Dachshund Love: I'm OFFICIALLY a Crazy Dog Lady!

Greetings, my darlings! Just a quick post to let you all know I've entered into the realm of Crazy Dog Lady. My darling little love nugget, my Miniature Dachshund, "Mel", inspired these adorable little studs. I can't lie, I'm pretty much obsessed with them. Are they not the cutest little things EVER??? Don't judge me people! I just love my dog, OK???!!! Geez!!!

Anyway, if you love these as much as I do, you can find them in my Etsy Shop pronto! Right over HERE :)

A Show Of Hands , Please....

Lately I've been thinking about doing a fun twist on a "Featured Seller" type interview and ask some of my favorite Etsy Artists and maybe ever some people outside of Etsy to keep it fresh and interesting, to answer some no-so-typical interview questions. You know, a little of this, a little of that, mostly fun stuff but maybe throw in a bit of business to go with the pleasure. I'd like to begin a little series of these posts and entitle the series "Brain Squeezed" or something along those lines.

So what I need from you is a show of hands. Is this something you'd be interested in reading? Yay or Nay?

If this is in fact an idea you'd like to see get off the ground,PLEASE take this time to nominate someone (not yourself though, sorry!) to be 'Brain Squeezed'. I'm very interested to see who your most interested in seeing on this blog :) It doesn't need to be Etsy exclusive, but do make sure to leave links in the comment area to let me know where to find these little gremlins :)

Jessie Baylin - "Leave Your Mark"

Many moons ago, I discovered my buddy Jessie Baylin, her unique voice and her sweet disposition. I even was fortunate enough to make a few pieces of jewelry for her based on lyrics from her songs somewhere towards the beginning of this jewelry journey I've been on. Really gorgeous words, so beautifully written. She has a little bit of a jazzed up Stevie Nicks feel that I find SO refreshing. Anyway, I've been listening to her a lot lately when I'm looking for chill inspiration music to have going whilst working on new designs etc, so I thought I'd share her with you :) It really bothers me that more people don't know who she is, because she really deserves a lot more respect and attention than she gets. I realize that music is just as much of a rat race as the fashion design world, but alas, I will help her fight against the droves of singer/songwriters running alongside her, one dinky blog post at a time :) It's the least I can do, right? :)

You Can buy Jessie's album on iTunes, HERE!

Here Jessie is singing on of my favorite songs of hers, "Leave Your Mark", LIVE :) She is a breath of fresh air :) Enjoy guys!

Flight of the Hummingbird

Today I'll be adding a few new designs to my Etsy Shop, including this sweet and delicate little Hummingbird! What do you guys think of it? I'm considering doing some stud earrings with this design...Yay or Nay?

I'm also brainstorming new darling silhouette ideas for my shop in Spring, so if you have a request, please speak now or forever hold your peace :)

Can I PLEASE Live Inside This Song???

Seriously, can I? It's heaven. It's absolute perfection. Why don't more people know about Horse Feathers? It's a damn shame, I'll tell you that much!

The lyrics kind of contradict the music that accompanies them, but I think that's what I love :)

Cupcakes vs. Zoloft

Yesterday I made some cupcakes for my little brother, well, he's 18, but still 'little bro' status in my mind. I figured I'd make them bright and springy to break up the icy cold whites, greys and cool blues of an Upstate NY winter and bring us all thoughts of spring :) Who need's Zoloft for their seasonal depression when you can whip up a batch of cupcakes with bright yellow buttercream frosting? I'd rather self medicate with frosting, it's so much more enjoyable :)

Wait, have I told any of you guys just HOW MUCH I love frosting??? It's a problem...

'Single Ladies' in the form of 5th Grade Boys...

I gotta make this quick because I have a day full of shopping for home goods, laundry, making cupcakes for my little brother and working in the studio for a bit ahead of me. But, I had to share this video with you all! I am dying over here!!! I've pretty much been peeing my pants over it since I saw.

This lovely little video is from my cousin Drew's 5th Grade Talent Show. He and about 8 of his buddies all got together and decide it'd be nice to channel their inner Beyonce. Seems as though their decision to perform 'Single Ladies' whilst dressed in black leotards and stockings is something that will go down in history at their school. Now, I know about a million people have spoofed the 'Single Ladies' song/video but I think this 5th Grade Boys version takes the cake.

Check out Drew & Co. shake, wiggle and neck bob to Beyonce. Clearly, they brought down the house :) Yay, Drew!

Let's Play Catch Up : Sundance & Home Decorating

Wowza! I haven't blogged in quite a long time! What's going on with that?! So sorry all, sometimes my brain gets all A.D.D. on me and it's all I can do to just hold on for the ride :) I promise I've been absent for good reason! Let me explain...

