Little Tranquility

Seattle, Washington

2013-05-19T11:35:00.001-04:00

  Back in April, I took a little two week vacation to the West Coast. I spent a week in California (posting those pictures soon!) and then   took a train to Seattle, Washington to meet up with my brother and my cousin.

  The three of us spent a week in Seattle because, surprise, we're moving there next month! We found a house and signed a lease and   will be heading out West in mid-June. We're all ready to say good-bye to Wisconsin for a while to see what Washington has in store   for us.

  I'm SO excited and can't believe it's all happening in less than a month!

  I didn't take a whole lot of photos while we were there since we literally spent most of the trip either in the car, in the apartment   setting up appointments, or out driving, scoping out places or meeting up with realtors, but I thought I'd share the few photos I did   manage to take.

Friday Favorites // 05.17

2013-05-17T14:27:00.002-04:00

Alan Alda // Jump

Canoe // Umbrellas // Before Sunrise

Kitty // Buddha // Seattle

Miranda July // Wanderlust // Natalie Portman // Emerson

Love // Bliss

(Follow me on Pinterest here!)

// I'm trying to learn this song on the ukulele because it's perfect, but I am struggling, big time! I am so in love with everything Daughter has done. What a beautiful trio.

// The new season of Arrested Development is almost here!

// Do you have any idea how excited I am about Before Midnight??

// 43 Things that will make you feel old. JTT forever and always. ♡

// Angelina Jolie's open letter about her decision to get a double mastectomy left me in tears. She is so brave.

// Ryan Gosling won't eat his cereal and I can't even tell you how hard I laughed.

// 35 Facts about Mister Rogers, the greatest human being who ever lived. (Fun fact: I've met John Green!)

// I don't usually care for these types of movies, but I think About Time looks cute!

// Have you seen this video of men experiencing labor pains? It's wonderful.

Happy Friday!

20 Books in 2013

2013-05-14T12:27:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, I joined Good Reads and have been super addicted ever since. It's a great way to connect with other reader friends and it's also a helpful tool to keep track of what you've read, what you're currently reading, and what you plan to read in the future. The site has endless quotes, reviews, quizzes, recommendations, and more.

Back in March, I decided to take part in the "2013 20 Book Reading Challenge" I saw floating around the site. So far, I've read 10 of the 20 books I want to read this year! I put together a little collage of what I've read thus far.

My favorites of the bunch would have to be Quiet, The Alchemist, The Tiger's Wife, and The Glass Castle.

Have you read any of these? If you have any recommendations for what I should read next, I'm always up for suggestions!

If you're also on Good Reads, let's be friends!

P.S. Have you entered the iPad Mini giveaway yet?? There's still time!

iPad Mini Giveaway!

2013-05-09T09:30:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm SO excited to be taking part in an amazing giveaway hosted by ChantillySongs and some other blogger friends! We've all banded together to bring you an awesome prize for one lucky reader- a 16GB iPad Mini in white or black!!

Why is this prize awesome? The iPad Mini is a perfect and convenient device for busy people of all stripes. It's great to take with you when you're on the go and don't feel like lugging your laptop along with you. You can use it to check email, browse the Internet, read your favorite books, write to-do lists, reminders, record inspiration, and more!

♥ Chantilly // ChantillySongs ♥ Marisa // The Shades of Monet Chronicles ♥ Lisa // Lala Faux Bois ♥ Shell // Kitty and Buck ♥ Marilyn // Pulp Sushi ♥ Sammy // The Cookie Button ♥ Amanda E // Little Lady Little City ♥ Regina // Acute Designs ♥ Katherine // Of Corgis and Cocktails ♥ Amanda A. // Little Tranquility ♥ Joanna // ModaMama ♥ Roxy // GrrFeisty ♥ Vanessa // Take Only Memories ♥ Sabrina // The Little Owl ♥ Miss Angie // My So-Called Chaos ♥ Shai // Vagabond Studio ♥ Chelsea // Life Unpublished ♥ Lauren // A Wild Tonic ♥ Jenna // Kitty Cat Stevens ♥ Jessa // Caked Blog

Every single one of these ladies is worth getting to know. Take a moment to check out their links, find some new favorites, and enter away!

