That Was Easy

Check out this cool box I unearthed from the shelves in Marshalls -- it's made from Staples ads! I don't know what I'll use it for yet, but picking something is half the fun. I love Marshalls. As their catchphrase promises, you always walk in wondering "what will you find today?". It's like a flea market, only high end and indoor and minus the seediness. Oh, and everything's new. Ok, so maybe it's not like a flea market. But it's what I always envisioned a flea market to be like -- all colorful displays overflowing with weird, exotic-looking stuff of dubious origin. Of course, once I actually went to a flea market these fanciful illusions were shattered. But that's another story for another post. What's your favorite offbeat shopping destination? Or even just your most preferred retail haunt? I promise not to judge if it turns out to be a flea market. :)

Fruit Stripe

Oddly, I hate Fruit Stripe gum. I thought it sounded tasty once, years ago, but then I tried some and the flavor faded almost instantly. :(

Citrus bangles.

I like big belts and I cannot lie.

So pointy. Kind of outdated, I know, but I choose to ignore such details.

My sister bought me this bag, knowing how I adore all things Betsey. I think the big lightning bolt charm really makes it, don't you? 

What's in Your Handbag?

I switch my handbag every day, so it's a toss-up on what's in it, especially depending upon the size. Curious about the baggage (ha ha) of other women, I Googled "What's in your handbag?" and found this charming article on girl.com.au:

What does your Handbag say about you?

New research delves into the secrets of Sydney women’s handbags

From the oversized tote to the cute clutch - women’s handbags are a source of mystery the world over and new research released today by the makers of Panadol® suggests it’s no different on Australian shores.

The personality is in the bag

From always-on-the-go women in the CBD to creative free spirits on the Northern Beaches, the majority of Sydney women believe their handbag and its contents reveals a lot about their personality. What’s more, Sydney women have an intimate connection to their handbag – one third confessed they would feel uncomfortable if someone they knew, including their partner or best friend, looked into their bag.

Everything but the kitchen sink

When it comes to the contents of our handbags, the survey supports what men have thought for years – women carry almost everything but the kitchen sink in their handbag! Basic make-up kits, moisturiser and sunscreen are popular inclusions, however having an emergency pack of pain relievers on hand at all times was by far most the important, with more women making sure they have pain relief in their bag than anything else. Fortunately Panadol® Rapid is now available in a slim and chic, easy-to-carry pack. New Panadol® Rapid Handipak is stylish and convenient and a must-have addition to every girl’s handbag [If I could just interject here. I'm in no way endorsing Panadol, whatever that is. I just thought this was a fun article, despite its advertorial slant :) ]

Handbags galore

The national survey shows Sydney is full of handbag lovers; the average female owns more than nine handbags. It seems money is no obstacle when it comes to the ‘perfect’ handbag; the average 16-34 year old is prepared to spend more than $300 to make the ideal handbag their own.

Kathryn Eisman, handbag analyst and the author of the best-selling "How to tell a woman by her handbag" says, "From the results it’s clear our handbags and their contents say much more about our personality than we might think. While you can’t judge a book by its cover, I’d suggest taking a closer look at your friends, family and colleagues handbags - one quick quiz might help you unlock and understand the secrets of their personality."

So, what does your handbag say about you? According to Kathryn Eisman, there are four main handbag personalities -

Expressive

Naturally sensitive and down-to-earth, their caring nature means their bag is full of items that are useful to others including band aids, hair accessories, gum and perfume. They are day-dreamers so it’s likely they’ll carry sentimental trinkets or photos of family and friends in their bag so they can escape whenever they have a spare moment. If they’re not reminiscing, they’ll be enjoying a good read – they always have a book or gossip mag on hand in their bag. But don’t be fooled by their sometimes shy exterior. These women are often just waiting for the perfect opportunity to unleash their wild side.

Creative

An imaginative free spirit, hoarders have a creative nature and often try to rebel against conformity. Their bag is organised chaos and is like a bottomless pit. Everything from unpaid bills to food wrappers and change is mixed up and swimming inside. To the owner, their bag is packed full, yet functional, however to the outsider this bag is chock-a-block. As her life is constantly evolving, she likes to swap her bag regularly to reflect her mood and match her outfit. She likes bright coloured handbags including hot pink and aqua, which reveals she is fun and approachable.

Prepared

Typically a reliable and detail-focused person, their bag is extremely organised, with a place and purpose for everything. They are very efficient and like to be prepared for anything, carrying sensible items including hair accessories, tissues, toothbrush, hand wipes and even a phone charger. Although they are always on the go, they like the world around them to be structured, and therefore would rarely swap bags - their one favourite bag serves all purposes. They tend to choose neutral coloured, classic cut handbags which will never go out of style.

Minimal

Logical and rational, these women hate clutter so like to keep their bag streamlined and neat. They are likely to carry a small bag which fits snugly underneath their shoulder, indicating class and sophistication. While they are always on the go, they only ever carry the necessities - usually just their wallet, sunglasses and an electronic organiser. She has mastered a system of organisation, which means she’ll never be stuck digging through receipts, food wrappers and bills to find her mobile phone!

After reading all four descriptions, I decided that I'm a cross between the "Expressive" and "Creative" personality types. I'm basing this on the picture above (there was actually a bunch of trash in my handbag also, but I chose not to photograph it), but you may have your own ideas. Speaking of which, what's in your purse? Which of these purse-onalities best suits you? Ok, I know that was lame, but I couldn't stop myself. :)

Jack Handey Quote of the Week

"If you're a young Mafia gangster out on your first date, I bet it's really embarrassing if someone tries to kill you."

Shamelessly Excited About Being Featured on the What You Wore Blog Today!

