:: my first feature & shoppe update! ::

I am delighted to announce that my work has been featured in the lovely Vintage Indie blog! I am bouncing off the walls right now! lol. A big thank you to both G. who writes VI for featuring my shop, and all the lovely people who I have had the pleasure of doing business with. You all are making my dream possible--thank you!


In other, shoppe-related news: there is a wee update in the Shoppe of whale pins! I blame it on Dad recently rewatching a family-favorite: Moby Dick, because I was suddenly seized by the need to make blue and white whale pins! So check them out before they all swim away!

Speaking of whales, ships and the romance of the old sea-faring life, I was sifting through my collection of vintage National Geographics the other day and lit upon this:


Isn’t the cover lovely?! All those tall mast ships are just gorgeous (and oddly enough, this issue also has a feature on whales...); I almost want to tear the cover off and pin it up to my inspiration board. I almost went to a tall ships festival when I was out in California, but unfortunately by that time I was feeling quite ill, so we skipped that. *sigh* At least the day before I could stand on the beach and watch the tall ships (and little sail boats!) coming into the port. Lovely.


I also have a small announcement to make about this blog. Because of my increasingly dissatisfaction with the limitations of Blogger, I’ve decided to move over to Wordpress. I’ve imported all my entries from here, so you’ll still be able to find my archives (as well as now being able to use the handy-dandy search tool). I’ll continue posting here in conjunction for a week or so, just so that everyone can adjust their feeds and such.

ETA: Here's the link to the Wordpress blog! Oops--forgot to add that first time 'round!

I have an exciting find to share with you all, but I’m keeping it until tomorrow! Until then, have a lovely Tuesday evening!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

p.s. my outfit was inspired by the talented and whimsically-inclined Marjorie (this painting specifically)! Click on the thumbnail for more details on my Flickr page.

:: sometimes there is nothing better than to be still ::

The Shoppe has been updated! More goodies to make your life (especially autumn) more whimsical and happy! So hop on over and see what new little bits and pieces are in the Elegant Musings Shoppe!


Thank you for the sweet well-wishes! I basically pushed myself far too hard Monday and Tuesday; trying to run around and take care of errands and the like. Moral of the story: I still can’t handle long periods of activity (especially when it involves shopping! Oh the deprivation I’m enduring!!). Let’s put it this way: today I feel like I can barely move (and am actually back on the sofa--where I spent 10 days of my life earlier--as I type this) because I have no energy left. I am very thankful though that at least I can still do handwork projects, because I think I would shrivel up and die if I couldn’t! lol.

I’ll be back (hopefully...) with a more exciting post this evening. Right now I think I need a nap! Have a lovely afternoon, all!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

p.s. Be sure to click on the photos for captions! hehe...

:: monday madness ::

I am so delighted that you all loved this week’s Vintage Monday image! I’ve gotten some great comments, pointing out little details and such that are unique to this era. This is what I love about the internet and blogs: everyone picks out something different. The diversity and ideas that I come across always just warms my heart immensely; I really appreciate the sense of community and fun we all seem to share.

Today has been a “catch up” day for me. Loads of emails, blogs and networking to go over. Orders to pack up for shipping tomorrow (the Post Office is going to hate me... lol!). Advertisement rates to inquire about and design for. So much to do, so little time! I was telling Mom this afternoon that working at this business, because of the multifaceted nature of a small, self-run enterprise, is like working at a full time job. Not a bad one at that either! I’m in charge of everything: from getting the word out, to staying in touch with customers, production, sales, shipping... Its amazing how many hats I have to wear at once. Yet its intensely satisfying; I love the self directed nature of being a small businesswoman.

I’ve been working like a crazy woman since yesterday to get some new designs made up and the acorn and squirrel pins restocked! I’m hoping by tomorrow to list the new acorn pins and the squirrels should be up on Wednesday. New listings will probably be up by early afternoon tomorrow.




