Holy Moly...Amy Butler Rugs!

I've been searching for a rug for my living room for quite some time now. I came across these Amy Butler rugs and think they're amazingly perfect. I have a very modern condo with one turquoise wall and with brown, black, white, and gold accents.

I haven't decided which one is coming home with me yet, but here are some of my faves:

 

Decisions, decisions!  I love them all!

The Big Blog Dilemma

Last night I posted a question on the Etsy forums (www.etsy.com) asking other artisans and shoppers what they would like to see when they read a blog and what they absolutely do not want to see.  Lots of great feedback from lots of great people.  I just love etsy.  Regardless, here is what some of the posts said (along with my comments of course ;))

Wants

• Varied, interesting topics. (What really got me here was that EVERYONE said they wanted varied topics.  They don't want to read a blog that simply promotes it's items over and over.  Makes complete sense to me!)
• Pictures...but nice ones.  (Lots of comments on how they would like to see pictures that give them a glimpse into the bloggers life...their dogs, studio, etc.  I will definitely post about my dog soon then - that's him over there on the left!)  I love talking about him!
• Discounts for followers/readers. (Done - keep your eyes peeled for the first discount coming soon!)
• Tutorials and how-to's
• An uncomplicated way to comment on a post. (I think mine is uncomplicated - am I right?)
  

Blog No No's

• Music. (This was the number one answer.  They said they couldn't click the "x" fast enough when they heard music - no worries...I won't ever have music on this blog!)
• Promotions for your products only.
• Lots of moving animations.

I think I got some great things to go on here.  I will be taking these suggestions to heart.  Stay tuned for lots more to come!

Pet Peeves

Pet peeves...everyone has them, here are my top five.  Please feel free to comment and post your own!

1. People who take the elevator one floor.  ONE FLOOR! Especially when it's going down.
2. People who sit in their car for as long as possible when the lot is full and they know other drivers are waiting to park.
3. When people lurk behind you as you are surfing the internet or reading e-mail.  Ever heard of personal space?
4. This one is touchy...I know...Parents' who don't take their children out of a restaurant when they are crying...hysterically. I love kids, but I don't think that's cute.
5. As an artist...I hate it when people see your wares and say (close enough so you can hear) "I could make that myself". Ummm...if you really can make it, I encourage you to do so...if you really CAN'T then I encourage you to shut your trap.

Done ranting...promise.

New Retail Store #1!

For those of you in Austin, you can now find our jewelry at the Sanctuary in Westlake!

Voted "Best Gift Shop" during Austin Fashion Week, this store is a great place to get a gift for a friend or even better...yourself!

Stay tuned for more retailers coming soon!

Happy 1st Anniversary!

The first wedding anniversary is traditionally the "paper" anniversary.  It's pretty difficult to come up with a romantic gift that's actually unique if you're following the "rules".

I looked up gift ideas for this anniversary and was not impressed by what I found.  Toilet paper (funny? yes, romantic? nope), ToDo notepads (ummm...thanks.), stationery (pretty sure you have tons from the wedding no?

So how about some jewelry?  All women love jewelry, and when it's made out of paper, it can kill two proverbial birds with one stone.

Check out http://www.creativechick.net and I'm sure you'll find something you'll love...or that she'll love.  AND she'll be impressed that you knew it was the paper anniversary.