This and That

I have a lot of favorites on Etsy. Many things I could never do myself, but some I can actually, more or less, reproduce. Not saying the final result is as amazing as the "original" but it's highly satisfying.

Here's what I was able to do lately. Liked this, made that... Left, the original. Right, my humble try.

inspired by Branchbound's bracelets

inspired by EcoShag's upcycled accessories

inspired by Divina Locura's bracelet

Welcome to Artsyville!

Have you seen these amazing drawings? I'm so crazy about them - the colors, the doodles, the messages... Everything is perfect in my artistic eye. 

I found Aimee's art through her Artsyville blog first, then discovered her Etsy shop and thought all her doodleprints are  interesting. This is the kind of stuff that really catches my attention. Very inspiring, too. Triple love!

Here comes the sun

Weather in Montreal is grey. If you've been following me for a while, you know that I'm allergic to this color (well, at least when it's the color of the sky) and that somehow, it has a huge effect on my mood. Today I decided sun will shine, at least on my blog. Searching for fun, bright and colorful items helped me pretend it's really summer...  Until the sun shines outside, or even if it shines in your part of the world, enjoy!

Going green

Small changes can make a big difference if we all make our effort. I'm trying to get rid of old habits and to replace them with good, green new ones.

You too can help the environment, and here are a few suggestions that I personally tried.

1. Replace paper towels with cloth towels 

You can find these nice UnPaper towels on Etsy. Not only it saves trees but it also helps reduce trash and chemicals in the environment.

2. Use eco friendly bags

 

Not only shopping bags, but also produce bags (the ones we put fruits and veggies in). I bought these reusable mesh bags a couple of months ago, they are just fantastic. Resistant and washable, they are perfect to replace grocery produce plastic bags. I get lots of comments when I shop, people asking me where I found these wonders!

3. Trade your disposable sponges for reusable scrubbies!

 

I talked about these scrubbies before, they still are a favorite item for dish washing. They are eternal (well, almost!), dish-washable, they scrub perfectly without scratching and again, they make less trash.

4. Re-use and upcycle

Whenever possible, I'm trying to give a second life to disposable items. It's a good creativity exercice and it can give surprising results. I'm upcycling bottles and glass objects a lot. I clean them and paint them, et voilà, original and useful new items!

5. Make your own cleaning products.

I'm making my own multi-use cleaning product with vinegar, soda and essential oil. I also tried making my own lundry soap with grated pure soap, washing soda and again, essential oils. It is very easy to make, cheap, efficient and.. green! You can find many sites with recipes for natural clening products on the net.

What about you? What do you do to make our world greener?

Trop Chouette!

Rose Tutu has a shop full of fresh ideas that make you want to smile and be audacious like when you were 5 years old. I mean, how can you resist that delicious fleur orange felt necklace? This is exactly the kind of thing I would buy for my daughter (if only I had one!) and borrow once in a while - or forever :) Everything is so nice and cute and pink and... cheap! 

I was glad and proud to see that Genevieve is also a stay at home mom with two young kids like me - and that she's also from Montreal... Thanks to my friend Douce Amelia who found her Etsy shop!

Gloomy?

Lighten up!

Yeah, I find something to help me... on Etsy! I bought a blend of essential oils from Crystalwood and received it a couple of days ago. I was a bit skeptical about it but because it is harmless and natural I gave it a try. And... yes, it works. Helps a lot. I'm sniffing the bottle every time I think about it, and I feel I strange relief. It's addictive!

I saw that Crystalwood has many other interesting blends that I might try, like the 'Get Creative' or Get going' blends. Money very well invested :) - costs a fraction of what AD (that I stubbornly refuse to take) would cost me.

Good for me. Good for you, maybe? If you have any other natural suggestion, tell me about it!

Butter Flying

I thought I could say a word about the winner of our Team giveaway. I was so happy when I found out not only she was from Quebec, but also a new Etsy seller! Her name is Sylvie, AKA le p'tit papillon ("the small butterfly"). I love what she makes. As indicated in her shop announcement, she likes to work with paper, beads, precious stones, found objects, and vintage finds to create three-dimensional works with a poetic sensibility. You should definitely have a look at her creations. 

Congrats to her!

Après la pluie...

Rain has stopped but now we get... snow. At least everything is white now, so there's a new kind of light. This brightness feels good to me, even if I still hate winter. White is pure, beautiful, soothing. It brings calmness, silence inside of me. Every year, after the depressing and grey days of Fall, the first snow is kind of liberating for me. It releases something, so strange. I feel less tired, my chest opens, I breathe better. And this white light is pure delight, it overwhelms the darkness of November.

Makes me want to... shop!

Me want

I tried... Peacox Creations scrubbies

Yes, auntie Audrey has tried something very interesting for you, a sophisticated and innovative gadget, a revolutionary way to wash dishes, the nylon net scrubbie! When I say I tried, I mean I washed dishes for almost 6 months with the same scrubbie every day and it's still like new. I washed it in the dishwasher a few times (yes, you can do that!), scrubbed dirty pans and sticky stuff and it's still alive! No stain, no smell, not a sign of wear yet. I have to say I'm very surprised, I was expecting this poor apple to disintegrate in no time... I also became greener since I have it, I was using disposable sponges before so no more waste. I'm a satisfied customer and I bought half a dozen of the same apple scrubbies this week from Peacoxcreations. I want to share the joy of washing dishes with friends and family, so I'm going to give them around.

Would you like to try it? Oh, let's do a quick giveaway! Let me know if you'd like one and I'll pick one name randomly let's say saturday night - that person will receive a superb apple scrubbie, a great gift worth $1.25!! Seriously, it's one of the best thing I bought from Etsy. I abhor dishes and this little red thing is like saying to me: "we're in this together. I'll not let you down".

I wish I wish!

Wanted to share with you some of my Etsy favorites of the moment :).DazeyChic Tiny notes


Sofiamasri Aqua Swirl Necklace

William Dohman's Spices

Purposedesign Chai tea kit (oh how I dream about this one!!)

Dorijenn's Tunnel Vision Multicolor Necklace

Orangebeautiful Bright Booklet Set