I Am Earthy Casual

How many of you also follow Mandi over at Vintage Revivals? She is crazy, and so funny! I love that she is not afraid to try new things, despite when others might tell her she's nuts. She has a herringbone-painted ceiling for pete's sake! How many people have you ever seen do that? I don't always agree with her choices or her style (in fact I rarely do), but I ALWAYS admire her perseverance and spirit!

{ Source }

A few weeks ago, she decided to start a club. Sort of an online design club for anyone who wants to join. She's calling it the Fearlessly Finding Awesome club, or the FFA (not to be confused with the Future Farmers of America club lol).

I didn't participate in the first challenge because I didn't feel I could write a whole post on it. The challenge was to define what you want your home to be, to feel like. And I want mine to feel much the same as Mandy's (even if we do have very different ways of going about it). This is how she put it: "I want my home to feel like me.  Happy, energetic, a little strange, positive, and really really unique." The only thing I would change about it is that I want mine to feel like me and Jess both. She perfectly balances me. So basically, I'd like our home to reflect both of us. I want all of our closest friends and family to be represented, whether its through pictures or something they love. I want bright colors and fun pieces. Aaaand... that's all I've got! Told you I didn't think I could write a whole post on it!

Yesterday's challenge was to take a quiz on HomeGoods' website to see what your decorating style is. I LOVE quizzes, and Mandi said her results were spot-on, so I was very curious to see what my results would be. This is what I got:

Courtney, you are an Earthy Casual

You're interested in creating a welcoming home where people feel comfortable and happiness flourishes. You appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. You love mixing up different textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. Your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. And you are never taken in by the trend of the moment.
You value creativity. You are stylish and fun loving, and can be an inspiration to others. You have a natural sense of drama, and you know you have to be willing to take risks—whether with colors, finishes, furniture choices, or ideas—for your home to stand out. Your home can be happy and lively and the place all of your friends want to be.

Most of that is very true. I find it interesting that I am earthy, because I've never really considered myself earthy. Maybe because when I think earthy, I think lots of brown and tan and green, neutral colors with a few pops of color here and there like blooming flowers. I do want a place where people are happy and comfortable, and I love all things nature and handmade. I am a hugely tactile person. I'm not sure about the grounded and solid part, you'd have to ask someone who knows me well. Personally I am very flighty, but I'm not sure how much my style reflects that. I do know that I am not big on frilly things. I do like to watch the trends, but I know what I like and don't like. I definitely value creativity and do have a natural sense of drama. I love taking risks, I think its something akin to being an adrenaline junkie and getting that rush when you jump out of the airplane.

It identified my biggest design challenge as being organization, which is dead on. I even chose the word ORGANIZATION as my word of the new year, which you can read about here!

There was a collection of 6 colors which are supposed to be my 'happy colors'. They were all oranges and yellows. While I do love orange and yellow, it would have been more accurate if it had included a bigger variety of colors such as green and blue.

The last segment I want to discuss is this one:

Putting Color to Use!

You are probably not one to go in for crazy color, and you may want to keep things fairly neutral and sophisticated overall. But try selecting a duo or trio of colors that work well together, and introduce one or more of them into your curtains, wall color or rugs. This will tie the overall palette together in a coherent way. You could even incorporate your color palette in smaller doses, like in your tablecloths, cushions, throws, or bedspreads, for example. 

This one I do not agree with. While I generally stick with neutral pieces for large pieces like sofas, and bring in color through the accessories, it is purely for practical reasons. My tastes change with the wind, and sofas get expensive to change out often enough to fit my whimsies. Had I the monetary means though, I would be all too happy to buy brightly colored sofas and other pieces and change them out as my heart desired.

Oh and by the way, anyone else who wants to take the quiz can do so here! I'd love to hear about your results if you do!

Feature Friday- Jessilyn Million

*Disclaimer: All images in this post are from Jessilyn at JessilynJoy. I claim no credit or responsibility for any of the art or photography in this post.

This week's feature is about Jessilyn Million, a wonderfully creative lady. Her Etsy shop, JessilynJoy, includes a variety of things from handpainted clocks to cards. There are also original paintings and prints of her paintings. I caught up with her for a short interview.

Sunset Silhouette

What is your favorite item and why?

JM ~ My favorite item in my shop would be "Sunset Silhouette" It is a small version of a large painting I did years ago. It reminds me of a very wonderful time in my life.
[It's for sale in her shop here.]

Where do you get your inspiration?

JM ~ I have gotten a lot of my inspiration from my travels, I have spent a good part of my live in Asia and Europe and there is no shortage of interesting things to inspire creativity over there. When I am here I am usually inspired by nature.

How long have you been painting? How did you get started?

