Here where I live, it's really hot right now. This week is supposed to bring record temperatures and everywhere you go people are sweltering from the heat.
In this part of the country, air conditioning is pretty rare, too.
We just don't really have this kind of weather very often and so having AC in your home isn't all that justified since it only gets used a week or two out of the entire year.
So, what I've noticed this week (and every summer around this time of year) is a lot of sweaty, stinky people. (I have a super sensitive nose.)
That makes this the perfect time to introduce a soap store!
During the heat, I usually take a couple of showers a day. I like smelling good and I love all-natural soap and bath products. Bale & Twine is a website where you can find just that!
Bale & Twine offers a variety of products from their "Baregoods" handcrafted jewelry to soy candles, painted silks by Maggie Holmes and more. But, what I'm particularly drawn to on this site is their "Baresuds" handmade and hand-cut soaps made with simple, pure ingredients.
These soaps come in a variety of scents and ingredients. There are citrus soaps and goat milk soaps, floral soaps and soothing soaps and more! They also offer bath fizzies, body lotions and lip balms!
The site's jewelry is also beautiful and the painted silks are breathtaking, so stop by and take a look around their site, click on links, explore and discover.
There's gifts for him, for her and much more!
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURES ABOVE TO VISIT THE BALE AND TWINE WEBSITE AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, YOU CAN CLICK RIGHT HERE!
If you like what you see in the Bale & Twine's website, you may also enjoy visiting the Bale & Twine blog or stopping by to say hi on Facebook or Twitter!
Today's feature shop is run by an artisan that I spent a great deal of 
time with online. We are both members of the Etsy Bloggers Team as well as mentoring members of the Boosting Etsy Shops Team on Etsy.
Both of these teams are geared towards helping promote others and helping other sellers "learn the ropes" of selling online. This is especially true for the Boosting Etsy Shops Team, where Karen works tirelessly to keep everything running smoothly both behind the scenes as well as up front and center for everyone involved.
Karen also runs her own shop on Etsy as well. MysticWynd on Etsy is filled with beautiful jewelry not to mention really impressive displays -of- that jewelry through her product photos as well. In fact, over the upcoming spring season, I hope to take a few lessons from her creatively inspired displays and try to incorporate them into my own picture taking endeavors.
Instead of being organized in the traditional (and often boring) sections of "necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc", Karen has set up her shop in a fresh and inspiring collections of sections such as "Angels, Fairies and Fantasy" and "Floral, Forest and Butterflies" as well as many other themes.
This shop is a terrific place to stop this spring to refresh your jewelry selection with some new pieces or just a fun place to brows and pick up a couple new favorites to add to your collection.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VISIT MYSTICWYND'S ON ETSY AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, YOU CAN CLICK RIGHT HERE!
You can also take a look and read over at Karen's Mystic Wynd blog where they often feature new crafting ideas, projects, reviews and other interesting tidbits.... Or you can stop by and visit her on Facebook or Twitter!
In my artistic and craft endeavors, I find a lot of things inspiring. Nature, food, scents and flavors, sounds and music, people and personalities. There's an endless supply of inspiration out there for the creative soul and I love to tap into all those different venues.
Sometimes, I run across beads or different supplies that stir inspiration. At other times, I run across other artisans that do so.
Today's shop is one of those artisans. NicoleHill on Etsy has some of the most beautiful wire-work and chainmaille jewelry that I've seen. I've always been fascinated by chainmaille. It's one of those talents that is just mind boggling for me, with all those tiny links put together in intricate and inventive ways. When I visit Nicole's shop, I love to browse her chainmaille pieces because it reminds me that anything is possible with a little inventive creativity and ingenuity!
Nicole uses both the cool shades of silver as well as the rich warmth of copper in her jewelry, combining many pieces with gemstones and glass bits as well. She also is open to creating custom pieces to your specifications! All of her pieces are 100% handmade with care and attention to detail and are shipped from London or the south coast of France depending on where she's staying at the time.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VISIT NICOLEHILL'S JEWELRY SHOP ON ETSY AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Be sure to stop by and take a browse around. You can also visit Nicole at her website or stop by and say hi on Facebook or Twitter!
Ohhhhh am I in love! I was fascinated today when I stopped by WaterWaif's shop on Etsy and I have to share!
I've been in WaterWaif's shop a number of times in the past. She makes beautiful jewelry with lots of shimmer and shine and delicate accents. But when I went by today, it was like a whole new shop!
The banner at the top of the shop has a vibrant depiction of an ocean shore and she now has items on feature that match! They match so well that I almost didn't want to scroll down the page because that first look was so enchanting that it was hard to take my eyes off of.
Waterwaif states that she finds immense strength and inspiration from the ocean and its inhabitants and this is apparent in her beautiful work so be sure to stop by and take a look!
YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VISIT WATERWAIF's SHOP ON ETSY AND TAKE A LOOK AROUND OR, IF YOU PREFER, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
You might also enjoy waterwaif's blog or visiting her on Twitter!
