hello dearies!  how was your weekend?  ours was very busy- but  both productive and wonderful.  we did lots of work on the house, and thankfully, things are actually starting to come together.  every day it seems like there’s more added to the ‘to-do’ list- but we’re having fun with it!

anyways!  i always love finding a new shop that seems to be do everything right- and bellebas definitely qualifies!

maeve blue dress

clockwise :: belle rust :: light blue sky ::  belle head :: wildflowers skirt

luli de paula is an argentinian fashion designer now living in dublin, irelend.   i love the romantic flare she gives to her pieces- and absolutely love her photos.  don’t you wish you were there with her? such beautiful scenery!

p.s. free shipping world-wide!

elsewhere :: {blog} {site} {shop}

oh my circus- cotton candy promises

hello!  it’s been a bit of a circus around here this week- so i thought this was only fitting.

playing circus

i’ve taken this whole week off work- and we’ve been working away at our house non-stop!  we’ve sort of been climbing over each other to get stuff done- but that’s no complaint because we’re so grateful to all the people who are helping us!

big top sketch

things are really starting to come together- and we even have this (possibly unrealistic) goal of spending our first night there tonight!  i’ll keep you posted.

keep calm and clown on

so for now- this is all we can do.  keep calm and clown on!

so, i’m taking the rest of the day off to work diligently.  i’ve been up to my elbows in paint all week and am ready to clean up and start moving!  i’ll be posting pics via my twitter today- if you want to keep up with what we’re doing!

in the meanwhile- here are some links i’ve been drooling over for you to enjoy!  (p.s.- they are all from home to roost commenters! (thanks!))

butterfly food: http://butterflyfoodie.blogspot.com/

lobotome: http://www.lobotomeblog.blogspot.com/

papermango: http://papermangodesign.com/ (don’t forget she’s had giveaways every day this week that you can enter to win!)

the fabric shopper: http://fabricshopperonline.com/

love, natalie: http://lovenatalie.squarespace.com/

brown eyed fox: http://browneyedfox.squarespace.com/

oh chalet: http://ohchalet.blogspot.com/

blue sky butterfly: http://blueskybutterflystudio.blogspot.com/

dandy bread and candy: http://dandybreadandcandy.blogspot.com/

the morins: http://www.jeremyanderinmorin.blogspot.com/

raenovate: http://raenovate.blogspot.com/

dance in my garden: http://www.danceinmygarden.blogspot.com/

birds in chandeliers: http://birdsinchandeliers.blogspot.com/

teal town: http://tealtown.blogspot.com/

making chicken salad: http://www.katherinejalaty.com/

this week we happen to have some of the *most gorgeous views i’ve ever seen- right off of our back porch!  and, i was thankfully home in time to catch them.

this one was a little scary- ha!

such a dramatic, cotton candy sky

love these warm colors- so brilliant.

the fog the next morning was really beautiful- just settling in the mountains.

and, i loved it when the sun starting hitting all the leaves!

wrap up: {landscape} {pictures} {sunfall} {sunrise}

a gal named >>ashley<< emailed me with her really cute idea.  i clicked. i looked.  i liked.  give her facts. give her funnies.  she’ll turn it into a  story-telling kind of card.  long. story. short. i’m sharing her with you!   (how’d i do?)

fish feather (so cute) is named after her and her new hubbies decorating attempts.  a little frill and a bit of ruggedness, a few fish and some feathers- makes their life exciting!

check out this bunch of fun gals!  don’t you wish you were there?  christy & ronnie of lucha workshop design t-shirts, handbags & prints- all of which look just as fun as they do!

clockwise :: monsters :: magic hand in aqua :: the electric bunnies :: monsters in purple

elsewhere :: {site} {blog} {flickr}

wrap up: {bags} {t-shirts}

i know for many of you this isn’t the case, but for me- this will be my first holiday selling season on etsy (eeks!).  i’m not really sure what to expect, so i’ve been trying to keep ‘up to date’ on all the holiday going ons over at etsy.  in all my reading, i ran across this article and thought it was really helpful.

floppy wool skirt

november is officially here and it doesn’t seem like the big box stores can pack up their leftover halloween decor quick enough- in order to make room for the christmas ‘stuff’ (what about thanksgiving?).  yesterday they adorned every light pole in town with a glowing snowflake.  you know what that means… the holidays are coming!

grey faux suede leather handbag

early november is just about the right time to start preparing your etsy shop and sketch out your marketing plans for the holidays.  etsy has released that their merchandising focus for november will concentrate on holiday gift-giving. and, they shared with us a list of topics that they will be focusing on through the month (below).

grey romantic gloves

during the  month of november- etsy will be focusing on ::

• dia de los muertos: bright colors, skulls, international motifs, and party decor.
  
