SPACES!!!

(source)

i love this shop, i love their photos, i love their space!
it's bright, cheery & retro-tastic! check out their etsy shop:
26olivestreet
friendliest kids on the block:)

on the next blog post i will officially be "traveling"
xox, rachel

Dinner on our driveway 7/365

DAY 7/365 on Flickr
dinner on our driveway
[shame on me for this one..... i had a busy day and it started with me fully intending to take a quality photo for day 7. all of the sudden the sun was setting. we were eating dinner and the light went off in my head. i grabbed our empty edamame shells, my camera and a fork. if we ate dinner on our driveway it would've looked like this. (the fork was for the pasta, not the edamame, in case you were wondering "how the heck does this girl eat her soybeans?!")]

on another note, i got bangs. i know, like you care;) but i think i made up for this fizzle of a post by the movie trailer i posted earlier that is MAGICAL!
xox, rachel

365 days on FLICKR....

i will first get you up to speed

then i will be adding my "photo of the day" to the daily blog

(is this the part where i lose followers?)

there are descriptions below if you want some background info. on the shots. i tried doing 365 days of self- portraits on Flickr and it was TORTURE! wayyyy too much of "me" for me to handle. i give major props to those of you who have completed this challenge, or even made it past the 30-day mark. i did NOT.
we'll start at the very beginning... 'cause it's a very good place to start;)looking up a locker 1/365
i cannot handle the amount of love i have for my red locker. it is covered head to toe and filled to the brim. i love the color of my walls of my office, the vinyl records hanging on them and the white globe lights all strung out at the ceiling. here's to 365 photos of WHATEVER i want! xox, rachel

not welcomed 2/365
taken at a house that has been abandoned and locked up for over 2 years. lately people have been trying to clean it up, i assume in an attempt to sell it. truth be told, i hope nobody bites. i liked it better when nature had it's way with it.

nail.fail 3/365
these poor nails are all kinds of chipped. this is real life. and though the subject has such pretty hands i love the rusty screw a top them. like a present:)

i can't believe we lived here 4/365
this is the house where i shot the cover of Annie Stela's "Little House EP". it used to have a roof, it used to be dark, the cabinets used to be firmly attached to the walls.

TheSecretHistory 5/365
today i am tired and excited and tired and worn out from being so excited but i WILL be doing a photo a day, even if i post 2 on the same day- no.4 was shot yesterday but i didn't edit it til today- see this nonsenseical ramble of a tired girl. so here is my shot! my globe lights, pretty colors and a magnified view. the end.

HELLO office 6/365
i realize this photo is simple in all ways. but when i passed by my office this morning and saw my HELLO vinyl decal, my pile of luggage, train cases peeking out from my bookshelf, the way that the light hit my cheap door..... well, it was pretty to me. it invited me in. so i shot it. and it makes me happy. take or leave it.

thanks for viewing.
happy sunday
and if ANYONE knows how i can make my own my OWN playlist from MY SONGS on ITUNES pretty please let me know. i will pay you for this!
xox, rachel

Xenotees GIVEAWAY!!!

* THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED:)*
HERE WE GOOOO AGAIN! YAY:)

another GIVEAWAY is upon us! another wonderful friend i've made in this etsy community! another KILLER seller full of style and SUPPORT!
why yes, it's NOELLE of
www.XENOTEES.etsy.com

let's pick her brain shall we? not in the gross way. oh, my bad, i'm probably the only one who even thought of it that way to begin with & now i've planted that seed. moving on.....

1. tell us about your shop. when did you first open your shop & what made you choose to sell on etsy?

I screen-print my original designs on t-shirts, pullovers, scarves and tote bags.

February 23, 2008 – that was the day I opened up my shop! A few people told me about Etsy- that it might be a good place to sell my shirts, but the real inspiration was my sister’s shop, Torque (http://www.etsy.com/shop/torque). She seemed to be doing really well with it, so I thought it was worth it to try it myself. I’m really glad I did.

2. do you sell on etsy full or part time?