Please note: This giveaway will be open until May 30th, and will be open only in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, and Australia.

GOOD LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sushi & Sunshine

2013-05-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

My friend Eric and I ate Sushi at a cute little Thai restaurant yesterday in Milwaukee. It was delicious! The past two days have been absolutely beautiful in Wisconsin; I almost forgot what nice weather felt like! We drove around, listening to music and soaking it all in. There's nothing better than spending a sunny, warm day with friends. :)

Shaun's Surprise Marriage Proposal at Google

2013-04-26T20:34:00.000-04:00

Today I am overflowing with happiness and I just have to share it with you.

One of my best friends, Shaun (I talked about his move to San Francisco to work for Google a few years ago here) proposed to his boyfriend Michael at the Google office in London on Monday with a little help from his fellow Googlers and Gleeglers.

I visited Shaun in San Francisco a little over a week ago and he showed me the custom ringbox he ordered which was a sweet little wooden box that looked like a tree stump with "MR. & MR." engraved on the top. He was so excited about it and hoped the proposal would go over smoothly. I've been sending him love vibes and air hugs since I left, and I'm so happy it all worked out as perfectly as we hoped! Michael is the greatest, and I'm so happy he said yes. :)

Shaun and Michael have been trying so hard to just be together for years, but unfortunately that hasn't been easy. I've witnessed their struggle firsthand time and time again and it certainly hasn't been fun. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Supreme Court makes the right decision next month.

"On April 22 2013, I invited Michael to lunch at the Google office. He had no idea I would be asking him to marry me. Or that hundreds of people were in on it.

We are a binational couple, separated for the last two years, on and off, without the ability to sponsor Michael for citizenship in the United States because of the Defense of Marriage Act. I flew to London for one of our regular trips and secretly to propose to Michael, in hopes that he'll be able to finally join me permanently in the US after the Supreme Court decision.

Five minutes before the proposal, all of the TV screens in the cafe showed a timer countdown. At about
10 seconds, Michael remarked, "It's really busy in here. Also, what is that timer?" Then the video starts."

I love them both dearly and couldn't be happier for them. Their story has already been published on Huffington Post!

Happy Friday!

Top 5 Favorite Ted Talks

2013-04-10T13:13:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love Ted Talks and thought I'd share a few of my favorites today. If you're unfamiliar with what these are, check out the Ted website and take a look around. It's so inspiring and full of awesomeness. (I must warn you though that if you have plans today, you should check out the site later because once you start watching, you won't stop!)

In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.

"Secrets can take many forms -- they can be shocking, or silly, or soulful." Frank Warren, the founder of PostSecret.com, shares some of the half-million secrets that strangers have mailed him on postcards.

Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

Don't make people pay for music, says Amanda Palmer: Let them. In a passionate talk that begins in her days as a street performer (drop a dollar in the hat for the Eight-Foot Bride!), she examines the new relationship between artist and fan.

GlassesUSA

2013-04-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

The kind people at GlassesUSA.com contacted me recently and asked if I'd review a pair of glasses of my choice from their website. Since summer is right around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to pick out a pair of sunglasses rather than prescription eyeglasses since I already have so many prescription frames as it is.

I decided on the College Tortoise Shell frames, and I'm in love!

(My mom took these photos, so I just had to do something goofy for her.)

The ordering process is super painless, and the trying-on process is, too! Sometimes buying glasses online can be tough, but with the Try-It-On Mirror, glasses shopping is so much fun and I may or may not have spent a lot of time trying on all of their amazing frames. Give it a shot!

If you're looking to buy glasses, then GlassesUSA is definitely the way to go! The people I communicated with during the ordering process were so nice, and they have crazy good deals all the time. For example, when you refer a friend to GlassesUSA, you'll receive $30 for each first purchase a referred friend makes which you can then use towards your next pair of glasses! You can also take 10% off any order just for being a Little Tranquility reader with the code: Blog10

Check out these coupons and promotions, and if you're so inclined, you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

*This is a sponsored post, but all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Life Lately via Instagram

2013-04-04T08:30:00.000-04:00

Birthday Flowers // Morning // Pre-Haircut // Rilo Kiley Deluxe Bundle!

