A Little Bit About Me

I realized that none of ya'll know very much about me! I guess I'm not too great at the personal blogging thing. In a get to know you effort, I'm going to re-blog an (abbreviated version of the) interview that I did for the Asheville Etsy Street Team Blog.

Living the Etsy Life:

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
Since January 2009... but I've been buying for much longer!

What types of items do you sell in your shop?
Currently, all my items are crocheted, but I will probably branch out into other mediums! I'm just so excited about being able to create and sell things that I love. Right now, my favorite items to make are laptop cozies, wrist warmers, bookmarks, hats, and new surprise item that I'll be posting this week! I'm always looking for more things to crochet. I also just opened a vintage store! You can check out both of my shops on the left sidebar.

How long have you been making items that you sell on Etsy?
I have been knitting and crocheting since high school, so for about 10 years. I only recently joined Etsy, I posted my first items the second week of January and am still waiting for my first sale (that isn't to a friend or family member).


Creative Endeavors:

What are your favorite materials to use in your crafts?
Yarn and lots of buttons! And, of course, all things vintage!

How did you learn your craft?
My mother taught me how to knit in high school, my roommate taught me how to crochet in grad school, and I never follow patterns! I love to make things up as I go along, that way the final product is always a pleasant (or unpleasant and needs to be remade) surprise.

Do you work another job in addition to Etsy?
In my real (surreal?) life, I am a geologist and my specific research interest is groundwater. I know, crazy, right? I was lucky enough to complete my master's degree in beautiful northern Arizona, and then moved to Asheville this past summer where I am currently completing a year of service with Americorps. I work for the NCSU Water Quality group, our goal is to improve water quality throughout western North Carolina by installing small scale, natural stormwater treatment systems. You can see our rain gardens, stormwater wetlands, and green roofs all around town and lots of other locations throughout the region! I love to talk about the importance of groundwater and water quality, so let me know if you are interested!


Random & Fun Questions:

What quote do you find yourself saying most often?
One of my favorite quotes is "love many, trust few, and always paddle your own canoe".

What are your non-crafting hobbies?
My new dog, Petey, attempting to play the banjo, wine, porch sitting, long back country river trips, not cleaning my house, rocks, and water.

What was the last book you read? Did you like it?
Ok, I'll admit it, I just read the Twilight series and I loved it! Well, except for the last book, I thought it was a little lame after about the first two chapters. Currently, I'm reading The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani and am really enjoying it.

OK.... now ya'll tell me a little bit about yourselves! I would love to know who my blogosphere friends are!

Thanks Everyone!

The new shop has only been open for 24 hours and it already has five hearts! I'm really feeling the Etsy love today, ya'll are so sweet. I'm just about to go and post a new item!

... and We're Back in Business!

Or maybe is should be "re- in business"? Either way, I just opened my second shop on Etsy, Green Violet Vintage, and I'm super excited about all the fabulous items that I have to post over the next few weeks. Check back in the shop often for updates and let me know what ya'll think!

Dreaming of..... Fall?

While I was uploading all my photos for my new vintage shop yesterday, I came across this picture (click for an enlarged non-blurry version). It's from a canoeing trip I took with some friends on one of the last warm and sunny days last fall. I love the way that vine (virginia creeper or poison ivy?) is such a vibrant shade of red over the French Broad River. I can't wait for it to get warm again!

Tragedy!

Ok, well, relatively speaking! I was planning to name my new vintage shop on Etsy "The Vintage Violet" but the name is already taken. Does anyone have any brilliant shop name suggestions for me? I would like it to be cohesive with "The Green Violet", my current shop's name.

Pink Dress!

Here is another preview of some pieces that you will find in my new Etsy shop. I just finished photographing a bunch of clothing, so now I just need to make a banner, edit all my photos, and write up the descriptions. I hope to have the shop up and running by the end of the week. I also have to say a special thanks to the lovely Leigh anne, a fellow member of the Asheville Etsy street team who kindly lent me her dress form! Hope everyone else is having a productive weekend too!

The Vintage Violet

Coming soon, to an Etsy near you...

Embrace Your Inner Hippie

According to this article in the Tree Hugger Blog, most people don't make lasting changes towards living a greener life just for the sake of saving the planet. Instead, "...researchers argue that getting people to focus on the positive human qualities that living sustainably highlight - love, sharing, caring for others - will get more people interested in living sustainably." I completely agree, I think that being more green has to be accomplished through a major lifestyle changes and done out of love rather than just to avoid the doom and gloom of environmental destruction. It's kind of like the difference between eating healthy to improve your quality of life rather than eating healthy to avoid the possible threat of cancer or heart disease later in life. So, embrace your innner hippie- and the environment!

A Preview of Coming (Vintage) Attractions...

...and your daily Petey! He is a very helpful blogger.

Matthew Williamson

I've always been into personal style, but I've just recently begun to follow the fashion scene a bit more closely. I certainly don't understand the cost and extravagance that goes into the fashion industry; however, I can't ignore the fact that what appears on the runway does influence our lives much more than we would like to admit (a la The Devil Wears Prada). Right now, its New York Fashion Week (Fall '09!) and I haven't seen much that I personally care for, but I love this! I especially love the cowboy boot v-notch detailing on those patent leather booties. I don't even know who Matthew Williamson is, but he might just be my new favorite designer.

Fashion can definitely be inspiring! And, if you didn't believe it before, you better believe it now: the 80's are back with a vengeance. Just ask Marc Jacobs.

