Wedding Dress Sale!
Posted: May 13, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Bridal gown, etsy, lace dress, Lace Over Heels, sale, vintage clothes, vintage dresses, vintage wedding dresses, wedding, wedding dress sale, wedding dresses 9 Comments »
I graduated last weekend, which is somewhat incredible. Among other things, that means we’ll be moving soon. We’re still not sure where, but our lease ends mid-July, so we’ll have to figure something out, even if I don’t have a job by then. Since we might end up storing our things for a while, we’re trying to pare down our (okay, mostly my) collection of stuff. There are some things that take up a good bit of space and I really don’t want to store – particularly my vintage wedding dresses. As such, they are on sale for 40-50% off all month. The dress in the photo above is on sale for $93.00.
1940′s Long Sleeved Dress
This beauty that’s probably from the 1940′s is on sale for $180.00. I really hope that I can find a good home for this one. It’s so gorgeous and unique. It’s quite small though, with a 32.5″ bust. Hopefully someone petite will fall in love with it.
Short Lace Dress
Finally, this short, lace number is only $70 and could be worn well after your wedding.
If you or someone you know is getting married soon, take a look at these dresses. They’re a steal!
What’s Next?
Posted: May 1, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: arts, camera giveaway, etsy, graduation, Haus of Ariella, job search, photography, zebra, zoo 16 Comments »
It’s over. It’s really over. Law school, that is. I’m still a bit in shock right now – I mean I’ve been a student for most of my life. Even the couple of years between undergrad and law school were always just going to be a break in education. But now it’s really over. Not that I wouldn’t like to go back for a couple more degrees, but we’d eventually like to have kids, buy a house, etc. so I don’t think that racking up even more student loans would be the best plan.
Right now, I’m starting to study for the bar which is July 30th and 31st. I’m also still trying to find a job. Of course, I’ve been thinking a lot about teaching again (I taught English in Korea if you didn’t know). I really loved teaching and I could possibly start teaching through the lateral entry program, which would give me some time where I’d be working while getting my license.
We have to move on July 14th, but since I don’t have a job yet, we have no idea where we’ll be going. It’s kind of a stressful time for both of us right now because of all the uncertainty. We can’t really go month-to-month at our current place because they want to raise the rent to $1,1000 a month if we do that. However, the big question is where to move when we could get, as John says, stationed anywhere in NC or even VA based on the jobs I’m applying for.
In the meantime, I’m going to keep my Etsy shop open until July, but stop production on the more time intensive items like cake toppers so I can focus more on studying and hunting for a job. I’m going to keep up most of my items, particularly my photography prints. However, since the bar is at the end of July and we’ll be moving that month too, I think I’m going to have to put my shop in vacation mode then. I very much want to reopen my shop after the bar, but, depending on my job (hopefully I’ll have one by then), I might have to scale it back somewhat. In any event, I want to continue creating, but I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to devote to it. Like everything in my life, that seems very much up in the air at the moment.
However, right now I’m going to just keep going. This weekend, John and I are planning on going to see his family in SC since we won’t get to see his mom on Mother’s day. Next weekend, my family will be in town for graduation, which will be nice. There are a lot of positive things in our life, we just need to relax and figure out our backup plan if I don’t get a job soon.
In the meantime, we’ll just continue to enjoy each other’s company and have adventures together like taking trips to the zoo and historical sites.
Zebras always make me feel better, especially when we get to see them in person!
On a side note, there’s a really awesome camera giveaway going on that you can enter here. They’re giving away your choice of a Nikon D800 or Canon 5D Mark III (awesome cameras). Big thanks to the SnapKnot wedding photography directory for offering this great camera giveaway!
Historic Stagville is historic…and has chickens!
Steak Pesto Pasta
Posted: April 10, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cooking, pasta, pesto, recipe, steak pesto pasta 9 Comments »Wow, it’s hard to believe it’s been almost a month since my last post. The semester is coming to a close, and I’m still searching for a job after graduation. Thankfully, John got a job at Lowe’s. Granted, it’s a part-time seasonal position, but we’re hoping it will lead to something more permanent.
I decided today would be a good day to share one of our culinary adventures with you. It’s a recipe for Steak Pesto Pasta. It’s a quick and simple recipe that tastes great.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb lean steak
- 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 1/4 cup pesto sauce – store bought or from this recipe
- 1 tbsp olive oil
First of all, you’ll want to slice your steak into nice thin strips. You can often get steak for stir frying from your grocery store that requires very little extra cutting.
