A Visit to the Wicked Peacock Shop

This past weekend, my sister Carolyn and I took a little trip up to Rockport, MA for the Grand Opening of Wicked Peacock, and I don't think I've ever been to a cuter boutique in my life! Having never been to Rockport before, I knew we were in for a day of fun the second we pulled into town. I felt like I was on summer vacation walking through all of the little shops by the harbor.

When Carolyn and I walked through the doors of Wicked Peacock, we already wanted to buy everything in the store. Between the unique rings, bauble necklaces, stacked bracelets, head scarfs, sunnies, graphic tanks, and adorable scarfs, we had a hard time deciding what to buy. I seriously wish I could make Wicked Peacock my own personal accessory closet!

I ended up taking home the cutest pair of bow earrings and a mint chevron scarf. Carolyn chose a cat head scarf and some amazing sunnies that she can't wait to rock on an upcoming trip to the Caribbean!

Not only were the products in the shop amazing, but the decor was gorgeous as well! Silvana, the shop owner, did a fabulous job styling her new space with the perfect combination of funky, antique, and chic pieces. I mean, take a look at this black and gold display. It totally screams "Gatsby" to me. Don't you think?

If you're in the Rockport area, or are looking for a fun place for a day trip, you seriously need to make your way to Wicked Peacock! With summer upon us, I don't think there's a more perfect time to drop in.

And, just in case you can't make it to Rockport before June, the lovely Silvana is offering a 20% discount off any online purchase just for Creative Soul Spectrum readers through the month of May. Woohoo! Just use the code CSSWP at checkout for your discount!

Many thanks to Silvana for showing Carolyn and I an amazing time during our visit!

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DIY Midi Rings

Oh my gosh, I feel like I haven't posted a DIY for you guys in so long! But, today I've got a good one. Lately I've really been loving the above the knuckle / midi ring trend. Compared to the giant bauble rings that I usually wear, I find these dainty little rings to be so pretty. However, I've been having a hard time finding where to buy them. Luckily, I've just discovered that they are so easy to make yourself!

All you need is some gold jewelry wire, small beads, wire cutters, round nose pliers, chain pliers, and a cylindrical object that is about the size of your finger. It is better that your cylindrical object be a little too big than a little too small if you can't find something that is the perfect size.

Start by cutting a small piece of gold wire, and wrap it around your cylinder once. Using the round nose pliers, begin to twist the end of the wire into itself. At this point, slip a bead onto the wire at this point, then continue to twist the wire into a spiral. Repeat this process on the other end of the wire. 

Now you have a brand new midi ring! So easy, right?

If you want to make a simple stacked-style ring, start by wrapping the wire around your cylinder as many times as you would like. Snip off any excess wire with your wire cutters. Then, so the ends of the wire don't poke your finger, bend them back and squish them together with your chain pliers like I've done in the photo below.

One little spool of gold wire will make dozens of these midi rings, so get creative and try a bunch of different styles so you can mix and match them. The more midi rings the better!

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Lavender & Lace Blog Design

Hellooo May! I am so glad that this month is here, and I'm 100% ready to soak up the gorgeous weather that it brings! Aren't you? You may have noticed that in the last few weeks, my blog posts have been a little bit spread out, and this weather has something to do with that. I have to admit, my posting may continue at this rate and I just want to explain the reasons why. The first reason simply being that I have a serious case of spring fever and want to enjoy this beautiful weather away from my computer. The second reason is that life is moving so fast these days and I am trying to make time for everything while keeping a health balance. Finally, a big reason that my blog posts are slowing down is that my freelance business is picking up; which is a great thing! I plan on adding a design portfolio here in the near future so you can see what I've been up to, and eventually I will offer a list of design services as well. In the meantime I want to share with you one of my most recent projects.

Last month, Laura of Lavender and Lace, reached out to me to design some elements for her brand new blog. She wanted a clean, "less is more" design with a lavender color scheme and bouquet of lavender tied with lace in the header. I knew that the style of the lavender bouquet would set the tone for the rest of the design, so I worked on that first. I began by hand drawing the bouquet using watercolor pencils and sketch markers. I then scanned that drawing to my desktop and recreated it in photoshop. Once the lavender bouquet was complete, the rest of the design came naturally.

With the new design in place, I'm looking forward to seeing how Laura's blog develops. She's already off to a wonderful start, sharing posts about life, food, travel and more. I noticed she even had a DIY in the mix... one of my favorite categories! So make sure you bop on over to Lavender and Lace today and show Laura some love by welcoming her to the blogging community!

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A Moment of Silence for Boston

I'm so happy to report that things are finally getting back to normal here in Boston. The reopening of Boylston Street has played a big role in making that happen, and the warm weather has the people of Boston walking down that very street with smiles on their faces. Our return to normalcy, however, does not mean that we have forgotten what happened here, and I don't think we ever will. On Monday, we remembered the victims of the Boston Marathon attack with a state-wide moment of silence. I joined hundreds of others at the corner of Boylston and Berkley, alongside the crime scene barrier and a memorial for the victims, as we stood in silence until bells rang throughout the city. After the moment of silence I was able to take a few photographs, and I want to share them with you. I think they speak for themselves...

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We Are Boston Strong

Let me just start by saying how proud I am to be writing this post from the beautiful city of Boston this morning, where, thanks to the Boston Police Department and many other law enforcement agencies, I am not feeling one bit of fear. Although I can't believe it has only been a week since tragedy struck the heart of our city, it has certainly been a long one. When I learned about the lives that had been lost, and all of those who were severely injured at the hands of these cowardly terrorists, I was completely devastated. But, in the days that followed these heinous acts, I was so proud to see the people of Boston come together with confidence that we would find who did this and we would rise above it. And we did!! Although there is still grieving to be done, I am comforted in knowing that the healing process can begin. For those with severe injuries from the attack, the physical healing process may take a very long time, but thankfully with The One Fund foundation, we can all do a little bit to help them out.

When I thought about what else I could do to help with the healing process, I turned to what I know best... art / design. So today, I want to share this free Boston Strong iPhone background with all of you. It may not be much, but having it on your phone will be a constant reminder that we are strong, and united, and that we will persevere together. If you're on your phone you can just save the image above to your photos and use it right away. If you're on your desktop you can download the image here.

Last week I was able to use my art in another way. While walking through the Boston Public Garden early Thursday morning with my sister, I noticed that the Make Way for Ducklings were wearing their Easter Bonnets. Like most people from this area, these ducklings hold a special place in my heart. In fact, they are a big part of my home decor. When I saw them in the park that day, I was surprised that they weren't wearing any Boston gear. Since these little guys are often seen wearing jerseys to show support for our Boston teams, I thought that there should be a way for them to show support for Boston at a time when we need it most. That day I designed these little marathon bibs for each of the ducklings to wear, then brought them over to the park with a couple of my coworkers to put them in place. It was my hope that they could bring some smiles to Boston during this dark time. I hope it's working, and that you all have a reason to smile today!

Stay strong Boston!!!

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