I worked some more on the sloper on Saturday evening, cutting the entire piece out like I would if I were making a real bodice (sans the front or back opening because previous experience has told me that its tricky to pin those shut correctly!). Just a couple more notes with my red pen and its good to go! Now onto my arch-nemesis: the sleeve sloper. My mother could tell you hair-raising stories of me and sleeves. I hate them. If it weren’t for the fact that I like autumn and winter, I’d love nothing more than to live in a tropical climate where I didn’t have to wear sleeves!


My outfit for today reflects the annoyingly warm weather that is persisting! Both my mother and I have been lamenting the fact that we can’t break out our sweaters just yet. *sigh* I like summer, but autumn is needing to come now! lol.

Have a lovely evening, everyone!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

:: speechless ::

Wow. My blog hits have been off the charts the last two days, and I finally got to the bottom of it! Tricia Royal (of my absolutely favoritest fashion blog ever; Bits and Bobbins) featured me in her weekly roundup of Wardrobe Remix favorites! Thank you, Tricia!! If you haven’t ever visited Wardrobe Remix, you really should... I am constantly amazed and inspired by the creativity people put into their outfits. Lots of great ideas for incorporating your style and personality into your daily look. I just love that so many people are thinking outside the trend box when it comes to fashion, and Wardrobe Remix is a great gathering place for this!

[ As a side note: if you've stumbled on my blog from Tricia's site: welcome!! Feel free to just jump right in a comment away! ]


Eek! All my brown acorn badges have sold out and there is only one Squirrels in Scarves pin left!! I totally did not foresee this happening! After much thought, I decied that due to the demand I’m going to continue offering the acorns and squirrels for a short time longer. So if you missed the first run of the pins, there is still a chance to get one (or two!!); they’ll most likely be added over the new few days to my Shoppe. Thank you all so much for giving the first batches good homes!

Lastly, I just was reminded that I still haven’t announced the winner of the gift tag give-away! I’m so sorry; between flying out to California and coming home sick, it totally slipped my mind! The winner of the tags is...
Philo

Congratulations!! I’ll be contacting you shortly for all the pertinent mailing information and such. I hope you’ll enjoy them! And, I am in the midst of cooking up ideas for a autumn give-away, so stay tuned...


Last week was an awesome mail-week for me! I not only got both the Toast catalogs I ordered (ohmygosh!! so much inspiration!!), but the auction catalog for the Tasha Tudor Heritage Collection. Talk about drop-dead-gorgeous. Its not cheap, but I am so glad Mom and I decided to pitch in and buy it because it is just that yummy! Loads of 1800-1830’s garments (women and men), with a few 18th century to later 19th century pieces. But my favorite part of the catalog has to be the end papers (pictured above). I just adore early 19th century printed cottons. Gorgeous!

Hope you all have had a lovely weekend and I’ll be back tomorrow with the Vintage Monday feature!!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

:: little miss artsy ::

Thank you all for dropping by the Shoppe yesterday and snatched some of the squirrel and acorn pins up! There are still a few left, so if you had your eye on one, now is the time! I’ll be packaging and shipping the pins and sending them to their new homes Monday. Thank you so much for your support--it means a lot to me!




Lately I’ve been in a sketching mood. Actually, its more of a drawing/illustrative mood. I haven’t felt this overwhelming of a need to draw in so long; probably over a year. Its very therapeutic right now; just being able to sit quietly (or not-so-quietly since I usually have CurrentTV in the background...) and just engage with the paper and pencil. It reintroduces my love of research illustration styles and fashion; I’ve been pulling out many of my 19th century fashion plates looking over the designs, taking in details and trying to replicate the feel of these beautiful prints. I’m trying to challenge my idea of “drawing on a blank piece of paper” by using a thrifted, vintage ledger book with printed lines to sketch in. Its fun and exciting and frustrating all at once (like any creative process, isn’t it?!).


The sun is shining this afternoon, which is making me want to seize the day and get some work on that sloper done! I’m off to go confront my sloper fears and make an attempt! Wish me luck...

