Tuesday Treasury: Summer Heat with Holie B

Summer is fast approaching, (yesterday was 80 degrees in Downey CA) and our air conditioning doesn't work. 


So typical. 


What I hate most about being a working gal is summer. It should really be against the law to work on nice warm days. Personally, I think we should work on days that are gloomy or rainy even if that means working on a weekend. Let me out into the sun and enjoy the rays! 


Today I'll day dream about laying on the beach, soaking up the sun. It's usually my luck that the nice weather doesn't last until the weekend, but let's hope it does! 


With my daydreaming plans in mind, I'd like to share with you Tuesday's Treasury.  My treasury this week is inspired by Holie B a swimsuit designer from Mexico. I first discovered Holie B while day dreaming about the golden tan I could have if a paycheck didn't motivate me to stay in doors. Her style is fantastic and her story is inspiring. 


Meet Holie B! 

Where are you from, what do you do, what makes you unique?

I’m a Mexican fashion designer. born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. I love to surf and skate on my long board. I design cool swimwear for women. One and a half years ago, I moved to Shanghai to do a masters in Fashion Business and decided to stay here to open and analyze a new market. I define myself as a very positive happy and active person. I love to learn new stuff and meet new people. Of course one of my other passions is to travel and get inspired by different cultures, flora and fauna.

When did you first discover etsy? 

The first time I heard from esty was because a friend told me some other designers have been selling through this site and they where selling all around the world. That same day, I came home and looked for the page. I loved it. So I decided to tray it and started uploading the pictures and in the first week, I sold a bikini in Paris.

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

I love to surf, but in Shanghai is a bit hard to do that often. So, I ride my long board and dance. I also like to walk around the city, visit new places and meet with cool people.

 Is Etsy your full time or part time business? 

Etsy is a platform for my sales, but Holie B is my full time job. We are a team of almost 5 people already and we want to make the brand grow and start producing more to be able to sell to boutiques and bigger stores.

What other avenues, if any do you share your work with the world? 

We are starting a shop in ASOS on may 11^th. We also have our own website.

Facebook: facebook.com/HolieB

Facebook.com/HolieBswimwear

Twitter: @HolieB

Web: holieb.com

What steps do you take in your creative process?

I pick a topic based on tinks I´ve been amazed of, do a deeper research on it and start to draw my designs then, I create the patterns. Source fabric, make the sample and fit it. Then, put it on etsy and sell it.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why? 

It´s a very simple and elegant and has a very nice fit.

 

Where does your inspiration come from?

Everywhere! From everyday life. Is just a matter to keep your eyes open to the nice things that life puts in front of you.

What is your favorite part of being a part of the Etsy community?

I like the kind of costumers Etsy targets. I really like that the etsy community supports independent designers and are always looking for original and unconventional stuff. 

Who or what has been most influential in being where you are today?

All the people that surrounds me. Starting from my family, parents and siblings. My husband and friends, everybody puts a stone for the wall I´m bulding that is myself and my brand.

When did you know you were an artist/maker?

Since I was a little child I always went with my mom to buy fabric for her and always chose something for me. Since then I started designing  my own clothes. She knows how to sew and she made a lot of clothes for myself. Then Iearned to saw too and decided to study fashion.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

I think that whatever I do, I never get out of it. I just change the way. But even when I´m surfing or long boarding, I´m designing in my head all the time.

Where would you like to be in ten years?

Everywhere! I would love to sell in the most hidden corners of the world! 

If you could share one tip with a new Etsy seller, what is the most important thing to learn and why?

The tip that I always give is to be yourself. People and specially people on Etsy is looking for authentic stuff. Don’t feel any pressure from other brands. Trust in you and your taste. Be in constant communication with your costumers and offer a good service and quality.

Favorite recipe.

My favorite recipe is chilaquiles.

Special Offer! 

Holie B will give a special present (which includes a special bag to store the swimsuit and cool stickers) to the first 5 people that buy an item on Holie B etsy page. You just need to put in the comments that you found Holie B on Window by the Sea!