Sweet, Sweet Baklava // Mia // Dinner For One // Charlie Day!

Teapot Photo-Shoot // Ukulele Love // Bunny Kitty // Robert's Roost!

Mallory // Alterra Lunch // Challah French Toast // Before Sunset!

Follow along on Instagram @little_tranquility :)

25

2013-04-02T12:55:00.000-04:00

I celebrated my 25th birthday yesterday. (Yes, I'm an April Fool's baby!) For me, birthdays are always a time to reflect and feel thankful for all I have. I always thought my birthday fell at the best time of the year. Spring is full of change, growth, sunshine, and so much love.

I had a wonderful brunch with my parents and little brother at Cafe Benelux in Milwaukee, and then I got my hair cut and colored at a friend's salon. I relaxed the rest of the day with my parents, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'll be celebrating with friends this weekend and can't wait to see everyone. I have amazing people in my life and I love each and every one of them so much.

2013 has been good to me. Here's to hoping the rest of the year is equally as great. ♥

Local Natives

2013-03-26T01:16:00.000-04:00

Hi blog world. Sorry for being the worst blogger ever. Life is just crazy weird at the moment so I haven't had a whole lot of time/patience to write in here. I promise this will change in the next month or so when my life picks back up and is semi-interesting again (fingers crossed). I've been in a major rut.

Wisconsin, man. I have a serious love/hate relationship with this place. Spring is finally here, yet it was snowing when I left for work today. How people are able to live here their entire lives is a mystery to me. I am so over the cold. Moving to a tropical island asap...

Anyway, I wanted to share a bit of music today, just because.

  I went to see Local Natives in Milwaukee over the weekend and I was blown away by how great they were. The guy next to me was   crying and I can't even recall how many times he yelled, "SO GOOD. THEY'RE SO GOOD," as he wiped away actual tears. "I'm sorry, I   can't help it, there's just nobody like them." (It was really sweet actually and I totally get it because he's right.)

  Also check out their NPR Tiny Desk Concert,"Airplanes" music video, and their live performance of "Wide Eyes."

  Have a wonderful week!

Sweet Spot Bags Giveaway

2013-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have an awesome giveaway to share today with Sweet Spot Bags.

Sweet Spot Bags are printed by the sun to display the longitude and latitude of specific spots in the world. Not only do they have pre-made spots such as Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Woodstock, Paris and many more, but they also print custom bags.

My hometown is Racine, Wisconsin, so they were kind enough to make a little custom bag for me with Racine's coordinates.

To win your own custom Sweet Spot Bag, simply enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter below. :)

Have a great weekend, and good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Favorites // 02.22.13

2013-02-22T13:28:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday, friends! Here are some of my favorite things floating around the internet this week.

I discovered Arthur Kulvov yesterday... Yep.

Dream Space // Perched Pandas

My friend Garren is definitely the most hardcore Lady Gaga fan I know. He recently followed her out on tour and not only did she sing "Happy Birthday" to him one night, but at another show he attended, she brought him up on stage! He is pretty much internet famous now and I feel like this is proof that Lady Gaga and I are one step closer to becoming BFFs.

Sylvia Plath // Fashionable Kitty

Curious Fox // Tell Your Stories // Adventure

(You can follow me on Pinterest here.)

  // Celebrating Anaïs Nin's 110th birthday. I love this.
  // These Breaking Bad Valentine's Day cards are pretty amazing.
  // I stumbled upon a few Sylvia Plath photos I've never seen before. She was so gorgeous!
  // I really love dorky things like this quiz, but somehow I could only think of 15 words.
  // AsapSCIENCE is a pretty neat YouTube channel I subscribed to recently. This video about the chicken vs. the egg is pretty good.
  // Women are beautiful. This is my body.
  // The Postal Service is touring (WHAT?) and I bought tickets to see them in California in April. I seriously can't wait... Have you   heard this song yet?
  // Check out my new sweet cat wallpaper on Twitter when you get a chance. I'm pretty hyped on it.