Have a lovely Thursday!!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

p.s. You know, I really love the internet and how it brings all kinds of people together and connects them! I was going through the stats for my blog the other day, seeing where recent traffic had come from, and found The Happy Cavalier blog. Its a beautiful, inspiring collection of design, art and culture--have a look!

:: shoppe updates & the daily grind ::

The Elegant Musings Shoppe has been updated! Lots of new goodies: acorn and squirrel pins, and three paper-covered bracelets (just in time for the holiday gift-giving season!). Everything is either one-of-a-kind or in limited quantities, so if you’ve got your eye on something be sure to snatch it up! As a side note: be sure to check out the sale section; I have a bunch of vintage clothing and patterns on sale right now!


Whew! I forgot how much work it is just to get the listings internet ready... I obviously didn’t have all my ducks in a row this morning. lol. I blame it on the weather; it got warmish again all of the sudden, which is putting me out of sorts because its October for goodness sake! I really want cool weather so I can break out all my sweaters and tights. I’m missing them terribly!

Alas, I’ve been so tied up in the computer today (I decided to retake several pictures at the last moment... silly me!), I haven’t gotten much creative work done. Unless you call this being creative:


*giggle* Have a lovely Wednesday, all! I shall return (hopefully in better spirits) tomorrow!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

:: shoppe update tomorrow! ::

Just a little note to let you know that the Shoppe will be updated with all manner of new (and seasonal) goodies tomorrow at 3pm (Eastern time)! I’ll be uploading the squirrels and acorns (both limited runs) and two new bangles (just in time for holiday gift-giving!). See you there!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

:: slowly I began to dig myself out... ::

Goodness, I honestly did not think it was going to take this much effort to get my room sewing-ready! But you know how it is: just “straightening up” suddenly becomes cleaning out every nook and cranny, and then you decide to go through your closet and purge, and the reorganize everything (craft/sewing supplies, antique photographs, your purse collection that is threatening to take over your closet...).


Now that's better! Speaking of sewing, now that my sewing nook is nice and tidy (for now...), I am planning on spending the evening working on the muslin mock up of the Little Red Schoolhouse Blouse. Also earmarked as a project for this week is to finally make a bodice and sleeve sloper. I drafted those ages ago, and then promptly misplaced the back bodice piece. I’m determined to make a new set and then grade them up a couple size increments for basic garment sizes. I’m keeping my fingers crossed with this process--drafting and I have been known not to play well together (I much prefer draping, and tend to use that as a starting point for all my designs). The book I’m using as a guide for the drafting process uses a half drafting/half draping approach, which will hopefully suit me much better. And did I mention the book is from the mid 1960’s so it has lots of pretty dress sketches? Mmmm...


[ after a long afternoon's work!* ]
Oh, and interested in another sneak peek of what’s to come in the Shoppe update on Wednesday? How ‘bout some Curious Acorns?


And there is much more in progress... lots of ideas are floating about in my head right now!! Hope everyone is having a lovely Monday!!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

p.s. You’ve probably heard from the zillion other blogs that have written about it, but one of my favorite blogs, Poppytalk has opened up Poppytalk Handmade featuring various artists. There are some amazing goods for sale over there--just in time for holiday shopping season! Some personal favorites: lush bella, charm foundry, and donovan beeson.

*I just realized that my pose/outfit look startlingly similar to Miss Emily's cute oufits! Eeek! Quite inadvertent, I assure you! lol.

:: up & down, round & round ::

Thank you all so much for your kind comments about my sketches. I tend to be very private about my drawing and painting, so it was a big step to put some of my artwork--no matter how “technical” it is--for public viewing. Its a lot like open-floor critiques in fine arts classes; it really puts me outside my comfort zone, stretches me to see something through the eyes of another. Getting outside that warm, fuzzy little space is good... it makes you grow as a person.

