pearls

1. Beaded bracelet by Balanced

2. Shell bobby pin set by Nye Designs

3. Bracelet trio by Michli

4. Vintage pearls necklace from MeshuMaSH

5. Pearl rivet ring by Jane E Roberti

6. Menthe pearl necklace by Rachel Lucie

7. Blackened branch pearl necklace by CHR Designs

8. Cuff with Tahitian pearl by Gretchen Walker Jewelry

boardwalk

1. Vintage white night gown from La Petite Nina

2. Beach scene with mermaids by Umeone

3. Seashell tic tac toe game by Rachel's Heart

4. Canvas eco-friendly tote by Emerey

5. Seasalt necklace by Jenn Reese Seven

6. Viscose charm bracelet by Noquvy

7. Fantasy mirror earrings by Artemis Fantasy

8. Black rose cut diamond ring set by Sunday Owl

go ahead and say it

"Hahahahaha"

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Blue Margarita, by CelebratingART, creator of vibrant paintings, decoupaged goods and other original mixed media art. The entire list is here.

1. Vintage loud speaker from Bird Nest Studio

2. Circle lace coin purse by Humoresque

3. Covered candy dish from jarmfarm

4. Minty blue Dinosaur by Bikbik & Roro :)

5. Eco friendly recycled pencil set by Write With Moxie

6. Emerald cat letterpress tags by Pearl & Marmalade

she had always wanted words

1. Handwritten miniature love letters by Wee Folk and Fantasy
2. Custom made Marilyn Monroe dress by Dainty Rascal
3. Mystique asymmetrical earrings by Mia Montgomery
4. Texture gold bangles by Miss Bird
5. Agincourt silver cocktail ring by Dorothy Cheng
6. Luxe Dates to Remember book by Kandice In Wonderland
7. Custom dictionary pendant by Cranky Hayes
8. Death of Ophelia rose headband by Provocation

cardboard fun

Guess who's her favourite Avenger. It's great what you can do with cardboard.

on temptation, and sin

Eve tempted by the serpent, by William Blake

Over the past few days, I've been grappling with the temptation to sin (I know; what an opening line, right?). Well, as anyone who's ever struggled with their conscience knows, it's easy to think of a million excuses and loopholes to make the fall that much easier. But since growing in my walk with God, it's not been as straightforward as before -- my conscience is far more tender now, and far more sensitive to God's "still, small voice".

Which of course makes sinning that much harder. I'm not talking about those thoughtless, spur-of-the-moment type sins -- like losing your temper, or being rude or impatient. I'm talking about deliberate sin -- the premeditated, calculated, cold-blooded kind. Now I'm not Catholic; I don't know which specific sins fall under "venial" (not so bad) and "mortal" (very bad). I believe, as John the apostle writes, that "all wrongdoing is sin", but I think most of us agree that certain sins are distinctly worse than others.

So, without going into too much detail, suffice to say I was struggling with the temptation to sin in that "distinctly worse" way. Every time it came to my mind, I would come up with my million and one excuses and loopholes to make giving in to it "ok", or "not that bad". But always in the back of my mind, or my gut, or my heart, would come this warning -- Don't deceive yourself. For you know how it is with sin -- every time you flirt with it, indulge it, or feed it, it grows till it consumes you and takes over your life. I've also never forgotten this quote I once read in high school: The devil is a gentleman who never goes where he is not welcome.

In walking closer with God, I've been finding it easier to be convicted, so that the moment I say, or do, or even think, something wrong, I quickly try to stop/gag/kick myself. But I think as many of us know, some sins are so very enticing, so very seductive, and we find ourselves epitomising what Jesus said in Gethsemane: "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak".

In struggling with this temptation, I felt much as the apostle Paul might have when he wrote, "I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled, bewildered]. I do not practice or accomplish what I wish, but I do the very thing that I loathe [which my moral instinct condemns]". Or, as the NIV puts it, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do". (Rom 7:15).

