WIENERS.

So apparently National Dog Day is a thing. I had no idea. Being the mother of two naturally beautiful wiener pups (one is a dachshund mix of some kind, but whatever), I have decided that this adorable holiday will be celebrated in the most obvious way: FLOODING THIS POST WITH PHOTOS. Wiener photos. So my last post was entitled BALLS. If you are offended by the direction of my post titles, just forget about it & LOOK AT THESE DOGS, YO.

Baxter & Layla.

Baxter was rescued in 2008, at the tender age of one year old. HE CAME FROM THE STREETS. This dog is hard. Not in a red rocket fashion, thankfully. He was super skinny & we nursed him to the plump state he is in today. Baxter enjoys cuddling, his sister, cuddling his sister, squirrels, attention, his mom, & dog bones. He is a resilient pup that overcame paralysis of half of his body due to calcified discs on his spine, & a surgery to remove NINE kidney stones. AND YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE TOUGH. He is a needy, stinky little sweetie pooh, though. I love him.

Layla was rescued from a shelter in 2009. Just a shy little baby at 6 months old, but so sweet & friendly. Layla enjoys cuddling, her brother, cuddling her brother, squirrels, attention, her mom, & dog bones. She is also a resilient pup, having survived a SUPER traumatic collar entanglement with a friend's dog. Seriously, the worst night of our dog-mom lives. Dogs choking, bleeding, fear-pooping & peeing...it was terrible. This may be why Layla is quite jumpy. I'd say she is a good mix of fearless & jumpy, if there is such a thing. She has the softest fur & the stinkiest breath. I love her.

Thank you for learning about my fur babies. Pretty soon (in approximately 5 weeks) you will be enjoying &/or annoyed with pictures of my REAL baby. All over this here place. GET IT, GIRRRRRL.
xoxo, Jenna

Balls.

Oh, you know. Just paintin balls n stuff. Work in progress.

thebeadsmiths

it's all Black, White, & Gold, baby: part three

It all started with discovering Carter's Black & White Collection, with little touches of gold. I fell in love. So in love, in fact, that what should've been one post turned into three. Part one & Part two. I looked to Pinterest for some Pinspiration...WHAT A PUN. WORDMASTER. MASTER OF WORDS.

giraffe // cloud via babble

tiger // zebra (link does not exist)

polka dots // stripes via the boo & the boy

transitional // triangles

There is something so clean looking about crisp white with black details. There is also something about white that is terrifying...just begging to be stained by baby fluids & messes. Oh, well. I will not let fear run my household or my life, homeslice. I digress. What to do after finding baby room Pinspiration? Go shopping for baby room decor, of course. Wall accessories, blankets, & some plush toys...

one: obligatory tassel garland
2: heart print
3: triangle decals
four: decorative lighting
5: cloud mobile
6: bowl for pacifiers or little bows
seven: wishbone for good luck

1: triangle quilt
2: swiss crosses blanket
three: chevron blanket
4: arrows & crosses blanket
five: glitter hearts blanket
6: crosses & stripes quilt
7: metallic polka dots blanket
8: white arrows crib sheets
nine: geometric blanket

1: soft spikes
2: chevron elephant
3: polka dot ball
4: plush raccoon
5: aztec rattle
6: bunny ears teething toy

That's gotta be all she wrote for today, folks. The rest of my day shall be filled with eating tacos (SIMPLE, AWESOME RECIPE COMING SOON!), washing tiny baby clothes, & watching FLIPPING OUT with Jeff Lewis because every season is on Hulu. BOOYA.

"Jenny's wearing these outfits now, that look like they're painted on...it was ridiculous. I mean, I could see her ovaries in that jumpsuit." - Jeff Lewis. Love this crazy a-hole.

xoxo, Jenna :)

recently...

Pieces of my life, via Instagram...Business: thebeadsmiths Personal: stinkyfinke

arm party

good hair day

damn, it feels good to be a gangster

cute packaging & free gift with every purchase

xoxo, Jenna

Less is More: NEON

As fun as it was getting carried away with my black, white, & gold baby thangs, I decided it was time to break up those posts with a little bit of color. I'll be back with more cute Etsy finds in the baby department & some Pinterest inspiration. Pinspiration, if you will. For now, Less is More: NEON. Being a frugal lady, I can't condone spending an arm & a leg on even the most beautiful items. I enjoy cheaper alternatives, especially on trendy pieces. Here are some bombs of bright color to dazzle your eyeballs in the form of splurges & steals.

$168 handbag // $26 handbag // $56 bodycon dress // $34 bodycon dress

$595 heels // $100 heels // $136 wallet // $7 wallet

$99 dress shoes // $56 dress shoes // $85 tie // $8 tie

$32 dress socks // $10 dress socks // $42 bow tie // $5 bow tie

THE COLORS! How magical. I don't care if no one is reading this & I appear to be a crazy person talking to myself. I'm used to that feeling. I am enjoying blogging again. If you're out there...leave a comment. LET'S BE FRIENDS & STUFF. ASL?
xoxo, Jenna
PS- PSSST I make neon stuff all the time & it is on the frugal side as well. See?

it's all Black, White, & Gold, baby: part two

Oh, hey. Hi! Hello there. I am back with part two of my black, white, & gold installation. Installment. Huh? Yes. This post is strictly about Etsy finds. My passion for promoting Etsy is a combination of my love for shopping & handmade, and my natural instinct to feel the need to be proud of a platform that hosts my current shop & past shops. Only makes sense. Let's get to it.

