bud

vanity fare:

2012-02-11T04:30:00.000-05:00

skin musk perfume oil - parfums de coeur

"let the soft aroma of florals, sandalwood and musk embrace you."

can you believe i'm a little over thirty years old and my first time smelling skin musk was two weeks ago? well, it's the first time i set out to smell it, anyway. i do catch a vague whiff of familiarity when i first apply it leading me to believe somebody i encountered in the distant past wore this. or, more likely, a whole lot of somebodies. it's my understanding it was pretty popular back in the day. if you're thinking of visiting (or re-visiting) it, i highly recommend the oil over the spray because it's got more warmth and sweetness because the creamy sandalwood note is prominent; whereas, the spray smells powdery and light--not bad, but not nearly as good.

nails:

2012-02-10T04:30:00.000-05:00

cinderella - sinful colors

under blue skies

2012-02-09T04:30:00.000-05:00

nails:

2012-02-03T04:30:00.000-05:00

into astrono-me? - ulta (salon formula)

creamsicle walls

2012-02-02T04:10:00.000-05:00

back a thousand lifetimes ago near the end of my pregnancy, i asked my husband to get two cream-colored roll-up shades to go behind the sheer curtains i'd bought for the nursery. for some reason, these shades were critical to the overall outcome of the room and i was adamant that they not be too white or they'd clash with the off-white trimming. who can comfortably live in a home with clashing whites?! not our daughter.* he brought them home and though the package said they were cream, they were beige. i thought they were hideous. and i may or may not have been touched with a bit of hormone-induced irrationality which led me to growl at my husband for getting BEIGE ("i don't care if the package says they're cream; they're beige.") when i plainly stated i wanted CREAM. but i was all, "whatever. they're going up and i'll replace them later if when i still hate them." i was further horrified the next day when i saw an orange glow coming from her room. turns out, afternoon sun filtered through beige shades is orange. i mean really... orange? hate. at least, i did. i don't know if it was all those months spent sprawled out on the floor of turtle's room watching her play in the afternoon light or if i'd just regained a little bit of sanity (or traded insanity for delirium), but i grew to accept the strange orange glow as part of my surroundings. i didn't just accept it, i reveled in it. now, all these orange-tinged memories later, i look forward to seeing how the house will look each afternoon as the sun bursts through those beige shades and paints every wall it touches the color of a creamsicle. magical, i tell you.

oh, and i apologized to my husband. i've told him a number of times since how happy i am with his "mistake," especially when he's standing in it. and even more especially when he's standing in it while wearing that A-shirt.

yum.

*please, please understand that whole clashing whites statement is dripping with sarcasm.

want to wear

2012-02-01T04:30:00.000-05:00

ring: ann sofie back // spike tunnels: topshop // scarf: tsumori chisato

sunglasses: linda farrow x dries van noten

nail polish: butter london // necklace: liebe shop // clutch: ter et bantine

pants: rogan

nails:

2012-01-29T00:30:00.000-05:00

craving coral - revlon

proof of life

2012-01-28T02:30:00.000-05:00

i'm sick with some kind of sinus nonsense so not much has happened (ok, nothing) with regards to the shop, but i did manage to get out of the house with my family and enjoy some of this unseasonably warm weather before i got completely overtaken. that was nice. really nice.

i love turtle's new boots. (so does she.) they remind me a little of these j. crew boots i'd seen at the beginning of the fall season. (champagne tastes, beer budget and all that.) a couple months later, i spotted these on target's website but they were still full price and i couldn't justify getting her new shoes when one of my friends had just handed down several pairs that fit her perfectly. just so happens she outgrew them right at the same time target decided to put these boots on clearance for $5. sweet, sweet serendipity. i went ahead and sprung for the brown ones, too. 'cause i'm straight ballin'.

nails:

2012-01-20T04:30:00.000-05:00

effervescent opal (re-named angelic)- revlon

smiling faces, helping(?) hands

2012-01-19T16:00:00.000-05:00

if these necklaces don't sell, i know who to give them to. turtle tries to get her hands on them every chance she gets. unfortunately, she got her chance with the one above. all of those beads used to be strung, but i made the mistake of leaving the necklace untied while it awaited a finishing bead (below). i left it on my desk--presumably up and out of the way---but when her poppa came by and sat down to use my computer, he thought nothing of picking her up to sit with him. hearing the' knock-knock' of opportunity, she was quick to answer.

poppa wasn't quite so quick.

these "smiles" i've made will finish off all of my necklaces from here on out. they make me happy. i just need to perfect the process.

also working on packaging. haven't got it all sussed out yet, but it'll get there.

not this time, baby.

lesson learned. all supplies and finished pieces are safely out of her reach.