It was frustrating me no end -- I literally felt like one of those cartoon characters who has both an angel and a devil whispering into each ear. I could not escape that uncomfortable feeling in my gut that what I wanted to do was wrong, despite all my reasoning, and yet I wanted to just go ahead and do it anyway. How true it is that if you "walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

"For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other]..." (Gal 5:16-17).

The whole thing was really preying on my mind -- clear evidence that even thinking on sin destroys peace -- and last night, in a fit of something like aggravation, I asked my girlfriend, "Do you ever deliberately sin? I mean, actually plan to do something which in your heart you know is wrong". The fact is, I was hoping she would give me the loophole I wanted.

But she replied, "Sometimes. But I really try not to, because I'm afraid of God". Now, I know she was coming from the standpoint of being afraid she'd get struck by lightning or something, but it does capture a little of what it comes down to, doesn't it? That reverential fear of God, which should be closely tied to our love for Him. I remembered what this lady at church tearfully said about her husband, who was having an affair -- "He does it because he does not fear God".

Isn't that why we sin? For between the time we plan the sin and actually do it, we essentially lose our fear of God. It's as if He suddenly ceases to exist in our lives, like we put Him away in a box somewhere because His commands are just too inconvenient. And yet in our times of need, we call on Him with all the fervency of people who very much believe in the existence of a sovereign, omnipotent God.

We don't actually put it that way of course, because it just sounds bad, which is why excuses and loopholes are so handy for easing our consciences. And when we find that we aren't hit by a lightning bolt right there and then... It reminds me of something Pastor Andy Stanley said in one of his sermons some time back. I don't remember the title of the sermon, but he described our regarding God as "backpack God", a sort of conveniently-sized totem that we carry around and pull out when needed. I remember Pastor Andy describing the way we'd treat God almost like a pet dog, telling Him to "Stay... stay...", while we go off on spring break or do something stupid, and then adding, "But if I need You, I'll come get You".

Well, needless to say, my little exchange with my girlfriend did not help significantly, and I went to bed frustrated -- both with my weakness and -- alas! this must be admitted -- with the fact that my plans were being frustrated. I prayed fervently that God would help me overcome this, and knew with certainty that I had to go to church the next day.

And lo and behold, what should today's sermon be? Noo, not Fear Me or die. Instead, it was Do you love Me?. It was based on verses in John 21, in which Jesus asks Simon Peter three times if he loves Him. Of course Peter says he does, as most Christians do as well, but we know Peter at least did go on to prove it. The question is perhaps most succinctly answered in John 14: "If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands". Or, as it says in the NIV, "Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me".

As our pastor said, "We obey Jesus because we know His ways are perfect, and He can be trusted. His commands don't stem from mixed motives or insecurities. Jesus asks for our obedience because He knows that obeying Him is the best thing we can do for ourselves. It is also the only way to truly love Him". And then he showed this slide on the projector screen: "If you love Me, ________________".

"For each of us, what goes in that blank will be different," he said. "What is it for you? Give up something like a bad habit or sinful relationship? Forgive someone against whom you've been holding a deep-seated grudge? Learn to be more generous and caring? What is it for you?"

And as I looked at that blank, just one answer came up in my spirit: Don't. I knew immediately then that God was telling me, "Don't do it, don't even think on it. Trust Me, just don't". And I know, from conviction and experience, that God can be trusted, that His thoughts and plans for me are "for welfare and peace and not for evil" (Jer 29). I know too that the loopholes I come up with are ultimately deceptions; one can't think, "It's not so bad, I'm only doing this -- I'm not going all the way and doing that". For surely it is in one's secret thoughts that we give the devil a foothold.

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment'. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca [an Aramaic term of contempt]', is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell...

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt 5:21-27). As the Greek poet Hesiod said, "He harms himself who does harm to another, and the evil plan is most harmful to the planner".

And then, at the end of the sermon, when our pastor tried to get the slide with the closing hymn on, all that appeared on the screen was a multicoloured jumble of symbols, looking for all the world like some ancient hieroglyphic code. With a laugh, he said, "Let's sing our closing hymn in Greek". When the slide continued to remain indecipherable despite all the fiddling, he finally said, "Let's sing from the hymnal then. The other pastors thought of this hymn as well, so perhaps God is telling us something".

