Etsy Love: In the Stacks

Posted on September 29, 2010 by Diana

*Every Wednesday, I take a look at some of the beautiful items found at one of the best places for buying and selling hand-made and vintage: Etsy. Buying hand-made and vintage lets you own beautiful, unique objects with character. It keeps things out of the landfills and supports artists and small businesses who are trying to make a living doing what they love. If you have a particular theme you’d love to see, drop me a line and let me know. *

I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, even after two years of library school, half a year looking for a library job and now a little over half a year of actually being a librarian, I’ve never done a library themed Etsy Love set. For shame! Turns out, I’m not the only Etsian with a love of all things library related. Here’s just a couple of the gems I found:

Stack of Old Books Handpainted Necklace, $28

Heather Kent

Bewitched by Books Magnet, $5

Artsyville

I Love Books Zipper Pouch, $12

Kukubee

Books and Birds Screen Printed Cards, $14

Two Guitars

Simply Tote Bag in Red, $38 (for carrying your books!)

Bayan Hippo

Imagination (Version 2) $20

Studio Mela

“They’re only interested in clothes”

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Diana

I’m not one to be vainly interested in clothes, but I am coming to the realization that my closet needs an overhaul. I have a lot of great clothes that currently don’t fit, since I gained a little weight over the summer. I have a lot of clothes that I don’t completely love – the fabric isn’t soft, the color is wrong, etc. Some of these problems I can fix, but really, I mostly need to get rid of a lot of my clothes and buy some new duds that I actually really love. I would estimate that right now, I only regularly wear about 25 – 30% of my closet on a regular basis. I think I should maybe revisit my wardrobe inventory and wardrobe gaps lists, and really take a look at what I need.

I’ve also got another change in the works: I’m buying a pair of running shoes. I’ve been wanting to do this for awhile, but good running shoes are expensive, and I didn’t have enough money saved up to afford a pair until recently. I want to get a really good pair, because my feet pronate (or is it over-pronate?) – the thing where your feet tend to roll to the outside. I like to wear running shoes that correct this, because it helps prevent injury, and I really don’t want to screw up my knees.

I used to run three times a week for about 20 minutes, but for the past several years, I switched to just working out at the gym, and then recently, I added yoga. I absolutely love practicing yoga, but the gym just isn’t doing it for me anymore, and my membership rates are about to go up, so I’m thinking it’s a great time to take up running again. We’ll see how it goes.

Tank: Sonoma (thrifted)
Cardigan: Anthropologie (eBay)
Jeans: Gap
Shoes: Keen Barcelona (eBay)
Bracelets: Jill Popowich
Earrings: Mackie Jewelry

Quote: Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat

One Lovely Blog

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Diana

The Green Phone Booth was ever so kind as to give me the One Lovely Blog award. I’m quite grateful and flattered, and I thought it would be nice to spread the love around and take a moment to recognize some of my favorite blogs out there.

For those interested, here’s the rules of the award (although please do not feel pressured to participate):

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they’ve been chosen.

Going on the newly discovered blogs track, here are fifteen blogs that I started reading within the past few months that I absolutely love (yes, I know it’s not fifteen, but I’m just sticking to blogs that I’ve recently started reading. Thirteen blogs is just fine.):

Awful Library Books: This blog collects books weeded from actual libraries that should have been removed from the shelves long ago. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes disturbing, always fun to read.

Daily Pep Talk From a Best Friend: I just started reading this one last week, and I’m already smitten. This lovely blog is full of wonderful and inspiring messages to remind you that you are amazing and that you have the ability to make your life what you want it to be.

Eco Yogini: This fab blog looks has great discussions of yoga and sustainability and how the two inter-connect.

Finding Tampa: This is a relatively new local photo blog with fantastic pictures of Tampa, including many locations that are off the beaten path. And the author is a cyclist – extra bonus.

FlueBlog: Fluevog’s official blog, including the amazing everyday Fluevog shots. Because I really can never get enough of these beautiful shoes.

GardenMama: The beautiful photos in this blog always make me feel like I’ve been transported inside The Secret Garden. While looking at my computer screen.

Going Home to Roost: This gorgeous blog looks at organic gardening, sustainability, diy, etc, all with absolutely beautiful images and a lovely layout.

Just Bento: An amazing blog that is – you guessed it – just about bentos. Amazing photos, amazing recipes, did I mention that this blog is amazing? And the author has a bento cookbook out too!

Re-nest: A blog about sustainable homes and living. I realize that this is one of the great-big-very-well-known blogs, but it’s that way for a reason. I find myself drooling and/or clicking through with just about every post.

Simply Bike: S. of Academichic started her own bike blog a few months back, and it’s lovely. Her photos always make me want to get up off my butt and get on my bike.

The Frugal Girl: Baking, recipes, eatting well while saving money. What’s not to love?

The Greenists: Another fantastic blog on all things green.

P.S. I made this: Okay, so I just started reading this one yesterday, but I already love it. The photo diy tutorials are perfectly wonderful.

Shopping Plan: Week 34

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Diana

*Week 34 of My Great Shopping Plan of 2010, where I attempt to stay on a budget and fill out my wardrobe*

After last week, I had $142 left in my September shopping budget. It was another busy week, without a lot of shopping, but I did manage to make it to one of my favorite consignment shops and a garage sale.

