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I know this blog very much revolves around a budget handmade lifestyle, but I do love looking at luxury items and dreaming about the day I could make them mine (if ever…). This week I discovered Sac à Baguette and I am in love with their market bags, particularly the Rotterdam. I think the grey and expresso exterior is so chic and the bright red-orange lining is fun enough to meet me color needs. It holds a whopping 6 gallons of groceries and the lining is removable for cleaning. The removable baguette quiver can be used to carry a sizable loaf of bread or even fresh flowers.
Check out the full list of features that make this bag worth it’s $299-329 on the website. Which color-way do you like best?
Introduce yourself…
hi there! my name is christen, and i’m a 23 year old artist, graphic designer, screenprinter, and blogger from mobile, alabama. i’ve lived here all my life, except for a brief 3 month period after college graduation where i worked at disney world.. something i’d wanted to do since i was a little girl. i returned home in december 2008 and started my etsy shop in january 2009.
What do you create?
that’s an ever-changing answer, actually. i started off with cards, a few art prints, and stickers. then, i moved into designing custom pieces, including pet silhouettes, and birth announcements. most recently, i’ve started screenprinting jersey scarves and american apparel tees. i’m still in the brainstorming phase of a few new projects, but stay tuned! you never know what i’ll come up with next!
Are you a full-time artist? If not, what do you do as your “day job”?
at the moment, yes. i am a full time artist. my etsy shop is my day job.
What inspires you?
everything! patterns, new and interesting color combinations, song lyrics, nature.. you name it! i’m constantly taking pictures of things i see with my iphone (since it’s always with me) to take back home and draw inspiration from.
What does your work space look like?
my current work space is actually a little ridiculous. my computer is set up on a little counter island between the kitchen and the dining room. i’m actually in the process of clearing out a spare room to make into my office (and using your “throw out 50 things challenge” to help me along!) so once i get moved into there, i’ll have a real work space!
Care to walk us through a typical week day in your shoes?
i’m a late sleeper.. i usually get up and going around 9 or 9:30. i head to my little counter, crank up some tunes, relist sold items, answer convos, work on custom pieces, and package orders that need to be mailed. morning is usually also my time to catch up on my favorite blogs and hang out on twitter. i have lunch around noon or 1. after lunch, since the weather is warming up, i like to head outside to sit in the sun and brainstorm my new projects. i run any errands and go to the post office in the late afternoon around 3 or 4. after that, it’s my dog’s favorite time of day.. our walk. supper is around 5 or 6, and then the rest of the evening is usually spent with my incredibly supportive parents who i still live with. that’s our family time.. our tivo has pretty much taken over our lives.
Give us a 5 song playlist you are currently rocking to…
- everybody loves me – onerepublic
- bad romance – lady gaga
- hometown glory – adele
- if it kills me – jason mraz
- doo doo doo doo doo (heartbreaker) – the rolling stones
If you want to know more about Christen you can find her on her blog Good Day Sunshine or on Indie Icing where she is a guest blogger. Also check out her amazing graphic work and screen printed goods in her shop LetterHappy. Thank you for sharing Christen!
I’m now over the hump and it’s getting harder. I tackled the bathroom today. I’m not really a make-up person but every time I do this I seem to have accumulated quite a bit.
- A pile of U-Line Catalogs. Who am I kidding? I do all my U-Line shopping online.
- A hose we bought when the dog got sick. Didn’t end up using it and don’t need it until we have a real home of our own. Still have the receipt taped to it. It’s going back to the store.
- A pile of vintage encyclopedias. I had every intention of selling these or using them for something crafty. Of course I didn’t and don’t plan to. Donated.
- A box of floating candles. A gift I know I will never use. I’ll see if my grandma wants them. Otherwise they will be donated.
- A round tin. Used to hold coasters. I never put the coasters in it. It just sits in a drawer. Donated.
- A bottle of perfume. I don’t remember buying this. But I know Jared didn’t like it, so no sense in keeping it. It looks like it’s hardly been used. Donated.
- A picture frame. It was gifted to my Grandma who couldn’t figure out how to put photos in. I took is reluctantly and tried to make it work in our living room. Just couldn’t get into it. It’s a nice frame though. Donated.
- A bag of make-up. Mostly free samples and impulse eyeshadow buys. I really only use one small bag of MAC make-up that suits every occasion. I don’t need all this.
- A loofah. I don’t use loofahs.
- Free clothes. The sweater was in lost and found forever in my dorm in college. The shirt was a hand-me-down that never really fit right. I probably figured I would take it in. Yea right. Donated.
BONUS: Another 50 craft clothespins. Don’t need this pack either. Donated.
So 30 things down. Looking at the pile in the corner of our kitchen feels pretty good, but it’s surprising how walking around the house it doesn’t look much different. The hall closet looks better, the dresser feels much better and the bathroom feels a little better today. Jared has yet to start on his 10 things. Maybe if I publicly call him out here he’ll get it down (wink wink).