Buttons in Bangladesh

One of my favorite things about selling supplies on etsy is when a customer takes the time to show you what your finds were transformed into. Recently I sold some victorian black glass buttons to a customer and about a month later I received these photos of a puppet show going on in Bangladesh. Those black buttons were given new life as puppet eyes! These pictures make me smile every time I see them, and I'm so thankful that she shared them with me.

Back in Action

My last post was about welcoming a new shop called Ophelia to my town, and since then Peach Parlor has changed a lot. My Etsy shop used to be mostly my handmade goodies, but now I take all of my wears to sell in the store locally, which I really love. I'm excited for the chance of running into someone wearing something I made! I would probably hug them, and they would think I was a crazy person.

So, where does this leave Peach Parlor in the online world? Now it's mostly a vintage button heaven. I'm still falling in love with every old button I see, and spreading my button love all over the world. I'm loving my life, and my job.. in all it's incarnations. I've moved past the uncertainty of not having a "real job" and I'm fully embracing the road I'm on. This doesn't mean I'm not still dealing with issues that come from working from home, like time management and how to deal with distractions, but I'm working it out. I have missed blogging. I guess I've been trying to do more, instead of just talking about doing more, and I needed a blog break, but I'm back in action now.

Here is what my life has looked like since I've posted last. Lots of crafts, love, birds and cats. All the important things.

Welcoming Ophelia

My beloved town is a little on the small side, and I can't say there are many great places to shop, especially if you're looking for something unique. As far as clothes and accessories go, you get a handful of chain stores, and that's it. Although we feel like a real grown up town since we finally have a coffee shop, and have recently added a music venue to the line up, something that has been missing is a clothing boutique to offer up something different. Ophelia opened a little over a month ago and is filling that void perfectly! Stephanie Mason is the fashionista responsible for this new store, located on the most charming block in town. It's full of gorgeous clothing, scarves, jewelry, perfume, candles, and as of recently, she now carries some handmade pieces by yours truly! I get a lot of pride when I see local shops like this flourishing in my town and I wish Ophelia so much continued success.

Ophelia is located at 3 North Jefferson Street

Farmington, Missouri

Superpowers Activate!

We aren't usually party kind of people, but Halloween is the one time of year that we pretend that we are. Yeah, so I'm 30.. I still like to play dress up and act a fool with my favorite people! We throw a themed costume party every year, and this year's theme is SUPERHEROES! I'm still working out the details of my (super secret) costume, and I'm excited to see what this theme will bring. Do you throw parties, or dress up for Halloween? What themes have been a success? And has a theme ever totally bombed?

In the past we've had an 80's Prom:

Robots:

And most recently, a Fetish theme, which I thought might scare guests away, but instead it was the best turn out so far!

Since I have super powers on the brain, today I made a treasury full of my favorite super goodies! Click to see the treasury in action. Check back after the 22nd to see what costumes we came up with :)

Bedroom Update!

It's time for an update on the ongoing bedroom remodel! Things are finally starting to get furnished, and we've been sleeping in the new room for a few weeks now, which feels like a giant accomplishment. Still much to do, like doors and trim and I have to find stuff for these bare walls, but overall it's come so far from where we started!

We scored a giant, comfy bed (thanks Craigslist), and I finally decided on some hanging bedside lights (thanks Ebay). The lights got a paint job, and we switched out the old school hanging chain for the sleeker look of the metal rod.

The focal point of the room is the gorgeous old window that is being used as our headboard (thanks antique dealing in-laws). The window was once a part of the school across the street from our house. They replaced them a few years back, and sold the old ones, and this one eventually trickled it's way down to us. I love that it ended up almost right back where it started.

The other new features are the night stands that Bradley made. The metal bases were old tool stands, that got a little tweaking, and he made the wood end grain tops, which turned out beautifully!

As always, mad props to my husband, because without all of his know-how and hard work, all of our ideas would never become reality.

Mug Monday!

Pretty sure this might be the cutest mug in all of mug history!

I picked this one today in celebration of the Fall Festival I had a booth in this weekend. It was my third time participating, and it's always my favorite craft fair because of the beautiful fall weather, and the fact that it takes place a few blocks away from my house doesn't hurt. I've done well before, but this time it was better than ever! I shared the booth with two old friends, and we stayed busy all day.. busy enough that I didn't even get a chance to take one single picture! I want to give a gigantic thanks to all the local people who stopped by the booth to say hi, shop, and show their support. It means so much to me.