Which in a way is what I’m attempting to do with my Elegant Musings business. After reading Craft Inc. I realized just where I wanted to take my little shoppe and how I needed to be serious about it. I’ve devoted a great deal of thought and contemplation, research, list-making, and (yes) sketching towards this new-found direction. Its forcing me into areas that I’m unsure about; places I’ve never ventured and therefore don’t feel entirely comfortable. I’m being made to look at my own shortcomings in a lot of ways (fear of lack of control, fear of failure), facing up to those and staring them down. Because I want this to work out that much. Its amazing what you can accomplish when you want something so badly, isn’t it?


In more happy news, I’ve been designing some new packaging for Elegant Musings products, including these little cards for brooches and (shhhh!!! this is a super-secret project that no one must know about!) 1” buttons. I’m also working on similar cards to attach my bracelets to, just to add a little more pizazz when a customer opens up their package! I’m spending a lot of time going through my vintage periodicals and books, searching for decorative borders and elements to use in these. I love working with old-fashioned graphics; there is something I find very familiar and comforting in them... it always makes me want to draw up a stool close to the fire and grab a warm cup of tea!

I struck upon an idea late yesterday evening that I’d like to get your opinion on! I was thinking that I’ve got so many antique and vintage papers in my collection, covering fashion and crafting, that instead of “keeping them to myself” I should share them more often with you here. I’ve already got that in some measure on my website, but I was thinking a weekly feature (possibly on Mondays or Wednesdays... haven’t decided which) to have just a page of illustrations or craft instructions from a vintage source. Just for your inspiration and enjoyment! Would anyone be interested in this, or am I just tilting at windmills? lol.

I hope everyone is having a lovely Thursday and I’ll see you tomorrow with the Friday Inspiration post (lots of good things have been going on online this week!!!)!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

:: when I set paint to paper, needle to fabric ::

[ This is how I’ve happily spent a few hours today; working on a small bunch of little squirrels for the Shoppe! ]

A few months ago I picked up a cheap set of palette watercolors (the background of the photos posted yesterday), mostly because I was tired of feeling intimidated by the rather dull hues in my Windsor Newton set. I honestly have a huge love/hate relationship with color and the way it intimidates me in relation to putting it down on paper. I like to dabble with paints, but hate picking a color scheme (hence my artwork, tends to be black and white). I actually have a love/hate relationship with fine art materials in general... but I digress! I bought this little set and had it propped up beside my computer for ages. I liked just looking at the bright, happy colors and being inspired by them. I finally decided that I should actually use these, rather than just let them sit (and look pretty...). I painted a few of my design sketches Monday:


Which leads me right into what I’ve been scheming and mulling over for the past two weeks: designing new garments! I don’t want to spill all the beans right yet (after all, this year has taught me to definitely never count my chickens before they hatch!!), so I’m going to let the photos do a little story telling of their own:






Lots of things are in the works, and I’m eager to share them with you as they roll off the sewing machine!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

p.s. I just stumbled upon the most delightful clothing line this morning! Check out Cirque du Cheval for some really cute, girlish designs! I just wish there was more information on the site...

:: inspiration [ week six ] ::

♥ inspiration [ week six ] ♥
♥ beautiful, handprinted wallpapers (via)
♥ lyell’s gorgeous autumn collection
♥ the funky “obsessive consumption” blog
♥ beautiful and inspiring scenes, places & people
♥ immersed in reading about klimt & his works


I was quite surprise and delighted by the response to that little peak at the Farmer’s Daughter dress that I posted yesterday evening!! I’m so glad you all like the design idea! As I mentioned in my previous post, it needs a bit of tweaking here and there, but overall I’m quite happy with the easy-wear, cute vibe its got going. Here are the promised full length pictures:


I love the shade of “pea soup green” that the knit is. Its a color I’ve fallen in love with--and is quite a departure from my usual pink, black and red color choices. I bought a BCBG top last autumn in this exact shade, and have managed to add several more pieces in similar hues since then...


