I miss rock'n'roll like this -- The Band --Video

Happy Friday!@

New Hippie Tams and Thoughts Post #1

Over the next few days I will present a small variety of tams I have listed recently...just to lighten up the posts with some pictures.
I have a million thoughts in my head these days. I always question myself if I should post them on my blog or just forget the whole blogging thing all together. Since I don't advertise my blog in the Etsy forums anymore, my readership seems to be far less now. This actually doesn't bother me since I have developed mixed feelings towards the whole Etsy community thing.
Etsy has changed since I had joined last year. It has grown, it has changed to a giant e-commerce site with big issues for its sellers. At least for the ones who really depend on selling and who have chosen crafting as their livlihood. Now more then ever an individual website, apart from any selling platform, is important to anyone who is serious about being an independent crafter/artist.
The sense of Etsy community has vanished for many of us, too, so we focus on our own little craft biz without bringing Etsy to our blogs. When I say we, then I mean those people who I had a good communication with over the 12 months on Etsy and who have disappeared from the forums.
I still sell there, I have good success with my listings, but it's due to my own efforts.
I don't have any negative feelings towards Etsy and its employees. I just don't have any illusions either. I had been on Ebay, loving it in 2002 when I started out selling, closing shops in 2007. It was not the same Ebay anymore.
I have closed my shop blumenkinder after I realized that it may be next to impossible to get any momentum going with yet another new little Etsy shop. Especially since kids clothes and hats are pretty much saturated in any venue. I am glad that I saw the signs of time and just included them in my main shop again. Sometimes patience is a virtue, sometimes waiting too long without any success is just plain stupid.

All tams are listed in my E-shop or website.

Thought #1:
Are you anxious about the down-spiraling US economy and up-spiraling consumer prices?
I have worried about it as I am effected each day, buying gas, food or supplies. For a while I had a fear of the unknown & uncontrollable in my heart. But while adapting it has also changed my consumer behavior a lot. I act more eco friendly now than before. Less driving, less buying without thinking, less wasting electricity and so on...this has actually kept our spending level at a reasonable amount. To me (German expat) it feels more and more like dealing with the European high-plateau energy prices now. Deja vu.
I got used to a convenient life-style here, but it's like they say you never forget how to ride a bike once you have mastered it once..
Been there, done that, I have survived on little money and will do so in the future. Energy is robbing the last resources of Mother Earth, if we want to use it, we will have to pay.

Blumenkinder? Thinking about opening a new Etsy shop.

(UPDATE: I got my shop up and running...check it out here)
I registered an account with Etsy called BLUMENKINDER (German for flower children, a friendly expression for 1960s hippies, but you can take it literally as well and it will refer to children and flowers)
I cannot retrieve my pictures of children clothes that I had uploaded to my photobucket account some years back when I was selling under my ID retrochicboutique on Ebay.
Many crochet outfits, hats, bright and cheery.
But I found this little flash intro on my About Me page and copied it to show off some work of the past.
Blumenkinder would have a different concept though, less mainstream, more eco-conscious, pretty Little Hippie Mama designs. Still thinking about it, as another shop will be a lot of additional work, but vintage style crochet girls clothes still intrigue me until this day.

While knitting on the porch

I had just the very same feeling as in this video's message.
Enjoy some Louis Armstrong at his best.

June=a month for catching my breath

I haven't really promoted nor "loved" my blog a lot lately.
Secretly I have declared it my semi-vacation month, not going anywhere or doing anything special, just granting myself a bit more time to live, plan and relax.
No pushing or promoting.
My mantra is about self-centering myself.
Since this is not solely a biz blog I think it's fine to say that a one-woman business is not always an energizer-bunny company which cranks out the latest hip styles in a seemingly effortless manner.
Always a smart comment, always on top of things.
Listen to your body's voice and take it slower if needed. A break from time to time won't throw us back but allow us to come back with more creativity and fruitful thoughts.
So instead of bla bla bla, I give my blog a little break.

All my unfinished projects...

I have 1 complete bin of hats, halter apron tops and other small crochet projects that need finishing touches.
Above is an experiment to go back to my 1960s/1970s vintage inspired hippie crochet clothing style which was my signature when I still sold my crochet wares as Retrochicboutique on Ebay.
When the poncho craze dwindled down I concentrated on sweater jackets, and went from women sizes to children sizes later on. For a crocheter it made all the difference in work amount and I wanted to mix up bright colors, easier for little girls than for the ladies.
After making mainly hats I was pretty much exhausted getting to the final edging process of this hippie crochet smock vest sweater.
Once I am back in the mood to complete them I will have tons to show off.

Crafting blockage --> Retro Deco Frenzy

I was organizing my craft room and found this oh so ugly, but yet cool funky crochet table center piece in one of my sacks from the thrift store, where I had stored my raffia.
First I was a bit shocked...would I really put this on my dining room table?
I did and love it.

The smaller orange doily went onto the baker's rack, to highlight my little serving set. Again, a bold move, but ...

I was sporting this newest addition of vintage handbags yesterday while out yarn shopping. It has a wood bottom and is awesome.
Another storm warning for tonight, tension is in the air and the wind is blowing forcefully outside. I can't decide what to make, and may just end up creating nothing at all today.
There are days like that, you can't force to create.

"Summer Breeze" (Seals & Crofts, 1974, video)...97F in the Southern plains

Another day when I just want to share one of my all-time favorite songs by Seals & Crofts.
It's hot, mamas & papas, and even though I work, care and live, I am not much of a talker when it's sizzling hot outside and takes the breath away in your car.
Living with one of my biz and life mantras "I refuse to fall behind" I crochet my orders, reconstruct and sew clothes, update my Etsy shop and website, and all the tasks that life demands.
But, it seems less significant to talk about it. The colder seasons brings out more poetry and philosophy. Summer just makes me "exist", with a glass of cold tea, feet up and brain functions at a lesser level:) (don't take that literally now, I will still reply to any emails or messages, just saying...LOL)