Happy Easter everyone!

Happy Easter everyone! Hope that you all have an amazing weekend and good luck to everyone going on Easter Egg hunts!

The Dorothy Days X

The Dorothy Days - Year so far...

Hello everyone,

Can't believe it is nearly March, how have 2 months sped by already?! It has been such a busy year so far so I thought it would be fun to share some of the highlights so far and celebrate with you all some milestones too :).

#1  - 1000 Instagram Followers

So happy to reach this big milestone this month.  Instagram is fast become one of my favourite platforms to use and I am really happy that lots of you have come over and followed me :) thank you! 

Find me on Instagram here

#2 - Sellers Advisory Board

I was selected to be part of the Sellers Advisory Board for Etsy! I am so excited to be part of this and will be flying out to New York for the first meeting in a few weeks time. 

You can find more about the SAB here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/seller-handbook/article/announcing-etsys-seller-advisory-board/34287741664

#3 - New Hobby

One of my new year's resolutions was to take up a new hobby so I decided to take up painting. I have been experimenting with acrylics and then recently started painting in watercolour. 

Finding it really relaxing and enjoyable and it has been fun experimenting with different things to paint and ways of painting.

#4 A New Arrival

The Cradle - Beret Morisot - Musee d'Orsay

This month my family got one bigger! He is beautiful. So exciting especially as we haven't had a new baby in the family for over a decade!


#5 Vienna

Had the most amazing trip to Vienna, it is so beautiful out there and I hope that I will get to return some time in the future. Has to be one of my favourite places I have visited to far.

#6 Getting organised!

#7 A HUGE milestone

This month I reached a HUGE milestone for my little Etsy shop and made my 1000th sale. So exciting! Each and every sale means so much to me and I can still remember the joy of receiving my very first sale (I did do a little happy dance!!) and still get so much join from receiving new sales from across the world. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and my little shop!

#8 Origami Challenge

As well as my painting, I have also started trying to learn how to make origami and set myself the challenge of making one per day. I thought it would be fun to post my makes up on social media so have started the hashtag #TDDOrigami and you can follow along on either Twitter or Instagram 

#9 More vintage

When I first started my shop I sold tags and vintage items and slowly have been making more and more handmade items for the shop which I totally love but am making it my goal this year to add more vintage items too. So far I have added lace bobbins, beautiful vintage brooches, trinket boxes etc and I have been experimenting with my shop photography too!

#10 New Branding

Decided that this year it was time for a little bit of a rebrand in my shop so I now have a new logo and banner and should have some new business cards on the way soon as well!

Exciting stuff!

Thanks for reading

The Dorothy Days Xx

5 things about Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

Nighthawks, Edward Hopper, 1942, Oil on Canvas, Art Institute of Chicago

#1 The work was finished in 1942 and was sold to the Art Institute of Chicago for $3,000 and has remained in the collection ever since. The work was sold after Hopper and his wife, Josephine attended the opening of an exhibition at the Art Institute. They spoke with the director of the Museum of Modern art who was fond of another of Hopper's paintings and Jo urged him to go to Rehn's gallery (where Nighthawks was being displayed for sale) to see the painting. Subsequently it was purchased by Daniel Catton Rich, the director of the Art Institute of Chicago who was in attendance that evening and went to see the painting at Rehn's.

#2 Nighthawks influenced the look of the film Blade Runner. The director Ridley Scott repeatedly showed the painting to his team stating that he wanted to capture the same kind of look for the film.

#3 - Although invented at an earlier date, the late 1930's - early 1940's saw the commercialisation of the fluorescent light. In 1938 four different size tubes were put onto the market and these new lights were advertised at exhibitions including the New York World's Fair and the Golden Gate International Exposition held in San Francisco. The fluorescent light is what gives the diner the bright, eerie glow that contrasts so starkly with the dark of the street corner.

#4 Edward Hopper's wife, Josephine, kept a journal which Edward would sketch in and add technical information to the pairings and then his wife Josephine would then add additional information to the painting about the painting's theme. This gives us an insight into Hopper's intentions for the pairing.

#5 The work has been parodied many time including in on the Simpsons, Tintin and Peanuts.

Hope you have enjoyed reading more about this beautiful painting.

The Dorothy Days X

Quote of the week - Bear Grylls

Hello everyone,

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you are looking forward to the week ahead. My motivational quote of the week for this week comes from British adventurer Bear Grylls

"If you risk nothing, you gain nothing"
- Bear Grylls


What is your favourite motivational quote? Please let me know in the comments section below or tweet me @thedorothydays (tweet box on the right hand side of my blog)

The Dorothy Days 

Quote of the Week - Sylvia Plath on Creativity

Hello everyone,

Hope you enjoyed the Henri Matisse quote form last week on creativity. Over the next few weeks I will be posting creativity themed quotes which I hope you all will enjoy. This week's quote is by poet, novelist and short story writer Sylvia Plath.