---------------------------

i feel like i should make it clear that turtle knows these are beads and knows that beads don't go in mouths. i've drilled it into her brain from the time she started crawling. if she does get her hands on one, she turns and presents it to me saying, "no mouth--no mouth." so please don't worry about that.

believe me, i do enough worrying for all of us.

candy strings

2012-01-12T04:30:00.000-05:00

smågodis (swedish for 'candy') is the inspiration behind the necklaces i've been working on for spring. and, though not planned, it would seem the color palette i've chosen for them came directly from the print below. i guess months of looking at it everyday caused the colors to root into my subconscious and when it came time to purchase beads, they screamed, "pick me! pick me!" and so what choice did i have but to pick them?

(enchanted tales by anna howarth)

i had to re-string this one because when i sat down with it again, i noticed i'd left one of the beads off.
doh.

(forget-me-not flat by kirk snyder)

please notice the way my beads are laid out over my keyboard and illuminated by the gentle blue glow of my monitor. a clear sign it's time to clean off my desk.
again.

since taking these pictures yesterday afternoon, i've gotten a total of three necklaces to the point of near completion and i have to say i'm completely smitten with them. i hope you will be, too.

ps: don't forget to click on the images if you'd like to see them larger.

want to wear

2012-01-11T04:30:00.000-05:00

jacket: acne // necklace: erin considine // handbag: clare vivier

sunglasses: dries van noten // lipgloss: ellis faas // trousers: acne

dress: 3.1 phillip lim // bangle (t): goldenink // bangle (b): hannah carlyle

sandals: acne

my niece

2012-01-09T01:16:00.000-05:00

i love, LOVE this girl.

and so does my camera.

i've been trying to become a better photographer and thankfully she is always a willing (and endlessly patient subject.) i don't know if she has any idea what a help she's been to me. we got together the day before she returned to college from her holiday break and, with her littlest cousin underfoot, had ourselves a photo session. (her younger brother was around too, but until i have his permission, i don't feel right about posting his pictures on my blog.) i forced myself to only choose 5 pictures of her to post (and let me tell you, narrowing it down was beyond difficult) so if you're inclined to see more, the rest are here and some from the summer here.

2012-01-05T00:30:00.000-05:00

i promised to have 'fanciful wares for the home' when my shop re-opens, but because that description leaves a lot to the imagination, i went ahead and took some pictures of samples i have hanging around the house just to give you a little more to work with. i made these wall tiles using paper clay, antique millinery bits, and findings from vintage costume jewelry.

(for various reasons, these particular pieces will not be in the shop, but similar ones will.)

(the tea towel--a gift from my in-laws--is Fine Little Day for urban outfitters and a highly recommended way to spend $8)

a few days late:

2012-01-03T00:40:00.000-05:00

happy new year!

new year's is officially my new favorite holiday.

here's to a fresh start.

this post is SO last year...

2012-01-02T00:33:00.001-05:00

...but here i am posting it anyway. you don't mind, though, right?

Christmas and i don't have the best relationship. i spend most of the season feeling rather blah. i'm a Christian, but i have a hard time going along with the idea that the Christmas we celebrate here in my part of the world has anything to do with Christ and so i try to make it mean something else so i can celebrate with everyone else without that burden on my heart. (i hope that makes sense.) i try to turn it into a celebration of loved ones and a celebration of the blessings God has given us throughout the year, but i can't say i'm good at that either. i end up just kind of going through the motions. i enjoy lights. i enjoy Christmas trees. i enjoy some holiday music. i enjoy everyone's excitement. i super-enjoy Christmas food. i just don't enjoy the "merry Christmas" vs. "happy holidays" battle that some people fight and and i especially don't like the "gimme, gimme"/"buy, buy" part. i just want to find some middle ground so each year i can remind my daughter that giving is better than receiving and that the birth of our Savior is something to celebrate all year. all that said, i definitely believe in having fun and creating joy for those around me and if a Christmas tree puts a smile on someone's face, then i'll put one up. we didn't get ours up till the 23rd (hence the late-in-the-season post) but it's been bringing us a good bit of cheer ever since. 

last time my sister-in-law and i trekked up to ikea, i--with elisabeth dunker on the brain--grabbed a jar of fuse beads. my grandpa introduced me to them when i was a kid, but i hadn't touched them since. when i found out my husband had never heard of them, much less knew what to do with them, i invited him to help me make ornaments for our tree. last year, i lost about 4 of my favorite ornaments to our baby and in her present toddler state, we decided a full-size tree trimmed with breakable ornaments wouldn't be the best idea so we busted out my little pink foil tree and decked it out in plastic. 