And don't forget to check out Tuesday's Treasury featuring Holie B! 

Excuse me, do you live here?!?

I am going against the grain again this Monday, (last week I was a flake, this week I'm being selfish) and talk about myself and the weekend I have had. Sorry Monday Meets, but you'll have to wait until you hear THIS! 


It's old news that I don't particularly love Southern California. True, I love living by the beach and I love being with my family (can't complain about that!) BUT I have never been a huge fan of the traffic, the rushed life style, or the people.... (sorry!) 


Of course, lots of people in Southern California are nice! I would know, I do have friends! (I think?) But Southern Californians are no where near as friendly as our Northern neighbors. Why? Probably because deep down, no one enjoys sharing their small space with one another. I know I don't. 


My point is, (if I ever had a point) that people can be downright mean. I am serious, how hard is to to flash a smile at the people passing by? Be friendly people! 


Yesterday, Ron and I had a little photo shoot for the window frame chalk boards that I am selling in Hapa Collective (my first retail location, so exciting!). We have been playing around with photos, I haven't been in love with any of our product photography. 


We went from this: 

To this: 

To this: 

Of the three, I like the first and last the most. The chalk board hanging by a rope from the tree, is my favorite because I just love that tree. As far as product photography goes, the third photo (with the hands) highlights our chalkboards the most. But do you know how hard it is to lift a 30 lbs object over your head as someone slowly takes photos of it?!?! 


a little to the left... no, more to the right. COME ON ALREADY!! 


Needless to say, Ron and I wanted to come up with something that was easy to photograph and highlighted the product I am selling. 


2 blocks from our little condo is another condo complex. The city of Huntington Beach built a new fence a few months ago separating the condo complex from the side walk. I would assume that this is city property and not the condo complexes' property, but I could be wrong. (I have never been much for following rules)


Anyways, Ron and I are minding our own business, taking photos using the fence as our back drop when a lady in a pick up truck pulls up next to us. 


"Excuse me, do you live here?" That is a simple enough question, I can answer that honestly, right? 


"No, I don't. We just live down the street." Nice enough answer. At this point, I am thinking this lady is going to ask me what I am up to. Maybe she likes my chalkboards? I mean, it isn't every day you see people with a half dozen chalk boards filling the side walk. 


"You can't park here." gee, thanks lady.... 


"Oh, we will only be here a few moments" I say in my sweetest most innocent voice possible. 


"If you don't live here, I'll call and get you towed. I don't think you should even be leaning those things up against our fence." Really lady, really?!?! Like I am harming someone?


"Okay, I'm sorry, I'll move" I say, even sweeter but slightly shocked this time. 


"Right now, I'll wait for you" she glares at me. 


You have got to be kidding me! What a B*tch! I mean really, we were there for a total of 5 minutes!?!? I couldn't even believe what had just happened! 


For fear that she was serious, and she was going to call the police, I did what any coward would do, I did what I was told and left. Why? Because my bark is meaner than my bite. Sometimes I really do hate this place! 


Good news is, we got a lot of great photos in before nasty B*tch made us leave. 


Bad news, I just added another point on my cons list of living down here. 


I hope that lady feels really good about herself. She can take her crappy old parking spot and city owned fence! I hope I never see her again! 


On that note, Happy Monday everyone! :) 

Fabulous Friday with Timeless Avenue

Have you ever heard the term "steam punk"? Well, I have to admit that I have not. When I googled it, I was embarrassed to see how out of it I can be. I liked history in high school and college, I read.... how did I miss this? 


For those of you who are just as lost as me (it's okay, you don't have to admit it) I found an entire website devoted to the culture, sounds, and literary aspects of this 19th century coined phrase. 


"It's sort of Victorian- industrial, but with more whimsy and fewer orphans." 