I’m contemplating making up one or two (possibly in different sizes--time to dust off my pattern grading skills!!) and putting them up for sale in the shop, or possibly finding a local consignment venue. I’ve been told time and time again, since I interned with a pattern designer/custom dressmaker years ago that I really need to try selling my designs (even my boyfriend has jumped on the bandwagon of haranguing me to sell my stuff!). I suppose the root of my procrastination is the fear that people are just being nice, and that they won’t really buy anything I make. Ho-hum. I suppose there is only one way to find out... but yet it is intimidating!! Perhaps after reading through Craft Inc. I’ll change my tune. (Said tome is earmarked for pursuing on the flight... after my homework reading is tucked away!)


So have a lovely weekend, everyone & don’t forget the shoppe special going on this weekend! Oh, and I promise I’ll announce the gift tag give-away winner this weekend as well!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

:: new days & hurried thoughts ::

Whew! This week has been a blur of frenzied activity; getting ready for my trip this weekend, figuring out how to juggle school, buying school supplies... Generally running around like a very harried Casey!


However, amidst this, I managed to eke out some time this morning to work on a project I’ve been dying to do for several weeks. I bought some lovely pea-green knit material a couple weeks ago, and have been concocting up a plan for making a cute frock. Yesterday evening I draped the bodice pattern (because flat pattern drafting + bodices + Casey = lots of frustration. So I drape everything instead to save what little sanity I’ve got left! lol). This morning I refined the pattern on paper, and used Jenny’s amazing Peter Pan Collar tutorial to draft a collar (‘cause every girl needs a little twee in her wardrobe!). I cut it out this afternoon, but I doubt I’ll have time to start sewing before I go away; if nothing else I’ve got a zillion things to do (like, um, start to pack!). lol. How come I always end up biting off more than I can chew every August?!


I updated the shoppe this evening with some lovely vintage pieces, a adorable children’s pj pattern, the collage journal I shared last week, and a new bracelet. Fun!! So go check ‘em out and get ‘em while they’re hot! lol.

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

:: of lightboxes, photos & treasuries ::

It seems like I’m spending every free moment with my new business, trying to invest as much time as I can into making it better; tweaking, refining, rethinking. I’m not complaining at all--I literally thrive on this kind of busyness and the need to really dedicate myself to something like this! Its been so much fun to write listings, analyze why (or not) I’ve sold things, rethink portions of my business strategy... Even my dad is really pleased to see how serious I am about making this work and approaching it as a serious business and not just something I play at!

One of the things that has irked me, is the inability to get really good photographs on cloudy days. It ruins everything when I’ve got stuff to photograph, but the sun is -playing hide-and-seek! So today I finally looked into how to make a light box, something that I’m sure will become quite handy as autumn approaches and the days get a certain gloom about them. While I was looking for tutorials, one of the biggest problems was finding light boxes that were big enough, since my merchandise ranges in size from very small (pins) to largish (plush, handbags...). I finally stumbled across this tutorial on constructing a light box out of 20” x 30” foam board, which is more like the size I need (it’ll be a pain in the butt to store, but oh well!). So while on a shopping trip for new glasses (my 4-year-old Vera Wang frames are biting the dust, despite the fact that I wear contacts 99% of the time), I stopped at Wal-Mart and picked up the supplies.



Here is a quick, test shot of an item, taken inside the light box! I even found a place in the basement on an old table I can leave it set up, with my tripod in place! That makes it so much easier to just go shoot items as I’ve got a few spare minutes here and there (and means less mess spread about the house as I chase sunbeams in various rooms--or outside-- to shoot photos in!). Yay! I love making my life easier. lol.

I’m gearing up for a mini-update tonight with a few items I’ve not listed the likes of before... lets just say they’re perfect for the California-girl in each of us (or maybe it just seems that way since two weeks from now I’ll be in California and have it on the brain!! lol)! Update will be at the usual time: between 6:30pm and 7pm Eastern time.


