Etsy Scandal: Ecologica Malibu

"Etsy is more than a marketplace: we're a community of artists, creators, collectors, thinkers and doers."

Or should that read: CON-artists???

Over the weekend the fraggles (in my opinion) at Etsy, Inc. made the genius decision to slip (alleged) reseller Ecologica Malibu a.allegedly k.a. Bali Ha'i Imports into their coveted Etsy Featured Seller slot.  What's the big deal?  Well, after all ...

"Etsy is the world’s handmade marketplace.  Our mission is to empower people to change the way the global economy works. We see a world in which very-very small businesses have much-much more sway in shaping the economy, local living economies are thriving everywhere, and people value authorship and provenance as much as price and convenience. We are bringing heart to commerce and making the world more fair, more sustainable, and more fun."

... According to them. 

Competition: Friend or Foe?

What does competition mean to you?  Does it have to be a "bad" thing?  Does the end result justify the means when it comes to more than one person achieving at a certain level, task, or career path?  Much like love, and war, is all really fair in chasing down a goal?  Is it ok to throw ethics out the window in order to be on top?

I ask these things, because this notion of competing has been on my mind lately.  I'm learning that it clearly means something different to everyone, and I'm left wondering if many people really believe it's ok to completely forgo ethical practices all in the name of "success," and since we're on the topic, where exactly does that ethical line lie? 

Color Me Happy!

On the heels of this week's lows, came some pretty unexpected highs.  It's funny, they always say when a door closes, a window opens, and so it seemed with the discovery of a new-to-me blog that I can't believe I've lived this long without!  Pugly Pixel now neatly nestled into my sidebar is the brain child of a massively creative chick by the name of Katrina, and let me tell you she is a force, to be sure!  I accidentally stumbled upon her virtual presence by way of another fave brought to us by Victoria Smith, SF Girl By Bay - which, if you're not familiar, you must make yourself.  I've lurked on Victoria's blog for ages now, and always find it a wealth of information, and am hopelessly in love with the gratuitous display of design heavy eye candy.  Whenever I'm down, or find my creativity tapped out, I take a spin around her posts, because nothing kicks my imagination back into high gear like saturating my brain with interesting images, and she delivers, let me tell you.  In fact, don't let me tell you -- Go!  Click!  See for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

Promises, Promises

This week has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me juggling projects old, and new, making changes around the ol' blogstead with even more to come (ooooh, suspense!), replenishing inventory, and drawing from my inspiration-well to get me through the creativity slump.  It was during this virtual inspirational stroll - pail in hand ready to dip into the cool, fresh water of like minded creative chicks (and their blogs I lurk on) when I was met with, I won't say "bitter" disappointment, but more like utter disappointment in the virtual company I'd been keeping.

I'm not really a blog-aholic kind of gal, but I do have a small list of faves I like to check in on now and again.  In an age where you need to be S.C.U.B.A. certified to swim through the ever growing blog deluge for me it's important to narrow it down to a handful of specific blogs speaking to the very things that spark my imagination (lotsa eye candy, a must!), published by creative women whom I respect as people, writers, and as a source of inspiration not just in the neato colors they pick out for their next project or their super-duper blog backgrounds, but as businesswomen in "The Industry."  

Yawn, Stretch...

It's time to get motivated, and shake the atrophy of hibernation already! You may have noticed a few missing Treasury Tuesday features, but we've been busy 'round these parts. We've got so much to talk about, but before we get to that I've got some fresh goodies to help you get motivated for that time of year so closely related to organization, and simplification:

Hand knitted, fuss - free cowls created in juicy 2012 colors designed for ultimate versatility.  As easily tucked into a winter coat, as layered over your light Spring jacket, or pulled on after a sunny, Summer beach side day waiting for the bonfire this garment travels!

 

Mother Nature actually cooperated for the photo sesh!