- Caitlin Kittredge 

So here we are, all amazed together that I can be so unaware some times. (keep your joking to a minimum) Geraldine, my new etsy friend is the one who introduced me to this piece of knowledge. And I am glad she did as I just love her work! 

Meet Geraldine from Timeless Avenue! (Who happens to be my first etsy friend from Ireland!) 

Don't forget to check out Geraldine's giveaway on our giveaway page! Winner will be announced Friday 5/11/12. Good luck! 

What makes you unique?

I am from Dublin in little old Ireland. I make steampunk and vintage inspired jewelry. Its difficult to say what makes me unique, because there are a lot of steampunk shops out there. But I make jewelry with myself in mind, so it really feels like a piece of me is in every creation I make. I wont make anything that I wouldn't wear myself, so the unique thing about my shop is that it really is my style. My heart and soul goes into my jewelry, so I'm always excited, albeit a little bit sad, when my pieces sell. Its really exciting to know that my jewelry is being worn by people on the other side of the Atlantic!

When did you first discover etsy? 

I first used Etsy to buy a Flax bow for my husbands birthday in January this year. It is proudly hanging in the doorway to our kitchen. I began this journey on Etsy with the idea of making Alice in Wonderland inspired jewelry... but I couldn't stop making new and different creations once I started! And here I am, hoping to reach 100 items in my store in the next two weeks! I never thought my jewelry would be so popular and loved. But I'm thrilled, knowing there are so many people out there wearing my work, it makes me so proud and happy! I only launched my shop in March this year, so I'm an Etsy baby really, but I'm so glad I decided to open my shop and sell to the world!

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

My day job is as a medical librarian in a busy Dublin maternity hospital. I absolutely love my job and am very thankful that I do something that I am really interested in. Along with the usual aspects of librarianship like research, enquiries and supporting staff and students, I am also the graphic designer for two newsletters in the hospital, and that's where my creative side really gets to shine!

 Is Etsy your full time or part time business?

Its neither full time nor part time. My shop is really a hobby and I really need to keep reminding myself that! It has completely taken over my life, but I'm thoroughly enjoying every step. Even the marketing! I love my facebook fans, and hope they find my fan page interesting, and sometimes funny : ) I work regular hours and then come home to my "studio" which is a small green table from Ikea that is now destroyed with lumps and chunks taken out of it from my unorthodox methods of creating. I'm self taught so maybe someone can give me lessons on how not to destroy my surroundings lol! 

What other avenues, if any do you share your work with the world?

A few of my pieces are stocked in a local shop in Dublin called the Jam Art Factory, and I've recently started selling on an Irish website called adverts.ie but I must admit Etsy is the best way to sell my work and through my facebook page. I love the personal interaction with my customers. I also support the Friends of the Rotunda Hospital with their pop up shop fundraiser's.

What is your favorite item in your shop and why? 

I have so many favourite pieces! And I change my mind week after week after week. But I love working with the vintage pictures and using them in the steampunk bracelets. The hidden ballerinas are definitely very popular and I just love working with them. Anything with an historic flare, that makes you think "where did this come from" or "what was she thinking when the photo was taken" is amazing. If I'm wearing or making a piece of jewelry that gets me thinking and talking then I'm excited. 


Who or what has been most influential in being where you are today?

My husband is such a massive support, and he has a great eye for what does and doesn't work, so I cant take all the credit! No matter what I'm doing, whether its creative writing, or making jewelry he's there supporting me and encouraging me to keep going. So definitely he influences me the most... although he may not actually know it! I must tell him!

Who is your most influential Etsyian?

My shop is only open since March this year so I'm only getting to know my fellow EtsiansEtsy definitely has a smaller and more community like feel to it than you would imagine. 

When did you know you were an artist/maker?

I've always been creative and it has manifested itself in so many ways over the years, through my creative writing, my graphic design, and now my jewelry. I've always known I was creative and there is a certain buzz I get when I make something I'm especially proud of.

How do you get out of your creative ruts?

