Fashion:: Design Star, Emily Henderson

Does anyone else watch HGTV Design Star? What did you think of last night's finale? I was happy Emily Henderson won because I really like her overall aesthetic and she just seems like a nice person, too. And isn't it nice when a nice person wins? But I'm not really here to talk about the finale. I'm here to talk about the outfit Emily wore in the second to last episode.

Specifically, this outfit:

Image sources: Left | Right

I'm obsessed. I just love the blue ruffled dress with the tan, heeled menswear-style shoes. So, I went hunting for some similar styles. And here's what I found:


I'm on Sapphire dress from Modcloth | Tissue v-neck T from J. Crew | Hammered NuGold Cuff by Cyndie Smith Designs | Double-lock leather belt from Madewell | Sueded opaque control top tights from Hue | Canyon messenger bag from Madewell | Langford platform high-heel oxfords from J. Crew

The dress isn't identical (*cry!*), but I added a long-sleeve gray t-shirt to give it some interest (and seasonal mileage, since summer is fading fast!). I think I like it! What do you think?

PS- Emily has a pretty cool design blog call The Brass Petal. Check it out!

Objects of desire :: "I'm an artist, not a ..." custom-made rings

Sometimes we all need a little reminder of where we're going and who we want to be. And that the current situation is. not. permanent.

I recently stumbled across these custom-made rings by Kathryn Riechert, and I found them nothing short of inspiring. And I love the story behind them, too- how Kathryn first thought to make them when she spent her days waitressing instead of creating. I'm sure most of us can relate to this on some level. Maybe you're not a full-time waitress with the soul of an artist, but you've got to be working toward something, right? Most of are, whether it's career-related or not. We all have goals and dreams. Why not keep a reminder of them right at your finger tips?


My mind is already in idea overload with possibilities for my own set of rings from Kathryn. ("I'm a creative spirit...not a corporate drone" is sort of amusing to me.)

So, what about you? What would your rings say?

Oh, and Kathryn? She's now a full-time artist who spends her days creating cool jewelry like this.

Etsy as an incubator

Megan Auman, who authors one of my favorite indie business blogs, Crafting an MBA, recently posted about how to use Etsy as an incubator and why you should eventually move on. It really resonated with me because that is exactly how I view my Etsy experience. I've had a shop there for a while and I've worked on the exact topics Megan mentions, like product development, market research and branding. I also realized that my current shop is not working and I want to go a different direction. And of course, grad school also played a big part in forming my ideas for my future plans, too.



For my new shop, I still plan to use Etsy as an incubator while I finalize business plans (because this one is a much bigger plan). But once I have those plans ready to go, I'll be moving in other directions to become a multi-channel retailer. I never plan to leave Etsy completely. I just love the community there* and wouldn't want to lose touch with it, but I know I will outgrow using just Etsy and brick and mortar consignment eventually. You can check out a little preview of my new designs here and here.

*Speaking of communities, I'm a proud member of the Etsy Beagles Team, and we have a challenge coming up called "Lazy Days of Summer." That picture up there is part of the supplies for my challenge entry, and I'll post the finished piece when it's ready.

Happy weekend!