Slowly getting my etsy store going....

Today I added a new item to the ol' etsy shop, aka 23point4degreetilt.  It is a slow but steady process, with creating new items in the little spare time I have.  But I am getting better at it all the time, and excited to fill up the 'shelves'.

Today I added this laptop sleeve that I upcycled from an old cable knit sweater, and embellished with felt star appliqués and some fun vintage buttons.  

Thanks for checking it out!  

Happy Sunday!

Ash

Feature Fridays...The Pearl...

Lately, I have been pondering life and what the future holds for me and my hubby (and animals).  We have talked a lot about living more simply, and perhaps downsizing to a small house with a significant (to us) piece of property.  One of our thoughts was to start out with a tiny house or a snazzed-up camper.  It might sound crazy, but I know folks that do it and are quite happy with their lifestyle.

Long story short, I have been looking a lot at cute little campers that have been redone to have a super home and super cute look to them.  While perusing different pics and sites, I came upon a new blog that I just love, called The Pearl. 

The Pearl is Kerrie's blog about her travels in her home away from home, their 1972 Timberline 'wee vintage travel trailer.'  

She continues to work on her awesome little camper trailer, and shares stories and pics of this life with others.  I just love the way she has redone this adorable little place - I would say it is a shabby chic or cottage style, and just too cute!  I have learned that this is also called "Glamping", and I am in love with the idea.

Here is her 'diner'...

Love the whites and sea foam green.  And the floors...  I see on her blog that they are going to do some renovations, so I am excited to see what those will bring!

She has also been featured in the magazine 'Romantic Country"...how cool is that?

Go check out her site for a fun and different kind of blog.  I love that I can go there and dream about a fun, romantic lifestyle, as well as get inspiration for decorating and living simply.

Thanks for sharing, Karrie!

Ash

2013 Manifesto (finally)

If you have been following my blog for a while, you may remember that last year, instead of just writing up some resolutions for the new year, I had gotten inspiration from another blogger to create a manifesto.  It was a lot of fun, and got me to think about things I want in life.

My 2012 Manifesto was full of good stuff, some of which I was successful at, some of which I was not, and some of which is an ongoing mission.  So this year, I created a new manifesto, with some of the same sort of goals as last year, and some new goals.  

Last year, I feel like I made the mistake of half way through the year re-hanging it in a place where I never looked, which was the exact opposite of what the point of creating this is.  It should be hung somewhere to remind me everyday that I want to achieve bigger and better things this year.  So...this year I've hung it in the bathroom.  No missing that! :)

As I look at this, this year is about growing and becoming a stronger person, not just physically, but also mentally.  I want to do things this year that will really set me up for a bright and exciting future.

If you have set some goals for the year, write them out and hang them up for all to see.  And if you have not, it is never too late!

Happy 2013, friends!

Ash

PS - I made this in the drawing 'program' of google drive.  Was easy and there were lots of fun fonts to choose from.  If you don't have a lot of editing software on your comp (like me) or you are not a big editor (like me...hehe), this worked great!

New knitting skill! Cabling on wristlets...

I am so excited!  I recently went to a knitting social at JoAnn Fabrics.  My hubby works there and suggested I get some folks together to have a teacher come in and show us some tips and new skills.  I had been wanting to learn how to cable knit for some time, but just couldn't quite get the tutorials.  Now that I have learned it, I don't know why I found it so hard!

So I put my new skill to use right away by knitting up some wristlets for my mom.  They came out so good, that I think I will have to make some for myself!

They were knitted flat and then sewn up the back.  I got the pattern from Lion Brand here.

LOVE!!  I found some super soft acrylic/wool blend yarn and they knitted up quite quickly.  Amazing how adding that element makes such a huge difference.  

I think I may try making a tutorial, since I found it so tough at first to understand.  Maybe I can help shed some light for those who are self taught like me and knit kinda weird. :)

Hope you have been enjoying the long weekend.  Happy MLK, Jr Day!

Ash

Back to the Ranch...

As you may remember, in past years we have taken a trip down to central California to check out a wonderful ranch, the Work Ranch.  They offer trail rides, they raise cattle, they have the cutest cat in the world, they raise barley and just so happens that my parents are helping as ranch hands right now, so I get an awesome excuse to go see this wonderful place.