Do you have a favourite quote about creativity? Please share it below in the comment section!

The Dorothy Days X

3 Wedding dress looks that I am loving this week

Hello everyone,

So wedding season is in full swing and one of my family friends has just had the most beautiful wedding out in Thailand on the beach. It looks incredible! She wore a stunning dress. It was understated and totally beautiful with a beaded front and low back with criss cross strap. It was really different to any of the wedding dresses I had seen before so got me thinking about different wedding styles and dresses.

Here are my top 3 wedding dress styles I am loving this week.

1) Retro Tropical 

When you think of weddings, retro tropical is probably not a style that springs to mind but how perfect is this wedding look? I am totally in love with that dip dye dress. It has such a pretty lace sweetheart style back and looks like a modern twist on a vintage style dress in style and then you get to that bright orange dip dye which is just amazing. It was dip dyed by hand as well. It sounds like it really shouldn't work but it so does! I love the tropical look from the flowers to the pineapple wedding stationary and the groom's outfit is pretty cool too!

Amber Gress Photography/ Ambergress.com  via Buzzfeed 

26 Bridge Wedding Shoot from Valerie Barnes Film on Vimeo.

2) The Two Piece

Less formal wedding dresses are big this season. Separates have been a huge trend generally and are now being seen in bridal wear too. I love this two piece wedding dress which I found on Etsy.com it was handmade by Candice Lee in Australia

Candice Lee Bridal - on Etsy.com

3) Non- white wedding dresses

When I think of weddings I usually think of something quite traditional; the bride wearing a white wedding dress and it set in a church. People are now thinking of lots of alternative venues for their weddings and breaking with tradition so why not break with tradition with your wedding dress too and instead of choose white go for something with colour and pattern. I am totally in love with these dresses by Marchesa. 

Photo Credit - Marchesa 

This dress is bridal in shape but anything but traditional with the colours and pattern. I love the 'floaty' look of this dress and it would make a beautiful wedding dress.

Photo Credit - Marchesa 

A black dress is probably the last thing you would think of when thinking of a wedding dress but this dress is AMAZING. I have fallen totally in love with it and it would look incredible. 

The Dorothy Days X

Flash Sale - Ends Monday

Happy Sunday everyone! Last 2 days of my flash sale and there is up to half price off in my shop.

Please head over to grab a bargain!

http://thedorothydays.etsy.com/

A glimpse inside my studio - The Dorothy Days

Hello everyone,

A few of you on Twitter have been asking about my studio and asking for some more 'behind the scenes' photographs. I thought this was a really fun idea and so when I was taking photographs the other day of products I also took some 'behind the scenes' shots so I could share them with you all and hope this gives you a little insight into how I create the products that you see in the shop.

I don't have a proper studio but instead everything you see in my shop is made in my home in the English countryside. I often take over the kitchen table, spread out all my jewellery tools and beads, stamps and tags and get making! This is also a great place for me to take photographs of my vintage items as the light is good and it is by the window.

First things first, I always start off a making or photographing session with a cup of tea! This is usually from one of my vintage tea cups (I have quite a large collection myself). My favourite tea at the moment to drink while I am making is Earl Grey

Because I sell quite a range of products (both vintage and handmade) I think it is important to me to have a motto so that my shop stays focused. I have used this motto as my shop motto for the past few years and it works well for me. 

Whether it is the garden, the beaches nearby or the rolling hills of the English countryside, it all inspires my work.

When I am making new pieces for my shop I like to get everything out in front of me, play around with different colours and combinations.

Here I am trying to work out some new colour combinations for my necklaces. I am a very visual person so playing around with different things and trial and error is how I work out what works best for my jewellery. I often will string up necklaces and then take them totally apart and try something different until I find something that works!

Some of the latest pieces I have been working on....

As well as making jewellery and tags, I also sell vintage. Here are some photographs I took recently when I was getting ready to set up a shoot for vintage tea cups. A lot of work goes into checking the condition of all my tea cups and researching patterns and shapes etc.

Hope you have enjoyed this little glimpse into what I do and 'behind the scenes'!

The Dorothy Days Xx

Bratz dolls get a more natural make over!

Hello everyone,

I thought today I would share with you all this video about a lady who has been recycling old, unwanted and often broken dolls and repainting them. I had heard about it before and seen the images of her new dolls but had never seen this interview. I really love what she is doing and how she almost fell into almost by accident and now is doing really well for herself. Really lovely that it is her mother that makes the clothes for the dolls too.

What do you think? Do you prefer the new dolls or were quite happy with the old ones?