  Have a great weekend!

Life Lately in Photos

2013-02-18T13:19:00.003-05:00

Lots of long, cold, gloomy winter days in Wisconsin as of late. I'm starting to get very antsy and can feel that constant need to be outside creeping into my bones, but that's hard to do when your toes freeze the minute you leave the house...
Spring is near, though! I can feel it.

Firmoo & Clara Bow

2013-02-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

I've been so busy lately and sadly I feel like I've been abandoning my blog. I'm preparing for yet another move, so my head is all over the place, but I thought I'd pop over and share a pair of glasses the fine people at Firmoo sent my way.

Your first pair is free at Firmoo (you just pay for shipping), so if you've been itching for some new frames, head over and check them out.

The shirt I'm wearing in the first picture is courtesy of my friend over at Pconscave. He is a slacker and hasn't posted anything yet, but he's in the process of making more of these Clara Bow shirts and asked if I'd model one for his shop, so if you're a fan of "The It Girl," keep checking back! The shirt is a really nice fit and the quality is amazing. (He also makes these cool Twilight Zone shirts. I'm sure they'll be available soon as well.)

Hope you're having a wonderful week thus far! I'll post a real update soon, I promise...

P.S. The winner of The Plaid Barn giveaway was Patt L. Thanks to all who participated!

Project Life 365 Recap : January

2013-02-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Are you participating in Project Life 365? I'm having a lot of fun with it so far and thought I'd make a little grid to share all of the photos I took last month. If you're interested, here's my Flickr album with all of the full-size photos and their descriptions.
I also post them to Instagram (@little_tranquility) if you'd like to follow along!

  In other news, January is over and I couldn't be happier.
  Each setting sun brings us one day closer to Spring and that is always a wonderful thing.

  Happy Sunday!

  P.S. Have you entered The Plaid Barn giveaway yet??

The Plaid Barn Giveaway

2013-01-29T13:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like January is turning out to be a month full of giveaways over here... But hey, who's complaining? :)

Today I have a great giveaway to share with The Plaid Barn. I absolutely love The Plaid Barn and have taken advantage of their awesome deals quite a few times. I'm wearing these adorable little owl earrings as we speak! When you sign up with your email address on their website, you'll receive an email every day featuring their daily deal. These are always my favorite emails to open each morning. The range of craft supplies, accessories, and jewelry they offer is always a lovely surprise and when almost everything is nearly 75% off, how can you pass it up?

The Plaid Barn is so kindly giving away a $50 goodie box to one of my readers. To enter the giveaway, become a follower of Little Tranquility either via GFC or Blog Lovin' and then sign in with Rafflecopter and choose one or all of the entries below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Tuesday friends, and good luck!

2013-01-27T20:13:00.000-05:00

"I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantine and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet."

-Sylvia Plath

Datevitation Giveaway

2013-01-24T11:29:00.000-05:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day, I have an awesome giveaway to share today with a website called Datevitation. Datevitation is the web's first online platform to create a custom love coupon book. Unlike the pre-packaged love coupon books on the market, you pick the dates and can customize the text to your liking. Once you're finished customizing the text in your book, Datevitation will print it out and ship it to you in a ready-to-gift box.

Datevitation books normally start at just $20 so it makes for a thoughtful yet economical gift. But as a special treat for my followers, you can use the code ‘TRANQUILITY’ for $10 off your purchase in January. That means you can get a custom love coupon book for Valentine’s Day starting at just $10!

Now, I know what you're thinking... "What if I'm single? Can I still make a book?" And the answer is YES, DUH. Datevitation isn't just a couples-only site! They have over 200 date ideas ranging from skydiving to apple picking to attending a baseball game, so no matter who you're making the book for, there are plenty of fun activities to choose from. They also have over 60 book cover options to suit any occasion.