I would say it’s pretty much full-time, probably more like a surgeon’s hours, but the pay can feel like it’s a part-time job. Only thing to do is keep truckin’ + if need be, reassess the way I’m doing things. I’m planning on making pillows, flour sack towels + clocks soon so I can at least cut back on my inventory. Also, I get so busy with what I am selling that I have trouble finding time to be creative so that I can come up with new designs. I’m hoping that branching out will give me a little freedom.

3. who are your top 5 favorite musicians/bands/songwriters etc.? (i realize this is almost a mean question because how can one choose but i love music & i need to know what kind you love too!)

Only 5, whew, that’s a hard..
1. Roxy Music (the Brian Eno years)
2. Simon & Garfunkel
3. Blue Oyster Cult
4. The Kinks
5. The Stranglers
Honorable Mentions: Patti Smith, Bad Brains, Miles Davis, everything on the 40’s XM radio station and Pink Floyd. I could keep going, but I’ll stop there for now!

4. what are some of your favorite things/hobbies?
Reading
Drawing
Gardening
Watching weird movies
Listening to music
Looking at real estate online + fantasizing about moving
Playstation – but I don’t have much time for playing lately

{GIVEAWAY TIME}
Noelle is giving away your choice of color of the
Japanese Star Moss Scarf- you can pick the Navy or the Moss Green!
AND Noelle is also offering %20 off in her Etsy shop to everyone who enters, until October 15th. use Coupon Code: " READY4FALL" when checking out

there are lots of ways to enter and each entry will give you a better chance at winning so lets get on with the different ways you can participate...

to enter:
● follow my BLOG (on the right sidebar), if you already do, just let me know.
● "Like" Xenotees on Facebook: HERE
● follow Xenotees on Twitter: HERE
● visit Xenotees & let us know which item is your FAVORITE
● tweet about this GIVEAWAY
● blog about this GIVEAWAY

leave me a comment below letting me know all of the ways that you've entered. also, make SURE to include your e-mail address so we can contact you should you be the winner:) have fun, good luck and happy browsing!
xox, rachel

*this giveaway will end on thursday october 8th at noon*
THE WINNER OF THIS GIVE AWAY WAS:
"Melissa said... A already follow you :) I also blogged about the giveaway and liked Xenotees on Facebook. My favorite item from Xenotees shop is the the fortune scarf!"

Neckties, Bowties, CROATIA!

my husband and i reallllly like to watch Dhani Tackles the Globe on Netflix
here's why:
1. the show explores the cultural background of sports all over the world in completely unique and interesting ways + we learn extra random facts about the countries he travels (this post was born from his trip to Croatia)

2. the cinematography is TOP NOTCH

3. Dhani is the perfect mix of class & crazy!

how does this have anything to do with neckties you ask?
welllll, Croatia is the mother country of the necktie! found this out while watching Dhani learn about the history of water polo.
here's to my new found knowledge of ties!

1. Oh Honey bow tie, self-tie. Silkscreened honeybees $40
2. The Lennon - Our linen bowtie in saffron yellow $28
3. green and pink .vintage. plaid 3 in1 necktie-bow $32
4. Navy Patchwork Madras Bow Tie $26

lastly, check out this STUNNING photo of a bowtie i found on flickr

(source)
hope you enjoyed learning and viewing
i think bowties are RAD:)
xox, rachel

not welcomed 2/365

DAY 2/365 on Flickr

not welcomed
[taken at a house that has been abandoned and locked up for over 2 years. lately people have been trying to clean it up, i assume in an attempt to sell it. truth be told, i hope nobody bites. i liked it better when nature had it's way with it.]

Hat Tangent

(image source)

fall is for hats, unless you live in florida like me, sad! BUT if you were going to take a road trip through the midwest and east coast (who me?..... maybe) you would be doing your lid a favor by keeping a hat close by. i don't know about you but my ears get COLD in the evenings. so i'm officially on the hunt.
these 2 hats from Parvana are ADORRRALABLE
i was really seeking out an animal hat with earflaps which led me to these 2 hats. i don't think i could pull them off for everyday use but they were too much fun NOT to share!
found the moose HERE and the racoon hat HERE

of course i searched Flickr and found some TERRIFIC photos of hats, kids in hats, unique designs of hats, you get the idea.