So far I haven't found myself in a creative rut with my jewelry! But I'm only doing this a short time, so its bound to happen sooner or later! Although I'm no stranger to mental block when you're trying to create something that you just want to be incredible. I've had writers block so many times, that eventually it just hurts! The easiest and simplest way to get out of this I find, is to do something a little bit out of your comfort zone. If I'm stuck writing a short story or a piece of prose, I like to go off on a tangent and forget about what I was trying to write. I then find that any writers block washes away. With my jewelry and especially when I'm tired or my hands are sore from wire work or I've glued my hands together one too many times, I tend to tidy up my work station and reorganise my supplies. Once everything is neat and clean, I instantly start making something and messing everything up again. So hopefully that will be a good way to get out of a creative rut whenever it happens


Where would you like to be in ten years?

With better hands! Making jewelry has definitely taken its toll on my hands, but I'm not complaining, its part of who I am now. I just hope that in ten years time I'm still nourishing my hobbies and creative mind but perhaps with a little more skill!

 If you could share one tip with a new Etsy seller, what is the most important thing to learn and why?

Promote, promote, promote! Marketing is definitely key. If no one knows you are there, you'll be looking at a flat line stats bar for a long time. I immediately set up my facebook page, slowly gathered my pinterest account, and joined lots of teams so people knew I was out there. Business cards, fliers, coupon codes, its all part of getting your name out there.


Where else can we find you? 

etsy: www.TimelessAvenue.etsy.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/TimelessAvenue
pinterest: pinterest.com/timelessavenue

Favorite Recipe? 

My favorite recipe is Chocolate Banana Bread. Its a tradition in our house to make at least four loafs of banana bread every Christmas, and my husband is always asking me to make some more. Its simply beautiful, tastes great and the best thing, is that it is so quick and easy to make! My problem is that every time I make it I change the ingredients ever so slightly, and believe it or not my husband knows! He always knows when I've done something different. This epicurious recipe is one I've been sticking to for a while, and it passes his taste test.

Chocolate Banana Bread with Walnuts

A Sip through the Wine Country

Last Friday, I disembarked on what I would find to be the best weekend of food, wine and friends, that I have had in a long time. 

Leaving Los Angeles is never easy. As Ron and I both scrambled on Friday to pull away from our hectic work schedules, we both knew we needed some unwinding. Driving through wonderful LA traffic is never a great way to start a journey. But we are sure glad we did it! 

Ross, a very good friend of mine from college, has done the "Passport weekend" through Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma CA for years. I have seen many photos and have forever been jealous. This year, I wasn't going to allow the 450+ miles get in the way of a good time. Ron and I immediately said yes to the invitation and quickly packed our bags to head north. 

When you think of wine tasting, how many wines (or maybe I should say wineries) would you think you'd taste or go to? I assumed we would visit 2 maybe 3 wineries. WOW was I wrong! 

We went to 14 different wineries, sampling an uncountable amount of wine and food pairings! The experience was amazing (from what I can remember) 

Amphora Winery 

Armida Winery 

Bella Vineyards & Wine Caves 

Collier Falls Vineyard at Family Wineries Dry Creek Valley 

Kachina Vineyards 

Kokomo Winery 

Lambert Bridge 

Mounts Family Winery 

Papapietro Perry Winery 

Peterson Winery 

Rued Winery 

Talty Winery 

Zichichi Family Vineyards 


These wineries are not in the order we attended. (Mainly because I can't remember the order in which we visited all of these!) But I do have a few that were my favorites! 


What I love about Northern California as appose to Southern California, everyone is much more friendly. I can't pin point what it is, but it is so easy to generalize that up North, neighbors actually like one another and people really do pass each other on the street and say 'good morning'. 

