Monday, March 28, 2011

HOPE OF SPRING

ZENFUL GOODS
I know here in the midwest we are hanging on to the hope of Spring! I have seen my first robins, tulips and daffodils popping their heads up and trees have buds! So it's at the door waiting to come in but winter here in the Chicago area is holding on! The temperatures this week will be in the 30's for day time highs! OUCH!  
I believe in Spring fever. I remember the feeling of excitement I had as a kid around Easter time of green grass,  warm breezes, birds singing and blue sunny skies! It was like taking an energy pill everything just seemed to brighten up! 
In my area of the country we have about six months of really nice weather and it just seems to fly by! You wait for Spring and Summer for months then WHAM its the 4th of July and you wonder how it came and went so fast!
Spring is a time of renewal of new things popping up, of cleaning out the old dusty cobwebs and letting the fresh breezes in.  Spring is a good time to take an account of your shop, your life, your work and dreams. It is a time of hope and re-birth! 
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!
CHECK OUT THESE LOVELY SHOPS!
SPRING TIME LOVE! 
                                                                                                                                                                                                            
 
BABYLON SISTERShttp://www.etsy.com/shop/babylonsisters


NEEDFUL NOSTALGIA http://www.etsy.com/shop/NeedfulNostalgia

OPEN DOOR STUDIO http://www.etsy.com/shop/opendoorstudio

Friday, March 18, 2011

BLESSED

   

I FEEL BLESSED IN MY LIFE! PLEASE SHARE WITH ME HOW YOU FEEL YOU ARE BLESSED TODAY!
ENJOY THIS SONG BY LUCINDA WILLIAMS AND SPREAD THE LOVE!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

HEALING AROMATHERAPY


I love love candles! If you've had a not so good day just to light a candle and breath in the lovely scent somehow soothes the weary soul. Whenever I have company come over for a get together I love to light candles in every room. You can live in a one room apartment, townhouse, small house, large house or a mansion it doesn't matter candles breath life and light into your home.

One of my favorite things to make and sell in my Etsy shop are soy candles. I love to purchase vintage containers and fill them with eco-friendly soy wax and add lovely scents that fill your nose with heaven! My favorite scents are tuberose and lavender.  In my shop I offer four different scents, lemon lavender, tuberose, patchouli and of course unscented. Lemon lavender is a fabulous scent that fills the air with a tangy lemon and soothing lavender scent. This scent is great for your kitchen, bathroom or bedroom. Tuberose is a mild rose smell that is very shabby chic and Victorian. This lovely scent is great for a romantic evening with your significant other, for the bathroom or living room.  Patchouli is a stronger woodsy musky scent great to burn at a party, get together or in your bedroom.  All of these scents are lovely. I offer many pretty and unusual vintage containers filled with all of these lovely scents. I also offer some candles in unscented  which are great for burning on your dining table while your eating or for those that just prefer the beauty of light without the scent. Following are some candles I sell in my shop! Please go shop and enjoy! Thanks so much!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZenfulGoods
 AROMATHERAPY IS A HEALING SCENT FILLING THE AIR AND CARRYING YOU AWAY TO A LOVELY PLACE!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Vintage Etsy Society Team Interview

I was recently interviewed on the Vintage Etsy Society Team Blog!
Please see it here:
Vintage Etsy Society Team Interview
 I love my TEAM~~!
Everyone is very supportive and helpful and friendly. It is one way to help yourself and help others. One thing about Etsy is what you give out you get back. 
VINTAGE RULES!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

LEAVE ME A MESSAGE BABY



I have always loved vintage trays. The first ones I had were given to me by my great Aunt. They were trimmed in red and covered with a lovely picture of fruit. I would always line them up on my kitchen counter against the back splash. They added a vintage touch to my kitchen and added some beautiful vibrant colors.
Recently on a hunting and gathering spree I found a whole stack of lovely green (my favorite color), trays with beautiful roses on them. I decided to turn them into memo/message boards and took vintage earrings and repurposed them as magnets.  I just love these trays and their many uses. These memo/message board trays look lovely on your refrigerator or can be leaned on a counter. You can leave your grocery list, to do list or your favorite pictures of your kids or their lovely art work or that manly picture of your man! They are shabby chic and repurposed into something lovely and useful.
Find these lovely trays here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65613085/vintage-metal-tray-memo-board-with

I can make these trays with magnets on the back to put on your refrigerator or file cabinet or I can leave them off so you can lean them against your backsplash or any other place you like!

I have found other great trays that I have turned into message/memo boards. These are state souvenir trays! They have vibrant colors and would look delightful in your studio
as a inspiration board to display your new creative ideas on!


 Each one of these souvenir trays comes with three vintage repurposed earring magnets! Oh so lovely!
You can find them here in my Etsy shop!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/66603894/vintage-metal-tray-memo-board-with

Finding new uses for common items is so much fun and these trays are unique and would make a nice gift for yourself or as a birthday gift, bridal shower or a thank you gift!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Back in the late 1990's I owned my own home and garden shop called Perch and Pottery! I loved being my own boss, ordering things I liked, meeting new people and arranging my shop any way I wanted to. I incorporated vintage items in with the new which at the time made my shop unusual and unique. I have always loved garden stuff whether its a simple clay pot, a whimsical birdhouse, vintage watering cans or any other garden item that is unique.  I love it all!
I believe that's why I love my Etsy shop so much. I can make it any way I want and sell handmade, repurposed items and vintage items.  I have been making silver spoon garden markers for around a year now and I love the rustic sweet look of them. It all started when I found a whole box of old silverware in the basement that used to belong to my partners Father. These were pieces he had picked up at a flea market and that had sat in the box for years. So it was like opening a treasure chest to me. I once saw these garden markers on the internet in the Anthropologies store which has many unique items but sometimes they are quite expensive. I did some research and found out the tools I would need to make these markers and I was on my way. It takes some arm power to hammer out each spoon until it is flat and then hand stamp the letters without getting them totally crooked. Sometimes I just leave the letters crooked and think that it adds to the uniqueness and character of the garden marker. I like to embellish them with pretty ribbons or twine and use unique and pretty charms. The charms and ribbon give each spoon it's own theme and personality. 

I recently moved into a new place and I guess the neighbors will just have to learn to put up with my hammering for a couple of days in my quest to make more silver spoon garden markers to sell and share.  What are your favorite garden ornaments or markers like? What kinds of things do you love to grow? I love to grow herbs and cherry tomatoes! You wouldn't believe how many tiny tomatoes you can get from one plant! Gardening is like a healing balm and meditative quest to have your hands in the dirt and to feed and nuture something you have planted. 

Here are some more pictures of my fun garden markers. Please visit my shop and take a look and make any request for words you would like to have on them. I love to do custom orders! 




Order these fun garden markers here or email me for custom request.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZenfulGoods