new stuff. out with a lot of the old...

First, the good stuff: for my readers, take 30% off [whoa] your total order at cardinalhouse! Just enter "HopOnPop" into the message to seller during checkout & I'll refund the discount via PayPal.  But hurry because this offer goes POOF, no more on Friday @ midnight [6/25].  Blog, tweet, facebook, share-share with your friends.

Now, why such the discount you ask? If you follow the blog [err, at least when I keep up with it], then it might have occurred to you that I seem to have serious design ADD. Rosettes, chokers, bracelets... okay, you get the drift. So, my latest diversion has been headbands. Yeah, yeah...feathers & rhinestones are abundant in that arena, but I've been playing with my own spin. Soon I will be re-working the shop & some items will be going away for good [so grab them while you can].

So, this is my prototype. What do you think? My hair is longer at the moment, so I'm diggin' the hair accessories right now.  I can't wait to see what the others work up to look like!

Leave a comment & start sharing the love of 30% off!

♥ -Kat.

[all images by Kat.]

i declare shenanigans. deceit, fraud, scams...oh my

Hmmph. Yesterday's Etsy Finds Decor email certainly caught my attention. The "vintage" 4-drawer cabinet above that was priced at $54.95 specifically sent me into an uproar. I hate to break this to the buyer [it sold yesterday within hours of the post], but "vintage" my a**. Maybe I should offer to sell at outrageous prices the EXACT same one that I have PLUS the 2-drawer version [x's 2] PLUS the plant stand I have. You could have bought them at Kirkland's about 12 years ago. Something like $25 for the version above; $15-ish for the 2-drawer versions; $30 for the plant stand. Kirkland's was my first job, and if I shared what I actually paid for them, it would make you all sick with envy. 

 

Now, I give the seller the benefit of the doubt & assume that they acquired the shelves second-hand & the made in China sticker had long-ago been taken off. This is why I don't trust "vintage" online without the details or background story. It's not that all sellers are trying to deceive customers, but there are plenty out there that will smack the "vintage" & "antique" labels on items to instantly inflate the price tag. 

 

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Now, I'm not saying these aren't actually Victorian era buttons...but the description doesn't actually confirm that fact either. I'm picking on this vendor simply because the current ad running on Craft Cult advertised antique buttons. When I checked out the shop, I see "antique" in the titles & tags but no stories about how the seller got them or some sort of true confirmation about the age. 

 

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Okay, NO! Don't do it! Illustrative purposes only--lol. But there are a LOT of scammers out there. I received an email that claimed to be from PayPal wanting me to click a link to "update" my account. Hello? Red flag, anyone?! And, when I double-checked the email...it was from a such&such@paypay.com

See it? paypay.com

uh huh. Really, go browse around. Take note of the very brief descriptions, lack of capitalization, no contact phone number...oh- the company and address info on the About page is interesting. A search on Google shows such promising possibilities of fraud & lawsuits, etc!

 

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Unfortunately, Etsy breeds scammers as well as copycats. I've been approached a number of times about someone giving me this or that story. Sometimes, it's just for info & other times it's for products. Again, that's not always the case, I'm just pleading caution & a bit of research. One in particular was about a Katrina survivor recently opening up a gift shop again in New Orleans. The seller gave a whole song & dance about the slow rebuilding & also specifics about looking to buy X amount of this & that on a regular basis. If everything they said was true, well, it was great. There was no location listed under the Etsian's profile & feedback listed was for tutorials only. Now, I grew up only a few hours away from New Orleans & visited a lot--& am familiar with the locale.  In my response, I also asked some questions about where the shop would be, etc...and never heard back.

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Okay, enough of the doom & gloom. I promise the next post will be more upbeat!

Pay attention to details -- both good & glum.

♥ - Kat.

details, please. skirt appliques + embroidery from Boden.

Okay, it's very likely that I'm teasing you. This is one of my loves. Boden is a clothing company [via catalog] that I adore. I can always count on their selections to be filled with fun color combos, unexpected details and fabulous styles [yet comfy!].

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You can hop over to Boden USA to browse current styles [or sign up for a catalog]. I'm cleaning out my stash here + some of these are a couple years old. Don't judge me! I tend to stash things that are inspiring in my opinion. Excuse me if I'm only now committing these inspirations to the digital world versus paper, but I'm trying--lol.

[I don't think that I could ever convert to Kindle, etc on a volunteer basis! I just love the feel of a book in my hands.]