1. like a peasant, 2. Leave me alone!, 3. Untitled, 4. Victorian Hawk Fish
in conclusion
I NEED A HAT and i NEED it NOW! i also NEED to get out of this Florida heat.
i will share as more info. comes in. crossing fingers & checking flights, though the crossing fingers never works and just ends up hurting my phalanges (ode to Phoebe as Regina Phalange)
xox, rachel

Flickr Favorites PORTRAIT

1. Untitled
2. Untitled
3. some exciting news....
4. lost in translation

i just can't get enough of these portraits.
they are semi-candid, the lighting makes me cry in the first one, the second photo- there is something about it, the child with his fingers covering his mouth is beyond words, the backward glance in photo 4 is harrowing.
i am moved.
please photograph it all.
come over to ARTMIND to see other mosaics and join in on the inspirational goodness.

4 cheers 4 MONDAY!!!!

it's monday (still working on waking up, bear w/me)

i work from home, i set my own schedule, i can work in my pajamas if i want.
that being said...... i still am FULLY capable of getting a case of the monday blues. so what do i do?

i title my post something extremely cheesy like "4 cheers 4 MONDAY!!!!" with 4 exclamation marks to make me believe it more. lets face it, not every day is a bowl of cherries.

moving forward.....
WOW! check out these etsy artists. polka dots, baby hedgehogs, headbands of felt leaves. a simple necklace that i'm certain would make your day brighter every time you caught a glimpse of it in the mirror:)
here's where you can find all the goods:
1. Candy Thief Sparkle Band $37
2. Single Bead Strand Necklace $22
3. Baby Hedgehog $50
4. Upcycled ' button red' Kepp Jones hat $48

in closing, if you have a case of the monday's i say:
let's go shopping!
xox, rachel

oh saturday

my ultra-fantastic mother is here until october 9th- HOLLLA!
we ALLways go out and pick up some essentials when she first gets here. we like target because it addresses all of our needs: seasons on dvd, snacks, shampoo, starbucks. ONE STOP SHOP! we were on a mission to find the pumpkin spice hershey kisses..... we found that and more.
now, i am not a huge chocolate fan, never have been, let the moment pass, i am a girl, i promise. but there are some things you just have to try.
there were no questions to be asked when we saw all 3 of these new flavors of HERSHEY's Kisses. mom said we had to try them all therefore we had to buy them all. she is SMART. i didn't think twice & threw all 3 bags into our red cart. a successful trip indeed.

my second LOVE of the week is the blog of The Noisy Plume who, " WEAVES SILVER INTO LIGHT WHEN THE FEELING IS RIGHT". her "Ode to the Side Braid" has had me all up in smiles. her bloggings are nothing short of -oh so eloquent words made into stories of wonder and awe- i HIGHLY suggest you hop on over and have yourself a few days worth of reads. you can thank me later:) and she is now on the sidebar of my blog should you want to come back and read another time. just click on her adorable button and VOILA! entertainment for pages.

(photo found here)
happy saturday, buy yourself some kisses, check out the plume, report back.
xox, rachel

Dear Fall.....

oh how i love you! my michigan blood is pumping half apple cider just thinking about home. there is nothing better than the heat of the day and the crisp chill of the evenings. the fall accessories are the most fun. please buy me the bear tights above:
QooQooFashion

did someone say cowl? black and white houndstooth ta' boot!
check! buy it here:
piprobins

and i don't care if it's white and after labor day, or whatever that rule is..... i WANT this white vintage cardigan! and gimme gimme the plaid wool dress.
found here:
Minxshop

now i need to knit myself some fingerless wristwarmers so my hands can stay warm while i'm getting my draw on! because yes, believe it or not, it gets COLD here in florida. but not yet...... we're still waiting..... me not so patiently.
HURRY HURRY!
xox, rachel

Polarity GIVEAWAY!!!

* THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED:)*hey hey hey friends! you know what day of the week it is. yep, it's GIVEAWAY day. this week i am featuring another one of my stellar friends. CAT, of both Polarity & Uncorked (yeah, she runs 2 KILLER cool shops), is giving away from either one of her 2 shops. GET EXCITED!

let's get to know her.....

