Monday, February 25, 2013

Sparkling

This stuff makes me so happy~
beads...
I just want to roll around in it for a while...
chain...
and then, I'll mix it with some vintage stuff and make some new jewelry for ResparkableVintage!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Zevia, I Hope I Love You

I've been on and off the wagon with diet soft drinks for years now.

I've read the scary articles, I know the claims of how bad they are for me.  But there is just something about a soft drink I love.  And since I'm diabetic, I have always opted for the non-sugar version.  But oh, Aspartame, you are Satan.

The other day, I was at Torchy's Tacos, and they had a cool variety of soft drinks.  Mostly the brand, Maine Root.  They had this one called Mexicane Cola- and they had the diet version of it as well.  I don't really know for sure, but something made me think that perhaps this soft drink did not use the dreaded aspartame. 

But it got me poking around on the internet, googling "diet soft drink without aspartame", or maybe I even wrote, "diet soft drink Stevia"...  I am still not clear about the Mexicane Cola, but I did read about another brand called Zevia.

It's pinned, "All Natural Soda", and with a name like that, they want you to know it's made with Stevia, which is a plant based sweetener.  Not so scary like Aspartame.  But in my past experience with Stevia, it's also not as sweet and sugar-like as Aspartame based sweeteners like Equal. 

Anyway, I bought two 6-packs at Target tonight.  One is "Cola" and one is "Dr. Zevia"- Their equivalent to Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper. 

Tomorrow is the big day.  The taste test.  I am so prepared to like this.  And to get Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper out of my life once and for all. 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Beginnings With Etsy

I opened my Etsy shop, Resparkable Vintage, a couple of days ago.

I worried I wasn't ready.  I only had 10 items listed to sell.  (The listing is a s-l-o-w process for me!) But I had a deadline, dammit!  And I really wanted to stick to it.

Hey, maybe my shop isn't perfect.  In fact, I can guarantee it isn't.  But it's a work in progress.  And I did it!  I opened my Etsy shop selling my repurposed vintage jewelry.  By my deadline.  Even hours before midnight on the day of my deadline! WOOHOO.  My mom would be so proud of me!

Hopefully, people will see the 10 things I do have for sale at  Resparkable Vintage and like them.  And even more hopefully, buy them.

I'll be listing a minimum of 2 new items every week.  I'll hopefully get faster on the listings and be able to up that number to at least 5 things a week soon.  Maybe I'll just go nuts and list 20 items each week, eventually! I'm so excited for people to see the necklaces, bracelets and earrings I make.  Like I've said before, I almost called my shop "I'm So Not Selling This" because it's a phrase that's spoken often around this house.  Honestly, I love all the pieces so much I can hardly bare to part with them.  But the more I sell, the more I get to make!

Here's a necklace I just listed a few minutes ago...
vintage earrings and chain, repurposed with a few new components to make a necklace
To see more pics and find out the details about this necklace and others, please visit Resparkable Vintage!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Lucy is Two Today!

My sweet girl turned 2 years old today!
Lucy's favorite thing to do- and she's so good at it!- is catch the frisbee. So we had big plans for frisbee at the park for her birthday.  But the weather here is totally not cooperating.  It's been rainy, cloudy and cold all day.

I find myself singing "My Girl" to Lucy often... It applies today more than ever.  "I got sunshine, on a cloudy day.  When it's cold outside, I got the month of May..."  She is my little Sunshine, that's for sure.  Always happy, always cute, and just beautiful.

Lucy (and Ricky) managed to have a great day, even tho it they had to spend all day inside.  There's been lots of snuggling, chewing bones, playing with toys, and Lucy and I even managed to get out and do a little shopping.

Lucy picked out pig ears, and a couple of cookies to share with her BFF, Ricky.
Politely waiting on pig ears and cupcakes to be served...
Pink for Lucy, and blue for Ricky of course
Super yummy!
Ricky finished his first while Lucy ate slowly like a little Lady.  But Ricky just politely watched, licking his lips while she finished up!
  Happy birthday, little Lucy! 

