The Year In Review

I started out the year with a blog called “Twelve Discovery Drive” and the premise was to try twelve new things throughout the year to discover a little more about myself. I had read book after book on things like “How To Discover Your Strengths” and “The Secret” and “See You At The Top” just to name a few.

I was tired of reading! I just wanted to try something…. anything.

I started the year off with a jewelry making class at the local Cultural Arts Center. I made a beautiful bird shaped nickel bracelet while learning a lot of new skills along the way.

Next, I gave screen-printing a try and I really, really liked it! I liked it so much that I started making screen printed ipad and messenger bags and started selling them on Etsy. I continued on the self-journey.

My husband won a trip enabling us to travel to London and Rome. We also went on a ten day cruise and visited places like Cabo San Lucas, Ensenada and Puerto Vallarta. My head was filling with ideas after visiting these places!

But I’ve got to tell you, I hit gold when on a whim, I attended my very first live auction out in the country this past August. It was truly an “aha” moment. I LOVED being there and I was so excited - it was that feeling I had been chasing for so long!

My Very First Auction Purchase was a Vintage Typewriter

Since that moment in August, I have been attending auctions on a weekly basis. I expanded my Etsy shop and opened a small vendor booth at a local antique mall. It is a lot of work, but I never get tired of it. I LOVE all things vintage and when I look back at my life, it had always been there, I think just had to realize it on my own. My hubby tried to point it out to me one time, but I blew it off as a dumb idea. I remember him saying, “you really like finding stuff at the thrift shop, can’t you do something with that”? Ha, ha, little did I know!

So my message is to embrace who you are and go with your gut even if it doesn’t make sense at the time. I am so glad I started this little blog as “Twelve Discovery Drive.” I finally found what I have been looking for!

Yeah, me :)

To see vintage items before they hit my Etsy shop, like my Facebook page.

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Chalkboard Painted Vase

I had a can of chalkboard paint lying around and I decided to make a little chalkboard paint vase. I picked up this little gem from the thrift store for $1.99. It’s pale green in color. I like the dark black chalkboard paint against the light color of the vase. Who is Minnie? Minnie is my cute little grand-pup (on the right side of the doggie pic below). Who is Karl? He is the big golden retriever who lives behind us. They bark at each other all the time – it’s so darn cute! I couldn’t get a good picture of Minnie and Karl together, so Lola had to do. Lola is the puppy my daughter fostered for 3 weeks – isn’t she super adorable? Seriously, super adorable! Lola was about 6 weeks old in this picture and Minnie is 3. Minnie thought she was getting a sister....but Lola adopted out quickly. Imagine that! Linking up with: Someday Crafts

I Tried Insanity!

Picture Credit: http://www.nike.com/nikewomen/content/collection/modules/favourites/products/lookbook_homepage_nike_free_high.jpg OK, not the whole program, but I tried the first DVD :) I’ve always been into fitness. I’m a regular subscriber to the magazine called “Fitness” I have a YMCA membership and I have a small home gym in my basement. Just because you have access to all this stuff, doesn’t guarantee that you will work out though. I’m also a sucker for Infomercials. Last year around this time, I bought Zumba – and that craze lasted about a month! Luckily, I was able to re-sell it on EBay right before Christmas for $50, getting most of my original investment back. This brings me to my first fitness tip of the year – if you’re not sure you’ll like a new fitness craze, try to buy it used off EBay or Craig’s List. A few weeks ago, my husband purchased “Insanity” off Craig’s List for $45 and it was still in the shrink wrap (the guy told us that he recently found out he had...

Upcycled Domino Tile Pendant Necklace

My metals/jewelry making class that I am taking has inspired to create some really cute upcycled/recycled tile art necklaces . I was at the thrift shop last month and I picked up this tin full of Dora the Explorer domino type pieces. They were in great shape and made of a nice heavy filled plastic/resin with white on one side and Dora characters on the other side. I sat them aside until this past weekend when I thought – I need to do something with those cute little pieces. By nature, I’m a big recycler. I love taking something old and making it new. I’ve seen these necklaces all over Etsy so I thought I would give it a try. So, while hubby was out and about, I plopped down at the kitchen table and began creating. I had already downloaded a few art sheets specifically designed for domino size pieces from Etsy (these sheets are really inexpensive). You don’t have to use these, I just chose to. Leading up to this project, I had already ...

Buffalo Plaid Vintage

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