Writing is my job; Petite Minx jewelry is my business. I make limited edition and one of a kind treasures from my backyard studio, usually in my p.j.’s, with a cup of coffee at hand and a lovable little Boston terrier underfoot. This blog is a peek at my humble cottage industry.
On this blog you’ll find:
♥ peeks at my workspace
♥ the latest Petite Minx jewelry ♥ jewelry giveaways
Last weekend I exhibited my jewelry during Ruston, La.'s, annual Holiday Arts Tour. More than 50 artists showed their work from their studios and downtown. I sold my jewelry at a cute clothing boutique. This was one of my favorite table set ups ever. I layered an off-white vintage table cloth atop a pale blue cloth, and it really complimented everything beautifully. And see the little hand in the photo above? That's my prize find of the month.
Lots of people passed through the shop that weekend. Thanks to everyone who purchased from me. It's always nice to meet the people who appreciate my aesthetic and to learn what they like most. This year's Art Tour really validated me as a jewelry artist in a way that I haven't been in some time. It really gave me the gusto to persevere during a time when many artists, including myself, have had fewer sales than in times past.
As I have been absent from blogging lately, I am late in telling you all about the sweetest, most beautiful blog post about Petite Minx. Go see Dionne, the talented lady behind City of Dionne, and drop her a line while you're there.
I am in love with a city I have never been to. Paris is the ultimate destination, in my opinion. And it may be premature to say this, but I have saving gobs of money for months and will continue to do so to make a trip to Paris when Trey graduates (as a radiologic tech) in a year and a few months. It will be a graduation gift to ourselves. We're also planning to go to London, Amsterdam and a little town in Holland where a dear family member lives.
Check out these posts of Paris' fashionable window displays by the blog Paris Parfait: ♥ Chanel ♥ Shipwreck No. 1 ♥ Shipwreck No. 2 The writer also has plenty of posts full of photos taken at Paris flea markets.
I just found this blog written by an American living in Paris. Gorgeous photos. ♥ Tongue in Cheek And I am completely smitten with this blog I found recently. It's by a stylist and book author -- a book you probably know -- living in Amsterdam.
For the longest time I've been fascinated by the 1920s, gypsies and carnivals. These things are inspiring me again. If I were to design a line of jewelry around these themes, what do you think they'd look like?I have my ideas. What are yours?
I'm super excited to finally reveal a project that's been in the works for some time now. Jessica, of the way cool vinyl wallet line Slaughterhead, has made two lines of limited-edition pouches for Petite Minx jewelry.
When paired with Petite Minx jewelry, these "Whatnot Pouches" would make the best two-in-one functional gift. Hide the jewelry inside a pouch for a double-fun surprise. These make super inexpensive gifts, too.
The pouches are only $12, and all regularly-priced Petite Minx jewelry is 30% off!
There are four of each of the two "Whatnot Pouches" available now in the Petite Minx shop.
The two lines include a purple wallet with colorful stitch patterns and a wood-grain repurposed lining. And there are brown pouches with an exterior inlay sunburst with the coolest striped repurposed lining. Both are pictured in this post.
I'm a reporter by day. Part of my job is to write a weekly column. I just wanted to share my latest with you all, because I think it's pretty universal and we can all benefit from its basic premise. So here it is:
Column by Monica Crowe
Do you ever just sit and do nothing at all? If you’re like me and almost everyone else it’s likely that moments like that are seldom stolen if ever.
Where does this constant need to do something come from? America’s collective unspoken motto seems to be, “Busyness is best.” But is it really? Consider this. People who manage to find the time to do nothing are often deemed lazy, and in our society, laziness is one of the most looked down upon characteristics a person can have. On average, Americans get five to 10 vacation days a year as opposed to Europeans who get upwards of 20-30 legally mandated days. Any American with that kind of siesta time would likely rather work than figure out what to do with all of those unregimented hours.
Image by Anna Caso
And, I mean, come on. We have to make money, right?
In my opinion, Americans work solely for the purpose of buying stuff. Yeah, food and shelter are factors, but what we really want is more stuff. Those who disagree should consider why so many people are suffocating their freedom and sanity by regularly adding to their heap of debt.