I hope everyone had a lovely weekend; I got to enjoy some refreshingly cool temperatures (after the scorching 100+ degree heat of a couple weeks ago!) this weekend, caught up with my family and my Bloglines feed, and managed to get sucked into the wonderful world of Indiepublic! *sigh* The internet is such a wonderful, wonderful place. hehe.

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey [ email me ]

p.s. Guess what?! Harold the Whale was featured in an Etsy Treasury! I’m so excited!!

:: meanderings ::

Sometimes it amazes me how quickly time flies by now. My mother used to tell me when I was growing up that I should enjoy the feeling of long hours and not having any obligations, because that would change as an adult. Now at twenty-two, I’m very much the busy gal who can’t find enough hours in the day!! I finally broke down a few weeks ago and purchased a utilitarian planner to try and keep track of all my schedules (school, work, weekends the boy has off...), my to-do lists and random things that pop into my head. Except I can’t help but feel that this planner is just too... boring! Functionally, it works; aesthetically it doesn’t. I suppose that is the ultimate sign of a picky/artsy personality when they start critiquing how the most mundane items in life are too visually boring (heck, I even am picky about how boring toilet tissue holders are! lol).

So, in a fit of creative problem-solving (or madness? I’m starting to wonder if the two don’t go hand-in-hand), I came up with the idea of either covering a binder or a couple pieces of sturdy board and making a “cover” for the boring planner! I was thinking of decoupaging items/images onto the covers that say something about me and my interests. Problem is, I’m not sure what decoupage glue/adhesive to use and how to seal the covers so that they don’t melt! Anyone have any handy-dandy tips or pointers? I’m a bit lost here! lol.

Oh, and btw: the shop has been updated!! (As of 7pm Eastern time.) I’ve still got some more things to put online, but I’ll probably wait to add those on Monday. A nice bunch of patterns and few pieces of vintage. I’m working on narrowing some of my vintage clothing into specific “fall-appropriate collections” to upload in batches. To make it a bit more cohesive and, well, boutique-y. lol.

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey

:: sixty feet under ::

wow. this weekend was utterly amazing--even despite the fact that I am exhausted! diving is so much more fun in open water than in a pool (where we trained)--I really had no idea how much fun it was going to be! we had planned on diving saturday and sunday, but the saturday dive was cancelled due to rough seas, so I still don’t have my dive certification (I need two more dives to get that). but despite that little hiccup, sunday was a blast! we went to a dive site that was about ten miles offshore and is situated over a tugboat wreck. I was really, really nervous about this dive because I didn’t want to do anything foolish sixty feet under and have to make an emergency ascent (which carry a huge level of risk because you can get decompression sickness if you surface too quickly). thankfully though, I did fine and had a blast doing it!

it was interesting being in the water--the sensation of descending and still being able to breath comfortably and take some time to look into the murky shadows as we followed the anchor line down. I think the most jolting event was when we hit the thermocline; where the water suddenly went from very warm to cool as we started to hit some serious depth. I was so busy concentrating on my breathing (we call it “yoga breathing” which is a method to regulate how much air you take in) that when we hit the wreck, I didn’t even notice it coming--it suddenly loomed out up out of the murk and was there! we went down twice, and got to see all kinds of cool marine life; swam among a school of fish, saw lots of starfish, peered into portholes and I kept a (hopeful!) eye out for sharks (which I was told aren’t as common off of virginia beach; we have to go a bit further south to see those in open water). by the time we weighed anchor and headed back for shore, I was very tired and fell asleep for most of the trip back on the top deck. lol. of course, this resulted in getting sunburned; my nose is a very distinct shade of red!!

thank you all for your kind support throughout the first week of my shop’s opening! I was really quite blown away with the number of sales I had in this period--so thank you all tons. I’ve got more goodies going online tomorrow (approximately 7pm eastern time)--including some more vintage clothes! so keep your eyes open for clothes, vintage needlecraft books, patterns and jewelry. lots and lots of fun stuff!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey

p.s. I realize this photo has nothing to do with diving at all! however, it was the only one I took over the weekend (besides furniture pictures--we're shopping for stuff for his apartment)!

