Dress to Impress

We were recently given an opportunity to be part of the Dress to Impress project. The best part is, taken from Suz's website is that "All donated items—from shoes to handbags to jewelry—will be donated to Dress for Success® of Southern Maine, a non-profit organization that provides women in need with suits, accessories, and a great big confidence boost to help in their own career development." We were so excited to partner up with dozens of other companies, including L.L. Bean, for such a great project.

Jump on over to the website and take a peek at all of Suz's stylings! I am sort of dying over todays look, the final look of the project, because those L.L. Bean boots are screaming my name.

We are also taking on another cause to donate to, once it is finalized, I'll fill yall in with the details!

xo,

Beca

Handmade Bowie Knife

+ D O U G ' S H A N D M A D E B O W I E K N I F E +

Despite common belief, we don't just make sunglasses, although sunglasses take up so much of our time that we don't really have much free time to work on new projects. However, when we went to the ace hardware this morning, I talked Doug into getting a blank blade to start building a handle around, since most of the work needed to be done today was my work. I got busy, and Doug started digging through our wood pile to find a good piece of cedar to use. It's hard to believe that the knife started as just a

Bowie Blade

and became something so incredible.

The handle started out looking like this gnarly piece above, and as I passed in and out of our sun room working on frames and packing up orders, and what looked like nothing, started slowing turning into something.

Doug is insanely creative and within a good hour, the handle was already taking shape and looking all kinds of beautiful. I took some photos of the final product. What a sight to behold. And of course, our house smelled like little bunnies all day because of the cedar.

My friend Danielle sent me those pretty beads a long time ago, and I have been saving them for something really special, and this knife is really, really special. I feel like this is something that we can keep forever.

I spent all day today working in the shop, puppy-sitting and doing taxes (ahhhh) and all three of those things give me something to share. First of all, despite anything that I have written that seems like I am down on working right now, I love what we do. I love the final product and I love our company and the business morals we stand by. I am not so great at communicating with customers, but you have to remember, I get a dozen emails a day about our shop, if not more, so I am getting a lot of practice.

Secondly, having a puppy around a few days a week (we watched Kaida aka poptart while Mo was at work today) is really fun but it makes me appreciate my dogs so much. For example, today Ollie was running around the front yard, we still don't have a fence and up runs these gnarly big dogs, and Ollie was a perfect gentleman. He listened, and ran inside, and he didn't mess with the other dogs. I was beaming with pride. After the incident with Poptart...er, Kaida, the first day we had her, I have been a little worried about Ollie. He's a good boy, but i want to be able to trust him.

And third, doing your own taxes when you own your own business is insane and I am glad that they are done, but I am exhausted. Totally and completely exhausted!

It's past midnight and we are actually going to bed early tonight (er, earlier than normal) so have a good Monday night! I should be back with part one of our home tour tomorrow! The Florida room aka my front porch aka my favorite place in our house!)

xo,

Beca

Run for your Life

+ M O T I V A T E +

I've kind of been crazy for getting healthy lately. Not in a "I only eat green food and run 100 miles a day" kind of way, but in a Weight Watchers (I lost 6 pounds!) and getting out and romping through the woods kind of way. And I am not going to lie, if I could wear my rain boots every where, I would, but it just isn't practical. Especially for bike riding and dog walking and the like. I've been spending a lot of time perusing the internet for women's athletic shoes that are great for running and I though I would share them with y'all because I know I am not the only one who needs to be smarter about running shoes.

Puma Geselle Stud Shoes

Keds Champion Wooly Sneakers

Nike Air Pegasus Trail Sneakers

I have so many favorites, but I could die a happy lady if I had those three shoes. And maybe I would be more inclined to run, walk and bike rather then trench through the swamp if I had a more diverse selection!!

What shoes do you use for working out? Why do you love them?

xo,

Beca

Sign Painting

Doug and I helped his sister make a big, giant crab sign for the fiddler crab festival coming up next month! I didn't do any other construction, but I did the lettering and the banner! I've never made a sign before, so it's pretty darn cool.

{Kaida helped dig the fire pit for our house today, too. She's a great helper!}

What do you think of our neat crab sign!?! Oh yeah, also, we're having a booth/pop-up shop at the festival and I'm pretty stoked. It's actually a pretty huge festival and I'm excited to be a part of it!

xo,

Beca

The Steinhatchee Falls, A Puppy & A Birthday Cake

We took a break today to go digging in the falls for fossils, teeth and other treasures. The falls may be one of my favorite places in Steinhatchee now. It's so pretty. We plan on shooting our lookbook here in February.

I was also informed that this "town" we live in isn't even an incorporated town, so it's really just a village. Isn't that crazy!? I love it!

