Wearing handmade for the holidays

Last Friday, my husband and I got dolled up for his annual holiday dinner party.  [I might add that this is our last here in Rhode Island and his last as a resident.]  It's always fun to get dressed up, especially when I typically live in jeans and t-shirts.  I particularly enjoyed this year's outfit as I was able to incorporate several special handmade items.

1. dress by Anne Klein, 2. vintage jacket, 3. hand dyed velvet scarf by Candied Fabrics, 4. shoes by Franco Barbieri, 5. handmade felt flower pin by VaivaNat, 6. handmade seatbelt clutch by a la mode.

The other day, Tara from Scoutie Girl, referenced a post she had written some time ago.  It really resonated with me as I pulled this outfit together.  I couldn't agree more with Tara in that we should never be embarrassed about being frugal and wearing handmade. 

"There’s no need to think of your frugal living, creative lifestyle, or out-of-the-norm sense of style as an indicator of having less money. It’s an indicator of being cool – something to strive for – something others wish they had. You look cool, you are cool, people want to be more like you and less like everyone else." [Excerpt from Tara's post.]

I've always enjoyed wearing something, anything, that makes me stand out a bit.  More often than not, that something has been handmade by either me or a wonderful artisan.  Those very items are always the ones that get noticed and complimented the most! I will always be frugal, shopping for vintage items and sales.  I can't wear 100% handmade every day and I do have my share of Calvin Klein and Fly Londons (most of which I buy at much reduced prices).  But, I do make an effort to wear something handmade just about every day.  And those are the items that make me feel most special.

So here's where Tara's post and my reality converge.  My dinner party was with a room full of doctors and hospital administrators.  My future will be filled with events like these.  Believe me, there is nothing more intimidating than conversing with a bunch of brain surgeons (literally).  All the women were decked in their finest and looked smashing. If ever there was an opportunity to be self conscious, this would be it for me.  But I felt great wearing my mix of handmade, vintage, and reduced price designer labels. 

Wear handmade with confidence!  Mix it up and enjoy the holiday parties!

5 ways to make your holiday shopping easy

I don't know about you, but the holidays stress me.  The commercialism has bummed me out for years.  I actually get a knee jerk reaction to all the advertising and promotions.  I refuse to go to the malls and cringe at the thought of fighting any crowd.  Luckily, much of my shopping can be done online since I have to ship all over the country anyway.  As the holidays are just around the corner, I thought I'd share with you 5 ways I've made my holiday shopping easier:

1.  Make a list.  My list often starts earilier in the year.  How many times do you see something that you think your best friend or family member might like but then you forget it by the holidays?  Write it down for future reference.  Carry your list with you (mine happens to be on my phone).

2.  Shop local.  I take advantage of the holiday artisan and craft shows in the area.  I find everything from teacher's gifts to that special gift for the hard to buy for person.  I will be sure to share some local shows with you in the coming weeks. 

3.  Shop by your ship to location.  I had an epiphany last November when I was running late to ship my mom's birthday present (I'm always late for birthdays).  Why not buy from someone in her area?  The shipping would take less time and I'd be introducing her to a local artisan.  So, I searched for Etsy shops located in the Denver area and purchased from a great person who even offered to deliver the package. 

4.  Buy handmade.  To me, a gift that is handmade and carefully chosen or made for me is treasured dearly.  I know the work and passion that goes into the item.  I appreciate the thought that went into choosing it just for me.  Every time I see, wear, or use it I always remember the person who gave it to me. 

5.  Join me in A Crafty Holiday blog hop.  Angela, of The Artists House, is hosting a blog hop that will take place November 1 - December 20.  Participating blogs will feature handmade shops and items on their personal lists (be it to give or to get) and share why they are vowing to buy handmade this year.  You can participate by reading our posts OR you can be a participating blogger.  For more details, please visit Angela's blog and sign up.

I'm vowing to make this a stress free, handmade buying holiday this year!

Living Handmade - Art found across the pond

Today in Living Handmade, I'm peering across the pond into Jennifer Sneddon's home to catch a glimpse of how she's incorporated her handmade purchases into her life. She lives in the UK and has two Etsy shops Sneddoniart and Sneddonia.

Jennifer recently posted these pictures the the Living Handmade Flickr group. Thank for sharing, Jennifer!

Bookshelves don't have to be just for books. I really like how she added a few small items mixed in with her books collection. It adds an interesting depth to her display. The ACEO (art cards, editions and originals usually 2.5") is by Black Lily Pie's Tara Forin in Canada. Framed ACEOs are wonderfully affordable and can give little nooks and crannies a big boost of style.


She found different pieces of art from 3 separate artists and made them one cohesive focal point for her wall. Lovely! The art is by Quite Contrary, Champignons, and Linda Boucher all artists in the UK. This is a great way to make a big statement with multiple pieces of art. Simply find that one common theme or element whether it be color, style, subject matter, or even using the same frames.

If you have handmade purchases artfully displayed or used in your home please share them with us. If you are on Flickr, join or add them to the Living Handmade group. If you are not on Flickr, email them to me directly at info@alamodestuff.com. I'd love to feature them and give you a little shout-out.

New blog feature: Living Handmade

I support handmade. I buy handmade. I live handmade as much as possible. I know many of you do too. As a seller of my own handmade products, I know how important it is to put my money where my mouth is. Luckily, today, it's easier than ever to buy great quality handmade items for everything we need. The handmade revolution has spilled out from the Internet into local boutiques and neighborhood fairs. Soaps, plants, food, clothes, furniture, linens...really anything you want, you can find.

I love looking around my home and seeing items that other people have made. So, I thought it would be great to do a new blog feature about how we incorporate handmade into our daily lives...how we use the items we purchase. Also, truth be told, I love to glimpse into other's homes and lives.

Today, we peer into Julie Beck's home in RI. Julie is JulieBCreative on Etsy. She is a talented painter and
fellow member of the Arts in RI team. Familiar with Julie's work, I'm not surprised that she uses very similar colors in her home as she does her paintings: rich browns, muted blues, and deep yellows.

Thanks, Julie for sharing your home with us.

1. bookshelves purchased at MOMA.
(Here is a post and tutorial on how to similar floating bookshelves yourselves. )
2. books purchased from Etsy
3. print purchased from Sickfeet on Etsy
4. a jelly jar filled with buttons purchased on Etsy

5. painting purchased from Karen Miller on Etsy
6. fake book purchased on Etsy

Hey, does that train on the upper right hand shelf look familiar?

salvaged wood clock by Karen Miller on Etsy

Join the Flickr group, Living Handmade, to share your pictures or simply stop by to look at others. Perhaps you home will be the next to be features.