The pains of high speed PART II....

Posted on | Monday, May 26, 2008 | 4 Comments

I am sure many of you remember my mini rant about my high speed internet provider, yes? WELL, this time they went beyond even a little annoyance. This time, they blocked me out most of this Saturday AND all day Sunday and today! I had to write a post because I know many of you are waiting for your pieces and replies in convos from me. I finished a ton over the weekend, but had no means of uploading the listings. ALSO, because of the internet problem, I could not convo to let everyone know, I couldn't blog post, and I couldn't check or send emails. I have spent about 3 hours on the phone with their customer service reps today after staying up 24 hrs refreshing my internet and trying everything I could to get in touch with all of you. I already knew they would send me for a run around, but I was desperate. I did at least 30 different checks and tasks with them, all of which made no logical sense to me because I could still access homepages such as Yahoo or Google. I could see my Etsy shop, but I couldn't log onto my account. After everything, they blamed my Norton antivirus. They said I had to get onto Norton's website to download the uninstall! Hello?! I can't access their site! They then told me to deal with Norton directly by calling them. When I called, they told me I could just uninstall through Windows, which I did. Afterwards, I rebooted and NADA! No change whatsoever AND now I can't even download Norton again to re-protect my computer since I purchased it through their website! In a last ditch effort (they said they only had one tech working for them today and they wouldn't be able to get anyone out to me to "fix" the problem until Wednesday!!), I hoofed it to the nearest coffee shop. Matt took our car to his family's this weekend several hours away so I did't even have transportation (yes, I am working through the holiday weekend) AND in a freaky coincidence, my bicycle's tires are flat. As pathetic as it sounds, I packed up all my gear, camera, phone, and a good umbrella since it's raining off and on, and I walked in search of internet. Now, I'm here at a coffee shop and when I tried to get onto their internet, it took all of 10 seconds to have full access internet! The high speed internet company kept telling me that it was my computer's problem, antivirus software, or a faulty router. Nope! Working fine now! Amazing. In addition to everything and to follow up from my previous internet post, they do block high users, but you must twist their arm to admit it. I got several versions of that story today and some people said, "no, we never do that." Another person said, "yes, we block long downloads," and yet another said, "oh, we do block high users." So which is it?? While they sent me on a huge and ridiculous journey to find the problem, I already knew it was on their end, but they insist that it's my problem. To be continued!

My greatest apologies for delays in responding and listing! I am trying everything and will be posting a ton today and replying to as many convos as possible before this coffee shop closes for the holiday. Thank you so much for your patience!!

Random Photo of the Day...

Posted on | Saturday, May 24, 2008 | 7 Comments

Fernanimal...

has arrived.

Scoping out its new pad. And in twigs & honey fashion, I gave it some neck bling.

Laura Ryan Photography :: Thank You!

Posted on | Thursday, May 22, 2008 | 2 Comments

I thought that I would finally try to catch up tonight on some much deserved posts that I've been meaning to do for quite a while (more to come!).

I must say a huge THANK YOU to Laura Ryan Photography! Laura has been such a wonderful lady and photographer to work with and has supported me since I first started out on Etsy, which is way too flattering considering her work blows me away! A little while ago, she took a couple twigs & honey pieces on a journey with her to Vegas for WPPI and most recently, shot a "day after" session with one of her gorgeous clients, Jenn, who I had the pleasure of working with to create a special piece for the shoot. Here are a few of her amazing photos of twigs & honey pieces:

The beautiful Jenn with her now husband wearing a custom twigs & honey piece.

Another beautiful photo of Jenn and her twigs & honey hair piece.

Gorgeous!

The way too pretty, Monica, at WPPI.

Here is the talent herself! Doesn't she look so hardcore? I love this photo and snatched it off her flickr page. Photo credits go to the equally talented Monica Z Photography.

