Temporary Relevance

Quit your day job: elizandaxel

temporaryrelevance — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:44:46 +0000

Every couple of weeks (I think…at least that’s how often I notice it) Etsy posts a story about how one of their featured sellers went from corporate prison to small business success. I LIVE for this stuff. When I’m sitting in my tiny office, at my desk with the phone I share with three other people, missing natural sunlight, these are the stories that give me hope for better days.

Today, the quit your day job feature was about elizandaxel. This chick was able to make selling her gorg tees and tanks on Etsy her full time job in under a year. Swoon. Definitely check out the full story for inspiration.

Ohmydeer: Handmade flowers for your hair (gorg)

temporaryrelevance — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:23:41 +0000

I finally decided how I want to wear my hair for my wedding in July. For a while I thought I’d wear it down and flowy, but then I came back down to earth and realized that it’s going to be July and humid as hell. So, I’m wearing it up and messy with a gorgeous handmade flower, custom made by ohmydeer.

Ohmydeer is Chelsea Petaja. She makes super feminine and fabulous floral headbands, hair clips, and more. Especially when it comes to wedding fashions, there is just a sea of predictable, generic crap out there- so it’s great to come across some bridal accents that don’t look like they came from Claire’s Accessories.

I sent Chelsea a picture of my wedding dress and a couple of links to items in her store that I liked and she wrote me back with suggestions about what type of piece would best suit what I was looking for. I didn’t have to do much, her suggestions were pretty much on the money, and I couldn’t be happier.

I love love love buying handmade and supporting small businesses, especially when the products are 100 times better than the mass produced goods I could buy at a department store.

Check out ohmydeer on Etsy- and p.s. the pieces aren’t exclusively for weddings, many of the pieces are very versatile and could definitely be worn time and time again. So bride or not, take a look…and let me know if you don’t love it.

Listen to this: Passion Pit

temporaryrelevance — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:23:55 +0000

My most recent obsession: Passion Pit. An electronic band from Cambridge, Mass. (wooo, represent MA!). Check out “Sleepyhead” below.

I’ve been listening to this album while cleaning the house, working on my screen printing, cooking dinner, getting ready to go out and brushing my teeth. I’ve basically been listing to it non stop for a couple of weeks. And it hasn’t failed to put me in a good mood yet.

Living in Australia at the moment, I have no idea if these guys are getting any airplay in the US, or if they did like 6 months ago…since we tend to get everything on a 6-12 month delay here…I just got the full album (entitled Manners) and I am LOVING it. Definitely one of those albums that plays really well the whole way through, and doesn’t trick you into buying it via one great single only to disappoint on every other track.

I love music, but I’m not going to go into a lengthy analysis of this album’s musical qualities. I’ll just say it’s great and you’ll have to trust me.

Give your money to Zappos

temporaryrelevance — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:27:58 +0000

Lately I’ve been trying to make an effort to learn a little bit about a company before I give them my money. For example, if I’m shopping online I try to, at the very least, read the company history, about, mission statement, corporate blog etc. Something I think most people (myself included at times) tend to forget is that every purchase you make is a vote towards keeping the supplying company (and all of its suppliers) in business – you’re supporting what they stand for and what their goals are, no matter how small the purchase.

I’m not trying to get on my high horse, because I’ve done plenty of shopping at Wal Mart in my day, but I’ve just been realizing more and more that consumers have power and we should be using it. And now I’ll get off my soap box and go back to the hippie commune.

BUT ANYWAY! Enough preface- A couple of weeks ago I bought a pair of shoes from Zappos.com. I’ve bought shoes from Zappos a couple of times, but I’ve never really given a second thought about the company itself. With my new found need to check out a company’s philosophy before purchasing, I went to the corporate/careers section of their website. The below video is what I found first.

Holy F. Let me get this straight: The CEO makes less than the call center workers and works in a cubicle (covered by fake jungle?), they offer you $2,000 to turn the job down when you complete training, and all the food in the cafeteria and vending machines is free?

Right. The only thing I get for free from my company is instant coffee and a daily soul crushing.

If only more companies could be like Zappos…now give them your money slash apply for a job there.

Taking fugly footwear to new levels: Vibram FiveFingers

temporaryrelevance — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:11:32 +0000

Um. I don’t even really have the words to aptly summarize my feelings about this:

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, written by Ms. Diabolina, when I was first introduced to the concentrated fug that is Vibram FiveFingers. I know what you’re thinking- okay, okay, there must be some reasonable explanation as to why these atrocities exist. They must be for when you’re walking on slippery rocks and want to have the ability to pick things up with your toes…? The company website describes FiveFingers as “barefoot performance footwear”. Honestly, no matter how you describe them, you can only spell FUG one way, Vibram.

Now, we haven’t even gotten to crux of my astonishment regarding FiveFingers yet. I was taken to new levels of disbelief when Diabolina reveled that the reason she was introduced to these fugs was because a coworker WORE THEM TO WORK. WTF YOU GUYS. I’m sorry, did I miss the memo about it suddenly being appropriate to wear webbed mountaineering shoes to work like they’re a perfectly good replacement for a pair of heels?