♥ - Kat.

new stuff. readymade fabric rosettes now at cardinalhouse.

Now, don't you fret [yeah, I know you weren't]. I'll still be making jewelry, but I'm simply too far into pack-rat-itis of the discarded fabric books/samples! My intention is to work up some tutorials featuring these guys here on the blog [hair bands, pins/brooches, etc]. 

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Find all the choices posted [so far] HERE.

More fun colors are coming as soon as I can take some more pictures.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

♥ -Kat.

living in While You Were Sleeping

When I need a fun & light-hearted reference of what my life feels like sometimes, the dinner scene in While You Were Sleeping hits the spot. Feel free to watch the entire clip [approx 10 minutes], but for those not familiar with the scene, it starts at about 4:34 [just drag the slide bar to FF to the time].

I can't believe it's May. It. is. May. Of 2010...I blinked & April was gone! I mean, Alex has a little of a week left of the school year. How did it happen?! Things in my life have not lightened up. Not that I expected a fairy godmother to pop in & take away the stress, but still.

Not even two weeks ago, my immediate co-worker [& dear friend] had to leave work & be taken to ER due to chest pains. It turns out to be stress [we weren't surprised]. For any of you out there that think design is easy-peasy picking out pillows all day...trust me...a fight to the death [in debate & examples at least]. A great many design-oriented graduates will end up as sales reps [nothing wrong with that]. It's just that so many watch HGTV & see these fun clips, but don't understand the importance of learning about building codes, architecture or financial details....

Right. rambling. So the same friend's son-in-law had a heart attack over the weekend. He's not even 40 [both JP's daughter + son-in-law are lawyers]. Stress [mainly].

I just read an article via Scoutie Girl regarding one of the guest bloggers parting ways because she was stretching herself too thin & didn't feel that she was giving enough attention to her sons.

That hit so close to home. It's also why I haven't been so active here lately. First & foremost I'm a mom. These days, I'm a single mom. I work full-time in a very demanding & stressful environment. Beyond that, it's quite the juggling act of homework, housework, errands, "quality time", play time, ex + fam, Etsy & here.

I made it a point for this latest New Year's resolutions that I'd make a point to let other things give when times were stressful. Admittedly, I'm horrible about the whole social networking venue & etiquette. That & posting here are the first things to go for me. I just don't know how so many of you do it! I feel horrible at times, because I subscribe to a great many blogs via email.

Okay, I'm wrapping this up. Sort of. I have a list of things that I want to write up about, but good intentions & all that jazz, you know!? Well, if you watched the clip...welcome to my world. First thing Monday mornings during our office meeting armed with only 1 cup of coffee...that's how I feel. Dinner's with the ex + gang...that's how I feel. Family conversations...oh yeah, that is definitely us! & the most important thing to remember in these moments...is to sit back & find some humor [& to just politely smile while keeping my mouth shut!]. The extra stress is not worth it.

Take time out for you & repeat "serenity now, serenity now" [Thank you, Seinfeld!]
♥ -Kat.

PS--

Baroness Bijoutery, I always love to read your uplifting & humorous posts [often including "Husband of Wonder".

DuhBe, I think it fabulous that you inject a bit a science & astronomy into your posts.

justCHARMING, I always must call you my treasury queen!

Doll, I still LOVE that you managed to get the manly firemen to pose with "dolls"--although [as you write] your doll aren't exactly typical!

events. wish i could be there

some immediate & near future happenings in ATL:

John Saladino [faboo designer] will give a presentation [Ancient Influences in the 21st Century] this Friday, May 7th, at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center [ADAC]. There will also be signing for his latest book Villa afterward.
Note: Trade event only & reservations must be made through ADAC.


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Corinne Bailey Rae show will be at Center Stage next Tuesday, May 11th. Sold out show.


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 Julie Andrews [uh huh] is going to be at the Little Shop of Stories in Decatur May 21st for a book signing of her latest children's picture book The Very Fairy Princess.
Note: 185 tickets will be given out at the shop Sunday, May 16th. See the book store's website for details.


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She & Him is going to be performing at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens July 9th. Get there early & go along The Canopy Walk...Alex & I can't wait to go visit this feature [that just opened up this season].

Okay, it's been about an hour since Alex has ate & he's reminding me of that now! He's going through major growth spurts right now. He's jumped up 2 sizes since last summer. That includes shoes now, too...we just bought two new pairs this weekend...

Happy Monday!

♥-Kat.

[all images from respective links]