Well, the hymn was an old Methodist one, written in 1864, called My Jesus, I love Thee. When you read the hymn's opening verse, you'll understand why I'm not grappling with that temptation anymore.

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

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Going to the beach, by My Bookmark, maker of adorable, unusual bookmarks. The entire list is here.

1. Driftwood bar necklace by Seashore Love
2. Coral rope necklace by Tello & Rose
3. Sailor Tabby Cat softie doll by Bikbik & Roro :)
4. Handmade tote by Pretty Penny Designs
5. Everyday tote by Marigold & Sage
6. Dove Diamond print by United Thread

* Psst -- don't miss out on this giveaway, ending June 19th *

loving today: book 9

The last literary Loving Today inspired by this post.

* * *

Then she smiled for the first time. "Do you give names to other things like that?"

"Sometimes," said Steerpike. "I have a disrespectful nature".

"Do you give people names?"

"I have done".

"Have you got one for me?"

Steerpike sucked the end of his swordstick and raised his straw-coloured eyebrows. "I don't think I have," he said. "I usually think of you as Lady Fuchsia".

"Do you call my mother anything?"

"Your mother? Yes".

"What do you call my mother?"

"I call her the old Bunch of Rags," said Steerpike.

Fuchsia's eyes opened wide and she stood still again. "Go away," she said.

"That's not very fair," said Steerpike. "After all, you asked me".

"What do you call my father, then? But I don't want to know. I think you're cruel," said Fuchsia breathlessly.

extract from Titus Groan, by Mervyn Peake

1. Fatal Attraction print by Ida Larsen Fantasy Art Prints

2. Mourning brooch with modern painting by Moon's Adornments & Amulets

3. Guardians of the Castle original photo by Tammie Bowden Photography

4. The Ghost's Library Num. 1 by Moon Is Singing Photos

5. Kitty-Corner photo print by Made by SwirlyGirl

6. Cleaver charm necklace by Gritty Jewelry

7. Baroque/steampunk jacket by 4ndra

8. Gothic silk fantasy gown by Romantic Threads

lookie-look

Art print by Inspireuart

* Psst -- don't miss out on this giveaway, ending June 19th *

I saw this printed on some wrapping paper today, and thought I recognised it as an adaptation from Our Mutual Friend, by Charles Dickens. A lovely sentiment to live by, in any case:

Have a heart that never hardens,

a temper that never tires,

and a touch that never hurts.

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June Trends, by All So Cute, maker of adorable amigurumis and the sweetest home decor. The entire list is here.

1. Moss soap with olive oil by Soaps by Natural Beauty

2. Crochet summer hat by Sennursasa

3. Mista Felt Fox Face by Puddles and Pixies

4. Original landscape watercolor by 6 Cats Art

5. Spring green shawl by Aykelila

6. Sailor Animal girl softie doll by Bikbik & Roro :)

* Psst -- don't miss out on this giveaway, ending June 19th *

summer toes

a seaside honeymoon

1. Hunger Games inspired ear cuff set by Chris' Closet Creations

2. Cotton backless wedding lingerie by Sarafina Dreams

3. 1900s Italian corset blouse from La Sartoria

4. Bohemian necklace with a tiny salt cellar by Quisnam

5. Cocoa OOAK belt buckle by Julie Thelen

6. Vintage rhinestone bracelet from The Heirloom Shoppe

7. Vintage original ship captain painting from Hindsvik

8. Fat fish skinny fish necklace by Pip n Molly

* giveaway: PrintRunner business cards! *

* This giveaway is closed; thank you everyone! Congratulations to Antiquity Travelers -- please check your Etsy inbox *

Everyone needs business cards! They help you secure a connection and relationship with potential clients -- and friends! -- and help customers and friends keep in touch with you. Attractive, persuasive business cards go a long way in promoting your business and establishing your brand.

As an online printing company, PrintRunner lets customers easily and conveniently visit their website and print business cards. PrintRunner has grown over the past decade to become one of the foremost full service quality printers in Southern California.

Thanks to PrintRunner, one lucky reader stands to win 250 business cards*!