Ready to make your own book? Enter the giveaway down below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Favorites // 01.18

2013-01-18T13:02:00.000-05:00

It has been quite some time since I've posted Friday Favorites! Here are some of my favorite things on the interwebs as of late.

Antler Girl // Fox Dreams by Kelli Murray

Organs of Picasso, Dali, and Van Gogh

I can't get over this NFL Bad Lip Reading. I also really like the Mitt Romney one. So funny!

Sweet Doxie // Sleepy Kitty

The Science of Sleep // Moonrise Kingdom movie posters

I think Taylor Swift's "Begin Again" video is so pretty. I'm really loving this little song.

Hints of Fall // Winter Snow

My friend Matthew has a project up on Kick Starter and he has almost reached his goal. Care to help? Check it out!

// This beautiful article/tribute to a young photographer and reporter who passed away recently is worth the read.

// Obama is the man.

// The Bell Jar was published 50 years ago this week.

// This is my kind of shirt.

// Emily Dickinson's scattered scraps of poetry are so awesome. I would love to get my hands on one of these!

// Just one of the many reasons why I love Buzz Feed.

// I am obsessed with Breaking Bad. And this.

  // Measuring the Universe. I absolutely love this idea by Roman Ondák.

  You can follow me on Pinterest here.

  Happy Friday, I hope you have a great weekend!

Rise Above Life Giveaway

2013-01-11T12:15:00.000-05:00

*************************** GIVEAWAY CLOSED ***************************

Happy Friday, friends! I have a giveaway to share today with April of Rise Above Life, one of my sponsors on the blog this month.

  "I started the Rise Above Life blog to share stories anonymously to offer encouragment and hope to others. If you would like to share   your own story, we would love to write about it. I also created an Etsy shop to support the blog and provide my inspirational art to   others. Rise Above Life offers digital printable downloads to save you money. Just print your image at the same place you print your   photos and then frame. We also have inspirational message board printable downloads that you can frame and use a dry erase   marker on to leave notes to your loved ones."

  April is giving away a $50 gift card to her Etsy shop! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.

  For additional entries:
  1) Follow Little Tranquility on GFC or Blog Lovin'
  2) "Like" Rise Above Life on Etsy
  3) Tweet about the giveaway (please include your Twitter name in your comment!)

  Don't forget to leave each additional entry as its own comment, and please include your email address or Twitter name so I can   contact you if you win!

  The giveaway will run through Friday, January 18th at 12:00pm.

  Good luck, and have a great weekend!

*************************** GIVEAWAY CLOSED ***************************

2013: Project Life 365

2013-01-01T19:40:00.000-05:00

  After saying good-bye to 2012 last night, I woke up this morning welcoming 2013 with a smile and a sigh of relief. The start of a new   year is always such a great feeling, isn't it? Clean slate, fresh start. Ahh, nothing better.

  New beginnings truly are a beautiful thing.

  As I mentioned in a past post, I've been wanting to start a new photo a day project like the one I did back in 2010. I was thinking self   portraits would be fun, but I just don't know if I'm ready for that type of time commitment just yet. Self portraits are tricky, and I'd   want to do them in a very abstract, beautiful way, and not just in a simple point and shoot "selfie" sort of way because, well, that's   boring! I will probably try a self portrait series someday, but for now I'm going to place it in my future to-do list.

  For 2013, I'm going to sort of mimic what I did in 2010, except this time around, I'm participating in something called Project Life 365.

  "Project Life 365 is an interactive photo a day challenge that helps you develop your visual literacy by guiding you through daily   prompts that engage your imagination. Each day, we provide a “daily inspiration” that will stimulate your creative photographic   magic. It doesn’t matter if you’re literal, logical, or a free spirit; there are no wrong answers. Your only limitation is your   imagination. Using your preferred mobile app or camera, simply capture and upload your photograph to visually connect with other   participants from around the world. Take the Project Life 365 challenge and discover what is personal to you, can become much   larger: a dynamic, interactive project without borders."