At Kachina Vineyards, we were greeted by just that, friendly wine connoisseurs who were eager to share their best wines with us. The wine maker is Canadian so it was only fitting to have a Canadian inspired theme for the occasion. They had an amazing elk slider that still makes my mouth salivate when thinking about it. What I really enjoyed there (their wines were not nearly are memorable as their food) was the cucumber with fresh Alaskan Smoked Salmon. Normally I am not a fan of Salmon, but this little appetizer forced my taste buds to do a total 180. 

Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves was a magical experience. The vineyard has man made caves throughout the side of a mountain on the vineyard. I suppose the owners chose to make this location for storing wines in a cool dry place. But for Passport, they transformed their estate into a world of wonderland. As we walked up the long drive towards the tasting room, we were met by a man on a unicycle dangerously resembling the mad hatter. It only took seconds to realize, we were the ones to be chasing the white rabbit down the rabbit hole. 




Photo on the right shows the Tea Party of Alice and Wonderland. I think Alice had too much to drink by the time we arrived for tea, as she was nowhere to be found! 

Bella Wine Caves 


















Papapietro Perry Winery had by far my favorite wines. Their Pinot Nior was by far the best wine I've had, and I had many that day!  Each bottle ranged from  $40-60 in price. Needless to say, I enjoyed every sip as I dreamed of one day being able to open a $40 bottle of wine with an every day meal. (I still find anything over the $8 range is too pricey if I am not enjoying among friends.) Obviously I have a long way to go in my career before I can return to Papapietro Perry Winery and really enjoy. I found it entertaining that the winery with (in my opinion) the most prestigous wines was also the winery with the least classy theme. Mardi gras beads were given to every passport holder as we entered the tasting room. I have to admit, I almost asked the girl at the front desk if there was nudity required to receive these beads. I am really grateful that I had some sense to sensor my humor at that point. 

Photo of Ron and I outside of  Papapietro Perry Winery's tasting room. 

Although the order of which we visited these wineries is a blur, I can say that we visited Mounts Family Winery towards the end. I know this because looking at the photos, I am clearly sober. Mounts featured a classic car show theme which was very popular among our group. 

Yep, at that point in the day, I thought I was a super star. 

My favorite part about this winery (at the time) was the swag we received. I was decorated with a temporary Mounts tattoo (which took a really long time to scrub off in the shower!) as well as a pink cow girl hat. I quickly re gifted this hat to my neighbors 4-year-old. She was just as excited as I was when I received it. Yehay! 

Notice blue teeth? Yep, that kid was stoked! lol 

How about a real photo of the beauty that Mounts had to offer 

I love that this lady was just as excited as I was! 

Kokomo Winery was memorable mainly because they had a photo booth where we took some fantastic photos. 

What I liked about Kokomo was their small focused approach on their wines. They pride themselves on small production techniques and strong relationships with local growers. Their wines all had a very strong fruit presence, which I liked a ton! I guess this is why we bought a bottle or two! 

Armida Winery was our last stop. Every year, passport travelers such as ourselves end their day with a tasting from Armida and enjoy a bottle of wine on the lawn overlooking a beautiful little pond.

 Armida's popular theme was not missed as angels and devils alike served wine on the terrace. Their popular concoction? A beautifully crafted bottle of poison! 

Photo taken from Armida's website. 

I could go on for days about the great wine, the great food (blue berry pie pops, OMG!) and the fun we had with friends. But, I'll let you see for yourself. 

Check our Passport to Dry Creek Valley next year, April 27&28 2013. We did the one day pass, but after that amazing day, I think a two day passport is in order! 

Welcome Wednesday: Farrell Woods

There are few things that really bother me. My biggest pet peeves are easily 1. not having a parking spot/ taking "my" parking spot and 2. Not having a pen. 


I realize these are strange pet peeves but when you grow up near the beach, parking is limited during the summer months, and patients can only go so far. Now I live in a condo complex where parking is terrible. And whats worse, my horribly mean neighbor (who I swear looks for ways to torture me) now constantly parks in my self proclaimed parking spot when she has an empty garage that her mini cooper easily fits in. The nerve right!?!


