Vintage plaid 50s storyboard

Do you just love vintage? 
I got on polyvore and made a lovely vintage-y collection that you will die to wear...or at least I am.


Lovely dress and shoes at www.neldasvintageclothing.com...
I found the sweater and purse at www.modcloth.com


I can imagine wearing this to go out for lunch
 or
going with my significant other (if such a creature existed) on a picnic.

Do you love it too?
Elisabeth Arona

Tongue-tied Thursday?

Everyone has wordless Wednesdays, but I'm afraid anything I say will not do the pictures justice :-)

My niece turned one this month + she has dogs=precious

Elisabeth Arona

I love the way you hold me

Although I didn't get to stay and say hi to Jamie Grace, I did get a really close-up where I called "hey smile" and she obliged. Such a sweetie.

At the beginning of this week (actually the same day I arrived home from Virginia) I was able to attend the album release party for Jamie Grace's first cd. I took some pictures and videos that I hope you'll enjoy. Bear in mind that this video took forever to upload and that it was my sister's camera and someone should have told me that every time you zoom in or out it cuts off the sound. Oops.

The name of this song is 1945. Cute to death. It's the only video that was fairly clear because it had no bass.

Mine and a couple friends showing off our wristbands at the album release party (mine is in the middle.)

Elisabeth Arona

Meeting up with Etsy friends

Cinder the dog and I

This past week I went to Virginia and told all of my etsy/Christian Arist Street Team members that I was going to be in the DC area. Those who knew more about the area than me, knew that Bowie, Maryland was "right around the corner". Forty-five minutes isn't really that close, but in the greater scheme of things it is.

Fun Fact: D.C. is approximately 10 hours from where I live in GA. 


In actuality I was going to Virginia to visit a friend with a friend of mine (Tanee) from Thursday through Sunday. Everything was busy all the time, but I was only going to have free time on Saturday evening luckily.

I was so happy to hear that Angel of BamCraftyMommas would be close enough for me to see! The friend I rode to VA with wanted something fun to do and invited herself along and I needed a driver and agreed! After forty-five minutes of non-stop talking and a few mistaken exits, we made it to Angel's parent's house. I checked the mirror--yup, I still looked the same, then I called to say I'd arrived. I think I was too shy to go up to the door and knock.

Bammy/Angel came bounding out of the house and we did one of those slow motion running into each other's arms things...not really, but we did hug and squeal like we had known each other for a good 10 years (half of my lifetime.)

Let me use just a moment and insert that I actually did take a quick break to go look on youtube for an appropriate running into each other's arms video but couldn't find one...oh well.

I'd been at Angel's house and met her adorable daughters, as well as her parents, awesome husband, and other miscellaneous family members for about 2 hours maybe, when there was a knock at the door. She jumps up and goes "I'll get it!" I was like, "Wow, she must not have seen that family member for awhile!" She opened the door all dramatic and says "Well hello my special friend, it's so nice to see you!" I'm sitting calmly watching until I recognize my other etsy friend Sheila (of sewfaithful on etsy) that I email like at least several times a week...

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..........................................................................I would like to say that being the mature person I am, I stood gracefully and walked over and said hi. 

But I can't. 

I jumped up screaming and ran and almost squeezed the life out of her. Hey, I was living in the moment! Like a few teenagers, we took a picture and posted it to twitter right away (Click here to view).

Then we talked and talked and talked. There is nothing like meeting someone(s) you already have connected with online, and finding that they really are truly as special in person as they are in cyberspace.

Here is the first picture. I love it because we're all laughing and looking a lil crazy (check out my eyes lol)

Bammy's question: "Do I look like a dork?" Why yes you do, so do we all lol.

This picture is the best one of us all--we jokingly called these double oreo pics, but really it has to be one of those like sand-colored double oreos 

Left to right: Tanee, Sheila, Bammy/Angel, and me. 

And here I am again with Cinder the dog, who I joked loved me because someone else black was in the house and she felt less outta place:

Have you met up with a cyber friend? I would love to read about it. Post a comment with a link and I'll check it out.

Elisabeth Arona

Working Wednesday

My left hand is really hurting (I'm left-handed) because I've been really working it with drawing so much, typing, playing angry birds, and even a bit of serging and sewing thrown into the mix. I've been generally busy for the whole two days of this week, and I have to say I'm pretty darn proud of myself.

I don't know if everyone remembers my last post about a shelf and cabinet that was specially custom-made for me. No? Well, it's pretty awesome. I've filled it with fabric and I know a few people asked me if they could see it. Well I took a picture. I also want to show off my latest illustrations and get opinions on them. I mean honest opinions.