  I'm pretty excited about this, and I've already asked a few of my friends to join in, too. I'm looking at this as a sort of daily homework   assignment for a photography class I'm not taking. It should be a lot of fun, and maybe a bit challenging at times (or most of the   time), but I think I'm up for it. I truly only feel myself when I'm engaged in a creative project like this, so it's about time I get   crackin' and get my mind back in shape!

  I will probably post the pictures to Instagram (you can follow me @little_tranquility) and at the end of each month I will put all of   the pictures together and post them here on the blog as a sort of Project Life 365 recap each month.

  (If you think this is something you'd like to participate in, it's not too late! Visit Project Life 365 and sign up for their monthly emails   so they can send you the daily word list each month. Leave a comment on this post letting me know if you're joining in, and if you   have an Instagram account, make sure you leave your username as well so I have a way of finding you!)

Day 1: #Resolution

Find the beauty in everything.

Appreciate more and complain less.

Stay productive. Stay focused.

Learn, grow, heal.

Here's to 2013. Let's make it a great one. :)

Currently

2012-12-27T11:11:00.001-05:00

Slacking // on posting here. Sorry about that... My mind has been elsewhere, but I think I'm back. Here we go.

Reading // The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht. It's lovely so far. I finally finished The Glass Castle and it was so good! My parents got me a Nook for Christmas, so I'm pretty excited about that. I was very anti-Kindle/Nook for a long time, but I finally gave in. There's just something so nice about having more room in my purse for things. I've carried a book or two with me at all times since I was 15, so breaking this habit feels weird, but I'm sure my shoulders will thank me in the long run. ;)

Planning // my future. (Or trying to, anyway.) Working on getting my life in order and playing with the idea of going back to school in the new year and making another move across country. We'll see how it plays out, but I'm feeling pretty good about it.

Eating // ridiculous amounts of molasses cookies. They are so delicious.

Feeling // a bit on the sick side lately. I was sick for three weeks last month, and now I think I've caught something again. Not fun, but I shall overcome.

Listening // to a lot of First Aid Kit. Somehow I'm late to that party, but I just can't get enough. Emmylou is quickly becoming one of my favorite songs of all time. I've also been listening to Jolene by Dolly Parton on repeat for some reason. It's just so catchy! Another favorite this month is Om Ma by Rocky Votolato.

Learning // how and when to let go. Love is often strong enough to overcome every and all obstacles, but when the obstacles are more like floating question marks, sometimes it's best to let go until you've both figured out where you want to be in your own lives. This hasn't been easy, but I'm slowly learning how to be alone again. "Lonely is healing if you make it."

That being said, I'm wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season and here's to new beginnings in 2013. :)

(Thanks to Dani for this "Currently" list inspiration!)

Renegade Craft Fair: Chicago

2012-12-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, my friend Ashley and I drove down to Chicago to check out the Renegade Craft Fair. The turnout this year was insane! When we first arrived, there was hardly any room to walk in the building and it seemed every square inch of space was taken up by an excited shopper... Or a stroller. It definitely wasn't long before my claustrophobia set in.

We were given a list of vendors and where in the building they were located, so our first stop was over to my friend Emily's booth. I was so excited to see her! Getting to her took some time, but once we made it through the crowd, we were able to step inside the nook she created in her booth and chat a little bit, but I didn't want to distract her customers, so we kept it short and sweet. Emily worked really hard to prepare for the fair and I definitely think it all paid off! Her work is so beautiful and I'm so happy for her. Check out her Etsy shop! :)

After we left Emily, Ashley and I inched our way around and met some nice people along the way.

(Photo #2 via Kissen Studio)

Nathan of WalknTalk

Before we left, we had to take advantage of the free photo booth. :)

Okay, so the fair was fun and all but on our way back to the car, we ran into an entire family of stray cats.

I can't even describe just how excited I was. First there was only one, and then there were two, and then suddenly a third showed up! If you know me at all, you can probably imagine just how high I was squealing. I was in kitty heaven and I'm sure everyone who saw/heard me must have thought I was completely nuts-o as Ashley snapped these photos of me.