JM ~ I have been painting and doing some kind of art since I was a kid. I grew up in a very creative environment and I had a lot of freedom to paint all over my room and I took full advantage it.

[Wouldn't that have been AMAZING!? I wasn't allowed to paint or even hang pictures in my childhood room. I can't imagine how awesome it would've been if I could have.]

How/why did you decide to start selling on Etsy?

JM ~ Most of what is in my shop started as a gift for someone. I started taking pictures of the gifts I made and when I moved home from years of traveling, when I didn't have a job I started my shop to help get me through my period of unemployment.

Seeing as how this blog is mainly focused on home design, I'd also love it if you'd be willing to submit a picture of something in your home you wouldn't mind readers seeing, maybe a room you love, or a piece of art you adore, etc.

JM ~ It is a dresser [in my room] that I rescued from the Children's Art Museum that I work at. It is where we stored costumes from the previous exhibition. It is huge and heavy and a pain to move, but I love it!
[Btw, I asked her what is written on the chalkboard in that picture. She said it's a quote from a William Blake poem:

"To see the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wildflower.
Hold infinity on the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour."

-William Blake

So now for the goodies! I love so many of her things, so I promise I will try to keep the image overload to a minimum!

  

First off are these cards. They are made using a lino cut, which is a printmaking technique in which, to put it in very basic terms, the artist carves the picture as a stamp. They are beautifully detailed, and she has 5 different cards to choose from. Each purchase gets you a pack of 5 of the design of your choice, plus the corresponding envelopes. What a fun way to personalize a little get-together! I would love to give these to, say, my bridesmaids for a bridesmaids luncheon, or my closest friends for an intimate brunch.

Sailing Cards

The item she has by far the most of is clocks. HANDPAINTED clocks to be exact. They are GORGEOUS! If I could put them all on here, I would. You'll just have to go check out her shop for yourselves! I will include a few here though, the few I narrowed down to be my absolute favorites. (And believe me, it was TOUGH!)

Bird in the Sun Wall Clock

Bird in the Vines Wall Clock

Queen Anne's Lace Wall Clock

Granted, her clocks are what some might call a tad bit expensive. (They range from $30 up to $75.) But the way I look at it is this: If you can find a piece of art that you love for less than $75 these days, you're doing awesome (or maybe you just have really cheap taste). These are works of art too, and they have the added bonus of being functional! These clocks are like the perfect mate: not only do they look amazing, but they are useful too!

If you've found one you love, but you still aren't quite sold on the price, maybe this will help push you off that fence: right now, Jessilyn is offering 20% off to all you wonderful readers! (That makes the price range $24-60, which is slightly easier to swallow. Yes, I even did the math for you!) Just enter coupon code 20OFF at checkout. Tell her Courtney sent you!

DIY Art Teaser

I have in mind some new wall art. And the best part? It could potentially be FREE! (I say potentially because it will depend on what color(s) I decide on and whether I have the paint on hand or not. I have everything else I need.)

My inspiration for it is this, a designer set from Horchow that hails for $275 for a set of 6 (mind you, those are 6 of their choosing- not yours):

Horchow- Six Asian Blocks

 I'm sorry for such a short post! I'm nursing a horrible migraine tonight, one of the worst I've had in a while :-/

Name Switch

Woot! I've officially switched over the blog name. Figured it'd be better to do now, while I have a hundred or so followers, than later when I have a thousand or so. I am still working out all the kinks with the feed and everything, so if you have any problems please let me know!

In case you didn't notice, I've also done a bit of redecorating around here. Let me know what you think! I used a couple of different fonts for different parts, but I'm not sure if they will show up for everyone (I don't think they are standard fonts) so y'all let me know how it all looks for you :) (or at least let me know if it looks ok)!

A few people have asked where I got the new name. Basically, my nickname is Rainbow, and Jess' is Lucky (the leprechaun). I wanted a clever name having to do with where we live, or our names, like I see so many blogs do. One day it dawned on me that I should use something to do with the end of a rainbow, since that is where you find the leprechaun. (Now if we could just find that darned pot of gold.....). So I toyed around with a few different wordings, but in the end Blogger kind of chose for me because 'At The End of My Rainbow' was the only one not taken. So there you have it!

I was looking for a stock picture of a rainbow and leprechaun and came across this. I love love LOVE Lilo & Stitch, so I couldn't resist! Its a pin that you can buy on Disney's website here (or eBay, for double the price!)

Feature Friday- Lisabees

 *Disclaimer: All images in this post are from Lisa at Lisabees. I claim no credit or responsibility for any of the art or photography in this post.

This week's Feature Friday is about lovely lady named Lisa (I have a bit of a thing for alliteration lol) who runs an Etsy shop named Lisabees. She is a fantastically crafty and creative woman! She makes and handpaints original wooden signs and other home decor. And they are SO GORGEOUS! And apparently I am not the only one who thinks so, because she has over 4600 sales on Etsy! (Most of the sellers I've worked with so far had 100 average.) 4600 is amazing!