It was soooo wonderful there.  I helped each morning feed the horses, calves, goats and pig.  The weather, while chilly, was sunny and clear.  And having time to sit and look out at the rolling hills and slow down from my crazy life, well, let's just say that it was pretty tough to come back to my daily grind.

The view from our bunk house....

Visiting the calving area....

Look at the calves!

Love the old architecture on the farms...

An old farmstead...

Sweet animals to feed...

An evening by the campfire...

A fallen old farmhouse...

The ranch is very close to the fault...

And, they also have an area where you can dig for fossils...we found this awesome old sand dollar in the middle of California's rolling hills.  Pretty awesome to think about.

They have some of the best pets I have met, too.  This guy is Miles, but their cats and other dogs were pretty darn fun, too.  Including Charlie the cat (no pic...boo...), who likes to ride on the Kubota with us when feeding the animals.

Hope you can take a little time this year to explore (or re-explore) some special places.  Which reminds me, I need to share the 2013 Manifesto with you soon! 

Ash

Feature Fridays...Two Men and a Little Farm

This is one of those blogs that I follow partially because I love the fun little things they post, and partially because I want their life! Two Men and a Little Farm is a sweet blog that details the life of two people who grew up and work in the city, but long for a more quiet and sustainable life.  (Hmmm.....sounds so familiar to me...)  So they bought a little farm, Seda Bolsa Farm, and they document their ups and downs and share it for us to take part in it.

One of the things I love is that every Thursday they feature something that is inspiring for their farm.  Two Thursdays ago they put up this awesome adobe oven that they found from Sunset.com.  

Or...even more of an inspiration to me....this awesome garden shed and pond.  I want!

And the commentary on why they see them as inspiration is just as fun as the pics.

They also have some seriously great recipes, many of which I still need to try.  They have a whole page of recipes here....

I really wanna try the Roasted Chickpeas recipe...

And the biggest thing I love is reading about and seeing their little farm.  I am in love with the idea of soon owning my own little farm, and I have def enjoyed seeing the things they have had the pleasure and pain of going through on their little farm.

So go check it out, laugh at their wonderful humor and funnies that they find and share, and learn a few little fun things about their journey to their little farm.

And happy Friday!

Ash

Feature Fridays presents My Sister's Suitcase!

Ok, first, let's just pretend it is still Friday.  I have realized that I have to set a reoccurring time on my calendar that will remind me it is Feature Friday time!  Silly me!

But nonetheless, I have a great blog to feature this week, so a day late or not, I want to tell you about My Sister's Suitcase!  I love this blog, and I love the premise of it.  It is a blog for two sisters, Nat and Holly, who live far from each other, but love to craft and get inspiration from one another.  So sweet!

Their blog is kinda a big deal.  I mean, they have some serious followers, and have put a lot of time into their blog, and it def shows!  I aspire to someday be as big as them!  And from my perspective, a lot of it has to do with their awesome creative crafts that they share.

First, you know how much I love upcycled crafts.  Well...check out this adorable apron made from a shopping bag!   

That is pretty ingenious!  I have a few of these that are kinda on the edge of usable now, or need a little help...might be time for them to get a cool new life!

They also have a special Friday segment they do on their blog, which is $5 Fridays.  Seriously super cute items that they find cheap and make better.  For example, this lamp into a flower vase.  I am impressed that they saw the potential in this funky old lamp!

And if you go to My Sister's Suitcase Project Gallery, you will find all their projects laid out in a super organized fashion.  Like their cute series on decorating their mantle.  I love their spring mantle!

So go check out My Sister's Suitcase and tell them hello!  

Happy Fri....err....Saturday! ;)

Ash

Slowly working on my etsy store...

I have been hard at work making new goodies from the old and unwanted stuff of our lives.  But man, to get something to the quality I feel is what is okay to sell is tough work!  But I did get a few new things up that I have to share.  The great thing about making new stuff from old is that I can let my creative juices take me almost anywhere.

Here are the 2 cute little purses I just put up....

And...

I love how they both came out, but gotta say that the pink and green one is my fav of the two...

They are both upcycled from sweaters and have felt appliqués and grosgrain ribbon straps.  

I have many more fun creations coming.... Last year I had made a resolution to get the store up and running, which technically I did.  But this year, one of my resolutions is to actually make it a priority and get it really rolling.  (More on resolutions soon. ;)

Oh, yeah!  Here is my store - 23point4degreetilt.

Ash