Every day I check out one of my favorite blogs, What Katie Wore. To recap, Londoner Katie models a fierce and fabulous new outfit every day, and her boyfriend writes about it. Recently, they've started a What You Wore section, which features readers in their fave outfits. Today was my turn (well, I was actually featured back in December also, but the excitement never seems to wear off :). Check it out here.*

*Link deactivated.

Make and Tell Challenge Abolished!

After much thought, I've decided not to continue with the Make and Tell Challenge. (For those of you who aren't familiar, this project entailed me making progress on at least one of my projects each day and then blogging about it.) It's too much for me, and the anxiety associated with sticking to a schedule impedes, not promotes, my progress more often than not. From now on I'll probably just post about projects I've finished (for example, this Tiny Fruit Salad Tote pictured here). Quite frankly, it's kind of tedious for me to report every brush stroke anyway -- and I'm sure it's even more tedious for you to read! So, no more rules. I have enough of those in my real life. From now on, let's just have some fun!

Featured Artists: Melissa and Sarah of MS Jewelry Design

This week’s featured artists are EtsyNJ members Melissa and Sarah of MS Jewelry Design. Melissa and Sarah offer a fun range of casual and special occasion jewelry (see here for a few selections). So if you or someone you know has an eye for the sparklies, then be sure to stop by.

1. The Tote Trove (TTT): Your Etsy shop announcement mentions that MS Jewelry Design specializes in wedding jewelry. How did you become interested in bridal accessories? What is your favorite thing about designing them?

Melissa & Sarah (MS): We had so many friends and family members that loved the jewelry we made and wanted us to make special jewelry for their weddings. We had such a blast custom designing jewelry for them. People kept telling us we should create a wedding jewelry business, so we did.

2. TTT: According to your Etsy profile, MS Jewelry Design was hatched by two cousins (you!) who loved to create jewelry as children. Back then, did you ever imagine that you’d turn your passion into a business?

MS: We've been making jewelry since we were little, but back then I don’t think we even imagined being able to turn our passion into a business. It wasn’t until some of our friends and family suggested creating a business to sell our jewelry that we realized it was even a possibility.

3. TTT: Did you learn your craft from someone, or are you more self-taught?

MS: Our mothers had a craft business together along with our other aunt when we were young, and we would usually go to the craft shows with them or play together while they were making crafts. So, I guess crafting is in our blood. As far as jewelry making, we're both self taught. We're constantly teaching ourselves new techniques and exploring new ideas.

4. TTT: What is your favorite item in your shop?

MS: We love all of our items, but right now our Aqua Dreams Bracelet is our favorite. It reminds us of the beach, which is where we'd like to be right now.

5. TTT: What items, if any, would you like to add to your shop?

MS: We have so many items that aren’t in our shop right now that we'd love to add. It’s all about capturing the right picture that shows the true beauty of our jewelry, which is something we're working on.

6. TTT: Describe your creative process. Do you follow a routine, create when inspiration strikes, or a little bit of both?

MS: We like to find unique beads and then get together to come up with ways to use them. We also love to share ideas we had in our minds and use that to guide our creations.

7. TTT: What is the best thing about running your own business? The worst?

MS: One of the best things is being able to see and hear the reactions from our customers when we create their custom made jewelry. The hardest part was waiting for that first sale on Etsy. We’d made plenty of sales at shows and to friends and family members, but couldn't wait to make our first Etsy sale.

8. TTT: How did you discover Etsy?

MS: Sarah actually discovered it and printed out all of the information to review at one of our craft shows when we were looking for ways to expand our business.

9. TTT: What have you learned from running an Etsy business? Do you have any advice you’d like to offer other artists looking to market their work?

MS: We're still pretty new to the whole Etsy scene, but so far we’ve learned you have to take great pictures, promote in any way that you can, find a great team (go EtsyNJ!), and be patient.

10. TTT: How does selling online differ from selling in person?

MS: Our main selling venues are craft shows and jewelry parties. We love being able to meet our customers and have them see the beauty of our jewelry in person.

11. TTT: Who is most (emotionally) supportive of your business?

MS: Our mothers, Richard (Melissa’s husband), Chris (Sarah’s boyfriend), our family members, and friends. Everyone has been so supportive that it is hard to name just one.

12. TTT: Are there any new artistic/creative skills you’d like to learn?

MS: We'd love to learn how to do more wirework.

13. TTT: Tell us about life outside of MS Jewelry Design. Do you have jobs in addition to your business? Hobbies? Family? Pets?

MS: We both have jobs in addition to our business. Melissa is a first grade teacher, and Sarah is a scientist. We both love stamping and card making, and Sarah does cross-stitching. Melissa also quilts. We just love crafts in general. Melissa has a pet guinea pig and a cat. Sarah has a dog and two hamsters.

14. TTT: What are your hopes for MS Jewelry Design in the future?

MS: We hope to continue to expand our business and have much more success on Etsy. We would love to make jewelry for many more weddings and to continue to have fun together.

15. TTT: BONUS QUESTION. Just for fun, if you were stranded on a deserted island and had to eat the same thing every day, what would it be? You can pick a drink and a dessert, too. (I find that dreaming up a whole meal makes this game more entertaining!)

MS: Melissa would pick pizza, cherry vanilla diet Dr. Pepper, and cherry vanilla ice cream. Sarah would pick coffee and chocolate chip cookies.

Thanks for stopping by to meet Melissa and Sarah and find out more about MS Jewelry Design.

Want to be an upcoming featured artist? Or maybe you have a friend who’d dig the spotlight? Just email me at thetotetrove@gmail.com with your shop name and I’ll add you to the schedule!