1. please tell us about your shop. when did you first open your shop and what made you choose to sell on etsy?

Hi- my name is Catherine (Cat) Ivins and I have 2 shops on Etsy- one called Polarity and one called Uncorked. I opened my first shop almost THREE years ago- which seems unbelievable to me! My niece found Etsy and showed it to me and I knew it was just the right place for me.

2. do you sell on etsy full or part time?

Full time plus (there are about 37 hours in a day now, right?)

3. what's your favorite part about running Polarity/Uncorked?

Definitely the wonderful, amazing people I have met. There are so many talented, open people on Etsy.

4. what are some of your favorite things/hobbies?

Ugh- I don't have time anymore for much- and I really miss reading, napping and basketball.
5. what is your MISSION-STATEMENT (i picked this one just for you because i love how eco-friendly you are and i know you will come up with something great:)

OK- my mission is 1. to make really cool, unique and interesting new things out of other things- things that are already being produced for a more useful purpose and to use as many sustainable, recycled and industrial parts as possible 2. to promote and support handmade 3. to open people up to new ways of looking at the things in their own lives and in particular how things can be used for multiple purposes

{GIVEAWAY TIME}
Cat is giving away a choice of ANY NECKLACE OR LOCKET FROM EITHER SHOP!
there are lots of ways to enter and each entry will give you a better chance at winning so lets get on with the different ways you can participate...

to enter:
● follow my BLOG (on the right sidebar), if you already do, just let me know.
● Follow Cat's blog: HERE
● visit Polarity or UNcorked & let us know which item is your FAVORITE
● tweet about this GIVEAWAY
● blog about this GIVEAWAY

leave me a comment below letting me know all of the ways that you've entered. also, make SURE to include your e-mail address so we can contact you should you be the winner:) have fun, good luck and happy hunting
xox, rachel

*this giveaway will end on thursday september 30th at noon*

THE WINNER OF THIS GIVE AWAY WAS:
"Karen said... I like the "Bloggers need love too" magnetic locket set. I'm so impressed by these two shops!

karenDOTerkertATgmailDOTcom

September 24, 2010 5:49 PM"

Pumpkin & Meds

{PUMPKIN}

i got my mitts on 2 cans of pumpkin and let me tell you, my house smells like heaven! if you follow me on twitter you know i have been trying to find pumpkin for WEEKS with no luck so today when my eyes fell upon it at sam's club i was DEEELIGHTED:)
on top of finding pumpkin i also scored a vintage brown samsonite messenger in MINT condition. t'was a good outing.
{MEDS}
i started a new medication today- it's ooooold skool and i can't even pronounce it so i'm not going to type it. we're mixing my cocktail until we get it just right. my ADHD has morphed into a giant ugly beast this past year. my dr. has really been on top of things as of late. he is determined to get my quality of life up. as annie would say, HE IS SO IN MY CORNER! i didn't realize how much hope i had lost until i saw him and got it back. sooooo, despite my lethargy and focus issues i am staying positive because i know i'm moving forward- moving towards something better!
lots of exciting things happening with the shop, branching out and a new giveaway. all coming to YOU soon:)
xox, rachel
(and now i am going to eat a slice of my bread!)

a mixed tape SUNDAY

(source)
when i first started this blog i was going to try and post a song every day and a playlist on sundays. um, yeah, that wasn't possible. i was bummed but kept on blogging. i decided i would just have to make a little playlist when i found the time..... which is NOW:)
my friend brooke and i used to make insane amounts of mixed tapes when we were in middle school. we would sit in front of my dads stereo set up and pick out cds and get them to transfer to cassette tapes- making sure we had just the right amount of space between each song and NOT cutting off a second of the song! we had it down to a sick science. it's pretty amazing how many hours we spent doing this. now we can just throw a bunch of songs in a playlist on i-tunes, adjust the amount of seconds you want in between each song and burn it to a cd. who would have thought?!?! this would have blew our 12 year old minds!
HAPPY LISTENING:)
xox, rachel

VINTAGE Houseware Loves!