Begin cooking your pasta according to package directions.
Heat your pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute until the mushrooms are tender and a light brown color. You can increase the amount of garlic or omit it altogether depending on how garlicky you like your pasta and what kind of sauce you’re using – remember the pesto already has garlic in it.
Remove the garlic and mushrooms and set aside.
Place pan back on heat and add steak. Cook until they are cooked through, but beware of overcooking. The strips are thin and don’t take very long.
Turn off the burner. Add the garlic and mushrooms back to the pan to allow them to reheat with the residual heat.
Drain pasta and place back in pot.
Add the contents of the pan to the pasta. Add pesto sauce and toss.
It’s that easy! Top with a bit of Parmesan and some cracked black pepper and enjoy!
Art Clay is Awesome!
Posted: March 13, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized 8 Comments »
I recently bought some art clay, which is a precious metal clay like PMC. For those of you who aren’t familiar with metal clays, they are clays that contain metals and fire into actual metal pieces because the binders burn off during firing. I got some Art Clay Silver Low Fire, which you can fire with a butane torch. It becomes 99.9% pure silver. Above is the first piece I made with it – a leaf pendant!
I’m kind of stupidly proud of my creation, despite it’s flaws. Since this was my first piece, I wasn’t sure how many details would show once it was fired. It turns out that ALL of them show, which means I should have spent more time finishing it, because there are some definite flaws. However, since it’s my first piece and it has some flaws, I decided to keep it for myself.
It was supposed to be part of a pair of earrings, but I discovered that Art Clay is somewhat brittle and easy to break once it’s dry, but before firing. One of the set broke in the middle while I was trying to sand it prior to firing, so I now have a necklace.
Now that I know how pieces look when fired, I can’t wait to start on my next one! I think it’s going to be something for this challenge from the best Etsy team ever, The Promotional Frenzy Team. I’m thinking a geometric design, perhaps Triforce-esque. I really encourage any artists, photographers, or crafters out there to enter! If you’re on Etsy, you should join the team too – it’s awesome!
What do you think of my first piece? Have you discovered any cool new mediums or techniques recently?
Happy Etsy-Versary, Haus of Ariella!
Posted: March 6, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 5x7 prints, art, coupon code, etsy, etsy-versary, metallic photo paper, mother's day gifts, photography, sale, shopping 11 Comments »
Get 20% off on all orders over $15!
Wow, it’s already been a year since I first opened my Etsy shop. To celebrate the one year Etsy-versary of Haus of Ariella, I’ve decided to have a sale! For the month of March, get 20% off of any order of $15 or more (not including shipping) with the coupon code ONEYEAR. This is the perfect time to make some additions to your home’s decor, buy a new pair of spring earrings, or get your Mother’s Day shopping done early.
This year has been a whirlwind adventure is so many ways! I opened my shop with one item – these guitar pick cufflinks. Of course, the photos weren’t nearly as good then. I also had no idea how to tag or title anything.
I’ve learned so much since then. I now have 152 items for sale and I’ve had 574 sales. I have so many more projects in the works, if I can just find time to do them. I recently got some metal clay, so I hope to start experimenting with that soon. My shop is going to undergo some major changes this year as well. I will be taking the bar in July, so I’ll spend a lot of time studying for it this summer. I will also (hopefully) be starting a new job as an attorney after the bar, which will require some changes to my shop. I love having my shop, though, so I’m certain I’ll find a way to fit both work and Etsy into my life.
In other exciting shop news, I now offer metallic photo paper for all of my prints! If you’ve never seen metallic photo paper, it’s gorgeous and really makes photos pop. The metallic paper gives an iridescent, almost 3D quality to images. I also now offer metallic 5×7 prints. Any photography or art print in my shop can be made into a 5×7, though cropping will differ slightly from the 8×10 version.
What do you currently like about my shop? What should I work on improving? Do you have any ideas for new products for me to try?
Symbolic Imports: Bath & Body Goodies from Heaven
Posted: February 5, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: allergies, artificial scents, asthma, bath, baths, beauty, body, coffee soap, lip balms, perfume, soap, sugar scrub, symbolic imports 13 Comments »
Need a caffeine fix? Try some coffee soap!