As illustrated above, you might've guessed that we were a bit snowed in, then melty & floody, and now finally as I write this the wind and rain are violently thrashing through the night. It's been slightly schizophrenic to say the least. There have been a few bright spots however, aside from freshly fallen snow, which you know makes me act like a five year old (not so unlike an ocean beach)! One being the new (well, new to us in the States) season of Mistresses, which came with a HUGE surprise in the season opener. Are you ready for this? Joanna Lumley is guesting as the mother of the characther played by Sarah Parish (who you will know as Kate Winslet's coworker in the opening of The Holiday if you love a good Christmas rom-com as much as I do) which made me gasp and yell "PATSY STOOOOOOOOOOONE!!!!" at the television. I was then convinced that somewhere a hole had been ripped in the space-time continuum, could it be possible? AbFab + Mistresses??? Obviously Ms. Lumley has done more than play a drunk, stoner on a cult comedy, but I've been lovin' Pats since stumbling upon an AbFab marathon on an obscure channel in the early 90s (and yes I totally lost my mind over the 2012 episodes). What can I say, you've been warned about guilty pleasures!

Other than shrieking at the tv, and knitting my brains out, I also finally applied for my business license ... I know, I've been a bit behind the 8 ball, but decided it was time to operarate the biz on the up and up, and legitimize things around here (oh yeah, and it was approved)!

That's it for now, my lovlies! xoxo

Merry Christmas!

xoxo

The Bridge on the River Why?

I've never really been one of those "anything goes" kinda gals.  I do try to subscribe to a live, and let live sort of attitude, provided no one is in danger or being hurt - you know, that sort of thing - so it may be of very little surprise to learn I've been called, well I've been called a lot of things, and some of them not so untrue, but, a bridge burner once or twice in my life (probably more than that, even!). 

What's funny to me about this is that it's one of those things said in a manner where the deliverer of this information truly seems to believe they've stumbled upon some epic mystery of your psyche;  Some awesome revelation of your most intimate self.  And most of all making you aware that it's a bad thing.  What's shocking to me is how words and definitions have become almost completely subjective today.  How old adages are now twisted, and misused to excuse deplorable behavior is more surprising still.  It seems everywhere we look there's another meddler just shrugging, and reminding us "it is what it is," in the ever so nonchalant air, or overgrown brats causing unnecessary arguments and preaching forgiveness at every turn.  And of course, my favorite, the good old fashioned, generic trouble maker with their two-face deception, lies, and the nonstop chatter once your back is turned, who lecture acceptance. 

"I Cannot Endure To Waste Anything So Precious

as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

1804-1864

I couldn't agree more, but for those moody,  stormy (or should that be Stormy?) Fall days few things can be so nice as curling up with a good mystery - ghost story peppered with a little American history. 

I was utterly delighted shortly after digging into The House of the Seven Gables to discover how appropriately suited the Gothic tale was to the manic moods of my favorite time of year.  I won't bore you with a totally useless book review.  I always thought, if I'm not supposed to judge a book by its cover, then why would I base my decision to read it on someone else's opinion? 

Besides, how many books have you had fully ruined by reading an overly extensive review? I'm talking to you, Amazon.com reviewers -- it's a merchandise review for an online shopping mecca, not your thesis! My disdain for online shopping, and smug book reviewers aside, I really enjoyed this book, but I'm into stories based on actual places that the author had a real history with ... and I dig a guy who can rival me for run-on sentances. By this standard alone, I knew from the first page this would be a match made in Heaven!

I highly recommend this book if you're in the mood for a nice little mystery, and if the oversaturation of woods such as "plebian," and "beseech" will help you purge the airhead vernacular of today's "literature" *cough*LizGilbert*cough* from your brain before it turns to goo!

Next on deck:  Jane Austen's Persuasion, which is said to be Pride and Prejudice's more mature sister ... a book that completely bored me to tears in High School, and coincidentally made me unjustly hate Collin Firth for the better part of his carreer.  It wasn't until adulthood that I figured out Jane Austen was actually funny, ironic, and sarcastic without being overly cynical.  Another triumph of the institution of American education which firmly adhered to the philosophy of force feeding us the teacher's opinion, and cramming us full of facts solely to be regurgitated back as test answers.  I'm excited nonetheless to sink my teeth into this new selection!

Happy reading!

xoxo