Listen, Weird Coworker, I know you march to the beat of your own drum and you probably bought these shoes for recreational use at first, but it’s time for an intervention. This morning, when you put these on, did you look in the mirror and think “hmm…can I get away with these at the office?…probably not…no, wait, they kind of look like flats. You know what? I bet no one will even notice! No one looks at your feet anyway.” WRONG. FAIL. Someone needs to be your surrogate BFF and tell it to you straight- what you do on your on time is your business, but you can’t bring shit like this into the office. Do you want to be known as that fucking weird girl from Accounts? No, I didn’t think so. Leave your fish shoes at home.

thank you and goodnight.

I want this {camera holder} from {hine}’s Esty shop

temporaryrelevance — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:58:03 +0000

Sundays are perfect for lazing about, day dreaming and browsing Etsy for not yet discovered treasures.

Today I stumbled upon this super cute hipster camera case from hine.

I love this as an alternative to the typical, chunky (read: fugly) camera case. This will easily fit into a small purse, and will probably keep your camera safer than the sock I sometimes use for mine (oh come on, you’ve done it too).

At $49, it’s slightly pricey, but considering the time spent to craft all of the thoughtful details (stiching, etc.), I think I could rationalize picking this up as a birthday/holiday/rainy day present.

What about you- found any treasures this weekend that I should be adding to my things I don’t really need pile?

Pssssst

temporaryrelevance — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:11:10 +0000

have you voted yet?

J’adore: Spring/Summer Dresses from ModCloth

temporaryrelevance — Fri, 29 May 2009 11:57:42 +0000

Ok, so it might be winter here in Australia, but it’s spring in my homeland. And spring means breezy dresses in fun colors. Hooray!

I’ve mentioned ModCloth a couple of times now, and not because I’m getting any kickbacks, I just genuinely really love the style of clothes they offer. They’ve got a hipster feel, without being over the top and aren’t-I-quirky-and-off-beat?

The prices are really reasonable too, nothing over $75 in these picks.

Pick 1: Stella’s Dress in Sunshine

I’m a sucker for: sweetheart necklines (check), vintage silhouettes (check) and bold florals (check!), so this baby is perfection to me. Perfect for day, with a simple cardigan and sandals, and definitely a fit for a night time summer party or drinks out with lady friends.

Pick#2: Classic Cocktail Party Dress

Hello, lover. and hello bow detail. I love me a big fat bow. I think I was born in the wrong decade. If only I could have been a teenager in the 80′s instead of toddler…sigh. But since I have to be a modern lady, I can live with gorgeous specimens like this instead. I love this dressed down for the office, or dressed up slightly for night.

Pick #3: Senior Skip Dress

Sick of jeans as your go-to for weekend errands and general outside of work running around? I love a dress like this as an alternative. Throw on some simple wedges or sandals and minimal jewelry, and you’ll be ready to leave the house in minutes. Give me quick, simple and chic and I’m a happy camper.

Which one do you love best? I (not so secretly) want to buy them all, but my Mr./credit card won’t let me.

Shoe heaven: Jean-Michel Cazabat Open Toe Glitter Pumps

temporaryrelevance — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:12:46 +0000

Jean-Michel Cazabat Katoucha Open Toe Glitter Pumps

Dear God,

I’d like these shoes. I know what you’re thinking- I can barely walk in flats without falling over, so how do I plan on getting around injury-free in 4.25 inch heels? Listen God, I think you’re missing the point, can you please focus on the important stuff, like how hot I would look in them? I could wear them with basically everything- LBD, to work, grocery shopping, the gym. The price per wear is practically going down by every second!

So in conclusion, please give me these shoes. I don’t have the $650 to buy them myself, but I trust that you’ll do the right thing and deliver them to me serendipitously.

hugs and kisses,

Blog you should have thought of: Passive-aggressive notes

temporaryrelevance — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:18:53 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Passive Aggressive Notes for a couple of years now. I fall into cycles of checking it daily, to forgetting it exists and then rediscovering it all over again. I recently remembered that it existed and have been reveling in it’s glory.

The premise: Readers send in photos of passive aggressive notes they encounter- either addressed to themselves or others. and then, basically, hilarity ensues. Remember in college, when you first moved into the dorm and someone kept leaving clumps of hair in the showers, and then someone posted a note in the girls bathroom in pink highlighter saying “GIRLS- PLEASE DON’T LEAVE YOUR HAIR IN THE SHOWER. IT’S GROSS. WE ALL HAVE TO LIVE HERE. K THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”? Or perhaps you’ve encountered the ever famous work kitchen note- “YOUR MOTHER DOESN’T WORK HERE. WASH YOUR OWN DISHES”? These examples are simply the premise, the actual content of the notes from Passive Aggressive Notes are simply a-mazing.

Need proof? ok.

honestly, how can you resist? The only downside? It’s a total timesuck. I promise you’ll be addicted. But hey, it’s a pretty good way to kill the hours between 3 and 5pm when you’re pretending to do work while simultaneously counting down the seconds until happy hour.