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below

Item of the Week - Handmade rustic style heart tags by The Dorothy Days

Hello everyone,

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my blog. At this time of year I always get a flurry of orders for my heart tags as people start planning and organising for their weddings and I also get orders for valentines from people using the tags as love notes (One customer hung the tags with messages for his girlfriend on trees and then took her on a romantic walk…awww!). So I have been working hard making lots of tags up for orders. I sell the tags in any amount in increases of 10. The minimum order is for 10 tags and the sky is the limit for maximum! Each tags is handmade and comes strung with cotton which saves you time and effort. They come in two different sizes, large and small. To see my full range of tags including my heart tags please click HERE . You will find different quantities listed in my shop but if you require a different amount please request a custom order and I will set you up with a listing. Out of all the items in my shop I think my tags are my favourite to make and I always love making items for people's special occasions. It has been lovely over the years to hear how people have used my tags. Have you ordered some tags from me? I would love to know how you used yours, please let me know in the comment section below or tweet me.

The Dorothy Days Xx

Heart tags handmade by The Dorothy Days Xx

The Dorothy Days - Things I am loving this week...

• Blueberry Muller Rice (I can't get enough of this at the moment!)
• Mint tea made from fresh mint leaves and boiling water
• Thick socks!! It has certainly been cold this week so my thick socks have been in high demand!
• That it feels more like Autumn. I miss the sunshine but I do also love the Autumn and can't wait until it is cold enough to get the fire lit!
• Spending time catching up with friends and family. I have been doing a lot of it this week and you just can't beat it! 

This or That Thursday - Books VS Films

Hello!

Welcome to this week's This or That post, thank you to all of you who have been playing along, it has been good fun and I have enjoyed reading.

Photo Credit- Big thanks to Joe Shlabotnik and Kristin_Urbane for their wonderful photographs. Please take a look at them on Flickr!

Please comment on which you prefer in the comment box below

The Dorothy Days - Quote of the week - week 6 - Thomas Edison

This or That Thursday - Pizza vs Pasta

Hello!

Welcome to another 'This or That' Thursday, today my question is........

Photo Credit - Thank you to The Pizza Review and JeffreyW from Flickr.

To participate please leave a comment in the box below this post to say which you would prefer!

I have been enjoying reading the comments for these, thanks to those who have participated and joined in the fun!

The Dorothy Days

Fashion Inspiration!

Hello everyone!

Have you ditched the winter woollies yet and got out your summer wardrobe?! I thought I would share with you some fashion inspiration and summer trends. Go BOLD this summer with bright colours and bold prints. I love this outfit selection and it would look wonderful for an afternoon picnic or for meeting friends for lunch! 

Lemonade, anyone? by prettyorchid22 featuring a flower arrangement

Have you got out your summer clothes yet?!

The Dorothy Days Xx

Working on improving my product photography!

Hello everyone!

I can't believe it is actually June! The weather certainly isn't that of June weather but I am hoping for some sunshine soon!

I thought I would share with you all today some things I have been working on over in my shop. A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to take part in an online photography webinar which taught me how to take better product photographs. I am still at the experimentation stage but already have seen improvements in my photographs which is really exciting!

Example of a before photograph....

This really does not show off my tags very well at all! The colour doesn't look correct, the lighting is poor and the angle makes the tag look a little odd!

After photograph:

Still a work in progress and there is still lots I can improve with this photograph but it is MUCH better than the previous photograph so I think I am on the right tracks! I took this photograph on a day that the weather wasn't great and the sunflowers cheered me up! One of my Twitter followers suggested I use a rose next time which I loved the idea of so will be doing soon (thanks for the suggestion!).

Please click here to view in my shop

What do you all think of the new and improved photograph? and do you have any other suggestions for improvement?

Best wishes
The Dorothy Days

Quote of the week - Dr Seuss

Christmas over in a flash!

Hello everyone,

I can't believe Christmas is now over! So much build up for it and then it is over in a flash. I had a fantastic Christmas. Just had a lovely quiet one with my family but it was wonderful to spend some time with them all. Such a shame about the weather (for those of you not in the U.K the weather has been awful.... lots of rain and wind and flooding in some areas), I had hoped for a white Christmas!

Spending today catching up on things which were put on hold for Christmas and also having a bit of a post Christmas rest before all the New Year events!

Thank you to everyone who tweeted me photos of their Christmas tree, was so nice to see all the different ones people had and how they were decorated. You all had beautiful trees!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas

The Dorothy Days Xx

3000 Twitter Followers!

We did it, we did it!! Finally reached 3000 Twitter followers, I am still in shock! Thank you so much everyone for all your support.

The Dorothy Days milestone - 8000 Tweets!

Hello everyone :),

Hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend so far. Just wanted to share with you some exciting news.... today I reached another milestone and have just tweeted my 8000th tweet!! Was rather excited about it so thought I would share my excitement with you all. Massive thank you to everyone who is following me over on Twitter. 

Here is to many more milestones :) !

Enjoy your weekend.

Best wishes to you all

The Dorothy Days Xxx (On Twitter here)

P.S Big big hello to all my Russian followers. I am getting a crazy amount of views from Russia. Thank you all so much.