Well first off, as you may or may not know, The Sundance Film Festival was this past week! To my utter euphoria, I was involved in an amazing art collaboration of video shorts that screened at Sundance on Friday! So exciting! Wahoo! So, that ate up quite a bit of my time last week, taking away from my blog of course :( It was all worth it though, I watched the screening via a Live Feed on the internet and I'm not sure I've ever had such an extreme overwhelming sense of pride in my life! It was truly otherworldly to see some of my contributions make it to Sundance! YAY!

Aside from the hoopla of Sundance, I've been spending a lot of time conceptualizing/sketching new designs for my Etsy Shop! As well as coming up with fun new ideas to make your A.N. Original Jewelry experience more fantastical! Oh yes, I'm also putting together some bead DESTASH lots to make room for new gemstones...yippie! Stay tuned if you want to get a sweet deal :)

Last but not least, I've been obsessed with trying to revamp my bedroom. I'm in an apartment so I'm avoiding the paint situation, although I'd really LOVE to paint, gah! I searched far and wide for a new duvet cover but opted to stay with the one I have for now and choose to revamp the artwork in my room. This is where you come in...

See, I have lovely Red/Cream Toile patterned Pottery Barn bedding, with accents of red around my room, as well as very vintage-y old hollywood looking lamps and floaty drapes that are a gradiation of sage green.Now, what I need from you is your assistance in choosing a huge ol' painting for above my bed! I have a thing for Vintage Ad Art, they are all over my apt so I think thats the style I'm going with! I also have a thing for monstrously oversized art...so all of these prints would be purchased in a very LARGE size :)

I've narrowed it down to these 3 options, HELP ME CHOOSE! Which one do you think would be most majestic and fabulous?

Oh, Sweet Nostalgia: 8th Grade Flashback

Tonight I'm feeling a little nostalgic. Rummaging through old pictures, keepsakes and some of my favorite songs growing up. So I figured I might as well take a quick moment and say hello to my 8th Grade self...

Dear 8th Grade Ashley, anytime I hear the song "Volcano Girls" by Veruca Salt, I think of you and how excellently awesome you were even if you didn't know it back then. You had great taste in music, a really bad haircut with bangs that were most unfortunately cut WAY too short to ever be considered cool and really sweet glasses. You were an undercover cool kid, because you listened to WAY better music than most of the people you went to school with. SO elite that in fact you did not even clue into just how elite you were. You had an unhealthy obsession with a certain boy, which, to this day, I am STILL embaressed about and cringe at the mention of his silly name. You were a pretty decent soccer player I must say, but alas, you never went pro, sorry to break it to you. 8th Grade Ashley, I just want you to know...well...I guess what I'm trying to say here is... you were extra cool deep underneath your nerdlette exterior, your musical tastes were superior even then, BUT I think it's also fair to say that it was a huge mistake to wear that purple plaid shirt as often as did. But hey, it's in the past, right? I'm happy to report that in 10 years your cool factor will have risen greatly...two very enthusiastic 'thumbs up' go out to you, my friend.

So 8th Grade Ash, this song is for you...

Milestone Alert: 2 Years of Etsy Magic

So, today marks my 2 year anniversary of signing up and opening a shop on that little site called Etsy. At the time, it was just a shot in the dark. I figured that I could get a few sales here and there to increase my online presence and help to supprt my fledgling small business. I never thought of it as much more than a way to have a little fun and be a part of a bigger handmade movement...

Two years later, here I am. Making my living on Etsy. Wait, did you hear me? MAKING MY LIVING ON ETSY! GROWING MY BUSINESS ON ETSY! f you told me that 2 years ago, I would have laughed at you. If you told me 3 months into my Etsy experience that in 6 months time I'd invited to that magical land of 'Featured Sellers' I would have scoffed, and laughed again. I kind of have a hard time describing or detailing exactly what has gone on in my life and the life of my business these past two years, because it's total blur. Everything has changed and nothing has changed, all at once. I'm still excited for every sale I get, I still blush a little anytime I get an especially glowing feedback left about my shop, and I still worry if I'm "cool enough" for Etsy. When I am lucky enough to make it to the fabled "Front Page" of Etsy, I still squeal and do a happy dance. Man, it's just so crazy that it's been TWO years! I'm smiling as I type this thinking about how truly insane that is. Sometimes I just wanna called up Etsy have an "I love you, man!" moment, complete with a chest bump and back slap.

Etsy is truly something that has changed my life in almost every way. It has allowed a young twenty-something designer, fresh out of college and totally green to the world of independent design, the oppertunity to do what I love, the way I want to do it, and thankfully, with little overhead costs :). I am counting my lucky stars for that, STILL.

