Renegade Roundup: Holiday Edition / 2

Here are a few more of my favorite booths from Renegade Craft Austin last weekend! You can see Part I here. 

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This was just about one of the cutest baby booths I've ever seen. Aren't those shoes ADORABLE?! There was so much variety of product, color, pattern, style...everything! Bibs, burp cloths, sewn ornaments, decorative magnetic clothespin sets; I loved every second of it. I wish I had a little niece or nephew to buy these for! Too stinkin cute. Check out Mindy's blog and maybe do some shoppin for your little birds right here!

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I have a soft spot for all things rugged and repurposed. These bags made from old seed sack bags...ultimate definition of upcycling, guys. Completely captured my heart. The tiger bag (above) was definitely my favorite. The variety of sizes and styles (satchels, totes, courier bags, on and on) was really inspiring as well. Who knew seed sacks could be so stylish?! You can find out more about Selina Vaughan Studios and upcoming shows here, as well as shop her line to your heart's content here!

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I'm not big on scented soaps but let me tell you something, these babies looked so delicious I could EAT them. They had chocolate bar soaps and I swear they were real. And how amazing are those camera soaps?! Red tea clover, I need you in my life! The vendors were SO sweet and gave me a mini green button soap when I left. Pamper yourself with some serious soaplove by visiting their Austin shop or online here. Go. Shop. Be clean. Smell AMAZING. 

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I have to say that Kate, the beautiful soul behind Little Things Studio, is probably one of the sweetest, most animated people I've ever met. Which makes me even more upset that in the flurry of trying to take photos before the fair shut down, most of my detail shots of her amazing work came out terribly blurry. Regardless, her booth was so inviting and cozy, much like the artisan herself. Prints, journals, bookmarks, cards, calendars, stationary, adorable wooden ornaments; this lady knows what she's doing. Her eye for cohesive, uplifting design just radiates through her work and I'm so glad to have met her! I'll definitely be snagging some Christmas gifts from her shop. You can too, on her website or through her Etsy shop. 

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OH MY GOODNESS RENEGADE. Just writing these posts and going back through the pictures warms my heart. I have a few more shops to share tomorrow; get excited! Have a great weekend lovelies! Edited to add: due to unexpected travel plans, I will be posting part III of Renegade on Sunday! 

xo

Renegade Roundup: Holiday Edition / 1

So, after A Series Of Unfortunate Events I finally made it to Austin with about and hour and a half to spare. It's an understatement to say that that's an inadequate timeframe to take in such an exciting, creative event; especially for someone like me. I love taking my time at each booth, talking with the vendors, browsing thoroughly, making sure I get good shots of my favorites. That's not to say I didn't have an absolute BLAST in the time I did have, but...well. I just wish I could've stayed longer! At any rate, here are, in my humble opinion, the Best Of Renegade Craft Austin Holidayfest 2012. 

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I absolutely LOVED these mini planters by The Plaid Pigeon. The booth was so much fun, not to mention the amazing variety of planters! Everyone's going succulent crazy these days, and for a good reason. These low maintenance creatures would be a perfect way to brighten up my desk. How cool would it be to get to the office every morning and be greeted by a neon T-Rex?! It's love guys. For more toy planter fun, head on over to their shop.

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I was THRILLED OUT OF MY MIND to see Helen, the lovely artisan behind Cloth & Ink,  at the fair this year! I met her at the previous Renegade in May, and her designs impressed me beyond belief then. The work she's done since that time completely astounded me. So much diversification of product, so many new designs...I stood in her booth chatting and taking photos and then staring around awkwardly deciding what to buy; it was so much to take in! I'm so excited to see how far she's come and I can't wait to see where she's headed next. Also, it was great to be reminded that she lives in my neck of the woods! Absolutely love it. Need some classy holiday gift ideas? Shop all of her amazing work here. 

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These are probably some of the coolest home decor accents I've ever seen. Each one is so beautifully crafted...as I was wandering around the booth one of the vendors was actually working on a new one! My absolute favorite is the Audrey vessel (pictured first). And the tea lights are magnetic; one can't be without the other! They make such cute couples, amirite? Find out more about scoring some of these earthy beauts from LEBORED here. 

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Where can I even BEGIN?! I'd heard of Poppy & Fern through the Etsy circuit and general blogsphere, but to stand in a booth with so many of the carefully crafted necklaces and embroidered hoops was almost too much. My heart was bursting. The mood of the booth itself just exuded such elegance and comfort; I was right at home. I've admired Rachel's work for so long and it was absolutely lovely to meet her in person. Want to know where high class and vintage craft hang out? Head to her shop and scoop up some of these gorgeous designs while you can! 

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That's it for part one of my holiday Renegade blitz; more bits of incredible coming your way tomorrow! 

xo

Roadtrippin' to Renegade!

