Your ice cold heart will melt

This is without a doubt the most wonderful thing I have ever seen. This makes me want to move to France and raise my children there, so they will sound just like this.

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.

I got this from sweet jessie's blog. You will enjoy it, too.

I should be photographing my latest pieces, but instead I'm trolling the interwebs for cuteness and enjoying sitting by the fire. (My husband is wonderful!)

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

For all two of the people who actually read my blog, you have probably noticed a lot of changes lately. I'm trying to update and customize the look of my blog so it matches my aesthetic and coordinates with my branding, etc. Soooo if you happen to stumble across this blog, please take a moment to look at it and give me your thoughts! I would love any and all constructive criticism about the look, feel, and content of my blog.

Thanks so much!

PS also check out the YWCA of Greenville site. I've been working on some updates over there as well. Gracias!

My favorites!

I was inspired to post these links after I attended a Web Design & Development seminar at the YWCA of Greenville. In it, I met other small business owners, and we shared ideas and experiences. I started talking about some of my favorite websites, and it got me thinking, so I decided to share! Below are links to some of my favorite sites. Some are helpful, some are fun, and some are just plain pretty! I hope you enjoy, and please let me know if you've found a fabulous site I should see!

How To: Make a cheap (free) light box for taking macro photos - The light box I made after reading this tutorial has helped my Etsy & Flickr sites SO much! I highly recommend it if you need to photograph items to post online.

Etsy - This one is pretty obvious. I love Etsy, and everything about it. The shops are amazing, the site itself is fabulous, and don't even get me started on The Storque. It's a daily addiction.

Great advice from The Brand Builder - This local (Greenville) brand strategist has some great advice on his blog from one of the greatest. Definitely check out his other posts for ideas on how to improve your branding strategies. I know I will!

Making It Lovely - I could look at Nicole Balch's photographs all day long, and still find something new and fresh about them! Her style is great, and along with her husband, she is working to transform their Chicago-area bungalow into an even more stylish home. Her site is always a source of inspiration for me!

knack - Barb, the owner of knack, is a Greenville artist and furniture resurfacer who has an amazing, funky sense of style and takes beautiful photographs. I love her work, and I'm sure you'll become a fan of the pieces she imbues with a renewed sense of style.

Flickr - Okay, you probably already know about this one, but I had to include it. Flickr is a wonderful community of photographers who want to share their images and inspirations with the world. You definitely need to bookmark this one.

Blogger - Really, do I need to say anything about this one?

IKEAhacker - I don't know if you are as obsessed with IKEA as I am, but even if you're not, you will definitely enjoy these hacks. There are so many inventive uses and revamps of the already-great IKEA pieces. Check it out!

Bakerella - I don't bake, but I love cake! I know you will love Bakerella's delicious recipes and mouth-watering photos of her cake creations. Yum!

Apartment Therapy - This is definitely one of the ultimate home decor inspiration sites. Home tours, project ideas, and small space advice abound on their pages, and bloggers from around the country contribute. A must-read.

design*sponge - Oh, I could talk for hours about this one! Grace somehow finds the most amazing things to post, and finds the best guest bloggers I've ever seen! If you like DIY projects, and pictures of sweet before-and-afters, you will love d*s, too!

decor8 - The tagline for decor8 is "Fresh finds for hip spaces," and I couldn't describe it any better than that! This is the source for fun, funky pieces for your home, and cool home tours from all over the world.

I hope you enjoyed the sweet link goodness! If you did, please leave me a comment below. In fact, leave me a comment even if you didn't like them! Also, if you like what you see here, please visit my Etsy and Flickr sites.

Peace and love,

Jessica

The Perils of Being a Badass

My husband plays hockey in a local rec league, and last night he got busted in the face area. He should probably (definitely) get stitches, but he's not much for those kinds of things. So now he'll just have another scar to add to the collection.

We're hoping to go see The Watchmen tonight, but we'll see if that ends up actually happening. Here's hoping!

Anyway, Happy Friday everyone!

HELP!!

Where can I find these beads? I want to buy them from a wholesale source, and I cannot find them ANYWHERE!! I have heard them variously described as lucite, plastic, acrylic, and resin. I have searched for them as flowers, chrysanthemums, mums, roses, and pretty much anything else you can think of! If you know where to purchase them wholesale, please let me know!! Thank you!

Snow Pictures!

As promised, pictures from the snowy day!

My lovely (squinty) husband and me in the park behind our house, enjoying the snow!

Lovely hubby again...yes, this is all he wears in the snow.



Frozen bird bath in the park.



Frozen dogwood in our backyard. I love the blooms next to the snow and ice. Pretty!



Fallen branch in our backyard.



Our house!

Now I'm inside, getting ready to organize the craft room. (I swear I'm actually going to do it this time!) Then, I'm going to make some hot chocolate and snuggle up by the fire with my jewelry supplies to make some new hotness!

Peace and love

Snow day!!

No work tomorrow! Woo hoo! I'm snuggled up in a blanket, enjoying the lovely fire. I was going to make some hot chocolate, but now we're snowed in with no milk! (Sad face) I'm going to spend the evening de-cluttering the craft room so I can spend all day tomorrow making pretties! If you're in the Greenville area I hope you enjoy your snow day, too!