Etsy Style

Florida Scarf must be hot on Etsy this month. Maybe I'm finally starting to do something right. Here is another treasury composed for shopping pleasure.

'Be yours?' by Ayca

Enjoy!

Wonderful Tropical ... zwzzy $72.00	COMPLETE GROOMING S... NaturalPetProd... $41.00	Cracked - Original ... EllaKSverdlov $30.00
Vintage Paper Weigh... SomeOtherPrair... $20.00	Book - 8x6 cute art... atpalicis $10.00	Wedding Earrings - ... gabeadz $13.50
Antique Compass Pen... kimiko611 $18.00	design your own bri... eclu $58.00	Hand Knotted Flower... GoodFlorist $65.00
Fine Dining Lamp jarabas $65.00	One of a Kind Patch... scgeraci $28.00	Birthday Calendar. ... mandalamagic1 $22.00
Satin White Layered... emmaflhair $10.00	Bird Art - Sandpipe... 6catsart $9.00	NOEL Sheet Music & ... SweetPickleDes... $20.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

An Etsy Treasury Starring Flo Sca

Members of Etsy often put together collections of their favorite items. Each collection has a theme and is a shopping wish list. This list was curated by Etsy member EarthChunks. I am flattered to be a part of this heady selection. Shopping Etsy treasuries is a smart way to browse via "style" not just by item.

'Around the world' by EarthChunks

This treasury was inspired by all of these interesting, rich, and colorful items from different corners of the globe.

Copper, Turquoise, ... sunrisetreasur... $84.00	29 Chiyogami Print ... MadeByJo $8.00	NEW world spice kit... CraigsMarket $11.45
all summer long enchantedpond $24.00	Iceland lichen felt... LuciaStofej $13.00	Turquoise Macrame travelallways $45.00
Desert Flower 50/50... ArtemisArtemis $6.50	Sweetest Matryoshka... RegalCottage $8.00	Octagonal Moroccan ... click2egyptCOM $55.00
Olive Grove Necklac... StellarLightDe... $23.00	Hoopoe bird made ou... vogelki $18.00	Vaya Con Dios (Go W... Tessyla $15.00
Scottish Loch - Wat... lindabutterfly $33.00	ARGENTINA American ... myvintagewhims... $2.50	Bold Print Scarflet... scgeraci $28.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

My New Favorite Cookies

I know this is a bit of a random post for me but, seriously, these are the best cookies I've ever had.

I found the recipe in a coupon magazine they gave out at the commissary this December. I never accomplished the recipe until now. I wish I had made them earlier. They were so easy and the texture of the cookie was right on. My husband Phil and his friends dig them too.

If you are having trouble reading the article: left-click it and it will open in a new page so you can zoom in. Enjoy! 

My First Military Holiday

As stated a few days ago, my holidays are over. Boy, am I relieved. As I sit and reflect on this past season I've become more aware of the impact being in the military had on the business. Initially I thought it was going to be a miracle to sell even one scarf out of Alabama. What actually happened is completely different.

My husband and I have a combined average age of 30. We have been in the Army exactly one year now. It's definitely a bit old to be starting this style of life, but we're always up for an adventure. My husband is going to fly helicopters. In order to do that one must first complete training at Ft. Rucker in Alabama. Everyone thought we were crazy. Most specifically, they thought I was crazy. "What are you going to do down there?", everyone asked.

I'd had Florida Scarf for three years already, and had moved three times previously. I thought running the business from (practically) the middle of nowhere would be an interesting challenge. What I found was that it was no challenge at all. At best, the challenge was keeping shipping cost effective.

Being a part of any military is being a part of the most supportive community on the planet. I made more army-friends with Florida Scarf than anything else. Some of these "new friends" live near post, but many of them are supporters from around the globe. My experience this season has shown me that not only active duty members, but their spouses, and distant family as well, do what they can to be supportive.

It isn't easy for spouses of active duty members to find jobs, or be creative, or work toward personal goals. One's life really has to revolve around the soldier. Because of this, when a spouse can be creative and/or work out of the house the community really gets behind it. Customers that have bought my scarves have been my best marketers. I'm excited for it to continue.

