Jennifer Harruff makes me a Dress

I am 33. Yep. And when I was a tween and a teen, the cool places to shop were Contempo and Wet Seal. My mother hated these places. Loud music and higher prices than JCPenney, where we almost always shopped, since my father worked for the company and we got a discount.
I remember vividly once while shopping for school, it was when the baby doll dresses with tees underneath were the BIG thing (Can we say soooo 90210, people).  I begged my mother to go into Wet Seal and there was a sundress I fell in love with for $49.99.  My mother did not want to buy it (yes Mom, I still remember it to this day). 
Why do I mention this????  Well let's think about that, it was likely 20yrs ago.  I'm much larger than I was then (so more material), and I love things much more unique than what I did back then. And ummmm, I just got a STEAL!
My friend, Jennifer Harruff, just made me a custom dress. All for $48.50 SHIPPED (pricing will vary).  I got to pick the fabrics, and she is making it based on my measurements.  It is something made ESPECIALLY for me.....for a mere $48.50.  

As per last nights blog post of this vs that, all I have to say is handmade rocks, and you usually are going to get something better made, with better service (than Wet Seal for sure), and perfect for you! Look at some handmade options, support a small business owner, BEFORE you go out to the mass market.  You'd be surprised at the value, the charm, and the quality craftsmanship and service that people of our generation have forgotten about to get mass market and convenience that we have been taught is the "fun" and "stylish" way to go from commercialism.  

As a sidenote, Jennifer Harruff is also a member of the Military Circle of Friends Team on Facebook. Check us out to see Lilac Ave, Jennifer Harruff, and many more talented artisans.

This vs That, MCF Style!

This vs That is a comparison of goodies you could buy at a chain retail store versus the handmade counterpart.  This edition is doing the comparison up against my Military Circle of Friends (MCF) gang.



Hovering Agate necklace by Anthropologie $38

Amethyst Amulet by Winddancer Designs $39

 Personally I like the necklace by Winddancer Designs better; there is a lot more detail and finishing touches, for practically the same price. Not to mention, I'd rather buy handmade. 

Black and Creme Zebra Pouch from A Stones Throw $10

Pyramid Stud Clutch from The Gap $29.95

The above is a clutch from the Gap.  Not only is the wristlet from A Stones Throw 20 bucks less expensive, but the fabric instead of PU (yuck, is right) makes it washable, for those times when your lipstick cap fall off, or if you have an isue with a pen getting loose.


Echo Newsboy Cap from Nordstrom's $35


White Buckle Newsgirl from Two Seaside Babes $37

Not only is the Two Seaside Babes hat made by a handcrafting artisan, but it is also 100% cotton (the Echo hat is an acrylic/nylon/spandex blend).  And if you ask me the design looks sturdier and more complex than the Echo hat from Nordstrom's.



Where the 'Magic' Happens

Sounds like an episode of 'Cribs', right?!? Well I'm not an aging rock star and this ain't that type of magic!  This is where I turn coconut oils, beeswax, and soy wax, along with many other things to create the fabulous items of LilacAve.
We finally moved back into our house on Lilac Ave back in mid July.  I had set up shop "sorta" in our smallest room, but last night my daughter decided she wanted the smaller cozier room, and I could have the bigger room.  This room will double as a guest room when we have people, so it does have a full sized bed in it....which I think will likely serve as a dog bed for my assistant, Bear. But the rest of the 12' by 14' room is mine.
What actually worked out well, is I tried to use every excess piece of furniture and repurposing it versus buying bookshelves and 'new' things.  As a military family, we move all the time, and it seems in the past we've always needed to buy and sell things to work in whatever new space we have.  This time not only were finances a constraint, but I was tired of being wasteful. So I thought I would share some of the ways this space was repurposed.

• The green folding rack was originally bought as an easy fold and go display for craft shows.  In its off season I used it for its intended use as a plant stand. Here it works great at holding my fragrance oils, microwave and soy wax.  I *would have* likely bought a microwave cart for this.  So using this plant stand instead actually saved me $50-150

• This white bookcase we have used for actually several moves.  It was a black color, but I love it in this white color.  It will be holding all my finished product. Saved me $75-100 (granted this wasn't a repurpose, just a reuse).
• The table is actually my utility table for craft shows.  Underneath it is all my packing materials, and on top will be my actual work space for setting candles, soaps, etc.
• Here is a sewing station.  The white cabinet we inherited from our renters.  They left this over the toilet cabinet in our master bath.  Instead of ditching it to the curb, I thought I could use it for extra storage.  I am thinking during Craft show season, I will have my husband saw off the legs, and I will use it as a table top display.  This saved me $50. Right now it holds my boxes I use for tarts, tealights, and soaps. The folding table was also painted white from black.  I bought it from TJ Maxx about 4 yrs ago, and let me tell you, there is nothing as versatile as a large folding table.  It has been everything from a TV stand, craft table display, computer desk and more.

• Inside the closet I have little closetmaid shelves that were bought for a craft show set up that didn't work so well.  They've also been used for toy bin storage for my kids, and closet organizers.  Right now they are working fantastic as my glass storage.  I sure am glad we lugged these around and even kept them when we were not using them.  They are $15/ea, so these 4 would've costed $60-$80 brand new.

So the good news is, the less money I spend on my office, the more money I can spend bringing new products to you! 
And even though this room was originally supposed to be my daughter's....I'm kind of diggin her 'Cozumel' Teal choice for the walls....I feel so exotic in there!