While blogging is not my full-time job, I am very committed to it, take it seriously (but not too seriously because that wouldn’t be so fun, right?), and approach my blog work as professionally as I can. I have learned so much from many bloggers I have met online and offline, and I really try to give back to the community when I can. I had the opportunity to give a presentation at BlogPodium 2013Â (loved it!) and I hope to do so again in 2014. In the meantime, I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for the BlogPodium blog. It’s a great read (if I do say so myself) for people who are new to blogging or who are just about to start their blogging journeys. If you’re interested in reading my post, click here. Let me know if you have any questions!
I love collecting silver of any kind – jewelry, photo frames, serving dishes, etc. I blame my mom. She has an amazingly beautiful collection. Both of us have built our home collections after many trips to estate sales, antique stores, thrift stores, and vintage treasury shops in Canada and the US. Up until recently, we each rely on products like Twinkle and Silvo to polish up our silver. They’re both good products and have done what we needed them to do. But, I now have a new favourite silver polish.
Let’s go ahead and skip some of the small talk and get right to the before and after photos.
Pretty incredible, right? Trust me, if I hadn’t tried it myself, I wouldn’t have been convinced. So, what is this magic product? It’s called Universal Stone and it’s amazing. It sort of has the consistency of Twinkle (except it’s harder). It takes zero effort – a couple of rubs and that it. The magic (yes, magic) product and sponge do everything. It’s unbelievable! Universal Stone is also eco-friendly. It took me about 1 minute to clean each of the above items…without even scrubbing!
If you live in Waterloo, you can buy this at Household China & Gifts (that’s where I bought mine).
p.s. Mom, are you reading this? Did you see these transformations? Guess what you’re getting for your birthday. Secret is out!
Like many of you (I’m sure), I think one of the coolest online shopping sites is Etsy. It has grown incredibly over the last decade and it’s definitely one of my go-to spots if I’m looking for something really unique – vintage or handmade. We are now seeing some Etsy sellers moving offline and into stores like Chapters-Indigo and West Elm, and I have no doubt that these types of collaborations are going to continue.
Etsy is also a company that supports – and wants to work with – bloggers. One of the ways that it works with bloggers is through its affiliate program. I’ve known about the program for quite some time, but I only recently (um, this past weekend), pulled up my blogger socks and got my Etsy act together. This is why you now see the Etsy ad on my sidebar (well, would ya look at that!), and you’ll see me featuring Etsy items every now and again on the blog. Heck, I regularly featured Etsy in my posts sans the affiliate program, so you’re likely not going to even notice a difference in my posts. I just thought I’d let you know that I’m now embracing my Etsy affiliate membership.
So, let’s get to some cool Etsy sellers and products, shall we? Here are my latest faves in the categories of design, art, and fashion…
Polaroid camera, $35, Old Vintage Goodies
crystal white hexagon stud earrings, $15, Vivid by Esther
original geometric painting, $100, Nathaniel Gibson
geometric circle print, $12, Sweet Peony Press
fine art print – seagull, $35, Jorey Hurley
 piano garland, $15, Elisabeth Nicole
organic cotton pillows, $36 each, Little Korboose
Converse illustration – print, $20, Kendyll Hillegas
cheers acrylic tray, $55, Khristian A. Howell
Charles Eames for Herman Miller chairs, $505.21, Frankfurt Minimal Â
If you’re a Canadian blogger, and you’re interested in becoming part of the Etsy affiliate program, click here, and be sure to read Jen’s post and Melissa’s post about the program.
One King’s Lane has a sister! She’s called Hunter’s Alley and she’s fabulous! Hunter’s Alley has all sorts of cool one-of-a-kind vintage pieces of furniture, art, accessories, jewelry, books, lighting, and more. The online company also allows people like you and me to sell our own goods on the site (listing is free). It’s an incredible online marketplace and I encourage you to go have a look. For now, though, here are some of the items that have caught my attention.
white cauliflower coral, $95; white elk coral, $132; natural white coral specimen, $99; white cup coral, $95; Palm Beach natural coral cluster, $75
large white concrete male bust, $499; vintage tulip pillow, $265; Shreve Crump Lowe gurgling cod pitcher, $68; white wire basket, $29Â
king sleigh bed, $599; white campaign-style chests, $995/pair; white security task lamp, $250; 1970s French coffee table, $680
white beaded fold-over clutch, $225; Miriam Haskell vintage white earrings, $56; Kenneth Jay Lane white enamel earrings, $100; Karl Lagerfeld sketch for Carrie Donovan, $200
Don’t you think these items are pretty unique – and offered at very reasonable prices?