I want to thank everyone for welcoming me to not only Ft. Rucker, but to the Army as well. I look forward to more of 'Florida Scarf, Chapter 2:The Amry'. I hope the experience brings new adventures, friendships, materials, and tools.

http://www.floridascarf.com/

A Few of My Favorite Things

The joyous whirlwind that I call "going home for the holidays" is officially over. My husband and I are back home and I couldn't love it more. I spent the majority of today unpacking our car from the vacation of the past two weeks. We drove from Alabama, to New Jersey to celebrate Christmas a couple of times, to Pennsylvania to celebrate Christmas a few more times, to the mountains of Pennsylvania for the New Year, and finally back to Alabama. In an attempt to get back to normal I've been emptying bags and boxes and putting new and old things in their places. This process of going over all of our gifts was delightful. I decided to photograph my favorite gifts and share them with you here. Some of the gifts were handmade, some were purchased, and still others were a combination of the two. Even though this season of giving is almost over I hope these treasures will inspire a late gift or ideas for next year.

My mother-in-law gave me this wreath. It is handmade, O.O.A.K., and the coolest door decoration on my block. It is by KnockKnocking. Theses original felt wreaths are sold at http://www.etsy.com/

My grandmother gave me some cast iron skillets for Christmas. Finally! I've been admiring the collections that both she and my mother have. The smaller one is actually an old one from a flea market. The larger one is new. It came with a lid and I'm pretty stoked on that. Apparently cast iron lids for older pans are hard to come by. I can't wait to use them with some traditional recipes like german pancakes and pot roasts.

My mom is a ceramic artist. This year she made me a tile. I love the design. She said she got the idea for it from a children's book she recently read. I think this technique in a frame looks like a painting. The thing is, it is better than a painting. After she draws the image and glazes it magic happens in the kiln. The chemical reactions work together to give the composition depth and clarity. Her images are truely O.O.A.K.

This one is even better. My mom let my six-year-old brother use her supplies to make me a gift this year too. My mom is amazing, but her and Frank make a great team. You can shop her creations at http://www.kathycasper.etsy.com/

My aunt made everyone's gifts this year too. It's a family calendar. We all loved looking through it. She even labeled important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries, with photos. This idea, in particular, I found to epitomize the notion that you don't have to be an artist to make a gift everyone can appreciate.



I also got this cookbook. The recipes in it are amazing. Some of the soups are quick, some are more involved, but they are all topped off with killer olive oil. So in addition to the book I was given the kind of olive oil you never buy for yourself.

Another handmade gift my husband and I were glad to recieve was from our friend Heather. She is a Seed Collector. During her journies through the woods this fall she collected pine cones. She then came up with the idea to transform them into angel ornaments inspired by nature. Isn't it adorable? To me the idea was personal and original. 

My husband was the recipient of a few gifts I found to be killer holiday finds. Santa brought him the vintage beer tray featured above (flea market, $2) as well as the vintage flannels in primo condition, featured below. (flea market, $1 each!)

My husband was so stoked on these shirts. I couldn't believe what a hit they were. He wore them just about everyday we were up north.



These are two CD's that my husband got for Christmas. They are not vintage, or handmade, or O.O.A.K., but they are of particular note. They are but two in a series of CD's that were put out by the Buena Vista Social Club. Most of you are probably familiar. If you aren't, I urge you to check them out. The resurgence of this musical genius is a gift to mankind. The story of each individual artist in the group is inspiring. Check out the documentary too.

My list is not as long as Oprah's, I'm sure, but I hope it was more unique. I can only hope that all of you had as "homemade" of a holiday as I did.

Later! 

Holiday Mess

I have a real knack for getting overwhelmed during the holiday season. I mean really, who doesn't? But it seems to me that the time from Halloween to Valentine's Day is one big blur. Coincidentally this time of festivities coincides with scarf selling season. So being in business for myself makes this situation two-fold. I get busy, find extra things to do, get stressed, and make mistakes. Fixing these mistakes is the extra time that "frosts the cake", if you will.