Here's how to take part in this giveaway!

Mandatory entry

Be a follower of this blog through Google Friend Connect -- just click "Join this site" on the left there and leave a comment letting me know you did :)

Extra entries
(Not mandatory, but you really up your chances! If it says 2 entries, please leave 2 comments)

1. Grab my button (it's over there on the right) for your homepage (please leave me the URL so I can check). Doing this is worth 2 entries.
2. Refer to this blog and this giveaway in a post on your own website (please leave me the URL so I can check). Doing this is worth 3 entries.
3. Like/follow PrintRunner on Facebook and Twitter. Doing this is worth an extra entry each.

* 2x3.5" (Standard), 4/4 Color both sides, 14 pt UV Coating on front paper. No rounded corners or proofs.

This giveaway is sponsored by PrintRunner. This giveaway will end on June 19th 2012 at 12pm EST. The prize will be awarded on June 30th.
* Please note that this giveaway is limited to US residents 18 years old and above only *
The winner will be chosen by Random.org. The winner will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond, or a new winner will be selected. Please be sure your email is in your comment!
Thanks a lot and have fun!

full fathom five

1. Ursula cameo necklace by Pangea Handmade
2. White sea fan print by Hirondelle Rustique
3. Elements pendant by Dala Horse
4. Urchin earrings by Lucie Tales
5. Coral sea creature necklace by Silverside
6. Vintage silver coral reef brooch from Hope & Vanilla
7. Antique cameo mermaid ring from Xul-Ha
8. Stillness In The Light print by Madden Photography

kid cuffs

I made this set of cuffs while making a custom set for a lovely lady in Portland. Made from a recycled cardboard tube, these rustic bracelets are covered inside and out with recycled paper, and protected by a million coats of varnish. Cardboard tubes can be surprisingly handy, and hardy! This is a sample sale set going at a special price :)

Each cuff measures 1.5cm wide, has an inner circumference of 4 7/8" and a diameter of 1 3/4". The colours are easy to match, suitable for girls or boys, and cheerful without being excessively kiddish. Wear them alone, or with a bunch of favourite bangles -- they're the perfect accessories for hip, eco-conscious kids! In the shop here.

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Let's hear it for the boys, by Gibs Goods, seller of unique vintage and handmade goodies. The entire list is here.

1. Blah Blah boy's clip-on bowtie by Gumption Bow Ties

2. Grey traditional felt crown by The Lazy Owl

3. Sailor Ghost softie doll by Bikbik & Roro :)

4. Skull n Bones Rockin' Blocks by Beebles

5. Drumsticks for kids by Spare Time Wood Designs

6. Tattoo I Heart Mom hat by Hunky Dori Boutique

hold out for that lone star

1. Reconstructed cowgirl shirt by Hold Your Ground
2. Vintage tooled leather belt from Milk Teeths
3. Horseshoe necklace by Saressa
4. Woven kilim backpack from Bohemiennes
5. Hand tooled cincher belt by Contrived To Charm
6. Colt Peacemaker notebook by Subtle Acts
7. Sterling silver and turquoise necklace by Jean A. Wells
8. Western blue suede mules from Antoinette's Whims

go ahead and say it

Choose either "Nice voice", or "Dang, he's cute".

loving today: buttons

1. Vivienne skirt PDF pattern by Violette Field Threads
2. Vintage button bracelet by Holly & Sage
3. Other Mother macrame bracelet by The Notable Knot
4. Antique glass button earrings by Christine Brennan
5. Reclaimed wood button ring by k.a.t.y.a.
6. Buttoned Up ring by Nina Gibson Designs
7. Black glass intaglio necklace by Very Donna
8. Victorian bloomers by Early Bloomers

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Summer, by terrarium extraordinaire Sea & Asters. The entire list is here.

1. Kid messenger satchel by Bikbik & Roro :)
2. Yellow ombre felt necklace by Ordinary Mommy
3. Hot air balloons photograph by Eye Poetry Photography
4. Handpainted wooden bracelet by Aramar
5. Canvas & leather bag by Grace Design
6. Desert collage print by Calamari Studio

on the perception of beauty

B's photograph of me. Can you tell how uncomfortable I am?