1. vintage 1969 family affair thermos $30
2. Set of 4 Retro Mugs Cups with Holder $23
3. Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers $14
4. vintage ceramic nut and squirrel bowl covered dish $15

i'm such a sucker for these colorful. woodland, retro, vintage housewares- one of my favorite sections to browse and favorite on etsy. they make great housewarming gifts!
xox, rachel

wanted.....

dead. or.......

ALIVE
really struggling here. playing with my camera, feeling so tired. taking pictures of all of these leaf hearts, getting the mail at dusk, roaming around my yard snapping silly.
but seriously, where's all the happiness?
i got asked that question by my best friend today and all i could respond with is:
"FOR REALZ?!"
it's friday and life is good for happinesssakes?!?
so we continue the search.
i am crushing on these photographs:here's to the heart that is lush, green, ALIVE and bursting at the seams with LIFE!
xox, rachel

ThePeachTree GIVEAWAY!!!

* THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. THANKS TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED:)*
yep yep, it's GIVEAWAY time again!!!!
so thrilled to have my dear friend Amy of ThePeachTree here this week.
i love her shop, i love her personality, i love her to pieces.

so let's dive right in and get to know about her....
1. please tell us about your shop. when did you first open your shop and what made you choose to sell on etsy?

Opening my shop on Etsy starting January of 2008 was probably the only New Years Resolution I've stuck with for more than 2 weeks let alone over 2 years! Three months prior, I ran into a gal on a flight returning from San Fransisco to NYC who had this intense fire and passion for everything etsy. I took her card and, to be totally honest, let it fall into my giant pile of 'to check into'. I eventually came across it again just before the end of the year, felt the excitement of our conversation, became an avid buyer, caught the creation bug and the rest is DIY history :)

2. do you sell on etsy full or part time?

That's a tricky questions. I'd say yes, full-time. We have another business that my boyfriend and I run together but as of late, he's greatly taken over that venture allowing me to delve fully into my jewelry.

3. what's your favorite part about running thePeachTree?

You :) And by you, I mean the ever giving, inspiration, compassionate community that is Etsy. The people. The comradery. Our little virtual office.

4. what are some of your favorite things/hobbies?

I'm an avid reader. I love anything that could be considered a classic. I just picked up Tropic of Cancer and man alive are the first 10 pages strangely intriguing :) I also love nature and music and watching my felines make ridiculous fools of themselves. Oh, and TV on video.

5. what are 2 of your favorite items in your shop?

1. This is my new favorite. It was a custom order that I couldn't resist putting into the shop:NEW Purple Rain - Necklace . Chain . Gemstone
2. And I have my own personal pair of these that see a lot of daylight:
Sol - Earrings . Sterling Silver . Gemstone

{GIVEAWAY TIME}
Amy is AWESOMELY giving away this stunning piece: Corsica - Necklace . Beaded . Longer

there are lots of ways to enter and each entry will give you a better chance at winning so lets get on with the different ways you can participate...

to enter:
● follow my BLOG (on the right sidebar), if you already do, just let me know.
● "Like" ThePeachTree on Facebook: HERE
● visit ThePeachTree & let us know which item is your FAVORITE
● tweet about this GIVEAWAY
● blog about this GIVEAWAY

leave me a comment below letting me know all of the ways that you've entered. also, make SURE to include your e-mail address so we can contact you should you be the winner:) have fun, good luck and happy vintage treasure hunting
xox, rachel

*this giveaway will end on thursday september 23rd at noon & the winner will be announced on friday the 24th*

what Caroline wore...

since i'd rather be behind the camera shooting i figured outfitting caroline and posting it would be the next best thing- or even better!
transformers sweatshirt - from Target
plaid skirt
grey flecked tights
vintage brown oxfords - thrifted
birdie headband - from london but u can find TONS of headbands all over etsy:)

we had fun shooting these photos. i wanted to share.
tune in tomm for my NEW GIVEAWAY!!!!
happy wednesday eve from the U.S. east coast
xox, rachel

p.s.- we may be getting the banner shot tomm- weeeee- i'm excited:)