:: walk away from the computer... ::

I admit it, I sat there for about fifteen minutes after I uploaded everything to the shoppe and just stared. watched the view numbers go up, marvelling at the power of the internet--people (complete strangers!!) were looking at my stuff. that thought is a bit intimidating and overwhelming all at once! so, rather than while away my night hitting the refresh button again and again (obsessive? yes! lol)--I had lots of other things to do--I tore myself away.

I spent my time packing a bunch of half-finished whale bodies and little pieces that need to be turned and attached. I’m taking them all with me when I go down to the boy’s this weekend, though I highly doubt I’ll get any work done because we’re spending the majority of our time open-water scuba diving. gosh, I’m nervous; diving in a pool is one thing, being out in the open water is quite another. I’m not nervous about any critters that we may encounter (after all, virginia beach has been known to have its fair share of bull sharks...), but rather that I’ll goof and do something stupid. ah well. hopefully not, right?

anyway, I won’t be blogging until I get back (probably Tuesday), but I will be replying to comments, emails and checking up on etsy while I’m down there! have a lovely weekend, all!!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey

:: its official!!! ::

today is the day! my etsy store is now live and ready for business!! take a peek at what I’ve got up and let me know what you think; I’ll be adding lots more in the coming weeks. thank you all for your wonderful comments and support throughout this process; its really kept me going even when I wanted to chicken out.

without further ado: the elegant musings curiosity shoppe.

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey

p.s. curious to know exactly what types of things I’ll be adding to the shoppe in the coming weeks? I’ve got a huge stock of vintage clothing and will be prepping that for the autumn collection to go online around the middle of september. more handmade goods (bracelets, plush, etc.), tons of vintage fabric, knitting books and vintage fabric! great things are coming!!

:: influences ::

hopefully you are tucked away in some nice, cool spot right now while reading this... it got up to 100° today (highly unusual for washington, dc--even in august!!), so the air conditioning has been a must!

thank you for all the whale-stuffie love!! I was just blown away by all the sweet responses he got... you all are too, too kind!! :) as you can see, I’m busy making a couple other whales, two of which will probably go to the shoppe eventually!

speaking of the shoppe... the launch is tomorrow!! I’m getting lots of butterflies in my stomach over this; its so exciting for me to finally be taking that step I’ve thought about for so long. in a lot of ways its quite intimidating, but I’m glad to finally be doing it. now I’m just busy finishing up a few photographs and listings (my document editor program has been my constant friend this past week!), and gathering up little goodies to include in packages (the really fun part of being an online seller, imho!). so far I’ve bought an assortment of little sugary goodies to include with orders, designed thank-you cards, and am thinking seriously of ordering custom buttons to include in later orders. fun, fun, fun!!


I was thinking a bit more about my previous post where I mentioned one of my chief stuffie-making influences is Tasha Tudor, and all the other things that have played a part into my aesthetic and creative development through the years. so many things: alice in wonderland, laura ashley decorating books from the 1980s, antique clothes, the wizard of oz series, beatrix potter illustrations, summer afternoons building forts, learning to draft my own patterns when I was very young, monthly trips to the craft store on saturday morning with my dad, the decemberists (and a great deal of the music I listen to!!), the color fairy series... many, many things! I just didn’t realize until recently how much of my childhood experience and what I was exposed to (or not) allowed me to blossom in the areas that I am most inclined towards naturally. so, I’m curious: what are some things that have influenced your aesthetic development? tell me!

cheers & creativity,
    ♥ casey

p.s. its not too late to sign up for the shoppe update list!! if you sign up be 10pm (eastern time) this evening, you’ll be in time to get the first email with a super-secret offer for subscribers only! so hurry, and sign up!

inspiration
♥ cutest clock ever!
♥ a colorful + fun pincushion