if i had a million dollars...

... i'd open a store for handmade crafty loveliness. i go by this space all the time and think of it as mine. it used to be a really cute stationary shop, so i had been inside it a couple times before and already knew how great it is, but now that it's for sale, it's taunting me, making me wish i had the means and, well, the means to make it a go. i think it's perfect really:

that's my husband in the last two, showing his enthusiastic support in his reflection in the window, and generously offering his head to show depth perception in the last one (he was tying his shoe)!

so that is my little happy place, my imaginary shop/studio/apartment above. the awning is even already green and i love the window-seat-esque front window! it's good to have inspiration and a dream.

we had a nice, laid back fourth of july with my parents in town and a lot of awesome cheap pizza. we set off some fireworks in our backyard, ate cinnamon rolls and ice cream for dessert, and just generally hung out. it was odd to have a day off in the middle of the week, but nice to have it split the week into two short mini-weeks.

my labor of love for the shop recently has been a new banner... come check it out in full action when you get a minute! my first attempt was using a picture of some green buttons (that i eventually made into button magnets) but i thought it would be better to use an actual product. i'm really happy with how it turned out! this is the button one i vetoed but saved just in case:

i also made a sale last week, so i'm feeling pretty productive shop-wise. i'm about on track with my one sale per month average, which is not where i want to be, but at least somewhat steady. when work slows down a little i think i'll try a bit more marketing... getting geared up for the fall craft shows and what i'm hoping will be a busy holiday season on etsy.

i've added some ellebee stuff to our family page on flickr, it's all hanging out right here just waiting for some comment love. i'll be adding a few new things to the shop soon too!

hope your summer is feeling like this so far: