How did I NOT know about Heartsy?!

Do you love Etsy?

(hand up in air) I do! I could peruse through the pages of Etsy for hours finding inspiration, gift ideas, and items that I lust over.

BUT (and isn't there always a but?) the prices for handmade, created with love items is high...especially when you eyeball an item and think to yourself, "I could make that!" 99% of the time though, I don't. So I've saved money but my life is calling for that cute, swoon-inspiring item.

Disclaimer: I ABSOLUTELY believe that crafters and creators of all sorts deserve to be paid appropriately for the love and time that went in to creating their wares...It's just not too friendly to my budget now.

Enter Heartsy.

It's like Groupon for Etsy. Swoon. Squeal. LOVE.

I literally just found out about this yesterday so I haven't bought a deal yet...Have you?

Why is this eco-chic? Many sellers on Etsy have a focus on upcycling, repurposing, recycling, etc. Supporting these sellers means supporting the environment.

Etsy Eco-chic Hint: Want to reduce shipping pollution or support your local economy? Use the "Shop Local" link to find sellers in your area!

My favorite Etsy finds...

Click on the photo to go to the seller's shop!

Happy Eco-Chic Easter!

I had lots of Easter plans to make up fun, eco-chic Easter baskets for my family get-together...But now Easter in canceled.

BUT FOR THE BEST REASON POSSIBLE! My little brother is coming back from Afghanistan this weekend!!!!!!! (Exclamation points X a million) So we are going to greet him when he lands...And, maybe, if there's time, I will have Easter treats in hand.

But here were some of my fun plans for Easter...which can now inspire you!

Naturally-dyed Easter Eggs

Dyeing Easter Eggs is a tradition in many families...but it can be done without all of the nasty chemicals...Aren't these eggs gorgeous?! Thanks Boulder Locavore!

Just plain pretty.

I was definitely planning on shredding my own leftover paper for Easter basket "grass" - love the newspaper idea from homeroad.

YUM!

These look so delicious that I'm planning on MAKING the time to bake these delicious treats. They combine 2 of my favorite treats - chocolate and whopper eggs. Thanks Two Peas and the Pod!

And I am all over the pennants...I can't wait to do a Spring/Summer one for my new apartment!!

{Click on the photo to go back the creator's blog!}

Ruffle pillow

I love lots of pillows...cutsy, flowery, soft pillows to cuddle up with while watching movies, reading, blogging, or lounging hard. But I could never pay for them...$10-20? Forget about it! I would rather craft up a few of my own...with a focus on upcycling, of course.

So here is my ruffle pillow! It fits perfectly with my bed and Shadow loves snuggling next to it...which is only a small problem since he has black fur...and the pillow is white. Oh well.

I started off with a thrifted bed skirt, some leftover ribbon, and my trusty rotary cutter. I cut out two squares for the pillow and then 2 inch strips of fabric for the ruffles. Lots of strips.

Speaking of which, does anyone know how to sharpen a rotary cutter? Or who might be able to do this? Please and thank you!

Then, I sewed them on in a pleated-ruffle style. I tried to do a messy row of just pushing the fabric through this way and that...but getting it perfectly messy was too stressful for me (sounds counter-intuitive right?). So I pleated. And pleated. And pleated again.

There is a photo at the bottom of the post of the back of the pillow...it's super easy to make pillow covers to change as your mood desires.

Then I scooped up this pillow for $0.50 from the thrift store...and I washed it, in hot water, multiple times. I'm pretty confident that it's clean.

Then I shoved the pillow inside of the case...and it was a done deal! Another cute addition to my bed. The pillow was super easy to make (less than an hour) and came in to my life at the perfect time...I've been spending way too much time in my bed. Snacking, reading, blogging. It's just so comfortable on rainy days! I tried to convince Paul to eat dinner in bed...but it just doesn't have the same romantic ring as breakfast in bed...And grilled cheese crumbs would be gross. I even removed a few pillows from the shot below...but I made the blooming pillow as well last fall...love it!

Here's a shot of the back of the pillow...

This is a project that I actually completed awhile ago so I've deleted the blog that inspired it...I'm sorry! Let me know if you recognize it so I can give credit where it is due!

Ten on Tuesday - Crafty Inspirations & To-Dos!

My to-do list is a constantly changing, never shrinking part of my life. Always there...Always waiting for my attention. I have a to-do list for work but also a personal to-do list that ranges from pay the cell phone bill to items I want (Tom's Shoes anyone?) to crafty projects that I want to create.

So my Ten on Tuesday will focus on the fun part of my To-Do List - the craft projects and deliciousness! I know you are dying to see my work to-do list but that will just have to wait for another Ten on Tuesday...Thanks to It's a Crafty Life!

1. DIY Flower Easter Eggs @ Pizzazzerie

[caption id="attachment_411" align="aligncenter" width="267" caption="A perfect excuse to use the new flower punch I splurged on over the weekend..."][/caption]

2. Dragonfly Headband @ Eisy Morgan

3. Paper Flower Wreath @ Did someone say party?

4. Chocolate Layer Cake @ Cupcakes and Cashmere

5. TP Roll Art @ Bon Temps Beignet

6. Handmade Peppermint Lip Balm @ Eye Spy DIY!

7.  No-sew T-shirt Scarf @ Iron Violet Designs

8. Flower Headband @ Snugars

 

[caption id="attachment_425" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="I want to modify this into something cute I can wear to the gym! My Couch to 5K workouts would be even better! "][/caption]

9. Asparagus, Goat Cheese, and Lemon Pasta @ Smitten Kitchen

10. Ruffled Cardigan @ Dear Lizzy

And here is a recipe to add to YOUR to-do list! I've made two batches of blondies in the past two days - I promise that they are THAT good. 5 minutes with a mixer and you are GTG. Enjoy and you're welcome!

Blondies @ Smitten Kitchen

 

Upcycled Crafts - A HUGE Flower for your Hair

I admitted in my Ten on Tuesday post that I love to wear huge flowers and the like in my hair...There's something about an adorable hair piece that makes me feel cute and sassy! Being excessive and feisty is fabulous sometimes...Well, most times.

Try wearing a flower in your hair...any color, style, size. You will love it! And, yes, you can pull it off! Don't even go there...You are fabulous and just need to find the right one for you! My summer outfit is a pair of shorts, white tee, and a flower. Adorbs, if I do say so myself.

So after a long (but fun!) day of training and then a recovery nap, I decided to take advantage of my free Saturday night and whip up the hair piece that I linked to on the same Ten on Tuesday post...And because I always try to be eco-chic in my crafting, I used a pink poly blouse that I picked up from Goodwill earlier this week along with some leftover white tulle-like fabric from a previous craft endeavor.

One of the more difficult parts of upcycled crafts is having all of your materials on hand...I searched Goodwill for a pink poly item for the fabric and, of course, got distracted. The search is a bit more difficult than just running to Joann's but so much better for the environment and gets easier as you develop a small stash of goodies.

So these are the supplies that I started with...My soda stream bottle is in the photo too. It's important to stay hydrated while crafting!

And this is what I ended up with!

Ignore the lack of make-up and look of minor exhaustion happening in this photo...Putting together a training for 140 people is hard work!

I completely own that this flower is HUGE. On the verge of too huge, but just on the verge...Paul's eyes got a little big when he saw it but I know he likes it. He secretly adores my excessive nature. I'm picturing this clipped to a ponytail or perched on the side of my hair for some exploring.

I'm considering splitting the petals in half like the original but I would hate to ruin it...

I have a few more crafts up my sleeve for tomorrow! I'm making a trip to a thrift store in Cuyahoga Falls tomorrow AM so we will see what I can discover!

I linked up to Craft Couture Monday over at Craft Couture!