Freya

Freya is my adorable 11 year old rescue mutt.  She means the world to me, I love her with all my heart.  She's also never been the healthiest dog.  I've regularly had to take her in for skin infections and ear infections due to her host of allergies and about 2 years ago she developed Cushings disease.  Thankfully all of that is fairly manageable with a carefully monitoring her diet and regular meds.  Very recently she's been having more problems with her kidneys and liver.  Still not exactly sure what is going on- I'm waiting on a call from the vet tomorrow when she gets the results in.  But basically I'm telling you all this because shes the reason I haven't had a chance to write lately.  We've been at the vet every day for the past week for her to get fluids and a handful of times for the weeks before that.  So instead of crafting, I've been caring for and doting on the dog.  More crafting to come soon- but for now look at how cute my dog is :)

It's kind of amazing how much her coloring has changed over the years.  The first picture is within the first month or so of when we got her (she was 4), the second picture is from a year or two later, and then the last are all within the past 3 years.  She's completely lovable and almost never makes a noise (except for her adorable chasing things dreams).  Pets make life worthwhile and my Freya definitely does that for me.  Anyone else have pet pics or stories to share?  We're a dog family but I love all furry and scaly creatures.  And sometimes feathers I suppose...

Dreaming of a Craft Room

So its been a long time, but some of you may remember me giving you a peek into my craft corner a while ago.  Since then I've moved and now I craft on the dining room table and store my crafts in two bookcases worth of space in the corner of the living room.  We moved into a much smaller space (that's city life for you) so I had to give up what I had.

Thankfully, we're once again moving.  This time (knock on wood as long as something doesn't go horribly wrong) we'll be getting a 3 bedroom apartment.  This means that I get a full bedroom for my craft room!  I'm beyond stoked at the prospect of this and of course have taken to browsing Pinterest to get ideas for my new found space.  Somewhat related- I think I have a Pinterest addiction.

So some of the things I've been looking at are:

This one linked to a "page not found".  I really like the look of it, but I wonder if having the storage on one side while sitting on the other to work makes the most sense.  Plus I'm pretty sure this is the most expensive option.

This is nice and simple- I love all the wall shelves but again I think it would be a big investment for me.  

I love this piece (and the makeover if you go to the original site by clicking on the picture) but I'm not sure if the cubes are the best storage option for the variety of crafts that I have.  

This looks fantastic and the woman who runs that site does a good job of showing how to do it yourself.  From the picture I thought it was just store bought bookshelves, but she does it herself! I don't think I'm good enough at that sort of thing to do it all on my own but I could slap a flat board on some store bought book cases maybe?

This is another one that doesn't link right.  I think this is my most likely option- cobble together some desks, put some storage underneath and hang some shelves if I'm really ambitious.  

I think the first picture may be the most visually appealing to me but all the others look better organized for use.  What do you think?  Anyone have other ideas to share?  

Likely I'll wind up with some cobbled together craigslist mismatched thing due to my limited budget- but hey a girl can dream right?

Some cool stuff on Etsy

Hanging out on Etsy for a while and trying to promote my shop ultimately leads shopping. I just can't help myself! There are too many cool things on the site and all sorts of different talents that I get caught up so easily in all the stuff that I want someday. This of course means that my favorites list gets a little too long! I thought others might be interested in my cool finds, so I am here to show off a few of my favorites.
One of the first things I found on Etsy when I was first discovering it was this adorable purse from pollyannacowgirlbags. As a baker and a cupcake lover it was love at first sight. :) She makes some other fabulous purses too. As I was browsing through her store, I found it difficult to pick just one favorite. This of course means that a few of her purses made it onto my heart list for further consideration when I can afford to spend some money on a new purse. :)


Another one of my favorites come from a great artist, alloverart, that I have also gotten to know a bit on the etsy forums. She does fantastic oil paintings of animals, landscapes and some abstract stuff too. While there are many of her paintings I'd love to have hanging in my house, I can't resist an adorable puppy so this one sticks out as my favorite.

It also comes in a print which is probably all that this poor student can afford, but I still can't get over how much this painting looks like a photo.

Going along with the dog thing is the last favorite that I'll be featuring today. Its the very first item that I bought on etsy, splurging on something that I probably didn't really need is justifiable if it is spoiling my pooch. :)


This collar comes from luckyfiona. I'm a huge fan of argyle (and plaid, and polka dots, and well, really most patterns) so it caught my attention right away. I had been looking for a new collar for my little pooch Freya and this seemed perfect for her. When I ordered, I just gave her Freya's measurements and had the collar custom fit to my pooch. Its sturdy, pretty, and Freya and I both love it!


That's all I have for today. Stay tuned for more craft adventures and other etsy favorites!