oh, and clay. i had to get her involved somehow.

our daughter is really into celestial bodies and learning shapes, so i ran with a sort of geometric theme while my husband's designs were a little more complex. he got really into it and surprised me one night with the "eye, heart, u" one (below). sweetheart. he also made a snowflake, a sun (i made a moon), a vibrant wheel-looking design, and one with our daughter's name. it went on top.

our daughter, "turtle" as the internet knows her, can name all the shapes and has somehow managed to keep her hands off of them for the most part. she impresses me daily.

this one makes me very happy.

my husband was pretty disappointed when i told him he'd have to fill that snowflake in if he didn't want it to break 0.02 seconds after it was fused. he got over it.

i'm not sure these ornaments will stand the test of time, but the memory of us side-by-side, hunched over our pegboards will.

the moon.

:D

and there you have it. the budpnq family Christmas tree. it's full of all kinds of joy.

i kind of don't want to take it down...

no. 104

2011-08-19T00:00:00.005-04:00

pleasing palate: ice cream social

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Alexandra Sophie

Anthropologie // emmashirley // Imke Klee

Rodarte X Opening Ceremony A/W '11

no. 103

2011-08-18T00:00:00.004-04:00

playing matchmaker

Deborah Lippmann get this party started collection // Tamara Lichtenstein

no. 102

2011-08-17T06:40:00.000-04:00

w[etsy]day

shelbyhealey // KelimPottery // VeraVague // alicegaophotography

no. 101

2011-08-16T05:00:00.000-04:00

child-like joy

no. 100

2011-08-15T00:54:00.000-04:00

sweet tooth

via anna louise likes // mociun necklace // via le dans la // veronique lorne styling

nemres

no. 99

2011-08-14T05:24:00.004-04:00

pleasing palate: cupcake spotting 

source: Bakarí cupcakes // via Atlantic Treefox // Miss Capricho illustration // Elsa Billgren

no. 98

2011-06-04T18:53:00.000-04:00

where i create:

click the image above to see more pictures

no. 97

2011-06-01T15:08:00.001-04:00

bud's back!

I posted a code on my facebook page to take 15% off your entire order by using code JUNE2011 at checkout, but I'll post it here for my blog readers, too. Don't forget that when you "like" my page, you are qualified to get FREE SHIPPING each and every time you order from my shop for as long as you remain a fan. Because Etsy only allows one code per shop at checkout I will have to revise the invoice myself, but all you need to do is leave a note in the message to seller box at checkout. 

I just listed 9 new necklaces and I hope to get more listed in the shop over the next couple of days. Keep popping in!

no. 96

2011-05-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

vaguely nautical

MM6 by Maison Martin Margiela strap sandal // two red boats by prettylittlethieves // By The Shore pants by Pure & Good //

Ceinture Fine (Thin Belt) by American Vintage

how about swapping red for coral, exchanging navy for grey and wearing those iconic stripes on your feet instead?

no. 95

2011-05-24T08:00:00.027-04:00

on my nails

1. Barielle Aura Angora 2. OPI Designer Series Illuminate 3. Barielle Slate of Affairs

4. Essie Demure Vixen 5. Essie Sew Psyched 6. Butter London All Hail the Queen

if you've ever visited my shop, you may have noticed the hand that poses with my jewelry. well, that's my hand. and the nails on my hand are always painted. it's just something i try to take time to do for myself. i find it relaxing to sit still and paint each nail one careful stroke at a time. for the moment, i'm really liking murky, dusty colors and ones with a little bit of sparkle--you know, to catch some of this hot summer sun. 

PS: i'm in no way affiliated, but you can find all of these at Ulta. that's where I bought mine. with coupons. please don't forget those coupons!

no. 94

2011-05-23T08:00:00.005-04:00

playing matchmaker

twamies + swedish hasbeens

robin top

togl

castle

kati driscoll and alan brown are already a dynamic match with their collaboration on twamies, an etsy shop filled with work that is as bold as it is playful so it almost seems wrong to pair them with anyone but each other, but the similar color palette and equally fun designs of swedish hasbeens make this three a perfect crowd. 

