AN EARLY CHRISTMAS GIFT

I’ve recently started Christmas shopping.

{Gasp!}

I know, it’s a scary thought. Mostly because that means soon we’ll have to wake up an extra half hour earlier just to shovel our sidewalks and scrape the dang snow off our cars. Oh yeah, and the daunting task of finding the perfect gift for every close friend & family member. Side note: Why does it get harder and harder? EVERY. FREAKING. YEAR?

I digress. My angry rant was originally intended to be directed at online shopping- where I tend to do a lot of my Christmas spending. You know, now that you can find anything that your heart ever has or ever will desire within the endless coves and potholes of the internet. But here’s a mystery… Once you set that lovely holiday spending budget-

Do you or do you not include the shipping costs towards what you spend on the gift?

A conundrum the modern world may never solve.

No one likes to pay for it in the first place. So here’s your reward for getting your shop on early:

Free domestic shipping on Etsy orders (w00t w00t)! Now through Small Business Saturday with coupon code “REWARDME”

Spend til you heart's content and it ships FO FREE. Because happy holidays =)

#tassels #stockingstuffer #shoppingideas #giftideas

THINK PINK

Almost everyone has been affected by cancer. For me, it's my mom.

I'm happy to say we're now celebrating her milestone of being 10+ years cancer free! This tassel is in honor of her and everyone else who has battled the fight.

That's why we're donating a portion of each pink tassel sale to the American Cancer Society- to keep the fight going! $10 from each tassel sold will be donated to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.

I'll be taking those proceeds with me on October 3rd to the Twin Ports Breast Cancer Walk where I'll be carrying my sign just like in years past.

Please feel free to join our team!

#makingstrides #mom

EVERY DAY SHOULD BE EARTH DAY

This whole “up-cycling” thing started by chance.

I didn’t know where to find “real” leather, so I got crafty. I took to thrift stores to scavenge for leather jackets, pants, skirts & vests- cut them up and repurpose them into something that didn’t look like it came from an old leather jacket, pant, skirt or vest.

Once it hit me how much more economical this was create something new from something that already used-to-be rather than creating yet another something new from sourced materials I decided to run with it. And run with it I did.

Over 150 deconstructed leather garments later, this is what I have to show for it. The tags left behind (and of course all the tassels, handbags & accessories created from their leathery counterparts).

This plan isn’t completely fool proof. There are still some scraps too small for use, and some of those do get thrown away, but I’ve re-re-cycled over 20 pounds of scraps from these leather jackets by selling or donating them to others who could use them to get uber-crafty.

Around here, every day is a little bit like Earth Day.

What will you do to celebrate?

#earthday