Recovery

I was trying to think of a theme for a new treasury, but my thoughts are completely with my dad right now, who is stuck in the hospital recovering from his bone marrow transplant. I figured I might as well make one about what's on my mind. I'm so grateful for all the nurses and doctors who are taking great care of him. I'm a positive thinker, and hopeful that things are on the up and up, and he'll get to finish recovering from home soon. Props to all the other families out there, holding it together through a trying time <3

Shipping Sale!

This rare in the world of Peach Parlor, but I'm feeling a little fiestly, so how about a sale! I'm offering free worldwide shipping on all of my buttons, photography, and collage prints. This weekend only! No limits. No exceptions. Sale ends on Sunday, Sept 11th at midnight, so pounce before it's over!

Amy Bengston

I wanted to take a second to give some shop props to Amy Bengtson and her gorgous necklaces! I fell in love immediately. She works with wood, and many of her pieces have these amazing touches of repurposed leather. If you're not into the Chevron design, there is more variety in her Etsy shop, but these are the ones that get me drooling!

Click the photos to see the listings.

Get to Know a Crafter: Meet Meredith!

Meredith makes adorable wrist warmers, cozy cable knit scarves, the cutest little bows and teacup pin cushions, and more. I want to hang out, listen to records with her take some knitting lessons!  I love reading her blog, especially her Blogging for Confidence series, where she pushes her shy self to take on challenges she normally might avoid.  So inspiring! Read on to learn more about this sheepish girl.

Name: Meredith Crawford
Location: Dallas, TX
Etsy shop: Sheepish Knitting & Crochet
Blog: One Sheepish Girl

Tell us a little about your blog and what you make:
Hi Jody! Thank you so much for having me here!

My blog is where I share my creations, inspirations, and my attempts at staying sane during my last year of college. I create knit and crochet accessories for my shop on Etsy. I never expected blogging and Etsy to become such a big part of my life, but I couldn't be happier about it!

What is your most used tool?
Knitting needles! I always have a pair clicking in my hands or stuffed in my bag. A crochet hook is definitely a close second!

What is your favorite part of the crafty process?
Holding the finished product in my hand. Sometimes I can't believe it when a simple idea I jotted down on the corner of my notebook turns into one of my creations. It's so rewarding!

Name a skill you'd like to get better at:
I'd like to get better at color work knitting, like intarsia. It is pretty tricky and there are lots of yarn ends to keep up with. A few months ago I got really excited about the Royal Wedding, I started a Union Jack Teacosy to practice my intarsia skills. It was pretty hard and took me a few months, but I definitely feel a bit more confident doing color work. I can't wait to incorporate intarsia into an accessory for the shop!

Describe your ideal workspace:
A cozy little cottage, big enough for all of my yarn, tools, and stacks of books. A little cottage on the English countryside sounds pretty perfect right now.

What is a project you want to tackle, but haven't taken the plunge yet?
A big, fancy blog re-design. I'm kind of an HTML spaz...so I think I'll keep putting that one off for a bit.

What's the most important thing to you in the room that you're in right now?
My parents. I'm home for the weekend and they are the greatest ever. They have been extremely supportive during my first year adventures on Etsy! :)

One odd fact about yourself:
There was a time in my life when I had braces and wore an eyepatch. At the same time. Yikes!

You are happiest when:

I'm able to fully focus on my knitting and blogging. Things get stressful during the semester, so it's wonderful when I can give the passions I love my full attention.

3 blogs we shouldn't be missing:
Art Equals Happy -You really should check out Kim's blog. She is such a sweet, incredibly talented blogger and knitter. Her writing is lovely and her pictures are filled with warmth.

Sunshine and Carousels - Erin's blog is simply beautiful! It is filled with colorful creations and scrumptious recipes. I am always inspired when I stop by her blog.

The Dainty Squid - Kaylah is probably the coolest person ever. With her cotton candy blue hair and vintage threads, she never disappoints when she blogs about her adorable cats, mushroom hunting, and thrifty finds.