PS: while clicking through twamies, don't forget to read the descriptions--they'll make you smile!

no. 93

2011-05-22T12:13:00.000-04:00

and another: "loop fruits"

just three (i'm always working in threes, i've noticed) shown here, but i plan to make more. check the shop june 1st!

no. 92

2011-05-20T12:17:00.004-04:00

a tiny bite of sweet

this honkin' strawberry was no match for my daughter and her two baby teeth. makes me smile.

no. 91

2011-05-19T23:58:00.002-04:00

more of what i've been up to this month.

it seems sweets have been on my brain. no surprise; they always are.

the one above was actually inspired by a treasury i'd done after sampling the fragrance, Confetto by Profumum

i actually hate the way licorice tastes, but i constantly find myself ogling pictures of it. salty licorice, popular in Finland, was my muse for this piece.

really, i just wanted to try this style of necklace again and these colors were begging me to put them together. i'm particularly fond of the length. it almost grazes the navel.

no. 90

2011-05-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

anthro living

1.Origami Garden Curtain 2. Patrizia Sofa 3. Cherry Blossoms Chandelier 4. Crest & Fall Pillow 5. Welding Votive Holder 6. Savannah Story Bust, Gazelle 7. Woods Wallpaper, Coral 8. Golden Peaks Rug

Bold colors and graphic patterns with a few soft, sparkling pieces scattered throughout. Yep, that's just my style.

no. 89

2011-05-15T12:26:00.001-04:00

sneak peeks:

i have a few others like this headed to the shop in june. i don't have a name yet, but you know i will!

my obsession with european sweets has made itself evident in another necklace and is very likely to do so again before june!

no. 88

2011-04-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

the well - stocked shop:

anaise

adornments for home and body

carefully curated and endlessly cool. i dream of having the ability to edit so cleanly.

see it for yourself

no. 87

2011-04-18T10:00:00.070-04:00

a parcel of awesome

via nancy of prettylittlethieves

i received this sweet package from nancy over a month ago, but am just now getting around to sharing it. she took the time to wrap my order so sweetly, i just had to take pictures before i undid it all. a large portion of nancy's shop features clever, original drawings of expressive girls--many of whom wear glasses and all of whom are adorable. 

she never fails to delight. 

talk about a fun package to unwrap! (more of her cute badges here)

aren't they lovely? i promptly found homes for them on our walls.

 this is the hall right outside our bedroom door. the colors make it the perfect spot for "old stories". (pictured in the photo above nancy's print are my husband, one of our nieces and me. the only way i can explain "blue tape" is, the roll of painter's tape had been sitting in the hall and one night, after walking past it for the umpteenth time, the idea just struck me. of course, then i had to get it out of my system. my husband--bless his patient heart--just shakes his head.)

"in discord" hangs in our bedroom above my daughter's crib.

thank you , nancy ! i love everything !

no. 86

2011-03-15T02:02:00.001-04:00

1. lokum dust (me!) // 2. anthropologie // 3. jennifer davis

(forgive the shameless plug, but when I saw these, I couldn't ignore the similarities!)

no. 85

2011-03-08T15:08:00.001-05:00

craving: sparkling neutrals

1. Dreamerofworlds // 2. maison martin margiela // 3. e l l e r y

no. 84

2011-03-05T15:12:00.000-05:00

new to my lokum dust photography shop!

no. 83

2011-03-04T00:55:00.001-05:00

just listed!

cloudberry jam

lördagsgodis

candy dish

no. 82

2011-03-04T00:01:00.001-05:00

want to wear

henley: via spare // belt: anthropologie // skirt: antik batik // clutch: chako // wedges: anthropologie

no. 81

2011-03-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

1. prettylittlethieves // 2. & 5. not without incident // 3. quarry 4. minimarket

no. 80

2011-03-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

1. wonders cease // 2. j. crew // 3. PeggyWolfDesign // 4. eleonore bridge // 5. hobbs london

no. 79

2011-03-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

playing matchmaker

artwork: StoryOfASeed // ceramic beads: gaea

no. 78

2011-02-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

1. rescue beauty lounge // 2. natalia milosz-piekarska // 3. vintage frame shop // 4. emilía rún

no. 77

2011-02-26T00:01:00.002-05:00

1. beatupcreations // 2. anthropologie // 3. violetbellaphoto // 4. northbrooklyndrygood

no. 76

2011-02-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

available here

no. 75

2011-02-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

sabine timm(virginhoney) // laura manfre(sister planet) // hardscrabbleboutique

no. 74

2011-02-24T15:47:00.002-05:00

1. esther ramirez(essimar) // 2. ashley goldberg(ashleyg) // 3. renee anne bouffard mcmanus(reneeanne) // 4. mariann johansen-ellis(artcanbefun) // 5. jennifer davis(jenniferdavis)