Sitting in front of it is my serger and now that I'm looking at it maybe I should stack the fabric in a more interesting -or neat-way.

Here is my illustration...I have another one that I recently did that you can see here. 

Elisabeth Arona

Make it Monday--picture frame earring holder

Since I got my ears pierced in March, I haven't had anywhere to put the few earrings I have. I've lost a few, and the rest I've kept in a cup on my dresser. Today I decided to make an earring holder out of a picture frame, I'd heard that it was fairly simple to do so I went looking for some screen. Turns out, it's simple to do if you can find screen hanging around somewhere! Sometimes you just have to use a little ingenuity.

Here are the things you will need...screen or lace (I used pink lace I found in my fabric supply), a picture frame, scissors, earrings, glue gun, and sustenance aka cereal to eat while the glue gun heats up. 

Using a sharpie I marked out exactly the size I needed the lace to be to glue it in place

Then glued one side in at a time...

FINISHED!

I think it looks pretty good...but it won't stand up by itself :-(

Soooo find a sturdy piece of cardboard-in this case I used the piece I'd taken out of the back of the frame itself-and squeeze out hot glue onto it in a nice line...

Press that sucker onto it nice and firm...

And there you are with the finished product. 

In retrospect I think a sturdier fabric (think cross stitch fabric stuff, or screen, or lace that isn't stretch) would have been a better option. I may start carrying these in my new etsy shop.

What do you think? Is this something you would be interested in making?

Elisabeth Arona

Deer and chicken and pork...

Today was a normal Saturday...

                I ran errands and didn't get any rest...

Believe it or not, I attempted several naps and didn't get past the dozing stage even once (out of three tries.) Does that make me a little pathetic?


            Generally on Saturdays I cook for Saturday evening meal, and the afternoon meal for Sunday. So after a quick run to the grocery store, that's exactly what I did. Tomorrow we will be having baby lima beans and curry chicken. I know I should have prepared some starch, but I wasn't feeling it. Tonight's meal was also a bit meager-pork roast with diced potatoes, and some steamed mixed veggies. I heard no complaints. 
           I read in a book about blogging that if your blog is not ALL bible-based or religious, then you shouldn't mention religion, it also said that you should be yourself. I'm confused as to how I can be myself and never talk about something that means so much to me!
         
         This morning my mom called my little sisters downstairs to the kitchen (there's a big window in the kitchen that looks out onto into our backyard) to see some deer eating breakfast. I took some low-quality pictures through the window. It reminded me of a verse:

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so my soul panteth after thee, O God. Ps. 42:1 












May I seek you daily, even moment by moment Lord...earnestly in a way that only one with true desire and need can. Amen.




Elisabeth Arona

This is what I do--I think...

For those who don't know, I am attempting to start a business.  I am starting a business. I have an Associates Degree in Fashion Design and I think it's about time I used it. Part of the reason I haven't promoted much before, or really made a full decision to do this is just mostly my own silliness. I am insecure and nervous, and fear the unknown. I was asked by an intelligent person "How do you know if you don't try?" Hmm, you have a point there...

I am currently filling up my shop. First, I'm going to switch shops for the name that I had planned to use all the way through school anyway. I won't tell you what it is yet, but when I have done it I'll let you know so that you can go give me your heart (I'm not demanding, just requesting.) Though I may seem calm, this is a big step for me. I've been poring over business books and articles, asking questions of people who are highly competent at what they do, and just praying that I won't have a nervous breakdown.

In the meantime, I want to show my latest creation (if you will.) Since I lack at self-promotion skills, this is my attempt at it :-)

Above is my rather junkie sewing machine (don't worry it's clean junk) and the shorts I made for a friend. I'm working on my designs for shorts, I'm going to change them up soon and all my friend in blogosphere will be the first--or at least firstish to know. 

Elisabeth Arona

Past and Future (hair)

Today I came across this picture of myself and was in awe of how long my hair was then. I also noticed it was more naturally brown than it is now that I no longer have it relaxed (I have goldish highlights now though.) I am currently growing my hair out, and it takes so much longer than I remembered. I was about 18 in this picture and didn't "do" anything to it, my hair just grew. Now that I've chopped it and am trying the natural thing it's a little more difficult. As of now my hair is a couple inches past my shoulders. I'm excited to see what my hair looks like curly and that length. Woe, we'll see if I can handle that. Here's my hair length now straight:

(After GA humidity)

What's your favorite hair length and style?

Elisabeth Arona