***Song of the Moment: Mayfair, by Nick Drake***

]]> http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/today/feed/ 2 http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/random-pop-the-ultimate-lovebird-earrings/ http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/random-pop-the-ultimate-lovebird-earrings/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:31:24 +0000 betsy http://www.betsyandiya.com/blog/?p=1672 I can’t get OVER how much I love this image.

I wish I could say my own version of the lovebird earrings was born out of this scrumdiddilyumpscious lady image…

Don’t you just want to be friends with her??

Happy dappy Monday to all you lovelies!  I plan on having a productive (and Olympic) week; this Oregon sunshine has really had a bolstering affect on me!

(don’t forget to enter the Giveaway!…you have one week!!)

***Song of the Moment:  Sun is King, by Laura Veirs***

It comes out of that place of being slightly uncomfortable, but once it’s there, it just goes wild…

there it is.

and then it sort of takes off.

and once it’s going…

…it would be MORE awkward to turn it off…

…so we let it play out.

and see where it takes us…

The best is when we figure we can take a stab at those ridiculously unbecoming model poses.

hmmm…  it’s the face.  if the face is wrong, it throws the whole thing off.  The expression is key.  Look how I NAIL it in these last few pics.

yes.  if you hesitate, you’re in trouble.  it’s all about follow through, folks.  and then you’re smooth sailing—picking berries at prom.

Boots:  Portland Outdoor Store.

Textured Tights:  Nordstrom.

Vintage navy blue slip:  Folly.

Ocean Dress: Stewart & Brown.

Cowboy Shirt: Vintage shop in NY.

Glasses: Amy Sacks.

Sassy Hoops: betsy & iya.

I hope you all have colorful and productive Wednesdays in your own ridiculously awkwardly awesome model poses!  (If you choose to do any, please please take a pic and send it my way.)

***Song of the Moment: About Face, by Grizzly Bear***

This holiday season we’re going to be ALL OVER THE PLACE…starting this weekend!

Please come visit b & i here on Saturday, it’s going to be ridiculously warm and fuzzy:

There are lots of wonderful vendors in the line-up, including my sweet crafty friend, handmade julz.

If you can’t make it on Saturday, no fear, I’ll be over at Seven Dees on Sunday, November 8th!!  Bazaars bizarro bravo shmavo!

This is just the beginning, you guys.  Seriously.  Stay tuned for announcements of MANY more holiday events to come!  Including:

Crafty Wonderland’s Super Colossal Holiday Event

and at the fashion show JUNK to FUNK at the Crystal Ballroom!  (I’ll be unleashing the whole of my Old Turns New line.)

Also, lookout for many more Outfits of the Days (the easiest way for me to stay in touch with the blogosphere while maintaining a crazy holiday season!).

For now, it’s time to make my fingers fall off.  (I need to make at LEAST 40 pairs of earrings today).  Have lovely Mondays!!  xo-betsy

***Song of the Moment: The Season, by The Dodos***

The theme will be:  things that I would wear (maybe. if I were just slightly cooler).

From Copenhagen Street Style blog.  Man, I love those Scandinavians.

I love everything about this photo, also from Copenhagen.  Helga, Lisa, and all my other Scandinavian beauties—I miss you.  Bring your style back over here and visit me!

YES!!!!  This one hurts a little—it’s so good.  From Style Clicker.

Dirty Vintage.  love it.  From Face Hunter.

…will never be cool enough for those boots.  But Portland might dig it.  From Toronto Street Fashion by way of Shark Vs. Bear .

Cigar Chic.  From 2 Threads.

And this is what I would be doing in my cool outfit.  My travels have proven incredibly valuable…but I’m not finished yet.  I have 2 more days in NC to sell to my oldies but goodies and find new indie boutiques wishing to sell b & i.

In the boots/stripes pic, the only thing I would do differently is sport some rad betsy & iya earrings to balance out the elephantiasis-esque condition of the boots.

Inspired back into bold style, I must prepare myself for another day’s selling adventure.  Raleigh, here I come.

***Song of the Moment: Don’t Hide Away, by Bishop Allen***

Fashion does not have to follow the trends of the seasons.  Somewhere someone says that bright popping summer color is forbidden in the darker quarters of the year.  And we believe them??  Not this gal…  All the more reason to color me up.  Fight the norm I say, FIGHT IT.

Or at least, make your own molds.  (And then keep breaking them.)

Shirt:  Pink by Nature, Maui

Scarf: Sloan Boutique, local pdx

Pants: from high school (what!??  …not a pack rat, just a saver)

Belt: Buffalo Exchange, pdx location

Shoes: Shoefly, local pdx

Socks:  (my fave) Sock Dreams, local pdx

Earrings: (you guessed it) betsy & iya (in teal)

(click on the earrings to purchase…make sure to specify which color you prefer)

Brightly colored accessories can completely transform an otherwise mundane outfit.  Literally and Figuratively.  Do it.

***Song of the Moment: Weeks of Rain, by Hauschka***

We’ll start simply and from the bottom of our hearts.

We made each other laugh SO hard that day (every day) on the trip.  This one was incredible.  While under the rainbow, we just couldn’t stop cracking up.  It was a sort of disbelief at the amount of joy that was (is) pouring from our hearts.

And this one…

…it sort of speaks for itself.

Love this simple idea of Aloha (Hawaiian for hello or goodbye), found here:

“Aloha is the coordination of mind and heart . . . it’s within the individual. It brings you down to yourself. You must think and emote good feelings to others.