Take a look at one of my favorite pieces, this star ornament. I know its meant for Christmas, but I think it would work all year round. I love it! Its so simple, yet powerful.

Believe Star Ornament

And this one is just adorable. Imagine hanging it in a little girl's room! Or put nails in it and hang pictures on it for a 'family tree' anywhere in the house! (Lisa's suggestion btw! :) )

Curly Tree with Birds

She has items for every holiday and season as well. Like these:

Spring Block Set

Standing Easter Block Set

This last one is my absolute favorite. The price is a bit too steep for my budget, but I can dream can't I? The 3 hanging pieces are interchangeable, and it comes with pieces to represent every month! You can buy the sign and each month set separately if you want of course, as well as others like a birthday-themed set and sports-themed sets. Now, I'm normally not one for decorating for every holiday, but I think that would so adorable to hang on my door and change out each month!

Full Year Set of Monthly Welcome Decorations
(pictured is June)

Amazingly, as busy a woman as she is (they get so many orders that she and her husband made it their full-time jobs!), and she's been moving this month and had her daughter's birthday to boot, she still took the time to answer some questions for yall. What a sweetheart! So here they are (I'll call her LB for LisaBees :) )-

Where do you get your inspiration?

LB ~ When I first started creating I would get designs out of wood craft books. I started making them my own by changing different parts. Occasionally I would come up with an original idea. Then one day I made a commitment that I could no longer depend on anyone else for my creativity. When I started selling my own personal designs sales really took off. For me, inspiration comes from a variety of things such as paint colors, nature, kids clothing etc. One of my favorite things to do is when a customer wants me to make a custom design to match their child/s bedding. With all that said, I feel like my inspiration really comes from God. I remember being in a place in my life many years ago where I actually worried; “what if my creativity goes away”. I remember thinking; “what if I run out of ideas“. Soon after I learned an important lesson that forever changed the way I create. I learned that I am a piece of God, and if God is creative and endless then why wouldn’t I be the same. The moment I realized this, everything changed. I found that all I had to do was quiet my mind and the finished product would be placed in my mind. I would doodle out the image and then make patterns to be traced on wood. Nothing is more satisfying than watching the doodles come to life in a finished product. Even after all these years, it still does not get old for me. I want to add one more little tidbit. I really believe that every single person has the ability to be creative in some form whether it is gardening, decorating a house, glass work, etc. I believe there are two elements to tapping into this creativity: 1. Quieting your mind enough to hear the inspiration. 2. A belief in oneself. When you believe in yourself, opportunities just show up, ideas are given, and a fulfilling sense of connection to everything and everyone around you is placed in you. 

How/why did you decide to start selling on Etsy?

LB ~ I had been selling at local craft shows and shops for years. Every Friday or Saturday I would hop in the car with my husband and often small children to go restock. Then when my last son who is three now was born 3 months premature we started rethinking our long eight hour road trips each week. When we got to bring him home from the hospital he couldn’t stand to take long drives. Maybe it is because he spent his first three months of life tied up to cords and wires and wanted to be free from the car seat. One of our friends that we were wholesaling to had a store on Etsy and told us about it. It started out slow and then with some trial and error and asking people for advice sales started snowballing. Little by little we pulled out of every store we were selling at and stopped doing local craft shows all together. Now we sell full time on Etsy and don’t have to leave our house unless we want to.

What is your favorite thing you've made and why?

LB ~ This is a little hard to choose because I have been making things since my oldest son who just turned 18 was only 17 months old. I have over 350 items listed as available to purchase on Etsy. I probably have just as many designs not listed not to mention hundreds of designs that are still in the form of a doodle. I think two of my all time favorite designs are my Welcome Pumpkin and Hanging Flower Pot.  

Welcome Pumpkin

Hanging Flower Pot

What an inspiring story Lisa! Thanks so much for taking time out of your hectic schedule to share it with us!

If you've seen anything here you like, or even if you didn't, head on over to her shop and check out the rest! She is running a special for spring, if you hurry you can get 15% your order using the code SPRINGBEES! It ends mid-April though, so if you're like me and you've dragged your feet or couldn't decide or didn't have the money at the time and time ran out, she's given me another code for yall to use, BEELUCKY, that is good for 10% off year-round! Oh and one more thing, if you saw something you like but want a different color, or if you have an idea what you want but can't do it on your own, contact her about it! They specialize in custom orders. As she said above, she loves to make custom items to match kids bedding or room themes, so if you can describe it, I'd bet she can make it for you! And be sure to send pictures of anything you get, I want to see! Call me living vicariously through you all hehe :p

Hooray!!!