Creditcards.com reports that by the end of 2008, American’s credit card debt totaled $972.73 billion. The average debt per household was $8,329.
Image by Hakan Photography
As opposed to Americans, Europeans work solely to enjoy their vacation time. It’s true. I’ll give the perfect example. My Dutch brother in law’s longtime chum got a huge raise at work. Instead of accepting the extra pay, he made a deal with his employer to give him an extra day off per week in exchange for the same pay rate. So now this guy gets three-day weekends, plus 30 days of vacation per year. Amazing.
And the Dutch aren’t the only culture in Europe living la dolce vita. In Rome, the people have made an art of “Il dolce far niente,” meaning “sweet doing nothing” or “sweet idleness.” They relish in experiencing life to the fullest, to love and be loved and to see and be seen.
Image from I Am Blessed
If we are constantly on the go and moving from one activity to the next, are we really allowing ourselves to stop and take note of the subtle beauty of life? Plenty of people see life as a destination when really it is happening right now and from one moment to the next. By always thinking ahead, or even in being stuck in the past, we are robbing ourselves of the present moment, which is really the only time there is. The past is gone and the future is yet to be.
Doing nothing may seem like a waste of time, but if only on occasion it can be energizing to the senses and the mind. It can awaken creativity, vitality and feelings of well-being. Doing nothing, by the way, does not include watching TV or reading a book. It’s just being-ness. Try it. You may just learn something about yourself and the world around you.
Finally I've moved into my long overdue backyard studio. It's taken one month short of a year since Trey and I bought the building to get to this point. I'm so giddy. Trey and his friends Andy and Michael did an awesome job. Big thanks goes out to Michael for the professional electrical work.
So let me show you around. Pictured above is my main work desk, which I got for $10 from a friend. It's positioned on the main wall of the studio. Bad feng shui, I know, but it looks good there. The birch drawers on the desk where I keep my beads and supplies are from Ikea.
Inspiration
In front of my work desk is my inspiration wall, which I coated with magnetic paint. Those thumb tacks keeping the pictures in place are actually magnets. Cool, right? I expect that the wall will be covered pretty soon with lots of tear outs that inspire me.
The white cabinet in the corner was actually the laundry room pantry from my previous house. Now it's become a handy storage space for my paints, brushes and random craft supplies. The lanterns draped over the cabinet were left over party lights from Peir 1 that Trey and I were given as part of a wedding gift four years ago. I finally got around to opening them, and I think they're perfect for the space.
From this view the room looks pretty bare, and I know the table is under scale but you work with what you have. I think that once I add more to my inspiration wall it'll balance the look.
Off to the left of the main wall is my secondary work table, which I'll use to package jewelry for shipping and probably for random projects.
I love the ample track lighting in my space. There are three tracks -- left, center and right -- and the lights can be angled any which way. The painting in the above image was done by my hand. It was living in the trunk of my car for the past year and has now found its permanent home. On the opposite wall is another black-framed painting I did that was also living in my trunk. It's main colors are pinks, and it really pops against the aqua blue wall.
The hanging star in the window was bought for the studio from World Market almost a year ago. It catches the light on a bright day just as beautifully as I'd hoped. The curtains hanging in the three studio windows were just completed today. I spent all weekend sewing them.
The fabric, which I absolutely adore, came from Target. The yardage was packaged as a large tapestry throw for a bed, wall or couch. After making the curtains I still have plenty of material, so now I'm considering other accessories to make for the studio.
And that's it for now. I'm sure I'll post more pics as the studio inevitably evolves.
Petite Minx booth, Holiday Arts Tour 2009 
Lots of people passed through the shop that weekend. Thanks to everyone who purchased from me. It's always nice to meet the people who appreciate my aesthetic and to learn what they like most. This year's Art Tour really validated me as a jewelry artist in a way that I haven't been in some time. It really gave me the gusto to persevere during a time when many artists, including myself, have had fewer sales than in times past.
As I have been absent from blogging lately, I am late in telling you all about the sweetest, most beautiful blog post about Petite Minx. Go see Dionne, the talented lady behind City of Dionne, and drop her a line while you're there.
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