TheCrumpetCloset, SweetsHorn, PaintedPearStudio, Makalewakan, Annacote, SunnyDayArtandCraft, ErdeDesigns.

To learn more about the amazing properties of cork, visit Wikipedia and About.com.

Oh So Blue Today…

Craftopolis is so cool. In addition to their Treasury Clock that counts down to the magical number 333 for you, they also have this very neat tool to let you know if your shop has been featured in a Treasury called Treasure Hunt. Before Craftopolis came on the scene you had to either a) hope the curator would email you or b) scroll through page after page after page searching for a little star next to a Treasury title. Watching those color wheels spin around and around and around can steal the excitement out of it for sure.

Today I went to Craftopolis to check in on the Treasury Clock. Damn… I missed it. Ah well… I then typed in my shop name and low and behold a lovely title of "When the Stars Go Blue" popped up. Ding-ding-ding, I'm a winner! Thank you, AllysAttic for including my Blue Rose ring in your dreamy Treasury.

Walk Like an Egyptian

What a great day! I woke up to find that two rose rings were sold from my MiaRosina shop. Then a OnceTraveled customer left really wonderful feedback about my Journey Bottle Pendants. And if that wasn't enough, this afternoon I discovered that my Pharaoh pendant was featured in an Egyptian themed Treasury created by the lovely shop DeeLights!

The other Etsy artists included in this line up are really amazing. I'm in awe of the shop LargeChess who creates made to order chess pieces in extra large sizes. The detail is incredible and the idea of two-foot tall royal chess characters filling a landscaped backyard is decadently magnificent. I don't know who could pull off a scene like that, but it certainly would be a site to see. Other artists such as LancErika and her beautiful painting of the goddess Isis, and DariaDesign's hand-painted boxes have now been "hearted" and added to my Favorites list. I love Treasuries...

Featured in TWO Treasuries!

I'm a Treasury addict. I love discovering new shops, beautiful items and creating a design with incredible findings. It's a really fun way to be creative while tipping your hat to other hard working Etsy artisans. Being the curator is also a great way to get your shop and name out there and earn you a bit of karma points with hopes that one day the favor will be returned to you. And today it has.

MiaRosina has been up for just a week and my Red Rose Ring has been featured in not one, but two Treasuries. Needless to say, I'm thrilled! Here they are:

And this one too...