Small Business Saturday & A Special Offer

So if you haven't heard, this Saturday is SMALL BUSINESS SATURADY! It's a day to encourage people to support their community's small businesses by pledging to shop small on this day, a day that could have a potentially huge impact for businesses, especially during this holiday season, and as a small business, I'm excited for this day. I hope that it will encourage this new sort of mindset among people to shop locally, which is more responsibly than shopping at big box stores like Target and Wal Mart for generic holiday gifts or just general needs. So much of what you need in your life can be provided by a small business. We just need a climate that would better encourage and sustain the sprouting of small businesses.

I belong to a group called Etsy CREST, which stands for the Capital Region Etsy Street Team, based in DC. We come together to give each other advice, trade supplies, put on craft shows and most of all, bond with our fellow local crafting community! There are over 300 members of this group on Etsy, but a few of us from the group have banded together to give a special offer with all of our shops...

From now until Monday, November 28th, enjoy 15% off your purchase from each of the lovely shops below with code HOLIDAYCREST. Courtesy of your Capital Region Etsy Street Team. ;) Just click to get to each shop and apply the code at check out.

Enjoy spreading the joy of the handmade this holiday season! -Amina

Beneath a ginkgo tree...

lies millions of ginkgo leaves! I'm getting married under a ginkgo tree. Officially decided. :)

Photos from my walk home. -Amina

A Project Runway Challenge

On my other blog, Of Cats and Crafts, I challenged myself to design for each challenge of Project Runway this season. Each challenge has a theme so I came up with a look for each. The season has ended now though and I've finally finished the challenge. Check out my designs for the season and tell me what you think! Links to the full posts are below the images.

A look for Nina Garcia

Three looks to go with Heidi's New Balances

An avante gard look based off of a piece of artwork

The mini-collection textile challenge

A look for a women with her man's direction - I designed something Brad would like

A look for a band member - The Sheep Dogs lead singer

70s inspired

A look based on a bird - looks like Thelma from Scooby Doo!

The last look - a dress for me to wear on Thanksgiving

See the entire Project Runway Challenge series here and check back to see the last look all finished!

What ever happened to e-cards???

Anthropologie has the cutest e-card line right now all based off of their tree ornaments for the season. Goddd, do you remember e-cards?!??!?!? I had a Sanriotown email account wayyy back in the day where I spent 90% of my time sending out e-cards to my sister and cousins. And yea, I was super cool. Basically the coolest. It's like the pre-game of the holiday season right now and I am getting wasted on holiday fun. ;) -Amina

happy happy joy joy.

The North Sea

by Richard Corey

I saw this picture via the A Merry Mishap blog today. Her husband snuck on and did a guest post to suprise her for her birthday. So cute! He included the link to this picture and I instantly fell in love with it. I love its attitude. Rough and wild but oddly calming. I can feel the wind and breeze when I look at this picture and listen to Corinne Bailey Rae's album The Sea - definitely my favorite album of all time. Maybe it's the colors that appeal to me so much or the nature of this wildness - out of control but always ordered. That's the way the planet is and seems to be much of the time - out of control and disorderly, but only to balance from the stress we put on it in terms of resources and pollution. The sea knows what it is doing but we may not always.

Meow

Source: love-maki.blogspot.com via Amina on Pinterest

I have two cats. They are adorrrrablee & I got to play with them this weekend. This picture makes me miss them.

November Calendar Inspiration

This photo: October Browns by Knitting Iris (here via Flickr, discovered on Creature Comforts)

Every month I put together a little calendar to go in my planner. Lately I've been into graphic designs and I fell in love with the circles and colors of this picture. I love the texture of wood. I always try and trick my boyfriend Brad into grabbing big tree trunks off the side of the road so I can make things with them. :) I have a great stump my mom got for me that I use to decorate with at craft shows and I dream of making coffee tables and end tables and lamps with other stumps.

Making these calendars have been a really great exercise in breaking down images and the world in general. It comes down to looking at shape and color at a very basic level. Here are the designs I've done so far. Start keeping your eyes pealed for more with my 2012 calendars, coming very soon!!!

Check out the printable DIY for these calendars that you can find >>here. 

Enjoy! & let me know how it works for you! ;) -Amina

My Planner

This is my super awesome suede covered planner. All DIY from the planner, the book pages, the calendar and the cover. :) One of my favorite things.

I've been really into graphic designs and the November calendar is inspired by a picture of a pile of wood. Check for a calendar DIY post soon. :) -Amina