I also spotted this photo from her own 7-7-07 wedding! Okay, I'm so slow Laura! I didn't realize that you got married only a couple months before me! Doesn't she look absolutely amazing?!
Thank you SO much Laura for all your help and support. Someday... we need to get together! Good luck with your crazy wedding season line-up! You totally deserve it!!

On a side note, I have also updated some of the galleries on the official twigs & honey website. Some lovely new "real bride" photos!

Chere Amie :: Another beautiful twigs & honey post!

2 Comments

The wonderfully gifted Chere Amie was so kind to do such a fun twigs & honey post recently. She even mentions how she wanted a birdcage veil for her wedding, but was not totally supported on this idea and didn't get to wear one. Chere Amie! You can still wear mini veils or lovely hair pieces after your big day! ;) Thank you so much for the support and keep up the beautiful blogging!

Edyta Szyszlo Photography :: Beautiful twigs & honey post!

1 Comment

The extraordinarily talented Edyta Syszlo Photography has posted the sweetest blog post about twigs & honey pieces. This is a little late, but I just wanted to thank her for the great support. If you haven't seen her work, you must visit her site! In addition to her amazing talent, she seems like a total blast to work with and has been featured in The Knot. Thank you so much Edyta!

New piece :: Firefly Enlightened Collection :: Coco

Posted on | Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | 1 Comment

I finally squeezed in one new headband that is a non-reserve item! It's part of the Firefly Enlightened Collection and will be posted to the public in my Etsy shop tonight! This headband is very carefree and lovely and I think it would be perfect for an outdoor wedding or even a nice party. :D

Monday's shipments

Posted on | Monday, May 19, 2008 | 6 Comments

Some of the pieces I'll be shipping out today. This is like a graduation photo. The last time they'll be together.... but off to bigger and better things! And just like those old group photos, there are a few "not pictured". :)

I am thinking that if the mailman does not hate me yet, he will after today. There are three boxes among those for brides getting married this weekend! Congratulations!!

On a side note, I have a few huge orders to finish today and tomorrow and may take a little longer to get back to convos, but don't fret, I'll be in touch soon!
**Thank you Tiffany and all the other "T's" for waiting so patiently for me to finish the set! All your pieces are among those boxes!**

Pssst.....

Posted on | Saturday, May 17, 2008 | 1 Comment

Whew~ Okay! So I feel so bad, but I had to close my custom orders for weddings through the last weekend of July because things are getting a bit crazy. I'm horrible at saying "no" to anyone and always want to work with anyone that wants to work with me but it has gotten to the point for a long time where I rarely sleep and still work 7 days a week. I still feel bad but I really need to get the time sensitive orders finished on time. So sorry for the inconvenience, but if you are interested in a piece and don't need it until August, I'd still love to work with you and welcome the order!

Just a little tip:
There are a few pieces left that are completed and sitting pretty at the English Dept. in Portland, OR. You can view the collection at the twigs & honey official website. I should be making some more pieces to refresh the supply when I get the time, and will post an announcement when that happens.
Also, I'll be creating new pieces towards the end of June/early July for an online boutique and another shop in San Fran and possibly a third boutique. When it's closer to those dates, I'll make a formal announcement.

Other news:
Marichelle, of Heart Handmade blog, was so sweet to tap me for an interview. All sorts of great questions were asked and all those answers will go live Monday, May 26th. Yes, featuring all my random glory. You should visit her site in the meantime. It is FABULOUS!!! She features various artists that do all sorts of "handmade" things. Love it! Thank you Marichelle!!!

Totally random:
I'll soon satisfy my long obsession of obtaining an elusive Fernanimal. This one is mine:

Completely random, I know.

I tell Matt that this one looks like it stuck its paw in an electical outlet.

... which makes its "look" just that much cuter. What is this creature? Dunno. I am just drawn to quirky and cute beings.... oooohh..... mesmerized. It should be arriving to its new home in a week or two. I'll post its landing. ;)

Photo credits: Fernanimals

New twigs & honey design! :: Orchids!

