*tap, tap* Hi, Blogger? I'm back.

Well, well-- a day late and a dollar short of exactly one year ago-- Forgive me, whoever, for I have sinned. This year was tough-- not gonna lie. It was a whirlwind of radical changes, big changes. Now I am taking baby steps and getting my butt in gear to focus solely on LeftyLouVintage, hooray! Stay tuned, ladies and germs, many magical things come to those who wait. *wink*

Oh, yeah, and use the code: BACK15 to receive 15% off your next purchase. :) ...limited time only!

Multiple personali... err, posts in one!

OK, so I just have to brag for a moment about this spectacular Patricia Fields rhinestone "paperweight" *wink* that my cousin bought me as a very belated birthday gift. I've been lusting after them for about 5 years now, so FINALLY these bad boys are mine all mine! [insert huge grin here]
/end brag.

↑Oh, yeah... I also cut my hair about 2 weeks ago.

♥LEFTYLOUVINTAGE Shop Announcement:
Just fyi, I'll be in Richmond, VA from Friday evening until Monday, August 2nd. As a special treat to anyone (which is hardly anyone at all, haha) that follows or checks out this bloggy blog, I'm offering a 10% discount on ALL items in my shop. Items must be purchased in the time frame I'm away. All items will ship either Tuesday, August 3rd or Wednesday, August 4th. The 10% discount will be refunded via Paypal when I return. Just enter "HQS10" in the notes to seller section to receive your discount. Click the link to visit my shop → leftylouvintage.etsy.com Happy treasure hunting!

On a totally unrelated note, I am seriously digging these handmade "Hitchcock" moccasins or more appropriately titled "The Hitchmocc" by fellow Etsian, darlingtonia! I MUST SAVE MY PENNIES! I need these incorporated into my Fall wardrobe. :)

Let's talk about...

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, shall we?

First at bat is, HarlowNoirVintage. I purchased a darling pair of high waisted shorts from her on 5/25/10. After waiting patiently for them to arrive in the mail, I contacted her. It took 2 messages before she could be bothered to respond, stating that they had been shipped that day--uh huh, sure. *eye roll* Ten days later and still no sign of the shorts, I contacted her again & again & again--no response. Naturally, I filed dispute via Etsy and Paypal. Etsy literally just emailed me stating after several attempts at contacting Ms. Harlow-terriblecustomerservice-Vintage and no response from her, that they had permanently suspended her from selling on Etsy.

Here's part of Etsy's email copy/pasted:

Update on Your Non-Delivery Case
==========================================
Dear trasee,

We are sorry to report that after many attempts, Etsy has not
received an update that indicates the seller has or will settle
your transaction. Consequently, we have banned them from using
Etsy or operating a shop on the site.

Which smoothly transcends into my next gripe.....

Second at bat is, Etsy. Shame on you, Etsy. I just went to HarlowNoirVintage and could not believe my eyes. The shop is not only open, it is newly revamped, complete with new banner and new stock. WOW, just WOW.

GOODBYE, TRUST.

Sadly, this has been happening to me quite frequently on Etsy. Customer service must be a low priority for some folks. What a shame, it ruins it for the rest of us honest sellers that take pride in customer service.

Behold the "Eyes of the Tiger"

This amazing bookmark was originally a pastel done by my talented Uncle Lew. These bookmarks are glossy, professionally done and unique. To say he has it down to a science capturing the allure and primal gaze of each animal would be an understatement. His work is incredible! And as an appreciator of all things artsy, I am proud to stand on this virtual soapbox and yell out "WE'RE RELATED!" To top it off, he has a great human interest story: Click here to read his bio.

You can find the bookmark shown in the picture above for sale on Etsy in his shop newartprints. He sells mixed bundles of 5 for $5.50--how can you go wrong!? You can't. Trust me! He also sells prints of his original pastels, postcards, thank-you cards, etc..

"Howling at the Moon" is yet another example of his talents. You can purchase a limited edition 11x14 print of this pastel for a mere $50, not too bad, eh?

So, what are you waiting for?! Stop reading and go check him out at NEWARTPRINTS.ETSY.COM! You can thank me later. ;) *wink

Oh, Happy Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous hardworking mother's out there! It's YOUR day and you deserve it!

I wish I was in Miami spending quality time with mine, but today will be spent with other loved ones instead. It's a nice way to end the weekend. :) Wouldn't you agree?

Prairieoats Praise!

First of all, if you aren't familiar with fellow Etsian prairieoats, what are you waiting for?! Check her out! She makes unique vintage assemblage jewelry at reasonable prices. To say I am quite fond of her work is an understatement!

I was lucky enough to stumble upon her shop randomly searching for "earrings" on Etsy. Immediately upon entering, I knew wouldn't x-out of the screen empty handed! I ended up buying a darling pair of brass bullet shell earrings with a dangling moonstone. My first purchase arrived in a timely fashion and came wrapped in the most lovely packaging I have ever seen to date. You can really tell the extra love and effort she puts into detail, which I think is important. Not only that, but she is extremely friendly and great with communication. After that, I was hooked!

I made my way back to her shop a few weeks later and contacted her asking for a custom pair of the "Grapes of Wrath" earrings.* I was over the moon when she responded and was MORE than happy to work with me on my request. She kept me updated each step of the way and even threw in complimentary shipping! What more could you ask of a crafty gal?!

*Custom earrings can be seen worn by me in the "thank-you" photo and to the left. Photo to the left was taken directly from her "Grapes of Wrath- Silver Salvaged Bullet Shell Assemblage Earrings" listing.

Lucky for you, Prairieoats now has the silver version for sale in her shop, ready for purchase. And at $24, they're a steal! Snatch 'em up while you can--trust me, they're amazing! I get tons of compliments whenever I wear mine. ;)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW "GRAPES" LISTING!

I just made my third purchase and I don't expect it to be my last! :)

It's been awhile, hasn't it, fellow bloggers!?

Things have been going quite well for me on etsy the past couple of months. I'm very pleased with my flow of sales and feedback. It's nice to see results after all the hard work I have put into maintaining it. I'm not tooting my own horn, just allowing myself to be happy for what I have accomplished thus far. I also have to give credit where credit is due--I am extremely pleased with my boyfriend's ever-improving photography to showcase my items. If it weren't for him, my store may not have gotten off to a running start. So, thank you, Jason. Your photographs make me proud. If anyone actually reads this and is interested, he has his very own etsy shop now. His work is exceptional. You won't be disappointed, I promise! Please visit jasonbeckerphoto.etsy.com :)

On another note, I turned 29 on the 11th of this month. Hello, 29, I embrace you! Haha... :p

Here's a recent fortune I got from a cookie:

Best EVER!