Overall, aside from the chaos and slight claustrophobic panic I experienced upon arrival, the craft fair was a lot of fun and seeing all of the amazing products definitely got my creative juices flowing. I was also able to do a bit of Christmas shopping for some friends, and supporting local artists in the process felt pretty good.

P.S. The winner of the Sheepish Knitting & Crochet giveaway is my homegirl, Natasha! Woo-hoo! Love and miss you, lady.

Etsy Interviews V.7 // Meredith from Sheepish Knitting & Crochet

2012-12-05T10:38:00.001-05:00

  I have a great interview (and giveaway!) to share today with one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Meredith from One Sheepish Girl.

  I was reading Meredith's blog long before I had one of my own, so having her as a guest today on my blog is so exciting! Meredith is   inspiring in more ways than one and I know we'd make great real-life friends if we weren't living on opposite sides of the country. ;)   Getting to know her through blogging has been so much fun. She is hands down one of the craftiest and most creative girls I know. I   often wonder how she finds time for all of the beautiful things she creates.

  Her interview is sweet, and because she is so sweet, Meredith is kindly giving away a handmade Sheepish creation to one of my   readers, so make sure you enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post!

Name: Meredith

Shop: Sheepish Knitting & Crochet

Facebook // Blog // Twitter

Instagram @ sheepishknitcrochet

1. When did you first start knitting/crocheting? :
I taught myself to knit during my junior year of college. I just finished reading the Friday Night Knitting Club and was desperate to give this knitting thing a try. I found some yarn, sat down in front of YouTube, and decided to teach myself. I did the same thing with crochet and it has been an amazing creative obsession ever since!

Crochet Teacup

2. What inspires you? :
So many things inspire me. When it comes to knitting I am inspired by bright colors and simple designs. Outside of the craft world, I have always been inspired by classic films and singers like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. I wish more than anything that I could time travel back to the 1940s and attend a Frank Sinatra concert!

Knit Intarsia Bow Hat

3. What are some of your all-time favorite items that you've created? :
Recently I knit this fawncho (fawn poncho) and it is definitely one of my favorites! I have a thing for animal sweaters. I also love the braid scarf I recently added to my shop!

4. Any advice for others trying be successful on Etsy? :
My advice is to keep going! Keep working hard, creating new items, improving your photos, reaching out to other artists, and soon enough things will start to pick up.

Knit Bow Rings

5. Have any personal or business goals for the new year? :
I have a few business goals for the new year but I have to keep those secret right now. Life is always filled with ups and downs but, ever since graduation this summer, it feels like the ups and downs come more frequently. I guess a personal goal for myself that translates to business is to try to go with the flow and do my best to accept what comes my way.

Cozy Granny Square Cowl

  6. Have a fun fact or anything else you'd like to share about yourself or your shop? :
  I recently started experimenting with paper embroidery and I am thinking about adding some of my creations to my Etsy shop soon!

  Meredith is offering one of her adorable Yellow Teacup Ornaments to one of my readers. This would look so cute on your Christmas   tree (if you have one!), or even hanging next to your teapot in the kitchen, year-round. Her detail is so wonderful and I absolutely   love these little guys. I think I might have to scoop one up for myself soon!

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  All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post!

  For additional entries:
  1. Follow Little Tranquility on GFC or Blog Lovin'
  2. Follow One Sheepish Girl on GFC or Blog Lovin'
  3. Like Little Tranquility on Facebook
  4. Like Sheepish Knitting & Crochet on Facebook
  5. Tweet about the giveaway: "Visit the Little Tranquility blog to win a crochet teacup ornament from Sheepish Knitting & Crochet!   http://little-tranquility.blogspot.com/2012/12/etsy-interviews-v7-meredith-from.html"
  6. Blog about the giveaway

  That's a total of seven possible entries!

  Please make sure you leave each entry as a separate comment, and I'll need your email address or Twitter name in at least one of   your comments so I can contact you if you win!

  The giveaway will run through Wednesday, December 12th at noon. 12/12/12 at... 12:00??
  Or, maybe 12/12/12 at 12:12??? Whoa...

  Good luck!!

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