For as long as I can remember, I've been extremely shy about the way I look. Well, there was a time when I wasn't I suppose -- somewhere between infancy and about five, maybe -- but with the start of school and puberty and all that other grown-up stuff, I just became shyer and shyer and shyer. I hated having my picture taken. I was the only one in high school who wasn't in the yearbook.

Being continually teased as I was growing up had something to do with it I suppose. School is the classic breeding ground of prejudices and insecurities based on physical appearance. As a kid, I'd gone to grade school overseas for a few years; I had trouble making friends because I was the only Chinese person there, and, well, being kids, they made fun of what they didn't know.

I did finally make friends with this one girl of Italian descent -- dear, sweet Jolene -- but just as I began to settle in, I was brought back home again. Well, now I was theoretically among my own countrymen, but I had acquired a heavy Jersey accent, as well as a different outlook on life -- needless to say, I was made fun of again. Perhaps that's why I've pretty much blocked out my entire academic career.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting" it says in Proverbs 31, yet society's obsessive fascination with physical appearance has made beauty a multi-billion dollar industry. It seems that the first archaeological evidence of cosmetics usage was found in Egypt around 3500 BC, which is, I think, sufficient evidence that "civilised" human beings have always cared about looking good.

One is bombarded daily by images of physical perfection, never mind how unrealistic, Botoxed or Photoshopped. Our culture creates impossible standards of beauty, and then somehow connects those standards to personal worth. It isn't always easy to learn to accept one's body without judgement.

But anyway, this isn't a paper for Soc or Psych 101. This is an analysis of how silly I became when I thought I saw a freckle developing on... well, somewhere obvious. I was out somewhere; I popped into a public washroom; I happened to glance at myself in the mirror while I was washing my hands. Hm. Was that a freckle? There? I looked closer. It was.

The next day I looked at it again in broad daylight. Yup, there it was. True, it wasn't an all-out, sincere freckle yet, but it certainly was real. Now, I'd been in the sun a lot the week before this, so I shouldn't have been hugely surprised. And I know, I know -- use sunblock. But I have very sensitive skin, which is why I don't use anything at all -- sunblock, moisturiser, foundation, camouflage, whatever.

And now there was a freckle in plain sight. Well, to me it was. My eyes were drawn to it like a magnet; the effect was that of walking into a room and seeing some alien life-form sitting by the fire, smoking a pipe. I couldn't seem to help staring at it, and the more I did, the worse it seemed.

I couldn't resist mentioning it to my husband, my mother, and even Rebecca. All of them peered at the spot to which I was pointing with genuine anguish. It didn't matter that they couldn't see what the heck I was talking about; it was enough that I could. I felt like it was a neon sign highlighting my already homely appearance.

I started looking up ways to fade freckles, but besides lemons, there didn't seem to be anything less effective than lasers. Thankfully, I wasn't driven to that yet. And then, while scanning some forum thread started by a lady going through the exact same thing, I saw this posted reply: I have a freckle there too. I've always thought it was really cute.

That gave me pause. What was it, I wondered, that made two people look at the same thing, and think such completely different things? I couldn't help thinking that the person who declared her freckle "cute" was a self-confident, cheerful, upbeat individual -- I mean, you have got to be one of those glass-half-full types to say a freckle there is "cute".

Well, I decided to give myself a good shake. "The perception of beauty is a moral test", Thoreau once said. Besides the obvious fact that world poverty, crime, starvation and injustice far outweigh the importance of a freckle -- even one there -- I realised that I was not reflecting that "entire renewal of the mind" of which the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans.

"Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs]", he said, "but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]" (Rom 12:2).

In another letter, this time to the Philippians, Paul wrote, "Whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them]". He did not mean fixate on a freckle.

And as the apostle Peter wrote: "Let not yours be the [merely] external adorning with [elaborate] interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes;

"But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit, which [is not anxious or wrought up, but] is very precious in the sight of God" (1 Pet 3:3-4).