At work, I am constantly buying new pens! Being the first desk to greet people, customers, vendors and even the USPS man steal my pens constantly. Come on people, just leave it on my desk! 


When I met Jason and saw his amazing work, it was clear to me that you can kill for a pen. (yes,  I am being slightly dramatic but hey, check out his work and you will see what I mean!) 

Meet Jason from Farrell Woods 

Tell us a bit about yourself

 
Hello ;) I’m Jason and my little pen box is named Farrell Woods (Farrell is my first name.) My wife and I live in a super small town in Indiana with our 2 children, 4 dogs, 3 cats and 5 fish tanks. I began crafting pens with the help from my uncle while visiting family in Tennessee...it only took one pen and I was hooked! For me it’s not just turning a pen on a lathe or posting a picture on the internet, it’s the art and the process of creating something usable as well as beautiful that inspires me. I never know how a piece is going to turn out, I let the material guide me on how it wants to be displayed. In the warmer weather we do craft shows and it’s so much fun interacting with people especially the children who will set and watch me craft pens for hours if their parents would let them...lol


What made you decide to start a shop? 

We stumbled upon Etsy a few years ago and made a few listings, not really getting too involved or even trying to make an effort...we just kind of let it sit there. One day we were talking and knew we couldn’t compete in the big world of Google or have the skills to create a massive ecommerce site on our own, we jumped full speed ahead into Etsy...it was the best decision we could have made for our floundering internet venture. 

Is Etsy your full time or part time business?

 My little Etsy shop is kind of both…We are crafting and listing new items almost daily. Our Etsy customers and friends have become like family, we couldn’t stand to be away for long. We would defiantly love to build our shop to complete full time status, we’re getting there by cultivating great relationships and the craftsmanship of the work we provide!

What other avenues, if any do you share your work with the world? 


 It’s Spring at that mean a busy craft fair season till the Fall. It’s amazing being out in front of our customers crafting their custom item right in front of their eyes! Again, we have built such great relationships with our customers, most are rabid fans ;)


What is your favorite item in your shop and why? 

That's a tough question, I fall in love with every one of them. I do have two that I'm partial to. 


My wife and I work with a lot of brides and crafting a pen for their special day is an honor, I feel bless that they chose me and my little shop to be a small piece of their history!

And my other favorite is the Bethlehem Olivewood Cross Inlay. I have crafted this pen for missionary's all over the world. I love crafting a pen with such meaning!


What is your favorite part of being a part of the Etsy community? 

The community has been so helpful and supportive! When I can’t figure something out I send a convo to someone in my circle or team and they are right there with an answer, no judgments or putdowns for not knowing something, just support…I love it! I do the very same when someone reaches out to me ;)

Who or what has been most influential in being where you are today? 


Our little shop is a family affair, my wife and I work so well and complement each other so great! We wouldn’t be this far without the love and work we both put into the business! 

If you could share one tip with a new Etsy seller, what is the most important thing to learn and why? 


Get involved! Just like a brick and mortar store you can’t hang out a shingle and expect the crowds to pour in. The more you get your shop out there and not be afraid to jump in to message threads or Etsy team get –togethers the more visible your shop will be and ultimately the more sales your generate.



Where else can we find you?

www.facebook.com/farrellwoods
www.fwpens.com/apps/documents to download my catalog

We are offering a %10 percent special thru our Facebook My Etsy Shop app. The app offers a special code for customers ;)

Please include your favorite recipe. 


I’m a man and love my meat! For the most tender fall of the bone pulled pork you’ll ever want to eat, a crock-pot is all you need! I prefer babybacks but, choose what’s best for your taste and budget. 

Add your ribs to the crock-pot and fill with water only, just covering the top of the ribs. Cook on low for 8 hours…don’t mess with’em let them be. After the time’s up, pull your meat and toss with your favorite BBQ sauce, I love Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ myself but, any will work.

We eat our pulled pork on buns or my wife and I will stand over the crock-pot feeding trough with our forks ;)