Posted on | Thursday, May 15, 2008 | 9 Comments

Some weeks ago, a lovely bride contacted me to request a custom order. Orchids!

I tend to gravitate toward making more abstract florals, so orchids were a new challenge for me as you really can't make them too abstract without losing the whole "orchid" vibe. I love a challenge and I always love to create new items so I loved taking this order! It gave me a great excuse to try something completely new (to the sweet bride purchasing these lovely flowers... I hope I'm not freaking you out! Don't worry. I would not have let you down!).

The bride requested 3 orchids, ivory, a touch of pale pink and pearls. The end product? I love them so much!! I made them by hand and could not have had a more enjoyable experience. Here are a few shots:




I think they are so fun and fresh. :)

Here is a shot from my new twigs & honey studio. This is what I see looking out the window...

Here's the tree you are seeing from the outside:

The lovely dogwood in full bloom:

It's so funny how I haven't spent much time outside our new home yet! I've been locked up creating pieces but I just discovered these in our garden and squealed!:

We have peonies! Okay, so they are not in bloom yet, but soon. We have 5 peony plants in our garden. How exciting! More home photos to come someday, when I find time to unpack.

1000 Hearts!

Posted on | Tuesday, May 13, 2008 | 2 Comments

Just wanted to share that I received my 1000th heart today on Etsy since January 20, 2008! Hooray! Thank you so much for all the support. Feeling the love over here. ;)

Elizabeth Anne Design :: Guest Blogger... me!

Posted on | Monday, May 12, 2008 | 1 Comment

The talented ladies behind Elizabeth Anne Design are allowing me the pleasure of guest blogging this week with a series of wedding related posts. I couldn't be happier to do this and more thankful! They have a wonderful blog and so many great ideas and tips for brides. Be sure to visit their blog for some top notch blogging!

More photos of Elizabeth Dye's 2008 Spring/Summer fashion

Posted on | Saturday, May 10, 2008 | 5 Comments

Yipee! I loved everything Elizabeth Dye created for her "break free of winter and welcome some color" styled line for Spring/Summer. There were lots of punchy colors, forgiving and flowy shapes, great prints and rising hemlines. It was a blast and I'm STILL so happy, that Elizabeth was able to create my wedding dress. I'm continually reminded of her talents. The theme was very mod 60s. The show was titled "Three is a Magic Number" and took me right back to the time I sang it for a musical. The other School House Rock tune I was responsible for: Figure 8. The director said I was the "smart one" (i.e. math nerd), so I would be the only one to handle it. hmmm...
I digress! Thank you Elizabeth for asking me to "model"! I had a wonderful time and any excuse to wear your pieces... I'm there! Thank you Ambrosia from Magnum Opus for transforming me into a Bond babe. Thank you Clara for the make up application and eyeshadow that my husband appreciated. ;) Thank you Paul Rich of Paul Rich Studio for the photos and the enthusiasm! Thank you Dove and Sarah for being just so darn fun and sweet and congrats on your upcoming weddings! And of course, thank you Matt, my hubby and cheerleader. Everyone loved the flowers. Here are a few photos from the show:

Sarah getting her hair done by the amazing Ambrosia.

Dove and I climbed up and down these bad boys several times throughout the show for quick changes. Climbed or flew?

The lovely and leggy Sarah.

The gorgeous and very swan-esque Dove.

Who could this be? Way too groovy to be me.

All the lovely ladies after the finale walk.
Thank you Paul Rich Studio for the amazing photos (last 4).

Fancy feet :: backstage at Elizabeth Dye's fashion show

1 Comment

Just a quick post with a quirky photo of the models' tootsies at Elizabeth Dye's Spring/Summer fashion show last night. More to come on this later.

Brights!

1 minute before it's time to go!

The woes of high speed internet

Posted on | Thursday, May 8, 2008 | 10 Comments

So I am going to try to make this a one time vent just because it literally affected twigs & honey and I thought others would benefit from knowing.

