thrifty finds...

i love thrifting. if i had a bigger house, i'd be in some serious trouble, since my lack of space is the only thing that prevents some pretty outlandish purchases. i love the goodwill and the one where i live is phenomenal. thats where i scored those awesome, vintage green flat boots. so cool and so comfortable and so $8. during that visit i also scored some great vintage books, some mid-century kitchen tins and a etched glass pitcher.

The coffee table and chair were from a church tag sale that i happened upon completely by accident. The chair was $3 and the table, $18...what a steal!

another view...

As an afterthought, i'll add this picture as well. Because it was just that beautiful.

it has been a while...

Hello folks, i know, its been a while but i have been busy! I visited miami, which was beautiful (see the view from our hotel room above) and i can't wait to go back. I've been doing some shows (the Brooklyn Indie Market this past weekend) and gearing up for more (the Atlantic Antic this coming weekend). I've also been doing some thrifting, which i'll post about later on. Just wanted to pop in and say hello, happy fall!

this is where i live

summer is quickly coming to an end and i'm feeling nostalgic. chris and i went out for a ride on the bike saturday and i decided to take some pictures to remind me in the months to come of our lovely new england summers.

we are fortunate enough to live a few blocks from this beautiful park, situated right on norwalk harbor. i love to just sit and watch the boats come in and out and on a clear day you can even see long island. right down the street is down town south norwalk, where all the bars and restaurants and little shops are.

i really do love the area and will hopefully be posting more about it.

this is how i work...

i really wish i was more organized, but i feel more creative when i'm surrounded by comfy, pretty things. this is how i work: sometimes on my desk, sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes on an ottoman in front of the food network.

All Things Vintage

I love all things vintage. vintage ephemera, vintage clothes, vintage house wears, you name it, i love it all. I recently expanded my love of vintage to include vintage motorcycles, specifically the one pictured above (not to mention the man on it!).

Chris has been wanting a motorcycle for so long, and although i do think they are dangerous and not very practical, he really connected with this one and i must say, its a perfect fit. The paint job is original to the bike and in great condition. Chris even got antique plates for it!

Indie Blogs

My friend Kristin Eno of Pixie Petals and Halflight at etsy has turned me on to a great blog. Run by Kpoene of Miss Mignonette on etsy, La Mode D'indie is a wealth of information not only about Kpoene's wonderful work and design, but of other fine designers as well. I love her style of writing, fun and entertaining...you really get the sense that you are sitting down and chatting with her.

If you are on the lookout for a new favorite jewelry designer, some fresh stationary, or a one of a kind piece to complete your Saturday night date outfit, I strongly suggest checking out this blog.

Cheers!

Wabisabi Brooklyn

while at the Brooklyn Indie Market, i had the pleasure of meeting 1/2 of the new, very wonderful design team Wabisabi Brooklyn, MaryAnne LoVerme. MaryAnne invited me to stop by their trunk show, held to celebrate the fact that Wabisabi Brooklyn is a newly minted LLC. I was thrilled of course and brought my sister along for the ride. i got to meet the other half of the teem, Naomi in addition to checking out all their beautiful work in person. I purchased the necklace above and i love it, wood is my new obsession. you can check out their etsy shop here.

New Designs

i call this necklace (above) Four Maps; each little glass gem features a bit of a map of coastal California and encased in polymer clay. i plan on making more with different themes. this one in particular has just been listed on etsy, so we'll see how it does!

i have committed myself to a few more shows in Sept. including the Brooklyn Indie Market and the Atlantic Antic on Atlantic St in Brooklyn. i am really excited, so i decided to come up with a few new designs. i don't have a name for the necklace pictured above, but i absolutely adore it. the pendant features and image from an antique map and hanging from the chain is a beautifully carved wood flower, a tiny glass vial (from my friend aminyitray.etsy.com), a piece of white turquoise and a black cathedral bead.

I really love the look of this necklace, and it looks stunning on. i may not be featuring this style just yet in my etsy shop, but definitely plan on making a few for my upcoming shows.

so yesterday i was blessed enough to receive a couple hard copies of the aug. 7th New York Post and sure enough, there was my face, staring back at me, a full page! i was amazed and thrilled. i am so looking forward to doing the Brooklyn Indie Market again Sept. 22nd.

i wanted to share some pictures of my set up from the BIM on Aug. 4th, above.

so the Brooklyn Indie Market, my first show, turned out to be a huge success! although i didn't sell as many pieces as anticipated, it was a wonderful experience and i met tons of cool people.

right before we closed up, a photographer from the NY Post popped in, snapping away at all the great stuff everyone had to offer. i totally forgot to pick up a copy, but checked the website yesterday to find myself right there on the front page! what a surprise...thats me, just to the right of Tyra Banks! click here to read the awesome article.

i'll be at the Brooklyn Indie Market again on Sat. Sept 22. if you are in the area, please stop by!

Show Time

although i haven't updated my blog or even my etsy shop lately, it has been busy busy in lola land. i have been gearing up for my first show, the Brooklyn Indie Market. i will be exhibiting this saturday, from 11am till 7pm. i'm so excited! check out their website here.

i'll be taking tons of pic of my work and set up and everything, so stay tuned. and of course, if you are in the area this saturday, stop by!

i created this pendant over the weekend for my sister in law, who is going through a tough time right now. we all have times in our lives when we need to really call upon our inner strength...but its at those times when we need it most that it can be the hardest to attain. sometimes we need a reminder of how strong we really are.

i tried to use symbols in this pendant that represent life and the human spirit, not just strength. the three symbols i used were the goddess Luna, an egg to represent new beginnings and a monarch butterfly to represent transformation.

when i look at this pendant, it reminds me of all the things i've been through and how, at the time, they just seemed so overwhelming. but i've overcome some difficult times and wouldn't be half the person i am if i hadn't. i think i'll create a few more of these pendants.

my Opticos pendant necklace has been featured in another great treasury list. this one in particular, curated by nectarjewlery, has got to be my favorite so far. i'm diggin sudlow's Bobcat Eye Necklace. but what really caught my eye (no pun intended lol) was margauxlange's Blue Eye Bracelet which i've highlighted in fuchsia. i discovered her etsy shop not too long about and have been smitten with her work. her personal website is amazing as well. i just love her aesthetic and think it can be summed up in one word: stunning.

