I hate Mom stereotypes, I really really hate them. But like a lot of people I'm guilty of falling in to them once in a while. I'm incredibly guilty of not taking time to take care of myself. I'll do plenty of really unproductive things on my own, like wasting time online, but it's rare to find me doing something for me and me alone that is particularly productive.

I decided that needed to change today. Cooking is one of my favorite things in the world, knitting being the only thing that might outpace it. I've been doing both! I have a huge pot of boiled peanuts on the stove and I've begun a little knitting project for myself:

which will eventually become a lovely/loud little shawlette/neckerchief thingie for my personal use. And upon looking at this picture I've realized that I own AT LEAST nail polish, shoes, tights, dresses, hair accessories and probably jewelry in both of these colors. I think I have a problem. ;)

What sort of things do you do when you need a little time for yourself? What kind of stuff brings you real joy?

I for one, am attempting to learn to find exercising joyful. Not going so well. :(

I'm not a big spender. Well, okay, given a large amount of cash I WILL spend it, but I'll end up bringing home three times the amount of stuff you'd expect.

I am often referred to as pathologically cheap. I'm far more likely to try and figure out a way to make something myself than I am to shell out major cash for anything at all. That's why I taught myself how to knit, how the hair accessories came to be, why I'm learning how to sew. While DIY is far more time consuming and might even be more expensive in the end, I've convinced myself it is the far more sensible route.

But I caved a little this year. I saw an article in the local newspaper about a man in our town, practically in our neighborhood, who made hats. And not just any hats, absolutely gorgeous vintage-inspired pieces. AND! He did custom work. On a whim I shot off an email inquiring about what a hat might run me, really just intending to satisfy my curiosity. Not only did I get a response, I got a phone call! Bob was super friendly, able to answer all of my questions and very enthusiastic about his craft and his business.

I decided to go for it. You see, I have a particular problem when it comes to hats: I have a huge head. I'm not joking with you, there have been points in my adult life that my waist circumference has been smaller than that of my head. I had not at that point owned a hat in my adult life that fit properly. I debated back and forth with myself and finally decided that I might as well own at least one proper hat in my life, and it might as well be a really fantastic one!

Bob and I emailed images back and forth discussing what sort of hat I wanted, I knew I was looking for a really dramatic cloche-styled hat. He had plenty of ideas, we went through the measurement stage and then I got some sketches from him. Oh man, they were good! I finally just told him I loved them all, trusted his judgment and to go for it. (That's got to be simultaneously fantastic and horrifying to hear, thinking about it.)

Well, I got my hat today and I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves.




Best money I've spent on myself in AGES. If you are in the market for a hellaciously look-at-me hat, or just a really amazing cover for your domepiece, hit up Bob at Black Sheep Hatworks , he'll do right by you!

Now the head Jezzy and her husband are headed off for a little mini-vacation to Portland in a few days, so prepare yourself for food-porn shots of all sorts of tasty eats! And when we return, adventures in lightbox DIY!

I'll freely admit, I'm a little loud. Not in volume, necessarily, but definitely in my taste in fashion. If it is metallic, sparkly, spangled, neon, bejeweled or feathered...

I need it in my life.

This ends up meaning I have a closet full of random, unrelated items that are often hard to pair together. But when I do manage, it's magical. There are some pieces that just hang out in my closet because I'm so enamored by the fact that they EXIST, not necessarily because I have any real need or desire for them in my own wardrobe.

If I were wealthy, I would open a museum of amazing/horrifying clothing. But instead I have a cramped closet full of gems and jewels. The newest?


I photographed it this way because the cut isn't particularly flattering, there are horrifying shoulder pads and I am unsure as to when or how I will ever actually wear it, but the fact that I found a shirt made for an adult with metallic moons, stars and planets covering it made my entire day. It wasn't even in the costume section! I bet it made the day of whoever used to own it too. I need to find an outfit to do it justice, and I think I really need to wear it on our upcoming trip to Portland!

I've been offered an opportunity to be featured in another blog this week, so tomorrow I am finishing up and packaging some hair pieces and sending them off. Expect details to come!

Beyond that the main agenda for the shop this week will be some photography lessons with my husband on his off time. I'm more than managing serviceable photographs of my wares, but people expect more than that and I think I need to give it to them! Not everyone can envision how something is going to look on them via a picture against a blue wig...

Though I actually prefer to imagine I'm wearing a blue wig at all times.

Beginnings

I've always been a little obsessive. My mother loves to tell people about my rock collection when I was a kid, I was crazy about it and very particular about new additions. One day we're walking to the grocery store and I am pre-school age here and I apparently fell in love with a rock she described as being very near to the size of my own head.

She refused to carry it for me. So I carried it all the way home, refusing to drop it. I remember having that rock well into puberty, where my obsessions began to run more towards fashion, music and art.

None of my obsessions have ever left me entirely, though I admit I've grown out of a few. I still like pretty rocks though. And fashion? Ooooh that was a dangerous one. By the time I moved out of my parents' home I had amassed a collection of several years of fashion magazines and had NEVER missed an issue of Vogue.

My tastes have changed a lot over the years, but I've always had a bit of a DIY bent and that has only gotten stronger since high school. Recently I decided to open my own shop, on Etsy, and try my hand at selling some of my favorite vintage pieces, and some goodies I came up with on my own.

Gotta admit, that's kind of scary. I can never tell if I have great taste, or horrible taste. I guess we'll see? :)

I'm intending for this space to fill a lot of needs: a way for other people to get to know me, to know what inspires me, what I love, who I love. I want to document the highs and the lows of attempting a more actively creative life. While I will talk about the business here, you're also going to see me talk about designers I love, crafty things I'm trying/want to try, foooooood oh food, television and movies. I want you to get to know me as a person, and I want to get to know all of you!

So why don't I share a few pictures to get it started?



That would be yours truly. My name is Deborah, I'm a 25 year old wife, mother and foul mouthed Martha Stewart-wannabe based out of Bremerton, Washington. I share a Craftsman home with my husband, our three year old daughter, two obnoxious cats and sometimes my teenaged sister. Things in my house? Regularly crazypants.

We've got just enough bedrooms for all the humans, so I've had to take over a large-ish storage closet to work out of. No doors, I roll with pink sheer curtains I might have stolen from the kid.


Not a lot of light. Or air. BUT IT BELONGS TO ME. (And apparently the cats, I've learned the hard way to put everything away when I'm done with it.)

I loaded the first of my items into my Etsy shop today! Big doin's all around. Tomorrow I need to compile an inspiration folder. Maybe I'll share some things here! Till then, guys.