As some of you may know, I’m a huge fan of baths. Nothing is more relaxing to me than immersing myself in a tub of scalding water with a good book and a glass of wine (or hot tea if I’m being good). So it should be no surprise that I also love luxurious bath and body products. The problem – I’m allergic to many artificial scents. My asthma and allergies have gotten much worse recently, so I’ve had to be particularly careful about what products I use. Thankfully, Etsy has a lot of sellers who use mostly natural ingredients that don’t aggravate my allergies.
My favorite place to get bath and body products is Symbolic Imports. The shop owner, Angel, makes wonderful goodies that look, smell, and fell amazing!
Lip balms to die for!
My first purchase from Symbolic Imports was one of her lip balms. I’m a lip balm junkie (my husband accuses me of always having lip schmutz on), so I couldn’t resist trying her Pumpkin Cheesecake one. Yes, I said PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE. Not only was it delicious, it moisturized my lips incredibly well! I was so happy with it that after it tragically got lost somewhere in the UK, I went back and bought Coconut, Buttercreme, Chocolate Mint, Chai Tea, and Margarita. All of the flavors are brilliant! If you use lip balm, definitely try one (or five) of these! Angel also makes lip tints that are just as yummy and moisturizing as her lip balms, but have just a hint of color. I have this one and I keep it in my purse at all times now.
Is Zenamint destined to be my next soap?
Symbolic Imports also makes awesome soaps! My first one was the Coffee Lover’s Soap pictured at the top of the post. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I love the smell and I thought it would be good for my notoriously dry winter skin. I was very right to get it! First of all, the soap makes your shower smell like your neighborhood coffee house. It’s rich and wonderful in the shower, but doesn’t make you smell like you spilled coffee on yourself that morning once you’re out. It’s made with actual coffee grounds in the soap, which also makes it very exfoliating, which is a super plus for me. To make it even better, coffee is great at absorbing odors, so it’s the ultimate post-workout de-funking soap!
Sugar Scrub Cubes are AWESOME!
One of my other favorite products from Symbolic Imports are the sugar scrub cubes. Everyone knows the traditional sugar scrubs that come in a jar of sugar and oils. They’re awesome for exfoliating, but to me they’re very much like natural peanut butter – they require constant stirring to keep the equilibrium and are ultimately more trouble that they’re worth. The brilliant thing about these cubes is that they’re pretty much single servings, which is both convenient and prevents waste. The have just the right balance of sugar to oils in each one, so you always get the optimal exfoliation plus moisturization. Plus, they come in just about any scent you might want! My favorite scent so far is the fireside, which really does bring to mind roaring fires and cozy times.
These roll-on perfumes are great!Ho
My most recent purchase was probably the most surprising. I have avoided perfumes for years because I tend to 1) break out in hives, 2) have an asthma attack, or 3) both. However, since I was already familiar with the scents that Angel uses in her products I felt confident enough to try one of her roll-on perfumes. The scent I decided to get was Japanese Cherry Blossom. It’s a gorgeous floral scent with a hint of vanilla that’s not overwhelming. I was a bit nervous when I first applied it just because I’ve had some bad experiences with perfumes. However, I didn’t break out or have an asthma attack. I just had a lovely scent on me, which was exactly what I wanted. I’m definitely going to pick up some more scents in the future!
Symbolic Imports has many other offerings, but I just wanted to share a few of my favorites with you. However, I really encourage you to check out her shop and try a few for yourself!
Also, don’t forget to enter to win a pair of my rose earrings! The giveaway ends at midnight on February 8th, so enter today!
Etsy Giveaway!
Posted: January 20, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: earrings, etsy, etsy giveaway, giveaway, handmade, international shipping costs, rose earrings, valentine s day, valentines day 18 Comments »Things have been a bit crazy with the start of the new (and my last!) semester, so I haven’t been very good about blog posts recently. However, I have been adding a number of new items to my Etsy shop, so check them out. One of the new items is this pair of red rose photo earrings.
Win these Rose Earrings from HausofAriella.etsy.com!
Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I thought I’d celebrate with a giveaway! If you’re the lucky winner, you can give them as a Valentine’s gift or keep them for yourself! Since you can’t embed Rafflecopter in WordPress.com blogs, this giveaway is located on my Facebook page, so enter to win here.
Unfortunately, because of the ridiculous increase in international shipping costs starting January 27th, the giveaway is only open to people in the US and Canada. Good luck!