I have certainly found a home at Etsy, but it's 2 years in, and I'm still putting my all into it everyday. It's a chore, a crusade and sometimes a real struggle for sure, but it's worth it. Etsy isn't something you can just let do the work for you, there's a good bit of sparkly Etsy magic you have to conjure up for yourself. Some people aren't prepared for JUST how much work it takes to get your Etsy business off the ground and to keep it going. I'm happy to say, I was able to weather the storm, even through the toxic economy. Where am I going with this? I guess what I'm trying to say is this, and I guess only this... 2 years later, and I'M STILL HERE! 2 years later and...

I. AM. STILL. HERE.

I love you Etsy, thanks so much for loving me back :) Here's to another 2 years of Etsy magic!

Mmmm Chocolate Raspberry...

Just a quick post for today, haven't much time to chit chat but wanted to introduce you to my friend here, Chocolate Raspberry :)

I'm LOVING this new necklace style I added today. Simple. Fun. Chic. YAY!

I added 4 different color options in this necklace style today in my Etsy Shop, you can choose from Blue, Brown, Golden Yellow and a Limeade Green. Woohoo for productivity! Loving the Ruby accents personally, it adds some fun without making it complex :) The Rubies are what tie the 4 color options together :) Make sure you head to the shop to check out all the options!

Anyway, sorry for the lame blog today! I will be writing a more exciting blog tomorrow, because tomorrow is a VERY special day...

Until then, my blog babies...

Almost....

I've been pushing myself to expand my Bridal collection so I've done just that. Or at least, almost....

Today I'm working on adding 15 new listings to my Etsy Shop! Including these pretty little lariats! They are so simple, but chic and unique looking in their asymmetry. They look really graceful and at the same time fun, when worn. I'm super excited about these because I just think they are the sweetest little things, especially for bridesmaids! I REALLY must do some new model shots with them, but alas, Winter is a big Debbie Downer in the world of outdoor promo photos. It's right about now that I REALLY wish I had the time/money and space to set up a small indoor photo studio at home...

Anyway, I'm working on adding all 15 new listings tonight and tomorrow, there will be other color selections of these lariats as well as some other fun stuff :) I'm hoping this will help motivate me to continue to work on bridal designs that are chic, unique and accessible... because as you all know, bridal season is almost upon us!

So, make sure to check the shop soon to see whats new :)

P.S. : What color combo's do you like for weddings? Which color combo's do you think are most popular/trendy right now? I'd love to hear your thoughts as I'm fiddling with all these bridal pieces :)

That's What She Said...

To counteract yesterdays blog of frustration, I think a lovely compilation of "That's What She Said" is in order, to turn my blog frown upside down. In fact, I think you'll be seeing a lot more from "The Office" on this blog, because....well, because it's awesome. Clearly.

In a valiant effort to break up the monotony of a slow, frigid, gray January, I think I might take a trip to Marshall's Home Goods to frolic amongst the discounted, yet unique and almost always enjoyable home decor, kitchen gadgets and wall hangings. Yes, I just might do that. I just might...

Marshall's, here I come! (That's what she said!)

Quarter Life Crisis

The feeling of spinning your wheels is one I will never get used to. That nagging feeling of helplessness. Working hard, being proactive, and getting nowhere in spite of all your efforts. Nothing changes. Your stuck. Your here. And maybe your never leaving "here". That's truly horrifying to me. The thought is enough to sink the strongest of ships.

It's easy to feel cheated. We're told to dream away as kids, shoot for the stars, we can be whoever we want to be. Yadda, yadda, gold star, thumbs up. But what happens when reality smacks you in the face? Life isn't much like how you pictured it to be back then. That's a hard pill to swallow. Welcome to my quarter life crisis.

I took this picture a few nights ago, a weird foreshadowing of how I'm feeling today. Thanks a lot, universe. Let's try for something marginally more upbeat tomorrow.

Big News for Jes Hudak and 'Another Day'

Remember when I told you about my bud Jes Hudak and her musical stylings? The amazing singer/songwriter who is from the same little town I am? Well, a couple days ago she got some HUGE news. News that could very well be that boost that launches her into uncharted territory with her career...

What is it you ask? Well, Jes is being featured on a little old thing called AOL! Hey video was chosen to be their "Video Of The Day" for January 17th! Amazing! You know what, she can explain it all a lot better than I can, so watch this!



Isn't that not the MOST amazing news an artist can get? She's so excited, it's just so endearing! I've had a number of friends try to break into the music industry and know just how difficult and frustrating it can be. But, THIS is the oppertunity of a lifetime for Jes! I'm really pulling for her and hoping that this exposure is what she needs to get the ball rolling in the direction she wants it to! So with that said I'd really love to show you ONE more video. Jes was asked to write a song to go along with an independent film...the song is called 'Another Day' and it is amazing as usual, but the video that goes with it is pretty intense. Be forewarned, I got a little teary, not gonna lie...



Love Jes, and her music? Help me help Jes, to spread the word and give her a little shout out on your blog :) Hey, if nothing else, it's good karma :)

GOOD LUCK JES!