Sunday, February 10, 2013

My Resparkable Vintage Etsy Shop has OPENED

Seconds ago, literally, seconds ago-- I opened up my Esty shop, Reparkable Vintage.

I have been frantic the last week or so trying to meet my self-imposed deadline.  The reason I chose February 10 as the magical date I really wanted it to open was simply for this reason:  Ricky was born on February 8.  Lucy was born four days later on February 12.  They have brought me so much joy, make me happy every single day, and have never once disappointed me.  They have changed my life for the better for sure.
Lucy and Ricky
So I chose the date right in the middle of their birth dates, hoping my little Etsy store, or as I prefer to say boutique, brings me even more great things!

As I've mentioned before on my blog, Resparkable Vintage is an Etsy shop that sells repurposed, upcycled vintage jewelry.  I mix vintage components with modern elements to make something timeless.

I am also selling a few vintage pieces of jewelry that remain in their original condition.

I only listed 8 repurposed vintage necklaces and 2 pairs of vintage earrings to start.  I will be adding more stuff all the time, but I just wanted to open things up and get things rolling now!

So go on over and check it out!  You can go even shop in your pajamas if you wanna!  So make yourself a cup of tea, or pour yourself a glass of wine, kick back and head over to Resparkable Vintage.
It's  Time!  One of the repurposed vintage necklaces I'm selling in my shop.


Saturday, February 9, 2013

Ricky Turned TWO!

My boy turned two yesterday!  I can't believe it.  It seems like just a few months ago that he was just a little pup...
The day Ricky came home with us... He immediately knew he could just kick back and relax!
The world got so much better the day he was born into it.  I can't believe how much I just adore him (and Lucy, of course!). 

So to celebrate yesterday I took him to the pet store to pick out a few new balls to play with.
Sitting up to show his appreciation!
Lucy insisted he share, which he was happy to do.
Everything is more fun when you have a BFF to enjoy it with!
I also took him to pick out a cookie.  He picked out one for himself, and one for  Lucy.  Little Teddy Bears with hearts on their chests.
Sharing a cookie was even more generous than sharing toys!
Lucy's birthday is next week.  Hopefully she will be as good of a sharer as Ricky was!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Jewelry Thief

One of my top 5 things to do, is go to estate sales looking for vintage jewelry, among other things.  When I see a listing and it says anything about having costume jewelry for sale, I'm there in a New York minute.

Unless it's over 30 minutes away.  I usually stay within that range from my house.

But today, I just couldn't resist making a drive to Allen for an estate sale that had pictures of some really cool earrings and brooches I wanted to get my hands all over!

When I pulled up to the house, there wasn't a sign in the yard.  Hmm.  Then I noticed a couple of cop cars.  Hmmmmmm. As I was opening my car door to get out, a man came over and told me the estate sale would be opening later in the day because there had been a burglary that night and the police were still on the scene.  And then he said the worst news of all, "Yeah...they got about 90% of the jewelry we had."

Um, WHAT?!?!

That is the worst kind of thief I can imagine- First of all, to steal from an elderly person (because based on all the vintage jewelry, I'm pretty sure this was the estate of some sweet little old lady with a whole lot of style!). Secondly, to steal from a stash of stuff that an estate sale company has spent their whole week organizing.   And lastly, and most importantly, stealing THE VINTAGE COSTUME JEWELRY!?! Are you kidding me?

I then drove the over 30 minute drive home (in fact, way over 30 minutes because I stopped off at two other estate sales...how could I not?!) Once I got there, I checked my mailbox to see if the jewelry I ordered from Etsy had arrived.  It hadn't.  So I got online to see how many days had passed since I had ordered.  Quite a few. Then I happened to notice the rating on that seller isn't so great.  I started reading some of the other buyers feedback and several of them have complained about not ever getting their purchases.  And never hearing back from the shop owner.  Several of them even went so far as to say in so many words, "This shop is a scam!"

Oh no.

What a day!

I'm so glad I stopped in at those other estate sales in so I still ended up coming home with some pretty trinkets to repurpose!
Vintage trinkets to repurpose for ReSparkable Vintage
This stamped "Made in Western Germany" necklace may have to stay just as it is- it's in such great condition and looks really special!