I'm SO EXCITED for today! Roadtripping to Austin to see some dearhearts and shop handmade and have some fun. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and didn't completely lose your sanity on Black Friday. Or wreck your car. This absolutely broke my heart when I saw it Thursday. I actually drove through the fog even earlier that morning (like, 4am) and it was AWFUL. I was going 30mph on the highway because I couldn't see three feet in front of me. So if you're traveling home this weekend after visiting family, be safe please. Just in general.  

ALSO. If you're in Houston, go check out Featherface at Rudyard's tonight; it's going to be a killer show and I'm so sad to miss it! This happens every time I go out of town, dangit. Haha. GO OUT AND SUPPORT THEM FOR ME!  See ya soon lovers! 

xo

More swap lovin'.

I LOVE snail mail with my whole heart. Probably with my whole soul. So when I heard about the Cara Box Exchange hosted by Kaitlyn of Wifessionals, I just HAD to sign up. This month's theme was childhood, so that was definitely a challenge as far as swaps go, but I really enjoyed it! I was lucky enough to be paired up with the lovely Leslie of Sincerely, Leslie who is probably one of the coolest ladies I've ever met. It was so much fun to delve into our pasts and realize we had so much in common! Lisa Frank addicts, for one. Beanie Babies. You guys, I can't even. 

I received my package on Tuesday and I'm in.love. Swooning over my BEAUTIFUL floral print journal, gorgeous necklace I can't wait to wear, LISA FRANK STICKERS (zomg depleted my supply in elementary school so this is just...ahhhh!), another Hardy Boys book to add to my collection (melllllting my heart), and some delicious Zen green; completely perfect for the chilly weather! It's like Christmas came early. This girl gets me. 

Thank you SO MUCH LESLIE. You're amazing! 

xo

Edited to add: I'm so bad at following directions. This post was supposed to go up at the END of the month, so I kinda jumped the gun...oh well! Can't blame a girl for being super excited! 

Thankful.

For things I don't deserve, like a God who loves without question, who still answers prayer, and hears the cry of a generation in chaos. 

For a family that has weathered many storms, and continues to do so. 

For the seemingly small, mundane things that so often get overlooked; kind words from strangers, people letting you switch lanes in bad traffic, a smile, a hug, a handshake, a high five... that person holding the elevator, a cool breeze, the sun on your face, those weeds in your garden that turn out to be gorgeous flowers. An uplifiting note in a bathroom stall, laughter, sedentary landscapes that you can't take with you but hold in your heart forever. Moments that carry so much meaning, and maybe even give you a bit of hope.  

For friendships that hold fast in the ebb and flow and flux of life (and are down for some realtalk and, you know, feel all of the things).  

For the health that I DO have, despite the long road ahead, and the people in my life who've believed for me when I had a moment and just couldn't. 

For people who strive, in their own way, to make a difference. 

For my past; that painful and joyful journey, imparting the wisdom I need to survive the present. The more you know, right? 

For art, music, film, theater, the written word, both old and new; and for the people who strive daily to be a part of that ongoing legacy. Rock on guys.

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Sometimes you take a moment to look around, I mean REALLY look at what's right in front of you, past the bullshit and the problems and the world you've created in your own crazeball brainpan...and you can't help but feel so incredibly blessed. 

xo

When it happens.

There's always a song for something. I can go back through mountains of burned mixes and tell you exactly what was going on in my life, where I was driving, what these lyrics were doing for my heart and soul. My iTunes account (and more recently, Spotify) reflects where I've come from, where I've been, where I'm at. It's been my personal experience that certain bands, albums, or even specific songs appear in your life just when you need to hear them (much like literature, life quotes, and even certain people). They find you and speak truth in your life. It may be old news to someone else, but for you, it's fresh and what gets you through the day, or a rough patch, or a really really great life moment. 

I've been spinning this for a week now. Loving the lyrical imagery of burying horses and removing graceless hearts to let them restart. This is the beginning, and I've got a lot of work to do. 

PS how much freaking FUN is this video right now?! Florence is absolutely STUNNING...the wardrobe in general is soso gorgeous. And the masks...I wish I could've had a hand in that. 

Swap talkin'.

Last month I participated in the International Paper Love Swap hosted by Kelly Zarb Style and I've been meaning to post about the lovely package I received from Em! She included a pamphlet from the Diana camera world tour, a vintage Kodak manual, and her awesome zine...not to MENTION loads and loads of beautiful, brilliant paper and art journaling ephemera! I mean. I've already started using quite a bit of it...just can't help myself! I definitely recommend popping over to her shop; she sells some of the fanciest washi tape and paper ephemera packs around, guys. I feel so lucky to have landed such a sweet swap partner!  

xo

Family Tree.

Birthday painting for my Abuelita. She loves frogs so I had to sneak one in there somehwere (:

Orgullosa.

Blurry photos because my mom didn't realize the camera was set on manual focus...those have to be my favorite. Glitter candles on an AMAZING three tier cake my grandmother made for the festivities (she made all of those flower by HAND), and party favors celebrating their own 100th: Whitman's chocolate! Founded in 1912, y'all. They sent a massive commemorative tin (filled with all kinds of delicious, of course!) for my Abuelita on her special day. Magic.