Zombie Love...

Handsome has had quite a tough week, so i decided to do some shopping for him. he LOVES zombies and zombie movies, so i knew these would cheer him up. if you know anyone who loves zombies or are a zombie lover yourself, check out these etsy shops. the "Sometimes I Worry About Zombies" t-shirt is from tinaseamonster and the "Zombie Escape Plan" journal is from ChristineRenee.

Color Therapy...

i saw this piece featured on etsy's beautiful, bright front page this morning and fell instantly in love. the husband and wife team at brightcolorart's etsy shop create these eye catching switch plates in addition to pins, jewelry and wall hangings. i love the intricacy of the patterns on these pieces, they are just so graphic. they make me want to pull out my paints and get to work (or more like pull out my wallet and do some buyin'!).

Hide Away...

i had a crazy weekend and i woke up this morning feeling tired and deflated. my brain and emotions have been over-worked and i feel like i just want to hide away. when i saw this print in atwhim's etsy shop i felt instantly at ease and decided that is where i would like to hide away. the chic little houses look so serene, the perfect place to get away from the world. you can purchase this lovely print here for $15 and also check out the artist's own website here.

Beautiful Things

little patchwork cushion earings - number 17

its friday and the weather is just beautiful so i wanted to showcase something equally as gorgeous. these pieces come from designer kjoo. i love the use of color and flowing organic form which seems to appeal to every one of my senses. the work reminds me of a summer garden in peak season, bursting with color and blossoming forth goodness. there is not much more i can say, these wonderful photos certainly speak for themselves. do your senses a favor and check the rest of this amazing shop right here.

99 necklace

Map Pendants...

it seems as though every time i list a vintage map pendant i get a request for a custom piece. i love doing custom work, but the map pendants are my favorite thus far. the stories behind the destinations that people request are so intriguing, from places where they grew up, vacationed, honeymooned...the list goes on and on. i love the fact that people have such a connection to these places that they want to wear them around their necks.

i am constantly sourcing old, antique and vintage maps and atlases to add to my collection. some of the old maps have such lovely colors that when used in a pendant, it has the appearance of a piece of exotic tourquoise. or maybe thats just me ;).

Awesomely Creepy Treasury...

thank you to lookitmama for including me on this awesomely creepy eyeball treasury list! take a look at her Etsy shop, if you have small children or now someone who does i'm sure you'll find it to be a great resource for gifts, ect. thanks!

New York Treasury...

i just wanted to thank jamric for including my Grand Central reversible pendant necklace in this wonderful treasury list. as much as commuting into manhattan everyday is kinda sucky, there truly is something magical about this city. i get to walk the streets of the most amazing city in the world everyday. i love new york.

Today's Favorite...

swallows and dagger stay true necklace

i've added a new favorite shop to my list: Faster Than You Jewelry. Emily Pericht makes the most eyecatching jewlery featuring old sailor jerry style tattoo flash (which is a style i just love). aside from her Etsy shop, she has her own website with a host of info about her and her jewelry as well as an awesome slideshow of her customers wearing her pieces. the address is fasterthanyou.net and is really worth checking out! enjoy!

anchor necklace

Cleaning Up...

the other day i decided to buckle down and organize my crafting area. i've been putting it off for quite a while because i loath cleaning, but to my surprise it wasn't too bad. I love being surrounded by supplies and paper and anything else i can use to create, so the mess that was created before any organizing could be done was not as overwhelming as i had anticipated. I've since tried to apply the same zeal to other messy areas of my house, to no avail. the top picture is the "before" and the middle picture the "after". in the last photo, you can see two pretty postcards from Menta, who's Etsy shop i adore. Also, a photo of myself and the fam from st. patricks day (thats me with the green thingy on my head) and one of my many attempts at collage on a bunch of left over mdf blocks.

Seriously...

how flippin cute! yet another one of my new favorites, and an awesome discovery on etsy. these oh so seventy's owl macrame necklaces are to be found in macraMe's etsy shop in a rainbow of colors and as earrings too! and the best part? the necklace is only $10!

thank you!

just wanted to thank Colorado Art Studio for featuring me in this lovely ginko treasury!

too many favorites

i have been on Etsy for a while now and have tons and tons of favorites. i must add a new item to my favorites at least once a day. it amazes me how many talented people there are and how awesome it is that we have all found this common outlet.

my latest favorite (just added yesterday) is a digital print entitled Peaches and Cream Barbie Dress on a Clothesline by Michelle Brusegaard. the image had caught my eye a few times before i had added it to my favorites, and its no wonder. the contrast between the barbie dress and the soothing dark teal background is just stunning.

you can purchase the print here for just $15.

my space

i love seeing pictures of other artist's work space, so i thought i'd show a bit of my space. my house is so small that i usually take it over completely with paper scraps, pendants waiting to be packaged, beads, etc, etc.. it usually stays that way until handsome can't take it any more and threatens to have it all packed up and shipped out!

the print high above my desk is called Apartment Block and can be found in Substrom's Etsy Shop. i know you can't see from this picture, but the colors in the print are just gorgeous. the shop is definetly worth checking out.

hello world

hello all, my name is lola and i hope to use this blog to link to my etsy store www.TheLolaCollection.etsy.com