First things first, Jess and I BOTH got job offers yesterday! Plus Jess had a call for an interview (which she turned down because it was only part time and less money). When it rains it pours, right!? I start this Saturday and she starts on Monday. And the hours will work well with us sharing a car. And we still get to sleep together at night! (I hated sleeping by myself when she used to work third shift.) Woohoo! Even though money is still going to be super tight, its definitely an improvement over what it has been! I'm incredibly excited to start, its a different kind of job than I've had, and one I think I will truly enjoy for the first time in a while! Not to mention I just love change, I love learning new things and meeting new people, and there will be opportunity for advancement unlike in nursing, where the only opportunity for advancement is when you go back to school.

I'm also thinking about starting some marketing/advertising work for a Serbian artist I met through Etsy. (I had contacted a friend of hers about being featured on Feature Friday, and she passed my name on because she knew her friend would be interested as well. She's donating work for not 1 but 2 giveaways next month, and she asked me if I'd be interested in helping her out with doing some marketing in America.) She knows I have no background or training in marketing. But I'm learning from my blog, and anyway I learn best by doing. I think I'm going to try it for a trial period, like maybe 2 months, and see how it goes.

I'm thinking as far as the blog goes, I'm going to put my crafts on hold for a while. I may still do one once in while, when I have the materials to do one for free, or if Kelly wants something for pictures and buys the supplies, or something like that, but its not going to be a priority like it was intended to be when I started it. I just think every spare bit of extra money we'll have (which won't be much if any) needs to be going toward paying some things off right now. I'll keep doing Feature Friday (feedback for those has been amazing! I will do my best to keep them coming!), and posts on things I like or decor/craft ideas I have that I need to get out of my head. I may also post about blog posts from other blogs, craft ideas or designs that I love.

The PURPOSE of this post, other than to tell you all the fantastic news, is to ask if there is anything else you guys would like to see! Any ideas, or anyone who would like to be a guest blogger, or any input is welcomed! Email me at cjanae522@gmail.com. You guys are wonderful!

Listia Anyone?

Are any of you are on Listia? I'm totally addicted to that site! For those of you who don't know, its like eBay, but instead of bidding money to win things for auction, you use credits. You get 400 (I think?) automatically just for joining, and you can get more by buying them, auctioning off your own things that you don't want, inviting friends or sharing things on Facebook and Twitter. And you use your credits to buy others people's stuff! Some ask that you pay shipping, some offer free shipping and some will split it with you. I've already bid on like 20 things, and won 3! I've been looking around the house for stuff to auction to get more credits lol. I'm thinking about selling some of my old jewelry I made ages ago and never wear.

They do the bidding similar to eBay's bidding. You put in a max bid that you are willing to pay, and then the site bids for you until someone outbids your max. Make sense? Say you find something you love, and the current bid is 20 credits. You want it badly and want to make sure no one else gets it while you're not online, so you bid 101 credits, the current bid becomes 21 credits and you become the highest bidder. If someone bids 25 the site automatically bids 26 for you. All the way up until someone bids above your 101 bid, or until the auction ends and you win, whichever comes first. I hope that wasn't too confusing for anyone!

They have sooo much stuff, from jewelry to plants and seeds, video games to clothing and accessories, to appliances like George Foreman grills to antiques and collectibles. Some of it is used and some is new. There a lot of companies that auction things too. This is what I've got so far:
(These are all photos that the sellers provided for the listings, I haven't gotten any of them in the mail yet, but I'm sooo excited to!)

Purple Mesh Candleholder

This was the very first one I won! I had been getting sooo frustrated because I kept getting outbid at the last minute, but I was the only one who bid on this. I guess no one else saw the potential in it that I do! ;D You just wait, I've got plans for this baby.

3 Small Glass Bud Vases

I guess no one else wanted these either because I was again the sole bidder! I guess there's no accounting for taste huh? ;D I think they are gorgeous and I can't wait to get them!

Rainbow Zebra Print Shower Curtain

I found this one at the very beginning of it being listed. Someone had bid 1 credit for it. I wanted it so bad that I bid 109 for my max bid (random I know) and was the winning bidder with 2 up til today. Someone tried valiantly to outbid me (she bid 5 times, the highest being 50!) but I guess she either didn't have enough credits to bid more or didn't want it that badly because I got it for 51 credits! Hooray! I have been wanting to do a rainbow bathroom ever since we moved in (although I was going to do it in the downstairs bathroom) and now I can!

Now I'm down to 289 credits so I'm off to go through some of my old jewelry and whatever else I find to auction!

Oh and anyone who is swayed enough by this post to want to join, please use my personal link, we will both get extra credits if you do! http://www.listia.com/signup/1159602