Okay okay, I keep aplogizing for neglecting my blog and it looks like I’m just going to have to let that go, for now…not the blog, but apologizing for not being here every day.  When I’m here, I’ll be here fully—know that.  Sometimes keeping up with a thriving jewelry business, creating plays, and planning a wedding at the same time, gets to be a little hectic!

No boundaries:

(Again with the blurry photo.  There’s so much action behind me, lots of blended colors and short breaths.  But there I stand in the middle, brightly signed, focused, breathing…it says to me, “I’m gonna get through this.”)

And boy did I get through it!?!!  The Bargain Hunting 101 sale at the Crystal Ballroom was such a wonderful event.  I first attended the bi-annual sale in February, as a shopper.  I was so overwhelmed by the amazing indie goodness and MAD sales, that when presented with the opportunity to sell there, I jumped onto the wagon head first and didn’t look back.

I wore:

Dress: strapless bright orange linen, with frilly hot pink detail from Zachary’s Smile in NYC

Cardigan: purchased at United Colors of Beneton seems-like-they’re-going-out-of-business sale in DC

Hosiery: I can always find the best/craziest tights at Nordstrom.

Boots: do I even have to say?  The most awesome Fryes from  Johnny Sole in PDX.

Apron: an original made by my amazing assitant, Lupe, for these such events.  It helps keep me in check.

Necklace & Earrings: Two one-of-a-kind pieces from yours truly.  The earrings were made with scrap ribbon from online orders; and the necklace from aftrican trade copper on ribbon.  The earrings are mine and the necklace was purchased off my neck at the event.  I made many new designs to test at this huge sale event.  Luckily, they were all a hit and I have MUCH work to do in adding new items to my shop.

I’ll leave you with this new design as a teaser:

(These are the Lindsay SUPERsass earrings; named after my lovely, spunky little cousin.  You can click on the picture for a direct link to purchase.)

This outfit was inspired by my assistant, Lupe.  She always storms into work with the most daring color combos, textures, and shapes all under the same-day-outfit roof.  I thought I was a wild dresser!!  I had no idea.

I knew I wanted to wear my new(ish) orange dress.  And then I wanted stripes and arms, because it was cold.  And then I wanted semi-protection on my legs and instead of opting for the most coordinating hosiery, I chose my favorite.  That set the tone for the rest of the outfit.  I continued picking my favorite choices for the purposes they could fulfill, and then I had a wacky outfit set out on the bed—and I went for it!

I felt FANTASTIC and ended up having a great/relaxed time selling.  (I like how I say “relaxed” and in these photos, you can see Lupe in blue, to the left of me, working her butt off with customers—taking payments, answering questions, wrapping purchases, etc…ah, life is good.)

I hope this bright orange, purple, striped, no boundary outfit is an indication of how this week will pan out.  I need it!

***Song of the Moment: The State I Am In, by Belle & Sebastian***

It was super hot and muggy in Portland when I put this number together.  At first I thought it would be a real bust, but then it grew on me and I decided it deserved OOTD status.  I know there are a number of you out there missing my regular OOTDs, and I’m going to try my hardest to hop back on the cool outfit wagon as time rolls on.

You know though, with shows in foreign places, awesome press, wonderful new stores selling my wares, and …oh yeah, getting married in one month…time has sort of slipped out of my hands.  I do think this outfit was the perfect thing to pull me back into it.

Shirt:  old cut off wife-beater.  (I know that’s not a very PC term for a shirt, but where I’m from, that’s what we call it and I can’t just call it a white tank top…I can’t do it.)

Skirt: Vintage prairie skirt from Village Merchants on Division.  Love it.

Shoes: Soda from Ether on NW 23rd.  (While I don’t love how the employees act while shopping in this boutique, I do still love supporting local.  Just…come oooon girls, be nice!  It’ll make your day better, I promise.)

Earrings:  b & i shamless love line.  These make me feel happy. (click on the earring picture and you can get some for yourself.)

I know it’s been awhile, but I’m still here.  I always was.  And I always will be.

Thanks for stickin’ with me, y’all.

xoxoxo- betsy

***Song of the Moment: Temecula Sunrise, by Dirty Projectors***

Courtney from kelly + olive (an AMAZING e-decorating site…seriously, USE THEM) is a long time friend.  We met years before betsy & iya and kelly + olive were even baby zygotes.  We were theatre junkies in Virginia at the time (we still kind of are…secret sides of our lives), but style was always knocking on the door—popping her head in to say hello.

I’ve always admired Courtney and been impressed by the amazing woman she’s become.  She used to live in Portland (wah wah) and comes to visit on occasion.  She came to me with some mini champagne, stinky cheese and fresh bread from City Market on 21st.  It was so nice to escape from work and spend a sunny PDX afternoon with her.

Her style was rocking (as per usual) that day.  I like how simple and elegant this particular look is.  The girl looks good in anything! Dress, shoes, purse…kazam!

dress: an old Gap goodie.  clean lines, simple, beautiful.

earrings: betsy & iya

(brand new b & i design, currently owned by the beautiful lovely,  Courtney)

This time she couldn’t leave without a new pair of earrings.  She looked so darn cute in them that I had to capture it and share it with you.

Make sure you check out her awesome work at kelly + olive.  And definitely check out her inspiring blog, here.  I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with.  It’s beyond satisfying to watch your friends grow.  Courtney, you’re great–I’m so glad your stylish self is in my life.

***Song of the Moment: Everything in its Right Place, by Radiohead***