How cool....

is this furniture made out of cardboard? DIY project anyone? I'm always looking for more ways to reuse my trash, which is much better for the environment than just recycling it because recycling takes so much energy (though it's obviously better than just throwing it away). I've gotten to the point where I almost refuse to throw anything away that could possibly be reused, resulting in an entire cabinet full of jars and yogurt containers for tupperware, a huge box full of scrap fabric, various broken ceramic items (I'm saving up for a mosaic), and other random objects stashed all over the house. I also hate to buy un-used clothes (hence my obsession with the thrift store), just think of all the energy used to manufacture and transport them! I think this obsession has gotten unhealthy, and I know it is driving my roommate crazy, but maybe it is at least helping the earth a tiny bit. Anyways, the Tree Hugger Blog always has great suggestions, and I love having it in my Google Reader so that I can get environmental tips all day.

Score!

I visited the thrift store again last night; I think this will be my new "Make Monday Less Painful" tradition. I just love searching through piles of clothes looking for the hidden gems. Its like a wonderful present to myself every time I find something! Last night was no exception, I found a new pair of Carhartts for field work, a Patagonia Capilene half-zip shirt for my sister (if she wants it), and a bunch of great vintage stuff!

What a Week!

Seriously, this has been one crazy week at work! I even had to get to work at 6:30 AM on Tuesday, and that is way too early for me to be out of bed. I've been out and about surveying some of our project sites this week (for stream restorations and rain gardens) and have been attacked by many multiflora roses. Boy, do I hate invasive species, especially in the riparian zone. I'm lacking the brain power to come up with anything clever right now, so I've left you lots of environmentally educational links to click on. Ya'll can learn something while I attempt to make it through the rest of the week (two hours until to 5 PM)!

Apologies all around...

for being such a blogging slacker! My mother was here this weekend and the weather was beautiful, so I didn't get in any computer time, and this week isn't looking much better. Its going to be super busy in the water quality world for the next few days, which unfortunately means it won't be super busy in Green Violet land. However, a few exciting things are in the works that I just have to share!

First, one of my dear friend's parents have agreed to sell my work at their shop/gallery in downtown Asheville. This is super exciting for me and I'm so grateful for the opportunity!

Secondly, I met a bunch of lovely fellow Asheville Etsians this weekend and we are dreaming big about some possible crafting projects and collaborations. It's always nice to meet new people in Asheville, as I have only been here about six months, and I am never disappointed. This is such a friendly town.

Thirdly, Petey (my pup) finally learned to sit. He isn't perfect yet, but he is working on it! I've only had him for a month, so I figure we have time.

Lastly, I found an amazing and amazingly cheap thrift store yesterday and scored some major finds. I'll post some pictures later in the week once I get them cleaned up. I'm not sure I can keep them all for myself (my closet is already spilling out into two dressers, a chest, and under the bed storage) so I may just have to start building up my collection and open up a vintage shop on Etsy. However, I haven't even really gotten my first shop off the ground yet, so maybe it is too soon. What do ya'll think? Does anyone have a vintage shop or two shops and have any advice for me?

I love reading fashion blogs, and one of my favorites is Ilook. It's an Israeli street style blog and the people they feature are always wearing the most outrageous outfits. I mean, look at this girl! I love her style! This is the kind of thing that I always want to wear, but am never sure if I can pull off. I've been getting more adventuresome with fashion since I moved to Asheville, so maybe I'll have to start posting some of my more inspired outfits.

OK, I'll admit it....

I'm super excited about this!

How much do I love this stuff?

SOOOO much.
Check it out!
But please don't buy it all, I'm saving up!

Thrush's Etsy Shop

ViciousVintage's Etsy Shop

The Silver Dog's Etsy Shop

Put On That Dress's Etsy Shop

All of it is vintage and half of it is shoes! Maybe I'm in the wrong business?

Snow Day!

One more great thing about living in North Carolina is that it only takes a dusting of snow to have work canceled for the day! Of course, I am supposed to be working from home, but we all know how that goes. Is anyone else enjoying some wintery weather?

Petey isn't so sure about the snow, in fact he refused to pee for about 14 hours because he didn't realize that there was grass under the snow. Poor little guy! Life is hard for a small dog in the winter!

Which avatar do you like best?

Right now I have three options for avatars on Etsy- and I just can't decide which I like the best! Does anyone want to help me out? What do ya'll think?

(1) Old Avatar:

(2) New Avatar:

(3) New Avatar with Shop Name:

Asheville Etsy Street Team

I am a new member of the Asheville Etsy Street Team and was featured today on the blog. Thanks to Shannon for interviewing me! Check it out!

Two New Items up in the Shop!

Two of the Itty Bitty Ditty Bags are now up in the shop. Stop by and check them out!
Its getting cold here in North Carolina and the snow is starting to fall! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow. Think of all the things I could make if I didn't have to work from 9-5!

I Love NPR

Ok, so I may be a huge nerd, but the highlight of my morning drive is always an interesting story on NPR. I don't know if ya'll listened to Morning Edition this morning, but there was story entitled "Your Family May Once Have Been Different Color". I'm a geologist, so it was no suprise to me that our skin colors have adapted to our environments over time as our ancestors migrated across the globe. However, what was fascinating are the recent finding that suggest that a family's skin color could change from dark to light (or vise versa) in as little as 50-100 generations. This has very interesting implications for society's views on race, especially in light of our recent presidential appointment. Science is so amazing! If you are a nerd like me, be sure to check this story out!

Itty Bitty Ditty Bags

I've been working on some new projects, thanks to Denise Jewelery Designs and others on Etsy who suggested that I diversify my shop a bit more. Apparently everyone isn't lucky enough to own a MacBook that needs a cozy! Anyways, here is a sneak peek of what I've been working on: I'm thinking about calling them "Itty Bitty Ditty Bags". What do ya'll think? They are great for keeping your camera and cell phone from getting scratched up in your purse or for holding little makeup or personal items. They will be up in the shop this week, and if everyone likes them I will definitely be making more. I think that they are so much fun!