Daily Outfit >>> Jimi Hendrix

 It is raining outside.  Im listening to First Aid Kit.  Bella is sitting next to me.  It is peaceful.  Today I wore my daddies Jimi Hendrix tshirt.  I cut it up a bit to be a bit more girly.  He wore this shirt all the time when he was going out.  I always thought it was cute, it was his idea of a nice shirt.  And gosh he looked handsome in gray shades with his salt and pepper hair.  I told him how good he looked everytime he wore this shirt, maybe that is why he wore it so much.  I miss him everyday.  It is the oddest feeling in the world to walk this journey with no parents by my side.  Everything I do I want to call them and show them.  There are so many exciting things happening in my life right now, I just want to jump up and down and talk ninety miles an hour to my mom.  And hear my dad say 'alright kiddo'!  Anyways... Im glad I have his shirt.  It made me smile today wearing it.

 I have also been swimming in beads!  Im working on new things like crazy.  I have so much to list.  I havent posted the new stuff on here yet, but I have been adding new things to the Roots and Feathers shop.  And there are a few cute ones coming to Violet Bella soon too.  I have a bunch of new feather in a bottle necklaces in the works that you can see below.  And the pic of me below is me working in my studio :)

 I snapped the cutest photo ever of Bella last night!  Is she not precious?  She follows me EVERYWHERE.  I mean everywhere.  She is such a mommas girl, its almost ridiculous at times.  But I do love it.  Id much rather a cat with her butt in my face all the time, than a kitty who didnt like snuggles and love!  We had peas with dinner last night which made her a happy little girl.  She LOVES peas.  We dont really feed our animals people food, just tiny little hints here and there.  Bella loves peas and corn, her favorites!  She got two peas :) 

 Tomorrow is the last day to enter all 3 giveaways going on right now!  See the right side bar under 'current giveaways' to visit them all if you have not already!  Ill announce the winners at the beginning of October.

 PEACE,
Laura

A peek into my studio makeover...

Yesterday was the day that we moved over furniture from my parents house for my jewelry studio makeover. Today we got the shelves hung, and I spent close to 12 hours decorating and putting the room back together. Im not 100% finished, but Im pooped and had to stop for the evening. A girl does need to eat and shower, sometimes... It is looking more amazing than I could have imagined in my head.  Everything fit exactly where I wanted it to go.  (I organized it in my mind before we brought everything over).  I have had boxes of my mom's little trinket-y things packed in my garage b/c I did not have the proper place to put them... now every little button and stone has a home.  I think it is going to be magical having a whole wall shelf of her 'special' things in front of me while I work everyday.  The only problem, now that I moved so much other stuff in the room, Im having a hard time getting all of my important jewelry making supplies back in a functioning place.  It is going to be a bit of a challenge to get it just right.  But Ill make it work, I always do!  Here are just a few sneak peeks into the room.  Ill take real photos when it is all done.  

I even started off the morning in the room with my breakfast and the laptop :)
I now have an official shipping station!!!  It is grand!  I did my first shipping from it today and it was the best experience (as much fun as shipping really can be)... Its sort of the dreaded part of the job, but such a major part of it... So Im pleased to have a space designated for it, with plenty of space, and easy storage to put everything away when Im done.
James mom gave me a whole bag of very old little bottles.  I love them, and I was excited to find this little wooden display box among my mom's sewing room, its perfect for them!  I use old tin cupcake tins for some of my jewelry supplies.  I usually have them spread out, but now I have to stack them...
When you finally see this shelf you will understand how truly amazing it is.  My dad built it, and its like a puzzle, a true work of art.  And its filled to the brim with odds and ends from their life.  This little brown cup came back with my mom from France.
I found old photos of my mom, and one of my dad standing next to his brother and sister, and I put those right in front of me on the shelf.  The cute pic of my mom (on the right) she was standing next to their sign on top of the driveway to their property, so Im assuming its one of those 'look its our new road sign' photos of when they first moved out here.
My mom loved the doll Poor Pitiful Pearl.  I remember her telling me about her when I was younger.  My mom had a love for the tattered, broken souls of this world.  She was like a mother (in a good way) to anyone she knew.  Here is also a tin full of her mother of pearl buttons, a stone that she held as she was dying, and a crystal my aunt gave me soon after.  Very special things.
More little trinkets, feathers, old milk glass, wooden nickel, old stamp. 
I love little vintage sewing machine.  And her wine cork collection.  I think she was planning on making something with them someday...
Just a few of my old mason jars filled with beads and buttons.  And the corner of my Roots and Feathers storage board.
A corner of the wall decorated with things that remind me of my mom, including a hand written note from her...
James brought me home the other day these amazing old cigar boxes from the 50's.  I love love love them.  They were in his dad's storage.  Im now using them to store my business cards.
And I got Bella's paw print of approval.  Which is very important around here :)

I cant wait to get some real photos of it all set up!  Its nothing compared to actually being in the room, especially with some good tunes playing in the background...  And I couldnt have done any of this without the amazing help of James and his two friends Joey and Dominic, those guys were life savors through this!

You may have also noticed some changes to the blog over this past week.  Im in the midst of re-vamping it as I can.  I dont have time to sit down and do it all at once, so it will be a slow progression.  And dont be surprised if you see it change several times, Im known for deciding I dont like something a few days later.  Ill eventually get it just right. 

PEACE,
Laura