I meditated on these Scriptures, and thank God He got me off that freckle and back on track. "The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart", it says in 1 Samuel. "For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well" (Ps 139).

And then, while sitting on the toilet, flipping through an old issue of Real Simple, waiting for Kip to soak in her oatmeal shampoo, I stumbled upon an article by Elizabeth Berg, entitled Beautiful, in every single way.

The synopsis read, "Name your 'problem area': Maybe it's your thighs. Or your upper arms. Or your posterior. Most of us have a body part that bedevils us... author Elizabeth Berg owns up to the war she's long fought against her belly and shares how, at long last, she forged a truce".

In the article, Ms Berg writes, "For my entire life, I have hated my midsection... right smack in the middle of my body was my excessively large blubber belly... I could make a large serving spoon disappear into the folds of my fat... The only time I wasn't self-conscious about my belly was when it was at its largest. But I was pregnant, so that didn't count. Every pregnant belly is beautiful, for what it holds inside. But then the baby is born, and guess what's back?"

And then Ms Berg writes of her epiphany. For her, two things happened. One, she happened to catch a glimpse of her best friend's belly and realised that it was even bigger than hers. "But it wasn't awful at all," she writes. "It was part of her. And as such, I loved it".

The second thing -- and this was what really struck me -- happened when she was with her mother. It was a hot day, and her mother was complaining about the heat. "'You should put on some shorts,' I told her. She shook her head.

"'Why not?" I asked, and she leaned in close to whisper. "Varicose veins".

"'Mom,' I said. 'No one cares'. And then I connected some dots" (extracted from the article, Real Simple Mar 2012).

Reading that, I did too.

ginkgo

1. Bicycle tubing ginkgo leaf earrings by Gloomstopper
2. Ginkgo branch large stencil by Olive Leaf Stencils
3. Ginkgo cuff by Noliware Studio
4. Ginkgo scarf by Woolflower Boutique
5. Pomegranate and ginkgo leaf necklace by Sweet Pomegranate
6. Golden etched ginkgo necklace by Gina Rios Metal
7. Ginkgo leaf ring by Gin & Butterflies
8. Ginkgo hand felted brooch pin by City Crochet

go ahead and say it

via Sharon Mellor's Pinterest board

Choose either "Awwww" or "Wow".

loving today: Herkimer diamonds

1. Layered earrings with Herkimer diamonds by Beltshazzar Jewels
2. Herkimer diamond earrings by Vitrine
3. Lady of the Lake bracelet/necklace by Tru-Leigh Yours Designs
4. Herkimer diamond in nest of gold by Bibba London Accessories
5. Engagement ring by Chymiera
6. Herkimer diamond in claw pendant by Shay D Design
7. Herkimer diamond engagement ring by Peaces Of Indigo
8. Herkimer diamond point pendant by Amore Valkyrie

* giveaway: kid book! *

Hee hee... Rebecca is hosting her own giveaway. Up for grabs is this book from the Rainbow Magic series, which apparently is very popular with girls in her age group. I'm told that the Rainbow Magic books were the most-borrowed children's books at libraries in the UK. Well, it's always good to encourage a young reader, non? Have a look here :)

when I'm dancing to this...

1. Studded leather glove by Love At First Blush
2. Steampunk spike earrings by Glass Poppies
3. Steel knockout belt buckle by Citizen Objects
4. Riot Grrrl necklace by Pop Etiquette
5. Guitar necklace Fender by Lost Apostle
6. Metal fringe earrings by Idle Hands Designs
7. Leather upper arm cuff by MadCap Clothing
8. Studded leather neckwarmer scarf by Pip Robins

Happy Mommy's Day!

And a little Mother's Day gift here :)

loving today: brass

1. Aztec brass necklace by Jamie Spinello
2. Labrodite pendant necklace by Littlejosef
3. He Loves me Knot ring by Arms & Armory
4. Rib necklace by Odette New York
5. Gold cloud necklace by Mayahelena
6. Francis necklace by Lost & Fawned
7. Black tourmaline and brass earrings by Skeletal Remains
8. Etched brass Navajo ring by E² - Esther Eve Metalsmith