525 America Blouse, $25 at My Mosh Posh

Liz and Co necklace, $3 at garage sale

Two lovely deals. That 525 blouse is utterly gorgeous. It still has its original tags on it, and I got it at half the original price. It drapes beautifully, and I think it will work well for both casual and work outfits.

So that was all I got this week, leaving me with $114 left for this month. Today, I’m off to the mall, because for some reason, I have the hardest time finding work slacks second-hand. Maybe today I’ll finally buy some.

Bento Box: September 10, 2010

Posted on September 25, 2010 by Diana

*Welcome to Bento Box Saturday! Every week, I post a photo of one of my bento lunches. I use a Laptop Lunches bento box and I love it because it helps me to reduce the amount waste I create, since I don’t produce a lot of extra garbage from throw away packaging. I also love how it creates perfect portion sizes. To learn more about how I pack and carry my bento, check out this post*

I packed my bento with:

Chili with rice and cheese
Grapes
Romaine lettuce salad
Red bell pepper slices
Parmesan cheese
Whole wheat crackers

The 3/50 Project: September

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Diana

*As part of my participation in the 3/50 Project, I write about things I buy locally on the last Friday of every month. To learn more about the 3/50 Project, check out this post.*

This month, I only ended up shopping at two local stores, focusing mostly on grocery items. This wasn’t really intentional, it’s just how it worked out.

Bought at Oceanic Supermarket

Whenever I buy ethnic groceries (Asian, Middle Eastern, Hispanic, etc) I always prefer to shop at a grocery that’s run by people from that region. The prices are generally better than chain grocery stores, the selection is better, and the atmosphere is always so much more interesting. I’ve got a sociology background, so I love learning about different cultures. My favorite local grocery store for Asian foods is Oceanic. I was running low on a lot of staples, so I stocked up on soy sauce, mirin, kim chee, hoisin and other delights.

Bought at Kaleisia Tea Lounge

I’m a bit of a tea snob; I absolutely love to drink tea brewed from loose leaves. My favorite place to buy loose leaf tea is Kaleisia. It’s pretty much one of the coolest places to hang out in Tampa, the owners are super nice, and they actually go to China several times a year and get new teas. Buying tea here is better for the environment too, because once you buy the tins the first time, you can get them refilled when you buy tea again, eliminating extra packaging (you can have it put in bags too, if you don’t want to buy the tin).

Shopping local is awesome (and delicious).

Etsy Love: It’s Business Time

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Diana

Whether you work from home, in a cubicle, or anywhere in between, it’s always nice to have a stylish and organized workspace. For me, if my desk is a mess, I’m much less likely to get anything done. Here’s some fantastic vintage and handmade items I found on Etsy that can take any workspace from drab to fab:

18 oz Cream and Green Cup, $18

Monster Op Maat

Vintage Pair of Industrial Wire Baskets, $26

Haven Vintage

Stelie Designs 2011 Desk Calendar, $18

Stelie Designs

Mini mod gooseneck lamp, $34

Pica Pica Found

Vintage Flip Clock, $22

Industrial Relic

Pepperberries, set of fabric push pins, $14.50

Paper Pumpkin

“A new experience for her”

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Diana

As you may know, I generally shy away from primarily neutral outfits. I love color – bright, bold, saturated, etc. Wearing an outfit of navy, brown and white with just a little turquoise is a bit of a stretch for me. But at the same time, I absolutely love how this outfit turned out. The neutrals all work together perfectly, and they created an outfit that is both simple and chic.

I found it interesting that this outfit contains an unusually large number of non-secondhand items for me. But what I also love is that each of these items was chosen and purchased with care, and have served me through many outfit remixes. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve worn that cardigan – it works great with just about everything. That turquoise necklace always makes for a fantastic pop of color. And my Anthro belt always adds some extra interest to outfits. As I’ve said before, I’m not against buying things from larger, corporate stores. It’s always about balance and buying things that you love.

Dress: Soprano (via Li da la)
Cardigan: LOFT
Belt: Anthropologie
Shoes: Dansko Sally (courtesy of Dansko)
Necklace: Express
Bracelet: Vintage

Quote: No Talking, by Andrew Clements

Shopping Plan: Week 33

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Diana

*Week 33 of My Great Shopping Plan of 2010, where I attempt to stay on a budget and fill out my wardrobe*

Wendy Brandes Little Woolf Necklace, $50

Many of you may know about Wendy Brandes from her fabulous blog and jewelry designs. A few weeks ago, I read about how she was funding a new set of rings through Kickstarter. I’m not really much of a ring person and couldn’t really afford the price tag for the OMG rings, but I wanted to support the project. I decided that the $50 Little Woolf necklace was perfectly in my budget and suits me well. First, it’s named after Virginia Woolf, which is cool. Second, I work at a middle school, and even though I’m not a huge fan of Twilight, I do consider myself a member of Team Jacob. Third, Wendy B. makes awesome jewelry, and I’ve wanted to get one of her pieces for awhile. So, I’m eagerly looking forward to getting this cute little woolf necklace in the mail.

I had $192 left in my budget last week, so this brings it down to $142. I swear, one of these days I’ll actually buy some slacks for work.