I've started to consider the possibility that I'm not as busy as I think I am. An outsider (let's say my husband for example) might say that my "to do list" isn't worthy of a freak-out. But if reality is nothing more than your own perception of life, how do I rationalize myself out of this predicament? Do I simply not attempt to do all the things I want to do?

Anyway, I'm just here to admit that I'm getting in my own way. In just three weeks I've made three mistakes. They were all pretty minor. But with this most recent episode I've noticed they're adding up. If you don't mind, I'm going to elaborate on the latest issue so you catch my drift. Someone ordered an item online. I packaged it up for her and mailed it out the next day. The problem is that I packaged it while finishing up a few other pieces, baking gingerbread cookies, and getting ready for a holiday party. Due to this level of multitasking I forgot to confirm that I put the right item in the envelope. So, of course, I sent the wrong item. How embarrassing. What a ding-dong. Luckily I caught it before the customer did. Now it is just a matter of making it right, and trying to get the other piece back. In all this I have created three times as much work for myself.

Since this issue I have been harping on myself because I knew I would get busy and act this way. So I've made a list of holiday conduct.

1. SLOW DOWN!
2. FOLLOW STANDARD PROCEDURES  Don't rush and assume you've remembered item numbers, titles of pieces, or you house keys for that matter. Check.
3. ALLOW YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME TO WORK Be reasonable. Figure out how much time you have and then realize how much you can accomplish. Do the most important things first. Don't make up extra things to do.
4. DO NOT DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE No matter what.
5. BE CONTENT WITH ANY ACCOMPLISHMENT Everyday doesn't have to be record-breaking. Continue working. Don't cut yourself an unneccessary break, but stop trying to constantly out-do yourself.

Those steps that must be performed immediately are underlined. These steps must be performed without reference to the checklist. When the situation permits, non-underlined steps can be accomplished with reference to the checklist.

(I'm helping my husband study for flight school. I've modeled my list after his study guide. Typing it has made me laugh. I have obviously memorized a few things too. If it works for the army it should work for me too.)

By not following these simple steps I've created more work and stress for myself this week. In addition, I looked like a rookie. Not anymore. I'm shaving this mustache!

Does Color Make You Nervous?

I've been thinking a lot about this lately, and have finally decided to voice my concerns. I think people are afraid of color. They like to look at it, but they don't like to use it. I'm going to list a few examples.

Since the beginning, black cars have sold the most.

Black, brown, and gray are the most popular color choices for clothing, especially jackets. But you can't argue against the fact that the man in the middle is enjoying his outfit the most.

People prefer to eat things that are some shade of brown.

Food is especially delightful when it is brown and topped with something brown.

 Raise your hand if this is you.

I could go on about houses, inside and out, jewelry, this list is endless. Personally I think it is time for a change. Read on and realize how much more appealing the rest of the post is.

Don't you feel rejuvenated from looking at all that color? I do. This is why I focus on color when I make art. I need color. When customers are shopping for a scarf they initially ask for something in black. If I always had a scarf that was all black they wouldn't be very unique, would they?

I work hard to make Florida Scarf like Art on Sedatives. (to stress this point I have chosen to randomly capitolize words) By this I mean that my focus is color contrast and texture. I want to make things that seem alive. Of course, the product needs to be wearable, so I also apply some rules of fashion.

The scarves and hoods are small. It's an easy way to enjoy color. It surprises me how many people are intimidated by even that. I spend most of my money on sale fabrics. These fabrics are the ones that are most outrageously colored. I take it and cut it into my little 5"x30" rectangle and make it manageable. People need time to process. A certain fabric may not stand a chance as a dress, but turning it into a scarf gives it potential.

The same reasoning can be applied to answering the question of why more people don't like salad. I think they see all the color dancing around the plate and assume it can't be good. You can however, get people to eat a single serving of carrots, or strawberries. Again, in small portions color is manageable.

Everyone needs to realize that color gives us energy and life. It can make you more happy to surround yourself with color. Take the holidays for instance. People like color then. They wrap their house in color. The purpose of the holidays is to spread cheer by decorating things. Wouldn't we all be better off if this was the intent year round?

So honk if you love color! Get your lighters up!

This is Sarah Geraci For Color

signing off