1: eagles
2: stripes & polka dots
3: deer
4: stripes
5: prints
6: scribbles
7: stripes & polka dots
8: stripes
9: triangles

1: chevron
2: polka dots
3: metallic
4: anchors
5: metallic
6: polka dots
7: bow
8: tutu & stars

one: fancy aztec
2: polka dots & glitter
3: glitter & stripes
4: gold glitter
five: gold & aztec
six: stripes & glitter
7: glitter & polka dots
8: star power

I can't wait to put cute things on my cute kid. I CAN wait, obviously. I'm just excited. 6 weeks, little nugget. Keep growing. Do not Alien Ressurection your way out of my body, fool.
xoxo, Jenna

it's all Black, White, & Gold, baby: part one

Before I knew the sex of my baby, I had a dream I was having a girl, but I had no preference either way. After I found out my dream was accurate, I was so excited to go shopping for baby girl clothes right away. I went a tad bit overboard with shopping the first week. Everything is extra adorable, pink, floral, etc. I was in love with all the cuteness. I still am, but I quickly settled down from my tiny shopping sprees. I am definitely frugal though, so at least I can give myself credit for that. One trip to Babies R Us, I discovered Carter's Black & White Collection. I was in love again. It's not the most traditional collection of clothes for girls. Black, white, & touches of gold. As much as I would love to dress Adalynn in the entire collection, I am not rich. Or in need of that many more clothes. Check out this big batch of adorable...

The Black & White Collection is available at Carters.com, duh. Don't forget to check the clearance section for many of these pieces.

These are my favorite little onesies. I also got a cardigan with subtle gold sparkle, & some Koala Baby gold glitter espadrilles. A tiny human baby doll is in my near future, for sure. :) Here are some little baby shoes I found on Etsy that I absolutely ADORE...

1: black & white stripes
2: gold floral
3: gold moccasins
4: white & gold chevron

Similar to going overboard with baby clothes shopping, I also went SUPER overboard with this post. It had to be split up into 3 parts. So...more to come! Look forward to more Etsy finds, & some Pinterest inspiration. I hope you had a great weekend, little lovers.
xoxo, Jenna

Things to remember...

Some nice advice & inspiration. Now, how about a TBT?

Baxter & Layla, looking startled & adorable. Circa 2010. Now, for something terrifying...

HAHAHA. Me. Circa...late 80s or early 90s? I promise my parents didn't give me drugs or alcohol. I think.
xoxo, Jenna

an Etsy wedding: part two

I am back with the rest of the Etsy wedding inspiration board goodness. I would link to "an Etsy wedding: part one", but it's, uhhh, literally RIGHT below this one. No need for further explanation. Let's get right to the beautiful...

1: a quirky piece of wall decor
2: a sincere love note
3: a touch of dainty decor

1: a gorgeous wall hanging
two: a unique chandelier
three: a dainty touch of nature
4: an organic centerpiece
5: a touch of vintage & nature
six: a stunning bunch of succulents

one: a touch of geometry
2: a beautiful place setting
three: a touch of sparkle
4: a unique cake stand
five: an adorable paper straw
6: a touch of gold

You may be wondering about the abundance of succulents. Well, you shouldn't be, because they are obviously gorgeous. Another reason I love them, though...is because I hear they're hard to kill. Maybe not hard to kill, but not hard to keep alive. I used to be good at killing plants. I would probably be alright now, since I'm nurturing a human in my uterus & everything. Little baby Addie is way more important than a plant, though. I digress. Weddings are cool. This is the look I'd have in mind for mine. I hope you enjoyed taking a peek inside my brain (err, my Etsy favorites). Have a fabulous HUMPDAYEE!

xoxo, Jenna

an Etsy wedding: part one

When you are pregnant, you become public property. So I am often asked "So, when are y'all getting married?" & when it's from a stranger I obviously want to say "NUNYA BIDNIZ", but that's not in my (usual) nature. On the flip side, I know the first question a newlywed is asked is "So, when are y'all having kids?" and it may drive them nuts as well. I understand the curiosity, but I am in love & have been for years. My relationship is stable, my heart is full, & the little human who will be my new best friend is my top priority over the stress of a wedding. That being said, I definitely intend to marry my boyfriend. It has been discussed in the past & planned for the future. We are content in our present. I, just like most girls, dream of my future wedding. I can't say that I picture it as a whole, but little details stick out in my mind & make me smile. If I could create a rough draft of how my wedding would look, it would be a lot of handmade, on a budget, & a little less traditional. Browsing through my Etsy favorites, I came up with this wedding inspiration board. Enjoy, little lovers.

one: a beautiful rehearsal dress
two: a sparkling necklace
three: a stunning bag
four: a dainty ring

1: a colorful bouquet
2: a unique dress
3: a dainty wedding band
4: a shining nose ring
5: a dainty crown
6: a beautiful ring
7: a pop of color on my neck
8: a stunner for my right hand
9: a pop of color on my feet

1: a sparkling bridesmaids dress
2: an adorable flower girl dress
3: a sweet bowl for the rings
4: a gift for the bridal party

I forgot about the manly things. That's the easy part, anyway. Knowing him, it will be all black. Next inspiration board: wedding decor...I would love to see your posts about your wedding style. Please link in the comments...if anyone is listening (with your eyeballs)!

I have made custom pieces for bridal parties YEARS ago, & I just recently sold some of these rings for a sweet customer's wedding. It's so neat to know you were a tiny part of someone's big day. Aww, feelings & stuff.

xoxo, Jenna