• seasonal, harvest, holiday, and winter home decor: candles, baskets, furniture, tabletop, quilts, blankets, pillows, storage solutions, rugs, windows, lighting, bedding, and bath.
• items made from or incorporating rich and raw sturdy fabrics, fibers, and yarns: cashmere, industrial felt, silk, raw silk, wool, burlap, and canvas.
• autumn and winter entertaining leading up to thanksgiving: creative and unique tabletop accoutrement, dinnerware, glassware and bar, table linens, food for your feast, centerpieces, invitations, menus, and hostess gifts.
  
• winter fashion: warm layers, boots, bags, accessories, jewelry, legwear, and emerging industry trends.
• autumn and winter weddings: attire, decor, invitations, favors, and gift ideas.
• holiday gift-giving: mothers, fathers, teens, children, coworkers, friends, the person who has everything, the host or hostess, pets, personalized and custom gift options, stocking stuffers. November is your time to shine with items that would make great gifts. Plan ahead and be sure to include why your item makes a great gift and who it might be for in the item description.
• paper goods: holiday card sets, thank you card sets, invitations, 2010 calendars, gift tags, and favors.
• cyber Monday: Cyber Monday is a shopping occasion gaining a reputation as the best day of the year to find sales while shopping online. We’ll be hosting a special Cyber Monday promotion November 30 for sellers interested in participating. Stay tuned for details as we get closer to November including how to participate as a seller.
  
• november trends: woodland, tribal, wintry motifs, metallics, winter hues of gem tones, reds, whites, silvers, greens, and blues. Vintage objects repurposed into decor and storage solutions along with eco-friendly options are topping the trends this season.
• citrine is november’s birthstone, and november’s astrological signs are scorpio and sagittarius (october 24 – november 22: scorpio and november 23 – december 21: sagittarius).

coffee time fabric coasters

my suggestion?  if any of these fit your shop (or have the potential to)- take it and run with it!  etsy wants the artists to interpret each of the above themes in your own artistic voice.  for the ones that you can, try to relate the theme in you listing, photos, shop announcement, descriptions, tags, titles, sales promotions and any other way you can think of.  use the key words you know etsy is looking for- and they will find you!

1950s charcoal striped pencil skirt

furthermore, if you hone in on a few specific themes you know etsy is looking for, make sure to stock up on them and think about shipping deadlines etc.  whether you make some new items to fit in or already have items that fit- now it the perfect time to revamp your tags, titles & descriptions.  did i say pay attention to you tags, titles and descriptions?

lucia- leather and herringbone spats

important dates in november to prepare your shop for:

• November is known as Real Jewelry Month, Peanut Butter Lovers Month, and Aviation History Month.
• November 1: Dia de los Muertos
• November 1: All Saints’ Day
• November 11: Veterans Day
• November 16: Button Day
• November 20: Twilight, New Moon Movie Premiere
• November 26: Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving is October 12)
• November 27: Black Friday
• November 30: Cyber Monday

mum clutch grey

do any of you have holiday experience, advice or tips? please share w/ us in the comments section!  xo, bonnie

do your homework :: {november with friends and family}

wrap up: {etsy shop help}

you are imprinted on my brain

clockwise :: wire coat hanger :: red hair black comb :: bam pow holy stitchery batman :: hand embroidered eye

elsewhere :: {etsy} {blog} {flickr} {site}

head over to conversation pieces to find not only exquisite- but affordable fashion pieces.  audrey ng runs this online boutique out of los angeles- and offers beautiful garments, accessories and vintage pieces.  

more great news?  shipping w/in the u.s. is always free and she’s offering free shipping anywhere through nov. 8. enjoy!

wrap up: {clothing} {clothing boutique} {conversation pieces} {fashion} {free shipping} {handmade} {indie}