Also, you may or may not know by now that we rescued a puppy in a thunderstorm last week, cleaned her, de-fleaed her and found a permanent home for her with Doug's amazing Niece. She came to visit today with the puppy (who she named Kaida) and in a week, this little pup already looks world of different.

And last but not least, I was asked to make a birthday cake for Doug's second, or third, cousin's 1st birthday party. I made a big 18" round cake and a little mini for the baby. I had a lot of fun making them. I was asked at the party this afternoon to make a monster truck cake in a few weeks, and that will be a blast! Sorry for the crappy photo, I accidentally left the camera at home.

Hope you had a great Saturday! We have a full day of work tomorrow, which I am actually really looking forward to!

xo,

Beca

Recent Junk Store Finds

I've been infected with some awful stomach flu for the past 2 days, and today I was able to drink a coffee without puking, although lunch was another story. I'm pretty drained, but I did muster up the energy to edit some photos from the other day.

Paint by Numbers Impalas $4 // Paint by Numbers Deer $1 // Vintage Hat Collection $6 // Moving Cards $.10 for 10 // Stamp Kit $.50 // Vintage Ray-Ban Sunglasses $1

We have been doing a lot of junking lately. Nobody seems to know what they have out here, or at least don't care much for what we think is special. We got a pretty 1940s pharmacy bureau today that will be my next project. Well, I'm back to bed. I keep trying to work and keep messing things up, so I am giving in to the sickness and just going to sleep.

What have you found lately?

xo,

Beca

Covet III

+ THE WRITTEN WORD +

{via Quill and Fox}

{via Somethings Hiding in Here}

{via Knot and Bow}

{via Lilimandrill}

{via Hello lucky Press}

xo,

Beca

SWEETHEART SALE

From now until February 3rd, all zebra wood sunglasses will be $50 for valentines day!

Happy love!

xo,

Beca & Doug

Scratch and Sniff Sticker Fun

Four years ago, Doug came to Florida to visit his family, we had only been dating for a few months, but I missed him so much, and when he called to tell me he got me a little present, I was stoked, to say the least. I picked him up at the airport and on the car ride home, he told me to check his carry on. In it was a sealed pack of vintage scratch and sniff stickers. Strawberry Pie to be exact. I knew at that moment that it was meant to be. I used all of them, stuck them to everything that I owned, and they reminded me of him all the time.

Last night, we went for dinner at his mom's house, and his sister pulled out three more packs of those same stickers, but in hot dog, cheese and fresh air scents. I lost my shit! They are so neat, I wanted to share with all yall the different ways you can use vintage scratch and sniff stickers, if you're ever lucky enough to get your hands on them!

+ STICK THEM TO YOUR DOG +

+ STICK THEM ON YOUR BOYFRIEND +

+ WRITE A LETTER TO A FRIEND +

+ SHOW A TREE SOME LOVE +

+ MAKE A BOOK MARK +

+ DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOTHPASTE +

+ SAY HI IN A FUN NEW WAY +

This little break from work put a smile on my face and I hope it put one on your face too. I have so much work to do today, but there is always time to goof off with stickers. Get your own HERE, HERE or HERE!

And if you're really wondering, the hot dog stickers do not smell good. They don't smell like hot dogs either, but they're still really fun!

xo,

Beca

Stars, Spring, and on Being Overwhelmed.

+ SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE +

{The original source to this is broken, so if you took this, rad!}

Since our move, I have had to adjust to a number of different feelings that I am not really accustomed to. We really do live in the middle of nowhere. The only noises I hear at night are distant gunshots, and stray dog barks in the dark. It is quiet and when I walk out onto my front porch into the night air, and look up, the sky is larger and heavy with thousands of stars I never knew existed. I wonder now how a person goes for so long not knowing each and every one of those stars exist.

We have become overwhelmed with our small business. I know that it is just about every small business owners dream that their business "blows up" and they have too much to handle, but I can only be 100% truthfully honest, it's really hard. I have been living with a constant knot in my chest, and the stacks of shipping boxes are looming. I said daunting earlier when describing how it feels to be this overwhelmed. I am scared we will never catch up. And not only that, but we have had back ups with all of our suppliers. It takes about a week longer than before to get EVERYTHING. And well, i'm just not used to it. So adjusting has been a slow process. I keep asking for understanding from customers, and I keep saying hurry to our suppliers, but today was a little too much.

I think it's safe to say that I am not the only one. I have been with Doug long enough to read him, to hear his silence, and we sure are working hard to keep work from smothering us. Working to work. I am excited to focus on our spring collection, in which we will be more concerned with unique, ready to ship pieces, rather than made to order items. It will be a game changer.

I just wanted to share some thoughts. I am here. I am full of worry and a heavy heart, but I am here. We are working. The stars are so dang bright.

xo,

Beca