A certain unnamed high speed internet provider Matt and I use thinks it's okay to limit use for some of its Residential users. You know what I say to that... "What the?!"

It all started a couple months ago as twigs & honey was gaining momentum and my time on the internet to do convos and listings increased. Randomly, the internet would appear to be on the fritz but wouldn't be completely shut off. I'd be able to get to a very few number of very plain sites... "Google" for instance, but not Etsy, PayPal, my email, my blog, or essentially anything else that was secure. This all seemed highly suspicious and after some google detective work found out that (and perhaps this is widely known and I'm just slow) this unnamed internet provider moniters high use customers and just turns off their ability to access the majority of sites during the most random times of the day. Supposedly, it's at peak hours, but regardless of when, I say that is a bunch of garbage really. If they need to limit some users during peak hours, why do they continue to sell the service?? They are overselling and this is their solution? Perhaps they should think to improve the infrastructure of the network before they oversell and then limit users to the services they pay for. Why do we pay for "unlimited" high speed internet every month when you really are NOT getting to use it for an unlimited amount of time?! It's as if the most dedicated customers, those who need it the most, are the ones most snubbed. Doesn't this seem completely unfair and misleading?? Perhaps it is all in the fine print, but they market it as unlimited access and why even set up home internet if you don't have the ability to hop on when you need to? If I don't have a guarantee - actually - if I'm essentially punished for using the service I pay for too much, why shouldn't I just quit the service and go to my local coffee shop that charges less for a cup of joe? It's like cell phones. With cell phones, they are very upfront with how many minutes you are allotted and if you have unlimited minutes. I hate how cell phone companies charge ridiculous amounts for minutes over your plan BUT at least they let you know that you only have "X" number of minutes to use AND at least you have the option in emergencies to pay extra if you need to. With this internet company... they just disconnect your service essentially. It's kind of like, "Oh, well you have had your fill of the internet for now, so we're cutting you off." Thanks.

Long story short, I get booted off the service I pay for sometimes 3, 4, 5, 6+ hours at a time and it is highway robbery. If I'm only allowed to use it for a limited amount of time, I'd like for the bill to be prorated please. Ridiculous really.

When I discussed with customer service reps, they told me, "it could be this, or this, or blah blah." When I suggested all of the above, they said, "Oh yes. We do that with high users. We limit their access." ?!
Their solution: Upgrade to Business high speed that costs double what we're paying now AND you must sign a 2-3 year contract and if you discontinue the service within the 2-3 years, you must pay 75% of the balance. Wonderful.
The thing is that I don't need faster uploads or any other whistles and bells. I just want to have what I pay for and that is "unlimited" internet. They essentially try to stronghold you into switching for a more costly service that we don't need. It's all very deceptive if you ask me.

So I apologize for the vent but I thought I'd explain a portion of my sometimes longer times for responding to customer convos. If you are experiencing a similar high speed internet problem, this is probably the reason. I think something should be done about it. But what?

Thanks for listening!!

Official twigs & honey website :: Work in progress but getting there!

Posted on | Wednesday, May 7, 2008 | 7 Comments

Just posting to announce the launch of the official twigs & honey website. It's a work in progress and will likely be overhauled over the next few months, but thought it would be a good idea to have something pretty up while my hubby works like a fiend in the background to build the more formal site. :D

Random photos :: twigs & honey

Posted on | Tuesday, May 6, 2008 | 6 Comments

Some of Monday's shipments:

Do one of these have your name on it? Well, it's on its way to you!

Later in the evening, I needed to get some supplies outside and noticed all sorts of lovely blooms in our garden. I picked just a few to put into a bud vase. Only problem was I couldn't remember where I packed them! I did happen to find this vase that was from our wedding for the bouquets. What do you think?

The vase is way too big obviously, but I think it had a nice overall effect.

There is a Dogwood flower, bluebells, clematis, azalea, and a twig.